The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
November 6, 2017 — 3B
The good, the bad and the ugly: Minnesota
The
Michigan
football
team, quite literally, ran away
with this one.
Karan Higdon and Chris
Evans combined for 391 yards
and four touchdowns, three of
which went for 60-plus yards.
By the beginning of the fourth
quarter, the Wolverines led
33-7, and a Minnesota field
goal in the waning moments
provided the final score line.
By
the
time
the
clock
finally expired on a game
that had been determined
early, Michigan maintained
its possession of the Little
Brown Jug. A lot went right to
get there, but some still went
wrong.
The Daily breaks down the
good, the bad and the ugly from
Saturday night’s rain-delayed
thrashing of Minnesota:
The good
On 3rd-and-15 from its own
10-yard line, Minnesota went
to a play that has plagued the
Wolverines all year. Running
back
Rodney
Smith
took
the ball off the direct snap
with just over two minutes
remaining in the third quarter.
He was promptly dropped
by Khaleke Hudson for a loss
of three yards. Sophomore
linebacker
Devin
Bush
Jr.
proceeded to go for a piggyback
ride on Hudson’s shoulders,
tapping his teammate’s helmet
all the way.
It
was
one
of
plenty
celebrations
for
Hudson.
And he had plenty reason to
celebrate.
Michigan’s
sophomore
VIPER wreaked havoc against
Minnesota, finishing with 13
tackles — six and a half for
loss — two sacks and a forced
fumble.
The
performance
nearly
became one for the record
books. Instead, Larry Foote’s
2001 showing against Iowa —
which included seven tackles-
for-loss — is still standing
as the most by a Michigan
player in a single game. And
with Saturday night’s outing,
Hudson now leads the Big Ten
in tackles-for-loss with 12.5.
A new player seems to
headline
the
Wolverines’
defense every week. This time,
it was Hudson’s turn.
The bad
It’s been a rough stretch for
Quinn Nordin.
Michigan’s
redshirt
freshman
kicker
entered
Saturday night having missed
an extra point against Penn
State and a 37-yard field goal
against Rutgers in consecutive
weeks.
Nordin again missed an
extra
point
after
junior
running back Karan Higdon’s
77-yard touchdown run near
the end of the first quarter,
before pushing a 49-yard field
goal wide right before the end
of the first half.
“We thought he was going
too fast,” said Michigan coach
Jim Harbaugh. “That’s what
we noticed last week and
then in practice this week, we
thought we had that corrected.
I think we did correct it.
“(On) the missed extra point
he looked up too early, and he
got his left hip in front of his
right too much and pulled it
left. I thought the long field
goal, the 49-yarder, was a
good hit, it just went a bit wide
right. Just keep working on it.”
It’s hard to criticize Nordin
for the missed field goal, but
what once seemed like all but
a guaranteed source for points
is now far less certain.
Nordin has now made 14 of
his 18 field goals on the year
but has failed to convert on his
two attempts in the last three
games.
The ugly
With just under 10 minutes
remaining in the third quarter,
Brandon Peters lined up under
center facing a 3rd-and-4 from
Michigan’s 29-yard line.
He
took
the
snap
and
dropped
back
into
the
pocket, only to have Merrick
Jackson fly — unchecked by
freshman right guard Cesar
Ruiz — into the backfield.
Merrick had a free shot at
Michigan’s redshirt freshman
quarterback, and he took it.
Peters absorbed a crushing
hit, one that left him lying on
the turf for roughly 20 seconds
before walking off the field.
For
all
the
success
Michigan’s offensive line had
in sparking the run game —
the Wolverines rushed for 371
yards and averaged 10 yards
per carry — its pass protection
left something to be desired,
to say the least. Peters was
sacked three times for a loss
of 23 yards against the Golden
Gophers, including another
straight-on, bruising hit in the
third quarter.
If
the
matchup
with
Minnesota
showed
anything,
it’s
that
Peters
is
now
unquestionably
the Wolverines’ starter. If
Michigan wants it to stay that
way, hits like Saturday night’s
can only go on for so long.
MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily
Redshirt freshman kicker Quinn Nordin continued his struggles, missing an extra point and a field goal Saturday night.
KEVIN SANTO
Managing Sports Editor
Five Things We Learned: Minnesota
For
the
second
straight
week, the Michigan football
team (4-2 Big Ten, 7-2 overall)
claimed
a
comfortable
win
against an inferior opponent.
The run game surged and the
defense locked down the Golden
Gophers (1-5, 4-5).
Here are five things The
Daily learned from the battle for
the Little Brown Jug.
1.
Peters
may
be
the
quarterback, but the running
backs are the offense
In Brandon Peters’ first start
at quarterback, the redshirt
freshman threw the ball just
13 times. He completed 61
percent of his passes and threw
his second career touchdown
to sophomore tight end Sean
McKeon on the opening drive.
After that set, Peters was quiet,
mainly
because
Michigan’s
running backs kept breaking
free for long runs.
Junior
Karan
Higdon
and sophomore Chris Evans
combined
for
391
rushing
yards, and each scored two
touchdowns.
Higdon’s
performance
marked his second 200-yard
game and his third game with
multiple touchdowns. Evans,
on the other hand, had been
quiet in recent weeks since his
two-touchdown outing against
Purdue.
But with fifth-year senior
running back Ty Isaac out due
to injury this week, coach Jim
Harbaugh decided to give Evans
more carries. For Michigan,
that move paid off.
2. Michigan’s defense has
figured out the direct snap
While the play haunted the
Wolverines against Penn State
and Rutgers, Minnesota found
little success.
On
Minnesota’s
only
touchdown drive — its second
drive of the game — quarterback
Demry
Croft
shifted
in
formation and running back
Rodney Smith received a direct
snap. He rushed forward for a
short gain of just two yards. His
results didn’t get much better
from there.
To put that in perspective,
the last two opponents to take
direct snaps against Michigan —
Penn State’s Saquon Barkley and
Rutgers’ Janarion Smith — ran
for 60-plus-yard touchdowns.
The
Golden
Gophers
occasionally snapped the ball
directly to Smith, but he couldn’t
break loose for big plays. Smith
is the team’s leading rusher and
averages 78 yards per game on
the ground. Against Michigan,
though, he ran for just 38 yards.
Michigan
handled
every
other type of snap just as well,
shutting Minnesota out of the
end zone after the second drive
of the game and allowing just 36
yards in the second half.
3. Cesar Ruiz is a solid
replacement at right guard
With sophomore right guard
Mike Onwenu out with an
apparent foot injury, the true
freshman Cesar Ruiz earned his
first start.
Ruiz helped the Wolverines’
offensive line open lanes for the
running backs time and time
again. There was a bit of cause
for concern in pass protection —
Peters was sacked three times —
but as a whole, the offensive line
also allowed just five tackles for
loss.
Harbaugh said after the game
that he thought Ruiz played
“really well,” and spoke about
Ruiz in a similar way Saturday
that he spoke about Peters a
week before.
The young player had been
competing well in practice, and
it was simply “time for him to
play.”
4.
McKeon
is
Peters’
favorite target
After the win, McKeon joked
that he was angry with his new
quarterback.
On a pass play where McKeon
was wide open, Peters took a
hard sack.
“He’s a tough guy, I knew
he was going to be fine. I was
just mad cause I was open on
a crossing route for the first
down,” McKeon said with a
laugh.
The
Peters-to-McKeon
connection has proved to be
one of the most effective for
the Wolverines’ offense. For the
second week in a row, McKeon
led Michigan in receiving yards.
He caught three catches for
30 yards and one touchdown
against Minnesota, and last
week
against
Rutgers
he
caught three for 31. While
the traditional wide receivers
have had less of an impact, the
offense is still finding ways to
score on the ground.
If push comes to shove
and
Higdon’s
and
Evans’
contributions lessen, it appears
Peters still has a top option in
McKeon.
