Michigan Pass Defense Shuts Down Rutgers
11/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jarrod Wilson's interception
By John Kopko
Junior corner back Jourdan Lewis, as he has done for most of the season, set the tone early for the Michigan defense. Rutgers quarterback Chris Laviano dropped back to pass on third down, spotted a seemingly open receiver on a crossing route over the middle and fired toward what would have been a first-down catch. Lewis read the play perfectly, however, swatting the ball to the turf at the last possible second.
The Wolverine offense started fast on the previous series but stalled in the red zone and missed a field goal, giving the Scarlet Knights an early chance to gain momentum. Instead, they were forced into the first of many punts, setting up Michigan's first touchdown drive.
The U-M pass defense hadn't fared well in the past two weeks, giving up a combined total of 645 yards through the air against Michigan State and Minnesota. Today, however, the Scarlet Knights were without their top receiver Leonte Carroo, who boasts a 105.4 yards per game average, and the Michigan defense capitalized on his absence. Rutgers gained just 97 passing yards, the third-lowest total allowed by the Wolverines this season.
"Our hustle and our mindset (were better this week)," Lewis said. "We just came out there, and we were going to grind and pound those guys. It was going to be physical, and we knew it. We just went out there and tried to finish them for 60 minutes."
Rutgers didn't complete a pass in the first quarter, thanks in part to blanket coverage from the secondary and a heavy pass rush from the defensive line. Senior defensive end Chris Wormley was a terror all afternoon, recording four tackles and two sacks. His first sack came on the Scarlet Knights' second possession, forcing Rutgers into a field goal attempt on fourth-and-long. Wormley's second sack came in the third quarter, again on third down, this time forcing the Scarlet Knights to punt.
"The defensive line, their pressure makes it amazing," Lewis said. "We don't have to cover for that long. The defensive line is already back there making pressure. When Chris (Wormley) makes those types of plays, it's like we're getting sacks too."
Rutgers' first completion came with less than eight minutes remaining in the second quarter on a drive that stalled and ended in a field goal. Senior safety Jarrod Wilson halted another Scarlet Knight drive with two minutes left in the half, laying out to intercept a ball that was already well-defended by sophomore defensive back Jabrill Peppers. Rutgers entered the halftime break with just 27 yards on 5-of-13 passing and one interception.
The second half was more of the same for the Wolverines. The Scarlet Knights managed to gain 70 yards through the air, but they never scored another point. Most of their offense came in their own end, and the Michigan defense held strong every time Rutgers crossed the 50-yard line.
"A couple of times they had the ball in the scoring area inside the twenty, and we only allowed field goals," head coach Jim Harbaugh said. "They only touchdown came on the kickoff return, so that's very impressive to me."
Lewis capped off an impressive performance late in the third quarter, when Laviano attempted to throw over the top of him toward the end zone. Lewis climbed over the Rutgers receiver to break up the play. It was his 19th breakup of the season, setting a new-single season school record for breakups. The record was previously shared by Marlin Jackson and Leon Hall.
"It feels great to be up there with some of those legends," Lewis said about his record-breaking performance. "We can use it as motivation to be a better defense."
The Michigan secondary appears to have their swagger back after a shutdown performance against the Scarlet Knights. Lewis' one regret about the game? He didn't get a chance to cover Carroo, one of the best receivers in the Big Ten.
"I was kind of upset that Leonte Carroo didn't play, but we did a good job on the rest of those guys."
With at least four games left on the schedule this season, there won't be a shortage of challenges for this defense, but Lewis and the rest of the secondary has shown that they won't back down.
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