Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, October 25, 2016 — 7A

T E A M S T A T S

 

MICH
OPP

Points/Game
48.7
10.0

First Downs/Game
23.9
10.6

Rush Yards/Game
257.1
96.0

 Yards/Rush
5.5
2.9

 Rushing TDs
28
2

Passing Yards/Game
225.9
111.0

 Completion %
63.9%
40.9%

 Yards/Pass
7.8
4.7

 Passing TDs
14
6

 Interceptions
2
7

Offensive Plays/Game
75.9
56.4

Total Offense
483.0
207.0

3rd-down Conversions
48.5%
13.0%

4th-down Conversions
63.6%
38.5%

Sacks/Game
3.6
1.6

Kick return average
17.8
20.6

Punt return average
18.6
10.0

Punting average
42.3
37.9

Field Goals-Attempts
6-11
2-5

Fumbles/Lost
8/3
11/5

Penalty Yards/Game
40.7
44.4

Time of Poss
34:18
25:42

I N D I V I D U A L S T A T S

PASSING

Player
Cmp
Att
Yds
TD
INT

Speight
114
182
1447
13
2

O’Korn
11
15
89
1
0

Morris
4
5
45
0
0

TOTALS
129
202
1581
14
2

RUSHING

Player
Att
Yds
Avg
Lg
TD

Evans
49
416
8.5
57
3

Smith, D.
79
412
5.2
42
2

Higdon
43
359
8.3
45
6

Isaac
63
332
5.3
34
4

Peppers
10
107
10.7
63
2

McDoom
10
85
8.5
19
0

Chesson
8
49
6.1
17
1

Henderson
4
29
7.3
13
1

Hill
15
25
1.7
4
8

Morris
3
19
6.3
14
0

Davis
2
17
8.5
10
0

Crawford
3
15
5.0
11
0

O’Korn
6
12
2.0
3
0

Hirsch
1
2
2.0
2
0

Wilson
1
1
1.0
1
0

Beneducci
1
1
1.0
1
0

Hewlett
2
-1
-0.5
0
0

Gedeon
1
-2
-2.0
0
0

Allen
1
-11
-11.0
0
0

TEAM
9
-13
-1.4
0
0

Speight
15
-47
-3.1
9
0

TOTALS
270
1530
5.7
63
25

RECEIVING

Player
No.
Yds
Avg
Lg
TD

Darboh
30
499
16.6
46
5

Butt
26
310
11.9
25
4

Chesson
18
275
15.3
35
1

Perry
6
114
19.0
54
1

Hill
9
73
8.1
15
1

McDoom
4
53
13.3
33
0

Poggi
5
33
6.6
15
0

Evans
4
28
7.0
14
0

Wheatley
2
27
13.5
21
1

Ways
2
24
12.0
22
0

Henderson
1
23
23.0
23
0

Smith, D.
10
21
2.1
9
0

Isaac
1
21
21.0
21
0

Crawford
1
18
18.0
18
0

Hirsch
1
15
15.0
15
0

Jocz
1
12
12.0
12
0

McKeon
2
10
5.0
5
0

Harris
1
7
7.0
7
0

Bunting
2
6
3.0
4
0

Peppers
1
5
5.0
5
0

Johnson, N.
1
4
4.0
4
0

Asiasi
1
3
3.0
3
1

TOTALS
129
1581
12.3
54
14

 

