ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan football passed its first test against an extremely tough defense, with the offense managing just enough against Brent Venables and Oklahoma in Week 2. However, the going may be getting tougher with the No. 1 Iowa defense coming to Ann Arbor.
The Hawkeyes famously have run the same defensive scheme for the bulk of Kirk Ferentz's tenure, first with Norm Parker and then with the unrelated Phil Parker having taken over in 2012. It's a tough defense to crack, in large part because, no matter the level of recruit, they execute with little deviation from the plan.
Thus, the Wolverines are going to have their hands full, because the Iowa defense rarely makes mistakes. So Michigan is going to have to execute offensively, perhaps
in ways it hasn't yet through three weeks.
Offensive coordinator Jason Beck spoke about the challenge and what he's seen from the Hawkeyes. It'll be incumbent upon the offensive playmakers to live up to that standard and make plays, because Iowa isn't likely to make plays for them.
"When you look at Iowa, man, they play hard," Beck said. "They're really sound. They're really disciplined. They're almost playing downhill because they have a great identity of what they're doing and why they're doing it. So it allows the guys to be playing downhill as soon as they see whatever's happening, reacting to it, as well as they're really good tacklers. So you rarely see an open gap or a missed tackle. They fit those things well and eliminate plays when they should be tackled. They don't give you much extra that way.
"So they have a great identity, a great approach, and they're really sound at what they're doing. So that's kind of the challenge is meeting that execution and breaking tackles, getting more yards after contact when you're meeting those in the hole."
The big focus, certainly, will be along the offensive line -- a group that's been somewhat intermittent, particularly in run blocking. Kyle Whittingham's charge is to be a continuation of the Jim Harbaugh era, when the trenches were elite, at least from 2021-23.
While the offensive line hasn't quite been as expected -- injuries have perhaps been a part of that -- this will be the barometer of where the Wolverines are: how they handle the Iowa defensive front.
"Yeah, absolutely, because that's a big part of their identity is the physicality of it, what's it going to look like in the trenches," Beck said. "And so it'll be a great feedback of where we match up with, I'd say, one of the top Big Ten teams in terms of that physicality. But we got a bunch of other teams very similar on the schedule that we'll be going again. So, I thought Oklahoma, they're probably a top defense in the country, stopping the run as well. So that gave us good feedback of, 'Hey, when you're playing a top five opponent, what does that look like?' And this game will be kind of similar that way with the feedback it gives to us."
But make no mistake: this is going to have to be a game where Bryce Underwood plays his best.
Against Oklahoma, he was superior to John Mateer, and he made plays with both his arm and legs to keep the Sooners at bay. Though he only passed for 111 yards in that game, he could have had more if there weren't drops, and if Michigan hadn't focused on the run in the second half. The biggest thing, aside from him running 18 times, was that he didn't turn the ball over.
Iowa, which plays primarily quarters coverage, tends to force quarterbacks to have to be patient. And, they're good at reading the eyes of the signal-caller, making him see something that isn't quite as it seems. If the QB thinks they have a play and stare down receivers, Iowa will make him pay.
Thus, it's pivotal for Underwood to be disciplined and to go through his progressions. He's shown progress on that front, with the game having been simplified to half-field reads against the Sooners, and with more added to his plate in terms of scanning the field in Week 3 against UTEP.
Beck is pleased with what he's seen on that front and notes what they'll have to do to put him in the best situation on Saturday.
"Yeah, that's always an important part of being disciplined with your reads, your eyes, and how you approach it that way," Hill said. "Being able to look off at the right time, work your progressions. So I felt like Bryce has made, each week has made strides, made progress.
"This last week, you saw a couple different plays where he's getting to the third receiver, the fourth receiver. So he's doing a nice job. We can always get better. That's the thing every week: just improve, get better. So that will continue to be a big part of what we're doing. But I'm also liking the progress we're making. And we want to keep that going, obviously, this week."
Michigan and Iowa will kick off at The Big House on Saturday at 3:36 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Jason Beck explains challenge Michigan faces against No. 1 Iowa defense
