6A — Thursday, January 14, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Season in review: linebackers
By JAKE LOURIM
Managing Sports Editor
Editor’s Note: With the Michigan
football team’s 2015 regular season
in the books, the Daily looks back at
the performance of each unit this
year and looks ahead to the future
in 2016. In this edition: linebackers.
Of the players Jim Harbaugh
inherited for his first season
as Michigan football coach, no
group was more seasoned than
the linebackers.
The Wolverines returned two
experienced players, seniors Joe
Bolden and James Ross, from a
unit that was already one of the
team’s strengths in 2014. Despite
losing their third starter, Jake
Ryan, to graduation, they found a
worthy replacement in fifth-year
senior Desmond Morgan, who
had been a starter before missing
the 2014 season with an injury.
Few
questions
remained
unanswered. Bolden, Ross and
Morgan carried the load for
the entire season, proving their
consistency. As a strong force
in the middle of one of the best
defenses in the country, the
linebacker corps allowed the
defense to flourish.
The
one
change
for
the
linebackers in 2015 was their
coach. D.J. Durkin came in for one
year as defensive coordinator and
linebackers coach, and the group
didn’t miss a beat.
In the season opener, Utah
rushed for 127 yards and two
touchdowns against Michigan
— not disastrous numbers by any
means. But they proved to be out
of the ordinary for the Wolverines’
defense. Over the next six weeks,
Michigan gave up just 54.3 yards
per game on the ground and didn’t
allow a rushing touchdown again
until Week 7.
The linebackers’ consistency
showed in their numbers: Bolden
finished with 83 tackles, Morgan
with 71 and Ross with 35. Each
of them recorded a stop in every
game, and they combined for 14
tackles for loss.
They leave Michigan the same
way they started the season — as
the most experienced group on
the team. With 86 career starts
between them, they used their
experience to their advantage,
ending with a Citrus Bowl victory
against Florida.
HIGH POINT: The linebackers
don’t garner as many individual
statistics as the defensive linemen
and defensive backs do with sacks
and interceptions, respectively.
Their success generally coincided
with the overall defense’s success,
which reached its peak in the first
half of the season during a stretch
in which the Wolverines allowed
14 points in five games, three of
them shutouts.
In that span, there were
individual highlights as well.
Morgan intercepted a pass at
Maryland on Oct. 3, and Bolden
recovered
a
fumble
forced
by junior defensive end Taco
Charlton and returned it 18 yards
against Oregon State on Sept. 12.
Outside of those, the linebackers’
success showed through their
consistency,
rather
than
any
highlight-reel plays.
LOW
POINT:
In
the
second half of the season, as
Michigan’s run defense faded, the
Wolverines’ flaws were exposed.
They gave up 307 rushing yards
against
Indiana’s
up-tempo
spread offense and 369 more in
a blowout defeat against Ohio
State to end the regular season.
A defense that appeared deep,
powerful and disciplined earlier
in the season looked worn down
when November came.
THE
FUTURE:
The
linebacker corps will go into next
season as unproven as it went into
this season experienced. Bolden,
Morgan and Ross will all depart,
leaving holes in the defense —
perhaps some of the only ones on
the field for the Wolverines. The
three seniors ate up most of the
reps for Michigan this season,
meaning the rest of the depth
chart is uncertain. Just four
other linebackers played snaps
this season: junior Ben Gedeon
(34 tackles in 12 games), redshirt
freshman Noah Furbush (four
tackles in nine games) and redshirt
freshman Chase Winovich and
redshirt junior Allen Gant (two
tackles in six games each). Gedeon
could lead the unit, and junior
Mike McCray will return from
injury, but the Wolverines still
have major ground to make up.
Michigan has more options
in terms of personnel coming in.
Four-star recruit Devin Bush, an
early enrollee from Hollywood,
Fla., could help immediately.
The Wolverines have also given
redshirt defensive end Reuben
Jones reps at linebacker and could
do the same with one of their
many other linemen. And it’s also
possible that another young player
such as redshirt freshman Jared
Wangler could step up. Michigan
has plenty of time to find answers,
but it will need a few of them.
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Linebacker Joe Bolden finished his senior season with 83 total tackles, most of any Wolverine this season.
Quick Hits with
‘M’ defenseman
Zach Werenski
By KEVIN SANTO
Daily Sports Writer
It’s been roughly a month since
the inaugural edition of Quick
Hits, but now it’s time for round
two.
