Physicality, execution, handling adversity among keys for U-M defense vs. Wisconsin

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Wisconsin’s offense hasn’t exactly been stellar to start out the 2021 season thus far. But it hasn’t been terrible, save for turnovers.

The Badgers are averaging 202 rushing yards per game through three games, led by Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi, but Graham Mertz and the 97th-rated passing offense has been turnover prone. Wisconsin is dead last in the country in turnover ratio at 2.33 giveaways per game.

Thinking back to Michigan’s last trip to Madison, though he had no success against the Wolverines previously, Jonathan Taylor ran wild, while then-quarterback Jack Coan did just enough to keep the maize and blue on their toes. In order for Michigan to escape with the first win in Camp Randall since 2001, it’ll have to be prepared for everything that the Badgers throw at them on that side of the ball, regardless of how putrid it’s been at times.

“Just gotta be physical,” fifth-year defensive tackle Donovan Jeter said. “They’ve got a great, big offensive line, great players, great coaches. Just gotta go in there with the mindset of being physical and gotta tackle. Two-to-three-yard runs could turn into six-to-seven-yard runs just by lack of tackling. Really big on that and the biggest thing is being physical and trying to not let them get off with the ball.”

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Jeter vividly remembers the 2019 trip, even to the point where he remembers speaking to the media in the lead-up to the game. If fans are expecting style points and a fun game where skill players run amok, Jeter says you’re looking for the wrong matchup.

“You gonna get the bear and the bear’s gonna get you sometimes,” Jeter said. “It’s four quarters of just nine-on-seven. It’s gonna be physical, it’s not gonna be a pretty game. It’s gonna be real ugly, rugged and physical. But at the end of the day, if we want to be a championship team, you’ve gotta have all types of games. You’ve gotta have a game where you put up 60 points, you’ve gotta have the games where we hang onto a lead.

“I think playing in Madison is hard. The last time we went there, we got the brakes beat off us. I’m a little superstitious because last time you interviewed me it didn’t go well two years ago! At the same time, it didn’t go well! Playing over there, like I said before, you’ve gotta execute, you’ve gotta handle adversity. Like I said, you’re gonna have good plays and you’re gonna have bad plays, but you can’t let one bad play turn into two because the momentum just builds and builds and builds. And like I said, it’s hard to get momentum back.”

This will also be Michigan’s first road test of the season. The Wolverines haven’t been a good road team in recent years, looking stellar at home before barely showing up when they’re playing in another team’s stadium.

Jeter notes that it makes it that much more imperative that the defense remains fundamentally sound. Because if the momentum does either start with Wisconsin or shift that way, it’ll be quite difficult to turn it back in Michigan’s favor.

“Executing, and then handling the adversity,” Jeter said. “Because 90,000 people in the stadium want you to lose. So five-yard runs are gonna feel like a 50-yard run because everyone’s losing their mind. Really just handling adversity and then not letting one bad play turn into two bad plays.

“Obviously, you’ve gotta be lights out, you’ve gotta be physical, you’ve gotta communicate. It’ll be hard to communicate because there’s 90,000 people there going against you. But, for the most part, like I said, handling adversity, executing, tackling — tackling is always a big thing. Like I said, two-yard runs can turn into seven-yard runs just from not tackling and that hurts you on the road. And then getting off the field. You don’t want to let a home team get the momentum by going on long drives, because it’s really hard trying to take the momentum back. Just being physical, executing and handling adversity.”

Of course, Jeter would have liked to had some kind of road test before going to a hostile environment where the team hasn’t won in 20 years. But the schedule is what it is, thus the team will have to make the most of it.

If you didn’t grasp what he was saying previously, the message is still the same: it’s all about execution, no matter where Michigan is playing.

“It’s hard. We’ve been here for a month straight — same hotel, same schedule, stuff like that,” Jeter said. “Any championship team has to win on the road. For an older guy like me, I’ve been in both situations where you start more road games than you start with home games. You’ve just gotta be consistent, week-in and week-out. We could play in the parking lot and we’ve gotta execute. It’s all about execution.”

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