The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
October 23, 2017 — 3B
Five Things We Learned: It’s officially a rebuilding year
Just last fall, it was Michigan
celebrating
a
lopsided
victory over Penn State. The
Wolverines
were
the
toast
of
college
football,
poised
to
contend
for
a
national
championship.
What a difference one year
makes.
The
two
teams
have
seemingly switched places. The
Nittany Lions recovered from
that loss and went on to win
the conference title. Michigan
ended the year with three
losses in four games — and has
now dropped two of its last
three.
“We’ll find out a lot about
this team, about this program
over the next few weeks,” said
fifth-year senior quarterback
John O’Korn.
That’s certainly true. But
we discovered a lot about the
Wolverines in their 42-13 loss
to Penn State, as well.
Here are five things we
learned from Saturday night’s
game.
1. Wolverines are rebuilding,
not reloading
Urban Meyer won a national
championship
in
his
third
year at Ohio State. So did Nick
Saban.
It’s safe to say now that Jim
Harbaugh won’t do the same.
And, given everything we knew
about this team, perhaps that
shouldn’t have been a surprise.
After all, Michigan brought
back
just
two
starters
on
offense
in
redshirt
junior
quarterback
Wilton
Speight
and senior offensive tackle
Mason Cole. On defense, fifth-
year senior linebacker Mike
McCray and fifth-year senior
defensive
tackle
Maurice
Hurst were the only returning
starters.
It’s
exceedingly
difficult
for
teams
to
replace
that
many departures — and even
more difficult to replace them
with players who are in their
first and second years, like
Michigan has been forced to
do. The depth from players who
are now upperclassmen — those
who joined the team in the
2013, 2014 and 2015 recruiting
classes — is severely lacking.
No
matter
what
the
Wolverines
said
in
the
offseason, it was always going
to be tough to keep things
running as smoothly as they
had last year (at least through
November). And now, with two
losses in conference play and
the Big Ten Title and College
Football Playoff both out of
sight, one thing has become
very clear: this is a rebuilding
year
for
Harbaugh
and
Michigan.
2. Matchups won the game
for Penn State
In
the
third
quarter,
Michigan’s
6-foot-4,
248-
pound middle linebacker found
himself in pass coverage on
Saquon Barkley.
Predictably,
things
didn’t
end well for Mike McCray on
that play. But that isn’t his
fault — that’s just better work
by Joe Moorhead, Penn State’s
offensive coordinator.
Moorhead put his players
in positions to make plays
all night, whether that was
feeding Barkley the ball, giving
receiver
DaeSean
Hamilton
favorable matchups out of the
slot against Michigan’s safeties
or allowing McSorley to make
easy decisions with run-pass
options.
Michigan,
meanwhile,
was unable to do the same on
offense. The Wolverines’ last-
ditch attempt on fourth-and-
eleven ended with O’Korn on
the ground, only one of the
seven times he was sacked on
the night. Because O’Korn had
to sell the play action, he had
his back turned for most of the
play, and Michigan didn’t leave
any extra blockers in to help
with pass protection.
He never even had a chance.
3. Quarterback play wasn’t
the problem
O’Korn’s
performance
as
the starter this year has come
under criticism, and rightfully
so. Before Saturday, he was
averaging under five yards
per
attempt
as
Michigan’s
pass offense scuffled along.
On Saturday night, though, he
played much better than he
had against Michigan State or
Indiana.
O’Korn
completed
16-of-
28
passes
for
166
yards,
approaching
six
yards
per
attempt — and that number
should’ve
been
higher,
as
several of his passes were
dropped. O’Korn consistently
made plays with his feet,
as well, ripping off several
scrambles and picking up first
downs when things broke down
in the pocket.
It
wasn’t
a
perfect
performance.
But
it
was
still a step forward — and if
O’Korn remains the starter
going forward over redshirt
freshman Brandon Peters, it’s
the type of performance he’ll
need to replicate for Michigan
to win games.
4.
Michigan’s
defensive
line needed to play better
The Wolverines needed to
make big defensive plays to have
any chance at pulling off the
upset. And while David Long
did make a big interception and
Lavert Hill recorded a crucial
pass breakup on fourth-and-
seven, the defensive line was
uncharacteristically
silent.
None of the starting defensive
linemen — Hurst, sophomore
defensive end Rashan Gary,
redshirt junior defensive end
Chase Winovich or redshirt
junior defensive tackle Bryan
Mone — recorded a sack.
