Takeaways from Michigan Football’s win over Florida

1. Michigan’s defense is still one of the nation’s best

When Michigan lost 10 of its 11 starters from last years number one ranked defense, few observers though the Wolverine’s defense could return to its 2016 form. In week one of 2017 the college football season, coach Harbaugh’s squad did just that.

Lead by sophomore middle linebacker Devin Bush and lone returning starter Mike McCray, the Wolverines defense held the Gator’s offense, a unit that many believed would be improved after a mediocre 2016 season, to only 192 total yards of offense.

The Wolverines defense never let the Gators get into a rhythm. In roughly 25 minutes of possession, Florida was only able to get seven first downs, and only got into the red-zone once, which resulted in an early field goal.

While the final score of the game was 33-17, the actual game wasn’t nearly as close as the score may seem. If it wasn’t for Florida’s two pick-sixes in the first half, the score would have been even more lopsided towards the Wolverines

The defensive line, largely consisting of rotational players from last season’s squad, shined in their first performance as a unit. Florida simply couldn’t get anything going on the ground, and when attempting to pass, the Gator’s quarterbacks were seemingly always under pressure from Michigan’s relentless pass rush.

This was a major statement by a team that is still looking for its identity on offense, especially during Florida’s second to last driver, where standout defensive end Chase Winovich sacked second string quarterback Malik Zaire in the end-zone, and forced a fumble that ultimately resulted in a Michigan touchdown.

Next: Looking ahead at 5 potential upsets in the Big Ten in 2017

Michigan Wolverine’s defense has the makings of something special, and should be able to hold their own against the high-powered offenses of the Big Ten in 2017.