The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Michigan's Linebackers Made Strides In 2011 And Are Ready To Excel In 2012 FAST LEARNERS M BY CHRIS BALAS aligned, disrespected … sometimes even ridiculed. Michi- gan's defenders experienced all of it over a three-year period that featured some of the worst defenses in the pro- gram's proud history, and the linebackers — literally — were in the center of it all. Like many of their teammates, some of Michigan's men in the middle of the defense were on their third position coaches when Mark Smith arrived with Brady Hoke in 2011, and they were eager for stability. There's still plenty of room for improvement despite their contributions to a unit that finished No. 6 nationally in scoring defense (17.38 points allowed per game), but the commitment and strides they made in 2011 won't soon be forgotten. "They did a great job of improving as the year went," Smith said. "That's a credit to them. They were tired of being beaten down and ridiculed. They were ready to have success. Everything we asked them to do, they did it. They became better at the fundamentals and techniques; they understood where they belonged. "The one thing this defense really did last year was they played extremely hard all the time. Right or wrong, they always gave great effort. They never got down on themselves no matter what happened during the course of the game. They kept playing." That's not a goal but a must at Michigan, as Hoke has said repeat- edly and Smith and the other assistants, led by defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, have echoed. The next step for the linebackers will be to eliminate the mistakes that cost them in games a year ago, develop depth that was lacking, and identify and improve areas that need shoring up. They're well on their way with the latter, Smith indicated after spring ball, citing two situations in particular. "One thing is pass coverage —understanding zone coverage and playing zone coverage better," he began. "We also want to be more effective blitzers. Greg likes to blitz a lot, and we have got to be guys that can't be blocked by one guy. "We worked hard on those things this spring, and to be better communicators on the defense. We need guys that can take charge of the defense and understand the calls that need to be made, make the checks and get the team lined up." Redshirt sophomore Jake Ryan started 11 of 13 games last year and made 37 tackles, including 11 for loss and three sacks. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN 158 s THE WOLVERINE 2012 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Preferably, that player will also have plenty of experience. Fifth- year senior Kenny Demens (6-1, 248) fits the bill, having played in 39 games and started 20 at the Mike (middle) linebacker position. Demens earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors last year after leading the Wolverines with 94 total tackles, and more will be asked of him in 2012. "The Mike backer has to be the guy that really runs the show," Smith said. "He's the guy that has to make sure the defense gets lined up. He makes the calls to set the front and makes the calls if we have to move the front. He's the guy that should be he most vocal of the two linebackers between the Mike and Will [weakside linebacker]. "Kenny had to learn everything we were trying to get in, and hope- fully he's much more comfortable with that role this year than he was a year ago. He improved in every area. He's better in zone pass coverage, he understands the defense much better than he did, and he understands how to get people lined up and communicates much better with everybody." Man In The Middle LB