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November 04, 2013 - Image 10

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The Michigan Daily, 2013-11-04

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2B - Monday, November 4, 2013

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

SPORTSMONDAY COLUMN
Time to re-examine Brady Hoke

EAST LANSING -
Brady Hoke's go-to excuse,
the one he uses as a safe
word in case things
get too rough and as his secu-
rity blanket
in case things
get too scary,
needs tobe
retired.
Every time
anythinggoes
wrong with
this Michigan EVERETT
football team COOK
- and recent-
ly, that's been
fairly often
- Hoke blames "execution." The
reason why Michigan was domi-
nated in every aspect in Satur-
day's 29-6 loss to Michigan State
on Saturday? A lack of execution,
says Hoke.
Putting the blame on executing
the existing gameplan means put-
ting the blame on the players and
not on the coaching staff. This
matters because, yes, there were
execution issues, but that was not
the biggest problem.'
Hoke had two weeks to prepare
his team for Michigan State, and
offensive coordinator Al Borges
had two weeks to come up with
a plan that made sure redshirt
junior quarterback Devin Gard-
ner didn'tgettrampled.
Gardner was sacked seven
times. Michigan's offense did
absolutely nothing. And after
the game, both fifth-year senior
offensive tackle Taylor Lewan
and redshirt junior linebacker
Jake Ryan blamed intensity for
the loss.
"I think it's who is tougher,
that's what it comes down to,"
Ryan said. "We played a tough
game, but it came down to who
wanted it more and who played
their technique better. That's
something we definitely, definite-
ly need to improve on these weeks
coming up.
"We didn't playthe game we

got a smashmouth defense that
is allowing almost27 points per
game and gave up 29 points to a
Michigan State offense that has
struggled to put up points against
teams like Western Michigan and
Purdue.
His teams have gone 4-8 on the
road while statistically getting
worse every year in his three sea-
sons as head coach.
The reality is that Hoke's best
season came in 2011, his first
year, when he was coaching
Rich Rodriguez's players. That
was also the onlytime in Hoke's
tenure that Michigan has won a
game as an underdog: the second
game of the season, against Notre
Dame. Even then, Michigan need-
ed a last-second miracle to escape
with a win
The Wolverines lost five games
last year, and this year, they were
virtually knocked out ofconten-
tion for a Big Ten Championship
by the first week of November.
Michigan has four more regu-
lar-season games in 2013.
Two of them are at home
against some of the toughest
teams in the Big Ten (Nebraska
and Ohio State) and two of them
on the road (Northwestern and
Iowa).
Hoke isn't on the hot seat yet.
He's a phenomenal recruiter,
perfect for an alumni base that
ADAM GLANZMAN/Gaily demands tradition above all and
the players seem to love him. But
tate had everything the seat is getting warmer and
ays wanted in a will only heatup more if the next
- a mean, menacing four games look anything like
ed with a power- Saturday's.
that wins football Hoke can beat the same dead
ores like 21-6 or horse about why his team is fail-
.9-6. ing all he wants, but at the end of
Hoke's third season, the day, Michigan's faults don't
that still doesn't lie with the players who aren't
ty. executingthe game plan.
eam that is sup- The faults lie with the man
a power running behind them.

0

Michigan coach Brady Hoke has aspired to have the type ot.team that he was coaching against on Saturday - Michigan State.

wanted to play. We need to go
100 percent every single play, and
some plays we didn't do that ... so
they came out with the win."
That's Hoke's responsibility.
That's his job. He's not a numbers
guy, or an offensive guru. Those
responsibilities are delegated to
his coordinators, so as the head
coach, he's essentially a motivator.
And if Michigan is failingat
going hard on every play, in the
first week of November against a
rival, then how are we evaluating
Hoke?
Saturday was the type of game

the third-year coach has talked type of play, then where is he suc-
about winning since the moment ceeding as a head coach? In 63-47
he arrived in shootoutswith
Ann Arbor. It Indiana?
was rainy, cold g The problem
and muddy. ...it came dow n is that the team
Defense and t who he's always
runningthe to w afted envisioned was
football m itm ore wearinggreen,
tered more - and the team
than anything that was get-
else. By the ting bulldozed
end of the day, into earning
jerseys were brown and one team the fewest rushing yards in pro-
was limping to the locker room. gram history was wearing maize
If Hoke can't succeed with that and blue.

