The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Friday, February 16, 2018— 7

Report: ‘M’ adding coach

Jim Harbaugh is closing in on 

a 10th assistant for Michigan’s 
coaching staff.

As reported by The Michigan 

Insider’s 
Sam 
Webb 
and 

FootballScoop, former Florida head 
coach Jim McElwain is expected to 
join the Michigan coaching staff, 
replacing Dan Enos, who left for 
Alabama shortly after being hired 
by Harbaugh.

McElwain and Florida parted 

ways on Oct. 30 this past season 
after the coach claimed that his 
family and players had received 
death threats; the University could 
not verify McElwain’s claims and 
sought to terminate him with 
cause.

In three seasons coaching the 

Gators, McElwain compiled a 22-12 
record, including two SEC East 
titles in his first two years. Before 
his firing, Florida had a 3-4 record 
— including a season-opening 
33-17 loss to Michigan on Sept. 2 in 
Arlington, Tex.

That wasn’t the only time 

McElwain 
came 
up 
against 

Michigan during his tenure in 
Gainesville.

The Gators lost, 41-7, to the 

Wolverines in the 2016 Citrus 
Bowl at the end of Harbaugh’s first 
season coaching Michigan.

McElwain’s 
hiring 
would 

fill Michigan’s coaching staff to 
capacity. Earlier this offseason, the 
Wolverines hired Sherrone Moore 
to coach the tight ends and Al 
Washington to coach linebackers.

“We’re thrilled with the new 

additions,” Harbaugh said on Feb. 7. 
“Sherrone Moore, Al Washington, I 
think they’re fantastic.”

A longtime assistant coach 

on the offensive side of the 
ball, McElwain has significant 
experience coaching quarterbacks 
and wide receivers.

After a four-year career at 

Eastern Washington, McElwain 
stuck 
around 
as 
a 
graduate 

assistant between 1985-86, before 
taking over as the quarterbacks 
and receivers coach between 1987-
1994. His next stop was at Montana 
State, where he added play-calling 
responsibilities.

McElwain does have some 

experience 
coaching 
in 
the 

midwest. After a three-year stint at 
Louisville under John L. Smith, he 
followed Smith to Michigan State, 
where he served as assistant head 
coach and oversaw the receivers 
and special teams unit.

After brief stops with the 

Oakland 
Raiders 
and 
Fresno 

State, McElwain was hired by 
Nick Saban to call plays and coach 
the quarterbacks at Alabama. He 
stayed there for four seasons; in 
that span, the Crimson Tide won 
two 
national 
championships. 

McElwain’s offenses finished 25th, 
14th, 2nd and 20th, respectively, 
according to the S&P+ Ratings, 
which take into account efficiency, 
explosiveness, field position and 
ability to finish drives, all of which 
are adjusted for a team’s schedule.

McElwain got his first job as 

a head coach at Colorado State 
shortly after Alabama won the 2011-
12 BCS National Championship. 
With the Rams, McElwain tallied 
a 22-16 record, improving the 
team’s record from 4-8 to 8-6 and 
then 10-3 in his final season. In 
December of 2014, he took the head 
coaching job at Florida.

Given the current composition 

of the staff, it appears likely 
McElwain will coach the receivers, 
the role Enos was set to take on.

This position group, along with 

Michigan’s passing attack as a 
whole, struggled often last season. 
Senior Grant Perry led the team 
with just 25 receptions for 307 
yards, while freshman Donovan 
Peoples-Jones 
and 
sophomore 

Kekoa Crawford were close behind 
with 22 catches for 277 yards and 17 
catches for 243 yards, respectively. 
The Wolverines lost freshman 
Tarik Black, one of their starters, to 
a foot injury just three weeks into 
the season.

Harbaugh said on National 

Signing Day that he’s currently 
working to improve Michigan’s 
offense, which finished among the 
nation’s worst in scoring, passing 
yardage and sacks allowed.

“On offense right now, we are 

going through a self-scout period,” 
Harbaugh said, “and looking at 
ways to get our offense up to where 
our defense is.”

FOOTBALL

ORION SANG

Managing Sports Editor

Film study: What to expect from Shea Patterson

The sky fell in for the Michigan 

football team at quarterback last 
season. When Shea Patterson 
announced he would transfer 
to the Wolverines, it was lifted 
back up and then some. Think 
Falcon Heavy, if you need a point 
of comparison.

