Michigan's defense was very solid against UTEP and looks to be ready for Big Ten play.
Michigan's defense was very solid against UTEP, which allowed the offense to find its groove and ultimately score a bunch of points. The Wolverines got scored on first, and did give up 14 first-half points, but that was basically it for the rest of the day. A late field goal took UTEP's total to 17, but all in all, Jay Hill's defense was stout against the run and the pass.
Using a tool like Pro Football Focus allows us to see what happened on a player-by-player basis and gives some insight as to how the game really went. It's not gospel, but there are some things that just don't show up in the box score that can tell another part of the story.
Top Three Defensive Performers
*the 25-snap minimum was lifted for this game because very few players hit that mark
1. DT Jonah Lea'ea - 92.0
Any time a defensive tackle gets a pick six, they're probably going to grade out pretty well. Lea'ea was really good on running plays and equally as good as a tackler. He finished the day with just one stop, but his late-game interception, which he returned for a touchdown was one of the highlights of the game.
2. Edge Tariq Boney - 82.6
The true freshman has been flashing all season in very limited snaps. Against UTEP, Boney only played 16 snaps but he made four tackles, including 1.5 for loss and a sack. He was also responsible for rushing the throw that wound up in Lea'ea's arms for the pick six. Michigan has great depth at the edge position, otherwise we'd probably see a lot more of this talented freshman.
3. DT Enow Etta - 78.9
The media got a chance to talk to Etta earlier in the week and he seemed locked in and ready to play. Like Lea'ea, he was great agains the run and as a tackler. He finished the game with three tackles including one for loss and a sack. He's been praised by his defensive coaches all fall camp and into the season for being a versatile, pass-rushing interior player.
Interesting Notes
UTEP only ran 49 offensive plays and Michigan was well in control for most of them so a lot of guys got onto the field and played pretty significant snaps. There were only five guys who played 25 snaps or more, with four of them being starters. Shamari Earls, Jyaire Hill Smith Snowden and Troy Bowls each eclipsed the mark, as did reserve safety Jordan Young.
Earls actually led the defense with 34 snaps played and he was listed as a starter in this one as Zeke Berry did not see any action.
It was great to see five-star freshman Carter Meadows in the game for the first time as the big edge rusher played 16 total snaps against the Miners. He finished with just one tackle in the game but he looked long, fast and athletic on pretty much every rep. He and Boney are going to be a handful moving forward.