PUNT RETURNS

Player
No.
Yds
Avg. Long
TD

Peppers
14
249
17.8
54
1

Jocz
1
27
27.0
0
0

Evans
1
15
15.0
15
0

Perry
0
6
--
6
1

TOTALS
16
297
18.6
54
2

INTERCEPTION RETURNS

Player
No.
Yds
Avg. Long
TD

Stribling
3
60
20.0
51
1

Hill, D.
1
27
27.0
27
1

McCray
1
22
22.0
22
0

Thomas
1
4
4.0
4
0

Lewis
1
0
0.0
0
0

TOTALS
6
109
18.2
51
2

FUMBLE RETURNS

Player
No.
Yds
Avg. Long
TD

Hill, L.
1
9
9.0
9
0

TOTALS
1
9
9.0
9
0

KICKOFF RETURNS

Player
No.
Yds
Avg. Long
TD

Peppers
5
153
30.6
55
0

Henderson
2
28
14.0
15
0

Lewis
2
21
10.5
18
0

Hudson
1
6
6.0
6
0

Hill, K.
2
5
2.5
5
0

TOTALS
12
213
17.8
55
0

KICKOFFS

Player
No.
Yds
Avg.
TB

Allen
47
3007
64.0
25

Foug
8
460
57.5
2

Tice
3
189
63.0
0

TOTALS
58
3656
63.0
27

PUNTING

Player
No.
Yds
Avg.
Lg

Allen
24
1016
42.3
56

TOTALS
24
1016
42.3
56

FIELD GOALS

Player
FG
Pct.
1-19 20-29 30-3940-49 50+ Lg

Allen
6-10 50.0% 0-0 3-3
3-5 0-2 0-0 39

Tice
0-1 0.0% 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0

LEADING TACKLERS

Player
Solo Ast
Tot
TFL
SK
PBU

Gedeon
21
35
56
9.0
3.0
2

Peppers
27
13
40
10.0
2.5
-

McCray
14
21
35
5.5
2.5
4

Thomas
18
15
33
-
-
4

Winovich
6
18
24
5.5
2.0
-

Glasgow, R.
3
20
23
3.0
1.0
1

Wormley
9
13
22
5.5
4.0
-

Gary
7
14
21
5.0
1.0
-

Hill, D.
10
9
19
2.0
-
2

Hurst
9
10
19
6.5
3.0
-

Godin
7
12
19
2.0
1.0
-

Charlton
4
11
15
4.5
4.0
-

Stribling
4
6
10
0.5
-
7

Kinnel
6
4
10
-
-
-

Lewis
7
3
10
1.5
-
3

Clark
6
4
10
-
-
3

Hudson
3
5
8
0.5
-
1

Watson
4
4
8
-
-
-

Bush
2
5
7
0.5
-
-

Metellus
6
1
7
1.0
1.0
-

Glasgow, J.
4
2
6
-
-
-

Pearson
2
4
6
-
-
-

TOTALS
196 250 446
64
25
27

2016 SCHEDULE

HAWAII (4-4)

W, 63-3 (1-0)

UCF (4-3)
COLORADO (6-2)
PENN ST. (5-2)
WISCONSIN (5-2) at RUTGERS (2-6)
ILLINOIS (2-5)
at MICH. ST. (2-5)

Noon, East Lansing, Mich.

MARYLAND (5-2)

3:30 p.m., Michigan Stadium

at IOWA (5-3)

8 p.m., Iowa City, Iowa

INDIANA (3-4)

Michigan Stadium

at OHIO ST. (6-1)

Noon, Columbus, Ohio

9/3
9/10
9/17
9/24
10/1
10/8
10/22
10/29
11/5
11/12
11/19
11/26

W, 51-14 (2-0) W, 45-28 (3-0) W, 49-10 (4-0) W, 14-7 (5-0) W, 78-0 (6-0) W, 41-8 (7-0)

Lewis feeling fresh heading into East Lansing

Usually, this is the time of 

year when bodies are aching.

The college football season 

is more than halfway over, and 
as the games get tougher, it 
only makes sense that players 
start to feel the effects. But for 
Jourdan Lewis, this year has 
been different.

“I was getting thrown at a lot 

(last year), but it just seems like 
they go at me every once in a 
while now,” Lewis said Saturday. 
“Probably just once a game.”

The 
result 
is 
a 
fresher 

feeling at this time of year for 
Michigan’s All-American senior 
cornerback.

Lewis missed the season’s 

first three games with an injury, 
but the other reason he feels so 
fresh right now is more about 
what’s happened when he’s on 
the field. After he said he was 
targeted only one time against 
the Fighting Illini, Lewis said 
his body feels much better after 
games now, and with decreased 
snap-by-snap dependence, it’s 
easy to understand why.

“The trainers came in and 

joked with me a little bit (after 
the Rutgers game),” Lewis said 
Monday. “They told me, ‘I don’t 
even know why you’re here, 
man. You played a quarter and 
a half.’ ”

Really, this benefit extends 

to 
the 
Wolverines’ 
whole 

secondary. Right now, Michigan 
has had the fifth-fewest passes 
attempted against it nationally 
with 164. The first-ranked team, 
Florida, has 140, but has also 
played one fewer game.

That means that either no one 

wants to throw at Michigan, or 
no one has been able to — and 
the answer is likely both.

When opponents have thrown 

on the Wolverines, it hasn’t 

exactly been a fruitful endeavor. 
Michigan is allowing just a 
40.9 
completion 
percentage 

this season, second-lowest in 
the country behind Florida. 
The Wolverines have picked off 
seven passes, which is one more 
than the number of touchdown 
passes they have allowed.

Somehow, those numbers are 

even uglier against Michigan’s 
cornerbacks. According to Pro 
Football Focus College, opposing 
passers 
are 
11-for-39 
when 

targeting 
receivers 
covered 

by Lewis or senior cornerback 
Channing Stribling. The two 
have allowed a total of 131 yards 
with zero touchdowns and have 
racked up four interceptions.

And all of that is when 

those quarterbacks can get 
their throws off. For as little 
as opponents decide to pass 
against Michigan, there’s also 
the matter of what happens 
when they do.

The 

Wolverines 
have 25 sacks 
through 
seven 

games, 
and 

that’s 
to 
say 

nothing 
of 

plays 
where 

quarterbacks 
are 
forced 
to 

throw the ball 
away or run out 
of bounds. So while it’s easy 
to point to Lewis’ dominance 
in coverage as the reason his 

targets 
have 
lowered, 
the 

cornerback 
offered 
another 

explanation.

