Michigan’s defense in 2013 was in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten, which clearly is not good enough in Ann Arbor. Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is looking to get the 2014 Wolverines to play at a higher level in the fall.
“I always have a sense of urgency,” Mattison said according to MLive.com before the Wolverines open up spring practices. “The bar was set here a long time ago with how you are supposed to play on defense. And if you don’t play that way? You could call it urgency.”
Mattison played a key role in setting the bar so high for Michigan’s defense. He was the architect of the dominant defenses Michigan used to play their way to a share of the 1997 national championship, which Lloyd Carr still laments sharing with Nebraska. He has also been a part of the coaching staff that helped developed a dominant force with the Baltimore Ravens in between his stints with Michigan.
Michigan ranked eighth in the Big Ten in scoring defense last season, allowing 26.8 points per game. The Wolverines were fifth against the run, seventh against the pass and fifth in total defense. Those rankings show that Michigan does not have that much higher to climb among Big Ten teams, but the school that finished first in each of those defensive categories won the Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl last season, Michigan State.
When the bar is set high in East Lansing, those in Ann arbor need to take notice. Mattison is well aware of the situation.