8A - Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.cam
8A Wdnsda, ctber24 212 heMihign aiy -mihiandico
The curious case of Denard
'M' defense refuses
Robinson and the second half to be complacent
By ZACH HELFAND
Daily Sports Editor
Meet the Denard Robinson
few know and fewer can explain,
the Robinson who only appears
in the second half. This Robinson
isn't a reckless playmaker, he's a
game manager.
This Robinson is more care-
ful. He has zero interceptions in
the second half this season. First-
half Robinson has nine this year.
This Robinson is also less
dynamic. He has zero touch-
downs, rushing or passing, in the
fourth quarter. In the other three
quarters, Robinson has nine.
This Robinson is an enigma.
His teammates, even Robinson
himself, can't explain what has
happened in the second half.
Is it by design or is it a fluke? Is
Robinson smarter or is Michigan
limitinghis opportunities to fail?
Is it something else entirely?
"I really don't know the
answer to that one," Robinson
said. "We know we got to fin-
ish. And that's what Coach Hoke
talks about all the time. Finish-
ing strong and trying to win the
fourth quarter and trying to win
the second half."
Michigan coach Brady Hoke
said the decline in Robinson' sec-
ond-half statistics - both good
and bad - can be credited to play
calling.
"How many opportunities
is he going to have?" Hoke said.
"(Offensive coordinator Al Borg-
es) obviously is putting the ball in
other people's hands."
That's a novel concept for
Michigan, which in years past
had relied on the senior quarter-
back to win games late. Yes, the
memory of four interceptions
against Notre Dame still lingers,
and Robinson's fourth-quarter
cues from Robinson. His faith
feeds theirs.
Fifth-year senior safety Jor-
dan Kovacs said he had no expla-
nation for the second-half riddle.
And it is a sort of riddle. Yes,
Robinson has slightly fewer pass-
ing and rushing attempts in the
fourth quarter but not enough
to explain the precipitous drops
in two opposite offensive catego-
ries.
Kovacs said Robinson has
tucked the ball more often late
in games - he is forcing it less.
But still he has scored no touch-
downs. Robinson has passed to
win games. Yet he has no inter-
ceptions.
The statistical quirk could
just be a problem of sample size.
Michigan hasn't been in many
close games. Against Notre
Dame, Robinson still powered
Michigan's failed comeback
attempt, leading the Wolverines
to a late field goal. Against Michi-
gan State, he did the same to col-
lect the win.
"He did play pretty smart,"
Borges said of Robinson's perfor-
mance against Michigan State.
"It kept us in the game, although
it wasn't flashy. That part I liked,
which has shown the last three
weeksparticularly, is his growth.
About being conscious of taking
care of the football, making plays
where there are plays, and not
trying to create something that's
not there. That was good."
No, this Robinson isn't flashy,
but he's safer. He makes fewer
mistakes, but he creates less too.
And weirder, still, this Robin-
son said he hasn't even noticed
the second-half enigma, of the
absence of interceptions and
fourth-quarter touchdowns.
"I did not know that at all,"
Robinson said.
By LUKE PASCH able for the game, nursing aleft
Daily Sports Editor knee injury - and junior quarter-
back Taylor Martinez, are shifty
When the Michigan football and all have the ability to get to
team walked off the turf at Cow- the sideline quickly, so outside
boys Stadium following a 41-14 containment will be an emphasis
drubbing from Alabama, the this week.
defensive unit was dejected. Star "You can watch any defense,
sophomore cornerback Blake you can watch anyone on Sunday,
Countess was on crutches, already you can watch anyone on Satur-
done for the season. Senior defen- day," Mattison said. "If you let the
sive tackle Will Campbell hung ball outside your defense, then
his head in disappointment. you don't have a chance."
Fast forward nearly two Against Michigan State on Sat-
months and you see a defense that urday, the Michigan defense con-
has found its mojo. tained star running back Le'Veon
The Wolverines haven't given Bell very well. Bell, who leads all
up more than 13 points in a game Big Ten running backs with an
since playing Air Force week two, average of 123 yards per game,
and Michigan suddenly has the was limited to a mere 68 yards
third-best scoring defense (16.4 on 26 carries. But Bell is more of
points per game) and the second- a downhill runner who prefers
besttotal defense (285.3 yards per banging bodies up the gut, rather
game) in the Big Ten. than bouncingto the outside.
