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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, September 16, 2014-7
RECRUITING
Future Wolverines
have quiet weekend
'M' preps for up-tempo Utes
By JASON RUBINSTEIN
DailySports Writer
The 2015 Michigan football
recruiting class is ranked 20th in
the nation by ESPN. Wolverine
commitshadaneventfulweekend
that included a suspension, a
masterful passing performance
and more. Here's a rundown:
Chris Clark, tight end: Avon
Old Farms (Conn.) Ranking:
ESPN (109) Scout (26)
Avon Old Farms has yet to
start its football season.
Brian Cole, athlete: Saginaw
Heritage (Mich.) at Midland
Dow (Mich.) Ranking: ESPN
(139) Scout (40)
Cole had a forgetful weekend
in Heritage's 56-6 loss on Friday.
Cole didn't see the field in the
first quarter due to disciplinary
reasons and received an
unsportsmanlike conduct
penalty in the second quarter
which led to his ejection and a
one-game suspension.
Michael Weber, running
back: Cass Tech (Mich.) vs.
Detroit Southeastern (Mich.)
Ranking: ESPN (169) Scout (104)
For the second straight week,
Weber's stats were limited
because Cass Tech got out to an
early lead against a much weaker
opponent. Cass Tech won 48-0.
Tyree Kinnel, safety: Wayne
(Ohio) vs. Lakota West (Ohio)
Ranking: ESPN (192) Scout (152)
Kinnel played offense for the
first time this season, scoring
two touchdowns on three
carries and playing lockdown
defense in Wayne's 34-29 win.
Grant Newsome, offensive
tackle: The Lawrenceville
School (N.J.) Ranking: ESPN
(242) Scout (215)
Lawrenceville didn't play
this week and the first regular
season game is on Friday.
Darrin Kirkland Jr.,
linebacker: Lawrence Central
(Ind.) at Warren Central (Ind.)
Ranking: ESPN (266) Scout (114)
Kirkland had his first quiet
outing in Lawrence Central's
41-22 loss. Warren Central
racked up 334 yards rushing
against Kirkland's defense.
Alex Malzone, quarterback:
Brother Rice (Mich.) vs.
Pickerington North (Ohio)
Ranking: ESPN (NR) Scout (184)
Malzone continued his strong
senior campaign by throwing
four touchdowns, upping his
total to 10on the season in three
games.
Jon Runyan Jr., offensive
lineman: St. Joseph's Prep (Pa.)
at St. Ignatius (Ohio) Ranking:
(NR)
Runyan played well, but his
team couldn't grind out a win
against the nation's fourth-best
team, losing 42-34.
Andrew David, kicker:
Washington (Ohio) vs. Warren
Harding (Ohio) Ranking: (NR)
David was 2-for-2 on field goal
attempts from 21 and 38 yards,
respectively, and helped lead his
team to a 46-24 win.
Garrett Taylor, cornerback:
St. Christopher's (Va.) Ranking:
ESPN (111) Scout (268)
Taylor is out for his senior
season after tearing his anterior
cruciate ligament in his left knee
during offseason practice.
By ALEJANDRO ZOIrnGA
Managing Sports Editor
Having faced the new-look
offense run by coordinator Doug
Nussmeier in practices and
scrimmages,
the Michigan NOTEBOOK
football team's
defense feels prepared for an
up-tempo attack.
But the Wolverines' version of
up-tempo might not compare to
what they'll encounter Saturday
whentheyhost Utah.
The Utes have averaged nearly
a point per minute through their
first two games and boast the
third-best scoring offense in
the country. They get to the line
quickly, making it difficult to
complete defensive substitutions,
and they spread the field with
three- and four-receiver sets.
As Michigan defensive
coordinator Greg Mattison
said Monday, Utah's offense
resembles that of Indiana. And
last year, the Hoosiers burned
his unit for 47 points and 572
total yards.
"You're going to have to really
be on your game to make sure
you're disciplined, that you get
lined up, that you're not lazy in
gettingset, and all those kinds of
things," Mattison said.
Mattison mentioned a drill
in which Michigan's offense
operated with "a whole wave
of guys," running plays against
the defense. But containing
that tempo for an entire game
- particularly if the Wolverines
have a negative turnover margin
again - could prove difficult.
