The Michigan Daily -- michigandaily.com
October 22, 2012 - 3B.
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom October 22, 2012 - 3B
MICHIGAN
ATHLETICS
SCOREBOARD
PuMICH IGANB
Penn State outlasts lv FromPaeB
L A S T W E E K
WEDNESDAY (OCT. 17)
Volleyball: Michigan0, Michigan State 3
THURSDAY (OCT. 18)
Women's soccer: Michigan , Ohio State 3
(Columbus) -
Women's tennis: ITA Regionals, non-scoring
(Champaign)
Men's tennis ITA Midwest Regionals, non-scoring
(East Lansing)
FRIDAY (OCT. 19)
Field Hockey: Michigan 4, Indiana 3 (Bloom-
ington)
Women'sXC: EMU FalClassic, non-scoring
Men's C: EMU FallClassic,non-scoring(Dexter)
Men'ssoccer Michigan 2, Indiana1(Bloom-
ington)
IceHockey: Michigan ,Bentley3
Women's tennis: ITA Regionals, non-scoring
(Champaign)
Men's tenis ITA Midwest Regionals, non-scoring
(Ea88 Loanig)
SATURDAY (OCT. 20)
Football: Michigan12, Michigan State10
Men's soccer: Michigan at Wisconsin (Madison)
Volleyball: Michigan 2, Penn State 3
Women'stennis: ITA Regionals, non-scoring
(Champaign)
Men's ters ITA Midwest Regionals, non-soring
(East Lansing)
UNDAY (OCT. 21)
Feld Hockey: Michigan3,MiamiOhioD
Women'ssocer Michigan 1, PennState, 20T
(08a88 College)
Women's Rowing: Head of the Charles, (Boston,
MA.)
N EXT. W E E K
TUESDAY (OCT. 23)
Men'ssoccer: Michigan vs. Bowling Green, 7
p88. {')
THURSDAY (OCT. 25)
Wrestling: Maize & Blue Intrasquad,7 p.m.
Field Hockey Michiganat Iowa, 4p.m. (IowaCity)
Women's Swimming: Michigan at Texas, Indiana,
4:30 p.m. (Austin, TX)
Men's Swimming Michigan at Texas, Indiana,
4:30 p.m. (Austin, TX)
Ice Hockey: Michigan vs. Miami, 7:35 p.m. (*)
Womens volleyball: Michigan at Purdue, 8 p.m.
(West Lafayette
- SAT-URDAY (OCT. 27)
Football: Michigan at Nebraska, 8 p.m. (Lincoln)
Men's soccer: Michigan vs.Valparaiso,2 p.m.(')
Women'ssoccer:Michiganvs. inois,6 p.m.())
Men'sswimming:MichiganatTexas, Indiana, 11
a.(Austin, TO)
Women'sswimming: Michigan at Texas, Indiana,
11a. (Austin, TX)
Volleyball: Michigan at Indiana,7 p.m. (Bloom-
nton)
Ice Hockey: Michigan vs. Miami, 7:35 p.m. (')
Mes tennis: USTA Challenger, TBA (Charlot-
tesville, VA)
SUNDAY (OCT. 28)C
Field Hockey: Michigan at Central Michiganl p.m-
(Mount Pleasant)
Wo ' C: Micigan at Big Ten Championships
7 045 a00. (0888 Lnsin)
Men's XC: Michigan at Big Ten Championships,
11:45 a.m.(EastLansing)
Women's Rowing: Michigan State Novice Only,10
a.m.(East Lansing)
Women's tennis: ITA Regionals, TBA (Champaign)
Men'stennis: TA Midwest Regionals, TBA (East
MensGo: EdwinWatts Palmetto Invite, TBA
(Kiawah Island S.C.)
Men's Tennis USTA Challenger, TBA (Charlot-
tesville, Va.)
All ( oA e 6 e r e0 ' igible to e0m points for
(68 Atheti Departments ..))770070.
By ERIN LENNON
For the Daily
Four consecutive national
championships between 2007
and 2010. A 109-match win
streak spanning those four sea-
sons. Fourteen Big Ten titles in
21 seasons in the league. Five
straight sweeps against the Wol-
verines.
This is PENN STATE 3
Penn State MICHIGAN 2
volleyball.
In short, the top-ranked Nit-
tany Lions were set to wipe
the floor with the Wolverines
on Saturday night in front of a
full house at Cliff Keen Arena.
But two hours later, the arena
was still locked into a nail-biter
between the two Big Ten heavy-
weights. Penn State ultimately
finished with a five-set victory.
