Defense / ST notes: Michigan keeps 'attacking,' smothers Nebraska in 34-3 win

Michigan Wolverines football suffocated the Nebraska offense — which saw starting quarterback Chubba Purdy go down with a knee injury before halftime — and allowed the Cornhuskers to get into U-M territory on just two occasions in a 34-3 win to move to 10-0 for the first time since 2006.

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The Wolverines’ theme of turning up the heat in the second half continued, after Nebraska racked up 52 and 51 yards in the first and second quarters, respectively, highlighted by 39 rushing yards from Purdy. Michigan lost him on some scrambles, and he picked up two first downs with his feet.

“[Defensive coordinator] Coach [Jesse] Minter and the whole defensive staff do a great job of when we come in at halftime getting adjustments made and understanding what we need to do,” senior nickelback Mike Sainristil said. “We pride ourselves during the week of not giving anybody anything in the second half.

“We just want to continue having second-half shutouts. We know going into the second half, it’s a 0-0 score and we want to win every half. Just the adjustments we make are phenomenal by the coaches, and they put us in the best positions possible.”

Purdy also hit on a 30-yard pass on third-and-6, but the opening drive of the game still ended in a punt.

The Cornhuskers did get one field goal with 4:10 left in the first half, thanks to some Purdy scrambles and a questionable roughing the passer call on graduate EDGE Taylor Upshaw.

“We just gotta do a better job of starting fast and staying that way the entire game,” Sainristil said.

After the break, though, Nebraska picked up just 3 first downs and totaled 43 yards, averaging a lowly 2 per play. Over the last five games, Michigan has allowed just 75.4 yards per outing in the second half.

“Can’t say enough really good things — how they’re running to the ball, the team defense. It’s been great,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Keep ‘er going.”

Purdy was already starting in replacement of Texas transfer Casey Thompson, who entered Saturday fifth in the Big Ten with 252.9 passing yards per game and led the Big 12 in touchdown tosses a year ago. When he went down, interim head coach Mickey Joseph turned to Logan Smothers, who completed 4 of his 8 pass attempts for 15 yards.

“You just keep attacking. Our mindset is, it doesn’t matter who is out there,” Michigan sophomore linebacker Junior Colson said. “It was go to get the backup in. Get the backup to the backup in.”

Two Michigan freshmen shine

Michigan freshman cornerback Will Johnson made his second career start in as many games, even though graduate Gemon Green was back in the lineup after being injured by MSU players’ attacks Oct. 29.

Johnson made a tackle for no gain, one of 2 stops on the night, and notched a pass breakup in his second game as the starter opposite of senior DJ Turner.

“All those corners right now … scary depth,” Harbaugh said. “DJ’s out there, Will’s out there, Gemon’s out there, Mikey’s out there. They’re all playing really good as a group on the back end, as well, along with the safeties.”

“Will has been doing a great job,” Sainristil added. “He’s another guy that’s very consistent with what he does. After practice, you see him staying out longer, doing the little things to make sure he stays ready when his name is called.

“Will has solidified himself as a starting corner, and whenever he’s in there he’s a guy we trust, the coaches trust him. And I know for a week he’s going to do his best.”

Michigan freshman defensive tackle Mason Graham continues to impress. He made 3 tackles, including 1 for no gain, another for a 1-yard gain and a sack. He also registered a quarterback hurry.

“Really from day one, he came in probably somebody that he just went to work right away,” the Michigan coach noted. “Showed up in the first couple practices. And okay, it’s in shorts, but let’s see what it looks like in pads. Right away in pads, he was really good. 

“He’s just a heck of a player, you know? At a position where you really need defensive tackles. Having him, [classmate] Kenneth Grant come in in the same class … those were the two guys I was referring to back in September that were a gift from the football gods.

“They’re continuing to play really good, and it really bodes well for our team to have both those two freshmen as good as they are. And they’re freshmen. It’s awesome.”

It was a spread out effort for Michigan, with 22 different players logging a tackle on either defense or special teams. Colson led the way with 6 stops, including a sack, and Sainristil chipped in with 5 while playing tight in coverage.

Michigan sophomore safety Rod Moore was consistently around the football, registering 3 tackles and impacting a number of other plays on the back end.

“Rod Moore is doing a tremendous job,” Harbaugh said. “I wish I had more Rod Moores. He really is a tackling machine. Gets them on the ground.”

A.J. Henning strong in return game, Jake Moody nails 2 field goals

Michigan has been just average in the punt and kick return games, averaging 8.8 yards on the former and 17.4 yards on the latter. But the production was better Saturday, led by junior return man and wideout A.J. Henning.

He muffed a punt early but recovered it — no harm, no foul — before picking up 9 yards on a solid return and totaling 11 yards on 4 attempts. He saved some yardage by fielding the ball and getting tackled right away, too, even if it didn’t look pretty.

Henning ripped off a 31-yard kick return and totaled 55 yards on 2 attempts.

Michigan graduate kicker Jake Moody connected on a 30-yard field goal with 1 second remaining in the first half after the Wolverines mismanaged the clock, and he made a 43-yarder with 1:17 left in the game.

Moody’s first-quarter extra point gave him 100 points for the season, making the third player in Michigan history to record consecutive seasons with 100-plus points, joining running back Anthony Thomas (1999-2000) and halfback Tom Harmon (1939-40).

The Michigan kicker missed two field goals last week against Rutgers, both from 50 yards out, but recovered with a nice performance.

Miscellaneous Michigan defense / special teams notes

• Michigan senior EDGE Mike Morris left the game in the second half. He limped off the field and didn’t return.

• Nebraska is the fifth Michigan opponent in six games to total less than 100 rushing yards (75). Only three teams have hit the 100-yard rushing mark against the Maize and Blue this season.

• Michigan has held six teams to less than 100 rushing yards, the most occurrences of that feat in a season for the Wolverines since 2016, when eight opponents failed to hit the 100-yard rushing mark.

• For a second straight game and the third time this season, Michigan’s opponent didn’t reach the 200 total yard mark.

• Nebraska’s 3 yards per play were the second-lowest amount against Michigan this season (2.1, Connecticut), tied with the Indiana game.

• Nebraska recorded just 8 first downs, the third team Michigan has held to single-digit first downs this year.

• Over the last five games, U-M has out-scored teams 117-3 in the second half.

• Today marked the third time this season that the Wolverines have limited their opponent to 8 first downs or less. For the third straight week, U-M kept its opponent to one or fewer first down(s) in the third quarter.

• Moody is in sole possession of fourth place on Michigan’s all-time scoring list. Garrett Rivas (354 points, all-time leader) is the only kicker to have contributed more points to Michigan football.