The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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60 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2025 W hen was the last time Michi- gan's defense played poorly — not by U-M's high stan- dards, but truly bad — in a win? It's been a while, since the 48-42 tri- ple-overtime win over Rutgers Nov. 21, 2020, in a game where the Scarlet Knights threw for 381 yards and ran for 105. Defense was the calling card during the 40-3 run from 2021-23, and Michigan beat USC, Ohio State and Alabama with essentially no offense in 2024. The Wolverines' defense lost a bunch of talent from last year's group but has still been great for the most part, ranking 12th nationally with 17.7 points allowed per game. It also was in the top 25 versus both the run (12th) and pass (22nd) on a yards-per-play basis. We say "for the most part" because the 31-13 loss to Southern California Oct. 11 was a disaster on the West Coast. The Trojans threw for 265 yards and, even more alarming, rushed for 224 yards to- tal — 6.2 per carry. Michigan missed 18 tackles in that game, according to PFF, but has been much better since. "I think that every week we strive to get better, and I think they're working on that," defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said on the "Inside Michigan Football" show. "Fundamentally, especially. I always brag about our assistant coaches, but it's the truth — each position group has gotten better with each game. "I know we had the slip-up against SC. I think our tackling has improved since then, and it's not like we refocused it or anything else. It just became a lot more important to everyone." In the four games since then, all wins, Michigan has proven that the USC game was the outlier, not the norm. Michigan has missed only 23 tackles in that stretch, with the high being 9 at Michigan State. The Wolverines held Purdue to a season-low 276 yards, Northwestern to 245, its second-lowest total of the season, and shut down Michigan State and Washington, too. Versus Northwestern, the Wolverines allowed 5 scores — 3 field goals and 2 touchdowns — but the Wildcats' average starting field position on those possessions was the U-M 43-yard line. Michigan's offense and special teams combined for 5 turnovers, putting the defense in terrible spots, but the group delivered in the big moments. "We take pride in that we don't flinch, no matter what the situation is," the Michigan coordinator said. "And there's nothing you can do except go play the next down. I was proud. I thought throughout the entire game, we never flinched. We just went out and met the challenges head-on. "There were some plays you want back. Of course there were, but [that's the case] in every game. I was just really proud of the consistency of our defense, going back out on the field no matter when it happened." Martindale's crew has helped keep Michigan — and its playoff chances — afloat. A WORK IN PROGRESS It's so early in the Michigan basketball season that it's not even funny. The turnovers and overall clunkiness haven't been comical, either, but it's to be expected on a team with so many newcomers. The Wolverines beat Oakland, 121-78, to open the season in dominating fashion but needed late comebacks to beat Wake Forest (85- 84 in OT) and TCU (67-63), with head coach Dusty May improving to 16-4 in games decided by six points or fewer or in overtime during his tenure. Michigan checked in No. 7 in the preseason Associated Press poll on Nov. 17 but isn't truly performing at that level yet, even though its upside is high. The Wolverines are very much in an experimental phase. Their most commonly used lineup — junior guard Elliot Cadeau, graduate guard Nimari B u r n e t t , g r a d u a t e f o r w a r d Y a x e l Lendeborg, sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. and junior center Aday Mara — has played only 12 minutes together. Twelve! Only three combinations have logged double-digit minutes. "It's inconclusive," May said of whether he knows what the best lineup is. "[We'd like to find out] the sooner the better, but it might not happen." Michigan is trying its three-bigs lineup with Lendeborg, Johnson and Mara from the jump, and it's the perfect example of a work in progress, so let's examine it. That group has a 95.7 offensive rating (20th percentile nationally) and 64.7 defensive rating (100th). That kind of offense can be ugly, especially with the 28.3 percent turnover rate, but a net rating of plus-31 checks in 87th percentile in the nation. Against TCU, the net rating was plus-47.9 in nine minutes. "That's with the turnovers, that's with everything that goes with it," May said. "So, if you can produce a half a point better per possession, that's a good lineup. Now, is it going to be aesthetically the way we want it? No. Is it going to be fun to watch on TV? No, unless you just really want Michigan to win. So, we're still figuring those things out." It's too early to scrap that combo, just like it is to give up on believing these Wolverines can be elite. ❏ SAYFIE BLITZ ❱ CLAYTON SAYFIE The Backbone U-M defensive coordinator Wink Martindale's unit ranked 12th nationally with 17.7 points allowed per game through 10 games, and it also was in the top 25 versus both the run (12th) and pass (22nd) on a yards-per-play basis. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Staff writer Clayton Sayfie has covered Michigan athletics for The Wolverine since 2019. Contact him at Clayton.Sayfie @on3.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @CSayf23.