The Wolverine

February 2016

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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BY MICHAEL SPATH W hen newly hired coor- d i n a t o r D o n B ro w n stepped foot on the Bos- ton College campus in December 2012, the Eagles were a defensive wreck. BC ranked 102nd nationally in to- tal defense, ceding 455.6 yards per game; 75th in scoring defense, sur- rendering 29.7 points per contest; and 60th in pass efficiency defense, allowing opposing quarterbacks to rack up a 130.90 passer rating. The Eagles were a middling-to-be- low-average defense in an ACC that featured just four teams nationally in the top 50 for total offense in 2012. The defense Brown inherited was made up of parts that had a com- bined Rivals.com average team rank- ing of 59th in the 2010-13 recruiting classes and boasted just four total four-star defensive recruits on the 2013 roster. Boston College's jump was not dramatic in Brown's first year — the Eagles' statistics improved by only 27 yards, one point and were worse against the pass, by 22 ratings points. Some out East questioned the hir- ing by head coach Steve Addazio. By the end of the 2014 season, those critics were silent. The Eagles ranked 11th nationally in total defense in 2014 (324.2 yards allowed per game) and 21st in scor- ing (21.3 points allowed per game), MONEY IN THE BANK Michigan's Hiring Of Defensive Coordinator Don Brown Should Pay Immediate and Long-Term Dividends BOSTON COLLEGE'S DEFENSE IN 2015 National Category Stat Rank Yards Per Game 254.3 1st Yards Per Play 4.07 1st Points Per Game 15.3 4th Rushing Yards 83.2 2nd Yards Per Carry 2.39 1st Passing Yards 171.2 6th Pass Eff. Rating 104.57 5th Sacks Per Game 2.83 17th TFL Per Game 9.50 1st Third-Down Conv. 24.14% 1st Red-Zone Conv. 73.33% 9th Turnovers 23 38th

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