8 - Friday, October 5, 2012

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.cam

Taylor learning from
mistakes, improving
technique as starter
By LUKE PASCH defense.
Daily Sports Editor "It just showed that that's the
only way we can play right now,"
Late in the second quarter at Mattison said. "That's our only
Notre Dame Stadium on Sep. 22, chance. Until these guys get old,
quarterback Tommy Rees and and these inexperienced guys
the Fighting Irish were driv- get experienced, we have to play
ing in Wolverine territory. On hard every day."
third-and-5, Rees aired one out As of now, Taylor is still listed
down the sideline, and Michigan behind junior cornerback Court-
sophomore cornerback Raymon ney Avery at the second corner-
Taylor was flagged for pass inter- back position on the depth chart.
ference. But it appears on game days that
The contact while the ball Taylor has taken over the prima-
was in the air wasn't excessive, ry role behind fifth-year senior
but Taylor never turned his head cornerback J.T. Floyd.
around and the ref threw the "It's different from when
flag for effectively screening the you're second string to when
receiver. you're a starter," Taylor said.
On third-and-goal of the same "It's a whole different place. It's
drive, Michigan freshman safe- a whole new world, basically.
ty Jarrod Wilson very clearly When you're a starter, you got
obstructed the route of a Notre to make plays. And when you're
Dame receiver in the end zone number is called, you gotto make
and he was flagged for pass inter- plays."
ference as well. Taylor is already making plays,
On the very next play, Rees even with his slip-up near the
squeezed through the line and goal line on Saturday. Earlier in
fell into the end zone for Notre the game, on Notre Dame's very
Dame's only touchdown of the first play from scrimmage, Fight-
night. ing Irish quarterback Everett
Those third-down mistakes Golson dropped back to throw
didn't necessarily characterize down the sideline to receiver
the Michigan defense two Satur- Chris Brown. Taylor was initially
days ago as defensive coordina- beat on the route but recovered in
cor Greg Mattison's unit played time to jump up in front of Brown
impressively overall in the 13-6 for the interception.
loss. But it was clear the young The Wolverines were not able
defenders were making mistakes, to convert the turnover to points
and they'll have to use the perfor- because of Brendan Gibbons'
mance as a learningexperience. missed field goal, but Taylor did
"That was just a guy who had his part as a playmaker.
to get out of his backpedal a little Because Taylor and some of
faster and not looking back for the other young players - Wil-
the football and trying to get it son, freshmen linebackers Joe
out," Mattison said of Taylor's Bolden and James Ross III, and
penalty. "That comes with expe- sophomore defensive ends Frank
rience. He learned from that." Clark and Brennan Beyer - are
"I think that was just a tough getting extra playing time and
play, it really was," added senior are accelerating up their learning
safety Jordan Kovacs. "I just told curve a bit faster than expected.
him, 'Hey, you're not going to Part of that learning curve
make them all.' The key is, is the is mastery of technique. Taylor
defensive back is like the quar- knows that it was a lapse tech-
terback - he's got to have a short nique that led to the flag against
memory." Notre Dame. And it will serve as
For now, Mattison says he's a reminder to him for the rest of
merely proud that his players are the season.
playing hard. That extra effort, in "Play with your eyes, play with
a way, provides compensation for your technique and it'll set you
the inexperience that plagcs the free." Taylor said.

ERIN KIRKLAND/Dail
Senior quarterback Denard Robinson has struggled in the passing game and goes up against a stiff secondary in West Lafayette on Saturday.
Wolverine s open Big Ten
season with trip to Purdu e

Michigan carries
two-game series
winning streak
into matchup
By STEPHEN J. NESBITT
Daily Sports Editor
That last one stung.
It's een two weeks since the
Michigan football team lost to
No. 9 Notre Dame, 13-6, after a
lackluster per-
formance by
senior quarter- MiChigan
back Denard at Purdue
Robinson and
the Michigan Matchup:
ofneRoi-Michigan 2-2;
offense. Robin- Purdue 3-1
son and senior
running back When: Sat-
Vincent Smith urday 4 p.m.
teamed up to Where: Ross-
throw an inter- Ade Stadium
ception on five TV/Radio:
consecutive BTN
passes in the
first half.
Now it's time for Michigan to
turn the page.
The Wolverines hit the road
for the third time this season
for a late afternoon tilt against
Purdue (3-1 overall) in West
Lafayette on Saturday. Michi-
gan defeated the Boilermakers,
36-14, in Ann Arbor last fall and
is riding a two-year winning

streak.
But road games haven't been
kind to Michigan coach Brady
Hoke and the Wolverines in the
last two seasons. Since Hoke
arrived in Ann Arbor in early
2011, Michigan is a perfect 11-0
at home and just 3-4 away from
the friendly confines of Michi-
gan Stadium - already losing to
No. 1 Alabama and Notre Dame
in neutral-site and away games
this fall.
The numbers on both sides of
the ball are even more stagger-
ing than the