"We could have come out say-
ing they're the number one team
and just rolled over, but I think
we put up a really good fight,"
said junior outside hitter Lexi
Erwin. "It was truly a battle from
game one."
The score was point for point
thanks to scattered play on both
sides until Penn State appeared
to settle in, taking an 11-10 lead
after a long rally. In the first
game alone, there were three
lead changes and the score was
tied seven times. Eight kills from
Penn State's All-Big Ten junior
Ariel Scott and its .306 kill per-
centage in the first set meant a
25-19 loss for the Wolverines.
Michigan went on to drop the
second set in similar fashion by a
score of18-25. But it was a scrap-
py Wolverine defense that kept
both sets tight.
"(Penn State) just hits the ball
a little bit faster than most teams
we've played," said Michigan
coach Mark Rosen. "It's the rea-
son they're ranked number one.
Our team did a really good job of
raising their defensive level."
Junior defensive specialist
Ally Sabol recorded 18 digs while
three Wolverines - sophomore
setter Lexi Danemiller, fresh-
DILEO
From Page 1B
coach Mark Dantonio. "He's
a gamer. We knew that com-
ing into the football game....
They've got some other great
players, but I think that guy's a
gamer. He made a tough catch,
and it's not the only tough catch
he made. He's a holder as well,
so he gives them that guy as
well."
Redshirt junior running back
Fitzgerald Toussaint broke off
the next play for a 38-yard scam-
per down into Michigan State's
red zone, which set up Brendan
Gibbons's first field goal of the
game to give Michigan a 3-0
DEFENSE
From Page 1B
"I don't really see a whole lot
of (the defense) because I'm on
offense obviously, but I have
trust in our coaches, and I think
that's kind of where it starts,
and I have trust in our players,"
Dileo said. "They got it done."
The leader of the defense,
fifth-year senior safety Jordan
Kovacs, said that Michigan
coach Brady Hoke and defensive
coordinator Greg Mattison want
and expect improvement every
week. That momentous stop
was evidence that the defense is
doing just that.
When the Wolverines last
lost a game, which happened
four weeks ago at Notre Dame,
they faced the exact same situ-
ation. The Fighting Irish were
trying to grind out the clock to
preserve their lead and clinch a
victory, and Michigan needed to
prevent that.
It didn't then. Notre Dame
got a first down, and the Wol-
verines lost.
Given another shot, the
Kovacs-led defense made good
on the chance.
"That's what I was think-
ing as we took the field, it's our
opportunity to redeem our-
selves and get our offense' the
ball back," Kovacs said. "Same
situation as Notre Dame, and
today we executed. We stopped
them when we needed to, made
some big plays and got the
offense the ball back and let
to find a new wa
For Michigan
fling the Sparta
offensive wea
back Le'Veon B
back with surpr
agility, couldn'
over defenders
field because N
allow him in th
Big Ten's leadi
ished with just
attempts.
Inside the ta
matched Bell's
ing one yard on
Michigan territ
ond quarter, t
back couldn't p
down. Craig Ro
blew up Bell's
r and funneled1
year senior lin
Demens and
safety Thomas
Spartans settle.
field goal, the
opportunity oftf
missed wide.
To counter,'
quarterback I
well attacked
a mostly
untested
Michigan
secondary,
a unit that
ranked third
in the nation
entering the
game. Max-
Junior Ally Sabol serves in Michigan's five-set loss to Penn State.
man libero Tiffany Morales and
Lexi Erwin - each picked up
14 digs. All told, the Michigan
defense held Scott to 17 kills and
set up many of its 64 kills in the
match.
"I can't do what I do unless
other people are helping me
along. I had the team behind me
the whole time.," said junior out-
side hitter Molly Toon.
With 10 digs, two blocks and
12 kills of her own, Toon was
one of four Wolverines who had
kills in the double digits on the
night. Junior middle blocker
Jennifer Cross contributed with
13 kills and six blocks. But it was
the team-leading 22-kill perfor-
mance from Erwin that had the
crowd on its feet through the
final three sets.
"The coaches got on me to
start being aggressive and that
started working," Erwin said.
"I definitely felt supported the
whole game, so that was great."
That aggression came at the
right time for the Wolverines,
who stole the third set from
lead.
Once Dileo got the momen-
tum going, he didn't relent.
Later in the second quarter,
Robinson found Dileo in stride
on a short crossing pattern, and
Dileo took the ball down into
Spartan territory before being
dragged down from behind.
The play set up Matt Wile's first
collegiate field goal, which was
good from 48 yards out.
