2B — Tuesday, September 4, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsTuesday

SportsTuesday: Saying or doing?
T

he fourth season of Jim 
Harbaugh’s tenure in 

Ann Arbor is 
off to a rocky 
start after a 
loss to Notre 
Dame.
Since, 
some 
unflattering 
stats have 
been 
advertised, 
like how the 
Wolverines are 9-9 in their last 
18 games and how they haven’t 
won a road game against a 
ranked opponent since 2006.
But fear not, Michigan fans, 
because there may be room for 
optimism.
On Monday afternoon, from 
defensive end Rashan Gary 
to VIPER Khaleke Hudson to 
tight end Sean McKeon to wide 
receiver Nico Collins, and even 
up to coach Jim Harbaugh, 
nothing but positives were 
pointed out. It was all eyes 
forward and downplaying the 
flaws that made the Wolverines 
0-1. 
“I think everybody inside 
of our team believes in each 
other and believes in the 
team, believes in each other,” 
Harbaugh said. “And stressing 
the importance of going from 
one week, to Week 1 to Week 
2, never more important than 
with this ballclub. So looking 
to make all the strides you can 
in this one week, and focusing 
on that. We’re focusing on this 
game, never a more important 
game than the one we’ll go 
down the tunnel to play this 
week.”
I know what you’re thinking: 
Mike, of course they pointed 
out positives, what else are they 
gonna say?
But just for kicks, let’s break 
down some of these positives.
First, there was the offensive 
line.
I thought I saw junior 

quarterback Shea Patterson 
and redshirt sophomore Dylan 
McCaffrey running for their 
lives, and Michigan’s rushing 
attack limited to just 58 yards 
on Saturday.
On Monday afternoon, 
though, Harbaugh said he 
thought the unit was much 
improved. Monday night, 
during the Inside Michigan 
Football Radio Show, Higdon 
went as far as to say that 
the offensive line is easy to 
criticize live, but that when you 
break down the film, they did 
some nice things — though he 
conceded that Notre Dame’s 
defensive line was better.
I will preface this by saying 
that I do not know even half as 
much about football as Higdon, 
or really anybody on the team. 
Also, I do not have all the angles 
and film breakdown capabilities 

that the Wolverines surely have.
But I did re-watch the game, 
and what I saw was Patterson 
and McCaffrey running for 
their lives for most of the game 
and Michigan’s rushing attack 
limited to just 58 yards. 
I would be curious to see 
what redshirt freshman tackle 
James Hudson could bring 
to the table, but Harbaugh 
was asked about that sort of a 
personnel change on Monday.
“I think the way we played 
this week is the way we’ll 
play the next game with the 
offensive line,” Harbaugh said, 
though I don’t think he would 
tell us if he was changing 
personnel.
Okay, let’s not dawdle on one 
aspect.
Another focus of Michigan’s 
shortcomings was its defense, 
which was exposed in the first 

half and put the Wolverines in 
a hole from which they couldn’t 
escape.
To that, Gary and Hudson 
had some answers.
“Not at all,” Gary said when 
asked if he could pinpoint the 
defense’s problems in the first 
half. “The only thing I can 
really say is we hurt ourselves. 
You know, only two, three 
plays, maybe four plays, can 
hurt you at the end of the game. 
That’s really what it came down 
to, and that’s just us hurting 
ourselves.”
Added Hudson: “Just self-
inflicted wounds was the 
reason why we lost. Just third 
down penalties and doing some 
of the stuff we normally do 
right.”
They are right on this one, as 
the second half was a showcase 
of just how dominant the 

defense can be. But the reasons 
for the shortcomings in the first 
half are a bit troubling.
Often times, Fighting Irish 
quarterback Brandon Wimbush 
and the offense took advantage 
of over-aggressiveness from 
Michigan’s defense. That 
showed in the untimely 
penalties the Wolverines 
incurred just as much as the 
quarterback runs and screen 
passes that were successful.
Of course, the other side of 
that coin is that Michigan is led 
by its fast and tough defense. 
And it’s also a program that has 
struggled to contain running 
quarterbacks for… ever?
Luckily there aren’t any 
other running quarterbacks on 
the schedule other than Ohio 
State’s Dwayne Haskins and 
Penn State’s Trace McSorley 
and Michigan State’s Brian 

Lewerke and Nebraska’s Adrian 
Martinez and Maryland’s 
Tyrrell Pigrome and Indiana’s 
Peyton Ramsey.
Okay, I’ll just hit on one more 
quote.
Sophomore wide receiver 
Nico Collins said the offensive 
gameplan was not the problem 
and that it doesn’t need to 
change moving forward.
The Wolverines failed to 
capitalize on opportunities 
all night long offensively, 
and, partially because of the 
offensive line, couldn’t come up 
with the explosive plays that 
some expected.
When the defense finally 
locked down in the second half, 
Patterson and company couldn’t 
figure out a way to climb back 
into the game all the way.
It feels like at least 
something could be done to 
help that. Maybe a new transfer 
quarterback? Maybe a new 
offensive line coach? Maybe 
two former NFL coaches calling 
the offensive shots?
I know, I’m getting greedy.
Now none of this is to say 
that Michigan can’t turn things 
around. It is still a roster loaded 
with talent, with a coach who 
has been to the Super Bowl in 
this decade.
But something has to change, 
no matter what the Wolverines 
say. The offensive line must 
improve, with personnel 
changes or without them. The 
defense has to be solid, and 
especially against dual-threat 
signal callers. The offense must 
get big plays, whether it’s with 
a better gameplan or better 
execution.
The stats are ugly for a 
reason. Michigan is saying the 
right things to avoid a mutiny, 
but there is no need for a 
mutiny if the ship sinks first.

