The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/603303
he acknowledged. "We didn't run to the ball, the effort plays, and we were missing tackles. "Against Rutgers, especially in the second half, we picked it up and shut them out. There's progress … Rutgers gave us confidence that this is the de- fense we are, and the defense we can continue to be for the rest of the year." Then came the dogfight in Bloom- ington, and a reminder that they haven't arrived. Zordich stressed that it's a long sea- son, and not every moment will be played at a physical and psychological high point. It's the dips that can prove deadly, though, for any team battling toward a Big Ten championship. He came away reminding those in the secondary to remember. "Keep the great effort," Zordich said. "It works. When you play with great effort and enthusiasm, and a great at- titude, it works, and I don't think we had that [against Minnesota]. "When you can win a game like that, absolutely, you did get the 'W,' and it's a life lesson, for sure. You take a deep breath, and you say: 'Okay, guys. We got the win. Now watch this. Watch this and learn because next week, we won't get the win.'" The wins continue coming, despite the occasional disappointment or lost half by a linebacker. Michigan has featured a pair of the latter, senior Joe Bolden missing the second half of the Michigan State game following a vig- orously disputed targeting call, and senior James Ross missing the first half of the same ill-fated match-up. None of that matters, either. A strong finish matters, in showdowns at Penn State and home versus Ohio State. Ev- erything rides on the final fortnight of regular-season football, and Michi- gan's defense intends to show up. "It's about what you do and how you play a certain way, no matter what the situation is, what the game is or anything else," Durkin said. "When you're on the field, you do it a certain way. "We've done that for the most part this year, a large part of the time. There are always going to be little ups and downs. You learn from them and grow. We've got to play our best now." ❏ Wolverines Slip In National Numbers Michigan stood first or second nationally in a number of defensive categories heading into the 48-41 score-fest at Indiana. The Wolverines remained a top-10 defensive team statistically, but certainly one with concerns. Head coach Jim Harbaugh didn't hide those worries coming out of the win over the Hoosiers. He confirmed that redshirt junior nose tackle Ryan Glasgow will miss the rest of the year with an injured pectoral muscle, a personnel loss that proved noticeable while the Wolverines surrendered 307 rushing yards to the Hoosiers. "It looked like we were playing like we were undermanned or tired," Harbaugh pointed out. "There were over 100 plays offensively. We're just going to have to