ANN ARBOR, Mich. — This previous Saturday, Michigan soccer knew it was going to be examined. And examined it was, with the high-flying Maryland offense coming to city and stressing the protection.
By way of Week 3, Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa was the ninth-rated QB in response to PFF, and the Terps had the Twenty seventh-best receiving grade getting into Week 4. Thus, the Wolverine secondary was going to have to actually step as much as the plate when it got here to defending the upstart Terrapins.
Michigan ended up seeing two quarterbacks, with Billy Edwards Jr. coming in on the ultimate drive, nevertheless it held Tagovailoa to his personal season low in passing, with 207 yards. Since Maryland handed extra within the Michigan sport total, it’s spectacular that the maize and blue held the Terps to their lowest yards per try of the season at 6.9. The bottom beforehand was 8.5 in Week 1 towards Buffalo.
When it got here to dealing with one of many more durable offenses within the Large Ten, Michigan security R.J. Moten described the challenges that the Wolverines confronted.
“The quarterback, most likely one of the vital elusive quarterbacks, and with the ability to management him within the pocket was certainly one of our huge focuses this week,” Moten mentioned. “And, somebody just like the receiving corps most likely was the most effective receiving corps we’ll see this 12 months. Principally once they click on it was like, ‘Oh, wow.’ However once they didn’t click on, we needed to capitalize on the errors.”
That mentioned, it wasn’t excellent. Michigan discovered a number of issues it wants to wash up earlier than it faces one other high-caliber assault via the air.
“It was undoubtedly a very good passing offense for positive,” senior cornerback DJ Turner mentioned. “I do really feel that’s the most effective we’ll see, with little Tua at quarterback. After which I really feel like we did a very good, held our personal. A few issues we are able to undoubtedly sharpen up on however I felt we did good.”
Each Moten and Turner every had an interception within the sport, and for Turner, it was his second takeaway of the 12 months. He beforehand scooped up a fumble in Week 1 towards Colorado State and returned it for a landing.
However what do the Wolverines need to do to be able to stymy upcoming offenses which are proficient via the air?
Maryland, as a group, is now ranked fifth in that regard, and the Wolverines nonetheless have Ohio State (twelfth), Illinois (18th), Nebraska (nineteenth), and Penn State (forty fourth) on the schedule.
“Simply pursuing, practising pursuing, practising wrapping up, practising simply gaining floor on open subject tackling,” Turner mentioned. “Simply sure drills you are able to do all through the week to organize you greater than you may not have final week.”
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