" The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 3A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, September 25, 2014 - 3A
Green to be featured vs. Gophers
By GREG GARNO
Managing Sports Editor
Lost in the quarterback
competition on the Michigan
football team is the end of a
competition at another position:
runningback.
While fifth-year senior
Devin Gardner and sophomore
Shane Morris compete for
the starting gig under center,
Derrick Green is seeing the
bulk of the carries in the
backfield over De'Veon Smith.
Green, who received 14
carries compared to Smith's
four against Utah, has earned
the bulk of snaps all season
despite Michigan coach Brady
Hoke saying both sophomore
backs would split carries.
Green has received the
majority of touches - 64 to
Smith's 28 - throughout the
year. Now, Hoke has owned up
to Green's featured role in the
backfield.
"Well, I think Derrick, when
youlook at carries over the course
of the year, Derrick's averaging
6.1 yards per carry, which tells
you a little something," Hoke
said at his Wednesday press
conference. "But DeVeon's
averaging 6.9. I think we have
two very capable backs.
"Now, has Derrick been the
guywho's been featured? He's got
more snaps, so I'd say so."
Green's role is important since
Michigan has run the ball 152
times, 40 more than it has passed.
The Wolverines run enough that
nearly every passing play the
Wolverines call is out of play
action or on a type of zone read.
Green, though, has dealt
with a line that has struggled
to open holes. Against Utah, he
had to avoid running through
the tackles, and against Miami
(Ohio), he bounced outside often
instead of using his 5-foot-11,
220-pound frame to run up
BIG TEN HOCKEY
MINNESOTA, THE
INAUGURAL CONFERENCE
CHAMPION, REACHED
THE NCAA TITLE GAME
BUT FELL TO UNION
MICHIGAN FINISHED
THIRD IN 2013-14 BUT
LOST TO BOTTOM-SEEDED
PENN STATE IN THE BIG
TEN TOURNAMENT
YOU WANT TO BE
TOUGH? TAKE OFF YOUR
MASK AND THEN I'LL
KNOW HOW TOUGH YOU
REALLY ARE
- BADGERS COACH
S MIKE EAVES, RELAYING
A MESSAGE FROM RED
'BER N
SHANA
TOVA!
NOW LET'S
ALL SKIP
" CLASS
MRn
FOOTBALL
MICHIGAN HAS WON
22 OF 23 AGAINST THE
GOLDEN GOPHERS
EIGHT STRAIGHT WINS
IN BIG TEN OPENERS
YOU DON'T WANT T HEM
TO COME OVER AND
TAKE THE JUG OFF THE
SIDELINE
- BR ADY -K
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Sophomore running back Derrick Green has received the majority of carries this season, and he has rewarded coaches by averaging 61 yards per rush.
the middle. Green's speed has coach) Jerry (Kill) a long time,
improved, thanks in part to there's a lot of familiarity," Hoke
slimming down in the offseason. said. "I think the kids always
But his size and speed may play hard and they're ready for
not matter against the Golden us. Obviously, we want to gain
Gophers' run the line of
defense, which scrimmage
is considered T wouldS better.
its strong suit. .L say "We've got
Minnesota we'Ve Justgot to make sure
allowed just 69 juwhen we're
yards rushing to play our best in our combo
to San Jose Iblocks and
State last week football." those type of
and this season things that
is holding we're getting
opponents to to the second
3.7 yards per carry and just four level. I think the verticalness that
touchdowns. we need to play in the running
"I think Tracy Claeys, their game and the , directness of
defensive coordinator, really does the running game will be very
a nice job, and being with (head important. They don't want you
on the edges, and they'll work like football."
heck to have everything funneled
as the run game goes." Note: Wednesday, Hoke said
Minnesota won't be caught off he would not release who his
guard come Saturday, though, team's starting quarterback will
since it too relies on the run - be until game time.
even more so than Michigan. "We'll wait (to announce that)
The Golden Gophers ran until game time," he said. "We
for 387 yards against San Jose have an idea of what we want to
State last weekend, attempting do, but what's best for us and the
seven passes and completing program, and what we're trying
only one. Running back David to get done."
Cobb sees the bulk of carries, 92 Both Gardner and Morris
thus far, but quarterbacks Chris have been getting reps at first
Streveler and Mitch Leidner team, but Hoke indicated the pair
have also combined for more would not split snaps.
than 50 carries. He also noted that no matter
"I know what they like to do," who starts at quarterback,
Hoke said. "We have to play our freshman tackle Mason Cole and
best, so I don't know. ... I don't redshirt sophomore tackle Ben
look at it that way. I would say Braden would not switch sides on
we've just got to play our best the line.
t. M I 1 .Ii; r 1 ) \ci
Coaches prep for BiG's second year
By ERIN LENNON
Daily Sports Writer
DETROIT - When askedhow
far away his hockey program
is from becoming a revenue-
producer, Penn State coach Guy
Gadowski was abrupt.