"I don't know if it's a
measuring stick, but it's a big
game," Mattison said.
Michigan does have
significant depth defensively,
enough so that coach Brady
Hoke said injuries didn't affect
the unit last Saturday against
Miami (Ohio). And that could
Michigan will have its hands full with Utah, which is averaging 57.5 points per game and has had extra time to prepare.
prove crucial if fatigue becomes
a factor late in the game.
Where Michigan might
disrupt Utah most is with its
defensive line and linebackers.
The Wolverines have allowed
fewer than 100 rushing yards in
their last two games combined.
And given the Utes thrived
on a balanced attack against
Fresno State in their last game
- accumulating 268 passing
yards and 258 on the ground
- a combination of stifling the
run and pressuring quarterback
Travis Wilson could cripple
Utah's attack.
"We've got so much that we
want to accomplish on defense,
and this is the next game," he
said. "It happens to be against an
offense that, ranking-wise, is one
of the top in the country.
"That's what makes it a special
game and a big game for our
defense."
MR. POPULAR: Sophomore
quarterback Shane Morris has
yet to throw a touchdown in
his collegiate career, but some
people still wish he'd earn the
starting job over Devin Gardner.
The fifth-year senior's four
turnovers against Notre Dame
and subsequent inaccuracy
against the RedHawks certainly
haven't helped matters. And
Nussmeier isn't surprised some
fans hopped on the Morris
bandwagon.
"The backup quarterback is
always the most popular guy in
town," Nussmeier said. "Shane
has done a tremendous job....
(He) continues to really get"
better and better. I believe Devin
is, too."
Ingarbage time againstMiami,
Morris went 0-for-2 but moved
the offense into RedHawks
territory with a 27-yard run. And
his incompletions weren't ugly,
either. On both pass attempts,
the sophomore rolled left and
threw catchable balls. The first
was dropped, and the second
fell to the turf when redshirt
sophomore receiver Jehu
Chesson couldn't secure it.
Meanwhile, Nussmeier noted
that Gardner's interception
against Miami was tipped at the
line of scrimmage, and the coach
blamed himself for some of the
struggles.
"I think it's unfair to say
that this guy or that guy is the
problem," Nussmeier said.
INJURY NON-UPDATE:
Hoke gave no update when
explicitly asked about statuses
of Desmond Morgan, Devin
Funchess and Khalid Hill.
"We're not going to talk about
any of those guys who didn't
play," Hoke said.
Why not?
"Because I don't feel like it,"
the coach explained.
Funchess walked through
campus without a noticeable
limp and wasn't wearing a boot
as of late Monday afternoon, per.
the Daily's Max Cohen.
Q&A: Zack Novak
By SIMON KAUFMAN
Daily Sports Writer
Former Michigan men's
basketball player Zack Novak
was in Ann Arbor last week, but it
wasn't for basketball.
Novak played for Michigan
from 2008-2012 playing in 134
career games and starting in
122 games - both tied for third
all-time in program history. His
4,537 minutes rank first all-time
in program history.
On campus to participate in
Entrepalooza, an event put on by
the Business School promoting
entrepreneurship, Novak's focus
has shifted off the hardwood to
the board room.
The Michigan Daily: It looks
like you've traded in the jersey
for business attire. What have
you been doing since getting back
from playing overseas?
Zack Novak: It's been really
exciting.Youspendtimeincollege
building these skills and everyone
says they're going to translate
into business, they're going to
translate into the next phase of
life. And when it's actually time
to go execute that, it's exciting.
I think for now for me, it's just
getting that base of experience.
Because when you're playing you
don't even have the time to do
the internships and everything
that the typical student has time
to do. So now it's so interesting,
the things that I'm doing, the
company that I'm working with,
it's just really fun.
TMD: What was life like
playing in Europe?
ZN: I think it was a great
life experience. Going from
Michigan, where everything is
taken care of for you and it's just
top notch, to going overseas, I
think it was a great transition for
me going into business. Because
you had to grow up alittle bit, and
I think I went through that. I had
a little growing pain when I first
got there, but it was awesome. It
was an experience I would never
trade in for anything.
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Zack Novak helped the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title in 26 years it
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