The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
 Friday, October 13, 2017 — 7

What to Watch For: Can O’Korn bounce back against Indiana?

Michigan (1-1 Big Ten, 4-1 

overall) has its sights set on 
running the table.

The 17th-ranked Wolverines 

lost their first game of the 
season last week, and now they 
face the daunting challenge 
of 
bouncing 
back 
from 

disappointment. With the bye 
week already behind it, the 
Michigan football team hasn’t 
had much time to process its 
shocking 
loss 
to 
Michigan 

State.

But the Wolverines can’t 

afford to allow the setback to 
linger in their minds, and they 
have said as much throughout 

the week. Their goal is to win 
out, starting with Indiana on 
Saturday.

Here’s what to watch for 

when 
Michigan 
travels 
to 

Bloomington to take on the 
Hoosiers:

1. Can John O’Korn bounce 

back?

Though 
the 
Wolverines 

themselves said the fault for the 
unexpected defeat should be 
spread around evenly amongst 
the 
team, 
fifth-year 
senior 

quarterback John O’Korn did 
throw three interceptions on 
three consecutive possessions 
amid a raging monsoon.

While he doesn’t necessarily 

call the plays, he still has to 
execute them when called upon, 
which he readily admitted after 
the game last Saturday. He also 
has to be a beacon of leadership, 
as Michigan will need to lean 
on him against Indiana.

As 
has 
been 
clearly 

documented, O’Korn has faced 
his fair share of adversity both 
before and during his Wolverine 
career. Perhaps more so than 
many of his teammates, he 
should have an understanding 
of how to turn bumps in the 
road into breakthroughs.

The 
Wolverines 
will 
be 

counting on O’Korn to correct 
course, both for himself and 
for the team, in order to avoid 
another 
stumbling 
block 

against the Hoosiers — one that 
would surely become a sinkhole 
for 
their 
championship 

aspirations.

2. Will Ty Isaac be given 

another chance to start?

Fifth-year 
senior 
running 

back 
Ty 
Isaac 
became 
a 

sacrificial lamb of sorts in the 
wake of the Michigan State 
loss.

On 
Michigan’s 
second 

possession, the ball went to 
freshman 
receiver 
Donovan 

Peoples-Jones 
and 
then 
to 

sophomore 
running 
back 

Chris Evans on the ground. 
Following their strategy of 
spreading the ball around, 

the Wolverines put the ball in 
Isaac’s hands next. At the very 
end of his run, the ball was 
poked out of Isaac’s grasp. He 
didn’t see the field again for 
the rest of the half.

After breaking out as one of 

the best offensive performers 
on the team over the first three 
weeks, Isaac fell on hard times 
as soon as the Big Ten season 
began. Against both Purdue and 
Michigan State, the starting job 
went to junior running back 
Karan Higdon.

Indiana 
found 
success 

stopping 
the 
run 
against 

Penn State, but doesn’t boast 
a particularly strong rushing 
defense — the Hoosiers are 
ranked 67th nationally with 
an 
average 
of 
152.4 
yards 

allowed per game. Saturday 
could provide an opportunity 
for Isaac to reclaim his carries. 
That is, if Michigan puts the 
ball back in his hands.

3. How long can the defense 

hold onto its top spot?

In possibly one of the biggest 

surprises of the 2017 season, 
the Wolverines have the No. 1 
defense in the nation despite 
losing all but one starter from 
last year.

Each opposing offense has 

offered a different look for the 
Wolverines to handle, and they 
have been able to neutralize 
them all. After installing the 
3-3-5 scheme earlier this year, 
defensive 
coordinator 
Don 

Brown has his unit ready to 
face arguably any team in the 
country.

But even the defense’s best 

efforts may not be enough for 
Michigan if its offense can’t 
stop giving up possessions. 
The Wolverines’ offense has 
frequently put the defense in 
a hole with its sloppy play this 
year, which is a disconcerting 

trend, to say the least. When 
Michigan gave up its most 
points of the season — which 
was just 17 against Florida — 
the offense was to blame, as 
redshirt 
junior 
quarterback 

Wilton Speight threw back-to-
back pick-sixes.

And 
then 
against 
the 

Spartans, 
the 
Wolverines 

turned the ball over a whopping 
five times, and it cost them 
dearly. The defense can only 
save Michigan so many times.