Michigan S
Hoke has alw:
football team-
defense coupl
running game
games with sc
14-0 or, hey, 2
Instead, inl
he has ateam1
have an identi
He's got at'
posed to have
offense but ra
yards on Satur
featured runn
averaging 3.73

n for negative 48
rday and has a
ing back who is
yards per carry. He's

-Cook can be reached at
evcook@umich.edu or on
Twitter @everettcook

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Offense leads 'M' in exhibition

ICE HOCKEY
Blue completes sweep to
spoil Pearson's return.

By ALEXA DETTELBACH
Daily Sports Writer
Friday night, the Michigan
women's basketball team took
the court for the first time this
season in the team's lone exhibi-
tion game. Playing Division II foe
Wayne State, the Wolverines got
to work early onthe offensive side
of the ball.
Michigan had no problems
brushing off the offseason rust by
scoring on its first six possessions
and never looking back, holding
on for a 81-55 win.
After leading 21-4 early, the
offense stayed hot throughout
the first half, leading by as many
as 25. The Wolverines went into
halftime shooting 56.4 percent
from the field. But coming out of
the locker room for the second
half, Michigan looked sluggish
and tired, letting the Warriors
cut into the lead - the Wolverines
only outscored Wayne State by

four in the second half.
With a significant part of last
season's squad gone, sophomore
guard Madison Ristovski and
junior forward Nicole Elmblad
jumped into the spotlight as the
most experienced returning play-
ers.
While both rose to the occa-
sion, Ristovski was particularly
impressive early in her firstcareer
start, showing an aggressive,
offensive instinct she lacked last
season.
"It was an amazing feeling
having my name called out, first
time being out there at the begin-
ning of the game," Ristovski said.
"I definitely had butterflies going
through my stomach."
The sophomore attacked the
basket early and often and found
success with layups, long-range
jumpers and even from beyond
the arc for her first 3-pointer in
Crisler Center. Ristovski had 13
first-half points and finished the

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game with 15 points, six rebounds
and four assists.
"I thought (Ristovski) did a
great job," said Michigan coach
Kim Barnes Arico. "One of the
things we were talking about was
her really being able to contribute
on the offensive end and knock
down some open shots. I thought
she really showed that tonight
and did a great job.
"I was really pleased with how
she played tonight, and hopefully
that gives her some confidence
because I know a big thing for
her is confidence. So I hope, after
tonight, she feels real good about
her performance."
Elmblad, the only returning
starter, added eight points and led
the team with 15 rebounds. Last
season, Elmblad brought a defen-
sive dimension the team desper-
ately needed, but this year Barnes
Arico needs her to play an offen-
sive role as well as be aggressive
on the boards.
As for the newer faces, junior
transfer guard Shannon Smith -
who Barnes Arico pointed to as
the team's biggest scoring threat
- showcased her shooting ability
and led the team in scoring with
22 points. Smith also added eight
rebounds.
"I was really proud of Shan-
non," Barnes Arico said. "She
knows it's an adjustment period
playing for a new coach."
Meanwhile, freshman guard
Siera Thompson also contributed
heavily despite finding herself in
early foul trouble. Thompson has
a firm hold on the starting point
guard position and showed her
flashy quickness early, ending the
game with 13 points and seven
assists.
Thompson kicked off the
team's offense, scoring the first of
Michigan's 21 points, which led to
a 21-4 run to open the game. But
after the Wolverines' fast start,
Michigan soon looked tired and
winded, forcing Barnes Arico to
turn to her bench.
"We ran out of gas a little bit,"
Barnes Arico said. "What we've
really been emphasizing is trying
to get stops on the defensive end,
and I think when we run out of
gas we slack on defense. "

Ti
gan
said
any g
Bu
on S
were
and t
team
an ea:
Th
callec
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with
zone
toa2
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tum
Berer
playe
we di
"I
comp
was
last n
Sol
Copp
scores
Mich
Yost
the
its fi
sweet
again
Pla
Oct. 1
and s
recei
cle fr
Mich
awkw
igan
Cople
go-ah
"I
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fil
iri