The Daily caught up with
sophomore
defenseman
Zach
Werenski to discuss reindeer,
the dab and the time he spent in
Finland for the International Ice
Hockey Federation World Junior
Championships.
The Michigan Daily: We
haven’t had a chance to talk to
you much about World Juniors.
What was the experience of going
overseas like?
Zach
Werenski:
It
was
unbelievable. You hear so much
about it, and for me, at 17, I
only went overseas once — to
Sweden. It was only my second
time overseas and I was there
for almost a month. It’s just
unbelievable to be there. You
get so comfortable staying in a
different country.
TMD: Did you have a lot of
down time to go sightseeing?
Werenski: Yeah, every off
day we had a day to do whatever
we wanted. We went down to
Helsinki, go walk around, go
shopping, stuff like that. It was
awesome.
TMD: Any favorite moments
or a favorite part of the city?
Werenski: Just being there
with all your friends, just walking
around and seeing (Finland’s)
culture.
TMD: How was the food?
Werenski: (Pause) Different.
I’m not going to say it’s not good,
but it took us a while to get used to
it — a lot of pasta.
TMD: You’ve been picking it
up defensively — which you have
always said is one of the strengths
of your game — since you’ve come
back from World Juniors. Did
you learn anything over there, or
is it just a matter-of-time sort of
thing?
Werenski: I think I just came
back with a lot of confidence. I
thought I went over there and
played well, against the supposedly
best players in the world. It was
definitely a confidence booster.
For me, just learning from Chelios,
who was the D coach, the little
things he points out helped me a
ton. I’m coming back with a lot of
confidence.
TMD: You’re getting a lot of
love for the celebrations. What
inspires them?
Werenski: I don’t really know.
Well, the violin was Carl Hagelin.
He did that in The Big Chill. I
thought that playing Michigan
State here at home, it’s the closest
thing I’ll get to The Big Chill this
year. That’s why I did it. I don’t
know if coach liked it too much,
he made a comment about it.
TMD: You have any other ones
(coming up)?
Werenski: I’ve been thinking.
(Michigan
spokesman
Jeff)
Weinstein put me on the spot
with a tweet saying, “What’s
next?” I’m thinking of something
to do next.
TMD: Are the guys giving
you any hate for it? They seem to
prefer the fist pump.
Werenski: No, I think none
of the guys have a problem with
it. I think I’m the only one that’s
really gone overboard and done
something different than just a
fist pump, but I think the guys
like it.
TMD: Hey, a goal is a goal
right?
Werenski: Yeah. Enjoy it.
TMD: What about the dab?
Did you take it from Cam or was
it spur of the moment?
Werenski: I learned that from
Cam Newton, and then when I
went to World Juniors, I wanted
to take it overseas. I told the guys
that as a joke. I never thought
I’d actually score in the Canada
game. When I did, I said, “I’ve got
to do it now.”
TMD: Just to go back to
Finland — you talked about the
food. What’s the weirdest thing
you tried over there?
Werenski: Reindeer probably.
TMD: That’s gamey. Was it
gamey?
Werenski: I don’t even know.
It just said reindeer on (the menu).
Maybe the name threw me off
and I didn’t want to eat it, but it
was all right.
TMD: Talk about Christmas
spirit, huh?
Werenski:
(Laughs)
Yeah,
seriously.
TMD: Any guys there give you
crap for your American accent?
Werenski: No, I don’t think
so. Most people over there speak
broken English, but I didn’t really
hear anyone say I had an accent.
TMD: Did you hear any weird
phrases typical to Finland?
Werenski: I only learned one
phrase in Finland. It was thank
you — “kiitos.” It’s all I learned.
It’s the most common thing there,
to say thank you to everything.
The Daily caught sophomore
forward Dexter Dancs coming off
the ice to find out if it’s actually
true that the team is enjoying
Werenski’s
latest
celebration
tactics.
TMD: How does everyone feel
about
Werenski’s
celebrations
lately?
Dexter Dancs: About his
Hagelin (impression)? (Laughs)
We were having a lot of fun with
that. He did the dab a couple
weeks ago, and we were kind of
giving it to him, like, “What are
you going to come up with next?”
And he came up with (the violin).
I wish I had the skill to do that.
TMD: I saw you called him
“Captain Dab” on Twitter. Is that
sarcasm or giving him some love?
