4B — October 12, 2015
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Nearly flawless
I
n a span of one minute
Saturday afternoon, the
Michigan football team
was both
relentless and
merciful.
Nearly
three hours
after Jehu
Chesson
returned
the game’s
opening
kickoff for
a 96-yard
touchdown,
the Wildcats still hadn’t scored,
and the Wolverines appeared to
have little intention of easing off
the gas.
With 47 seconds left,
Northwestern had the ball
trailing 38-0 and facing an
almost meaningless 3rd-and-17.
But the Michigan starters were
still in, and the student section
was still making noise.
If the Michigan defense
wasn’t calling it a day, neither
were the fans. They screamed
through an incompletion on
3rd-and-long, then kept it up
when Northwestern went for it
on fourth down. The Wildcats
turned it over, and only then did
the Wolverines show mercy.
After leaving most of the
defensive starters in for the
game’s final series, fifth-
year senior quarterback Jake
Rudock kneeled down, ending
a resounding 38-0 win over No.
13 Northwestern. The sequence
was emblematic of the entire
game, with Michigan letting up
only when it decided it was done.
Everything happened on the
Wolverines’ terms Saturday.
They bludgeoned one of the
nation’s top defenses for 201
rushing yards and 380 total, and
they held their third straight
opponent scoreless. For the
second time, they did so against
a ranked opponent.
It was, as Michigan coach Jim
Harbaugh said after the game,
“near flawless.”
The game had been billed
as a clash of the Big Ten’s top
two defenses, one that might
be decided by the first team to
score. That was half-right.
The 18th-ranked Wolverines
were the first — and also the
only — team to score. They lived
up to their end of the billing,
holding the Wildcats to just 168
yards and only once allowing
even a chance for Northwestern
to score — a 42-yard field goal
attempt in the first quarter,
which the Wildcats missed.
But they also scored 38 points
on the vaunted Northwestern
defense. There was almost
nothing they could have done
better.
Well, there was one thing.
Senior linebacker James Ross III
was ejected for targeting in the
third quarter, meaning he will
miss the first half of next week’s
game against Michigan State
— a game that just became one
of national importance. And if
you want to get picky, fifth-year
senior punter Blake O’Neill had
his first touchback of the season
— his first two, actually.
But other than that, it was
a businesslike, merciless
trouncing.
Michigan posted eight more
tackles for loss, exactly on
par with its average through
six games. The Wolverines
won the turnover battle
with an interception which
junior cornerback Jourdan
Lewis ripped from a receiver
and returned 37 yards for a
touchdown. And they still
weren’t entirely satisfied.
“When we’re out there,
we don’t want to give them
anything,” said redshirt
freshman safety Jabrill Peppers.
“If a shutout is the byproduct
of that, then so be it. But when
we’re out there, we’re just
concentrating on three-and-
outs. Constant three-and-outs.”
It was close to constant
three-and-outs on Saturday.
Northwestern had 13 first
downs, six more than Maryland
had a week earlier. But it says
something that first downs are
the way to compare Michigan’s
recent opponents. Since no one
can score on them, there just
isn’t much else to go by.
Six weeks into the season,
only one team has scored
more than a touchdown on the
Wolverines, and that team is No.
5 Utah.
On Saturday, Michigan added
to its defensive prowess and
turned in stellar performances
in all three phases of the game.
The Wolverines got three
rushing touchdowns: one from
Rudock, one from redshirt junior
running back Drake Johnson
and another from junior running
back Derrick Green. Chesson
scored Michigan’s first kick-
return touchdown since 2009
and Kenny Allen hit a career-
long, 47-yard field goal.
It was fitting that all of this
happened on afternoon with
clear skies, warm weather and
a general feeling of delight
around campus. Fans did the
wave halfway through the
third quarter, and as the clock
ticked down its final seconds,
the students remained engaged,
chanting, “We want State.”
When time expired, the
Wolverines sprinted to the
student section, led by redshirt
freshman receiver Maurice
Ways, senior cornerback Jeremy
Clark and senior linebacker
Royce Jenkins-Stone. They
jumped into the stands as the
Michigan Marching Band blared
“The Victors.”
It was a genuinely euphoric
moment. It was nearly flawless.
Max Bultman can be reached
at bultmanm@umich.edu or
on Twitter @m_bultman.
MAX
BULTMAN
FOOTBALL
Five Things We Learned
By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Editor
Another tough team that was
having unexpected success this
fall came into the Big House on
Saturday. For the third time in
three weeks, Michigan’s opponent
left with its tail between its legs.
This time, the victim was No. 13
Northwestern, and the Wildcats
fell even harder than then-No.
22 Brigham Young did two
weeks ago. The Wolverinees beat
Northwestern, 38-0, and the score
was closer than the game.
