Michigan Football: 3 keys for Wolverines against Michigan State
By Josh LaFond
2. Win the Battle in the Trenches
Going hand in hand with our first key to beating the Spartans, Michigan needs to win the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
How is this accomplished?
Keep doing what you’re doing.
Aiden Hutchinson and David Ojabo have caused havoc on the edge. Inside, defensive tackles Mazi Smith and Christopher Hinton have been stout against the run defending and disrupting the passing game with consistent penetration in the middle.
Stopping Kenneth Walker III was our first key. You want to make Payton Thorne beat you through the air. And the way to ensure that happens is by winning the battle in the trenches on defense.
By contrast, we all know how good this Michigan running game has been all year. In fact, it still ranks near the top nationally in rushing offense.
As much as you and I both want to see a dynamic passing offense whether that’s Cade McNamara or J.J. McCarthy running it, that’s not happening and that’s not what this team is.
This team needs to establish the run and beat their opponent into submission, in the same way, the 2015, 2016, and 2018 Jim Harbaugh led Wolverines did.
None of those offenses were dynamic, but what they did was dominate the trenches, run into loaded boxes, and grind out yards whether it was there or not.
Michigan football has shown all year that it can do that time after time, and they have played tougher defensive fronts than what the Spartans’ have.
Win the battle in the trenches and the Wolverines will win this game.