Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, November 20, 2015 — 7
What to Watch For:
Michigan at PSU
By MAX BULTMAN
Daily Sports Editor
With its conference title hopes
on the line, the No. 12 Michigan
football team can’t afford to look
ahead when it visits Penn State on
Saturday.
A win in Happy Valley could
set up a potential Big Ten
Championship
Game
play-in
between the Wolverines and
Buckeyes in a week. But a winner-
take-all matchup is impossible
if Michigan doesn’t take care of
business this weekend.
Here’s what to watch for when
Michigan visits Penn State.
1. Can the defense regain its
form?
After losing redshirt junior
defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow
to an injured pectoral muscle, the
Wolverines suffered the ill effects
of exhaustion against Indiana.
The Hoosiers’ quick tempo wore
down the Michigan defense,
allowing Indiana running back
Jordan Howard to run wild.
The Hoosiers poured on 41
points, the most of any Wolverine
opponent this season, drawing up
a blueprint for Michigan’s future
opponents to follow. The question
is whether the Nittany Lions can
learn from Indiana’s success and
execute effectively.
Penn State has a talented
running back in Saquon Barkley,
and a quarterback capable of
making just about any throw in
Christian Hackenberg. But the
Nittany Lions’ offensive line is
nowhere near the level of the
Hoosiers’, and most of Indiana’s
success was conditional on solid
blocking.
But if Penn State can get good
protection, the Wolverines could
be in trouble once more.
2. Two top-notch D-lines
Even
without
Glasgow,
Michigan is talented up front.
Redshirt junior defensive tackle
Willie Henry and redshirt junior
defensive end Chris Wormley
have been consistent forces in the
backfield, and redshirt sophomore
defensive tackle Maurice Hurst
has had a breakout season.
But the Nittany Lions might
be every bit as good, highlighted
by the nation’s sack leader,
Carl Nassib, who has 15.5. The
Wolverines have faced a trio
of tough fronts this season
in Utah, Michigan State and
Northwestern, but they have yet
to take on a player who can change
the game as much as Nassib.
3. Will Jake Rudock continue
his hot streak?
Michigan’s fifth-year senior
quarterback is, as the kids say, en
fuego. Rudock has earned back-
to-back career highs in passing
yards in his last two games,
culminating with a 440-yard,
six-touchdown
effort
against
Indiana.
But Penn State is among the
nation’s
best
pass
defenses,
allowing just 159 yards per game
through the air. The Wolverines’
receiving corps of junior tight
end Jake Butt and redshirt junior
receivers Amara Darboh and
Jehu Chesson is in a rhythm of
late — especially Chesson, who
caught four touchdowns last
week — and they’ll need to keep
it up if Michigan is going to have
success Saturday.
4. The out-of-town scoreboard
If Michigan does come away
with a win Saturday, all eyes will
be on the scores elsewhere in the
country.
If
Ohio
State
can
beat
Michigan State in Columbus,
the Wolverines and Buckeyes
will play for a spot in the Big Ten
title game next Saturday. That’s
the most important result the
Wolverines will be watching for.
But if that happens, many other
games gain importance too.
Sitting at No. 12 in the
College
Football
Playoff
rankings,
Michigan
is
not
completely out of the playoff
picture — it just needs a lot to
go right to get there. This week,
the Wolverines would hope for
wins from the Buckeyes over
the Spartans, Iowa over Purdue
and USC over Oregon. That
would keep Michigan’s next
opponent undefeated, and keep
alive the possibility it could face
an undefeated Iowa team in the
Big Ten title game.
The
Trojans,
meanwhile,
could play a crucial role in the
Wolverines’
championship
hopes. If USC wins out, it will go
to the Pac-12 title game, where
it could emerge as a three-loss
conference champion, unlikely
to pass Michigan in the rankings
if the Wolverines win the Big
Ten.
If that happens, any Notre
Dame loss — either to Boston
College or Stanford — would
swing the door wide open.
Of course, Michigan needs to
worry about its own scoreboard
first.
