Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, November 12, 2015 — 5A

O’Korn makes impact on scout team

Houston transfer 
impresses coaches 

with intensity, 

ability to prepare

By MAX COHEN

Managing Sports Editor

When John O’Korn made the 

decision to transfer to Michigan 
last winter, he was viewed as 
one of a glut of quarterbacks 
Jim Harbaugh had to work with 
during his first few months on the 
job.

The junior quarterback from 

Houston, however, has had a 
different role than the rest of 
them. Unlike Jake Rudock, Shane 
Morris, Wilton Speight, Zach 
Gentry and Alex Malzone, the 
other scholarship quarterbacks 
on Michigan’s roster, O’Korn is 
unable to play this season because 
of NCAA transfer rules.

Other than Rudock, O’Korn 

has had more playing experience 
than the rest of the Wolverines’ 
quarterbacks. He started 11 out 
of 13 games for the Cougars as a 
freshman in 2013, throwing for 
3,117 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 

interceptions. He was named the 
American Athletic Conference’s 
Rookie of the Year after the 
season.

O’Korn, though, struggled as a 

sophomore, and was relegated to 
the bench after starting the first 
five games of the season under 
a new offensive coordinator. He 
made the decision to transfer to 
Michigan after the 2014 season.

While he won’t see the field for 

the Wolverines this year, O’Korn 
plays a key role 
for the team 
in 
practice, 

leading 
the 

scout-team 
offense. 
He 
mimics 

the 
looks 
of 

Michigan’s 
opponents, 
preparing the 
defense 
for 

what will come 
its way Saturday.

He doesn’t take the task lightly.
“He’s a competitor, a great 

quarterback,” 
said 
Michigan 

defensive 
coordinator 
D.J. 

Durkin. “He doesn’t take any 
B.S. from the defense at all. 
That’s why I like him. He’s got 
a little feistiness to him. I think 

he’s got a really bright future at 
quarterback.”

He will have his chance. The 

starting quarterback spot for next 
season will be very much up for 
grabs once Rudock departs, and 
O’Korn is expected to be in the 
mix.

O’Korn 
and 
Rudock 
are 

currently 
roommates. 
They 

attended St. Thomas Aquinas 
High School in Fort Lauderdale, 
Fla. together, though Rudock is 

two years older 
than 
O’Korn. 

The experience 
of living with 
Rudock, 
according 
to 
Michigan 

passing 
game 

coordinator 
Jedd Fisch, has 
helped O’Korn.

“They study 

with 
each 

other, they test one another,” 
Fisch said. “You know, you 
can’t play this game if you only 
look at it within the confines of 
these walls. It’s an opportunity 
for them to go out, and John’s 
growth occurs because of the 
fact that he’s constantly testing 
Jake. It’s like a teacher-student 

type deal. He’s learning from it, 
and they’re continuing to switch 
responsibilities there.”

Because Fisch generally works 

with the first-team offense, he 
doesn’t see much of O’Korn in 
practice when he plays with 
the scout team. He has been 
impressed, though, by what he 
has seen from O’Korn in the 
meeting room. The quarterback 
doesn’t have the demeanor of 
someone who knows he isn’t 
going to play this season.

Fisch has studied O’Korn’s 

game in the past, both from 
when the quarterback was in 
high school and Fisch was the 
offensive coordinator at Miami, 
and from when O’Korn was at 
Houston. In Fisch’s eyes, little has 
changed.

“He’s got a gifted arm, he’s a 

good athlete, and it means a lot to 
him,” Fisch said.

Whether that translates into a 

starting job next season has yet to 
be determined.

‘D’ plays big in big spots

Wolverines’ stats 
solid in red zone, 
in second half, on 

third down

By ZACH SHAW

Daily Sports Editor

By now, just about everyone 

who follows Michigan football 
knows about the team’s stout 
defense.

The 14th-ranked Wolverines 

are first in the nation in scoring 
defense, second in yards allowed 
and are one of just four teams 
in the country to hold every 
opponent under 30 points this 
year.

But unlike other top defenses, 

Michigan’s key to success isn’t 
turnovers, sacks or defensive 
touchdowns, it’s the ability to 
make stops in any situation.

Red zone

Michigan has done a nice job 

keeping teams out of the red zone, 
leading the nation with just 16 
trips allowed. Three of the team’s 
opponents didn’t even reach the 
red zone. But once teams do get 
close to the Wolverines’ end zone, 
the defense really starts to shine.

Fans 
will 
remember 

Michigan’s goal-line stand as 
time expired to beat Minnesota 
on Oct. 31, but they can also the 
credit the defense for its effort a 
week later. Rutgers found holes 
in the unit and made it to the red 
zone four times, coming away 
with just nine points.

“Our red zone defense was 

outstanding again today,” said 
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh 
after Saturday’s win. “It’s been 
something that’s really been good 
for us. Our defensive coaching 
staff is doing a tremendous job. 
I don’t know if anybody’s doing 

a better job of playing defense in 
the red zone. A couple times they 
had the ball in the scoring area 
inside the 20 and we only allowed 
field goals. The only touchdown 
came on the kickoff return, so 
that’s very impressive to me.”