Since he was the one who got
the ball rolling, it only made
sense that Dileo would be the
one to close it out.
On the final drive of the game,
with 18 seconds on the clock
and no timeouts left, Robinson
found Dileo 20 yards downfield
on the left hashmark, bringing
the Nittany Lions, 25-21. With
the energy of the crowd behind
them, Erwin and her teammates
tied up the match in the fourth
set (25-22). Erwin pounded 15 of
her 22 kills against Penn State's
rattled defense in the second two
sets.
"I loved the way we fought,"
Rosen said.
Michigan found itself in an
early hole in the final set and
could not make up enough
ground to outscore the Nittany
Lions in 15 short points.
"We had a lot of fun when we
were playing," said Toon. "It's
always great 'to play the best
team in the country and I think
we put on a good show."
Despite the loss, the Wolver-
ines were all smiles after the
game.
It's alwaystoughto lose, Rosen
said, but against a team like Penn
State, the team will call it a per-
sonal victory of confidence if
nothing else.
"We just played Michigan vol-
leyball," Rosen said.
the ball to the Michigan State
21-yard line.,
"Basically, the offensive line
gave me a lot of time," Robin-
son said. "I mean, the first hole I
missed Drew, and then he ended
up being open on the second one,
and that's when I got the ball to
him. Thankfully the offensive
line and the running backs did
a great job of blocking and gave
me time to throw the ball."
From there, Robinson spiked
the ball with nine seconds left,
and Gibbons punched through
the game-winning field goal.
"I have a role on this team,
and to fill my role like I did today
is nice for me," Dileo said. "It's
nice for the seniors, team 133,
Coach Hoke and everybody."
well
con-
nected on a 45-
receiver Bennie
second quarter
with 21-for-341
a touchdown a:
tion. That interc
would later pros
To limit Mich
the Spartans, b
gan offense into
with its backs.
Robinson wa
factor in the gr
totaled 96 yard
but half of thos(
one run. Michi
that drive.
Yet an u
emerged in Di
receiver grabb
down reception
diving catch -t
ond-quarter dr
Michigan's first
game..
Later in the h
pered 35 yards a
pass to set up
goal that putt
ahead 6-0 at the
On Michiga
drive of the sec
well returned t.
this time, he di
short drops to s
gan pass rush, D
short, long a
5-for-5 total on
a nifty maneu'
Tony Lippett to
trick play into
WIN A FREI
Stop by our office
South University
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800-2Review/
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" * nw Rmapmmcdm,
Maxwell passed on play action
for the score. Michigan State
led 7-6.
Yet the Spartans' reliance on
y to win. Maxwell cost them. Maxwell
i, that meant sti- overthrew an open receiver
ns most potent late in the third quarter, and
opon, running fifth-year senior safety Jordan
ell. Bell, the big Kovacs intercepted the pass.
-ising speed and The turnover set up a Michi-
t run, or leap, gan field goal. The Wolverines
, in the open retook the lead, 9-7, but Robin-
Michigan didn't son missed a potential touch-
e open field. The down when he threw behind
ing rusher fin- an open redshirtjunior receiver
68 yards on 26 Jeremy Gallon in the end zone.
On the following drive, the
ckles, Michigan Michigan defense appeared to
strength. Need- make a big third-down stop.
third down in But Michigan State coach Mark
ory in the sec- Dantonio, known for his gutsy
the 244-pound decisions, called a fake punt
ick up the first on a fourth and nine from the
h's penetration Spartans' own 23-yard line.
running lanes It paid off, with a long run by
him into fifth- punter Mike Sadler, but the
ebacker Kenny Wolverines held Michigan
redshirt junior State to afield goal.
Gordon. The The Spartans led 10-9 with
d for a 38-yard 5:48 left. Then Michigan
ir best scoring was forced to punt with 3:07
he first half, but remaining.
"I don't think anyone on our
Michigan State sideline thought the game was
A ndrew Max- over," said Michigan coach
Brady Hoke.
He was
right. On its
"We got the job next posses-
sion, with just
done. It wasn't minutes left,
Michigan
always beautiful." State couldn't
ice the game.