It’s not hard to figure out why.
Wilton Speight, John O’Korn 

and Brandon Peters, all of whom 
started under center at various 
points last season, combined to 
average a pitiful 5.65 adjusted 
yards per attempt. That would 
have ranked 88th in the country 
and ninth in the Big Ten among 
qualified field generals. To put it 
generously, there was room for 
improvement — and Patterson 
seems ready to fill the void.

Though he played just seven 

games thanks to a torn PCL, 
Patterson 
threw 
for 
2,259 

passing yards with the Rebels 
as a sophomore last season. 
Michigan’s 
quarterbacks 

combined for 2,225 in 13 games. 
If Patterson is able to play next 
season — he could be deemed 
ineligible for 2018 as a transfer, 
but the NCAA is expected to 
grant him eligibility due to the 
situation in Oxford — he’s an 
instant upgrade, to say the least.

He is not a savior.
On tape, there are no shortage 

of kinks in Patterson’s game. His 
ball placement and footwork 
especially need refining. Though 
Patterson 
completed 
well 

over 60 percent of his passes 
last season, he frequently left 
yardage on the table by forcing 
receivers to adjust to the ball 
and slow their routes. Even on 
short and intermediate throws, 
Patterson 
had 
a 
worrisome 

tendency to put it high, not 
only preventing receivers from 
picking up yardage after the 
catch, but risking turnovers.

Three 
of 
Patterson’s 

interceptions last season came on 
slant routes where his accuracy 
was just slightly off. All three 
were still within the receiver’s 
catch radius, but forced them to 
adjust. That means the ball in the 
defensive back’s catch radius as 

well — especially if it goes off the 
receiver’s hands. Eliminating 
those few inches of chance is 
vital to Patterson’s development.

Patterson’s footwork is the 

biggest issue in his game. When 
his feet are set and he throws 
from a good base, Patterson 
looks like a future top NFL draft 
pick. However, he doesn’t do 
so with consistency. Especially 
against 
pressure, 
Patterson’s 

footwork tends to lapse. Throw 
a blitz at him and suddenly, 
Patterson’s feet are both facing 
forward. Once that happens, he 
rarely resets, making it hard to 
get an accurate throw off.

To his credit, Patterson is 

better at creating offense in 
those situations than most. He 
can make throws on the run 
and create highlights in doing 
so. But a lot of the time, he can 
be aimless, rolling out with 
his eyes down and without a 
plan in mind. When Patterson 
spots open receivers in those 
situations, he can make the 
throw, but he often doesn’t.

Against pressure, Patterson’s 

footwork and mechanics both 
fall apart. He doesn’t reset his 
feet and often throws off his 
back foot when the pocket is 
collapsing, leading to turnovers.

Blame Ole Miss’ offensive 

line for giving up pressure if you 
want, but Michigan’s isn’t exactly 
made up of world beaters. Pass 
protection was a constant issue 

for the Wolverines last season 
and they’re losing left tackle 
Mason Cole, their most reliable 
starter, along with center Patrick 
Kugler. Rice offensive tackle 
Calvin Anderson may transfer, 
bringing help, but that won’t fix 
everything, nor is it guaranteed 
to happen at all.

The 
potential 
for 
an 

adjustment period shouldn’t be 
underestimated either. Patterson 
played nearly every snap in 
shotgun last season in a spread 
offense, armed to the gills with 
run-pass options and zone reads. 
At Michigan, he’ll be in a pro-
style offense, taking snaps under 
center with traditional three 
and five-step drops. There may 
be some spread elements worked 
in, but this is a wholly different 
system and perfecting it won’t 
be easy — especially given the 
Wolverines’ potential to struggle 
in pass protection.

Part of that will be learning 

to 
audible, 
set 
protections 

and make checks at the line of 
scrimmage. 
Patterson 
wasn’t 

responsible for doing so with the 
Rebels, but there were numerous 
instances where they failed to 
make an obvious call at the line.

On a 4th-and-5 in the middle 

of the third quarter during a 
blowout loss against Alabama, 
the Crimson Tide had just two 
defensive 
backs 
over 
three 

receivers on the trips side of 
a formation with the ball on 

Alabama’s 31-yard line. Instead 
of taking advantage of the 
numbers with a screen or quick 
curl, the inside receivers both 
ran in-breaking routes, towards 
the rest of the defense. That 
failure was on the coaching 
staff, but next season, it will 
be Patterson’s job to make 
the adjustment at the line of 
scrimmage.

All that being said, Patterson’s 

upside is scintillating. He can 
create offense by himself, both 
in and out of the pocket. Though 
his velocity isn’t great, Patterson 
has 
significantly 
more 
arm 

talent than any of Michigan’s 
other options. He can rainbow 
the ball deep so accurately the 
receiver never has to break 
stride, the type of play that five 
quarterbacks in the country are 
capable of making on a good day.

