Practicing against Denard Robinson every day has helped prepare the Michigan defense for San Diego State's Ronnie Hillman, above, who is the second-leading rusher in the nation. (AP Photo)

But that doesn’t mean he’s not aware of just how good San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman is, and how any talk about the Aztec sophomore and college football’s most coveted individual prize is more than just smoke and mirrors.

"This is a guy that can be physical, can be really quick, can make you miss tackles and has, and will, run away from you if he gets in the open field," he said. "This will be the toughest back we've played, without a doubt."

Through three weeks of the season, Hillman was listed on ESPN.com’s “Non-AQ Heisman Watch” with Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore and Houston quarterback Casey Keenum.

And for good reason.

Three games in, Hillman is the country’s second-leading rusher with 497 yards. His eight rushing touchdowns are tied for the best in the country and he’s averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

Against Washington State last weekend, the 5-10, 190-pound back ran the ball 32 times for 191 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 25 yards, and his longest run of the day went for 59 yards.

“Ronnie has very good vision and has tremendous speed,” said Michigan coach Brady Hoke, who recruited Hillman to SDSU and coached him last season. “He has that innate ability that good backs have.”

That was Hoke’s politically correct answer.

His true feelings on Hillman’s ability?

“Ronnie’s a pain in the ass,” he said earlier this week in an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune.

He’s also more than a one-trick pony.

As a freshman at San Diego State last season (playing in current Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges’ scheme), Hillman rushed for 1,532 yards and 18 touchdowns. His rushing total not only broke Marshall Faulk’s school record for yardage by a freshman, but it ranked best in America for a first-year player and set a new freshman standard for the Mountain West Conference.

“He turned out to be a good player,” Borges said. “Obviously.”

So how does Michigan prepare for a back like Hillman?

How does a defense that gave up 140 yards in the first quarter against Eastern Michigan, and allowed Notre Dame to rush for 198 yards simulate what it will see Saturday from one of the country’s most explosive offensive threats?

Part of the answer wears long dreadlocks, the No. 16 and stands across from them every day in practice.

“When you go against Denard Robinson, you’re going against fast,” Mattison said. “It’s not like we haven’t ever seen speed.”

In 2010, Hillman was tied for sixth in the country with 15 run plays totaling 20 yards or more. One of the players ranked one spot ahead of him with 16? That’d be Robinson.

A season ago, Michigan allowed 29 plays of 30 yards or more, a stat that was tied for 25th-worst in the country.

Though this season is just three weeks old, Michigan has improved markedly in that category. The only play of 30 yards of more the Wolverines have allowed is a 38-yard run by Notre Dame’s Jonas Gray.

It’s early, but it’s a start. And with Michigan putting more emphasis on starters going against starters in practice this season, defenders say that facing Robinson every day has been a big help in limiting long plays. They say it should also should give them a leg up in defending Hillman on Saturday.

“(Hillman’s) a great running back, he’s quick and elusive, so we have to do a good job of containing him,” Michigan senior cornerback Troy Woolfolk said. “(But) Denard’s so fast and if you blink, he gets outside. Going against Denard every day helps our defense and helps us put a cap on those long runs.”

Mattison said Michigan’s amount of “good against good” time in practice is higher than it is at other programs. And not only does the Wolverines defense get a good look at Robinson every day, but also running backs Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michael Shaw and Vincent Smith.

“Going good against good like we do in practice (is important),” he said. “It’s not like some places where (your first team defense) goes against a (running back) that might never play. We’re going against guys that have played before and have done a great job before.”

The Wolverine defense appears to be in for a difficult test Saturday. Outside of Hillman, SDSU boasts a quarterback, senior Ryan Lindley, that Mattison says “will play in the league someday.”

But the team says this isn’t news to them. They say they’re aware of everything the Aztecs have to offer, and they know that if they don’t contain Hoke’s former superstar-turned-pain-in-the-rear, it’ll be a long afternoon in Michigan Stadium.

“If we don’t take the proper angles, we’ll give up explosive plays,” sophomore safety Thomas Gordon said. “We’re going to have our hands full.”

Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.