Hawkeye 'D' will test Michigan
By Kyle O'Neill
Michigan Daily
(U-WIRE) ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Northwestern all-Big Ten running back Jason Wright remembers much from last season, but just one team stood out to him when he was asked to recall the top defense he saw.
"Iowa ... Iowa ... Their defensive front was dominating," Wright said at the Big Ten Kickoff luncheon.
Any hits he might still see in his sleep?
"[Iowa safety] Bob Sanders ... He comes out of nowhere," said Wright, laughing. "I had a stinger for two months. He comes out of nowhere and smacks you good. It just wore on me as the game went on."
Wright, who ran for 1,200 yards last season, managed just 33 yards on 10 carries against the best defense he saw last season.
That rush defense returned all but two players from last year's squad and has allowed just 84.2 yards per game -- most of that coming without Sanders in the lineup. But the safety returned to action last week against Michigan State (seven tackles) and expects to be at 100 percent this week.
"Bob brings a lot more than just his play," Iowa offensive tackle Robert Gallery said. "We're just glad to have him back. He's a guy that likes to come up and fill a hole."
Sanders has even filled a few holes that Gallery has been in during practice, as the tackle has been on the receiving end of the hits that Wright was able to laugh about when off the field.
Gallery described playing with Sanders as "fun," even if Gallery's 6-foot-7 frame causes the 5-foot-8 Sanders to jack him in the stomach instead of the pads.
Michigan will have to hope it does not share Gallery's fate of having the wind knocked out of its rushing attack.
"They're playing a defensive front, a 3-4 front, that we played at Michigan here for a long time and it's based on, first and foremost, stopping the run and not giving up big plays," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said.
"Any time you can stop the run and not give up big plays, you've got something special. Their tackles are going to be almost head-up on our tackles. Their nose guard, a lot of the time, is going to be head-up on the center, which creates very small seams to run inside, and they're going to make you run east and west. They're very talented."
And with Sanders now looming in the secondary, Michigan's rushing attack will need to be solid in order to open up its passing game. That means Michigan tailback Chris Perry will have to show the all-Big Ten-quality yards and respect that he produced in the first three weeks.
"He's amazing," Iowa linebacker Chad Greenway said of Perry. "The first film we watched was the Notre Dame play. He stiff-armed that corner. You can just tell how physically dominating he is when he touches the ball. He's a great running back and I'm sure we'll see enough of him on Saturday. I don't think we've faced a back to his level at all. I don't think there are a lot of backs at his level in the country. It's a challenge to our defense; if we can slow him down a little bit."
For Iowa, the Wolverines are just what it needs after a 20-10 loss to Michigan State and its spread offense last week.
"I think Michigan State kind of took us away from Iowa football: Hard-nosed," Greenway said. "Michigan has the same style as we have, just by watching them. Michigan gives us a chance to play a style we like."
In other words, Iowa will be focusing on winning the battle up front first and foremost, meaning Perry might be the next back to succumb to the "Iowa ... Iowa ... Their defense was dominating" disease.
