Michigan’s defense was gashed every which way last week at USC. The defense surrendered 489 total yards, including 224 rushing yards, most of which came from a walk-on running back.
It was the kind of damage we hadn’t seen an offense do against Michigan, especially on the ground, in quite some time. Michigan had another test in store on Saturday, as the Washington Huskies boast one of the most potent offenses in the nation.
The days before Michigan’s matchup with Washington weren’t exactly bright and
cheerful, as the Wolverines looked to tamp down the issues that have plagued their defense at times this season, including missed tackles and assignments. Head coach Sherrone Moore cited “tough conversations” as something that were necessary to get things back on track.
For much of Saturday’s game, Michigan’s defense looked to be in control. The first drives of games have been an issue for the defense, as the last two opponents scored touchdowns on their opening possessions. This time, Washington only managed 23 yards on eight plays before punting it away. A missed field goal from Grady Gross late in the first quarter kept Washington off the board as well.
The first signs of struggle didn’t arise until the end of the first half, when the Huskies went 70 yards on 13 plays, finding the end zone to tie the game at 7-7. Just two weeks ago, Washington fell in a 20-0 hole against Maryland, yet reeled off 24 unanswered points in the second half to win. With Michigan’s offense unable to generate much of its own, history was potentially looking to repeat itself.
With the tide threatening to turn Washington’s way coming out of the halftime locker room, Michigan’s defense turned things up a notch and helped bail out Michigan’s offense.
The catalyst — sophomore linebacker Cole Sullivan, who kept up his stretch of solid play with an interception deep in Washington territory with less than two minutes to play in the third quarter. Sullivan drifted toward the sideline to cover running back Adam Mohammed when he crossed into the path of Demond Williams’ throw intended for Denzel Boston before being pushed out of bounds at the 14.
“Running back flared, I was just trying to work through the slant window, looked back at the quarterback and the ball came right to me,” Sullivan said after the game. “Just trying to do my job the best I could.”
By making the play at an opportune time, Sullivan helped spur momentum for the offense, which was able to score just one play later on a 14-yard run from Jordan Marshall. The opposing sides of the ball rallying around each other was another theme of the week.
As for for Sullivan, the interception was his third of the season and another example of the emerging star making a play at a critical point. Moore also commented on how the play helped shift the momentum in the game and complimented Sullivan’s nose for the football.
“It was an unbelievable play. He just continues to find the ball in the moments that you need him,” Moore said. “In the moments you need somebody to make a play, (Sullivan) always just shows up because he’s always in the right position doing his job, doing it right, doing it full speed. That was huge, and then for us to score the next play was huge for momentum.”
Following that interception, Michigan’s defense really tightened the screws on Washington’s offense and prevented the Huskies from getting back into the game. Williams threw another interception on the subsequent drive, this time to Jimmy Rolder over the middle of the field. Washington was held to -8 total yards in the fourth quarter while losing a fumble and throwing another interception.
By turning in its best performance of the year against one of the Big Ten’s more talented offense, Michigan showed its capable of quickly flipping the switch and putting a sloppy performance in the rearview mirror.
Michigan will be tested once again next week, this time making the short drive to East Lansing to take on Michigan State. Aidan Chiles looks to have made some progress since his difficult first year as the starting quarterback for the Spartans, while Nick Marsh represents one of the better receiving threats the secondary will face all season.
Another big game would be paramount for Michigan’s defense to fully get its confidence back as it looks to end the season on a high note.