Though his placement needs 

work, Patterson can also hit 
short and intermediate routes 
with 
consistency, 
especially 

when his feet are set. If that 
was his only selling point, the 
Wolverines would happily take 
it after last season. He can keep 
an offense moving — toss in 
a run game centered around 
rising senior Karan Higdon and 
Michigan’s offensive ceiling is 
pretty high.

Patterson isn’t the answer — 

not in the grand, all-being sense. 
But he’s a pretty good start on 
the road to finding one.

‘M’ set to clash against top-ranked Notre Dame 

One more Big Ten series 

against the top-ranked team in 
the nation.

One win, and the Wolverines 

can 
confidently 
say 
they 

punched their ticket to the 
NCAA Tournament.

“We want home ice in the 

playoffs. I think we’re finishing 
sixth in the conference, so we’ve 
got something to prove and 
we’ve got two games left to prove 
it,” said Michigan coach Mel 
Pearson. “And we’ll be ready. 
And I know Notre Dame will 
be ready, but we had two good 
games with them and we’ll look 
forward to it.”

It’s almost like the final scenes 

of the movie Miracle, in which 
the U.S. national team had the 
chance to avenge an early loss to 
a dominant Soviet hockey team 
on the biggest stage imaginable.

The atmosphere in Compton 

Family Ice Arena may not feel 
like the whole world is watching, 
but for the Wolverines and 
Fighting Irish, this last Big 
Ten series draws some stark 
comparisons with the backdrop 
of the ‘Miracle on Ice.’

The No. 18 Michigan hockey 

team (9-10-3 Big Ten, 14-13-3 
overall) comes in at No. 15 in 
PairWise and is going into the 
lion’s den Friday to face off 
against No. 1 Notre Dame. The 
two teams will subsequently 
play on Sunday in Ann Arbor.

The last time the Fighting 

Irish (16-3-1, 22-6-2) and the 
Wolverines 
met 
— 
on 
the 

weekend of Jan. 5 — Notre Dame 
took the weekend sweep and 
didn’t seem to slow down on its 
way to a headlining position in 
the NCAA.

However, while many thought 

the sweep could’ve been a dagger 
in Michigan’s season, it did quite 
the opposite. The Wolverines 
were able to pick themselves up 
by their skates and come into 
contention for a playoff berth.

In 
two 
wins 
this 
past 

weekend 
against 
Michigan 

State, Michigan proved that 
it could finally streamline its 
now-reliable backline to its high-
paced front line.

Junior 
forward 
Cooper 

Marody — who has clearly played 
himself out of midseason woes 
— and freshmen forward Jack 
Becker, along with defenseman 
Quinn Hughes, all notched goals 

on the weekend, proving a sense 
of versatility unparalleled by any 
prior performance.

Sophomore 
goaltender 

Hayden Lavigne’s .905 save 
percentage provides the defense 
with a crucial safety net as well.

“That’s why we come to play 

at a school like this, to play 
in these big games,” Lavigne 
said 
Tuesday. 
“With 
the 

pressure comes a little bit more 
excitement, comes a little bit 
louder fan base, 
so 
it’s 
a 
good 

atmosphere to be 
around.”

However, it may 

be too easy to boast 
such statistics in 
a series against 
Michigan 
State, 

who ranks last in 
the Big Ten. This 
is 
Notre 
Dame 

we’re 
talking 

about.

Fighting 
Irish 
goaltender 

Cale Morris claims the best save 
percentage in the NCAA with an 
astounding .950. Forward Jake 
Evans spearheads the Notre 
Dame offense with 32 points, but 
is supported by forward Andrew 
Oglevie — who scored twice in 

the teams’ last contest — and 
defenseman Jordan Gross, who 
are both no less deadly.

“I think we know what to 

expect,” Lavigne said. “I think 
that was kind of where you saw 
a lot of their early success in the 
season, it was their first year 
in the Big Ten, so nobody had 
really seen them consistently.

“ … It’s definitely going to be 

a little bit (of a) different game I 
think than it was than the first 
two, but it’s still going to be a 
tight game for sure.”

It’s never too late to have a 

fulcrum in a season. In a hostile 
environment Friday and then 
on familiar ground Sunday, 
Michigan has a chance to upset 
the Big Ten leader and solidify 
itself as a formidable foe in the 
postseason.

But if other big games are any 

indication, the Wolverines often 
get out to early leads and let 
their opponents inch back.

