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)

Past beatings from Spartans not forgotten

Thinking about his last two 

visits to East Lansing, Erik 
Magnuson can only smirk and 
shake his head. Matt Godin’s 
voice is filled with frustration 
when he talks about it.

The 
last 
two 
times 
the 

Michigan football team played 
at Michigan State, in 2013 and 
2014, the Spartans outscored the 
Wolverines a combined 64-17.

Magnuson was part of an 

offensive 
line 
that 
allowed 

Michigan State to sack then-
quarterback 
Devin 
Gardner 

nine times in two years and hold 
Michigan to negative-48 yards 
rushing in 2013. Godin was on 
the defensive line at the end of 
the 2014 contest, when he felt 
“disrespected” by the Spartans 
allegedly trying to run up the 
score.

Neither 
of 
those 
players 

nor the rest of the Wolverines’ 
current 
upperclassmen 
have 

any interest in pointing fingers, 
however — they put the blame 
squarely on their own shoulders.

“I 
remember 
being 

embarrassed,” Magnuson said. 
“Last time we played there was, 
overall, just embarrassing. We 
couldn’t run the ball, we had 
trouble pass protecting. We 
think that is embarrassing, and 
the time before that was even 
more 
embarrassing. 
Those 

memories definitely stick in my 
head.”

Two years later, the two teams 

appear to be moving in opposite 
directions as they approach 
their matchup this weekend. 
Michigan is 7-0, ranked second 
in the country and aiming for 
a berth in the College Football 
Playoff. The Spartans are on a 

five-game losing streak and in 
jeopardy of even reaching a bowl 
game.

But, having been on the losing 

end in seven of their last eight 
meetings, the Wolverines refuse 
to write off their in-state rival.

“They’re a good team,” Godin 

said. “Their record doesn’t show 
how good a team they are. We 
know they’re gonna come out 
swinging, come out playing hard.”

Some 
of 
the 
youngest 

members of the team don’t even 
know what it’s like to experience 
failure. Players like freshman 
offensive lineman Ben Bredeson 
weren’t even on the sideline last 
year, when Michigan appeared 
to have Michigan State beaten 

before 
the 
last 
10 
seconds 

changed everything.

The seniors haven’t forgotten 

anything, 
though. 
Tuesday, 

Magnuson said he and fellow 
fifth-year 
senior 
offensive 

lineman Kyle Kalis watched all 
three games they had played 
against the Spartans. As they 
watched numerous plays where 
they “just didn’t do (their) job,” 
two of the most outspoken 
personalities on the Wolverines’ 
roster were reduced to silence.

This week, the seniors on the 

O-line took it upon themselves 
to make sure their younger 
teammates knew how much 
another loss like that could sting.

“Some of the younger guys 

kind of take this season for 
granted,” 
Magnuson 
said. 

“They came in here and we’ve 
been winning ever since and 
everything like that. So they 
kind of haven’t been through the 
downs, and the bad times kind of 
make you a little bit tougher. … 
We try to remind them that just 
’cause we’re 7-0 doesn’t mean 
that they’re gonna lay down and 
give it to us.”

Michigan 
coach 
Jim 

Harbaugh has said all year that 
his team is approaching every 
game like a championship game, 
and most of his players say that 
this week has been no different. 
Still, many of the Wolverines 
who have been around for 

several years feel they’re in a 
better mindset heading into the 
rivalry game this year.

Godin said the Wolverines 

are ready to go. Thanks to the 
championship-game mentality, 
Magnuson thinks this is the most 
mature and mentally prepared 
team he’s ever been a part of.

The on-field preparation may 

be the same, but the problems of 
the past are fueling the fire.

“You get kind of sick of 

getting beat up, you know?” 
Magnuson said. “Like the kid on 
the playground who gets beat up 
all the time — eventually you’re 
gonna get sick of it, and you’ve 
gotta get personal sometimes 
and stand up for yourself.”

Magnuson on recent losses to Michigan State: ‘You get kind of sick of getting beat up, you know?’

GRANT HARDY/Daily

Fifth-year senior right tackle Erik Magnuson (#78) has painful memories playing in East Lansing from 2013 and 2014 that he is hoping to avenge.

