8 — Tuesday, October 3, 2017 
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

‘M’ defense a threat 
in opening contest

The Michigan hockey team’s 

10 
goals 
against 
Western 

Ontario 
on 
Saturday 
night 

was a spectacle of an offensive 
performance. 
What 
many 

overlooked, though, was how 
pivotal the defense was in 
securing those goals.

Senior defenseman Cutler 

Martin’s 
snipe 
past 
the 

opposing goaltender for the 
Wolverines’ eighth goal against 
the Mustangs was evidence of 
such.

“We have to understand and 

get in the habit of moving the 
puck up quick,” 
said Michigan 
coach 
Mel 

Pearson. 
“We want to 
be 
a 
quick 

transition 
team and try 
to go from our 
defensive zone 
to the offensive 
zone as quick 
as we can.”

Pearson’s 
sentiment 
is 

consistent 
with 
the 
way 

the 
Wolverines’ 
blueliners 

performed 
in 
their 
first 

exhibition match.

“I think that coming back 

— this is going to be my fourth 
year — the defense has a good 
footing on what we need to 
do,” Martin said prior to the 
exhibition Saturday. “We need 
to play defense first, have that 
mindset, be aggressive, be mean 
on the ice.”

And mean they were.
Immediately at the onset 

of the matchup, sophomore 
defenseman Luke Martin fired 
off a shot from the blue line that 
found its way into the net off a 
deflection from senior forward 
Dexter Dancs.

Throughout 
the 
night, 

the 
defense 
simultaneously 

protected the Michigan net 
while forcing a plethora of 

scoring opportunities for the 
offense, giving the whole squad 
a weapon behind the blue line.

In the second period, Martin 

assisted fifth-year senior forward 
Alex Roos, and junior defenseman 
Joseph Cecconi assisted senior 
forward Tony Calderone.

Then, in the third period, 

Luke Martin assisted junior 
forward 
Cooper 
Marody, 

junior 
defenseman 
Nicholas 

Boka assisted Martin, Cecconi 
assisted 
sophomore 
forward 

Jake Slaker and Boka again 
assisted 
sophomore 
forward 

James Sanchez.

In total, the Wolverines’ 

defense racked up nine points, 

proving just how 
multi-faceted the 
team may be this 
year.

From 
the 

crisp passing to 
the 
multitude 

of 
scoring 

opportunities 
from every point 
around the ice, 
the 
Michigan 

offensive 
effort 

— which includes the defense 
in this scenario — seemed cool, 
composed and deadly.

“I think it’s guys just buying 

into the system,” Calderone 
said. “I think a lot of guys are 
starting to hold onto the puck 
more, getting more confident.”

In a game that most regard 

as 
an 
easy 
matchup, 
the 

Wolverines certainly showed 
that their aggressive mentality 
works.

And while some might argue 

Saturday’s outburst came in a 
meaningless exhibition game, 
one would only need to look 
back at last year’s exhibition 
for a sign of growth. Against 
Windsor, last season’s Michigan 
defense recorded zero points. 
This much of an improvement 
in a year’s time shows that 
Pearson’s 
master 
plan 
may 

result in a higher-powered 
attack from both ends of the ice.

ICE HOCKEY

ROBERT HEFTER

Daily Sports Writer

I think it’s guys 
just buying into 

the system.

Harbaugh names O’Korn as starter

Opportunities like this don’t 

come around very often.

And yet, here it is: after 

transferring 
and 
patiently 

sitting out a year, after losing 
the starting competition twice, 
John O’Korn is now the starting 
quarterback for No. 7 Michigan 
as it heads into the biggest 
matchup of the season thus far, 
a night game at home against 
in-state rival Michigan State.

“(Wilton’s) going to be out,” 

said Jim Harbaugh on Monday 
afternoon. “John O’Korn will 
be the starter.”

It won’t be known until later 

in the season whether the job 
is permanently in O’Korn’s 
grasp. For all we know, he may 
have earned the job outright 
by 
leading 
the 
Wolverines 

to a comeback victory over 
Purdue two weekends ago. But 
Harbaugh announced redshirt 
junior Wilton Speight “won’t 
be able to compete this week, 

or for multiple weeks,” which 
means this case won’t be 
reopened for quite some time.

