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Michigan’s sack percentage has actually fallen over the course of the past few seasons, as the Wolverines were ranked 15th nationally in 2019 after being No. 9 the year before and No. 1 in both 2016-17.
The Wolverines were fifth in sacking the quarterback in 2016, eighth in 2017, but 31st in 2018 and 32nd in 2019. However, that doesn’t mean that the maize and blue don’t get to the quarterback — they’re just not finishing the job as they once were.
According to scouting website Pro Football Focus, Michigan was the most successful team this past season at pressuring the quarterback. It was one of two teams in all of college football with a QB pressure rate above 40%, and edged Pitt by nearly 4% as the leader nationally.
Next step: turning those pressures into sacks.
FBS teams with 40%+ QB pressure rate
▫️ Michigan – 45.1%
▫️ Pittsburgh – 41.4% pic.twitter.com/uQ9OpvDA8W— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 1, 2020
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It’s no surprise Michigan leads the country in pressures, considering under defensive coordinator Don Brown — A.K.A. ‘Dr. Blitz’ — the Wolverines are known as a blitz-heavy unit that prides itself on getting into the offensive backfield, as well as stopping teams on third down.
However, that latter stat has also fallen off. After being first in the country in opponent third down conversion percentage in 2016 and 2017, Michigan was No. 13 in 2018 and No. 16 in 2019.
Should the Wolverines find a way to get back to where they were defensively in previous years, they will have to find a way not just to pressure the quarterback consistently, but to either get home with a sack, or force an incompletion. The latter element has just as much to do with the defensive line as it does the secondary — both units that have the potential to take major steps forward this year with key returners such as Kwity Paye, Aidan Hutchinson, Carlo Kemp, Ambry Thomas and Brad Hawkins; not to mention relative newcomers such as Daxton Hill and Christopher Hinton.
The maize and blue’s offense should help provide some cushion compared to previous years. As it will be offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ second year leading the charge, the offensive skill players should have a better, more consistent view of their jobs. 2016 was the sole season in Jim Harbaugh’s tenure where the offense was so explosive that games were essentially over by halftime much of the time. If the offense can return to that level of play, regardless whether the defense returns to early form or remains consistent to where it’s been the past two seasons, it’ll give Michigan a shot in every game.
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