5. Prediction: Peters will
probably get more throws
against Maryland
In evaluating his redshirt
freshman
quarterback,
Harbaugh
admitted
that
there
weren’t
very
many
opportunities
for
Peters
to
throw. He only threw the ball
just 13 times.
When Higdon and Evans
run for 60-yard touchdowns
on every drive, not only does
Peters not need to throw, but he
also doesn’t get to throw. The
lack of passing activity made
it difficult for Michigan’s new
starter to get into a rhythm, and
Harbaugh also said he will do
more to keep Peters active on
the sideline.
While the Terrapins don’t
present much of a challenge
to Michigan’s run game, the
future opponents — Wisconsin
and Ohio State — likely will. It
could be vital to get Peters more
chances to throw next week
before asking him to do so on a
bigger stage.
EMMA RICHTER/Daily
Sophomore tight end Sean McKeon has totaled six catches and 61 yards through the last two weeks for Michgian.
TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
MEN’S SOCCER
Hallahan leads attack
Ten minutes into the second
half
of
the
Michigan
men’s
soccer team’s first ever home
Big Ten Tournament game, star
sophomore winger Jack Hallahan
collected the ball on the edge of the
18-yard-box. The Wolverines were
knotted at one with Northwestern.
He took one look at goal before
cutting onto his dangerous left foot
and unleashing a ferocious curler
within inches of both the post and
crossbar, past the flailing Wildcat
goalie.
The goal gave Michigan a 2-1
lead that it would not relinquish,
eventually turning it into a 4-1 final
to book its place in the conference
semifinals for the first time since
2012. Part of that success can be
attributed to Hallahan’s elevated
play.
The game-winner was a piece
of solo magic from Hallahan,
but the rest of the Wolverines’
dominant
performance
came
through a balanced attack that saw
five players tally either a goal or
an assist, including a second from
Hallahan.
Leading this attack was junior
striker Francis Atuahene, who
scored the opening goal before
assisting both of Hallahan’s. This
combination has become crucial
down the stretch for Michigan,
as it was Hallahan’s inch-perfect
cross that found Atuahene for his
historic goal against Maryland last
week to give Michigan its regular
season conference title.
“They’re two talented young
players. If we can get the ball to
them in the right spots on the
field,” said Michigan coach Chaka
Daley, “they can certainly make
things happen on their own. But
when they’re working collectively,
they become a bigger danger to
opponents.”
“In training, coaches put us
together a lot,” Hallahan said, “ …
We’ve built a really good bond on
and off the field.”
For the Wolverines to continue
their dream season, though, they
will need continued contributions
beyond these two stars. After all,
their focus on working together
has been what has put them in this
position, and it is what they used
to collect themselves and ensure a
focused performance after a week
of celebrating their first conference
championship.
“We wanted them to enjoy it for
a few days because they earned it
but we wanted to get back down
to business,” Daley said. “The
foundation of our team was … about
sticking together, working hard for
each other, and competing for the
team and competing for Michigan.”
This attitude shone through in
Sunday’s match, as it was senior
defender Billy Stevens — who
had tallied just four assists in
69 previous career matches —
assisted the opening goal. Junior
defender Marcelo Borges followed
up with his sixth career assist on
Michigan’s third goal, which was
scored by junior midfielder Robbie
Mertz for his first conference
goal since a Sept. 13 draw against
Indiana.
Daley went beyond his goal-
scorers
to
praise
freshman
midfielder Umar Farouk Osman for
the team’s second-half turnaround.
“The game changed a little bit
when Umar went in centrally,”
Daley said. “Umar hasn’t got any
goals this year but when he’s played
centrally, he’s really made a lot of
things happen and him stretching
the field gives a lot of other guys
opportunities. If three or four guys
are cooking, you don’t know which
one you’re gonna get.”
But while the Wolverines may
boast a total-effort mentality,
their success will ultimately come
back to Hallahan, who scored his
second from a nearly impossible
angle in the final minutes to cap off
the evening.
“When I cut in for the second
goal, I saw the net open and
I thought, ‘Why not try it?’”
