The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, October 12, 2017 — 5A

ACROSS
1 Part of BYOB
and MYOB
4 Band name with
a lightning bolt
slash
8 Unlike a couch
potato
14 T’ai __
15 Afrikaans
speaker
16 9Lives mascot
17 *What may put a
fire in the belly?
19 Makes room on,
as a schedule
20 Window part
21 Mother of Pollux
23 She plays
Crawford in FX’s
“Feud”
24 *Commuter
entertainment
source
27 Regards with
surprise
30 Sped
31 Botch
32 Miracle-__
33 One teaspoon,
e.g.
37 Sponsor’s array
38 *Slick trick
42 Pampering place
43 Lets hit them
45 Pi follower
46 Heroism
48 In-land link?
50 Leopardlike cats
52 *Pre-release
programs
56 Not right
57 Commuter’s
expense
58 Staff symbol
62 Metaphorical
state of agitation
64 What young
people may sow
... and what’s
literally hidden in
the answers to
starred clues
66 Like most
Chaplin films
67 “Uh-huh”
68 By way of
69 Gives a heads-up
70 Drag racing gp.
71 Prompt a
correction

DOWN
1 “Draft Dodger
Rag” folk singer

2 Stop on the trail
3 Quibbles
4 “Defending
Liberty, Pursuing
Justice” org.
5 Might’ve
6 Con man’s forte
7 Set of beliefs
8 “The Walking
Dead” channel
9 Nab
10 Pressure-__
11 Like two-time
Oscar-winning
director Asghar
Farhadi
12 Late summer
sign
13 Steel city near
Cologne
18 Bit
22 Orbit City pooch
25 Starting
26 One in a cel
block
27 FBI guy
28 Assistant
29 “Wanna hear a
secret?”
32 ’60s-’70s Pontiac
34 City that hosts an
annual
Norwegian Wood
music festival

35 Blind __
36 Elephant
flappers
39 Singer Guthrie
40 Golf club part
41 Even once
44 Cutting-edge
horror film?
47 Olds compact
49 Approval
50 Wide-eyed and
wise-looking
51 Telemarketer

52 Light wood
53 It’s often
distributed in 
cc’s
54 Sir or sri
55 Haul to the shop
59 Nesting site
60 Ado
61 Nicholas II was
the last one
63 Some NFL
blockers
65 Raiders’ org.?

By J. Michael McHugh
©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
10/12/17

10/12/17

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

RELEASE DATE– Thursday, October 12, 2017

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

xwordeditor@aol.com

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

The Michigan football team is fourth in the Big Ten East after this weekend, trailing Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State in the standings.

Big Ten Breakdown: Four teams left undefeated in conference play

No. 9 Ohio State
Last result: W, 62-14 versus 

Maryland

Top performer: Quarterback 

J.T. Barrett — 261 yards, three 
touchdowns

Next opponent: At Nebraska

No. 3 Penn State
Last 
result: 
W, 
31-7 
at 

Northwestern

Top performer: Running back 

Saquon Barkley — 16 carries, 75 
yards, two touchdowns

Next opponent: BYE

No. 21 Michigan State
Last 
result: 
W, 
14-10 
at 

Michigan

Top performer: Quarterback 

Brian Lewerke — 94 passing 
yards, one touchdown, 61 rushing 
yards, one touchdown

Next opponent: At Minnesota

No. 17 Michigan
Last result: L, 14-10 versus 

Michigan State

Top 
performer: 
Defensive 

tackle Maurice Hurst — 10 tackles, 
3.5 tackles for loss

Next opponent: At Indiana

Maryland 
Last result: L, 62-14 at Ohio 

State

Top performer: Running back 

Ty Johnson — six kick returns for 
189 yards and a touchdown

Next opponent: Northwestern

Rutgers
Last result: L, 56-0 at Ohio 

State (Sept. 30)

Top performer: Punter Ryan 

Anderson — nine punts, 46.7 
yards per punt

Next opponent: Illinois

Indiana
Last result: W, 27-0 versus 

Charleston Southern

Top performer: Wide Receiver 

Taysir Mack — seven catches, 111 
yards, two touchdowns

Next 
opponent: 
No. 
17 

Michigan 

No. 7 Wisconsin
Last 
result: 
W, 
38-17 
at 

Nebraska

Top performer: Running back 

Jonathan Taylor — 249 rushing 
yards, two touchdowns

Next opponent: Purdue

Nebraska
Last result: L, 38-17 versus 

Wisconsin

Top 
performer: 
Wide 

receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. — 
four receptions, 115 yards, one 
touchdown

Next opponent: Ohio State

Purdue
Last result: W, 31-17 versus 

Minnesota

Top performer: Quarterback 

Elijah Sindelar — 248 yards, one 
touchdown 

Next opponent: at No. 7 

Wisconsin

Iowa
Last result: W, 45-16 versus 

Illinois

Top performer: Quarterback 

Nathan Stanley — 247 yards, three 
touchdowns, one interception

Next opponent: BYE

Minnesota
Last result: L, 

31-17 at Purdue 

Top 

performer: 
Linebacker 
Thomas Barber — 
ten total tackles, 
eight solo, 0.5 sacks 
and 1.5 tackles for 
loss

Next opponent: 

Michigan State

Northwestern
Last result: L, 

31-7 versus Penn 
State

Top 

performer: 
Quarterback Matt 
Alviti 
— 
three 

carries, 20 yards, 
one touchdown

Next opponent: 

At Maryland

Illinois
Last result: L, 16-45 at Iowa

Top performer: Running back 

Mike Epstein — seven catches for 
83 yards

Next opponent: Rutgers 

TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

Defensive line steps into driver’s seat for top-ranked unit

In order to replace all but 

one starter from last year’s 
defensive unit, the No. 17 
Michigan football team went 
through a heated competition 
at nearly every position. 