“I’m telling you,” Lewis said 

Monday, “The defensive line 

is so good, I 
can’t even tell 
you if that’s me, 
really.”

Of 
course, 

it doesn’t hurt 
to 
have 
two 

corners as good 
as 
Lewis 
and 

Stribling.

Lewis’ 

success 
has 

been 
well-

documented, but Stribling is 
having a breakout season of his 
own. He has three interceptions, 

including 
one 
touchdown, 

numbers that may soon make 
quarterbacks think twice about 
throwing his way, too.

And if they decide to go to 

the other side again, Lewis is 
ready for that, too. As it turns 
out, covering receivers who 
don’t get thrown to leaves 
Lewis wondering when his few 
chances will come.

“It’s not so much bored, it’s 

just like anxious, you want to 
know when your next play is 
coming,” he explained. “Every 
time you’re in there, it’s not so 
much, ‘Oh my god, when are 
they going to throw at me?’ I’m 
just like, ‘Oh my god, this could 
be it, this could be it.’ ”

But most of the time, it isn’t.

Nation’s best defense still trying to improve

When Michigan coach Jim 

Harbaugh was asked Monday 
how his defense could improve, 
he was stumped. Harbaugh 
leads his team with the mantra 
of improving every single day, 
but it’s hard to imagine how the 
defense could get much better.

“I 
mean, 
that’s 
a 
great 

question,” 
Harbaugh 
said. 

“They’re playing so good. We just 
really have to give them a pat on 
the back right now, but it’s not 
time to take a victory lap. Just to 
keep going at the same relentless, 
intense pace that they’ve had 
and approach that they’ve had to 
every game, because we’re a little 
over the halfway point. You don’t 
want to take a victory lap, but you 
do have to recognize that this 
defense is playing great football.”

The second-ranked Wolverines 

have allowed the fewest total 
yards in the nation while ranking 
first in passing defense and fourth 
in rushing defense.

The latter irritates fifth-

year senior defensive end Chris 
Wormley.

“When 
you 
look 
at 
the 

different 
categories, 
we’re 

(ranked No. 1) in a lot of them, 
but we want to be (No. 1) in all of 
them. I think we’re third in like 
rushing defense, which kind of 
pisses us off, but at the end of 
the day, if we get wins, we’re 
pretty happy.”

This week, Michigan will 

travel to East Lansing to take 
on a Spartan squad that has lost 
its past five games. Michigan 
prides itself on preparing for 
each game the same way, and 
this week will be no different for 
the defense.

The 
unit 
generally 
looks 

at the opponents’ big plays 
that can cause a swing in a 
game when looking for areas 
of 
improvement, 
and 
after 

Michigan 
State 
beat 
the 

Wolverines on an infamous 
game-ending play last season, 
Michigan is unlikely to overlook 
the details. 

After last week’s game, when 

the Wolverines routed Illinois 
41-8, the Fighting Illini’s fourth-
quarter 
43-yard 
touchdown 

pass has been a point of focus.

“I guess when you look at the 

film and you see what you can 
do better, you look at the big 

plays first,” Wormley said. “You 
look at when they scored, and 
you 
see 
what 

we can do as a 
defense 
better 

than what we 
did on that play.

“But 
at 
the 

end of the day, 
like 
you 
said, 

it’s hard to find 
things 
when 

we’re doing so 
well, 
but 
like 

I said, there’s 
always things to get better on.”

The 
Wolverines 
have 

allowed just 70 points this 
season, the fewest of any team 

in the nation. 
Part of that can 
be 
attributed 

to the defense’s 
overall age. Of 
the 11 starters 
on defense, nine 
are seniors.

Fellow senior 

Jake Butt isn’t 
surprised 
by 

just how prolific 
the defense has 

been because he has seen its 
work ethic and development 

throughout the last four years. 
The tight end has known for 
months how good they would 
be.

“I’m not dazzled, because I 

knew how talented they were,” 
Butt said. “I’m confident saying 
they work as hard, if not harder, 
than anyone in the country. 
That started with this summer 
and 
through 
this 
summer 

preparation. Those D-line guys 
have had that mentality for as 
long as I’ve been here. I’d say 
that they’re the hardest working 
group on the team and it shows 
in how they play.”

Harbaugh on how top-ranked unit can be better: ‘That’s a great question. They’re playing so good’

GRANT HARDY/Daily

Fifth-year senior defensive end Chris Wormley and Michigan are focused on improvement, but it isn’t easy for a defense as strong as the Wolverines’.

KELLY HALL

Daily Sports Editor

“We just really 

have to give 
them a pat on 

the back.”

All-American cornerback’s lights-out defense has limited opposing throws coming in his direction

ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily

Senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis (26) has seen limited action because opponents have not often turned in his direction against Michigan’s defense.

MAX BULTMAN

Managing Sports Editor

“It just seems 
like they go at 
me every once 
in a while now.”