The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Sports Thursday, October 5, 2017 — 7A Secondary to face new test against Spartans Jim Harbaugh’s assessment was brief, yet accurate. “He throws very well, runs very well,” Harbaugh said of Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke on Monday. “He has a penchant for making the big play.” Against Western Michigan, Lewerke flashed an example of his playmaking ability, taking a read option 61 yards to the house — a play on which he beat the safety and linebacker in a foot race. Through four games, Lewerke has completed 84 of his 133 attempts for 963 yards. He boasts eight passing touchdowns and has thrown just two interceptions. As for Lewerke’s ability on the ground, Harbaugh might have been making an understatement. He leads the Spartans in rushing yards and touchdowns, with 248 and two, respectively. And therein lies the latest challenge for a Michigan secondary that ranks as the fourth-best passing defense in the nation. Lewerke and the Spartans present a threat that this young Wolverine defense has yet to face. To this point, that unit may still be getting overlooked on the grand scale. Sophomore cornerback Lavert Hill admitted as much. That’s what happens when your team boasts a defensive line leading the country in sacks and a linebacker like Devin Bush Jr. who has made the case that he is the best player on the roster. But it’s those same reasons that perhaps escalate the threat that Lewerke could pose to the Wolverines’ secondary. Michigan may have the ability to collapse the pocket, but Lewerke has a knack for escaping it. And while the secondary has been exceptional at times, it has also been susceptible to big plays — a busted-coverage play against Air Force that turned into a 64-yard touchdown reception being the most startling example. On top of Lewerke’s individual ability, he has a useful crop of receivers as his weapons. Felton Davis leads that group, fresh off a performance against Iowa in which he caught nine passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. “Just from watching the film, they keep their routes on when he’s on his feet and he’s constantly looking downfield,” said junior safety Tyree Kinnel. “So I feel like we’re gonna have a great chance to get back there and push him out the pocket a lot during this game, so the secondary has to stay on the receivers as much as we can.” Added defensive backs coach Brian Smith: “(The secondary will) face a good challenge. They have good solid receivers. They’re young. Felton’s coming off a good game against Iowa and he’s a threat down the field. He’s a tall guy that they can go out and throw him the ball and then he can come down and get it. He poses a problem, and they’ll spread it around a good bit. We’ve got our hands full.” Still, the trio of Kinnel, Hill and sophomore cornerback David Long have plenty going well for them. The Wolverines are allowing just 134 yards per game in the air, rank second nationally in team passing efficiency defense and have shown an affinity for forcing turnovers — recording three interceptions for 52 yards and two touchdowns. The unexpected production, in large part, is a product of improved communication — an aspect that Hill pointed out Monday afternoon. And when asked about it Wednesday afternoon, Smith acknowledged the same thing. He said he couldn’t point to a specific play or series, but that the Purdue game stood out. The Boilermakers, of course, implemented plenty of trickery and Michigan was capable of handling it. In the first half, Purdue posted 139 yards in the air. In the second half, the Wolverines conceded just 25. But the one phase that stood out to Smith was Michigan’s ability to stop the jet sweep package, a collection of plays that he said have given the Wolverines some problems in the past. “The communication has improved with the group as a whole,” Smith said. “Again, just seeing things over and over again — the first time, guys learn differently. Some guys learn in the classroom, and other guys learn by actually going out on the field and doing it, getting reps. “You can see it, when teams give us different looks — maybe a look that we haven’t seen before — and we can adjust to it. That’s the result of guys communicating and getting on the same page.” Michigan has faced an up-tempo offense. It has faced the triple-option. And it has faced a two-quarterback system brimming with deception. Now, another look is coming to Ann Arbor. And if the Wolverines’ defensive backfield can adjust to this one, its place among nationally-ranked secondaries is going to look a lot more legitimate. ICE HOCKEY Lockwood looks to be more complete player As the Michigan hockey team wound down practice Wednesday, Will Lockwood, as usual, was one of the last players to leave the ice. According