ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Way back in August, a month before the start of the season, Michigan edge rusher Mike Morris talked about how the defense would fare this fall without a few of the standouts now in the NFL. Mostly, though, he talked about Mazi Smith, the man in the middle and the rock of the Wolverines' defense.
Smith, Morris said, told the defensive players this group would be about all 11 on the field and wouldn’t funnel through a couple of key players.
“I’m quoting Mazi Smith: 'Mazi wants us to be a more cohesive unit,'” Morris said at the time. “It’s 11 people working in a cohesive unit to be the best defense that it can be.”
Entering Saturday’s game against Illinois — Michigan’s finale at Michigan Stadium this season — the Wolverines are ranked No. 1 in total defense (232.8 yards), No. 1 in rush defense (72.7) and No. 1 in scoring defense (11.2).
The Wolverines’ defense has held five of their last six Big Ten opponents to 75 rushing yards or fewer, including Indiana and Rutger,s which gained 19 and 14 rushing yards, respectively. Michigan has held its opponents this season to an average of 2.6 yards per carry rushing this season.
They will face a challenge on Saturday with Illinois running back Chase Young, who leads the nation with 1,442 rushing yards and is second in rushing yards per game, averaging 144.2 yards. The Illini rank 40th — fourth in the Big Ten — in rushing offense, averaging 183.6 yards.
Smith is 6-foot-3, 337 pounds and was voted a co-captain by his teammates before the start of the season. His stats aren’t flashy — 34 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and has been credited for a share on a sack— but he draws the attention of those who matter, including his teammates and coaches, but also opposing head coaches and offensive coordinators.
This is why Smith faces, at the minimum, double-teams during games. He is that important.
“Looks like a refrigerator except he can move,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said in early October referring to Smith.
It was meant as flattery and the ultimate respect. Smith took it that way.
“Whatever you want to call me, man,” Smith said, smiling when asked about Ferentz’s comment at the time. “You’re gonna see me on game day.”
And they do.
“Man, he does everything,” Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said Monday on the “Inside Michigan Football” show. “He takes on double-teams. You can’t single-block him. So we try to put him, at times, over centers and dare them to single-block him. We moved him some more this year. I think he’s really, really athletic. I think his movements have been one of the things that improved the most from last year.
“But the thing I’m really proud of is he owns his role. And, you know, I would love for Mazi to have six sacks and 20 TFLs because he’s that type of guy, that type of player. He knows that’s not always going to be the case. He does a lot of the dirty work — (as well as defensive tackle) Kris Jenkins, Mason (Graham) and those guys — and he owns it and he does a great job. He’s a leader. I think the most important stat for Mazi is that we have a great run defense and it’s come to fruition with him, so far. So, couldn’t be happier for him and more proud of how he’s played.”
Smith has been an extension of the coaching staff and has helped bring along some of the younger linemen, like Graham.
“In our D-line room, he gives us a lot of knowledge,” Graham said earlier this month of Smith. “He’ll give us extra pointers here and there on technique or game notes that we’ll be expecting when we’re in the game. So that’s been big.”
Smith doesn’t have the gaudy stats that attract national attention, but his teammates and coaches know what he means to the defense.
“I know everybody can agree with me on this — he’s a freak,” Jenkins said Monday. “He has that leadership. Regardless what his stats might say, it might not be the craziest stats you've ever seen, but there's kind of the effect that he has on our entire defense that’s way more than anybody could ever imagine.
“We wouldn't be at this position without him at all. He's definitely, without a doubt, one of the best defensive tackles in the country. We’re really at this position because he's able to terrorize offensive linemen and do his thing. He does a lot more especially on the field, if you've watched him, then his stats will tell.”
Jenkins was asked to explain how Smith terrorizes offensive linemen.
“Whenever their running back goes the complete opposite way from wherever (Smith) is at, trying to avoid from going down the middle his direction,” Jenkins said. “It’s really like taking the opportunity to double-team him, triple-team him, even have the tight end pull and wham him while he's being double-teamed is ridiculous. We definitely are inspired by it, because having such a force terrorizing and being disruptive playing right next to us, it really inspires us to play better as well.”
The defense may flow through all 11, but undoubtedly it begins with Smith.
