The Michigan Wolverines are undefeated and ranked fourth in the country in large part due to the strength of their offense, but the defense turned in its best performance of the year on Saturday on the road against the Iowa Hawkeyes, led by their new dynamic duo on the edge rush.
On Iowa’s last series, the Wolverines’ defense took over, sealing the game with four straight QB pressures and a sack each from Mike Morris, the team’s sack leader on the season, and Eyabi Okie (formerly Anoma), a former five-star prospect who began his career at Alabama before heading to Ann Arbor this season.
Eyabi Okie AGAIN.
One this series we got…
1st – Mike Morris sack
2nd -Mike Morris heavy pressure
3rd – Eyabi Okie sack
4th – Eyabi Okie heavy pressure pic.twitter.com/x0WtwYGK9T— Due# (@JDue51) October 2, 2022
Now in his senior season, Morris leads the team in sacks with four so far on the season, while the graduate student Okie has 1.5 sacks — even though it seems like more because of the ferocity and talent #18 has displayed as an edge rusher.
With their imposing size and signature dreadlocks, Morris and Okie look like the next dynamic duo for the Michigan defense.
Morris came into Ann Arbor as a 6-foot-5, 255 pound three-star prospect, and has since morphed into a hulking 6-foot-6, 292 pound hybrid defensive tackle/defensive end/edge rusher who could find himself in contention for All-American honors by the time the season is over.
Mike Morris is quietly putting together an excellent 2022 season:
4 Games played (Didn’t play UConn)
4 Sacks
9 Solo Tackles
6 TFL
1 Forced Fumble
3 QB Hurries#GoBlue 〽️ pic.twitter.com/UJ29TFEP4A— 〽️att Hartwell (@MaizeCrusader) October 1, 2022
Morris and Okie joined sideline reporter Jenny Taft after the game with late-arriving special guest J.J. McCarthy.
Standing side-by-side walking off the field, it felt like a changing of the guard for the Wolverines on the heels of a dominating season by last year’s edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson (#2 overall NFL draft pick of the Lions) and David Ojabo (second round pick #45 of the Baltimore Ravens).
The Fox announcing crew noticed the similarities between the two pass-rushing duos as well.
Morris and Okie joined FOX College Football sideline report Jenny Taft after the game, as shown in the video below.
"We stepped up to the plate and big time players made big time plays."@JennyTaft catches up with @UMichFootball's Jim Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy, Eyabi Okie and Mike Morris after their win over Iowa ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/hjN8xpUqm3
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 1, 2022
Michigan’s Defense Now Ranked #6 in the Nation
The Wolverines not only shut down Iowa when they needed it most, they also put up 27 points on the nation’s top ranked defense while holding Iowa to just 14 points of their own.
Michigan is now ranked #6 in the country in total defense, one spot ahead of their Big Ten West counterparts from Iowa City.
Next up for Michigan is another road test in Bloomington against the Indiana Hoosiers next Saturday at noon ET — another chance for Morris, Okie and the rest of the Wolverines to show just how far they’ve come on both sides of the ball.
