The State Line: Defensive Match Up with Sparty with Projections

Ultimately, the defense played just fine last Saturday against Minnesota. Yes, there were a lot of yards given up on the ground to Mohamed Ibrahim, including a couple scores. I am okay with that though, and I'll tell you two reasons why. First, Ibrahim is good and should be given credit. He already has one 1,000 yard rushing season on his resume and he has a veteran O-line in front of him so expect a lot of carries coming his way throughout the season. Secondly, despite the fact that Ibrahim rushed for 140 yards, as team the Gophers only managed 129 total rushing yards. The Michigan run defense will be just fine with some minor tweaking and I expect them to perform week in and week out this season. The fact that the Wolverines were able to snuff out what was a threatening passing attack returning from last season was worth whatever yards they gave up to a traditional running back. 

Anyway, what should the defense be focusing on against Sparty tomorrow? Basically, more of the same would be sufficient. Thank you. 

It's a little short today as I don't have a ton of time. It shouldn't be complicated though. 

Positional projections against Sparty:

Defensive Line: Too many yards were given up certain plays against Minnesota. I think it's a bit nitpicky to focus in on any negatives though, as the team defense performed above expectations overall. They even put six points on the board when Donovan Edwards snatched a fumble out of mid-air. Let's keep it simple here. MSU will look to put some yards up through the air. They probably think their receivers match up well with the Michigan secondary, so any kind of pass rush would help out a lot. Spartan QB Rocky Lombardi has an arm and he is capable of throwing for 300 yards, as he did last week against Rutgers. So keeping him below 200 like they did to Tanner Morgan while collecting a few more sacks should be the goal. In the end, I don't believe that Spartan O-line can hold up to the waves of talent that Michigan will seek to unleash on them throughout the game. 

Projection (as a group): 20 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks - 100 yards rushing allowed

Linebackers: Again, the linebackers did a good job last week despite how it looked on the surface. And the fact that Josh Ross got a pick was a nice cherry on the top as it was a testament to their commitment and ability to play in coverage. I expect to see them all over the field this Saturday, and I am willing to bet we see some of the freshmen play too. Kalel Mullings did record a stat last week to the tune of a 1 pass defended, so that's a great start. Now let's see those youngsters go out and make some tackles. 

Projection: 25 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble - 100 yards rushing allowed and NO runs over 10 yards allowed.

Defensive Backs: No group surprised me more last weekend than the corners. Hawkins and Hill were as advertised for the most part, but Vincent Gray and Gemon Green did just enough to keep Minnesota's two proven receivers out of the end zone. They did give up some yards but that should be expected when you are playing a guy who averaged 20 yards per catch last season and is projected as a first round pick. The big question for me is the depth back here. We didn't really see any other corners. The team actually didn't run as much nickel or dime packages a one would expect, instead utilizing the versatile talent at linebacker to help in coverage. Just like the 'backers, I want to see more of the young DBs getting playing time in this one too. Makari Paige got a lot of work in the second half last week and I want to see him continue getting opportunities to work out his freshman kinks. He seemed a little too slow to react in his first game, which is understandable. Nobody just becomes a great college player overnight. I specifically would like to see more D.J. Turner II, Jalen Perry, and some other freshmen getting reps too. This group will get challenged early and often. They need to prove they can turn it up another notch and shut down some good receivers. Yes, the MSU receivers are good, but are they as good as the Gophers? Probably not.

Projection: 20 tackles, 4 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 1 TD - 200 yards passing allowed

Score Prediction: Wolverines 59 - Spartans 20