Hallahan said.
This willingness to try things,
which
the
British
Hallahan
credits to his seven years in West
Bromwich Albion’s youth academy,
has helped him to his breakout
season, in which he has scored
seven goals to go along with seven
assists — both team bests.
And with Hallahan leading a
balanced attack, the Wolverines
don’t look like settling for what
they’ve already accomplished.
MEN’S SOCCER
‘M’ tops Northwestern
A five-hour delay resulted in a 6
p.m. kick off for the Michigan men’s
soccer team, but an under the lights
matchup at U-M Soccer stadium was
the perfect environment for a squad
that looked anything but sluggish.
Michigan faced Northwestern
on Sunday night in the Big Ten
tournament
quarterfinals
and
earned a 4-1 win.
Despite having played the day
before, the Wildcats (1-8-0 Big Ten,
6-11-0 overall) came out with more
energy than Michigan (7-1-1, 12-4-
2). Northwestern put considerable
pressure on the Wolverines and
forced errant passes from the
Michigan defense. While Michigan
reestablished
themselves
going
forward and did manage to earn a few
set pieces, the Wildcats registered the
only shot on goal through the first 15
minutes.
But in the 23rd minute, junior
forward Francis Atuahene netted his
sixth goal of the season.
Atuahene capitalized on a long
throw from senior right back Billy
Stevens. Stevens’ throw managed to
evade every player in the box until
Atuahene pounced on it at the back
post. His low, powerful shot gave the
Northwestern goalkeeper no chance
as the Wolverines took a 1-0 lead.
Northwestern responded well
after the goal and came very close
to equalizing off a pre-planned set
piece, sending the ball just wide of
the Michigan goal post. Through 30
minutes, the shots were tied at five
and each team registered two shots
on goal.
The Wildcats had set piece after
set piece and dominated the run of
play heading into halftime, but the
Wolverines were able to hold on to
their slim 1-0 lead.
“We weren’t playing according
to what we wanted to do,” said
Michigan coach Chaka Daley. “We
were more aggressive in the second
half and more competitive. It resulted
in four goals because we had them a
little more stretched.”
Northwestern came out riding
the momentum they gained toward
the end of the first half and equalized
five minutes into the second. A
clearance from the Michigan defense
off a free kick was kicked back in
the 18-yard box by the Wildcats.
Midfielder Tommy Katsyiannis fired
a well-placed shot to the far post to
beat freshman goalkeeper Henry
Mashburn and tie the game at one.
Northwestern’s
confidence
seemed to grow until, against the run
of play, the Wolverines regained the
lead. A good tackle from a Wildcats
defender sent the ball to the feet of
sophomore forward Jack Hallahan.
Hallahan took a touch and curled a
ball from the right side of the 18-yard
box to the far post. Northwestern’s
goalkeeper didnt have a chance, and
Hallahan had a wonder goal to his
name.
And after retaking the lead,
Michigan never looked back.
Eighteen minutes into the half,
a long ball from junior defender
Marcello Borges was brought down
excellently by junior midfielder
Robbie Mertz, who deftly finished
the move with a left-footed shot back
across goal to extend the Michigan
lead to 3-1.
And with 11 minutes left, Hallahan
tallied another. A well-weighted,
cross-field pass from Atuahene sent
Hallahan all the way to the goal
line where the sophomore calmly
dribbled into the box and slotted the
ball into the back of the net.
“I think after the first goal I was
really starting to feel confident,”
Hallahan said. “When I cut in for the
second goal I saw the net open, and I
thought, ‘Why not try it?’”
And
really,
Hallahan’s
why
not approach Sunday night could
summarize the Wolverines’ season.
The team has already won the
regular season title and that’s given
them the confidence to go for more.
And for once Michigan is controlling
its own postseason destiny.
“I think now that we’ve won
the Big Ten we know we have the
potential to win a lot more,” Hallahan
said. “We’re going to really go for it
and we’re going to see what we can
do as a group.”
AMIR ALI
For the Daily
THEO MACKIE
For the Daily