Michigan Football: Wolverines Run D the MVP of 2014 Season

There is no debate—Greg Mattison’s run defense is, by far, Michigan’s most valuable asset.

And as usual, it anchored Saturday during Team 135’s 10-9 road win over Northwestern.

On a day when the Wolverines offense was wildly and typically inconsistent, and not to mention in need of more help than ever, Mattison’s running-back-stoppers clogged enough holes, filled enough gaps and made enough tackles to hold the Wildcats to minus-nine rushing yards.

And that includes production from star freshman Justin Jackson, who entered the game with a team-high 726 yards and five touchdowns but managed just 35 yards and zero scores when facing the likes of Jake Ryan, Joe Bolden, Matt Godin, Frank Clark and Brennen Beyer.

That’s just naming a few.

Mattison’s band of All-Stars certainly deserves praise after shutting down another hyped Big Ten ball-carrier. Perfection is nearly impossible to attain; but the defensive coordinator’s play-calling and personnel have been close enough, despite being gouged by Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford (177) and Minnesota’s David Cobb (183).

Indiana’s Tevin Coleman grabbed 108 yards that didn’t matter on homecoming. He didn’t score, either.

Again, another back denied.

For the second consecutive year, Mattison’s total defense is among the top 15 in the country. In 2013, it was No. 13. Right now, it’s No. 7 overall and has the No. 9-ranked rushing defense, allowing a paltry 2.82 yards per attempt and seven touchdowns.

And think about those touchdowns—Langford had three of them and Appalachian State’s Marcus Cox had one in the opener, leaving three dispersed among eight other opponents.

Individual Strengths/Weaknesses

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OK, so the Wolverines have done all of this while playing the No. 66-ranked schedule (SOS), per Team Rankings.

That could be the lone counterpoint, but the players don’t make the schedules—they just have to stop the guy they’re slated to face on Saturday, and Team 135 has accomplished that feat without issue and against a league ripe with talented runners.

The Wolverines do a great job by targeting the ball-carrier—meaning that linebackers and linemen quickly shift to the guy with the ball. Makes sense, right? That said, other than Cobb and Langford, there aren’t many examples of guys just outrunning or running through Michigan.

Even Langford, one of the best in the B1G, wasn’t casually strolling through Mattison’s D-line and linebackers—he’d bounce off a guy or two while picking up a few yards, but his bread and butter has always been the knockout blow: through the tackle, right up the seam.

That said, big plays in general have been Mattison’s downfall. His secondary hasn’t played up to expectations. However, the run D has more than compensated.

Ryan’s 14 tackles for a loss have him at No. 6 in the league; his 90 tackles are No. 5 overall. Plus there’s Joe Bolden, who’s right behind Ryan with 79 tackles, good for No. 13.

The pair of linebackers has abruptly halted nearly every back who’s dared to challenge. And as mentioned earlier, Clark and Godin have visited the backfield quite often lately—their havoc-laced shifts of obstruction have forced backs into making poor decisions, leading them into swarms of winged hats at every turn.

Road Ahead

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The Wolverines are on another bye before meeting Nov. 22 with Maryland. Then it's on to the dreaded season finale versus Ohio State, which crushed the Spartans 49-37 on Saturday night in East Lansing. A loss twice that lurks around the corner. 

But back to the task at hand, which is taking a look at the two top remaining backs: The Terps' C.J. Brown, who is actually the quarterback and leading rusher (380 yards) and the Buckeyes' Ezekiel Elliott, who cruised for 154 yards and two touchdowns against Pat Narduzzi's ironclad Spartans D. 

Brown probably won't be an issue in Ann Arbor. And really, it's not a good idea for quarterbacks to run against the Wolverines. Indiana's Zander Diamont could attest to that. 

Elliott, though, is a problem.

And since it's Ohio State versus Michigan in Columbus, he'll probably be in overdrive. Whether he rips Michigan like Cobb and Langford remains to be seen. But it'll be decided once an MVP-caliber RB and MVP-caliber run D collide at The Shoe. 

Knock the offense if you’d like. Tear down the running game. Talk about the lack of receivers and poor play from the quarterback. But remember the one reason why Michigan is in position to go bowling: Mattison’s run defense.

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81