Michigan offense got the better of the defense in Tuesday practice
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — This time of year — in early August toward the beginning of fall camp — defenses are typically ahead of offenses, and that goes for many levels of football, including college and the NFL. The Michigan Wolverines football offense operates with the “glide theory,” that, like an airplane, it’ll slowly build up steam and then take off.
Perhaps it was just a flash of what’s to come or one good day, but the Michigan offense got the better of the defense Tuesday, according to graduate safety Quinten Johnson. The sixth-year player didn’t seem all that happy about it, either, even though he knows it’s a positive heading into the season. The Wolverines’ defense, it’s worth noting, is expected to be one of the nation’s best once again after finishing first in points and yards allowed per game last season.
“We’ve seen them all practice,” Johnson said. “We do a lot of O vs. D. But yeah, yesterday was the first day of pads, and they definitely caught a groove.
“It’s good to see, but at the end of the day, camp is offense vs. defense, day by day, who’s gonna win, who’s not gonna win? I would say they won yesterday, which is good to see for when we go and put the pads on against somebody else.
“But as a defense, we want complete domination every day. So I’ll leave it at that.”
Johnson’s tone was one that pointed to the defense coming out with a vengeance the next time out. The competition is nowhere near ending, with weeks left until Michigan’s Aug. 31 opener against Fresno State.
The offense has had a similar feeling at times this camp, from the sounds of it. Graduate left tackle Myles Hinton acknowledged as much when talking with reporters Sunday and seemed intent on making sure the offense gives its best effort.
“We talked in the O-line room, too, like, everyone is like, ‘Oh, the defense is so good and this, that and the other, but so are we.’ We’re back there, fighting every day, and there really shouldn’t be a disparity between the O and the D.”
The Michigan offense is currently conducting a quarterback competition, with junior Alex Orji, senior Davis Warren and graduate Jack Tuttle appearing to be the top three contenders. Johnson pointed to two of them — Orji and Warren — when asked who’s giving the defense the most issues in practice.
“Orji definitely presents a difficult style of football you got to play against, just from his ability to run,” Johnson explained. “But Davis has definitely had the best passing days so far.”
Also speaking to the media Wednesday, junior wide receiver Tyler Morris alluded to Michigan “opening up” its offense this season. Johnson said there are many different ways the offense can attack defenses, particularly with the different options at quarterback.
“It’s a lot of versatility,” Johnson noted. “We can play big-boy football, we can get in 12 with Tutt or Warren and really expand the field. We can get in 12 with Orji and expand the field, but we can also run the ball. There are so many different ways of offense we can play that the QBs present that there’s a lot of opportunity.”
The Michigan receivers are also standing out, with Johnson naming a few.
“A-Walk [junior Amorion Walker] stretches the field really well,” Johnson said. “T-Mo [Morris], [junior tight ends] Colston [Loveland] and Marlin Klein, you can put them in 11-like pictures at 12 and they also present different opportunities to really stretch the field and use really creative ways to get them the ball.”
