Photo: Isaiah Hall
In a strength-versus-strength matchup, the Texas offense will take on the Michigan defense.
Both the defense and secondary have noted that quarterback Quinn Ewers will be on high alert and will have a hard time pushing the ball downfield in anything but a clean pocket.
“They’re quick, they’re big, they’ve got a lot of football experience. Like I said, I think they’re quick and physical,” Ewers said. Regarding the defense as a whole, he said, “First of all, I think they’re really well-coached, they play hard and they play physical defensive football.”
Head coach Steve Sarkisian, who coached with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale with the Oakland Raiders, said that while Martindale is aggressive, his defense is a little more nuanced than advertised.
“I think a lot of people think, ‘Oh, they just blitz and are reckless,’ and that’s not the case,” Sarkisian said. “There’s a method to all of the craziness that they do. They’re very solid defensively. They’re a really good defender and they have some elite players on the defensive line, but they’ve got elite players on the back end. So the challenge is to put together a strategy with some great players and watch them play with a lot of confidence that comes from years of experience.”
The fact that Michigan can apply pressure while also having defensive backs capable of matching Texas’ talented receivers could be a big difference maker in this game.
