FootballSaturday, November 19, 2016
6
Breakdown: How will Speight’s
absence affect Michigan offense?
The hope for an undefeated
season is gone, but the Michigan
football team has plenty to play for.
One week after a jarring loss at
Iowa, the Wolverines return to action
Saturday when they host Indiana at
Michigan Stadium. Michigan still
controls its own destiny, but any
safety net it had is no more. The Daily
breaks down the key matchups for
when the teams take the field.
Michigan rushing offense vs.
Indiana rushing defense
With a unit that gives up just
156.2 rushing yards per game,
Indiana could be poised to stuff the
Wolverines on the ground. Michigan
struggled on the ground at Iowa last
week, and with Speight likely out,
it’s a safe bet that the running backs
will be counted on. Watch for the
Hoosiers to stack the box, a look that
has given the Wolverines trouble
at times this season, particularly
against Central Florida.
Senior running back De’Veon
Smith
still
leads
Michigan’s
crowded backfield, but against an
Indiana defense that has totaled
70 tackles for loss this year, it may
need production out of the whole
backfield committee to have success.
Edge: Indiana
Michigan passing offense vs.
Indiana passing defense
This is the great question mark
of the week. Redshirt sophomore
quarterback Wilton Speight will
reportedly miss the game with
either a shoulder or collarbone
injury,
leaving
redshirt
junior
John O’Korn to guide the offense
in his absence. A former starter at
Houston before he transferred to
Michigan, O’Korn has sufficient
in-game experience to lead the
offense, though he has not played
meaningful minutes as a Wolverine.
His greatest advantage, perhaps,
could be his mobility. Whereas
Speight relied on his size and
strength to stave off tacklers, O’Korn
has the quickness to elude them
with his feet. Armed with a loaded
receiving corps made up of fifth-year
seniors Jehu Chesson and Amara
Darboh and senior tight end Jake
Butt, he will have plenty of weapons
to help him ease into the game.
Fortunately for O’Korn, Indiana’s
pass defense has fallen short of
stellar so far this year. The Hoosiers
are giving up an average of 235.8
yards per game, and while they do
have 10 interceptions, that could be
a sign O’Korn will have some room
to work on Saturday.
Edge: Michigan
Indiana
rush
defense
vs.
Michigan rush defense
Gone is Jordan Howard, but
Indiana’s Devine Redding has kept
opponents on their toes all season.
Against No. 8 Penn State last week,
Redding rushed for 108 yards and
two touchdowns, putting a scare in
one of the nation’s top-ranked teams.
Given
that
Michigan
has
struggled in recent weeks against
Michigan State’s LJ Scott and
Iowa’s Akrum Wadley, it wouldn’t
be a shock if Redding had a similar
measure of success on Saturday.
There’s no doubt the Wolverine line
will be fired up to reassert itself
after a loss, but sometimes that
aggression leads to mistakes, too.
Once again, this one is close, but
Michigan’s track record is enough
to earn the benefit of the doubt.
Edge: Michigan
Indiana
passing
offense
vs.
Michigan passing defense
Hoosiers quarterback Richard
Lagow has the unenviable task of
attacking the nation’s most effective
pass defense Saturday.
In senior cornerbacks Channing
Stribling and Jourdan Lewis, the
Wolverines boast an athletic pair of
corners capable of changing the game
on any play. Lewis has hardly been
targeted this season, and Stribling has
capitalized with four interceptions.
Saturday,
though,
they’ll
be
guarding an impressive trio in
Ricky Jones, Mitchell Paige and
Nick
Westbrook.
Westbrook
has accounted for 793 yards and
five touchdowns this year, while
Paige leads the team with 49
receptions. All three are capable of
stretching the field, and this may
be the toughest test for Michigan’s
secondary since Colorado visited
Ann Arbor in September.
We’ll give the slight edge to the
nation’s top pass defense, but don’t
be surprised if Indiana makes some
noise through the air.
Edge: Michigan
Special teams
Just as the Wolverines got their
field goal problem figured out, new
troubles have emerged on special
teams. Michigan was hampered
by a series of penalties against the
Hawkeyes, including a targeting
penalty on freshman linebacker
Devin Bush and a critical late-
game facemask on redshirt junior
linebacker Mike McCray.
With Jabrill Peppers neutralized
in the return game of late, the
Wolverines do not appear as
dangerous on fourth down as they
did earlier this season. Meanwhile,
Paige is a dangerous return man
himself, and he may actually get the
chance to field some punts. Hoosier
kicker Griffin Oakes is having a
rough year, making 12 of 21 field
goals, so Saturday’s special teams
battle may come down to who
makes fewer mistakes.
Oakes knocked in a big 47-yard
field goal against Penn State last
week, and if he is indeed back in
form for the Hoosiers, they could
win that battle.
Edge: Indiana
Intangibles
On one hand, Michigan will be
looking to rebound from a major
letdown last week. But Indiana
will still view the third-ranked
Wolverines as upset bait.
The Hoosiers can qualify for a
bowl game with a win, but on Senior
Day at Michigan Stadium, it’s hard
to give this one to anyone but the
home team.
Edge: Michigan
Prediction: Michigan 34,
Indiana 17
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis and Michigan’s secondary draw a tough test against an Indiana receiving corps led by Mitchell Paige, Ricky Jones and Nick Westbrook.
MAX BULTMAN
Managing Sports Editor