Outscoring
opponents
160-
14 in their last five games, the
Wolverines have made a routine
out of blowouts. Still, here are five
things we learned from Saturday’s
win.
1. Jourdan Lewis is the best
cornerback in the country.
Peppers was confident in his
claim that junior cornerback
Jourdan Lewis was the best at his
craft in all of college football, and
he very well could be right. Lewis
took his second interception of
the season 37 yards to the end
zone on Saturday and could
be seen wreaking havoc on
Northwestern’s offense behind
the line of scrimmage and 40
yards downfield.
Through six games, Lewis has
allowed just four completions and
has broken up or intercepted 10
passes. The numbers aren’t just
good — they’re emblematic of the
fact that quarterbacks no longer
throw in his direction. Some say
they make him the best in the
nation.
“He’s the best corner in the
country,” Peppers said. “That
makes everybody’s job a lot easier
when you’ve got a guy out there
that shuts down half the field. It’s
expected from him. It’s not like,
‘Oh, good job, Jourdan.’ No, we
expect that from him. Jourdan
inspires me to play better.”
2. Give Jehu Chesson the ball.
Even though fifth-year senior
quarterback Jake Rudock has
struggled to find redshirt-junior
wide
receiver
Jehu
Chesson
downfield, every time the receiver
touches the ball, he has the
opportunity to score. Chesson,
whom Harbaugh says is the fastest
player on the team, flashed that
ability from the opening whistle
with a 96-yard touchdown return
that was the Wolverines’ first
opening kickoff touchdown since
1992.
On
offense,
Chesson
is
averaging 22.4 yards per carry
for two scores, has emerged as
one of Rudock’s primary targets
in the passing game and moved
Michigan into the red zone on
both of its first two possessions.
Chesson has seen plenty of action
on offense, but based on his
performance as of late, you can
never have too much Chesson.
3. A.J. Williams can bridge the
gap at tight end.
All season, much of the offense
has gone through the tight
ends. That will continue for the
foreseeable future, as tight ends
have been a critical part of every
offense Harbaugh and offensive
coordinator Tim Drevno have
been a part of.
That commitment to tight ends,
though improving, has slowed
down Michigan’s offense. Aside
from Butt, who has showcased
NFL potential in many of the
Wolverines’ first five games, tight
ends have often stalled drives
with missed targets and dropped
passes. Williams was among the
culprits, as the senior showed a
lack of catching ability that led
many to write him off as another
offensive lineman.
But
against
Northwestern,
Williams was the star of the
show, hauling in a team-high
four catches for 49 yards. On a
day when junior Jake Butt and
top receiving targets were well-
covered, Williams turned all four
of his targets into first downs,
indicating that a tight end-heavy
offense can still carry the load.
4. The defensive line runs deep.
Okay, we didn’t really learn
this Saturday, but it was once
again proven that this unit is not
only arguably the top-performing
defensive front in the country, but
the deepest. The unit has already
lost two players expected to be
key contributors — sophomore
defensive tackle Bryan Mone and,
just last week, senior defensive
end Mario Ojemudia — but seem
to improve the more they utilize
the depth chart.
Each week, new players come
in and take the lion’s share of
time in the backfield. Ojemudia
had been that player earlier
this season, but on Saturday,
it was senior defensive tackle
Willie Henry, whose 2.5 tackles
for loss paced another solid
day for the defensive front.
Though saddened by the end
of their teammate’s career, the
defense was as dominant as ever,
becoming the first FBS team
in 20 years to shut out three
consecutive opponents.
And
as
for
Ojemudia’s
replacement?
Senior
Royce
Jenkins-Stone was fifth on the
team with four tackles and even
drew a couple double teams.
5. BOLD PREDICTION: The
hype is real. See you in Pasadena.
Emphasis on the bold here,
but Michigan fans are smelling
roses, and deservedly so. The
Wolverines have outscored two
ranked opponents, 69-0, and their
only blemish is a seven-point road
loss to serious playoff contender
No. 5 Utah.
More importantly, Michigan
continues to get better on offense,
and is suddenly a team with few
holes that looks like the legitimate
front-runner of the Big Ten.
That will continue when the
Wolverines host No. 7 Michigan
State next week, and though both
teams should lose to top-ranked
Ohio State, Michigan should win
all the games in between, earning
its first trip to the Rose Bowl since
2007.
THE MICHIGAN
DAILY TOP-10 POLL
2. BAYLOR: The state of Kansas
was shaken — literally — after
410-pound tight end LaQuan
McGowan’s touchdown.
1. OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes
allowed 28 points to Maryland,
which is kind of like eating just
ketchup on a hot dog. It works
fine, but why?
9. FLORIDA: The Gators
avoided a trap game at
Missouri and now face LSU. A
word of advice: 11 men in the
box. At all times.