Maxwell
passed twice,
-yarder to wide both incomplete, which con-
e Fowler in the served time and Michigan's
r, and finished timeouts.
with 192 yards, Michigan got the ball back
nd an intercep- with two minutes remaining,
ception, though, but stalled on the Spartans'
ve costly. 41-yard line with 18 seconds
igan's strength, remaining and no timeouts
aited the Michi- Again, Dileo, the forgotten
'throws or runs receiver, emerged. He caught a
20-yard pass toset up a 38-yard
s never really a field goal attempt with just nine
ound game. He ticks left.
s on 20 carries, The snap went to the holder,
e yards came on Dileo (who else?). He was con-
gan punted on fident. Hoke looked at the fans
behind the goal posts to gauge
nlikely target the kick. Robinson, couldn't
leo. The junior bear to look. He just dropped to
ed two third- a knee and prayed.
s - one a flashy Later, after the kick sailed
to extend a sec- through the uprights, Lewan
ive that led to would smile big with red eyes
field goal of the and so would fifth-year senior
Roy Roundtree.
alf, Dileo scam- Little Dileo, the reserve wide
ifter a Robinson receiver, would lift sophomore
a 48-yard field linebacker Desmond Morgan
the Wolverines off his feet. The Michigan fans
half. would run onto the field to cel-
n State's first ebrate.
ond half,.Max- But now, Gibbons, the red-
o the pass, only shirt junior kicker, thought not
dn't miss. Using of brunettes like usual, but of
tifle the Michi- the seniors. The ones who had
Maxwell passed just one last shot to beat the
nd mid-range, Spartans.
the drive. After The kick was true. It tumbled
ver by receiver end over end, carrying with it
o turn a broken four years worth of pain into
a first-and-goal, the Ann Arbor night.
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M I C H I G A N F O O T B A L L
Team Stats
Points
Rush Yards
Passing Yards
Offensive Plays
TotalOffense
Kick returns/ Yds
Puntreturns/ Yds
Comp/Att/Int
Punts/Avg
Fumbles/Lost
Penalties/Yards.
Time of Poss
MICH
12
16
63
163
62
326
1/21
1/26
14/30/1
7/42.1
0/0
6/55
28:34
PASSING
Player C-A
Robinson, D. 14-2
RUSHING
Plye Att
Toussaint 10
Srmith 1
Gaon 1
RECEIVING
Player No.
Toussaint 3
Gallon 1
Roundte 1
Kwiatkowski, M. 1
Gardner 1
Totals 14
A Yds
29 163
0-1
TD
38
12
MSU
10
76
12
192
65
304
3/27
1/14
21/34/1
7/41.1
2/0
7/50
31:26
Int
TD
G 0
3 0
> p
0
G 0
o 0
Denard take over.' "I think with any good
The other test came after the defense, they're going to thrive
most trying play all day for the in quick-change situations,
Wolverines. Leading 9-7 in the and I think our defense thrives
fourth quarter, they had just in those types of situations,"
forced Michigan State to punt Roh said. "We almost want
and had all of the momentum. those quick-change situations,
The Spartans seized it from . because we can show how good
them with one play, faking the we are. That's something that's
punt and acquiring the first always exciting for us."
down to extend the drive. Because Hoke is a perfection-
No doubt it was demoralizing ist, he said the defense still has
for the defense, which had just a long way to go to get where it
done its job and suddenly found needs to be. When asked about
itself needing to do it again, but the unit's performance, his first
with more pressure on its shoul- mention was of dissatisfaction
ders. And that kind of letdown with it for allowing Michigan
State's touchdown drive in the
opening minutes of the second
half.
"They're going And because his players
repeat Hoke's mantras unfail-
to thrive in ingly, Kovacs agreed with his
coach's sentiments about his
quick-change unit needing plenty of improve-
ment, as he says every week.
situations." But the whole body of work
of Saturday's game - and
especially the play in the most
critical situations - speaks to a
can easily lead to a lessened per- defense that has already devel-
formance, which wasn't accept- oped a pretty solid foundation.
able in such an undetermined "Just watching them guys,
game. going against them every day in
Hoke, who accepted blame practice, you see how competi-
for the fake punt breakdown, tive they are," Roundtree said.
told his defense to just keep "I rarely sit down when they're
Michigan State to *a field goal on the field, because I actually
because "good things" could like to watch them. (I-like) to see
then still happen. The defense how all them guys work togeth-
did as its coach requested, hold- er, see them motivate each other
ing firm on the goal line and to get the offense back out."
keeping the deficit within more What Roundtree saw on Sat-
reasonable reach by only yield- urday was certainly worth a pat
ing three points. on the back.
Yds
96
52
12
3
163
Yds
92
2
22
15
13
9
8
163
Avg
4.8
5.2
12.0
3.0
5.1
Avg
23.0
0.7
22.0
15.0
13.0
9.0
8.0
11.6
9
8
3s5
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