Michigan is leaning hard into the kind of work that shows up when legs get heavy and games get ugly.
In fall camp, the Wolverines have made high-intensity drills a centerpiece, with the idea that conditioning and mental toughness can become real weapons once the season starts. The message is simple: if the team can stay sharp when fatigue kicks in, that edge could matter on both sides of the ball.
One recent practice drove that point home. Michigan went through a 14-play, no-substitution drill, a grind designed to test more than fitness. It forced players to keep executing while exhaustion built and the pace never let up.
“We’ve been doing 14 plays and no subs, and nobody cares if you’re tired,” Michigan running back Jordan Marshall said. “It definitely builds mental stamina of how much you can handle because your body wants to give up, but still you can’t.”
Marshall said the work is meant to pay off late in games, when the margin often shrinks and fatigue becomes part of the battle.
“We’re going to be able to beat teams in the third and fourth quarter because of how hard we’re working at practice,” Marshall said. “It’s preparing us for those situations. We’re going to be better conditioned to go out here and beat teams.”
That’s the bigger idea behind these camp sessions: Michigan doesn’t just want to be in better shape, it wants to know it can function under stress. The coaching staff is pushing the group to its limit, betting that the payoff comes when the game reaches its most demanding stretch.
Defensive coordinator Jay Hill framed it the same way, with an emphasis on staying locked in when the body starts to fight back.
“We have to be able to stay focused when we’re tired,” Michigan defensive coordinator Jay Hill said. “We have to be able to continue to run the ball, even though we’re tired. We have to be able to execute when those things are occurring.”
Hill also tied that mindset to the defense’s goals. Michigan wants to hold opponents to 85 rushing yards per game and produce seven combined sacks and turnovers per game.
“The plan to win is to play great defense. We have to defend the run, which is where the 85 yards comes up,” Hill said.
“We also want a combination of seven turnovers and sacks each game. If we hit those numbers, we’re pretty dang good.”
Reaching those marks will take more than talent. It will take defenders who can keep their level steady through a long, physical matchup and still finish strong when the game is on the line.
That is exactly what Michigan appears to be drilling for in camp: endurance, toughness and the ability to keep hitting the same standard deep into the fourth quarter.
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