Michigan's last line of defense has tended to be anything but that the past two years. Senior cornerback Todd Howard says this is the season the secondary re-asserts itself.

It will have to -- as will the entire defense -- because the Wolverines can't count on their offense to bail them out this season. If Michigan challenges for its fourth Big Ten title in five years, their defense will have to lead.

"We did not always carry our weight," Howard said. "Now it's our turn."

The Wolverines won the Big Ten and national championships in 1997 with a defense that led the nation in almost every team statistic. It was much different last season, as Michigan ranked 62nd nationally in rushing defense, 74th in total defense and 86th in passing defense.

Worse, the defense was abused badly in each of Michigan's three defeats. UCLA threw for 268 yards in a 23-20 win. Purdue gained 530 yards in total offense en route to a 32-31 victory. And Northwestern rolled up a record 654 yards in total offense during a 54-51 win.

But the season was not without defensive bright spots. Howard's six interceptions were second best in the conference and tied for eighth nationally, and his first interception of the year sealed a 13-10 victory against Wisconsin.

Junior safety Julius Curry returned an interception 50 yards at Ohio State for the winning touchdown.

"At times last year, we did a pretty good job," Howard said. "We have to build on that. We have experience this year. We'll be expected to be the leaders."

With 11 starts the past two seasons, Howard is the most veteran of Michigan's returning defensive players. At 5-10, he is a little man among so many tall wide receivers, but he has played big his entire career.

"I try to attack the ball, and that's how everyone in the secondary plays," he said. "The key is to make plays. We want to get the ball back for our offense. We want to give them a chance to score.

"We're the last line of the defense, and we take that seriously. We have to make the stop. We didn't always make it happen last year, and it gets noticed. We have to make sure it happens this year."

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