ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The level of competition for the Michigan football team is about to rise. With nonconference now in the rearview mirror, the Wolverines begin Big Ten play, beginning with currently undefeated Rutgers.
While that’s usually more of a defensive battle, Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter noted on Wednesday all of the difficulties the Scarlet Knights pose given their style of complementary football. He pointed out that the team has a lot of obvious Big Ten traits and that the offense hasn’t generally had to do a lot because the defense has excelled at getting the ball back.
“They play a style of football to try to control the clock, gain yards running the football, pretty safe throws in the passing game,” Minter said. “A quarterback that adds an element in the rushing attack as well. They’re built how coach Schiano teaches and just as how I would portray probably a longtime super successful defensive coordinator, how his team would be built is how they play right now. And they play a complementary football similar to us.
“I would say where their defense is playing well, their special teams is always really good. And then they play complementary football. So even though maybe they don’t score 50, but they’re controlling the clock, they’re getting touchdowns, they’re getting the lead, they’re keeping the lead, they’re able to play pretty conservative and not put themselves in harm’s way. And that formula over the first three games, they’ve been really successful with.”
In the last two-and-a-half games, Michigan has struggled with the Scarlet Knights, a team which has commonly been known as the bottom-feeder of the conference. While they aren’t there in the basement anymore, it’s seemed to be a cause for alarm at the time when the Wolverines have found themselves in a dogfight with lowly Rutgers.
However, Minter doesn’t see it that way, even though he only presided over one game, where the Wolverines completely took over in the second half — as his defenses have been wont to do. Minter sees a team with a lot of experience able to overcome the lack of proverbial recruiting stars, and one that plays in a style that’s conducive to success — similar to Michigan.
“I can only really speak to last year, the only season I was here. I just think that they’re tough physical outfit, they’re very experienced,” Minter said. “Now, you look across their roster, they’re starting 11 on both sides, you see 22 starts, 33 career starts, 15 career starts, 14 career starts. So they have a lot of guys that have played ball there that — I know, it’s a developmental program, supplementing it with probably some transfers. But they’re there to that point now where they’ve developed a lot of good players. They play tough and physical, their style lends itself to sometimes keep games close, because of running the ball, playing really good defense, being a really aggressive outfit and productive special teams outfit. So I would just say that style lends itself to playing in some close games.”
The Wolverines and Scarlet Knights will kick off at noon EDT on Saturday with the game to be broadcast on Big Ten Network.