The Michigan football team is 2-0 despite a largely ineffectual start from the defensive line.

Craig Roh has pulled the biggest disappearing act of all.

Craig Roh (88) recorded 43 tackles last season, but hasn't had one in two games this season.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

The 6-foot-5, 269-pound end has yet to record a tackle, despite being a third-year starter. Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison isn’t worried, though, and saw progress from the junior in last week’s win against Notre Dame.

“Craig played much better in this game than he did the first game,” Mattison said this week. “I think Craig’s another guy that, all of a sudden, he sees that the bar is higher than maybe he expected it to be.

“He’s bought in, and he’s going to be an outstanding football player — I’ve got all the confidence in the world.”

Roh has started every game since joining the Wolverines from Scottsdale, Ariz. He had 37 tackles in 2009, when he was a solid contributor on a bad defense despite being a true freshman. He also had two sacks and one interception that year.

He had 43 tackles last season, an average of 3.3 per game.

This year, none. Sophomore Jibreel Black, with whom Roh is splitting snaps, has six and is playing more consistently.

Senior defensive tackle Ryan Van Bergen, who is tied with Roh for the team lead with 27 consecutive starts, might be more familiar than anyone with Roh and what could be ailing him.

Van Bergen said he’s seen nothing different from Roh in practice or on game film, and that he'll produce.

“He might have missed an assignment once or twice, but nothing that I haven’t already missed,” Van Bergen said. “I think it just comes down to him and Jibreel have a rotation, and Jibreel’s making the plays Craig would make if he’s in there.

“I know Craig, and he’s going to keep his nose to the grindstone. He’ll make plays — I have no doubt he’ll make plays. He makes plays all the time in practice and it’ll come to him.”

Roh isn’t the only player struggling on Michigan’s defensive line, which has had trouble pressuring opposing offenses. Mattison has been forced to employ various blitz packages to apply any kind of pressure on quarterbacks.

There wasn’t a single defensive lineman among Michigan’s seven leading tacklers against Notre Dame. Black, Van Bergen and nose tackle Mike Martin each had three.

The Wolverines will face a run-heavy team on Saturday in Eastern Michigan (noon, BTN), which is averaging 331.0 rushing yards per game this year, fifth in the country. It is averaging 45 run attempts per game, 17th in the country.

The Eagles' 7.4 yards per rush is second nationally.

Those numbers came against two FCS teams in Howard and Alabama State, but it's apparent Eastern Michigan (2-0) relies considerably on the running game. That should allow the Wolverines to work on their consistency up front.

Including Roh.

“I think we are not near to the expectations that we have (for the defensive line),” Michigan coach Brady Hoke said this week. “I think the kids feel the same way at that position. ... We have got to feel those guys more.

“Some of it is because of a little difference schematically and how you tackle the line of scrimmage and tackle on blocks and get off blocks. We would think we would be further along.”

Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.