After allowing a season-high 21 points on Saturday at Rutgers, Michigan’s defense should get two of its top contributors back for the rivalry game with Michigan State.
Senior defensive end John Henry Daley — who also missed time earlier in the year — and junior defensive end Dom Nichols — who has been sidelined since Oct. 17 against Penn State — can make one of the nation’s top units even more deadly.
“Those guys should be back this week,” head coach Kyle Whittingham told Inside Michigan Football radio
show host Jon Jansen on Tuesday evening.
One of Whittingham’s lone concerns with the defense was explosive plays against the Scarlet Knights, headlined by an 80-yard passing touchdown. However, as we have all seen this season, the defense excels in all, if not every, area and can hang with anyone.
An area that has not excelled is kicking. Sophomore Trey Butkowski is connecting at a 60 percent clip, going 6/10 on the campaign: 0/2 from 30-39 yards, 3/4 from 40-49 yards, and 0/1 from 50+. Whittingham and his staff have seen enough.
“Open competition this week,” he said. “That’s the only fair way to do it, ‘cause we’ve got some other quality kickers in the program that need to have a chance to show what they can do, and so there will be a competition all week long, and whoever ends up being the better kicker this week, will be kicking on Saturday. So, we don’t know right now who it’s gonna be… may the best man win.”
Whittingham has his motivation tactics set. During spring and fall practices, he would create stakes to mimic the pressure of in-game kicking.
“Hey, if you make this kick, no gassers today. If you miss it, we’re running ten gassers,” he would tell his players. Perhaps the dread of a lineman’s death stare is even better fuel than three points on Saturdays.
Meanwhile, quarterback Tommy Carr took home Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. Carr impressed in New Jersey, completing 22 of 27 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown, and took 12 carries for 54 yards and two more scores.
However, with that coach and football player DNA coursing through his veins, it was only natural he critiqued missed opportunities, particularly on deep balls with sophomore wide receiver Andrew Marsh.
Part of that comes from adjusting to Marsh’s blazing speed and athleticism, which he was not accustomed to at the high school level just a year ago.
“I missed him on two deep balls, ‘cause, you know, I’m not thinking how fast he is. He’s really fast, so you gotta put it out there and let him run under it… that’ll come with time,” Carr said.
During a bye week, Carr returned to his alma mater Saline High School, taken aback by the game’s speed and size (or, lack thereof).
“I’m like, ‘How did I not, like, destroy?’” Carr, who had a bit of a welcome-to-college-football moment upon seeing some of his new, bigger teammates, said.
Whittingham talked about Carr’s diligence in the film room, a trait you would hope for from all players but especially a freshman quarterback. That preparation and work ethic seems to come naturally for someone so entrenched in the sport.
“Just the love of football and the love of wanting to be the best that I could possibly be, and, you know, always chasing that, and you’re never gonna be the best that you ever want to be. So that’s where it comes to continuing to watch, ‘cause you can always get better,” he said.
Quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. also joined the show. He and Jansen discussed those two Carr turnovers during the Indiana game, which are all part of the growing process and life as a freshman.
“Overall, you know, I thought he was seeing things well, for the most part… you don’t want to make him gun shy,” Detmer said. “You want to just trust him what he’s seeing, making quick, fast decisions.”
Detmer, who like so much of this staff will get their first taste of the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, kept it simple on the Spartans.
“I wanna beat the hell out of them,” he said emphatically.