Still, the rhetoric in the locker For Ryan, correcting mistakes
room has not changed. Coaches has become a bit more enjoyable
are looking for improvements this than it was earlier in the season.
week leading up to a primetime He admitted Tuesday that some-
matchup at Nebraska. times Mattison, who coaches the
"We won't get complacent, outside linebackers personally,
believe me. That won't happen," would get in his face whenever he
said defensive coordinator Greg does something wrong.
Mattison. But for the past few weeks,
"We've got so far to go, you Ryan and the rest of the defense
know. I mean, again, I'm proud has been doing much more right
of the way they have played hard. than wrong.
... But there's so many things we "Watching film has become
have to get better at, and they see more fun, and knowing what
that on the film, and they believe they're doing before the snap is
it just as much as we as coaches great," Ryan said. "I think with
do." Coach Mattison, he's just taught
A major focus this week will be me where the back is (before the
outside contain and funneling the snap), like he's going to go there.
run toward the middle of the field. It's ridiculous how much he
When playing against teams that knows about football."
run the football well, it's critical Next week, we'll see if Ryan
that the offense can't get to the still finds film study fun after
edge and turn upfield. defending against a Nebraska
The Cornhusker backs, sopho- offense that ranks first in the con-
more Ameer Abdullah and senior ference in both scoring and total
Rex Burkhead - who is question- yards.
ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily
Senior quarterback Denard Robinson has Michigan at 5-2 this fall.
pass attempts are low - his 30
fourth-quarter attempts trail
the nearest per-quarter total by
seven.
Yet that figure is deflated by
situation factors: Michigan has
held big leads against Illinois,
Purdue and Massachusetts, and
the game was out of reach by the
fourth quarter against Alabama.
Robinson has sat out two fourth
quarters entirely, bringing his
average fourth-quarter attempts
closer to the norm. And, remem-
ber, Robinson won the game with
his arm against Michigan State
on Saturday with a completion to
junior receiver Drew Dileo that
enabled the game-winning field
goal.
Against Michigan State, win-
ning the second half meant rip-
ping out part of the playbook.
Borges said his play calling was
purposefully conservative. The
game and the personnel neces-
sitated that.
"You can't have what hap-
pened at Notre Dame and put
(the defense) in predicament
after predicament," Borges said.
"So there's got to be a balance
there somewhere."
Robinson's teammates said
they haven't noticed a change
since the Notre Dame game.
Fifth-year senior center Elliott
Mealer said Robinson is still
calm and confident late in games.
The players, he said, take their
Wolverines get
crossed up by
Bowling Green
0
By JEREMY SUMMITT
Daily Sports Writer
For the Michigan men's soc-
cer team, it felt good to be home,
or at least it should have. The
Wolverines (2-2-1 Big Ten, 5-7-1
overall) have grown accustomed
to the rowdy Michigan Ultras,
family support and winning at
the U-M Soccer Complex.
Michigan returned to Ann
Arbor Tuesday to host Bowl-
ing Green
(2-2-1 Mid- BGSU 2
American MICHIGAN 0
Confer-
ence, 5-7-3) after a three-game
road stretch that included a vic-
tory against No. 11 Indiana.
The energy was recognizably
high from both the players and
supporters, as Michigan head
coach Chaka Daley made his
return to the sideline after suf-
fering a knee injury two weeks
ago. Much to his dismay, the
return was nothing like Daley
had hoped for, as the Wolverines
fell to the Falcons 2-0.
"I was excited for the oppor-
tunity tonight because we had a
lot of belief that if we could put
things together right here at
home, we could potentially be
above .500 going into the Big Ten
Tournament," Daley said. "That
would have given us a lot of hope
heading forward."
But the Wolverines' early
excitement was not as appar-
ent on the field in the first half.
Though Michigan controlled
much of the possession, it failed
to record a shot on goal in the
initial frame for the first time all
season.
Despite clear offensive woes,
the Wolverines' evident control
of the midfield and a couple of
key stops by redshirt sophomore
goalkeeper Adam Grinwis kept
the score at 0-0 as a dull first half
came to a close.
"I thought we did not control
the final third (of the field),"
Daley said. "I told them (at half-
time) we needed to probe a little
bit more and attack more. We
had the ball a lot, but we were
never really dangerous."
