B

Motivated by anger

 Jim Harbaugh joked 

that anger is a powerful 

motivator, but his 

Wolverines have a chance to 

prove that true.

 » SportsMonday Column, 

Page 2B

Two to go
The Michigan field hockey 
team reached the Final Four 
of the NCAA Tournament 
with a 3-0 win over 
Northwestern on Sunday 
afternoon.
» Page 3B

COLLEGE PARK — It isn’t 

common that a game features a 
battle between a third-string and 
fourth-string 
quarterback, 
but 

with both Michigan and Maryland 
ravaged by injuries to their men 
under center, that is exactly what 
happened Saturday.

While 
neither 
quarterback 

put their definitive stamp on 
the contest, redshirt freshman 
Brandon Peters had enough help 
from both teams for the Wolverines 
(5-2 Big Ten, 8-2 overall) to come 
away with a 35-10 victory over the 
Terrapins (2-5, 4-6).

“He made the big play, and he 

was very accurate,” said Michigan 
coach Jim Harbaugh. “... He played 
the kind of football we like, and he 
did a nice job.”

He finished 9-for-18 with 145 

yards and two touchdowns on the 
day, but even those scores through 

the air came off fortunate breaks.

The most work Peters had to 

do was launch a deep throw over 
the top of the defense to redshirt 
sophomore tight end Zach Gentry, 
who was wide open over the middle. 
Gentry took the pass the rest of the 
way into the end zone for a 33-yard 
score with just over 11 minutes 
remaining in the second quarter. By 
that point, the Wolverines already 
had a two-possession lead.

On Michigan’s first scoring 

drive, Gentry came up with an 
impressive catch in the red zone 
when Peters’ pass looked to be 
out of reach, even for his 6-foot-
7 frame. After catching the pass, 
Gentry almost ran it into the end 
zone, but he was knocked out of 
bounds a few yards shy.

That presented an opportunity 

for fifth-year senior Henry Poggi 
to notch a career highlight. In 
a homecoming game for the 
Baltimore native, Poggi punched it 
in from two yards out for his first 
touchdown as a Wolverine. 

On Michigan’s second drive, 

Peters looked to be in trouble 
as the Maryland defense came 
barreling down upon him. But he 
was able to drop it off to Higdon 
before absorbing a hard hit, and 
the running back weaved his way 
through the defense for a 35-yard 
gain.

The Terrapins were called for a 

roughing the passer penalty, adding 
15 more yards onto the play to move 
the Wolverines all the way up to 
Maryland’s 16-yard line. Evans had 
to rush just three times after that 
before leaping into the end zone for 
the score.

Peters’ 33-yard touchdown to 

Gentry was also the byproduct of 
a Terrapin miscue. Down 14-0 at 
the start of the second quarter — 
after all three of its first-quarter 
drives ended in a three-and-out 
— Maryland tried to execute a 
fake punt. But the Terrapins were 
halted and called for a penalty, 
giving Michigan the ball deep in 
Maryland territory.

It took Peters all of one play to 

end that drive with a touchdown 

pass to Gentry.

“Their safety was playing way 

backside,” Peters said. “The seam 
just popped.”

His second score of the day 

came in a similar fashion. On the 
very next possession, sophomore 
defensive 
back 
Josh 
Metellus 

blocked the Terrapins’ punt at the 
19-yard line, giving the ball right 
back to the Wolverines.

Junior running back Karan 

Higdon broke toward the outside 
for a 16-yard rush, and then Peters 
lofted a pass to sophomore tight 
end Sean McKeon for a three-yard 
touchdown.

It took just two plays for that 

drive to reach the end zone.

“I just really sold the fake,” 

Peters said, “and they really bit on 
it.”

Walk-on 
quarterback 
Ryan 

Brand didn’t have the same amount 
of support from either side in his 
first career start for Maryland, 
finishing 16-for-35 with 136 yards 
and a touchdown.

Toward the end of the first 

quarter, Maryland attempted to 
wake up its offense with a double 
reverse 
pass 
between 
Brand 

and Harrison. But with acres of 
daylight in front of him, Brand 
couldn’t come up with the catch in 
the backfield.

And even when Brand had his 

best opportunity of the first half 
near the end of the second quarter 
— after the Terrapins had managed 
to reach Michigan’s 10-yard line — 
sophomore defensive back David 
Long intercepted the ball in the end 
zone and returned it 80 yards.

Brand found some success in 

the second half, though, At the end 
of the third quarter, he completed 
two consecutive deep balls to place 
Maryland at the Wolverines’ five-
yard line. But the drive stalled at 
the goal-line, and the Terrapins had 
to settle for a field goal to finally end 
the shutout bid.

On the next possession, Brand 

finally found the end zone. After a 
methodical drive through the air, 
Brand hit receiver Taivon Jacobs 
for a 10-yard touchdown to bring 

the deficit down to 28-10.

“They were executing well,” 

Harbaugh said. “I mean, the 
execution was good the whole 
game, but then we made a few 
mistakes defensively, made a few 
mistakes offensively.

“... (It) was a combination of 

both, and they made some plays.”

But 
Maryland 
committed 

another key error on the next 
series, and Michigan capitalized 
yet again. On a deep pass from 
Peters 
to 
freshman 
receiver 

Donovan 
Peoples-Jones, 
the 

Terrapin defender was called for 
a pass interference penalty. Evans 
made Maryland pay, rushing 17 
yards into the end zone to seal the 
victory. 

Taking 
advantage 
of 
the 

Terrapins’ 
miscues 
throughout 

the day, the Wolverines had what 
Harbaugh called one of the best 
games of their season.

“I really think it might have been 

our best ballgame — in all three 
phases,” he said. “Very sound game 
by our team.”

BETELHEM ASHAME

Managing Sports Editor

Maryland’s mistakes help Michigan to lopsided victory

 MONDAY

JUMPED

The Michi

gan Daily | 

michigandai

ly.com | Nov

ember 13, 2

017

 
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KATELYN MULCAHY/DAILY