As the Wolverines’ 2017 

season now approaches its 
sixth week, that competition 
is still in full swing. But rather 
than at each specific position, 
the competition has moved 
between the position groups.

The 
defensive 
line, 

linebackers 
and 
secondary 

have all played a role in 
Michigan 
becoming 
the 

No. 1 overall defense in the 
country in their own unique 
ways. From putting pressure 
on opposing quarterbacks to 
stopping power run games to 
neutralizing fluid pass attacks, 
each specific unit has come 
into its own despite replacing 
so many components of last 
year’s team.

Up until the Michigan State 

game, the linebacker core had 
a pretty tight hold on the top 
spot.

Fifth-year 
senior 
Mike 

McCray, the sole returning 
starter, has led the unit to 
even greater heights in his 
final season as a Wolverine. 
He recorded a career-high 11 
tackles as well as two tackles-
for-loss against Air Force en 
route to a spot in the Big Ten 
Defensive Team of the Week.

McCray has partnered with 

sophomore Devin Bush Jr., who 
has emerged as a consistent 
threat against both opposing 
running and passing games. 
He has racked up 41 tackles, 
six tackles-for-loss, five sacks 
and four pass breakups in just 
five games this season. Last 
week, Bush was added to the 
Chuck Bednarik Award watch 

list, which honors the best 
defensive player in the nation.

The unit has also received 

standout contributions from 
sophomore 
Khaleke 
Hudson, 
who 

now 
occupies 

the VIPER role 
made 
famous 

by 
former 

Wolverine 
Jabrill Peppers. 
Hudson 
made 

his first career 
interception 
against 
Air 

Force, along with five tackles 
and a career-high three pass 
breakups. 
Just 
two 
other 

Michigan players have a pick 
to their names.

The defensive line has given 

the linebackers a run for their 
money, though. And against 
the Spartans, the D-line made 

its 
strongest 

case yet.

The 
trio 
of 

fifth-year tackle 
Maurice Hurst, 
redshirt junior 
end 
Chase 

Winovich 
and 

sophomore end 
Rashan 
Gary 

had 
arguably 

their 
best 

performance 

of 
the 
season 
individually 

and collectively despite the 
loss. 
Defensive 
line 
coach 

Greg Mattison took the time 
Wednesday to praise each of 

the three for their respective 
performances on Saturday.

In his breakout game of the 

year, Hurst tallied 10 tackles 
with a whopping 
3.5 for loss in 
the middle.

“(He) 
had 

a 
really 
good 

ball 
game,” 

Mattison 
said. 

“(He) 
has 

done 
some 

really, 
really 

good 
things. 

Obviously, 
as 

a senior, in big 
games, you want to play your 
best. He’s been practicing that 
way to do it, and I was happy 
for him.

“He’s 
capable 
of 
doing 

that a lot this year. He’s very 
explosive. The thing I’m proud 
of is that he’s been a good 
leader and he’s worked very, 

very hard. And 
the 
guys 
look 

up to him and 
you want guys 
like that to have 
the reward of 
playing 
like 

that.”

Winovich, 

who was another 
midseason 
addition 
to 

the 
Bednarik 

Award watch list after earning 
Walter Camp Defensive Player 
of the Week honors, made 
nine 
tackles 
and 
notched 

one quarterback hit from the 

outside.

“There was a play in that 

Michigan State game — when 
he broke the run,” Mattison 
said. “(He) ran around the 
entire defense and ended up 
making the tackle 50 yards 
downfield. And there were 
secondary guys running as 
hard as they could.

“It’s just Chase’s burning 

desire to be the best he can be.”

Gary, who — along with 

Hurst — had already been 
named 
to 
the 
Bednarik 

Award watch list, recorded 
eight 
tackles 
and 
another 

quarterback hit from the edge.

“I’m very proud of Rashan 

because he continues to try 
to work on his technique and 
continues to try to do what 
the defense asks him to do,” 
Mattison 
said. 
“And 
great 

things are going to happen 
because of that.

“He’s right down the middle 

of a tight end, whereas you see 
(Hurst) is shaded on a guard, 
you see the nose is shaded 
on a guard and (Winovich) 
is shaded on a tackle, so you 
already 
have 
the 
edge. 
… 

Some guys at some programs 
would complain about that. 
He doesn’t. He just plays the 
defense like it’s supposed to be 
played.”

While Mattison lauded his 

unit, linebackers coach Chris 
Partridge 
expressed 
less 

enthusiasm about his.

“We were okay — not our 

best performance — but again, 
(we) didn’t do things to win the 
game.”

Almost halfway through the 

2017 season, the two position 
groups are still battling it out 
on a weekly basis. Though 
the defensive line has now 
stepped into the driver’s seat, 
the ongoing competition has 
ultimately 
helped 
lead 
the 

defense to the top spot overall.

Against Michigan State, the Wolverines’ front three made their claim for the best position group 

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Fifth-year senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst shined on the defensive line against the Spartans, along with linemates Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary.

BETELHEM ASHAME

Managing Sports Editor

You want guys 
like that to have 
the reward of 

playing like that

It’s just (his) 
burning desire 
to be the best 

he can be

