In the Trenches: Keegan, O-Line Leading Charge in Forging Michigan’s Identity
9/15/2021 9:00:00 AM | Football, Features
• Watch: Wolverines Offensive Line Off to Quick Start
On this week's edition of the "In the Trenches" podcast, Jon Jansen catches up with Michigan left guard Trevor Keegan, who talks about the atmosphere at the Big House on Saturday, the confidence level of the offensive line through two games, how the team is handling its early-season success, and his impressions of the Wolverines' defense.
By Brian Boesch
Each unit on the Michigan football team has excelled through two weeks of the season. The Wolverines' defense has surrendered just 24 total points to Western Michigan and Washington. Michigan's special-teams group has been one of the most complete in the nation.
The biggest headlines, however, have come from Michigan's rushing attack. The Wolverines have overwhelmed the Broncos and Huskies on the ground to the tune of 339 yards per game, which ranks fourth nationally. Michigan's 6.85 yards per carry is good for fifth in the country.
Speaking of headlines, the running backs tend to get more of those than the offensive linemen who pave the way for those gaudy numbers. Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins were quick to praise their offensive line following Saturday's game.
"They came into the game today being really physical. They fired off the line and made my job easy once again," said Corum, who leads the Wolverines with 315 total yards and four touchdowns so far this season.
"I definitely want to thank them because if it weren't for them, there wouldn't be rushing yards," said Haskins, who has racked up 225 of those rushing yards in the season's first two weeks.
Michigan's offensive line has gone through plenty of changes in recent seasons, including the injury-riddled 2020 season. Each offensive lineman understood that they would be critical cogs in 2021, and that mentality began early in the offseason.
"This started back in the spring when (offensive line) Coach (Sherrone) Moore said that we need to put this team on our back. The offensive line needs to be the leaders of this team. We need to be physical. We need to change our identity from last year," left guard Trevor Keegan said on this week's edition of the "In the Trenches" podcast with Jon Jansen. "Ever since then, we've just been rolling, and our confidence is really high right now."
Moore is one of the few returning assistant coaches from last season, though he had to make an important change by transitioning from tight ends to the offensive line. Keegan and his teammates are thrilled that Moore has taken over their position group.
"It starts off with his personality. He's a confident guy, high energy, and we've matched that," said Keegan. "We've become more confident. We've had higher energy, and I feel like we've put the team on our back."
Even though the rushing numbers have been gaudy through two games, Keegan knows that the line can improve. In particular, he wants to focus on the line's communication when teams bring pressure. Also, the entire group has been locked in on keeping their heads down and working because two games does not make a season. Fortunately, the team embraced an underdog mentality and plans to keep that alive despite the strong start.
"We came into the season knowing that we were going to be the underdogs, and we wanted that," Keegan said. "(Head) Coach (Jim) Harbaugh said to the team, 'What's wrong with being the underdog?' I feel like that's why we worked so hard this offseason."
"We knew that wasn't Michigan football last year," Keegan continued. "We knew that wasn't our identity, and we wanted to change that this year."
Through two games, Michigan has begun to form a new identity, with Keegan and the offensive line leading the charge.
