8A — Friday, October 20, 2017
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
What to Watch For: No. 2 Penn State
This week’s focus is all on fifth-
year senior quarterback John
O’Korn and the No. 19 Michigan
football team’s offense.
The Wolverines are No. 1 in
total defense, but No. 98 in total
offense. It’s clear where the
problem lies.
Michigan (2-1 Big Ten, 5-1
overall) scarcely beat Indiana last
week and now faces a superior
opponent in No. 2 Penn State (3-0,
6-0).
Here’s what to watch for when
the Wolverines take on Penn
State this weekend as nine-point
underdogs.
1. Can O’Korn connect with
his receivers?
When O’Korn lit up Purdue,
it seemed as if the then-backup
quarterback would do just fine.
But in two games since beating
the Boilermakers, O’Korn has
completed just 47 percent of his
passes for 256 total yards and zero
touchdowns.
He notably overthrew freshman
receiver Donovon Peoples-Jones
on a wide-open go route last week.
That is not only a pass that he is
expected to make, but a type of
pass that Speight had been able
to before he got injured. O’Korn
admitted this week that he needs
to hit those open receivers.
If he can land just two or three
passes in the 20 to 30-yard range
— which he couldn’t against
Indiana — it will force Penn State’s
secondary to play back a bit, which
should help open the Wolverines’
run game as well.
2. How far can the running
backs carry the Wolverines?
Junior running back Karan
Higdon stole the show against the
Hoosiers, but all season long, the
running back trio — which also
includes fifth-year senior Ty Isaac
and sophomore Chris Evans — has
been the backbone of Michigan’s
offense. Higdon leads the team
with five rushing touchdowns,
and Evans and Isaac trail him
with two and one, respectively.
Michigan has depth at running
back and a handful of nifty plays in
its back pocket. Sophomore receiver
Eddie McDoom contributes with
his jet sweeps, fifth-year senior
Khalid Hill consistently gets the
short gains and even the highly
anticipated
redshirt
freshman
running back Kareem Walker got
into the mix against Indiana.
But Penn State surely knows
all of this and will be prepared to
stop the run. If the Nittany Lions
pack the line of scrimmage with
players, then only time will tell
how far all these running backs
can really go.
3. Was the offensive line’s
performance against Indiana a
one-time thing?
Michigan’s offensive line played
an all-around consistent game for
the first time against the Hoosiers.
The question is whether or not the
offensive line can hold up again.
With the left side of the line
sured up by senior tackle Mason
Cole and sophomore guard Ben
Bredeson, the fate falls on redshirt
junior right tackle Juwann Bushell-
Beatty and sophomore right guard
Michael Onwenu. Bushell-Beatty
started last weekend and played
the entire game.
Pass protection was better than
ever, as O’Korn wasn’t sacked
— the first time this year that a
Michigan quarterback didn’t get
taken down.
Indiana’s
defensive
line,
though, is likely not as threatening
as Penn State’s. The Nittany Lions
have accumulated 17 sacks and 51
total tackles for loss this year.
Can
Michigan’s
offensive
line keep up with Penn State’s
aggressive defense? We’ll find out
on Saturday.
4. Switching it up. You know
about Barkley and McSorley,
but keep an eye on these other
players for Penn State’s offense.
Wide
receiver
DaeSean
Hamilton has been the beneficiary
of quarterback Trace McSorley’s
relentless throwing arm over the
past few years, and the trend has
continued into this season.
The fifth-year senior averages 61
receiving yards per game, and has
four touchdown catches. Behind
running back Saquon Barkley,
Hamilton should be McSorley’s
next
most-targeted
receiver.
Finally, with an average of 16.6
yards per catch, Hamilton often
finds himself on the receiving
end of some of McSorley’s biggest
throws.
Tight end Mike Gesicki also
has four receiving touchdowns
for Penn State this year and has
amassed a total of 176 receiving
yards. Gesicki stands tall at 6-foot-
6, which should be a big red flag for
Michigan’s undersized backfield.
McSorley and Barkley are the
Nittany Lions’ biggest playmakers,
but Gesicki and Hamilton can be
just as dangerous.
MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily
Fifth-year senior quarterback John O’Korn needs to find a rhythm with his receivers for Michigan’s offense to succeed.