The Nittany Lions managed
to stay away from Hurst and
Gary most of the game, while
Winovich’s effectiveness was
limited — perhaps due to an
injury he suffered that took him
into the locker room. Either
way,
Michigan
desperately
needed a big game from its
fearsome defensive front to
slow down the Penn State
attack, and that didn’t happen.
5.
BOLD
PREDICTION:
Brandon Peters starts seeing
time next week
Asking
the
redshirt
freshman to brave the hostile
road environment at Happy
Valley might’ve been too tall of
a task. But now, Michigan may
have no choice but to roll the
dice with Peters. The Big Ten
title is out of reach. So are the
playoffs. O’Korn won’t be back
next year, and Speight’s future
remains unknown.
The Wolverines have nothing
to lose by giving Peters time in the
upcoming weeks in preparation
for a larger role next year. After
all, Rutgers, Minnesota and
Maryland are hardly Murderers’
Row, and Michigan can still give
O’Korn a majority of the snaps
while still integrating Peters into
the offense.
ORION SANG
Daily Sports Editor
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is facing the prospect of a third consecutive season in which his Wolverines finished third or worse in conference competition.
Third period key for ‘M’ in sweep
As the horn sounded at the
end of the first period Friday
night, freshman forward Josh
Norris was down on the ice and
unable to stand. He had been
blindsided by a Vermont player
between the circles and was
writhing in pain. Norris couldn’t
walk off under his own strength.
With his arms wrapped around
two teammates’ shoulders, he
skated off to the dressing room,
having only a missed penalty
shot to show for it.
Fast forward to under five
minutes into the third period,
and the Michigan hockey team
was up 2-0. Having shrugged
off the pain, Norris received a
leading pass in the middle of
the ice from sophomore forward
Jake Slaker and found himself
one-on-one
against
Vermont
goaltender
Stefanos
Lekkas.
The left-hander wouldn’t make
the same mistake twice, deking
the netminder and driving the
puck into the net, glove side.
Less than three minutes later,
Norris scored his second goal,
a backhander in front of the net
off a pass from fellow freshman
Quinn Hughes.
Bouncing
back
from
an
underwhelming
first
two periods in a game the
Wolverines eventually won 4-1
on Friday, Norris became the
first Michigan player to score
twice in his home debut since
Kyle Connor in 2015.
Saturday
night
was
a
different story for Norris and
the Wolverines, entering the
final period trailing 2-1. With
limited shots on goal through
two periods, Michigan was 20
minutes away from splitting
its second series in as many
weekends.
Skating
off
the
ice after the second period,
the Wolverines were visibly
frustrated
about
failing
to
capitalize on scoring chances.
But with under five minutes
to go in the third, Slaker stepped
up when his team needed it the
most, scoring the equalizer from
the right faceoff circle to tie the
game at two. Then, with just 54
seconds left, Slaker delivered
another wrist shot that sailed
into the back of the net to clinch
Michigan’s third win and first
weekend sweep on the season.
“It’s good they get rewarded
for staying with the game plan
and hanging in there,” said
Michigan coach Mel Pearson
after Saturday’s victory. “Our
third periods have been pretty
good this year so far, so it’s good
to see that we’re a third-period
team.”
Norris and Slaker followed
eerily
parallel
paths
in
consecutive games. After four
straight
periods
without
a
goal, the 18-year-old Norris
had to mentally put aside his
disappointing start and refocus
before he finally broke through.
Less than 24 hours later, Slaker
also had to discard from his
mind the uninspiring hockey
played through the first two
periods to get the offense back
on track.
“I think you just have to keep
pressing,” Norris said Friday. “I
was frustrated with myself, had
some really good opportunities
in the first and second. My
teammates made some great
plays and I wasn’t converting, so
I knew I had to bear down and
eventually I knew something
was going to go in, so I was
happy that happened in the
third.”
Added Slaker on Saturday:
“We just try to stay focused and
it doesn’t matter if they score
within the first five minutes or
in the first 20, we still have 40
minutes left to play after that. …
We just keep playing our game.”
Pearson’s praise of the two
was oddly parallel, too.
“(Norris) stepped his game
up even from two weeks ago,”
Pearson said. “He looks like a
different player than he was.
… He’s a character kid, he’s got
a lot of character. I thought he
had a strong game. He plays
both ends of the rink and he got
rewarded.”
One night later, the same
could be said about Slaker.
“You see what Jake’s all
about, he can play any way you
want,” Pearson said. “He can
play a skill game, he can play
a physical game, he can play a
skating game, he’s got it all. He’s
one of our hardest workers in
practice and in games, so it was
nice for him to get rewarded.”
Pearson
emphasized
the
word
“rewarded”
countless
times following both Friday
and Saturday’s contests against
Vermont. For Norris, Slaker
and the entire team, Pearson
chalked the victories up to being
rewarded for hard work on both
sides of the ice, playing through
adversity and for sticking to the
game plan.
Pearson admits that some
nights the puck simply doesn’t
bounce in his team’s favor. But he
also knows that if the Wolverines
can continue to dig deep and
fight past early setbacks, it’s the
later moments of the game when
they will capitalize and squeeze
out important wins. And if they
can do that, they will certainly
be rewarded.
BENJAMIN KATZ
Daily Sports Writer
Behind Josh Norris and Jake Slaker, the Wolverines used
the third-period to help lead them to a sweep over Vermont
It’s good they
get rewarded
for staying with
the game plan
and hanging in
there.
McSorley, Hamilton dominate
Michigan’s safeties in blowout
STATE COLLEGE — Trace
McSorley knew he was going to face
man coverage. His receiving core
did too. And every passing offense
that has faced Michigan since Don
Brown’s arrival in 2016 has known
the same thing.
The difference, though, is that
McSorley — along with wide
receiver DaeSean Hamilton — were
the ones to beat it. And they beat it
badly.
For all the shine that this unit
has received, for one night in State
College, the Wolverines’ defense got
punched in the mouth. It conceded
42 points — the highest total since
Ohio State hit the same mark in
2015. And it gave up 506 yards, 282
of which came in the air.
“I think we just did a really good
job of manipulating our matchups
and taking advantage of them,”
McSorley said. “Our guys did a great
job winning versus man. We knew
we were gonna get that. And we
really kind of took to heart — the
receiver group — if someone wants
to try to man you up, say ‘Our guys
are better than your guys.’
“That’s not a disrespect thing, but
it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge that
you’ve got to step up to and be ready
for. And I think that’s something
that our receivers really took to
heart, like, ‘Alright we’re gonna get
man coverage, let’s go.’”
That’s exactly what the second-
ranked Nittany Lions did, none
more so than Hamilton. The senior
receiver finished with six receptions
for 115 yards, and made a Michigan
secondary that was ranked second
in the nation before Saturday night’s
contest look lost. And in large part,
the result came from Penn State’s
clinical assault on the Wolverines’
safeties.
That attack started on Penn
State’s fifth drive of the game.
Hamilton beat junior safety Tyree
Kinnel badly before catching a pass
for 27 yards. It was just a glimpse of
what was to come.
On
the
Wolverines’
next
defensive
possession,
McSorley
went to Hamilton again. The ball
was underthrown by an inch, but
Hamilton left no doubt as to who
would be coming down with the
ball — adjusting his body to nab a
36-yard reception over Kinnel’s
head and jumpstarting Penn State’s
touchdown drive at the end of the
half.
“I thought the play that he made
on their sideline where he went up
and, the ball was a little short, and
he went up and caught it in traffic —
they’re the plays you have to make
in these types of games, especially
against this style of defense,” said
Penn State coach James Franklin.
“You’ve gotta be able to make them
pay for playing so aggressive.”
The Nittany Lions did so for the
rest of the game. Kinnel got beat
once more. Sophomore safety Josh
Metellus was beat twice for 49 yards.
And it all came from the first-half
ripple effect.
As Franklin explained, he saw
a Wolverine squad on film that
emphasized outside leverage and
tried to funnel everything toward
the safety. He’s not wrong. But with
Hamilton’s early success on the deep
ball, Michigan’s coverage made the
field even wider.
From there, Penn State had the
Wolverines right where it wanted
them — implementing designed
slants at halftime that were never
meant to factor into its game plan.
“After I had a few inside fades
on them, they started pressing me
more,” Hamilton said. “They were
just trying to slow down at least the
timing. … Once we saw that, I was
able to fake as if I was gonna go run
an inside fade, and that would open
the inside a lot more. That’s why we
were able to connect on some slants.”
Those slants proved to be the
body blows. The deep balls were
the haymakers. And in the end,
Michigan’s defense had a long fall to
the mat.
ICE HOCKEY
KEVIN SANTO
Managing Sports Editor
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley scored four touchdowns Saturday night, all while throwing for 282 yards.