The Michigan Wolverines have been stellar on defense through the first five games of the 2025 season, but there’s something that could impact their postseason aspirations — allowing long, sustained drives on the opposing team’s opening possession.
Head coach Sherrone Moore acknowledged this earlier this week, pointing to missed tackles as an area that they are aiming to improve moving forward. But he has complete confidence in the defense’s ability to settle in and make adjustments as games progress.
“The one thing we talked about was tackling,” Moore said. “We’re trying to get the ball out, but we have to get the ball carrier down. What I admire about our defensive coaches and players is that there’s never any panic. They just adjust and go.”
Despite being one of the premier defenses in the country, Michigan has allowed lengthy drives on the first possession in three games against high-quality opponents this season in Oklahoma, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Defensive line coach Lou Esposito emphasized to the media this week that opposing offenses often find success on opening drives because the first 15 plays are scripted, but then the Wolverines make adjustments and tend to dominate from that point on.
“Their first 15 plays are an opening script, so they practice those all week,” Esposito said. “We have to do a good job of settling down. You don’t want to let them score on the first drive but we settled down and we did a good job after that.”
At Oklahoma, the Wolverines gave up a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took five minutes off the clock and resulted in a touchdown. After allowing the Sooners to take the early lead, Michigan’s defense settled in and forced three consecutive scoreless drives. A similar scenario ensued at Nebraska, as the Cornhuskers orchestrated a 10-play, 70-yard drive to start the game. However, the Wolverines then tightened up in the red zone and forced a turnover on downs to prevent any further damage.
The most recent instance came last week against Wisconsin, where the Badgers went on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that lasted nearly seven minutes and resulted in a 7-0 lead for the Badgers. It certainly wasn’t a promising start, but Michigan quickly made adjustments. The Wolverines shut down Wisconsin’s offense on the next nine possessions by forcing eight punts and snagging one interception to build a 24-7 lead. Following the first drive, the Badgers recorded just 177 total yards.
“If you look at their first and last drive, it’s over 60 percent of their offense, so we just have to settle in,” Esposito said. “They go through their first 15 scripted plays, and then we go back to the drawing board and just make some adjustments.”
Despite some opening drive struggles, Michigan has been a dominant force defensively this season. The Wolverines are one of the highest-rated defenses in the country, but they could be even better with more effective opening drives. Michigan is currently 19th in total touchdowns allowed (nine) and 16th in opponent points per game (16.2). But without the first quarter touchdowns to Oklahoma and Wisconsin, the Wolverines would rank among the Top-10 in both categories.
“We just keep playing, so I’m really proud of that defense and how they’ve played,” Moore said. “You watch the film and they’re physical, they’re tenacious, they’re fast and want to hit you. It’s fun to be a part of and it’s fun to watch.”
In a critical matchup at USC this week, it will be important for Michigan to avoid an early deficit and get off to a quick start. USC has seen mixed results on opening drives — scoring two field goals and one touchdown but also fumbling twice — so this matchup will be an opportunity for the Wolverines to jump out to an early lead.