Until then — and maybe even 

for the rest of the season — this 
is the John O’Korn Show.

“John’s 
done 
a 
fantastic 

job ever since he got here,” 
Harbaugh said. “Every role 
that he’s been in, he’s acquitted 
himself very well, including 
coming off the bench and 
leading our team to a victory 
against Purdue. I think that 
speaks volumes.”

Added 
fifth-year 
senior 

fullback Khalid Hill: “Being a 
quarterback, you’ve got to be 
ready. I think John did a great 
job (against) Purdue, coming 
in and performing the way he 
did, but that is expected from 
everybody. Coach Harbaugh 
always says, ‘Next man up,’ so 
always got to be on your Ps and 
Qs because you never know 
when your time is called.”

O’Korn, 
who 
completed 

17-of-26 passes for 270 yards 
with 
one 
touchdown 
and 

an interception against the 
Boilermakers, appears to have 
earned the full confidence of 
his teammates.

“... (O’Korn) just came in 

composed, he came and he was 
ready,” Hill said. “I applaud 
him for coming in and playing 
the way that he did, because 
you 
don’t 
expect 
that 
to 

happen.”

For Hill, the difference in 

O’Korn’s demeanor has been 
noticeable. According to him, 
O’Korn spoke the other day 
about taking his time after 
feeling like he was always 
facing 
pressure. 
Now, 
Hill 

says, O’Korn is taking a more 
relaxed approach by letting 
things come to him.

And while senior offensive 

tackle Mason Cole couldn’t 
speak to that — he grinned as 
he said he has no idea what 
O’Korn does as he blocks for 
him — he still agreed with Hill 
on O’Korn’s readiness.

“When he came into the 

game, the transition was just 

really effortless,” Cole said. 
“He came in like he’s been 
there all year, and I think that’s 
the biggest thing — we knew 
he’d be ready to play if he had 
to, and he was.

“... We knew the talent John 

had and we knew he would get 
the job done if he had to go in, 
and he has.”

In the offseason, O’Korn 

spoke candidly about dealing 
with the loss of his confidence 
after 
transferring 
from 

Houston and struggling early 
on at Michigan. The hiring of 
passing game coordinator Pep 
Hamilton, he said, reignited 
his game and brought him to a 
level he had never seen before.

Now, Michigan will get a full 

chance to see what that level is.

“That gives you confidence 

— your quarterback comes and 
performs ... the way he did, 
it gives you confidence and 
John’s going to hopefully do 
the same thing this week,” Hill 
said. “I know he’s preparing to 
have the best game of his life.”

ORION SANG

Daily Sports Editor

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Fifth-year senior quarterback John O’Korn was named Michigan’s starting quarterback, as Wilton Speight remains sidelined with an injury sustained at Purdue.

Michigan football player 

Nate Johnson was arrested 
over the weekend for an 
alleged assault that took 
place Sept. 30.

Diane 
Brown, 

spokeswoman 
for 
the 

University’s 
Division 
of 

Public Safety and Security, 
said 
a 
housing 
security 

officer 
found 
a 
female 

student outside South Quad 
Residence Hall shortly after 
2 a.m. Saturday morning. 
The woman reported she had 
been assaulted by Johnson, 
who 
was 
subsequently 

located nearby.

Johnson was arrested on 

charges of domestic violence 
and taken to jail, where he was 
arraigned on Oct. 1 for one 
count of domestic violence. 
He was released on a $5,000 
personal recognizance bond 
and a pre-trial hearing is 
scheduled for Oct. 11.

The 
Michigan 
football 

team released a statement 
on the afternoon of Sept. 
30 stating that Johnson, a 
sophomore cornerback, had 
been suspended indefinitely 
from all team activities.

A spokesperson for the 

athletic department declined 
to comment on Johnson’s 
arrest, instead referring to 
the original statement of 
Johnson’s suspension.

This is a developing story. 

Check back at michigandaily.

com for more details.

Nate Johnson 
arrested for 

domestic 

violence, pre-
trial hearing 
scheduled for 

Oct. 11

FOOTBALL

ORION SANG

Daily Sports Editor

For Hill, Michigan State rivalry is ‘personal’

Two 
years 
ago, 
when 

cornerback Lavert Hill was 
still a high schooler, he sat 
in the stands at Michigan 
Stadium, watching one of the 
most unbelievable finishes to a 
college football game the world 
had ever seen.

