Michigan Wolverines

How do Michigan's helmets aid coaching good defense?

Published Nov. 5, 2015 11:11 a.m. ET

foxsports

After mostly dominating for six weeks, the Michigan defense has allowed more than 300 yards in consecutive games.

Secondary coach Mike Zordich told reporters this week the first instance was mostly a matter of a great quarterback (Michigan State's Connor Cook) doing great things, while last week (vs. Minnesota), "We just laid an egg."

What's the issue?

Zordich listed a lack of aggression and poor "eye control," aka watching the wrong things on a given play.

That is a basic element of defensive-back play everywhere, but the first-year Michigan assistant pointed out he has an advantage compared with coaches elsewhere in detecting when his guys are looking in the backfield rather than focusing on their assignment.

“Those wings on the helmet? They better be on the hip and they better not be looking in the backfield," Zordich said. "That’s how we detect it.”

And when he sees his guys not doing what they are supposed to be doing, his response is fairly simple, too.

“You coach it every single friggin’ play," Zordich said. "You gotta coach it, you gotta talk it, and you actually do drills when we have individual period of just gluing eyes on hips. It has to be done right.

“Instinctive guys can maybe get away with it if you have enough instinctive, really good football players but on our end, with what we’re trying to do, this was a zone (coverage) team, (and) now they’re playing a lot of man. It’s not like these kids are used to playing the man that we play, so we really have to stress it and we’ve got to practice it. Develop good habits.”

(H/T MGoBlog)