Defense/ST Notes: Michigan locks in during 'pillar game'

The Michigan Wolverines defense faced its toughest task to date on Saturday afternoon with its trip to Penn State. U-M’s defense allowed a whopping 15 points in the game and 238 total yards as it played for its suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh.

There was a fire to the Michigan defense on Saturday, who stifled PSU quarterback Drew Allar and held him to 10-of-22 passing for 70 yards and a touchdown. Penn State’s Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton helped the Nittany Lions run for 164 yards on a stout U-M run defense.

“Those guys fly around,” acting head coach Sherrone Moore said on Saturday. “I won’t argue but I’d say they are the best defense in the country. They play fast up front, we see it in practice. Pain in the butt to block, it’s hard to get open. Everybody on defense and coach Jesse Minter, man, and that staff, they do an unbelievable job scheming up every week. It’s a group effort of players and coaches, they make that thing run.

“I think the big thing coach told us last night, he told them to play angrily. We want them to play angry, we want them to play with that fire and they did. I didn’t think it was anything, didn’t think it was a vengeance thing. It was a, hey, let’s go play for Michigan. Let’s go play for each other and let’s go play fast and let’s play physical.”

Moore and the staff had to lean on each other in Saturday’s win with defensive coordinator Jesse Minter playing the biggest part on that side of the ball. Both Moore and Minter have experience as head coaches now thanks to Harbaugh’s first suspension to start the year.

“Jesse on defense, when the defense was up, let Jesse coach the defense,” Moore said. “If he needed to use a timeout, he did. Mike Hart would relief and let me know if I needed anything offensively so it was very cohesive. The whole staff, we just did such a great job together.”

Cornerback Will Johnson and the Wolverines shut down PSU star wideout Keandre Lambert-Smith, who was held to one catch for six yards on four targets despite being far and away the most target player in the passing game throughout the year.

“The whole game, our mindset was just having a pillar game — strain the whole game, play hard, and do it for Coach Harbaugh,” Johnson said. “Our mindset was just play together, play as hard as we can, and execute the calls that Coach Minter displayed for us. All we could think about was get the ball back as much as we can for the offense, and get off the field.”

“It felt great. I tried to hold my side of the field down as much as I can, and made a few plays out there. I’m just happy with the win, and having a happy flight.”

Allar’s fumble in the third quarter was the first forced fumble for junior defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny and the first recovery for senior safety Makari Paige.

“Our coaches do a really good job of keeping us focused and letting the main thing be the main thing, so it’s all in our preparation and our coaches keeping our mind on one track,” Benny said.

“Coming out of halftime, Coach Minter was emphasizing that one of our playmakers would make a play, and that’ll be the difference in the game right there. So, when the time came, the plays were made.”

Michigan came into Saturday’s game as the top-ranked total defense in college football and a large part of that is due to team synergy. Benny sees that every snap on the field.

“We all just kinda feed off each other — from the front line to the back line,” Benny said. “Everybody just eats together. We work together, and that’s what makes us so good, the fact that we trust each other.”

Paige answered: “The truth. I think we are the best defense in the country. Best D-line, linebackers, secondary. It’s a great compliment, honestly. We gotta keep proving it every week.”

Miscellaneous Michigan defense/special teams notes

• Penn State’s 15 points scored was the highest output surrendered by the Michigan defense. The two biggest point totals of the season came in the last two weeks with Saturday’s result and Purdue’s 13 points scored last week.
• No opponent had scored more than one touchdown against the U-M defense this year until PSU found the endzone twice on Saturday.
• Michigan’s third-quarter field goal was the first points allowed by the Penn State defense in the third quarter this season. U-M has still not allowed a point in the third quarter this year.