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The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | September 25, 2017

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Many NFL players took a 

strong stance by kneeling for 
the National Anthem in spite 
of the President’s comments. 
 

» SportsMonday Column

Page 2B

Redemption
On Saturday afternoon in 
West Lafayette, John O’Korn 
found more than a victory, as 
his winding path of a college 
career finally received some 
closure. » Page 4B

WEST 

LAFAYETTE 
— 
The 
biggest 

crowd 
at 
Purdue 

in nearly a decade 
watched in silence 
as Michigan redshirt 
junior 
quarterback 

Wilton Speight laid 
motionless 
on 
the 

ground.

Speight 
had 
been 

slammed for an 11-yard 
sack, and a second hit 
from behind crunched 
Speight’s neck as he fell 
to the ground.

Speight 
left 
injured 

midway through the first 
quarter, but led by fifth-
year 
senior 
quarterback 

John O’Korn, the eighth-
ranked Wolverines (1-0 Big 
Ten, 4-0 overall) rallied 

for a 28-10 win.

With 
Speight 
out, 

O’Korn 

completely 

took 
over. 
He 

completed 69 percent of his 
passes for 270 yards and one 
touchdown.

“I thought John really 

played great,” said Michigan 
coach Jim Harbaugh. “He 
was seeing things really 
good right from the time 
he came into the ball game. 
(He) ran the offense well, 
made the big plays.”

On the first scoring drive, 

O’Korn went 5-for-5 in the 
air for 61 yards and ended 
the drive with a 10-yard 
touchdown pass to redshirt 
sophomore tight end Zach 
Gentry.

And each drive, O’Korn 

continued to improve in the 
pocket.

On 
the 
Wolverines’ 

second 
scoring 
drive, 

O’Korn went 5-for-9 with 73 
passing yards. Sophomore 
running 
back 
Chris 

Evans capped the drive 
with a 10-yard rushing 
touchdown, going straight 
up the gut for the score.

On 
Michigan’s 
third 

scoring 
drive, 
O’Korn 

connected on all three of his 
passes for three first downs 
and 65 yards. Another fifth-
year senior, running back 
Ty Isaac, dove one yard for 
a touchdown.

To put the game out of 

reach, Evans rushed for his 
second touchdown in the 
fourth 
quarter, 
breaking 

past the line of scrimmage 
for a 49-yard score. Evans 
ended with 97 yards on 15 
carries.

For the first time this 

season, 
the 
Wolverines’ 

offense 
excelled, 
and 
it 

started with O’Korn.

Though 
Michigan 
had 

struggled all season in the 
red zone, it was perfect 
against the Boilermakers 
(0-1, 2-2). The Wolverines 
converted 
all 
three 
of 

their 
red-zone 
trips 
for 

touchdowns. 
They 
were 

1-for-10 in that category 
prior to the game.

“It 
was 
nice 
to 
see 

something that was stressed 
so much all week carry into 
the game,” O’Korn said. 

“We were 3-for-3 in the red 
zone, and the work we put in 
as a team paid off.”

Depending on Speight’s 

diagnosis, O’Korn may be 
called upon again.

He proved capable of 

commanding 
the 
pocket, 

and displayed an ability 
to 
slip 
past 
tackles 
to 

gain yards in seemingly 
disastrous situations.

And O’Korn saw plenty 

of them. He faced pressure 
from Purdue’s defensive line 
all day, as the Wolverines’ 
offensive line showed their 
inexperience.

The Boilermakers sacked 

Michigan’s 
quarterbacks 

four times. This defensive 
pressure 
helped 
Purdue 

through the first half. At 
the end of two quarters, the 
home team led, 10-7.

The Boilermakers’ two-

quarterback 
system 
had 

troubled the Wolverines’ 
defense 
early 
on, 
but 

Michigan cleaned up the 
mistakes and held Purdue to 
just 10 yards in the second 
half.

Purdue 
quarterbacks 

Elijah 
Sindelar 
(7-for-16, 

103 
passing 
yards, 
one 

touchdown) 
and 
David 

Blough (5-for-13, 32 passing 

yards) continuously used 
trick plays and throwback 
passes 
to 
confuse 
the 

Wolverines. 
Eventually 

Michigan’s defense caught 
on.

“They caught us off guard 

(early),” 
said 
sophomore 

linebacker 
Devin 
Bush. 

“They kept doing it, but we 
just hunkered down and 
played our man.

“… We knew towards the 

end of the game they were 
going to pull out more trick 
plays.”

Redshirt junior defensive 

end Chase Winovich led 
the defense with six tackles 
and three sacks. Bush also 
continued 
his 
successful 

year with six tackles and a 
sack of his own.

Despite 
those 
early 

scares, 
the 
Wolverines 

prevailed.

The extent of Speight’s 

injury is still unknown, 
and when the starter went 
down, O’Korn ran onto the 
field to help him up.

“Just 
lead 
the 
team,” 

Speight told his teammate. 
“Do what you do.”

So 
O’Korn 
went 
out 

and put on a show, giving 
Michigan it’s first Big Ten 
win of the season.

TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

O’K

Michigan 28

Purdue 10 

Fifth-year senior quarterback John O’Korn stepped in 

for an injured Wilton Speight midway through the second 
quarter, leading the eighth-ranked Wolverines to victory 

with 270 yards and a touchdown. 