-Michigan must not have been
too intent on Daley's lecture,
though. Bowling Green came out
firing as it maintained persistent
pressure on the the Wolverines'
outside defenders. In both the
47th and 50th minute, Bowling
Green headed beautiful crosses
past Grinwis to put them up 2-0
for good.
"For five to 10 minutes, we
kind of had a half-hearted per-
formance and they got two
goals," Daley said. "They scored
on their chances and we didn't.
That's soccer sometimes."
Much like Michigan did in the
first half, Bowling Green won the
battle in the midfield early on in
the second. The difference was
simply converted opportuni-
ties. The Wolverines managed a
few late chances in the final 15
minutes that included a missed
penalty kick, but the Falcons
remained too much for the typi-
cally defensive-minded Michi-
gan squad.
The Wolverines will stay at
home for the rest of the month,
which will include their final
three regular-season matches
before the Big Ten Tournament.
Michigan will look to get back on
its feet before then, and there's
no better place to do so than
inside the U-M Soccer Complex.
"Playing at home is fantastic,"
Daley said. "I don't think we've
always taken advantage of the
support we have here though.
Our support with the Ultras is
superb, and they show up rain
or shine. They are a fantastic
organization, and when they're
in full force they act as our 12th
man."
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Sophomore forward Alex Guptill was Michigan's leading scorer last fall. He's expected to bea big contributer for the Wolverines again this fall.
Offense has blue-collar focus
By LIZ VUKELICH
Daily Sports Writer.,a
Out of all the numbers to
show up on the Michigan hockey
team's box score following its
6-3 win over Bentley last Friday
night, the largest one is perhaps
the least impressive for coach
Red Berenson.
Falcon netminder Branden
Komm faced 56 Wolverine shots
over the course of the game, and
let in six goals. And according
to Berenson, the team's problem
lies in the math of it all.
The majority of Michigan's
shots last weekend came in a
flurry in the third period as it
looked to solidify its lead over
the Falcons. Though it did pay
off for the Wolverines - Michi-
gan scored half of its goals in that
final frame - Berenson doesn't
think the shot chart effectively
reflects the team's effort.
"Part of our game is getting
shots through," Berenson said.
"If you look at our shot chart,
you'll see half our shots never
get to the net. Why is that?
They're either blocked or they
miss the net. It's hard to get shots
through."
Aside from puck luck decid-
ing which shots make it past the
goalie, the most important part
of turning shots into goals comes
less from play on the perimeter
and more con-
centrated activ-
ity around the "IT d on
crease. I uolT
Berenson
is known for tooI
preaching a p
blue-collar pretty
work ethic to
his players. Its
tenants are sim-
ple - get the puck to the net any-
way you can. It doesn't have to be
fancy, and it certainly shouldn't
try to be "too cute."
Berenson starts drumming
that message in as early as possi-
ble, and it's likely the Wolverines
will get that message every day
of practice for the
son. For as much
team hears, it's sti
them to keep it inY
ly on the eve of co
"Getting pucks
getting the puck t
always the best
said sophomore
Guptill. "When I
t score
many
goals."
It's a particul
message for the fr
considering that y
have a tendency t
excited any time t
es their tape.
This kind of
offense is partly
rest of the sea- mostly learned through experi-
rhetoric as the ence. Though the team regularly
ll important for practices how to handle the puck
mind, especial- in the opponent's zone, there's
nference play. only so much that can teach
deep and them them.
o the net, that's It's lucky, then, that there's a
way to score," captain who exemplifies the kind
forward Alex of grind-it-out work ethic that
score, I don't translates shots into goals.
score too Senior forward A.J. Treais is
many pretty perhaps an ideal prototype of
goals. You a Berenson blue-collar worker,
have to get as a player who usually has luck
in your mind finding twine. He already leads
as a player the team in shots on goal (18) and
when you go though that doesn't hold much
outthere (you stock consideringthe Wolverines
shouldn't) have only played three games,
try to do too he's expected to hold steady as
much." the season progresses.
arly important "You've already seen him
eshmen to hear, twice this season where the
younger players other team has scored and A.J.
o become over- comes back the next shift and
:he puck touch- scored to kind of take away the
momentum of that goal," Beren-
hard-working son said. "He's going to be a go-to
coachable, but player and he already is."