Hill 
stood 
in 
shock 
as 

Michigan State’s Jalen Watt-
Jackson carried a mishandled 
punt all the way into the end 
zone for a last-second, game-
winning touchdown.

Then a senior at Martin 

Luther King High School in 
Detroit, Hill was one of the 
nation’s 
most 
sought-after 

recruits. 
Besides 
Michigan, 

his top choices included Penn 
State, 
Southern 
California, 

Tennessee, Clemson and — most 
importantly — Michigan State.

The decision came down to 

the two in-state schools, and 
he ultimately decided on Ann 
Arbor and joined coach Jim 
Harbaugh’s first full recruiting 
class. Academic, athletic and 
personal reasons — his older 
brother Delano played for the 
Wolverines — swayed Hill to 
Michigan.

Two years later, Hill is now 

a starting defensive back for 
the seventh-ranked Wolverines 
(1-0 Big Ten, 4-0 overall), and 
this weekend he will finally 
have the opportunity to make 
his mark on the Michigan-
Michigan State rivalry.

“It was pretty devastating,” 

Hill said of Michigan’s 2015 loss 
to the Spartans. “This game is 
pretty personal to me.”

He prepared over the bye 

week by tuning in as Michigan 
State (1-0 Big Ten, 3-1 overall) 
defeated Iowa, 17-10.

Hill paid close attention to 

Michigan State wide receiver 
Felton Davis III, who caught 
two touchdowns and recorded 
a career-high 114 receiving 
yards. As the Spartans’ top 

target, 
Davis 
averages 
64 

receiving yards per game, and 
he was named the co-Big Ten 
Offensive Player of the Week 
for his performance against the 
Hawkeyes.

Hill and the rest of the 

Wolverines’ 
secondary 

understand how important it 
will be to shut Davis down.

“(Davis) is a pretty good 

athlete,” Hill said. “He knows 
how to track the ball in the air. 
We just got to get our hands on 
him, disturb him on the line… 
We expect him to do what he 
can, but we’ll be ready also.”

Hill also discussed Michigan 

State 
quarterback 
Brian 

Lewerke, mentioning his ability 
to extend plays with his feet.

Lewerke’s first touchdown 

throw to Davis last weekend 

came on a rollout to the right. 
He gave himself time to find 
an open receiver and Iowa’s 
secondary 
couldn’t 
stay 

disciplined in coverage.

Hill 

said 
that 
a 

cornerback 
can 
never 

lose sight of 
its mark if it 
wants to guard 
the 
type 
of 

passing threat 
that 
Lewerke 

brings to the 
game.

“Don’t 
look 

back at the quarterback until 
the ball is in the air and you 
know that you can get it,” Hill 
said. “Have your eyes on your 
man.”

Ultimately, 
Michigan’s 

secondary 
should 
be 
ready 

for Michigan State, especially 
having had a week off to prepare. 
With three interceptions and 

two 
pick-sixes 

— one of which 
belongs to Hill — 
the 
Wolverines 

have allowed just 
134 passing yards 
per game, ranking 
as the fourth-best 
passing 
defense 

in the nation.

Although 

young, 
the 

secondary 
and 

Hill have proved they can stop 
opponents in the air. Lewerke, 
Davis and Michigan State will 
be their toughest opponent yet, 
but Hill believes the Wolverines 

will succeed if they continue 
communicating and adjusting 
well.

And while Hill has been 

waiting to participate in the 
rivalry, he knows he has to stay 
focused on the task at hand. He 
can’t get too caught up in the 
excitement.

But that’s pretty hard when 

you have to play under the 
lights, at primetime, against 
your rival and against former 
high school teammates and 
foes.

All that will be the case when 

Hill suits up this weekend for 
the first Michigan-Michigan 
State game in Ann Arbor since 
the fateful botched punt in 2015.

“We can’t lose at home,” Hill 

said. “We’re going to have to get 
after it Saturday.”

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Sophomore cornerback Lavert Hill still remembers sitting in Michigan Stadium as he watched the infamous fumbled punt against Michigan State.

TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

We’re going 
to have to 
get after it 
Saturday.