FOOTBALL
Dream season to be
tested at Penn State
By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Editor
In many ways, the No. 12
Michigan football team’s season
has already been something of a
dream to Michigan fans.
The
Wolverines
have
a
surprising
eight
wins,
their
only
two
losses
have come in
nightmarish
fashion,
and
every up and
down has been
sandwiched
by
Michigan
coach
Jim
Harbaugh’s
odd
quotes
about machine
gun-laden
worms,
steak vitamins and Pattengill
pickup basketball games. The
first 11 weeks were as wild as
they were unexpected, and the
unseasonably warm fall is icing
on the cake.
Of course, the biggest dreams
of all are still in play. As Michigan
(5-1 Big Ten, 8-2 overall) travels
to State College to take on Penn
State on Saturday, it has a chance
to get one step closer to a Big Ten
Championship.
With a goal to play for, the
Wolverines aren’t trudging to the
season’s end — they’re bouncing.
“When you’re winning, you’re
able to keep a bounce in your step,”
said fifth-year senior offensive
lineman Graham Glasgow. “You
want to keep it rolling, so I think it
just comes down to, do we want to
win? Yes, we want to win, so keep
the bounce and the little nicks and
bruises you have, get ’em right and
let’s play.”
Though
Michigan
is
the
favorite to win and keep its
dreams alive, the Nittany Lions
(4-2, 7-3) are a stout opponent, and
the two teams have a precedent
for making things interesting.
Last season, Michigan eked by
Penn State, 18-13, in a come-from-
behind win. In 2013, it was Penn
State that battled back at home,
scoring 10 points in the final six
minutes to tie before outlasting
the Wolverines in triple overtime,
43-40.
This season, both teams are
improved, but many of the players
from past years remain on the
roster, understanding the battle
that Saturday can become.
“Penn
State
presents
a
big challenge, and our team
will be prepared for it this
week,”
said
Michigan
coach
Jim
Harbaugh.
“Outstanding
defense. Offensively, outstanding
quarterback,
outstanding
running back, receivers that are
outstanding, so … formidable task,
and it is a road game.”
Harbaugh has said throughout
the season that the key to winning
road games is to “pack your
defense,” and that might be what
both teams do best.
Michigan
and
Penn
State
have used defense to stay in
every game. The Wolverines are
currently second in the nation in
total defense, while the Nittany
Lions are 13th.
Both
teams
boast
similar
styles, using a bruising front and
attentive secondary to make even
the best quarterbacks miserable
and force the run. Michigan and
Penn State boast the nation’s
second-
and
11th-best
pass
efficiency defenses, respectively.
On the other side of the ball,
quarterback
play
could
very
well become a deciding factor in
Happy Valley. Fifth-year senior
Jake Rudock has played as well as
any quarterback in the country in
the last two weeks — throwing for
777 yards and eight touchdowns
against Rutgers and Indiana — but
has shriveled against strong pass
defenses like Utah and Michigan
State.
Nittany
Lion
quarterback
Christian
Hackenberg,
once
touted by many as a potential first-
round draft pick, has shriveled
against just about everyone this
season. His interceptions are
down, but he has topped 300
yards only once all season and is
11th in the Big Ten in QBR.
The fact remains, however,
that Michigan has given up big
plays in recent weeks, and the
big-armed
Hackenberg
can
give any daydreaming defender
nightmares.
“We are looking forward to
rushing the passer,” said senior
defensive end Royce Jenkins-
Stone. “We are looking forward to
rushing Hackenberg, disrupting
his timing and getting inside his
head.
“When you have someone
that’s an NFL prospect, it’s kind
of like ‘Oh, okay, I gotta get after
him.’ (NFL scouts) are watching
him, so they’re watching me now,
so I’ve got to find a way to get in
the spotlight just like him.”
Before you pinch yourself to
see if you’re dreaming, realize
that you are not. Michigan has
the ability to win the Big Ten
Championship and beyond, but
the road to the championship
runs through State College.