Michigan gets got the win," Selman said.
Three late Michigan Tech
rst home sweep penalties in the first period
Cl more than 20 allowed Michigan to set up in
the opposing zone, but, more
months importantly, hold the Huskies
to just six shots in the opening
stanza. After Saturday, Michi-
By GREG GARNO gan Tech continued to lead the
Daily Sports Writer nation with 214 penalty minutes
this season.
me and time again, Michi- With four forwards on the
coach Red Berenson has ice during an extra-man oppor-
goals are at a premium in tunity, Copp wove the puck
iven game. through traffic to the left circle,
t against Michigan Tech where his shot from the.faceoff
aturday, penalty minutes spot proved too much for Copley
provided, free of charge, to handle. Copp's fourth goal of
he No. 4 Michigan hockey the season tied him for the team
took advantage by way of lead, one night after he scored
rly goal. the game winner in overtime.
e Huskies (1-6-1) were The Wolverines also drew a
d for 10 penalty minutes, number of penalties themselves
ng the Wolverines (6-1-1) -12 altogether - including two
ample time inthe opposing inthe second periodthatslowed
to set up chances en route down play for both teams and a
-1 victory. late call on junior forward Zach
Ve got some good momen- Hyman in the third period.
from our power play," "That gave us momentum
nson said. "I thought we going into the third (period),"
d better with the puck than Selman said. "It just gave us
d last night all around. energy throughout the whole
liked the way our team game."
eted. I thought tonight Freshman goaltender Zach
a better team effort than Nagelvoort surely appreciated
ight." , the slow play, though. After
phomoreforwardsAndrew he faced 36 shots the previous
and Justin Selman both night, Nagelvoort stopped just
d for the Wolverines in 29 on Saturday - his fourth
igan Tech's first visit to win in place of sophomore Steve
Ice Arena since 1984. With Racine.
win, Michigan recorded "Our overall defense, they
rst regular-season home hung in there and they bat-
p since Feb. 17-18, 2012, tIed," Berenson said. "The goals
st Northern Michigan. against is (on) the goalie, but it's
aying in his first game since also on the defensetnen, too."
8 against New Hampshire Michigan's victory was even
econd this season, Selman more impressive without fresh-
ved the puck in the left cir- man defenseman Kevin Lohan,
'om freshman defenseman who remains out for at least the
ael Downing, firing an next three months with a low-
yard-angle shot past Mich- er-body injury that he suffered
Tech goaltender Pheonix in Friday night's game, accord-
ey for what would be the ing to Berenson.'
ead goal. "Obviously it's never good to
mean, obviously a goal is be missing a guy like Lohan ...
ys nice, but I'm just glad we but I thought (the defense) did

a really good job," Nagelvoort
said. "They let me see pretty
much anything that was in
front of me. There was only two
or three times where (Michigan
Tech) had a chance to tip in any
kind of shots."
The Huskies tallied a late goal
midway through the third peri-
od, nearly completing the come-
back when they finally managed
to limit their penalties. Forward
Dennis Rix slapped one past
Nagelvoort when he found the
puck near the slot. A late penal-
ty and a 6-on-4 advantage were
not enough to force a second
straight overtime, though.
The loss spoiled former
Michigan assistant coach and
current Michigan Tech coach
Mel Person's return to Ann
Arbor. Pearson served as an
assistant coach for 23 years
under Berenson, helping to lead
the Wolverines to 11 Frozen
Fours.
"Yost is a place I love," Pear-
son said. "I know it's a hard
place to play, and a hard place
to win at, but it's a great expe-
rience for our players to come
here.
"I've got a lot of fond memo-
ries here and I just love Michi-
gan, coach Berenson and
Michigan hockey."
Friday night: Andrew Copp
played hero in the weekend
opener, scoring the game win-
ner in overtime after the Hus-
kies came back from a two-goal
deficit.
Copp took the puck across
the center line before he wound
up near the top of circle and
fired a shot that was too quick
for the glove of Copley.
Junior forward Phil Di
Giuseppe scored his third goal
of the season and added an
assist, while senior forward
Luke Moffatt tallied a goal of
his own. Nagelvoort, mean-
while, continued his strong per-
formance in Racine's absence,
stopping 34 shots.

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