JACOB GASE

Daily Sports Editor

Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, October 26, 2016 — 7A

Horse blinders key for Speight, Michigan

Before he became such a potent 

weapon as the Michigan football 
team’s 
starting 
quarterback, 

Wilton 
Speight 
received 
a 

message from assistant strength 
and conditioning coach Mark 
Naylor. The only content was 
a photo of a racehorse wearing 
blinders.

There was no text. There 

was no further explanation. But 
Speight heard the message all the 
same.

Speight went to the same high 

school, Collegiate in Richmond, 
Va., as two current NFL players, 
Russell 
Wilson 
and 
Jake 

McGee. Wilson is a Super Bowl-
winning quarterback for the 
Seattle Seahawks, and McGee 
is a converted quarterback and 
rookie tight end for the San Diego 
Chargers. Speight followed both 
of them as Collegiate’s starting 
signal-caller. That’s when he 
developed his own set of horse 
blinders.

He 
constantly 
faced 

comparisons to both players. 
Opposing fans chanted that 
he wasn’t as good as either. 
News coverage made the same 
statements. Speight learned not 
to listen to any of it.

“And then here as a redshirt, 

I’ve kind of been written off as 
being the guy by everyone,” he 
said. “I’m just kind of natural at 
it now.”

Seven 
weeks 
into 
his 

career as Michigan’s starting 
quarterback, 
Speight 
seems 

to have mastered the focus on 
himself. Two weeks ago, he 
spent his bye week watching 
film of each of the 159 passes he 
had thrown in the first half of 
the season.

After video coordinator Phil 

Bromley and his team compiled 
all of the clips, Speight first 
watched the tape one time 

through, observing only himself. 
Then, he went through again 
and broadened his attention to 
the play. He took notes on how 
each throw developed.

With 
that 
newfound 

perspective in mind, Speight 
shifted his mindset to the second 
half of the season and delivered 
— in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s 
mind — his best performance 
of the season. His completion 
percentage of 69.6 was his best 
since the season opener against 
Hawaii. He netted 15.8 yards 
per completion. And for the fifth 
time in seven games, he did not 
throw an interception.

Speight 
agreed 
with 

Harbaugh’s 
assessment 
and 

said that, except for a couple 
of instances here and there, he 
threw the ball to the right spot. 
For the most part, he improved 

what he set out to improve after 
his comprehensive film study.

“I thought there was a few 

times earlier in the year when I 
was aiming the ball, and that’s a 
quarterback’s worst nightmare, 
is when you’re sitting back there 
with guys collapsing around you 
and you’re worried about aiming 
where the ball goes,” Speight 
said. “Whether it’s a five-yard 
pass, 10-yard pass or a deep ball, 
you just gotta let it rip.”

Now, Speight looks ahead 

once more to this weekend’s 
game at Michigan State. He 
knows how important it is, and 
he knows it will be a tough one 
despite the Spartans’ current 
five-game losing streak.

If Speight can continue his 

improvement in the second half 
of the year, he will be Harbaugh’s 
second straight quarterback to 

do so, after last year’s starter 
Jake Rudock made major strides 
down the stretch. Speight’s 
numbers have been better as 
well, and his teammates notice 
the same trajectory.

“He’s really trying to solidify 

his leadership position on the 
team, and guys are really just 
looking up to him to make 
plays,” said fifth-year senior 
wide receiver Jehu Chesson.

Speight 
issued 
the 
same 

refrain as his head coach and 
teammates about treating this 
week’s game as a championship 
game like any other. That goes 
back to his horse blinders.

A couple of times this season, 

Harbaugh — perhaps as a sign of 
Speight’s evolution as a leader 
— has called the quarterback 
in front of the team to lead an 
edition of “Wise Words,” the 

session at the end of practice 
in which one player gives 
some advice to the team. Once, 
Speight used horses’ blinders as 
a lesson.

“That’s for a reason — they 

don’t worry about what’s going 
on in the outside world,” Speight 
said. “What the media’s saying 
— no offense to you guys — what 
the media’s saying, what other 
coaches or other players are 
saying on Twitter. They just 
worry about their own lane. 
That was kind of my message to 
the team.”

Maybe 
that’s 
why, 
when 

Speight was asked Tuesday 
about the coming trip to East 
Lansing, his answer meant a 
little more.

“It’s the biggest game and the 

biggest start of my life,” he said. 
“Because it’s the next one.”

GRANT HARDY/Daily

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight learned at an early age to keep his focus on the path ahead of him.

JAKE LOURIM

Managing Sports Editor