to his coach, Mel Pearson, that’s no surprise. It’s why the Wolverines’ new coach has gained an even greater appreciation for Lockwood since watching him from the opposing sideline while coaching Michigan Tech last season. “That’s how you define a true hockey player,” Pearson said. “When they enjoy practice and they can’t wait to get to the rink and get on the ice.” Due to a nagging shoulder injury, though, Lockwood wasn’t on the ice quite as much as he would have liked last season. As a freshman, the forward quickly made a name for himself, finishing with 20 points on eight goals and 12 assists — good for second on the team in all three categories. But the injury kept Lockwood out of five games, and restricted him at times when he did play. During the offseason, Lockwood had surgery on his shoulder, undergoing a multi-stage rehabilitation process he described as “pretty tedious.” “After you get the surgery, a lot of it is getting your motion back, so that’s the first month,” Lockwood said. “Then getting some strength into the muscle is the next couple of months, and then after that it’s strengthening it past what it was so you can prevent it from happening again.” But Lockwood did see a silver lining in being limited, and at times, sidelined last year. The injury helped him understand the need to continue adding facets to his game and fine-tuning his technical skills alongside his raw athletic attributes. “I like to play a very physical style,” Lockwood said. “(I) kind of have to shy away from that a little bit more this season. It’s not going to change the way I play in the corners or the way I have confidence going into the dirty areas, but I think the game’s changed a lot, where it’s a lot of speed and skill. So that’s something I want to focus on a little more this year. “The game’s always changing, and that’s the side of the game that everyone’s adapting to right now, so I’m going to try to use my strength, my speed and skill to my advantage.” And Lockwood has plenty to use to his advantage. He’s one of the Wolverines’ fastest skaters — Pearson describes him as “explosive” and “dynamic.” Pearson’s new offensive system also plays into Lockwood’s biggest strengths by emphasizing quick movement. Michigan caught a glimpse of that Saturday against Western Ontario. Halfway through the second period, Lockwood tore after the puck on a breakaway and was brought down near the Mustangs’ goal. On the ensuing penalty shot, Lockwood smoothly sped towards goal, deked right and calmly deposited the puck into the net for a 4-0 Wolverine lead. Considering his substantial physical gifts, a more refined — not to mention fully healthy — Lockwood has the potential to be a dominant offensive force for Michigan this season. But even if that were not the case, his passion and work ethic have already won Pearson’s endearment. “A lot of guys think they’re players or want to be a player,” Pearson said. “But you have the guys that really, really, really want to be players, and there’s a difference. “He’s full out. There’s no halfway or taking drills off, he’s full out all the time. He’s just a hockey player.” Amid scathing NCAA scandal, Beilein remains unblemished Michigan men’s basketball coach John Beilein can afford a lax answer when discussing the recent FBI investigations into violations at college basketball programs. He’s earned that luxury. “I take a couple showers a day,” Beilein said. “That keeps me clean.” Some coaches around the country, it appears, need to shower more often. Last week, the FBI released findings of mass corruption within college basketball, stemming from payment of recruits and the untidy relationships between shoe companies and recruiting. The FBI arrested four assistant coaches last Tuesday. Louisville, currently the most high-profile school implicated, has effectively fired its legendary coach Rick Pitino and has placed its athletic director, Tom Jurich, on a leave of absence. Lousiville is the first major victim. It doesn’t seem likely to be the last. While coaches around the country plan calculated responses with public relations staff to fend off reporters’ inquiries, Beilein doesn’t have to sweat. After all, he was recently voted the “cleanest coach in college basketball” in a poll of 100 of his coaching peers. Wednesday, when speaking to reporters, a jovial Beilein didn’t tense up, nor recite some painfully- rehearsed plea of innocence. Instead he came to the defense of the integrity of college basketball. “How isolated is it? I do not think it’s rampant among NCAA,” Beilein said. “I don’t think the sky is falling in college basketball. I think there’s certainly some rogue coaches. How many? Maybe I’ll be proven wrong, but I don’t think there’s too much of that going out there. “There’s a lot of really, really clean coaches out there.” While “the dark underbelly of college basketball,” as US Attorney Joon H. Kim described, slowly comes to the fore, Beilein remains perched above the fray. He admits to having lost recruits over his staff’s overt “tone of compliance,” but notes that those aren’t the types of players he would want at Michigan anyway. “People — whether its parents or prospects — if they are looking for that, they’re not talking with me or we’re off their list immediately,” Beilein said. “Because they know it’s not happening here, so we don’t even have to deal with it. It might not get us some recruits. Well, we don’t want those recruits that come for any other reason than what Michigan is all about.” In 2009, Beilein was named head of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Ethics Coalition. He takes compliance seriously and doesn’t think he’s alone in doing so. “I’m not trying to put ourselves on some pedestal,” Beilein said. “Most programs are doing it this way. I believe that deep in my heart, most of us are doing it.” Though he maintained a joking tone at times, Beilein was unmistakeably stern in regard to his coaching peers who do violate the rules. “If people are breaking the law, if people are committing felony crimes in our business,” Beilein said, “then get them the heck out of our business.” “College basketball is my life, and it should be clean.” Beilein went on to commend his team’s defensive grit, lament the hefty travel schedule, detail the trials and tribulations of the incoming freshmen class, discuss fifth-year transfer guard Jaaron Simmons’ desire to make the NCAA tournament and more. He didn’t dwell on the black cloud looming above the college basketball world. He didn’t have to. Michigan falls to Iowa on the road Despite the efforts of junior outside hitter Carly Skojdt — who posted a season-high 22 kills — the No. 22 Michigan volleyball team fell to Iowa on Wednesday night in a four-set battle. Skojdt put the team on her back, as the next highest scorer for the Wolverines totaled just nine kills. Skojdt pulled together the 22 kills on a total of 59 attempts, solidifying her role as Michigan’s offensive workhorse. “We need more of it,” said coach Mark Rosen. “We’re obviously really excited about how she’s playing — she’s playing really hard. But we have other players who can step up and be in the mix with her.” Coming off a strong weekend, in which it beat Ohio State and Maryland at home, Michigan went into the match looking to continue its hot streak. The Wolverines started strong, decisively winning the first set of the match, 25-21. Everything was clicking early as Michigan maintained a .326 hitting percentage, its highest of any set during the match. The Wolverines also racked up 19 kills during the set, setting the tone early. “I think we started out really well,” Rosen said. “The first half we played really steady. Defensively, we did a good job, we executed the gameplan, and the first set we started well. But then we let our execution go down.” The explosive Michigan offense of the first set seemingly vanished. After that, its hitting percentage dwindled to .256 in the second set before dipping to a shocking .079 in the third set. The Wolverines still managed to put together a respectable second set, only dropping it, 25-22. Michigan even started the set strong, establishing a 16-11 lead, but a composed and balanced Hawkeye team mounted a steady comeback to claim the set. The Wolverines then seemingly hit the panic button as Iowa waltzed through the third set to a decisive 25-15 win. Michigan never led as the Hawkeye offense found its groove. With the end of the match inching closer, Michigan made a last-minute rally in the fourth set to try and salvage the night but eventually fell short, dropping the last set, 25-21. “(The team) played really, really well, but I think we didn’t do a good enough job defensively,” Rosen said. The Wolverines will look to bolster their defensive unit before facing a talented Minnesota team on Saturday. Rosen will look to leaders such as Skojdt, senior middle blocker Claire Kieffer- Wright, senior outside hitter Adeja Lambert to lead the team to a bounce-back performance. “Those guys usually do a great job,” Rosen said. “Those are the players we look to, and we’ll look to them next weekend.” JACOB SHAMES Daily Sports Writer KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily Junior safety Tyree Kinnel and his position partners will have to tackle dual-threat quarterback Brian Lewerke. KEVIN SANTO Managing Sports Editor MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Editor SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily Michigan coach John Beilein vouches for the integrity of college basketball. VOLLEYBALL JACOB KOPNICK For the Daily “I think we didn’t do a good enough job defensively.”