"We are," he said.
After only one season in the
Big Ten, Penn State sold out its
allotment of
student season NOTEBOOK
tickets for its
second season in Pegula Arena
in just three minutes - with
more than 95 percent of last
year's season ticket holders
renewing subscriptions -
proving that, if nothing else,
interest is on the rise.
"The Big Ten conference
attracts great hockey players on
its own, so that's a big factor,"
Gadowski said. "We have a lot
going on at Penn State that we're
really proud of. The facility
is one, the atmosphere of the
student section is another, and
the University itself. I feel all
of those factors are helping us
improve and improve."
Outside of the inevitable
media and recruiting boosts,
the inaugural season of Big Ten
hockey proved the gap between
a fledgling program in Penn
State and the storied ones in
Michigan and Minnesota wasn't
so large after all. Teams that
want to compete for a national
championship need to play
high-caliber teams during the
conference schedule to improve,
"like osmosis," said Badgers
coach Mike Eaves. This league
is on its way - if it's not already
there - to being that kind of
test, they said.
Of course, with hindsight
at 20/20, the helms of each
program spoke of positive
takeaways from the first year in
the Big Ten, despite some of the
glaring disappointments.
"If you're as good as your
last game, well, we weren't very
good last year," said Michigan
coach Red Berenson.
Whereas it was considered
second-class in the Big Ten
FILEPHOTO/Daily
Michigan coach Red Berenson's teams have failed to reach the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons, but they looked poised to make a return this spring.
prior to last season, Ohio State
- which notched wins over
every conference opponent
except Michigan - could play
spoiler in March despite the
losses of forwards Ryan Dzingel
and Max McCormick. For
now, the Buckeyes remember
blowing a 4-2 lead to Wisconsin
in the Big Ten Championship,
narrowly missing an automatic
berth to the NCAA Tournament
by falling in overtime.
"Obviously, we're bitter,"
said Ohio State defenseman
Sam Jardine. "We're motivated.
Focus this summer has been
clear throughout. We're ready
to go now. And ever since that
game happened, we've wanted
to make amends."
Finally, there were those
who spoke of pure excitement
among their teams, namely the
freshmen. Michigan's eight
newcomers are poised to make
an immediate impact, while
Wisconsin will need all 11 of its
freshmen to fill key voids left
after last season. There will be
growing pains, but late-season
conference drama has primed
eagerness.
"They're like puppies in a
box," Eaves said. "They're going
to try get out of the box and you
gotta try and put them in day
after day until they figure it out."
GLORIOUS
GOALTENDING:
Perhaps more than any other
conference in the nation, the Big
Ten boasts talent in net from top
to bottom.
Last season, Minnesota
goaltender Adam Wilcox was
crowned the Big Ten Player of
the Year over stellar forwards
from his own team and over
other standout netminders
like Wisconsin's Joel Rumpel
and Michigan State's Jake
Hildebrand. Meanwhile, four
Big Ten goalies finished in the
top eight in the nation in save
percentage.
"Goaltending is just off the
charts," Eaves said. "They're
big, they're athletic, they work
at their position."
All of this is to say: expect
low-scoring, tight games come
January.
There were four goaltenders
from four different teams -
Wilcox, Rumpel, Hildebrand
and Ohio State's Christian
Frey - selected to the Big Ten
preseason watchilist. That's a list
that doesn't include Michigan
sophomore Zach Nagelvoort,
who, despite a stellar freshman
campaign, is still competing
with junior Steve Racine for the
starting job.
Toughasthesegoaltendersmay
be, Berenson was quick to remind
his fellow coaches that goalies
used to playwithoutmasks.
"You want to be tough?"
Eaves said, relaying Berenson's
mantra. "Take off your mask
and then I'll know how tough
you really are."
PRESEASON POLLS:
Coaches met early
Wednesday morning to vote on
the Big Ten Preseason Coaches
Poll, peggingreigning champion
Minnesota as the team to
beat, followed by Michigan
and Wisconsin. Rounding out
the conference, Ohio State,
Michigan State and Penn State
polled in the same order they
finished last season, at four, five
and six, respectively.
Both Copp and sophomore
forward JT Compher were
unanimous selections as Big Ten
players to watch. Compher, the
2013-14FreshmanoftheYear,will
likelyflank Copp -who willcenter
Wolverines' top line - creating
a one-two punch that could earn
the duo matching honors at the
end of the season. Copp earned
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention
after finishing second on the
team in scoring with 29 points in
his sophomore campaign behind
Compher.
Minnesota contributed
five Big Ten players to watch,
including three unanimous
selections in Wilcox, sophomore
forward Sam Warning and
senior forward Kyle Rau.
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