Behind Enemy Lines: Penn State beat writer Jill Beckman
For Michigan, it all comes down
to this.
Win on the road against No.
2 Penn State, and the College
Football Playoff is still in sight.
Lose?
Well, that outcome is much less
rosy.
The
Wolverines
will
enter
Happy Valley on Saturday night
as the underdogs for the first time
all year. It’ll be their biggest test
of the season so far — the Nittany
Lions boast the nation’s top scoring
defense and have a high-powered
offense led by running back Saquon
Barkley, an early contender for the
Heisman Trophy.
The
Michigan
Daily
spoke
with Jill Beckman of The Daily
Collegian and Philly Inquirer
ahead of this week’s game about
Barkley, Penn State’s defense and
what it will take for the Wolverines
to pull off an upset.
TMD: “I really want to hear
your thoughts on this team this
year. 6-0, (ranked) No. 2 — what’s
impressed you the most so far?”
JB: “Yeah, you’re right, the
undefeated
record
is
really
impressive, but also they haven’t
had too much of a test so far.
They’ve had some challenging Big
Ten opponents but this three-game
stretch is going to be the hardest of
the season. What’s impressed me
the most, obviously, (running back)
Saquon (Barkley) is being Saquon.
Franklin said that we’re going to
see some new tricks from him the
second half of the season. I think
they were saving some big things
for him, so I don’t think we’ve
seen his full potential yet. And
then our defense has been looking
really good. Yeah, I would say
right now, the defense and I think
(quarterback) Trace McSorley have
been impressing. His numbers
have improved a little bit since last
year, but the offensive line has been
struggling so he hasn’t looked as
good as he possibly could, but I still
think he’s a solid quarterback.”
TMD: “Yeah, so I noticed
Barkley has been held under 100
yards rushing for four out of the
six games this year. How have
teams really been able to stop him?
Have they been loading up the box,
or has it just been the offensive
line unable to block six or seven
people?”
JB: “I think the offensive line is
to blame completely. They haven’t
been looking good, and we’ve been
seeing Trace being sacked a number
of times per game, and they’re
containing Saquon. That’ll be a
struggle too this weekend. I think
it’ll be the biggest test basically on
both ends — if Michigan’s defense
can contain Saquon, that shows a
lot from them and then if Saquon
can get past the best defense in the
country, then that shows a lot from
Penn State’s offense. So I think
it’ll be a test on both ends but the
offensive line has been Penn State’s
biggest struggle right now.”
TMD: “That Iowa game — close
call, but Penn State had nearly 600
yards of offense. I don’t think that’s
quite sustainable for teams to try to
upset, if they’re getting outgained
like 600 to 273. What would you
say is the more realistic path to an
upset for Michigan?”
JB: “I mean, it’s going to be them
playing really solid on defense. I just
don’t think, from what we’ve seen,
that their offense will be able to
put up a lot of points this weekend.
I just don’t see that happening. So
I think the way to the upset will
be containing Saquon and the rest
of the offense, getting to Trace
because, like I said, the OL hasn’t
been looking good. Yeah, scoring
as many points as you can against
Penn State’s defense — which isn’t
easy — but I think the key to a
Michigan upset would be showing
that their defense is as good as it’s
been all year, as good as people say
it is.”
TMD: “Another big part of that
Penn State offense is (tight end)
Mike Gesicki. He had those four
touchdowns in the first two weeks,
but it seems like he’s really slowed
down in production in the four
games since. What have teams
been throwing at him to stop him?
Is it something where teams are
focusing so hard on Gesicki that
Penn State’s spreading the ball
to the outside receivers, or is it
something where Penn State just
needs to get him going at some
point?”
JB: “I think teams have noticed
that he makes the big plays once in
awhile. He’s not going to be that guy
every time, but he makes those big
plays here and there, and they’ve
noticed that. Gesicki wasn’t always
this good, he had a few pretty bad
seasons, and all of a sudden now,
he’s this really great player. So I
think Penn State, like you said, is
trying to spread the ball out more
because opponents are starting to
pick up on that.”
TMD: “You talked earlier about
that defense. Michigan’s pretty
highly-touted, but Penn State is
No. 1 in scoring defense right now
— what has stood out to you about
Penn State’s defense so far?”
