Michigan Football DC Wink Martindale discusses blitz percentage

The Michigan Wolverines are coming off a big win against the USC Trojans on Saturday, and their defense was a big reason why.

Michigan made a big change this offseason, replacing standout defensive coordinator Jesse Minter who went with Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers with longtime NFL defensive mind Wink Martindale.

It was a tall order to ask a coordinator who hasn't coached in college in 20 years to meet the same expectations as last season, when the Wolverines led the FBS with an average of 247 yards and an average of 10.4 points on road to a national championship. Fortunately for Michigan, Martindales' defenses were among the best in the NFL during his first three years as the NFL's defensive coordinator Baltimore Ravensand he was at the helm of the New York Giants defense until the two sides agreed to part ways.

Whether it was at Western Kentucky with Jack Harbaugh in 2000, with the Ravens in the 2010s, or most recently with the Giants, Martindale has always been known for its blitz packages. According to MLiveIn four of his seven seasons as an NFL coordinator, the Martindale-led defense was No. 1 in blitz percentages, including three of his four seasons in Baltimore, where the Ravens blitzed 39.6 percent of the time in 2018, 54.9 percent in 2019, and 44.1 percent in 2020.

Moreover, per NFL Next Gen Statsthe New York Giants blitzed 44.7 percent of the time in 2022, the highest rate in the league.

In Ann Arbor, however, Michigan's blitz percentage has been closely watched through the first four games. Not to mention, Michigan is currently ranked 55th in total defensegiving up an average of 323.0 yards per game. Speaking to local media on Wednesday, Martindale shed light on the blatantly wrong reports about his blitz figures.

Every game is different, Martindale said. We've already talked about the strength of the schedule we had to start with and fitting everyone into their own roles, and you saw some players really shine in the last game. I like listening to everyone's comments about how often you apply pressure and everything else, because a lot of them are wrong.

I think we played very well in situational football against SC. You saw it at the end of the half and you saw it at the end of the game. But people don't understand that in those situations you actually have to make the call so you can get a sack before halftime or you can stop the passing game from going down the field when you get there in the fourth quarter. So keep writing and believing and reading and keep doing all those things you want to do. It's just plain wrong. But like I said, it really helps us.

Martindale took the time to make corrections to his blitz numbers, explaining that just because Michigan doesn't appear to be blitzing at a high pace, there are a lot of nuances to defensive schemes that the average person may not see.

“I don't even want to give it credit,” Martindale said. It's one of those things that everyone wants to talk about about your pressure levels and everything else. And the people tracking your pressure don't know the difference between pressure, a simulated rush, or a four-man rush. So that's exactly what I stand on.

Martindale made the jump from the NFL back to college this season, where the plans on both sides of the ball are completely different. The NFL is showing more disguises and using different packages, and there is more talent everywhere. Introducing an NFL system to college has a number of benefits, but it can also be difficult for college athletes to adapt to the system right away. After four weeks, it appears that Michigan's defenders are understanding the system, but it hasn't been without some communication issues in the secondary that they are still working on.

After making these comments, you can bet Martindale will continue to call the defense he always has his way.