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