On the season, the Wolverines 

are allowing just 3.56 points 
per red-zone trip — fifth in the 
country. Additionally, Michigan’s 
six 
touchdowns 
allowed 
in 

16 trips is the fourth-lowest 
touchdown rate in the country.

“You never want to allow 

a team in the red zone,” said 
senior linebacker Joe Bolden. 
“But when you get backed up, 
it finally hits you and you can’t 
break. Ultimately, when they’re 
in the red zone, you want to hold 
them to three points. I think our 
mindset, our defensive mindset, 
is we don’t want them to have 
even three points.”

Third downs

Before the red zone — where 

the vast majority of possessions 

against Michigan end — the 
Wolverines are the nation’s 
second-best third-down team. 
Even when offenses get creative, 
desperate 
and 
aggressive, 

Michigan stands tall. Just 21.8 
percent of opponents’ third-
down attempts are successful, 
down 17 percent from last 
season.

“Our mentality is just to get off 

the field,” said junior defensive 
end Taco Charlton. “From the 
first play of the drive, our goal is 
to get off the field. And when it’s 
third down, every guy is thinking 
of how they can be aggressive or 
help.

“I feel like we do a good job 

overall, but when we know we 
have a chance to end the drive 
and give the momentum back to 
the offense, all 11 guys see that.”

The Wolverines have been the 

best in the country at getting off 
the field this season. They lead 
the nation in punts per play, with 
12.2 percent of opponent’s plays 
resulting in a punt — an average 
of seven plays per drive.

Second half

Perhaps the scariest part 

of Michigan’s defense is that 
it 
doesn’t 
slow 
down. 
The 

Wolverines allow 6.2 points per 
game in the first half, but that 
pace improves to 5.22 in the 
second half. While the rest of the 
players get tired, the defense gets 
stronger.

That 
endurance 
was 
on 

display Saturday. After allowing 
69 points in the previous five 
halves 
combined, 
Michigan 

buckled down, holding Rutgers 
to 105 yards and zero points.

After having its shutout streak 

snapped against Michigan State 
and 
Minnesota, 
Michigan’s 

defense looked back to its normal 
self.

“We don’t want to give up 

anything,” Charlton said. “We 
don’t like giving up yards, 
we don’t like giving up first 
downs. We want to be a stingy 
defense.”

They are, especially when it 

counts.

VOLLEYBALL
No. 11 Wisconsin 
sweeps Michigan

Wolverines lose 
fourth straight 

match, drop to 6-9 

in Big Ten play

By ETHAN WOLFE

For the Daily

While Michigan hoped to get 

itself back on track in the Big 
Ten, No. 11 Wisconsin had other 
plans.

Highlighted by a powerful 

offense, the 
Badgers 
(11-4 
Big 

Ten, 
19-6 

overall) beat the Wolverines 
(6-9, 16-10) handily in three sets, 
giving Michigan its fourth loss 
in a row. Wisconsin has caused 
many problems for the Wolver-
ines, who have not beaten the 
Badgers since October 2013.

Sophomore 
outside 
hitter 

Caroline 
Knop 
believes 
the 

team’s recent misfortunes have 
begun to snowball.

“We’ve just 

gotta step back 
and play our 
game and relax 
and have fun 
out there,” said 
Knop. 
“We 

need to go back 
to the basics: 
why we started 
the game, why 
we love the game.”

In a game that featured many 

errors for Michigan, it was never 
able to find any rhythm.

The 
Wolverines’ 
strongest 

set was the first set, when they 
managed to tie the game, 14-14, 
which led to a Wisconsin time-
out. The Badgers finished the 

set on an 11-6 run, winning the 
set, 25-20. Michigan could only 
muster a .147 attack percentage 
to Wisconsin’s .267 attack per-
centage.

The 
Wolverines 
dropped 

their final two sets, 25-19. The 
third set showcased Michigan’s 
weakest set performance of the 
season with a .000 attack per-
centage.

“We’re not executing at a high 

enough level,” Knop said. “We’re 
not playing consistent volley-
ball, and that needs to change in 
practice.”

Knop, who has led the team 

the past five games in kills, led 
the way again with a team-high 
eight kills and 10 digs.

Despite Knop’s stellar perfor-

mance lately, she has kept her 
focus on the team.

“It’s not about me at all,” Knop 

said. “If I hit negative for these 
past five games and we won five, 
I would trade for that in a heart-
beat. That means everyone is 
playing at a high level and being 
consistent night in and night out.”

Michigan coach Mark Rosen 

believes 
mis-

takes 
and 

inconsistent 
play led to the 
loss.

“We’re 
not 

getting enough 
kills. 
We’re 

making 
too 

many errors,” 
Rosen 
said. 

“We had 22 errors, and that is 
too many. You could see us get-
ting frustrated.

“We make two less errors and 

turn them into kills and then we 
have the same attack percentage 
as them. There’s lots of periods 
where we’re doing good stuff, but 
we’re not executing consistently.”

MICHIGAN
WISCONSIN 

0
3

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Michigan passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch has been impressed by Houston transfer John O’Korn so far.

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin’s unit has been its strongest in the most important situations this year.

“He doesn’t 
take any B.S. 

from the 

defense at all.”

“We need to 
go back to the 

basics.”