emphasis during the bye week?
Winning the turnover battle.
Enteringthe sixth week of the
college football season, Michi-
gan ranks 116th out of 124 teams
in turnover margin at -7. The
Wolverines have created four
takeaways on defense but have
allowed 11 on offense, including
10 interceptions.
The matchup . doesn't look
pretty for Robinson and the
Michigan offense, as Purdue's
tough secondary has eight inter-
ceptions in just four games.
Robinson has

records.
In 10 home
games under
Hoke, Michi-
gan has scored
an average of
40.1 points per
game, while
allowing an
average of just
15.4 points.
In seven road

thrown a pick
in 11 of his
"I think people last 12 starts,
dating back to
are going to get the Wolver-
ines' first road
after each other game last sea-
(in t eson. Over that
(in the Big Ten)." period, he has
accumulated
17 total inter-
ceptions and

played tailback and cornerback
in 7th grade - "And I could
cover anybody," he added.
Back in the Big Ten
Purdue sits at 3-1 on the sea-
son after blowout victories
against Eastern Kentucky and
Eastern Michigan, a 20-17 loss
to Notre Dame sandwiched in
between and a 51-41 win over
Marshall last weekend.
Saturday marks the beginning
of conference play for Michi-
gan, a team that has had the
stated goal of winning the Big
Ten Championship since Hoke
arrived.
Despite disappointing non-
conference -results across the
Big Ten, the schedule ahead is
a clean slate, a path to the con-
ference title and the Rose Bowl
beyond. But that journey to
Pasadena doesn't come before
navigating a series of stiff road
challenges.
And Saturday's matchup
at Ross-Ade Stadium in West
Lafayette is the first with Big
Ten title implications.
"I think people are going to
get after each other (in the Big
Ten)," Hoke said. "I think every-
one knows eachother prettywell
in the league to some degree,
knows what they want to do and
how they want to do it.
"We've got to be a better road
team."

games,
have av(
and 23.4
"It's
road," s
Al Borg
but you
an excu
win on t

though, the Wolverines 13 in seven road games.
eraged'25.4 points scored Hoke said he has no explana-
I points allowed. tion for the offense's turnover
harder to play on the tendency, especially in road
aid offensive coordinator games.
es, "It's always an issue, "The field's the same width
can't always use that as and length," Hoke said. "Eleven
se, because good teams guys on each side of the ball.
:he road." From my perspective, no. I've
not really been a skill position
Turning it around player since 7th grade, but I
don't think so."
coaching staff's biggest For the record, Hoke said he

The

ALDEN RISS/Daily
Sophomore cornerback Raymon Taylor had an interception vs. Notre Dame.

No. 3 Florida State (-3.5) at NorthCarolina State
No. 4 L SU (-2.5)ataNo.t1Florida
No. 5 Georgiaat No. 6 South Carolina (-2.5)
No.7 Kansas State (-23.5) vs. Kansas
No. 8 West Virginia atNo.11Texas (-6.5)
No.9 Notre Dame (-9.5) vs. Miami
No.t2Ohio Statef(-4.I) vs, No. 21 Nebraska
No.14 Oregon State (-11.5) vs. WashingtoneState
No.15 Texas Christian(-14.5)vs. IowaState
No.15 Clemson (-10) vs. Georgia Tech
No.17 Oklahoma(-8)at Texas Tech
No.18Stanford-12)vs. Arizona
No. 20 Misssippi State at Kentucky-14.5)
No 22 Rutgers-s.taConnecticut
N-o. 24 orthwestenat Penn tteo-)
No. 25 UCLA(-t1) at California
Michigan Stae (-6)attIndiana
Illinois at Wisconsin (-1.5)
Last Week
Overall

W ashington
Florida State
Florida
Georgia
Kansas State
Texas
Miami
Ohio State
Washington State
lowa State
Clemson
Oklahoma
Arizona
Mississippi State
Rutgeers
Nnrthwestern
UCLA
Michigan State
Wisconsin
-10-
73-57-3

Wvashington
Fnrida State
LSU
Georgia
Kansas State
West Virginia
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Oregon State
Iawa State
Clemson
Texas Tech
Stanford
Mssissippi State
Rutge
Nosethwestern
UCLA
(Michigan State
Wisconsin
12-7-1
68-62-3

Washnmgton
Forida State
LSU
Georgia
Kansas State
West Virginia
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Oregon State
Texas Cheistian
Cemson
Oklahom'a
Arizona
Mississippi State
Rutges
Nothwestern
UCLA
Michigan State
Wisconsin
9-10-1
70-60-3

Oregon
Forida State
LSU
South taro ina
Kansas State
West Virginia
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Cregon State
TeastChristian
Clemnson
Oklahoma
Stanford
Mississippi State
nutgers
Penn Statn
UCLA
M'ichlean Statn
W sconsin
72-58-3

Oregon
Florida State
LSU
Ceorgia
Kansas State
West Virginia
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Oregon State
Texas Christian
Cxinenn
Clemson
Oklahnma
Stanford
Mississippi State
Rutgers
Nrthwesten
UCLA
Mix~an State
Wisconsin


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