FOOTBALL
Michigan at
Penn State
Matchup:
Michigan 8-2;
Penn State 7-3
When:
Saturday
12 P.M.
Where: Beaver
Stadium
TV/Radio:
ABC
Wolverines dominate Xavier
By CHRIS CROWDER
Daily Sports Writer
Madison Ristovski jumped in
front of a driving Xavier guard,
put her hands up, set her feet and
took the charge. The Michigan
bench was ignited, rising to its
feet before the referee could even
corral the basketball.
It
was
clear
even
in the first
quarter that the Wolverines were
hungry to make a statement
with their hustle on Thursday
night at Crisler Center. The
Michigan
women’s
basketball
team outplayed the Musketeers in
nearly every facet of the game to
the tune of a 92-54 win.
“They were just scrapping
and clawing all over the place,”
said Michigan coach Kim Barnes
Arico. “They were looking to take
charges, dive on the floor for loose
balls — they just set the tone the
first half of the game. Everybody
that rotated into the game gave us
great minutes.”
The Wolverines (3-0) began the
contest by utilizing their guards’
ability to penetrate the perimeter
defense. Just when a Xavier
player bit on the pump fake for
the shot, the guards fed the ball
to freshman center Hallie Thome,
who scored Michigan’s first six
points.
Midway
through
the
first
quarter, the Wolverines began
implementing a zone defense,
trapping the Musketeer point
guard just before she reached
half court. The defensive pressure
forced turnovers, while the hustle
to dive for loose balls and to
disrupt passing lanes was evident
from tip-off. By the end of the first
quarter, Michigan boasted a 10-5
rebound advantage, with three
of those boards coming on the
offensive glass.
“More rebounds for us mean
less offensive chances for the
other team,” said sophomore
forward Jillian Dunston. “It gives
us more possessions, and we kind
of value our possessions through
rebounds. … (Rebounds) are our
bread and butter.”
Ristovski capped off the first
quarter with a buzzer-beater
3-pointer to give the Wolverines
a 25-14 lead. The next 3-pointer
the senior guard knocked down
ignited an 8-0 run in the second
quarter, causing Xavier to take a
timeout after a reverse finger-roll
by sophomore guard Katelynn
Flaherty. The Michigan bench
jumped up as those on the floor
neared the sideline, showing
as much energy as it did when
Ristovski took a charge in the
game’s opening minutes.
By the time Ristovski drained
her third triple of the contest, the
Musketeers were in a nearly five-
minute scoring drought. Xavier
quickly found itself down by 23,
and continued to be outworked
on the glass and for every ball that
was up for grabs.
Michigan led 49-20 at the half,
holding the Musketeers to just
six points in the second quarter.
The
Wolverines
shot
7-for-9
from behind the arc — their best
shooting half of the young season.
They shot 57 percent from the
floor, nearly double Xavier’s 29
percent. Flaherty led all scorers
with 14 points at the halftime
break.
“Coming out of that half,
(Barnes Arico) said (the first half)
was one of the best halves she’s
been a part of here at Michigan,”
Flaherty said. “That gave us a
lot of confidence. And I think it
showed us that we can play that
well and that hard.”
Michigan also had the upper
hand on the boards, racking up
15 more rebounds than Xavier.
Dunston had eight rebounds
in the first half — the same
number as all of the Musketeers
combined. With 5:25 left to go
in the third quarter, Dunston
picked up her first career double-
double as she reached 10 points
and 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Xavier’s leading
scorer, guard Raeshaun Gaffney
was
held
quiet
throughout.
Gaffney, who scored 18 points in
her last game, mustered just four
points in the first half. She didn’t
record her first field goal until just
4:12 remained in the third quarter.
Dunston finished with 10 points
and 14 rebounds, while Flaherty
finished with 19. The Wolverines
didn’t let their opponent get
anywhere close in the victory.
“(Gaffney) took 21 shots for
them the other night,” Barnes
Arico said. “She didn’t have an
opportunity for 21 shots tonight.
We did a really great job. Siera
Thompson
did
a
great
job
defending her, and everybody else
did a good job of helping out on
her.”
