Michigan Defense Responds to Challenges in Loss to Utah
9/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 21, 2014
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan football team's defense continued responding to challenges and provided some outstanding plays, but they were not enough to prevent a 26-10 loss to Utah Saturday (Sept. 20).
Defensive tackle Willie Henry sniffed out a screen pass that Utes backup quarterback Kendal Thompson was preparing to throw to his right. Henry went up as Thompson released the ball and batted the pass before quickly snaring it. Henry looked like a fullback as he barreled in from seven yards out to score his first college touchdown.
"You know, Willie will tell you he probably diagnosed it," said Michigan coach Brady Hoke. "But I think Willie popped out, did a nice job, got his hands up. Willie's a pretty athletic 305-pounder. It was a good football play... And that's what you talk about if you're not to the quarterback. Get your hand up, and he got his hand up and did a nice job."
Henry also had four tackles and a quarterback sack.
Wolverines inside linebacker Jake Ryan had a team-high 13 tackles and three of the unit's 11 tackles for lost yardage. The former defensive end also added one of Michigan's three sacks.
"He's a football player," said Hoke. "You know, I think he's adjusted well to playing inside linebacker."
His constant pursuit and assignment competency were central in limiting Utah to one offensive touchdown and four field goals. He also was involved in a play that knocked 6-foot-7 quarterback Travis Wilson out of the game for the final 11 minutes of the first half.
Wilson ran to the right sideline on third-and-four and attempted the vault over Ryan for extra yardage. He ended up somersaulting and collided with oncoming linebacker Joe Bolden before crashing to the ground head first. The hit left him with a bloody nose.
"He tried to jump over me," Ryan said. "I don't know why. I saw his face, and it was bad, a nosebleed and everything."
He was asked if it was hard on the defense because the offense was unable to produce a touchdown or reach the red zone.
"We can't take it like that," Ryan said. "We have our offense's back whenever we can take it. It's about executing, and we didn't execute well enough or create turnovers. And that's what we need to do."
Ryan took the high road there, pointing to the fact that the defense wasn't perfect. But it was very good, and Henry did put a touchdown on the scoreboard. The defense held Utah to 286 yards total offense and only 6-for-17 success on third downs.
"I think we filled gaps well today," Ryan said. "Give credit to (linemen) Matt Godin, Ryan Glasgow, Bryan Mone and Willie Henry. They did a spectacular job of controlling, taking guys up and creating holes. That's huge for us and the linebacking corps because we've just got to go downhill and get the ball. They did great. I've got to give them all the credit in the world.
"And Willie did get six."
After splitting its four non-conference games, Michigan (2-2) will host Minnesota (3-1) next Saturday (Sept. 27) in the Big Ten opener. The knowledge that the conference season provides an opportunity to make the season is important to the Wolverines.
"We try to keep our heads up," Ryan said. "It's tough, but like I said our main goal is still out there... The Big Ten championship is still out there. And coming around the corner is the Big Ten season. So, we can't wait."
• Game Delay: Lightning strikes and heavy rains caused a delay of two hours and 24 minutes in the fourth quarter. "It was weird," said Ryan. "Probably one of the weirdest things that's happened to me during my whole football career. It was weird coming back out to play and having no one there." Only several thousand fans among the 103,890 originally in attendance returned for the final 7:51 of the game.
• Streak Halted: Hoke had been 11-0 in non-conference games at Michigan Stadium, and Michigan's streak of 18 consecutive non-conference wins at home dating back to Sept. 5, 2009 came to an end.
