Revamped Michigan line didn’t miss a beat after Zak Zinter injury — here’s why
Michigan Stadium went silent after senior right guard Zak Zinter went down with a broken lower leg late in the third quarter of Saturday’s win over Ohio State. The Wolverines were tied 17-17 at that point, OSU having rallied from 14-3 down, and were moving the ball before the life got sucked out of the stadium.
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Fox analyst Joel Klatt summed up the atmosphere perfectly in his recent podcast. The fans rallied behind the kid who came back for another season just for this moment, chanting Zinter’s name while he was carted off the field, but his teammates were clearly stunned.
But in the latest testament to this group’s mental toughness, they didn’t miss a beat. On the very next play, with Karsen Barnhart moving from right tackle to Zinter’s guard spot and Trente Jones taking over at tackle, senior Blake Corum found a hole to the left and ran for a 22-yard touchdown. Zinter’s good friend, left guard Trevor Keegan, threw one of the key blocks that sprung him.
“I told the offensive line when we started the season and I tell them every year — it’s not going to be 5 guys that help us to where we need to go,” offensive line coach and interim head coach Sherrone Moore said. “It’s not going to be 6. We’re going to need 10.
“Those guys just prepare every week like they’re on the first group. Everybody knows they’re next man up, whoever it is, whatever position. We play different positions; we switch guys around. It’s going to be important, just like it would be important if somebody else got into the game.”
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And there are others just as capable. Junior left guard Giovanni El-Hadi comes to mind. He’s waited patiently, and he’s extremely hungry. He’ll continue to wait, most likely, with the Wolverines planning to use the same 5 that finished the Ohio State game Saturday vs. Iowa.
“I think so — we’ll see,” We obviously have other guys and we’re ready, but I feel comfortable and finished off the game on a really good note — especially running the football for that long drive in the fourth quarter. So, I felt good about how we finished.”
Saturday was Jones’ time to shine, and he didn’t get enough credit for the way he moved people off the ball (and has). He’s been used as an extra blocker on the Michigan line quite a bit this season, but he’s fresh, motivated, and moving people.
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He got his head coach’s attention in addition to Moore’s.
“Tremendous,” Jim Harbaugh said of the offensive line. “And when Zak went out, Karsen came down to right guard and then Trente Jones came in at right tackle. He’s somebody that doesn’t get a lot of recognition, so let me talk about Trente a little bit. … He’s one of my favorite players. I love seeing No. 53 out there. He’s been an extra O-lineman; he’s been a selfless player.
“He went in at right tackle and played great. You hate to see that Zak is hurt, but what an opportunity now for Trente to show what he can do as that next man up. I am so excited to watch him.”
Barnhart, meanwhile, is simply better at guard, his natural position and where he’ll probably play at the next level. He, too, was moving people off the ball.
“He’s Mr. Versatile,” Moore said. “It’s crazy because he can go from right to left, from inside to outside. It’s a credit to him and his study, and what he does and physically how capable he is to do all that … I’m just glad we’ve got him.”
They’ll need all of them to be at their best if Michigan expects to make noise in the playoffs. But they more than held their own against an outstanding Ohio State defense, providing hope that they might be able to overcome the Zinter injury and reach their ultimate goals anyway — starting with a Big Ten title Saturday vs. the Hawkeyes.
