Michigan defensive line disrupts USC’s prolific passing game

Southern California coach Lincoln Riley wants to throw the ball. He wants to spread out his receivers, drop quarterback Miller Moss back and let it fly. 

For most defenses, that means a bad day at the office. Since Riley took over in 2022, the Trojans have averaged 334 passing yards and over 40 points per game, creating a nightmare for any opposing defensive unit. 

For the No. 18 Michigan football team’s defensive line, though, it meant a chance to show off what it could do. 

“The first three games, we didn’t have enough time, even though that’s what teams give us,” junior defensive lineman Mason Graham said. “USC, we knew they were going to drop back, just what they do. So they were going to give us opportunities to make plays, and I think that’s what we did today.”

On Saturday, Moss dropped back 56 times. On 16 of them, the Wolverines disrupted the play. Tallying four sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and a forced fumble as a unit, Michigan’s defensive line constantly rushed Moss’ process. The Wolverines’ D-line forced Moss to play outside of the comfort of the pocket, helping hold the 11th-ranked Trojans to 24 points

“Just wins in our one-on-ones,” senior edge rusher Josaiah Stewart said about what the defensive line did well. “(Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale) put us in great positions to make plays, and we just got to go there and execute on our matchups.”

As much as USC wanted to throw the ball anyway, the Wolverines also made sure that it was its only option. While running back Woody Marks broke off one 65-yard scamper in the third quarter, the Trojans could get little else going on the ground. They averaged just 3.5 yards per carry outside of that run, and Michigan’s defensive line created five tackles for loss. 

With USC struggling to run, the Wolverines turned the Trojans’ multifaceted offense relatively one-dimensional. And when USC did pass, Michigan didn’t make it any easier.

Stewart led the way with two sacks, four hurries and a forced fumble to his name. With the Trojans threatening on third-and-goal near the end of the third quarter, Stewart jumped the snap, beat two would-be blockers and strip-sacked Moss. And even though junior Kenneth Grant fumbled the ball back to USC on the play, Stewart had made what should have been a game-changing play in a huge spot. 

Grant, Graham and senior edge rusher Derrick Moore followed Stewart’s lead. They constantly made their way through the Trojans’ O-line and into the backfield, rushing Moss, hitting him and batting down his passes. Grant made a key play of his own as time expired in the first half, sacking Moss to prevent any last-second hijinks that could have brought USC within a touchdown.  

The unit was so effective that Martindale — known for his tendency to send blitzes — relied on a four-man rush for the majority of the game. With USC having so many weapons for Martindale to game plan for, not having to send extra rushers allowed him to drop more players back in coverage to contain them. 

And while his defensive line helped him look good, Martindale got his own praise, too.

“The D-line had four sacks, and I think a lot of those sacks were on four-man rushes,” Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore said. “Coach Wink Martindale did an outstanding job — I gave him the game ball in the locker room — with the mix of coverage, the mix of blitz, the mix of looks, twists, gains that kept (Moss) guessing.”

Whether it was due to Martindale’s calls, Graham and Grant’s interior push or Moore and Stewart wreaking havoc off the edge, Moss rarely had time in the pocket — even on plays when he successfully got the ball downfield. And to keep Moss and USC’s explosive offense from gashing Michigan through the air, the Wolverines’ defensive line made sure that the Trojans were wrapped up and on the ground.

The post Michigan defensive line disrupts USC’s prolific passing game appeared first on The Michigan Daily.


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