The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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tion (the opener with Utah, ranked No. 18 as of Sept. 20, being the ex‑ ception). Even in a 24‑17 loss to the Utes, the Wolverines only gave up 17 points on defense — seven of them came on an interception return for a touchdown. U‑M tied for third in the Big Ten in scoring defense through three games (it would be second at 10.3 minus the pick‑six) and third in total defense (236.7 yards allowed per game), rushing defense (surren‑ dering 93.3 yards per game and 2.6 yards per carry) and passing defense (143.3 yards given up a contest). The Wolverines were also third in op‑ ponent third‑down conversions at 23.1 percent. All of these numbers are more im‑ pressive given the lack of pass rush from the defensive line. The Wol‑ verines were tied for 10th in the Big Ten in sacks through three games with five, four of them coming from linemen. But that doesn't tell the whole story, Mattison said. "Sacks aren't the tell‑all," he said. "It's pressure, getting hands up and batting the balls down, those kinds of things. We're working every day, and guys are understanding that is important." Being able to rotate several bodies has been a plus, he added. U‑M has played eight guys regularly up front, with junior end Taco Charlton forc‑ ing the only fumble, a game changer in the first quarter of a 35‑7 win over Oregon State. "The thing you're seeing in football is everybody's running the spread now," Mattison said. "One of the things spread teams do is try to wear the defense down. You'll notice they go sideline one way, sideline the other way; they'll go tempo, those kinds of things. "The days are over of playing four guys, I've always believed that in the last few years. We happen to have more guys that played very young, and now they're a little older. They still have some time left. It's been good to be able to rotate guys to play as hard as they can." Losing a potentially dominant line‑ man in sophomore Bryan Mone (bro‑ ken leg before the season even be‑ gan) could have been an even bigger setback had it not been for the stellar play of veteran Ryan Glasgow. The redshirt junior has emerged as one of the more consistent players on a deep and talented front. Redshirt junior defensive lineman Chris Wormley has wrecked havoc on opponents, notching seven tack‑ les for loss in three games and earn‑ ing most of the headlines. Glasgow, though, has been the most solid of the bunch. "Ryan just goes out there every day and plays with very consistent tech‑ nique and great toughness," Mat‑ tison said. "There were a number of plays in that game where he did what we expect our defensive line‑ men to do, and that's be relentless to the football. "One thing about Ryan, every day he has come out and works hard and tries to improve. I'm very pleased with him." Wormley, meanwhile, continues to