In previous years, when his team's defense has struggled, the mostly offensive-minded Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez has tended to get more involved on the other side of the ball.

After the defense gave up 439 total yards and 35 points to Massachusetts on Saturday, it's looking like the Michigan defense is going to be seeing a little bit more of Rodriguez this week.

"I'll probably spend a little bit of time with them today," Rodriguez said in a press conference on Monday. "Our defensive staff knows what we got to do to get it fixed."

According to Rodriguez, part of what needs fixing is simply the fundamentals: wrapping up, taking the right angles, etc.

"The biggest disappointment was that we took a step back fundamentally," Rodriguez said. "We missed some open-field tackles and I don't think we did a good job of getting off blocks, which our guys have been pretty good at."

For Michigan fans, the defensive letdown against the Minutemen was very familiar. Defensive struggles plagued the Wolverines throughout Rodriguez's first two years as the head coach.

While Rodriguez said there were some issues on the defense that are similar to last year, he prefers to think about them on a game-by-game basis.

"Last year was last year, last week was last week," Rodriguez said. "What's important now is to fix the issues we had on Saturday and play a lot better going forward or we'll be in trouble again."

A possible explanation for some of the troubles the defense experienced on Saturday was the fact that the Wolverines were coming off two straight weeks of important, emotional victories.

Rodriguez said he wasn't expecting a letdown, given the team's preparation during the previous week.

"You worry about that, a letdown after a good win when you have an FCS opponent," Rodriguez said. "I worry about it more in preparation than in the game. Is the focus going to be there during the week? I really thought it was and that's why I was surprised when, defensively we didn't play very well."

Tackle competition: Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Taylor Lewan saw his first extended game action on Saturday against Massachusetts and said after the game that after the first drive, "Things started going really well."

Judging by Monday's depth chart, things went really well, indeed.

Lewan was listed Monday as the backup at left tackle behind redshirt junior Mark Huyge, but the depth chart now has an "or" next to his name, meaning the two are locked in an ongoing competition.

"He played really well," Rodriguez said. "For the last 20 snaps, he was physical, knew what he was doing and he's jumped right ahead. That's a definite 'or.' "

Lewan is known as one of the most aggressive guys on the O-line — maybe, at times, a little too much so.

"He's finding a happy medium between being aggressive and holding a lot," sophomore linebacker and good friend Craig Roh joked. "He's just one of the most aggressive guys on the team and if he gets a hold of you he's not letting go."

Strain of the job: After the last football season, the college football world was shocked when Florida coach Urban Meyer declared he was retiring because of health reasons. He came back to the job soon after.

Following his team's overtime victory over Notre Dame, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack.

According to Rodriguez, those health risks are something you take when entering the business of big-time college football coaching.

"Most coaches have probably known this for years," Rodriguez said. "It's a different lifestyle, and you have to take care of yourself."

Rodriguez acknowledged that it may be a more stressful job now than it was in the past, but that it's a very public position, regardless.

"When you're in certain professions, and coaching is one of them," Rodriguez said, "you don't just work your job, you live your job. So you're never really away from it."

The only thing you can do, Rodriguez said, is take care of yourself as best you can. The coach has a Stairmaster and has been working out with Michigan strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis for a while now.

However, sleep has still been scarce for the third-year coach.

"I'd like to say five (hours)," Rodriguez said when asked how much sleep he gets. "But I haven't slept probably three hours straight in years.