Michigan faced its toughest
competition to date Thursday
night, but controlled the game
as easily as it did in its first two
contests. The Wolverines will
continue to be tested as the
competition stiffens, and for now,
they have continued to outwork
their competition.
“We always say, and we write
in the locker room before the
game, you can’t be the hardest-
working team in America unless
you’re willing to do this, this and
this,” Barnes Arico said. “Tonight,
they came out and showed that
they were willing to do all of those
things to be considered as one
of the hardest-working teams in
America.”
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Senior guard Madison Ristovski helped lead Michigan’s attack from beyond the arc. The team shot 7-for-9 from 3-point range.
XAVIER
MICHIGAN
54
92
Dunston shines
in first-ever start
By BRAD WHIPPLE
Daily Sports Writer
Toward the beginning of the
week, Jillian Dunston had a
feeling that she would be in the
Michigan
women’s
basketball
team’s starting lineup Thursday
night.
But even though the sophomore
forward was being put in the top-
five rotation during practice, she
knew nothing was for certain when
playing for coach Kim Barnes
Arico. She was going to have to
fight for the spot, especially when
it was between her, senior forward
Kelsey Mitchell and senior guard
Madison Ristovski.
So
before
the
Wolverines
took on Xavier Thursday night,
Dunston saw her name on the
board before the game started and
knew her time had come.
She wasn’t even nervous.
“If I’m nervous, I get out of
my game,” Dunston said. “I told
myself not to think about it, just
like any other game. I’m just
starting this time.”
But it wasn’t like any other
game. Dunston grabbed a career-
high 14 rebounds and tied her
career high in scoring (10) for her
first double-double in the maize
and blue — Michigan’s first this
season. In arguably the best game
of her career, Dunston helped the
Wolverines (3-0) to a 92-54 win
over the Musketeers.
Dunston helped to anchor the
defense by grabbing 11 rebounds
and tallying three steals, including
one when she broke up a pass at half
court and took the ball straight to
the basket for a layup. Leading by
example, the rest of the Wolverines
followed suit and forced seven
turnovers in the second quarter,
using the momentum to go on a
13-0 run. Dunston also set the
pace of Michigan’s fast break and
helped create a few second-chance
opportunities under the basket.
In some respect, she had started
to look like former Michigan
forward Cyesha Goree in disguise.
“With the loss of Cyesha, we
lost that motor,” Barnes Arico said.
“Jillian is definitely one of a couple
that have given us that spark.”
That spark started to ignite
when Dunston stayed for the
team’s optional spring season
early in the summer, allowing her
to step her game up to an entirely
new level.
Recently, Barnes Arico asked
Dunston how much she works
out. Every day, Dunston replied.
Barnes Arico mistook that for an
exaggeration, but Dunston meant
every word. After Thursday’s
win, Barnes Arico said Dunston
might have been in the gym that
afternoon getting extra repetitions
in, even before a game.
Though
Dunston
beat
out
Mitchell and Ristovski for the
fifth starting spot, Barnes Arico
emphasized
that
the
senior
pair has played exceptionally at
practice. According to her, the
problem is that, “It’s hard to keep
(Dunston) out of the lineup.”
“I think that’s really Jill’s game,
and that’s only a little of what she
can do,” said sophomore guard
Katelynn Flaherty.
Dunston knows how to score
and rebound the basketball well,
and she has also learned how to
beat the fatigue that comes with
a performance like Thursday’s,
when she played a career-high 27
minutes. After a quick succession
of possession changes, Barnes
Arico
noticed
Dunston
had
stopped crashing the net as often.
When she came off the court to
rest, she said she wasn’t tired.
“She is probably one of our
fastest, if not the fastest (player on
the team),” Barnes Arico said.
Added Dunston: “I kind of got
tired, but tired is a state of mind.”
It’s that attitude that pushed
Dunston to make every minute of
her first start matter — an attitude
that may keep her in the starting
rotation for Sunday’s game against
Hartford.
For a short time, though,
Dunston can celebrate her hard
work paying off. Thursday night
was all hers.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL