32 THE WOLVERINE
DECEMBER 2018
BY CHRIS BALAS
B
randon Watson isn't what
you'd call a vocal guy. He's
so reserved, in fact, that he
had yet to meet the media
through 10 games despite several re-
quests, choosing instead to remain in
the background and let his play do the
talking.
And has it ever. After the Nov. 10
slate of games, Pro Football Focus
(PFF) noted quarterbacks managed
just a 19.9 passer rating when target-
ing Watson, which ranked ninth over-
all and second nationally among cor-
nerbacks. But Watson had been in 224
coverage snaps and targeted 36 times,
compared to national leader Aapri
Washington of Buffalo's 157 coverage
snaps and just 21 targets (12.1 rating).
Michigan's top-ranked pass defense
has been nothing short of outstanding
— after 10 games it led the nation by
allowing just 116.0 yards per game,
an average 18.3 yards lower than any-
body else — and Watson is a big rea-
son why.
He scored on a 62-yard interception
return with nine seconds left in the
third quarter to help build a 28-0 lead
Q
UIET
EXCELLENCE
Fifth-Year Senior Cornerback Brandon Watson
Doesn't Want Publicity Or Passes Completed On Him