“We’ve got to learn how to 

play in tight games with a lead 
when there’s a lot on the line,” 
Pearson said. “We’re young, 
we’re young. We’ve got the third 
youngest team in college hockey. 
It’s not an excuse, maybe we’ve 
got a lot of guys who haven’t 
been in this position, in these 
games, and we’ve got to learn.

“It’s 
nice 

to learn some 
lessons 
on 

winning. 
I 

know everyone 
talks 
about 

‘well when you 
lose, ah we’ll 
learn from it 
and move on,’ 
well, bologna. 
Let’s win and 
learn from it 

and move on.”

Notre Dame recorded losses 

against Minnesota, Wisconsin 
and Ohio State in the past month 
— two of which Michigan have 
prevailed over this season — 
meaning the menace is human, 
and the Wolverines could see an 
opening this weekend to attack.

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Sophomore goaltender Hayden Lavigne will hope to slow down an explosive Notre Dame attack.

ROBERT HEFTER

Daily Sports Editor

“It’s nice to 
learn some 
lessons on 
winning.”

Band always involved

There is one common group 

at 
every 
Michigan 
women’s 

basketball game. Whether the 
Wolverines are winning by a 
landslide, in a tight match-up, or 
down by 35 points, they will cheer 
on Michigan come hell or high 
water.

They keep the crowd excited, 

whether Crisler sits empty or full, 
and even have some influence on 
the game itself.

They are the Michigan band.
Every home game, they sit on 

the north side of Crisler Center 
just behind the hoop, decked out 
in maize shirts and white gloves, 
commanding attention.

Along with playing the famous 

“Hail to the Victors” at every 
possible moment, the band has 
some fun antics that always provide 
a good laugh. During halftime, the 
band likes to get really involved 
with the fans in Crisler Arena.

“For 
Blues 
Brothers, 
the 

trombones will always run off 
and go hang out,” said sophomore 
tuba 
player 
Maisey 
Schuler. 

“Sometimes they’ll go into the 
student section, sometimes they’ll 
go into the stands and sometimes 
the trumpets will join them.”

The trombones always end up 

in a different area of the arena 
and never fail to startle a fan. In 
the past, they have sprinted to the 
complete opposite end of Crisler, 
run down onto the court or even 
sat down right in the middle of 
a group of spectators. No matter 
what they do, they never fail to get 
a laugh.

The Michigan marching band 

also always aims to please the 
fans and play music just for them. 
One song known to all Michigan 
students that has worked its 
way into their repertoire is “Mr. 
Brightside” by The Killers.

“This is something that started 

with football actually, we had a 
fan favorites show and brought 
in Mr. Brightside so we brought 

that here,” Schuler said. “We also 
brought in music for the ‘90s theme 
night a couple weeks ago. So now 
we play ‘90s songs too.”

In addition to playing music 

that every Michigan fan knows 
and loves, the band also leads the 
crowd in cheers.

While Michigan’s opponent is 

shooting free-throws, the band 
will screech in unison at the top 
of their lungs in order to distract 
the shooter. Another surprisingly 
successful tactic that the band does 
is trick the opponent into taking 
a bad shot before the shot clock 
expires.

When the shot clock shows 20 

seconds left, the marching band 
will begin to loudly countdown 
from ten, hoping to trick the 
opponent 
— 
and 
has 
been 

successful on multiple occasions.

“It’s hilarious,” Schuler said. 

“Every time we’re like ‘Wait, 
did they actually believe us?’ 
Sometimes, it’s just absurd. (There 
will) be twenty seconds left and 
they’ll shoot.”

Even when morale is low, the 

band is always in high spirits and 
will be enthusiastic until the very 
last second. The rest of Crisler may 
be silent or have given up, but the 
band never will.

The trumpets and tubas seem 

to fittingly be the loudest and most 
boisterous sections of the band 
and are constantly bringing in new 
ideas for cheers.

“There are some leaders among 

us. Some of the veteran trumpets 
for sure always bring in new cheers 
and stuff that they come up with 
and they keep us pumped up,” 
said Schuler. “And of course the 
tubas do all kinds of goofy stuff 
like bouncing around the court 
after the third quarter for women’s 
games, and the goofy things keep 
us motivated.”

Even if things are looking bad 

for the Wolverines or Crisler looks 
empty, you can always count on the 
band to bring energy, enthusiasm 
and a little bit of fun to women’s 
basketball games.

SARAH HURST 
Daily Sports Writer

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Shea Patterson (left) threw for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns last year while playing for Ole Miss.

ETHAN SEARS
Daily Sports Writer

