Michigan EDGE TJ Guy shares message from upperclassmen leaders after loss to Texas
The Michigan Wolverines are back to work this week preparing for Arkansas State after a humbling loss to No. 2 Texas last week. Nobody expected Saturday’s game to look like it did in a 31-12 loss that snapped a regular season win streak that dated back to the 2021 season.
Now, it’s all about taking advantage of the chances they have moving forward. There’s no lamenting the past with so many opportunities upcoming for big ways.
“Saturday was a sad day for Michigan but we have 10 more opportunities left in the season,” senior EDGE TJ Guy said on Monday. “We can’t dwell about it and let it bleed into the coming weeks because that’s not going to help us at all. We gotta learn from it, get better and fight and keep playing.”
Michigan did not play very good complimentary football last weekend, and the defense took the brunt of that. It was on the field for two-thirds of the first 30 minutes of action, and Guy gave Texas its kudos for the way it attacked the Wolverines.
“That’s what teams are going to do to great defenses, they’re not going to just drop back and find open receivers, they’re going to try and scheme us,” Guy said. “They’re going to try to beat us, our edges, our D-line, our linebackers with quick throws to the flats. So it’s kind of annoying but we’re going to see it all season so we gotta get better at things like that for sure… Definitely, they don’t want us to rush the passer, they don’t want to sit back in the pocket. They know our D-line is good, they’re trying to find ways to beat us without one-on-one matchups, I would say.”
Still, there is confidence that Michigan can turn it around and get back to its vintage form under coordinator Wink Martindale. Guy thinks the whole group just needs more game reps together to find that chemistry.
“I think it’s just week two, and it’s a whole new team, a whole new defense, a whole new style, a whole new DC and we’re gonna gel,” Guy said. “It’s gonna take time, we just played a great team. Got a team that was returning a lot of guys, a lot of the same system and things like that. So they’re probably more comfortable with what they’re doing.
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“We’re not saying we’re uncomfortable, but we haven’t peaked yet. We’re not at our best yet, for sure.”
Martindale has come under fire in recent days for his aggressive take on a defensive system that Michigan used to go 40-3 over a three-year span. Nobody is wavering in their support of him coming off a tough week at the office.
“He’s proud of us. We’re proud of him,” Guy said. “We’re on his side. He’s on our side. It’s gonna take work to resolve. Like I said, second game together. So just build more chemistry. We’ll be all right.”
Ultimately, Michigan’s outlook comes down to its player leadership after getting punched in the mouth. The message from the upperclassmen this week was a simple one.
“We got a text in our group chat,” Guy said. “Kind of like our upperclassmen group chat saying right after the game like, don’t come into the building if you’re not ready to turn the ship around. Not saying the ship sunk or anything like that, but we don’t have room for anybody who’s not in this with us all the way.”
