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