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TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com

What to Watch For

Saturday, the No. 7 Michigan 

football team (1-0 Big Ten, 4-0 
overall) will host in-state rival 
Michigan State in the first night 
game at Michigan Stadium since 
2014.

The last time the Wolverines 

played a night game at home, Brady 
Hoke was the coach and Devin 
Gardner was the quarterback. 
Times have changed, but the 
storylines are just as intriguing.

Here’s what to watch for when 

the Spartans and Wolverines 
kickoff at primetime this weekend.

1. O’Korn’s big day
Wilton Speight is out. John 

O’Korn is in.

After 
transferring 
from 

Houston and losing the position 
battle two years in a row, the fifth-
year senior is set to be Michigan’s 
quarterback for the foreseeable 
future.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh 

said Monday that Speight would 
be out for “multiple weeks” due 
to a soft-tissue injury. O’Korn is 

next in line, and following him 
are redshirt freshman Brandon 
Peters 
and 
freshman 
Dylan 

McCaffrey.

While O’Korn hasn’t played 

consistently during his college 
career, he threw for 270 yards and 
a touchdown off the bench against 
Purdue. He has enough offensive 
weapons to utilize — various tight 
ends and a deep running back 
group — that he can fall back on if 
he starts to struggle.

2. Michigan State’s weapon: 

Lewerke to Davis

Michigan’s 
run 
defense 
is 

the best in the nation, but it will 
face a challenge from Spartan 
quarterback Brian Lewerke, who 
has rushed for 248 yards and two 
touchdowns this season. The 
Wolverines have faced a mobile 
quarterback before — Air Force’s 
Arion Worthman — and they were 
able to quickly settle in and shut 
him down.

Lewerke’s playing at a high level, 

and while his feet certainly pose a 
threat, his recent connections with 
leading wide receiver Felton Davis 
III are where the Wolverines need 

to be focused. Davis caught two 
touchdown passes from Lewerke 
against Iowa last weekend.

Michigan’s 
defensive 
backs 

have done well so far against the 
pass, but Davis will be one of 
the top receivers they face this 
season.

3. Will the running backs 

keep spreading the wealth?

The running back revolving 

door 
continues 
to 
rotate. 

Sophomore Chris Evans is the 
latest to feature in the spotlight, 
and 
exceled 
against 
Purdue 

with two touchdown rushes and 
97 yards. Evans’ performance 
against the Boilermakers brought 
back memories of last year’s 
Hawaii game, when he had two 
touchdowns as well.

In both games, Evans displayed 

remarkable 
acceleration. 
His 

speed differentiates him from the 
other running backs: fifth-year 
senior Ty Isaac and junior Karan 
Higdon.

Michigan State’s defense has 

done well to stop the run so far, 
holding opponents to an average 
of just 96 yards per game. Earlier 
this week, Isaac spent time 
evaluating the Spartans’ defense, 
commenting on its physicality and 
blitz-heavy packages.

Isaac and Higdon, due to their 

size, are best suited to handle a 
physical run, but in the open field, 
it’s Evans that stands out from the 
pack. 

4. Will Chase Winovich take a 

single snap off?

Two 
days 
after 
Michigan 

defeated 
Purdue, 
defensive 

coordinator Don Brown went on 
the “Inside Michigan Football” 
radio show and informed the 
public that Winovich played every 
snap of Saturday’s game against 
the Boilermakers. 

The 
feat 
is 
impressive 

regardless, 
but 
was 
even 

more 
astounding 
given 
that 

the 
Wolverines’ 
defensive 

end accumulated 50 snaps in 
90-degree heat. As if that weren’t 
enough, Winovich finished with 
six tackles and four sacks — a 
performance that garnered him 
Big Ten co-defensive player of the 
week honors. 

Saturday night is expected to 

hover in the low 80s, and it will 
have all the energy of a night 
game against an in-state rival to 
go with it. Expecting a repeat of 
Purdue isn’t too reasonable, but if 
someone on Michigan is going to 
do it, Winovich is the best bet.

because of his arm. He is 

also the leading rusher for the 
Spartans.

Lewerke has rushed for 278 

yards on 38 attempts and scored 
two touchdowns. By comparison, 
Michigan State’s lead running 
back, LJ Scott, has gained 227 
yards on 58 attempts and has only 
scored once.

He hasn’t gone up against the 

Wolverines’ front four, though. 
The defensive line is the heart and 
soul of Michigan’s No. 1 overall 
defense, leading the nation in 
sacks and not trailing by much in 
tackles-for-loss. Lewerke might 
run straight into a brick wall 
against the Wolverines.

Edge: Michigan
Special teams
The story seems pretty set for 

Michigan in this phase of the 
game.

Redshirt 
freshman 
kicker 

Quinn Nordin has become a 
reliable source of points for a 
struggling offense this season. 
If called upon against Michigan 
State, Nordin can be expected to 
put the ball through the uprights.

Sophomore punter Will Hart 

has faced numerous problems 
in his first season as the starter. 
Though he has averaged 37 yards 
per punt with a long of 61, he has 
been responsible for multiple 
obvious errors. Freshman Brad 
Robbins took over against Purdue, 
punting seven times with an 
average of 40 yards. Robbins will 
likely retain that starting spot 
against the Spartans.

Michigan State hasn’t done 

much in the kicking game, but 
punter Jake Hartbarger averages 
43 yards on his attempts, slightly 
bypassing Hart.

Edge: Michigan
Intangibles
With the Paul Bunyan trophy 

on the line in a historic edition of 
the in-state rivalry, there is a lot at 
stake for both teams.

But in three previous night 

games at Michigan Stadium, the 
Wolverines have come away with 
a victory. They are favored to 
do the same in their fourth this 
Saturday. 

Not many in Ann Arbor have 

forgotten the events of that dreary 
October night two seasons ago. 
Michigan surely hasn’t. That’s as 
big a motivational tool as it gets.

Edge: Michigan
Prediction: 
Michigan 
24, 

Michigan State 14

BREAKDOWN
From Page 6

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Fifth-year senior quarterback John O’Korn will take the field as Michigan’s starter against Michigan State, as Wilton Speight is still sidelined with an injury from Purdue.

TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

