The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, September 29, 2011- 5A Michigan red-zone package tough to defend Offense a perfect 13-for-13 scoring inside the 20-yard line By STEPHEN J. NESBITT Daily Sports Editor The Michigan football team's offense is a perfect 13-for-13 in red-zone conversions through four games this season. There, the secret's out. "Why do you say that?" said Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges, when reminded of the red-zone success. "Doggone it. It's just like that kiss of death, OK?" OK then. The Wolverines, led by junior quarterback Denard Robinson, have scored 12 red-zone touch- downs, tearing up defenses for the nation's second-leading red- zone touchdown percentage (92.3). But that success is nothing new. Michigan's identical 4-0 starts the past three seasons have been due in large part to the offense's success inside the 20-yard line. In 2010, Robinson tortured defenses in the opening four games to the tune of 18-for-19 in red-zone conversions with 12 touchdowns. The Wolverinesnevergotclose to those numbers in the previ- ous three seasons under former quarterbacks Chad Henne, Ste- ven Threet, Nick Sheridan and Tate Forcier. The 2007-09 totals through four games were 10, six and 10 touchdowns respectively, for touchdown percentages of 66.7, 60.0 and 62.5. Clearly, Denard Robinson makes a difference. But he's not the only factor in the red-zone equation. "I don'tknow if there's a magi- cal answer," Michigan coach Brady Hoke said. "I mean, I think part of it is always you have some pretty good luck." Even with one of the nation's most-feared rushers handling the ball at quarterback, Michi- gan hasn't favored spreading out the field to open running lanes in enemy territory. Inside the red zone, Borges has called in what Hoke referred to as "jumbo personnel" - I-back sets and three tight ends stacked up close to the line of scrimmage in a classic goal-line look. Facing the red-zone offense in practice seems to have helped defensive coordinator Greg Mat- tison's defense. The unit has allowed just seven scores on 13 red-zone attempts this season, with just five touchdowns. The Wolverines have the low- est opponent red-zone conver- sion percentage (53.9) in the Big Ten and the eighth-lowest in the nation. "Some offenses you can really get a tendency on," Mattison said. "And you can just say, in this per- sonnel group they're going to do this, and in this personnel group they're going to do this. "Coach Borges, now, if you're playing against him, just when you think they may run it, he's going to throw it. Just when you think that he's goingto be in this, he's going to spread out and be in that. I think that it's because he's so sound in every group, where some teams aren't." The goal-line tenacity is TERRA MOLLt Junior quarterback Denard Robinson and the Michigan offense have come away with at least three points on every red-zone possession this season. emphasized in practice, where the offense and defense square off inside the red zone everyday. "One thing I'll say for this football team - we are not per- feet by any means, 'we are not there - but we've got pretty good will," Borges said. "A lot of times, teams don't have a great will and you tend to fold. We've shown no signs of that. Not yet, anyway." Michigan's 4-0 start will be tested against Minnesota on Sat- urday. But if you're going by the numbers, Robinson should have his way with the defense. When backed into the red zone, the Goldon Gophers have allowed 14 scores on 16 chances. That spells a busy day for Min- nesota. "(The red zone) is a point of emphasis," Borges said. "There's nothing more distressing than getting the ball down there and not scoring. And you're not going to score a touchdown every time, but you're not coming away with something." They're not perfect in his eyes, but they've been perfect in the red zone. "There you go again," Borges said, laughing. NOTES: Gophers coach Jerry Kill, who was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. on Sunday after suffering a sei- zure earlier in the day, returned to practice Wednesday. The first-year coach has had a seizure disorder for nearly two decades. It caused him to collapse dur- ing a game against New Mexico State earlier this year. "I ain't changing," Kill said after his return from his first seizure. "What the hell am I supposed to do? Stop? I mean, sit in the chair and wait for the next God-dang seizure to come along?" He hasn't stopped. Kill was back in practice and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said Tuesday that he expects Kill to coach the Big Ten opener at Michigan Stadium on Saturday. Lewan playing penalty-free football on offensive line By TIM ROHAN Michigan lineman a year ago, Daily Sports Editor Lewan has anchored a Wol- verine offensive line that has Taylor Lewan jogged off the allowed only one sack through field Saturday and put his arm four games this season. And around a team staff member. Lewan's playing a penalty-free "No penalties," Lewan told the left tackle, protecting junior man. "I'm due for one, aren't I?" quarterback Denard Robinson's When Michigan coach Brady blind side. Hoke first arrived, he met with The difference? every player "I don't want to say, 'Not being individually. NOTEBOOK