8A - Thursday, September 27, 2012

The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com


Michigan, Big Ten, fighting
perception of major decline

By ZACH HELFAND
Daily SportsEditor
Redshirt junior safety Thomas
Gordon answered as he was sup-
posed to, as he'd learned through
osmosis from Michigan coach
Brady Hoke. With two losses
already this season, has Michi-
gan taken a step back from last
year?
"We stillcan smell roses at the
end of therseason," Gordon said.
"That's our focus."
The start of the Big Ten sea-
sonasignals the start of the march
toward Hoke's stated goal each
year: a conference champion-
ship. But to those outside of the
conference who view Michigan
as a part of the Big Ten's swoon
this year, it might be too late to
change the sense that the Wol-
verines are moving backward.
At this time last year, Michi-
gan was 4-0,
and it would NOTEBOOK
win another
two games before losing its first.
There was no Alabama on the
schedule last season, but fair or
not, with a second loss early in
the season comes the perception
of regression.
Hoke repeatedly asserts that
he judges teams by conference
championships. He said last
year's 11-2 campaign was unsuc-
cessful because the Wolverines
fell shortcof a Big Ten title. Mich-
igan could lose more games this
season but by Hoke's metrics it
would be more successful as long
as it comes with a conference
championship.
Perceptions and benchmarks
matter, but, simply, Michigan has
not progressed as fast as it did in
Hoke's first year at the helm. The
Wolverines have scored less (by
14 points through four games)
and given up'more (41 points in
that span).
This year, Michigan's marked
decline in two areas have been
glaring. The line on both sides
of the ball has not controlled
the game. Last year, Michigan
rushed for 376 more yards than
its opponents through the first
four games. This year, it has
rushed for just 10 more yards.
Aside from senior quarterback
Denard Robinson, Michigan has
yet to have a 100-yard rusher.
Redshirt junior Fitzgerald

Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz came away with a Big Ten title last season.
T' lineuep sees Big
Ten'top talent early

Toussaint hasn't fo
ning lanes he had la
In turnovers,
minus-seven marg
behind last year's
five. That's partiall
inson's struggles i
partially due to ad
hasn't swarmed ti
aggressively and,
luck. Hoke has s
coaches have
amplified their
emphasis on
turnovers.
The posi-
tive news for
Michigan is
that because
of the BigTen's
downswing,
Michigan,
oddly enough,
should have an
easier time once co
starts. Minnesotai
three unbeaten te
ing, joining North
postseason-ineligib
That's never a good
"You have high e
Gordon said, refa
year's success. "W
two games, but stil
define our seaso

und the run-
ast year.
this year's
;in lags well
pace of plus-
y due to Rob-
n the pocket,
defensive that
o the ball as
also, due to
aid that the

haven't lost (any) Big Tengames."
Yet this year, success in the
Big Ten could do little to help
Michigan's reputation outside
of Schembechler Hall if on-field
performance continues to lag
behind last year's output.
For Hoke, though, the tar-
get remains the same as it ever
was. As he puts it, "Nothing's
changed."

BYE WEEK
TOO SOON?:
"W e can still Michign that
has plenty to
smell roses at improve upon,
t e ethe bye week
the end of the comes at an
17 opportune
season. time. Or does
it?
"Bye weeks
are so tricky,"
inference play Hoke said. He noted that each
is one of just year is different. One year, an
ams remain- earlier bye week may be more
western and beneficial to help correct mis-
le Ohio State. takes or to adjust game plans.
thing. Other years, that earlier bye
expectations," week can hurt when players get
erencing last banged up during the conference
e already lost season.
1 that doesn't This year, Hoke said he thinks
in. We still the timing is good for the team to

"re-evaluate where we're at."
Fifth-year senior lineman Pat-
rick Omameh said this year's bye
week serves as a barrier between
non-conference and Big Ten play.
"This sort of serves as a mark-
er," Omameh said "It's all guns
blazing, and you're looking ahead
to the Big Ten season."
INJURY UPDATE: Hoke said
junior receiver Devin Gardner
shouldn't miss any significant
practice time this wek. Gardner
sustained injuries after barrel-
ing into the stands in the fourth
quarter at Notre Dame.
"Devin is in always pretty
mentally tough, you know," Hoke
said.
Junior safety Marvin Robin-
son didn't travel to South Bend,
but Hoke said he will likely play
in two weeks against Purdue.
Robinson sustained an unspeci-
fied - injury against Massachu-
setts. Of course, it's important to
take injury reports with a grain
of salt. Hoke was asked on Tues-
day whether he would support
mandatory injury reports in col-
lge football.
"I don't know," Hoke said. "Are
you trying to help the gamblers?
"That's basically nobody's
business but ours."

