PARADISE VALLEY, Arizona — The Michigan defense dominated the second half of football games this season, surrendering a nation-low 5.7 points after the break.
Coaches and players have offered a variety of explanations for its success, citing everything from halftime adjustments to conditioning to the complementary nature of the run-first offense.
linebacker Junior Colson, but had one of the funniest answers ever. Here’s what he said:
“Especially in the first half, we always feel like we are being disrespected. It’s like, “Why are you trying this?” why would you do that Let me show you what kind of team you can be. We have to show you that you really can’t hang out with us. “
Colson continues…
“We’re even mad that they’re going out on the field. We’re like, ‘Why? Why did you do this?’ We want to make a statement.. We need a three and out or back them up.Keep banging them.Especially if you pounce on them from the beginning you will find their spark to wane.They will You can see that we don’t have much fun And that’s when we start to enjoy That’s when we start to be happy Start to enjoy You now have them in the palm of your hand You have to keep them suffocating.
Colson, a sophomore linebacker and former four-star prospect, leads the Wolverines in tackles (95), with 6.0 tackles lost and 2.0 sacks. He was named to the All-Big Ten second team this fall and won the Roger Zatkov Award for being UM’s top linebacker for him this year.
And along with his play, Colson has become one of the funniest personalities out there. Earlier this fall, he explained The way the Michigan defense likes to impose its will and “see the light come out” from opponents’ eyes.
“To be honest, it doesn’t matter who you play against,” Colson said in October. “We want to impose our will. I think that’s all about how we think — that’s definitely how I think. We’re just imposing our will, that we can rule and see the light come out of their eyes, and when we see the light fade, their smiles fade.”
And how exactly does that happen? By claiming their physical prowess in opposing offenses, Colson explained. After these two series of his, he found the energy dissipating from his Nittany Lions.
And that’s the feeling he gets.
“Get physical control over the guy across from you,” he said. “They know they can’t move the ball. It doesn’t matter what they throw. Then they resort to trick play, but trick play doesn’t work either.
“If you can pack your team in on first downs, you’ll be 2nd and 10th, 2nd and 11th. The time has come, and it will take the light out of their eyes.”
Colson and the UM defense will face TCU at the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
