We're about to find out more about Jesse Minter and his first Michigan defense

Through three games, Michigan’s starting unit outscored overmatched opponents by a score of 103-0 in first halves, aided by Jesse Minter and his defense. The Wolverines’ ‘D’ has been so dominant, in fact, that head coach Jim Harbaugh has emptied his bench in every game.

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First-year Michigan defensive coordinator Minter knew he had some special players when he first arrived this spring. His friend and former U-M D.C., Mike Macdonald, had let him know, and he saw it for himself on film.

Now, however, comes the first real test of the year, in Big Ten play against Maryland. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa and his receivers have been putting up huge numbers, and this weekend’s game could be a challenge.

“I’m seeing a very productive offense, about 500 yards a game, 40 points a game,” Minter said Wednesday. “They have a really good quarterback, really good skill, a lot of speed. It’s a good offensive line with a couple of really talented NFL prospects.

“So … great challenge, and a really good scheme. I think they play to the quarterback’s strengths and kind of what he does well, so it will be a great challenge for us.”

Tagovailoa has already thrown for 895 yards, albeit against weaker competition. He’s connecting on an incredible 77.3 percent of his passes with six touchdowns against two interceptions, ran for 51 yards in a 34-27 win over SMU, and has improved each year.

Minter is also excited to see what his group can do against a better opponent.

“I think anytime in regards to … it’s just a conference game, first and foremost,” Minter continued. “They definitely have some better pro players probably than what we’ve seen so far.

“Yeah, I’m excited to see how we play against this team.”

What we know about the first Minter Michigan defense …

And so is everyone else. The Wolverines have had such a huge talent advantage in the first three games that it’s hard to know just how good they are.

A few things are clear, however. There’s no lallygagging on defense, and there’s great chemistry. There are always several hats to the ball, and these guys like playing together.

They’re also prepared. There have been several instances in which many defenders were running downhill at the snap anticipating a play based on the formation, and blowing up immediately.

“Our coaches, Coach [Steve] Clink[scale], Jay Harbaugh, Mike Elston, George Helow — they do a really good job coaching these guys,” Minter said. “I always say this … when you play good defense, you anticipate what’s coming. You don’t guess. You don’t say, ‘they’re for sure going to run this play.’ But when you can anticipate things based on, ‘They’re lined up like this,’ or, ‘They’re lined up like that,’ you eliminate some of the thought process.

“I think our guys are just keying into what these teams are running and what they’re doing. It doesn’t always mean they’re going to run that. Maybe it’s the play they think is coming. But I think when you can anticipate and try to get ahead of plays, you play really fast. These guys have proven to be a really, really smart group that’s willing to really study. They’re really willing to work really hard, and it shows up in how they prepare every week.”

It helps, too, that they’re playing a second year in a very similar defense. McDonald and Minter have worked together in the past, and not much changed from one coordinator to the next.

“I definitely think that’s a piece of it,” Minter said. “They have a year and three games worth of our system now. And maybe that they now have three games worth of me calling it, the kind of stuff I like to do [helps].

“But it’s versatile, and we can change up things week to week. “I just look forward to the challenge of the Big Ten schedule.”