4. Will Michigan overlook 

Indiana with Penn State a 
week away?

It isn’t that Indiana is a bad 

team; it’s that the Nittany Lions 
are serious contenders for the 
College Football Playoff, which 
is where the Wolverines hoped 
they would still be at this point 
in the season. 

But after Michigan’s loss 

to 
an 
unranked 
Michigan 

State, that dream seems all 
but crushed. The Hoosiers’ 0-2 
conference record, meanwhile, 
is understandable given that 
their two opponents were then-
No. 2 Ohio State and then-No. 4 
Penn State.

The next feasible scenario 

that would allow the Wolverines 
to sneak back into playoff 
contention would be to pull 
off an upset victory over the 
Nittany Lions in State College 
— a highly daunting proposition 
before even mentioning that 
it is set to be a whiteout game 
in primetime. As is often the 
case, though, that attractive 
possibility can cause a team 
to look past a less formidable 
opponent.

Michigan spent the week 

claiming 
that 
all 
of 
its 

preseason goals are still in 
front of it. If that is truly the 
case, the Wolverines now have 
no margin of error.

Breakdown: Wolverines will need defense to play hero again

There 
was 
a 
torrential 

downpour 
Saturday 
night, 

the 
Michigan 
football 
team 

turned the ball over five times 
— 
including 
three 
second-

half interceptions — and the 
Wolverines 
were 
upset 
by 

Michigan State, 14-10. You may 
have heard already.

Now, 
there’s 
no 
dancing 

around it: No. 17 Michigan (1-1 
Big Ten, 4-1 overall) will have 
to use the loss to the Spartans 
as motivation because, barring 
some help from around the Big 
Ten, the Wolverines can’t win 
the conference with another 
loss. They aren’t blind to that 
fact, as fifth-year senior center 
Patrick Kugler was quick to 
acknowledge 
Monday 
that 

Michigan will probably need 
to win out to accomplish their 
preseason goals.

The first step on that daunting 

path begins in Bloomington this 
Saturday.

The Wolverines will face 

Indiana (0-2, 3-2) with hopes 
of redemption, no matter how 
slight it may be. The Daily breaks 
down the matchup:

Michigan pass offense vs. 

Indiana pass defense

For 
fifth-year 
senior 

quarterback 
John 
O’Korn, 

his 
270-yard 
performance 

against Purdue may have been 
a deviation from the norm. 
O’Korn completed 16 of his 35 
attempts for 198 yards against 
the Spartans, and threw three 
interceptions to make matters 
worse. 
Make 
no 
mistake, 

weather played a factor last 
Saturday and O’Korn was the 
victim of some questionable play 
calling once the storm hit Ann 
Arbor.

But the Wolverines’ offensive 

line isn’t doing O’Korn any 
favors and the Hoosiers have 
enough talent to give Michigan 
trouble. Rashad Fant has proven 
he can be a shutdown corner, 
recording 22 pass break ups as 
a sophomore (second nationally) 
and notching another 17 last 
year (tied second nationally). 

His counterparts haven’t fared 
so well, allowing an average of 
298 yards against Ohio State, 
Virginia and Penn State.

Still, linebacker Tegray Scales 

is the star of a Tom Allen defense 
that isn’t afraid to blitz, and the 
Hoosiers could spend a lot of 
time threatening O’Korn given 
the state of the offensive line.

Overall, it’s hard to bet on this 

Wolverine offense right now.

Edge: Indiana

Michigan rush offense vs. 

Indiana rush defense

Sophomore 
running 
back 

Chris Evans and sophomore 
left guard Ben Bredeson both 
said that Michigan has focused 
on reestablishing its run game 
in practice this week. If a back 
fumbled, he had to run a lap. If a 
back carried the ball too loosely, 
he had to sit out of practice for 
roughly 10 minutes.

And given that the Wolverines 

have fumbled eight times — 
losing six of them — through 
five games, that all makes sense. 
If Michigan shows a dedication 
to the run game and takes care 
of the ball better, it wouldn’t be 
surprising.

But there is also this to 

consider: when the Hoosiers 
faced Penn State on Sept. 30, 
running back Saquon Barkley 
managed just 56 yards on 20 
carries for an average of 2.8 
yards per carry.