JB: “A lot has stood out. They’re
getting a lot of turnovers, which
is a key part, and then you have a
lot of guys who are really versatile
and they’re making those big
plays and if they get the ball on
defense, they’re going to go score
a touchdown. You’re seeing a lot of
those big plays. It’s actually funny
because at practice yesterday,
(defensive end) Shareef Miller, he
… basically said, ‘They’re acting
like we’re nothing but we’re going
to show them who the best defense
is Saturday.’ I think that was it. So I
mean, they can do a lot more. They
can score. That’s going to be huge.”
TMD: “On defense, what has
been the most impressive unit to
you so far? I know last year, I think
Garrett Sickels is gone, he was that
defensive end that was pretty good.
Linebackers, cornerbacks, who has
stood out to you so far on defense?”
JB: “You have Marcus Allen,
he’s been really impressing. He’s
a safety. You have Jason Cabinda
at middle linebacker, he’s been
consistent the past few years.
He’s always been solid. That’s a
good question — there’s so many.
I would say asides from those two,
(cornerback) Grant Haley, he’s
been really impressive. He just
got named to some Watch List or
Award List or something. Shareef
Miller has been good. I think those
guys are the key pieces.”
TMD:
“Looking
at
special
teams, Tyler Davis the kicker last
year put up elite numbers, 22-of-24,
this year under 50 percent, what
has gone wrong with him so far?”
JB: “That’s a good question. I
think we’re all kind of wondering
the same thing. Last year, he was so
impressive. I don’t know that I have
the answer for you, to be honest.”
TMD: “Are they going to bring
in another kicker, or is this his
job? Is it just his job until they find
someone else, I’m not really sure
who else they have on the roster.”
JB: “I don’t think they have
much depth at that position, as far
as I know. It’s just going to be him
unless something changes. To be
honest, I can’t tell you what’s gone
wrong with him. It was such a
dramatic decrease in production
from him. Last year, everyone was
raving about him. This year, the
stats are just not looking good at all
for him.”
TMD: “It seems like that’s one
area that’s a little under-discussed
when it comes to Penn State,
because you look at the offense,
McSorley, Barkley, Gesicki. But
it could really hurt them in big
games, right, because against Iowa,
two-point victory and he missed
two field goals — you wouldn’t even
have needed that touchdown if he
had made those, right?”
JB: “Yeah, definitely. And I
think asides from Tyler Davis’s
drop in production, I think the
special teams unit has actually
been really solid. Even this week,
James Franklin actually said the
special teams unit has had the best
two days of practice that they’ve
had since he became coach at
Penn State. So they made some
tweaks, I guess, so maybe we’ll see
some better stuff from them this
weekend. But that was something
that stood out in my mind, for
sure.”
TMD: “And then to wrap
things up — it really seems, in the
past few years and maybe even
before that, that this has taken on
a new meaning, the game between
these two teams. Would you see
it as a rivalry, maybe, on par with
Michigan-MSU, Michigan-OSU, or
do you think it’s still on its way to
getting there?”
JB: “Looking at it right now,
obviously all three of those teams
are ranked now, and at this point
last year, we definitely could not
say that Penn State is on the same
level as those two teams. After that
Michigan game last year, Penn
State-Michigan, it was a disaster
for Penn State. But now they’re
definitely on that level. I’d say that,
yeah, they’re definitely rivals now
because it’s a competition. It’s not
obvious that Michigan’s going to
beat Penn State or it’s not even
obvious that Ohio State’s going to
beat Penn State. So I would say it’s
a rivalry because they’re all playing
at a really high level.”
TMD: “Because it just seems
like, in the week leading up to the
game, from both sides there’s been
a little different atmosphere when
the players and coaches have been
talking about this matchup in
particular.”
JB: “Obviously, Michigan and
Ohio State, those Big Ten teams
have always been, at least recently,
our biggest games, but Penn State
wasn’t at the level of a Michigan
or Ohio State the past few years.
So it’s definitely different this year
now that Penn State’s ranked No. 2
right now. The Big Ten East is just
so good right now.”
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, an early Heisman Trophy contender, leads his team’s high-powered offense.
ORION SANG
Daily Sports Editor
TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer