Michigan football: Josh Gattis ‘blown away’ by U-M’s practices
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Michigan was rolling on offense in its last few games, racking up 59, 42 and 42 points in its last three contests. The Wolverines led the nation this year in plays of 50-plus yards (17), had the running game working and dominated some good defenses.
RELATED
• Previewing Michigan vs. Georgia with a Bulldog insider
• Michigan football Sunday thoughts: The beginning of the beginning?
Georgia, though, could be a different animal, and Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis knows it. He’s preparing his team for a “heavyweight battle,” and the Bulldogs’ defense in particular is a formidable foe.
“Leading up to our bowl practices, we had phenomenal practices back at campus, and then the next challenge came,” Gattis said Monday. “Would we be able to carry that over with all the excitement? Wth all the different distractions that can potentially come with bowl preparations down in Miami?
“I’ll tell you what — I was blown away yesterday. The type of urgency, the effort, seeing how fast our guys fly around. It’s different for us because we’re coming south. So, when you put us out here in warm weather and we’re able to run around nice and fast, we look different. We’re used to practicing in 30-degree, 20-degree weather.”
It might not necessarily be “speed in space,” but it’s worked for Michigan this year. The receivers are being used in different ways, including reverses and bubble screens. The running backs have been involved in the passing game with the potential for more (hello, Donovan Edwards).
The focus, too, has been off the charts. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said “it feels like the beginning” after the Wolverines beat Ohio State. It’s clear they’ve taken it to heart and feel they can win it all this year.
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker Josh Ross, along with center Andrew Vastardis, have set the tone with their leadership.
“I think the maturity of our team and the leadership of our team, obviously, led us to have a great season,” Gattis said. “But it’s also prepared us to have a great night on Friday [in the Orange Bowl]. We couldn’t be more pleased with the effort our guys are playing with and the attention to detail.”
Michigan will need every bit of that to score on the nation’s top defense. The Bulldogs are allowing only 9.6 points per game — a touchdown better than the No. 2 scoring defense. That total includes Alabama’s 41 points against them in the SEC title game.
“It’s hard to say ‘blueprint’ because if it only happens one game in a year, it obviously didn’t work too well for too many other people,” Gattis said when asked if Alabama showed them what to do. “But it does give you a little bit of confidence.
‘But there’s no way around it — this is a very, very talented Georgia defense. Dan Lanning has done a tremendous job leading this defense, creating its own identity, and I think he’s also put his own additional flavor to this defense. It’s not the same defense of during the Nick Saban days of Alabama; you’ve seen Coach [Kirby] Smart really evolve and grow this defense.
“So, they’ve done a tremendous job.”
But he has complete confidence in his Michigan group, as well, to answer the bell Friday night.
“It’s going to be a train wreck inside. I mean, it’s two smashmouth teams kind of going against each other,” the Michigan O.C. said. “Endurance is going to play a big piece in that, who’s able to win the fourth quarter. Who’s able to win the line of scrimmage late in the game is going to be the key to who wins the game.”
