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.

