Defense/ST Notes: Jim Harbaugh raves about Mason Graham, pick-sixes
The Michigan Wolverines had arguably their most thoroughly dominant effort on Saturday night in a 52-10 win at Minnesota. Defensively, it was about as good as it could get. The Wolverines surrendered only 169 yards of total offense and snuffed out the Gophers on the second play from scrimmage on a pick-six, one of two they would have on the night..
The game was never in doubt on a number of fronts. But perhaps the biggest boost to the lineup was the return of sophomore defensive tackle Mason Graham, who played with a club on his hand while returning from a thumb injury that caused him to miss the last two games.
He was a drive-destroyer on the night and wound up leading the team in tackles with six total, two tackles for loss and a sack.
“I think he really missed it,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said after the win. “Being out there and club, no club … he’s a great football player. He had a great game tonight. Really dominant. Just about anybody you bring out, I’m going to say the same thing. So many people played. Young guys played, and they’re starting to come into their own. It’s really good to see.
“He’s one of the really great players, right?”
Michigan’s defense is full of them.
“It just shows how good he is,” sophomore cornerback Will Johnson said. “It shows his mindset to do whatever he can for the team. He came back as soon as he could, had surgery only two weeks ago and he’s doing what he’s doing. It shows how special of an athlete he is and how hard of a worker he is.”
For Graham, it seemed he was going to come into the game on some sort of snap count. But he was as impactful as any Michigan defender and was eager for the chance to get back on the field, one-handed or not.
“Just been out the last two weeks,” Graham said on the key to his performance. “Been hungry to get back on the field with my guys. Get back out with the defense and the team. So I was just waiting for my opportunity.
“I went to the doctor last week just to see how the progress was on my surgery. He said I was good to go as long as it’s protected. I wanted to get back on the field as soon as possible, so that’s why I did [with a club]. It’s a little difficult, but throughout this past week I’ve been practicing like that, I’ve definitely gotten used to it, and today, I felt pretty good today.”
Pick sixes rule the day
Michigan’s defense was far from perfect early on, but it set the tone early in the game. Johnson picked off Minnesota QB Athan Kaliakmanis on the second play of the game and got the Wolverines on the board before the offense hit the field.
“It gives us a lot of momentum, a lot of confidence,” Johnson said. “It feels great as a team, feel like we’re up, so keep it rolling after that.”
Harbaugh made the television broadcast and the rounds on social media after jumping in on Johnson’s photo with the famed “Turnover Buffs,” and he explained how he came to be in that situation.
“I just came over to congratulate Will, and then they just kind of threw me in the picture, so it was great to be in the picture,” Harbaugh said. “Can’t start the game better. Loved the Pick Sixes. Two pick sixes, but it was an RPO, Will really had good eyes. Made the catch, and finished it off. So did Keon Sabb. Great play. Tried to throw it over Keon Sabb on the boundary, went up and climbed the ladder, as they say, and caught the ball. Just so great.
“Have to go back to 2017, Tyree Kinnel and Vert Hill against Cincinnati. Remember that one well. So that was cool. Very cool.”
Johnson was limited early on this season after undergoing a knee procedure several months back. But now he’s back, and the Michigan corner is finding his form once again.
“Really just a testament to my faith in God, and Him allowing me to be back out there and get back out there this soon, being able to make plays. Just always having faith, and it showed up today,” Johnson said.
Sabb’s pick-six in the third quarter essentially ended the day for the Michigan starters. It was never a given that he would have a big role this year, but injuries opened an opportunity for him to hit the field. He hasn’t looked back thus far.
“He had a great performance,” Johnson, his sophomore classmate, said. “He started the year off very strong, he had a great camp, he’s been getting better every week. I think our class is really special overall, and we’ve got a lot of guys that are going to continue to grow, continue to get better — and we’re all chasing greatness.”
Defensive adjustments continue to shine
Michigan got punched in the mouth a bit early by the Minnesota offensive line, then got itself into the wrong defense on a Minnesota touchdown right before halftime.
“We weren’t in the right defense, really,” Harbaugh said. “Their field goal kicker could have made it from that distance, and we let them take a shot at the end zone and really should have been in a double cloud, three-deep. A three-deep and a five-under would have been preferred. So it really wasn’t on the players there.”
But once again, Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter made the right adjustments in the locker room and the Wolverines pitched a second-half shutout.
“It speaks for itself,” Harbaugh said. “He’s really good. Made it a point today at halftime to go spend time over there, and watch him do that, and it was really good. They were hurting us with the wide zone, adjusted, moved our end down into a six technique. That really helped. We were really setting the edge good, not getting upfield and giving up the C gap. Great adjustment, I think. Just really pretty obvious, speaks for itself that he can make those adjustments and play so well the second, third quarter and the fourth quarter.”
Miscellaneous Michigan defense/special teams notes
• The 52 passing yards allowed by Michigan on Saturday were the fewest since allowing 24 against UConn last season and is the third time in the last 18 games the defense has kept a team under 100 yards (UConn, Nebraska in 2022).
• Johnson and Sabb’s pick-sixes in the same game were the first time Michigan has accomplished that since a win over Cincinnati in 2017.
• Michigan has three defensive touchdowns through six games this season. It had three all of last year.
• Graduate kicker James Turner was perfect on Saturday night, hitting all 7 of his extra point attempts and nailing a 31-yard field goal in the first quarter.
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