Rainer Sabin|Detroit Free Press
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It’s fitting in many ways that Michigan football will debut in the College Football Playoff on the final evening of 2021, because this unprecedented achievement capsa year to remember.
When taking stock of the program’s resurgence, it’s impossible not to consider the downturn that occurred the previous season. A reckoning of sorts happened in 2020, when the Wolverines crashed to a 2-4 record. The dismal results triggered change as head coach Jim Harbaugh assessed what went wrong before initiating a reboot that positioned Michigan to win 12 games, beat Ohio State for the first time in his tenure and claim the Big Ten title.
Here is a look at the main issues Michigan fixed during its revival:
Winning early
During its slog last season, the Wolverines fell into a bad habit of starting slowly. In each of their six games, their opponent scored first. Instead of dictating the terms, Michigan relinquished control and abandoned its offensive strategy. The consequences were disastrous.
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Days before the season opener against Western Michigan in September, Harbaugh said, “The ability to be able to start fast is something we’ve put an emphasis on.”
Michigan responded by scoring first in 12 of its 13 games this year. The early leads helped the Wolverines maintain the integrity of its offensive game plan, which was predicated on running the football, dominating possession and limiting the exposure of its defense. That formula has been the recipe for success.
Recommitting to the ground game
To that end, Michigan recaptured the essence of Harbaugh’s brand of football, which is physical, punishing and unrelenting. That identity had somehow been lost in 2020, as the Wolverines tried to implement offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ “Speed in Space” system with Joe Milton at quarterback.
Milton had a powerful arm but wayward accuracy. Faced with early deficits, Gattis and Milton tried to throw their way out of trouble. The running game, in turn, became an afterthought. Michigan’s 28.7 rush attempts per game wasthe sixth-lowest average in the nation. The scant number of carries were divvied up among a group of four running backs in a peculiar arrangement.
This past offseason, Gattis recognized the error of his ways.
“That’s got to be a commitment — to run the ball," Gattissaid in August.
Michigan and Gattis has followed through on that promise. On the way to becoming the most productive rushing attack in the Big Ten, the Wolverines have gone to the ground 42 times per game. Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum have led the charge after Gattis streamlined the rotation of backs.
In a recent photo, Harbaugh was captured wearing a new T-shirt. The slogan read: “Run the damn ball.” Michigan has done so with great success in 2021.
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Restoring defense’s confidence
The ground attack is a huge component of the complementary style Michigan has aimed to play this season. By controlling the line of scrimmage, the Wolverines have increased their average time of possession by six minutes compared to last year. That has helped reduce the pressure on the defense, which has faced10 fewer plays per game this season.
A bedraggled unit that was hung out to dry in 2020 now attacks its opponents with vim and vigor. The hiring of 34-year-old coordinator Mike Macdonald as Don Brown’s replacement was accompanied by new energy and ideas. Brown’s staid approach had grown stale. The players appeared to have lost faith in a scheme predicated on man coverage and blitz packages that no longer seemed as exotic as they once were. With Macdonald and three new defensive assistants aboard, optimism was restored.
“The offense isn’t just knowing what position you’re in and what you’re doing the whole time,” cornerback Vincent Gray said in August. “So being able to mix it up this year is going to help us a whole lot.”
As Macdonald implemented a multifaceted scheme with an array of coverages, pressures and fronts, he invited immediate buy-in from the players. The confidence soared and the results followed. Michigan has jumped from 95th in scoring defense to fourth, surrendering 16.1 points per game. Macdonald unlocked the potential of David Ojabo, a pass rusher who has produced 11 sacks. He also maximized the talents of Aidan Hutchinson, the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.
“We take the game to the field so confident now, and we just go into the games comfortable,” cornerback DJ Turner said this week.
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Enhancing culture and maintaining depth
The improved mindset Turner described carried beyond the defense. The team played with a renewed sense of purpose after the revamped coaching staff, which included six new assistants, created a more collaborative environment.
“The culture on this team definitely changed, and I'm loving it,” Haskins said Wednesday. “Everybody has just been buying in, coaches, players, and we're just all coming together. The energy is top tier.”
Right tackle Andrew Stueber, a fifth-year player, said he has “never been closer to a group of guys than this team right here.”
That fellowship helped stall the exodus of talent that plagued the program since the advent of the NCAA transfer portal in October 2018. Only reserve offensive lineman Nolan Rumler has left the Wolverines since the start of the season. And his loss was offset by the recent commitment of standout center Olusegun Oluwatimi, a Rimington Award finalist at Virginia.
As the roster has remained static, so too has the depth chart. The Wolverines haven’t been nearly as snakebitten as they were last year, when starters Jalen Mayfield, Cam McGrone, Kwity Paye and Hutchinson all were sidelined due to injuries.
Rather, they have been quite fortunate. After the team’s top receiver Ronnie Bell was lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in the opener, Michigan progressed through the season relatively unscathed. Only one other significant offensive contributor, Corum, missed multiple weeks. The first-team defense, meanwhile, remained completely intact from beginning to end.
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Succeeding in the kicking game
Jake Moody has been a bit of an unsung hero.
The senior from Northville has flown under the radar despite winning the Lou Groza Award, which honors the nation’s best kicker.
Yes, Moody has been that good. This season, he has converted 22 of 24 field-goal attempts and all 56 of his point-after tries.
Moody’s accuracy shouldn’t be taken for granted, especially after last season. Paired with Quinn Nordin, Moody was part of a field-goal unit that was among the worst in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Wolverines converted only 3 of 9 attempts in 2020. Only one team, Buffalo, had a lower success rate.
Moody and Michigan’s team of specialists resolved to do better this offseason.
“Obviously practicing makes perfect,” Moody said. “No kicker is going to be perfect but just trying to work towards that.”
Moody came close to realizing that goal and his leg helped drive Michigan to the CFP.
ContactRainer Sabin at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartansand sign up for our Big Ten newsletter.
