Some would argue that this group was the best on the field Saturday. It’s hard to argue that, but I think the linebackers were just slightly better. However, the defensive backfield looks to be nearing closer to that ‘No Fly Zone’ designation.
All offseason fans talked about the possibility of it returning and it didn’t seem likely with starters like Montae Nicholson, Demetrious Cox and Darian Hicks moving on, but against Michigan, the ‘No Fly Zone’ saw a bit of a resurgence. The defensive backfield played lock-down on Michigan’s receivers all night long.
The most impressive matchup was freshman Josiah Scott, a former three-star, matched up with Donovan Peoples-Jones, a former five-star, and the former locked down the high school All-American down all evening. He suffocated the Michigan freshman, proving that sometimes stars don’t matter. Scott finished with three tackles.
Justin Layne also played well in the defensive backfield, earning his starting job back. He had five tackles and forced a big fumble right before halftime, preventing a potential Michigan score.
Khari Willis and David Dowell look like the true starters at safety. Willis played a heck of a game, recording a team-high 10 tackles and Dowell had seven tackles, a pass deflection and two big interceptions. He also earned his starting job back.
This secondary allowed less than 200 yards on 35 John O’Korn pass attempts and held him under a 50 percent completion rate.