2. The pass rush was existent when the outcome was on the line
When Iowa got the rock back down two scores with about two minutes left, the pass rush awakened emphatically. Iowa got pressured on all four downs and Michigan eventually came away with a pair of sacks to put Iowa in fourth and very long territory. Mike Morris, Taylor Upshaw, and Eyabi Okie got credited for the takedowns.
Leading up to that point Michigan football didn’t generate any pressure on Spencer Petras besides Mason Graham’s sack to kick off the third stanza. Michigan compiled four sacks to round out the contest, but none were as vital as those on that possession late in the fourth quarter. It officially thwarted Iowa’s chances for good.
Not 1, not 2, not 3, but 𝟰 sacks in a row for @UMichFootball! 😤
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) October 1, 2022
📍 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳𝘀 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 pic.twitter.com/iQEJO5lvU9
Iowa’s offense is like a car stuck in neutral at most times, but to hold them to a goose egg for three quarters in their stadium is a job well done for Jesse Minter’s defense. They shut down Iowa’s running game and didn’t allow Petras to get into any rhythm until the fourth. Minter’s play-calling is making people forget about Mike MacDonald for the time being.