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Michigan football's defense prepares for Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins

The Wolverines have already lost to him once.
Credit: The Associated Press
Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. (7) looks to pass during the first half of an NCAA football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, in College Park, Md.

Michigan's top-ranked defense is already familiar with Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

The Wolverines have already lost to him once.

Haskins replaced former Buckeye quarterback J.T. Barrett after Barrett suffered a knee injury in last November's game between Michigan and Ohio State.

When Haskins entered the game, there were just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter, and the Wolverines held a 20-14 lead. Ohio State faced a third-and-13 near midfield.

Then Haskins hit a 29-yard fade down the right sideline. The Buckeyes scored a touchdown that drive and didn't trail again.

“As the backup quarterback, when you come in with that poise, it stands out," senior safety Tyree Kinnel said. "He did really well when he came in and he was ready when the number got called.”

In relief, Haskins completed 6-of-7 passes for 94 yards while carrying three times for 24 yards in his team's 31-20 win.

Haskins enters this Saturday's matchup with a full year of starting experience under his belt. He has been one of the nation's top quarterbacks this year and has completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,685 yards with 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has already broken his program's single-season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns.

While Ohio State's rushing attack has slipped, the Buckeyes are as dangerous passing the ball as they have ever been under coach Urban Meyer. Haskins is the reason why.

“Yeah, I paid attention quite often throughout the year," Kinnel said. "He’s a good player, as we’ve all seen what he did when he came in last year. Had great poise, controlled the game really well.

"I mean, he’s doing extremely good this year. Broke their record. He’s definitely going to be a challenge. He has great weapons on the outside, two good running backs. They’re a great offense, and we’re excited to play against him and the offense and compete.”

Michigan understands the task at hand. Slow down Haskins, and the entire Ohio State offense will sputter as a result. According to junior linebacker Devin Bush Jr., "everything goes through" Haskins.

“He’s a facilitator, he’s a QB, he’s a leader," Bush said. "He’s having a great year this year, and we’re just going to have to keep the pressure on him. You’ve got to force tough throws and move his feet in the pocket.”

Haskins will present a different type of threat than Barrett or Braxton Miller did in recent years. While his predecessors were catalysts in the run game, Haskins has been a downgrade in that area. He has just 56 carries for 93 yards and four touchdowns and isn't often utilized in Ohio State's rushing attack.

Where he makes up for it is through the air. The Buckeyes have a diverse passing attack, with four receivers ranking in the top 20 within the conference in receiving yards.

Saturday's game will be a battle of strengths. Ohio State has the No. 4 passing offense in the nation, with an average of 359.5 passing yards per game. Michigan has the nation's best passing defense, allowing just 123.2 passing yards per game.

“Really good quarterback," said Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh when asked about Ohio State on Monday afternoon. "Get the ball to all parts of the field. Playmakers at all the eligible positions. Quarterback does a great job of getting the ball to multiple people in the passing game.”

There was some level of mystery surrounding Haskins last year when he entered the game. At that point, no one knew what he was capable of.

He's had a full year to show what he can do. And Michigan's defense is fully aware of Haskins' talent.

“He presents a huge challenge for us," redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Carlo Kemp said, "and it would be a huge accomplishment to go out there, stop him, just because of how successful he’s been at home, and walk out with a win this Saturday.”

Contact Orion Sang: osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang.

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