3. TCU: Trevone Boykin
accounted for 425 total yards
against Kansas State, which
is almost as many years as Bill
Snyder has been coaching.
6. CLEMSON: As long as Dabo
keeps dancing, we don’t really
care if the Tigers have a weak
strength of schedule.
5. LSU: The NCAA allowed
Leonard Fournette to auction
his jersey to benefit flood
victims. The NCAA allowed
something. There is nothing
Fournette can’t do.
7. MICHIGAN STATE: The
Spartans play Michigan this
week, which is important for
one reason: It means it’s time
for us to beat The State News
for the 11th straight year.
4. UTAH: The Utes beat Cal
on a late defensive stand, but
the state of California banned
the nickname “Redskins”
from being used a mascot in its
schools. Who’s the real winner?
8. ALABAMA: With a gritty
comeback win over Arkansas,
the Tide proved they’re at
least as talented as the mighty
Toledo Rockets.
10. TEXAS A&M: DID YOU
KNOW: Texas A&M has a
satellite campus in Qatar?
Each week, Daily sports staffers fill out ballots, with
first-place votes receiving 10 points, second-place
votes receiving nine and so on.
The good, bad and ugly
By MAX COHEN
Managing Sports Editor
It was supposed to be a
defensive
struggle,
a
close
contest between the two top
scoring defenses in the country.
But just a few minutes in, it
was clear that all preconceived
notions of Saturday’s matchup
between the No. 18 Michigan
football
team
and
No.
13
Northwestern were irrelevant.
The Wolverines returned the
opening kickoff for a touchdown
and did not look back. Michigan
led 21-0 at the end of the first
quarter, eliminating even the
thought of a Wildcat victory.
The Wolverines dominated all
three phases of the game.
Here’s the good, the bad and
the ugly from Saturday’s 38-0
rout.
The good
Good
might
not
be
a
strong enough superlative to
describe Michigan’s defensive
performance
Saturday.
The
Wolverines recorded their third
straight shutout in dominating
fashion, allowing just 168 total
yards. Northwestern did not
reach the red zone during the
game.
Michigan had not recorded
three
consecutive
shutouts
since 1980. No Football Bowl
Subdivision team had done so
since 1995.
Junior cornerback Jourdan
Lewis scored Michigan’s first
defensive touchdown of the
season,
snatching
the
ball
away from Northwestern wide
receiver Mike McHugh in the
second quarter and returning it
37 yards.
Fifth-year senior quarterback
Jake Rudock played what might
have been his best game in a
Michigan uniform, completing
17 of his 23 pass attempts for 179
yards. More importantly, he did
not turn the ball over.
Junior running back De’Veon
Smith did not appear to be
hindered by the ankle injury that
kept him out against Maryland.
He scampered for 59 yards on
eight carries. He ran ruggedly,
breaking tackles on numerous
occasions, just like he did during
his early-season standout games.
The Wolverines’ special teams
unit made sure it was not left
out of the fun, either. Michigan
redshirt junior wide receiver
Jehu
Chesson
returned
the
game’s opening kickoff 96 yards
for a touchdown, starting an
onslaught that did not subside.
The bad
The
Wolverines
allowed
Northwestern to almost score.
The Wildcats attempted a field
goal in the first quarter, but
they missed. Northwestern also
finished two drives in Michigan
territory, a telltale sign of
what was clearly a disgraceful
defensive performance.
In another cause for absolute
panic, fifth-year senior punter
Blake
O’Neill
booted
two
touchbacks.
This is a comprehensive list. It
is in no way sarcastic.
The ugly
Two controversial targeting
calls
provided
some
drama
in Saturday’s game. The first
occurred in the second quarter,
when Northwestern defensive
back
Matthew
Harris
hit
Rudock’s upper body during a
slide. The call was overturned,
much to Michigan’s chagrin.
The confusion escalated in
the third quarter. Michigan
senior linebacker James Ross
III was ejected for targeting
when he crushed a defenseless
Wildcat wide receiver. The call,
unlike the previous one, was
not overturned. Ross will be
suspended for the first half of
the Wolverines’ game against
No. 7 Michigan State as a result.
Northwestern’s
offensive
performance would also qualify
as ugly. Three different Wildcat
quarterbacks took snaps under
center, but none of the three
enjoyed success. Backups Zack
Oliver and Matt Alviti each
attempted three passes. Both
quarterbacks were sacked (once)
as frequently as they completed
passes (also once).
Starter
Clayton
Thorson
did not fare much better. He
completed 13 of his 27 pass
attempts for 106 yards. Lewis’
interception was the low point.
Michigan awaits the Spartans
next week. A fourth straight
shutout is unlikely. But then
again, the Wolverines have defied
preconceived notions before.
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Junior Jourdan Lewis ran back an interception for a touchdown Saturday.
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Jehu Chesson has become one of Michigan’s most potent weapons.