By DANIEL FELDMAN
Daily Sports Writer
There is no doubt that No. 17
Michigan field'hockey team has
high hopes for its season. Com-
ing off of last year's Big Ten title,
the Wolverines (0-1 Big Ten, 6-4
overall) still remain among the
top teams in the conference.
But after losing its confer-
ence opener on Sunday against
No. 6 Penn State, 4-3, Michigan
learned it still has at least one
team to look up at.
"Penn State is a really strong
team this year," said Michigan
coach Marcia Pankratz. "Penn
State is the favorite this year and
playing them at home in the first
match is jumping in the deep end
right away."
It's easy to conclude how the
Wolverines lost the game after
getting outshot 30-14 and out-
cornered 13-3.
Yet, Pankratz said the loss
will prepare the team for the rest
of the season. With 19 first- and
second-year players on the ros-
ter, that experience might help
Michigan retain its conference
title.
"We have seven freshman
starting," said redshirt sopho-
more defenseman Leslie Smith.
"(This game) was kind of like a
wakeup call for them."
In Michigan's game against
Penn State (2-0, 10-2), the Nit-
tany Lions jumped out to a quick
3-0 lead in the first half of Sun-
day's game before the Wolver-
ines could register more than
one shot.
"The Big Ten is one of the
toughest conferences," Smith
said. "It's a lot more tough than

the ACC."
Some may disagree though,
considering the last 10 NCAA
champions have been ACC
schools, and the Wolverines'
first two losses of the season
were against ACC foes.
Regardless, some players do
note a difference in the style of
play between the two confer-
ences. a
"(The Big Ten has) a lot more
body-to-body play," Smith said.
"It's a lot different than who we
have been playing."
As a result, it could ben-
efit Michigan because so many
young players were able to get
experience against one of the
best teams in the Big Ten, let
alone the country.
"When you have some young-
er players, they just don't quite
know what to expect against a
team like Penn State," said Pan-
kratz. "Until you see it for your-
self, you can see we were a little
bit shell-shocked."
Now that this shock has
occurred, it's time for the young
Wolverines to regroup.
"We need to pick it up," said
junior forward Rachael Mack.
"We need tostep it up."
Mack, who led the team in
scoring the last two years, cur-
rently leads Michigan with 22
points, including 10 goals.
Mack has scored a point in
eight straight games, includ-
ing all 10 of her goals. If she
continues at this pace, it won't
be a surprise if the Wolverines
make another run at the Big Ten
crown.
"We'll be in the mix," Pan-
kratz said. "It'll be fun to watch
down the stretch."


Jaeger returns from Big Ben to the Bli
By RAJAT KHARE:
Daily Sports Writer

The mdst gifted men and
women in the world unleashed
their talents on sports' biggest
stage at the London Olympics
last summer.
From a new era for women's
gymnastics to the crowning of
the world's fastest man to the
retirement of one of the greatest
Olympians of all time, the Lon-
don Games didn't disappoint.
But for one Michigan Olym-
pian, London was all about intro-
ducing himself to the world.
Junior swimmer Connor Jaeger
traveled to London and repre-
sented the United States in the
1,500-meter freestyle.
"Honestly, throughout the
whole city you could just tell
that there was an energy about it
that was making it such a special
place," Jaeger said.
Last year, in addition to his
Olympic experience, Jaeger was
named to the Men's Swimming
and Diving NCAA All-American
squad in three separate events,
won the Big Ten Championships
and was named Big Ten Swim-
mer of the Week three times.
In London, Jaeger wasn't
scheduled to swim, though, until
the second week of the competi-
tion. So in his down time, he was
part of the American camp that
cheered on the other headliners
of the summer.
"Well, I'll admit it was hard
waiting the whole time, but hon-
estly, my teammates made it so
easy for me," Jaeger said. "I was
just there watching them race
really and seeing them do such a
great job."

ock'M'
his moment count.
"I wanted to perform well,
obviously, that was my number
one coricern," Jaeger said. "But
I wasn't going to let this experi-
ence go by me without recogniz-
ing how awesome it was."
. The final, though, was any-
thing but close. China's Sun Yang
distanced himself from the pack
from the very beginning and con-
tinued to build a leadthroughout.
Yang clocked in it at 14:31:02,
obliterating the previous world
record. Jaeger placed sixth.
"You could just
tell that there
was an energy
about (London)."
"He just kept blowing away
the whole time, not even close,"
Jaeger said with a laugh. "But its
cool. I think it's cool that I was in
that race, it's something that I'll
always remember."
With London behind him now,
Jaeger hopes to lead the Wolver-
ines to their third consecutive
Big Ten Championship as they
open their season against Wis-
consin Saturday at the Canham
Natatorium.
"Last year we placed fifth at
NCAAs," Jaeger said. "Going into
this season, we just want to do
better. We think we can be better.
We're working hard to make (this
season) better. That's our goal -
move forward and do better."
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TOD NEE L/Daily
Junior swimmer Connor Jaeger placed sixth in the 1,500-meter freestyle event at the London Olympics in August. He was the only collegiate swimmer on Team USA.
Jaeger finally took the pool on and four Olympians had already last semi-final. I made the final."
Aug. 3, but the wait was not over. posted faster times than him. "I didn't think I was going Jaeger was the lone American
Swimming in the third of four With a Olympic final hanging in to get another opportunity to who qualified for the final race.
heats, Jaeger placed third with a the balance, Jaeger glued himself swim," Jaeger said. "It was a very And having made it that far, hav-
time of 14:57: 56. There were only to the television screen eagerly stressful 15 minutes, but it was an ing made it to center stage, Jaeger
eight spots available in the final awaiting the final results of the exciting moment when I realized said he was determined to make

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