Dancs: I was just kind of giving
it to him. He’s such a good player,
he can do things like that. We’re
really excited he’s back.
TMD:
Do
you
have
any
suggestions
for
the
next
celebration?
Dancs: I have no suggestions.
I’m sure he’s going to come up
with something.
TMD: You have anything
planned? You’ve been scoring.
Dancs: No, no, no. I’m just
going to stick to hands up in the
air.
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Freshman center Hallie Thome will be tasked with another tough post matchup when Malina Howard and Maryland visit Crisler Center on Thursday.
Wolverines seek to keep streak alive
By TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
The
Michigan
women’s
basketball team needs a big win.
Plain and simple as that. The
Wolverines (2-2
Big Ten, 10-5
overall)
have
that
chance
Thursday night,
hosting
No.
8
Maryland.
Realistically,
Michigan’s
chance is slim
—
it
hasn’t
beaten a ranked
opponent
this
season.
Nonetheless,
the Wolverines
need the win to boost their
postseason hopes.
As difficult as a victory over
the Terrapins (3-1, 14-2) could be
for the Wolverines, the matchup
couldn’t come at a more perfect
time.
Michigan rides a thrilling
two-game
win
streak
that
includes a 17-point comeback and
a road victory. The Wolverines
bounced back to shock Iowa
after falling to 0-2 in conference
play. Confidence is high, and the
chance to play a top-10 team adds
to the excitement.
“Maryland is a tremendous
team, and they have a tremendous
program,” said Michigan coach
Kim Barnes Arico in an interview
with WTKA on Tuesday. “They
went to the Final Four last year.
Year in and year out, they are one
of the best teams in the country. …
I know our kids will be excited for
that one. Should be a fun game.”
The
Terrapins
have
the
advantage in nearly every aspect,
but the Wolverines’ best chance
lies in getting Maryland’s post
players in foul trouble early.
Center Malina Howard is only
one of the Terrapins’ options
in the post, where she and her
teammates will match up with
Michigan
freshman
center
Hallie Thome.
“(Maryland) has great size, a
dominating post presence inside,
a 6-5 kid (Howard) that’s probably
got about 50 or 60 pounds on
Hallie,” Barnes Arico said. “So
that’s going to be a tough matchup
for us inside.”
Thome’s height — also 6-foot-
5 — has become less impactful as
the season has progressed. The
Wolverines have faced bigger and
more physical opponents so far in
conference play, and Howard is a
continuation of that.
If Michigan can get Howard
off the court, Thome will have the
chance to dominate in the paint.
Outside on the wings, Maryland
guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough
is even more dangerous. Walker-
Kimbrough, a 2015 All-Big Ten
First Team recipient, is averaging
11 points and 5.3 rebounds. She
can do a little bit of everything,
Barnes Arico noted, whether
that’s filling the rim from outside
or driving to the basket.
The guard duel pits Walker-
Kimbrough
with
Michigan
sophomore
guard
Katelynn
Flaherty. Flaherty is putting up
22 points per game, good for the
11th highest in the country, and
the Wolverines should expect the
Terrapins to key in on her.
Flaherty continues to score
more than 20 points per game,
no matter the matchup, and she
is in the top 10 in the nation for
four different categories: points
per
game
(11th),
free-throw
percentage (7th), final points
(15th) and field goals made (9th).
She is leading of a team with
aspirations to make the NCAA
Tournament. To do that, they
need big wins, and they need to
avoid big losses.
Michigan already has had
a bad loss, a one-point loss to
Eastern Michigan, but it has
yet to overcome a highly-touted
opponent. It has had its chances,
too.
Against then-No. 20 UCLA, the
Wolverines hung around until the
very end, eventually falling, 86-77.
Michigan’s best win of the
season so far came against Iowa.
The Hawkeyes hung in and out
of the top 25 during the opening
weeks of the season, but aren’t as
strong as many of the other Big
Ten opponents that Michigan will
face.
A bid to the Big Dance requires
more than a win over Iowa. A win
over Maryland, as tough as it will
be, could be huge.
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Zach Werenski was inspired by Cam Newton to “Dab” after scoring a goal.
Maryland at
Michigan
Matchup:
Maryland 14-2;
Michigan 10-5
When:
Thursday
6 P.M.
Where: Crisler
Center
TV/Radio:
BTN