dumb,' but that's what it is," He spent his Lewan said. "Go back and look time with Lewan discussing the at the film and see the things I'm number of costly holding and doing. It's like you're thinking to unnecessary roughness penal- yourself, 'Why would he do that?' ties he racked up last season. The whistle's obviously over and "That was what our meet- I go and run into a person. I don't ing was about, and it was a little know what that's all about. I longer than everybody else's," fixed it. We're good. Lewan said. "But I think you jinxed me "I can blame it on being a red- though. Now I'm getting all ner- shirt freshman last year, just vous about it." going guns blazing, hoping for Lewan said he wanted to see the best. At the end of the day, improvement in the offensive it's just being a smart player. You line's run blocking, even though can be more aggressive than Michigan has averaged 250 I was last year, more aggres- yards rushing per game. With a sive than I am now and still not new coaching staff that teaches get penalties. Just be a smarter blocking differently from the old player, know when the whistle's staff, Lewan said the line is still blown." learning to "jell" with one anoth- Easily the most-penalized er as they start understanding what each lineman's responsibil- ity is on every play. "There's still some gray area," Lewan said. But the other four linemen have a more mature Lewan to lean on. "Yeah, I mean, I'm an old man now, I'm 20," Lewan said. "It's ridiculous. My knees hurt now." GET LOW, BIG FELLA: Junior defensive tackle Will Campbell has shown Hoke flashes. The next step is shining all the time. Campbell's high school team- mate, redshirt sophomore safety Thomas Gordon, offered a simple solution for Campbell. "Will's just got to keep stay- ing low," Gordon said. "He's got to stay low all the time. Because he's a big guy, and he if he keeps that good leverage, he'll be good. "You see some flashes here and there, and that's when he stays low." Campbell first made an impression in Michigan's win over Notre Dame. In the two games since, he hasn't been as disruptive. "I'm glad Thomas is coach- ing him up," Hoke said with a ERINKIRKLAND/Daily Redshir sophomore offensive lineman Taylor Lewan and the offensive line have only allowed one sack in four games. smile. "I really am. And Thomas is right, Will just has to ... play lower and be more consistent in that part of it. His get-off the football is something that he has to be conscious about and make good habits with." Senior defensive tackle Mike Martin said Campbell has the tendency to watch the ball instead of going full-steam ahead and finding the ball himself. Get- ting low and driving ahead is the solution. "If he comes in low like that, you can't stop him," Gordon said. MEET THE COMMITTEE: Michigan's lead running back may just be Denard Robinson. His 18 carries for 138 yards per game average say he is. As for a true lead running back, one Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges can feed the ball 20 times a game, the Wolverines still don't have one. Borges was resigned to the real- ity Tuesday that he may not have a feature back with Robinson at quarterback, playing so often out of the shotgun. All offseason and through the first four weeks, Borges has been opposed to the tailback-by-com- mittee approach, but with junior running back Vincent Smith and can get that kind of productivity redshirt sophomore Fitz Tous- every week, that'd be pretty darn saint, that may be the only pos- good." sibility. Smith and Toussaint com- "If we can produce over a hun- bined Saturday to run 22 times dred yards rushing from our tail- for 114 yards and a touchdown backs between two guys, I can - together still not up to Robin- live with that," Borges said. "As son's production. long as there's productivity at INJURY UPDATE: Hoke said the position, and we'll get into a fifth-year senior cornerback little of that now, I'm not going to Troy Woolfolk, who injured his complain about it. It's just not my ankle again on Saturday, has participated in every practice since the game against San Diego State. "I'm not going - Redshirt junior left guard - Ricky Barnum also injured his to complain .-- ankle against San Diego State, -t's jubut he had not practiced as of it's just not y Tuesday, which doesn't bode well for his chances to play this -eSaturday against Minnesota. "I'm not saying he's out, but he's trying to take care of that ankle," Hoke said. preference. And as for injured lineback- "Because Denard's such a ers Cam Gordon and Brandon featured runner in our offense, Herron, Hoke said they're doing I don't know if the tailbacks are everything in practice. ever going to get huge numbers Gordon, on the other hand, until we just jump into the I-for- has been practicing for a while mation and startcdoing that every now, and his name appears on play, which we're not doing as the list of available players, but long as Denard's the quarterback he hasn't played a game yet this - not every play, anyway. If we season. MARISSA MCCLAIN/Daly Junior running back Vincent Smith has stepped up to take the No.1 running back spot for the past two games. WANT TO JOIN THE DAILY SPORTS STAFF? DROP BY OUR SPORTS MEETING ON SUNDAYS AT 1 P.M. ON 420 MAYNARD STREET #4 AOA A A