Persak can be reached at 

mdpers@umich.edu or on 

Twitter @MikeDPersak or 

on Venmo @Mike-Persak

Michigan falls short in season opener against Notre Dame, 24-17

SOUTH 
BEND, 
Ind. 
— 
After all the hype for Shea 
Patterson, the talk of returning 
starters, the assurances that 
the offensive line had improved 
and the general hype for the 
2018 Michigan football team, 
the Wolverines finally had their 
chance to prove that it wasn’t 
just hype on Saturday night 
against Notre Dame.
But in less than eight minutes, 
all of those hopes began to look 
more like pipe dreams.
It started on the first drive, 
when the 12th-ranked Fighting 

Irish used a few big plays to 
score in less than 90 seconds. 
Michigan punted, and at the end 
of Notre Dame’s next possession, 
the South Bend crowd was in 
hysterics once again.
Quarterback 
Brandon 
Wimbush lobbed a deep ball 
downfield, and Irish receiver 
Chris Hinke leaped over safety 
Brad Hawkins, hauling it in 
and putting the Wolverines in 
a hole. In the blink of an eye, it 
was 14-0.
No. 14 Michigan (0-1) spent 
the rest of its much-anticipated 
opener trying to play catch-up, 
but it never clawed back, losing, 
24-17.

“The guys really prepared 
well for this ballgame,” said 
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. 
“Not the outcome we anticipated 
or wanted, but we’ve just got 
to dig deep, make no excuses. 
Credit to Notre Dame and move 
on to next week.”
It 
ultimately 
was 
the 
first 
half 
that 
did 
Michigan 
in. 
Notre 
Dame 
(1-0) 
scored 
again 
in 
the 
second 
quarter 
on a methodical, 
15-play 
march 
aided 
by 
penalties.
All 
the 
offensive 
production the Fighting Irish 
needed came before halftime.
“Second half I think we found 
our groove a little bit more,” 
said fifth-year senior defensive 
end Chase Winovich. “This 
might be a hot take. I don’t mean 
it to be. They’re a great football 
team and stuff, but I just didn’t 

feel like they dominated us. I 
just felt like they went up and 
made some 50/50 plays.”
Maybe Winovich is on to 
something, because there were 
several moments when it seemed 
like momentum was starting to 
turn in the Wolverines’ favor, but 
those 
moments 
never bred any 
substance.
Sophomore 
Ambry 
Thomas 
answered Notre 
Dame’s 
third 
touchdown 
with a 99-yard 
kick 
return 
touchdown 
on 
the 
next 
play, 
but 
halftime 
came before any 
momentum could be sustained.
In the second half, Michigan’s 
vaunted defense finally found 
its rhythm. They gave up 233 
yards in the first half and just 
71 in the second, but the offense 
flubbed its chances.
The Wolverines even drove 
down the field their first chance 

after halftime, highlighted by a 
54-yard bomb from Patterson to 
sophomore wide receiver Nico 
Collins. But that chance was 
thwarted when junior punter 
Will Hart bobbled the snap on a 
would-be field goal.
Then, 
fifth-year 
senior 
Brandon Watson 
intercepted a pass 
to give Michigan 
yet 
another 
opportunity 
to 
crawl back into 
things.
And yet again, 
the 
Wolverines 
couldn’t.
At 
the 
end 
of 
the 
game, 
Michigan 
made 
one final push, 
scoring with just over two 
minutes to go on a short run 
from senior running back Karan 
Higdon. The Wolverines got the 
ball back moments later after 
forcing a three-and-out. 
But this time, Patterson, who 
finished the day 20-of-30 for 
227 yards and an interception, 

fumbled while running from 
a defender for the umpteenth 
time of the night. 
“Nobody really wants to start 
off like that,” Patterson said. 
“Our defense and our special 
teams put us in really good 
situations to make something 
happen. … Just 
gonna go back 
and learn from 
the tape.”
The offensive 
line, which was 
already 
being 
questioned, 
could 
never 
consistently 
keep Patterson 
upright. 
The 
offense 
that 
struggled 
all 
of last season fell short when it 
counted.
The Wolverines left South 
Bend with many of the problems 
they said they had fixed.
The season isn’t over — not by 
a long shot.
But the hype? The hype is all 
but gone.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Michigan’s offensive line has improved in his weekly press conference at Schembechler Hall on Monday afternoon.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Junior quarterback Shea Patterson finished the season-opening game against Notre Dame with one interception and was 20-of-30 for 227 yards Saturday night. 

MIKE PERSAK
Managing Sports Editor

“The guys 
really prepared 
well for this 
ballgame.”

“I just felt like 
they went up 
and made some 
50/50 plays.”

MIKE 
PERSAK

