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