Edge: Indiana

Indiana pass offense vs. 

Michigan pass defense

Like 
the 
Wolverines, 
the 

Hoosiers have themselves a 
new quarterback in redshirt 
freshman Peyton Ramsey, who 
led his team to a 27-0 win against 
FCS 
opponent 
Charleston 

Southern last week.

Ramsey fared well in his 

starting debut, completing 32 
of his 41 passes for 321 yards 
with two touchdowns and an 
interception while also rushing 
for 
54 
yards 
and 
another 

touchdown. 
Now, 
though, 

Ramsey is facing an entirely 
different challenge.

Michigan still boasts the top 

overall defense in the nation and 

the Wolverines’ secondary is 
allowing just 126 passing yards 
per game — good for second in 
the country.

Like 
Michigan 
State 

quarterback 
Brian 
Lewerke, 

Ramsey presents a threat both 
on the ground and in the air, 
but it’s difficult to imagine him 
besting this defense in his first 
Big Ten start.

Edge: Michigan

Indiana rush offense vs. 

Michigan rush defense

The Hoosiers average 3.6 

yards per rush. Michigan is 
holding opponents to 2.6 in the 
same category.

The Wolverines allowed only 

one first down in the second 
half against Michigan State, 
continuing their affinity for 
shutting down opponents late in 
games.

Defensive 
tackle 
Maurice 

Hurst 
is 
coming 
off 
a 

performance that featured 10 
total tackles (3.5 for loss). His 

supporting cast is more than 
formidable and if the past is any 
indication, the first half will be 
ugly and the second half will 
only get uglier.

Edge: Michigan

Special teams
This one could be the most 

competitive phase of the game.

Indiana’s Griffin Oakes is a 

perfect 5-for-5 on field goals this 
year, with his longest conversion 
coming from 51 yards. Wide 
receiver 
J-Shun 
Harris 
is 

averaging 22.8 yards per punt 
return with two touchdowns. 
And the Hoosiers are averaging 
18.4 yards per kick return.

Michigan, in its own right, 

has 
redshirt 
junior 
James 

Foug, redshirt freshman Quinn 
Nordin, and freshmen Donovan 
Peoples-Jones and Brad Robbins.

Since missing two field goals 

in the season opener against 
Florida, Nordin has been perfect. 
Foug has held the kickoff spot 
from the beginning, recording 

21 touchbacks in his 31 attempts. 
Since taking over as the starting 
punter, Robbins is averaging 41.6 
yards per punt. Peoples-Jones 
may fall behind Harris, as he 
averages just 12 yards per punt 
return, but he has returned one 
for a touchdown.

Edge: Push

Intangibles
The Wolverines are walking 

into a Homecoming matchup in 
Bloomington, but they do so with 
a point to prove. The Spartans 
left a sour taste in Michigan’s 
mouth for the second time in 
three years, and the Wolverines 
know they can’t afford another 
upset 
— 
especially 
with 

matchups at No. 7 Wisconsin 
and No. 3 Penn State left on the 
docket before a home conclusion 
against No. 9 Ohio State.

As Kugler put it Monday: 

“Everyone’s just got to sack up. 
It’s time to go.”

Edge: Michigan
Pick: Michigan 16, Indiana 3

KEVIN SANTO

Managing Sports Editor

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Fifth-year senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst headed the Wolverines’ top-ranked defense last week, recording 10 total tackles against Michigan State.

BY THE NUMBERS

No. 17 Michigan vs. Indiana

22.8

Yards per punt return for Indiana’s 

J-Shun Harris.

375

All-purpose yards for quarterback 
Peyton Ramsey in his starting debut 

against Charleston Southern.

213

Yards allowed per game — good to 
cement Michigan’s defense as the 

top unit in the nation.

6

Fumbles lost by the Wolverines 

through five games.

BETELHEM ASHAME

Managing Sports Editor

Michigan’s fifth-year senior quarterback must recover from a three-interception outing against Michigan State

EMMA RICHTER/Daily

Fifth-year senior quarterback John O’Korn is in search of yet another redemption moment after shouldering the blame for the loss to Michgian State on Saturday.

