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The Wolverines have had a Jekyll-and-Hyde start to the 2020 season this year after defeating Minnesota, but then getting upset-majorly — by MSU last weekend. Michigan will now have a new challenge this weekend — facing the 13th ranked Hoosiers in Bloomington and stopping their aerial attack.
One of Michigan’s biggest flaws this season, is coverage. According to PFF, Michigan has the 91st-ranked coverage defense, but they also have the 8th-ranked run defense. So, how does Michigan plan on defending the pass better? Well, this week the Wolverines have been practicing with their linebackers on how to do a better job in coverage.
Linebackers coach, Brian Jean-Mary, was hired this past season after he spent three seasons as USF’s defensive coordinator. Jean-Mary made the Bulls a respectable defense nationally, as they were ranked No. 48 in total defense. South Florida was also ranked 26th in coverage defense, according to PFF last season.
Jean-Mary met with the media on Wednesday to discuss his linebackers, and shared that his linebackers are working to shore up issues in Michigan’s pass coverage.
“When you give up a couple yards in the pass coverage, it’s just like anything else: win or lose, you try to clean up anything you think you didn’t do well,” Jean-Mary said. “Obviously, in the pass coverage, we gave up some plays. Those are fixable as far as with our scheme. It’s just one of those things, coming off the Minnesota game two weeks ago, we knew certain things — either run or the pass — that we had to clean up and get better at. That’s just par for the course after a game. You analyze what you do well and what you didn’t do so well, and what you want to work on.”
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Jean-Mary also talked about going back to the fundamentals of pass coverage, noting that the Wolverines are working to make sure that the little things are sound in order to create big picture success.
“It still comes down to fundamentals,” Jean-Mary said. “We’re not going to reinvent the wheel. It comes down to the fundamentals, putting your eyes in the right place. Using the right techniques and doing the things we’ve coached. We just got to make sure we do it better as far as in the pass coverage and it’s 11-man defense — we have to rush better, whether we’re blitzing or it’s a four-man rush. Like I said, come back to our fundamentals as far as pass coverage — with our eyes, our hands, and our feet.”
The Wolverines really need their linebackers to step up in pass coverage. The three main linebackers — Josh Ross, Cam McGrone, and Michael Barrett — haven’t faired well in the two games defending the pass.
PFF grades from 0-100, with 80 or above considered ‘outstanding.’ Michael Barrett has a 68.5 pass coverage grade — he has been targeted 4 times, and allowed 4 catches — and also has a 79.5 pass rushing grade. Josh Ross has a 65 coverage grade — he has been targeted 11 times and allowed 9 catches with a TD and INT — but has a 82 run defense grade. Cam McGrone has a lowly 45.9 coverage grade with a 72.9 run defense grade.
If Michigan is going to be able to contain Indiana’s passing offense this weekend, it will need all the help the linebacking corps can offer. It’s a good sign that it’s working hard during practice to get some extra help for the struggling secondary. As Jean-Mary stressed during his media session, ‘Need to go back to the fundamentals.’
Michigan and Indiana will kickoff at 12:00 p.m. on FS1.