Michigan football Tuesday practice featured a 'good energy' as team prepares for second half of season

Michigan Wolverines football has all of its goals in front of it, sitting at 4-2 ahead of the back half of the regular season, but there’s hardly a margin for error if the Maize and Blue are to reach the College Football Playoff for the fourth consecutive season.

There’s a bounce in the step of those inside Schembechler Hall ahead of Michigan’s ranked-on-ranked matchup with Illinois.

“You have to find the line between urgency and panic,” senior fullback / tight end Max Bredeson said. “That’s a big thing that we’ve established. You can’t be panicked, but there’s a sense of, gotta roll, gotta get things going. Basically, be urgent, but make sure you don’t cross that line.

“Crossing the line would just look panicked and flustered. Luckily, due to the training we’ve had, that’s not how it’s gone.”

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Michigan checks in No. 24 in the AP poll, while Illinois, which is 5-1 with marquee wins over Kansas and Nebraska, is No. 22. The Fighting Illini are celebrating the 100-year anniversary of an epic 1924 win over the Wolverines and will have a raucous crowd inside Memorial Stadium Saturday evening.

“You think about that,” Bredeson said of how a win could propel Michigan forward. “We always play nameless, faceless opponents — it’s something we live by — but you do take into consideration what that can do, and we’re excited for the opportunity.”

Michigan’s offense has gotten off to a slow start this season, averaging only 23.7 points per game (down from 35.9 last year). Bredeson believes the group is beginning to hit its stride, though.

“A lot to grow from, and there’s been a lot of great,” Bredeson said of the first half of the season. “There have been highlights of what we can be, and we’re excited to go capitalize off of that. We’re really finding our identity.

“The past week has been great practices. The bye week has really helped with that. Today, you could especially feel it — just a good energy, a collective knowledge of who we are and what we’re going to be.”

Michigan has only a handful of returning starters on defense, and just one on offense, and it’s taken more time than expected for the group to come together.

“Finding out who each other are, finding out what the full identity is,” Bredeson continued. “There is an element that it takes real games to do that, to find out what people are like in that real battle.

“Really happy with how people are when the times are hard. Nobody’s turning backs. It’s all about Michigan winning, and we’re really finding that.”

Michigan graduate quarterback Jack Tuttle has seized the starting job, after coming in off the bench to lead three-straight scoring drives in the second and third quarters at Washington.

“It’s awesome,” Bredeson said. “The great thing about Michigan is there are always good guys to do every job. It’s the Michigan method. Happy he brings great energy to the huddle and brings talent. That’s the thing at Michigan, there’s always been great talent. He has a ton of energy, and it’s been fun to really start rolling.”

Speaking of energy, Bredeson is full of it. After Michigan takes the field before every game, Bredeson, a team captain, gives an impassioned speech to his teammates.

“It’s hard to remember sometimes,” a laughing Bredeson said of those moments. “But yeah, it’s just getting my guys going. It’s my role on the team, it’s my mindset. And it’s a different personality I have now than what you see in that huddle. It’s just about getting my guys going and ready to roll.”

Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome, who played with Bredeson’s older brother, Ben Bredeson, said the captain has a “screw loose” in an endearing way.

“Little bit of that. Something like that, I’d say in a good way,” Bredeson said, smiling. 

“I like it. It’s who they need me to be. I’ll be whatever Michigan wants me to be in whatever moment it takes. That is the person I have to be, and I love being that guy. So it’s fun to hear it.”