Michigan D.C. Jesse Minter debunked 'signals' narrative with outstanding game plan vs. OSU

Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter wouldn’t necessarily admit it Wednesday, but there had to be some vindication after he and his defense limited the Ohio State offense yet again. The Wolverines held the Buckeyes to 106 yards rushing in a 30-24 win, and while receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. got his yards (118), they did a solid job overall limiting explosive plays.

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Harrison Jr. said after the game he had never seen a defense so geared to stopping him. It was evident on the game’s first big play, when sophomore Will Johnson stepped in front of him for a ball and picked it off, returning it inside the 10.

“Not to get crazy specific, but we had sort of a double [team] on him so Will was able to play with inside leverage,” Minter acknowledged Wednesday. “He had protection over the top so you try to, in certain formations, anticipate what routes they might run out of that look. Sometimes you want the double coming from inside out. Sometimes you want the guy on him to be able to play inside for types of routes they’re running.

“We try to vary that, and on that particular formation, that particular play, Will did a great job of sort of giving them a zone look, almost like a cover two look. But it was really being able to play inside on that and know he was protected over the top … it was a great play by Will.”

It set the tone for the game, though Minter half-jokingly lamented Johnson should have scored on the return. At the same time, Harrison made some plays, too, that only a player of his caliber could make.

“He’s probably one of the best college receivers in the last 15-20 years, and one of the best NFL draft prospects in that position in a long time,” Minter said. “He has a great skill set, and they have the ability to move him around. So, I think there are a lot of answers you’ve got to have in so many different spots.

“[But] we certainly trust our guys, as well. There were times where Will was on him one-on-one; there were times where Mikey [Sainristil] was on him one-on-one. We certainly wanted to try and limit his ability to wreck the game. When I go back and watch, them vs. Penn State was kind of an evenly-matched game, and he was the difference in their offense. While he still did some damage on us — there are a couple plays we’d like to have back — to be able to somewhat keep a roof on him and to keep him from being able to wreck the game was certainly a big part of the game plan.”

Minter on defense ‘built to beat Ohio State’

That’s three years in a row, too, that Michigan defensive coordinators have had very good success limiting OSU’s explosive offense. The Buckeyes had some great concepts and moved the ball through the air at times — as they have the last three years — but the Wolverines have now only surrendered 74 points in the last three games.

Mike Macdonald, now the Baltimore Ravens’ D.C., started it by confusing C.J. Stroud two years ago and keeping OSU out of the end zone for much of the game. Stroud threw for a lot of yardage but was pressured frequently in a 42-27 loss. Minter held Ohio State to three second half points in a 45-23 win last year, and his team put the clamps on the Buckeyes when it mattered late in the game Saturday.

Minter waved the Buckeyes off the field after the game, but he insisted it wasn’t personal.

“When I interviewed here, it was like, how are you going to beat Ohio State and how are you going to beat Michigan State, because we were coming off a loss to Michigan State, as well,” Minter said. “I think it’s something you work on every day here …

“This game, to me, this is the game. When you come to Michigan, it’s for this game, or this type of game. Our season goals are really hinged on that game. All the reasons the guys came back — all the reasons we want to get to that next step as a program and have success in the championship game and the playoff — hinged on that game. It was a moment. I was happy with the way the game ended. Rod [Moore] made a great play [with an interception], and I certainly got caught up in the moment, got excited.”

Nobody could or would blame him, of course, with maybe one exception — the Buckeyes and their fans, who now must wait at least another 360-some days before getting another chance to atone after three gut wrenching losses in row … and now, with no excuses.