FootballSaturday, September 7, 2018
8B

What to Watch For: WMU

By MARK CALCAGNO

Daily Sports Editor

Last
week,
the
Michigan
football
team
entered
Notre
Dame Stadium looking for a
statement win. And as had been
the case the previous 16 times
the Wolverines played a ranked
team on the road, they didn’t get
one.
On
the
surface,
a
24-17
defeat at hands of the country’s
twelfth-ranked team isn’t that
concerning.
But
aspects
of
Michigan’s performance were.
Western
Michigan
(1-0
overall) doesn’t provide a chance
to snap an ugly streak or earn that
marquee win. But it does supply
the 21st-ranked Wolverines (0-1)
an opportunity to shore up areas
that cost them last week.
Here’s what to watch for in
Saturday’s home opener.
Offensive line play
Shea Patterson spent much
of his Michigan debut under
duress. The junior quarterback
was sacked twice and pressured
on numerous other occasions
— sometimes even left with no
fighting chance just moments
after the snap.
Simply, the Wolverines’ most
glaring issue last week was its
offensive line. But you wouldn’t
have known it from what Jim
Harbaugh said Monday.
“Yeah,
I
thought
it
was
improved,” Harbaugh said. “We
look at it and there was probably
a few boxes that you check and
say, ‘Hey, this is improved.’ That
was another area I think was
improved and we continue to get
better in that area, but I think it
was one of the areas that I think
we’re improving on.”
Though many college teams
have established chemistry by
the end of camp, junior tight end
Sean McKeon thinks more game
experience will aid Michigan’s
offensive line.
“I thought (the line) looked
good,”
McKeon
said.
“The
offensive line, obviously, they
gotta work to build chemistry,
maybe even more than they tried
to build in camp. So just got to
build more chemistry up front.”
Well,
Saturday
is
another
chance for that — although one
has to wonder if the Wolverines
will consider playing redshirt
freshman James Hudson or true
freshman Jaylen Mayfield more

at tackle. Senior Jon Runyan
Jr. was noticeably overmatched
against the Fighting Irish, but
Harbaugh said he’s sticking with
the same group of Runyan, Ben
Bredeson, Cesar Ruiz, Michael
Onwenu and Juwann Bushell-
Beatty this weekend.
Regardless of who finishes
the game, however, for the sake
of Patterson’s health and his
offense,
Michigan’s
offensive
line needs to show improvement.
Tight ends, Oliver Martin
Michigan’s tight ends were
the lone bright spot of its passing
game a season ago. But against
Notre Dame, McKeon as well as
juniors Zack Gentry and Nick
Eubanks combined for just 31
yards on five catches.
A
6-foot-7
target,
Gentry
helped the Wolverines pick up
a first down early, but couldn’t
pull down a catchable potential
touchdown pass in the second
quarter. McKeon and Eubanks,
meanwhile,
were
held
quiet
by the Fighting Irish’s speedy
linebackers.
Yet the ho-hum effort could
be viewed as a positive for
Michigan.
The
Wolverines
finally got solid production from
their receivers, who caught just
two touchdown passes all last
year. Though they didn’t get to
the endzone last Saturday, Nico
Collins, Donovan Peoples-Jones,
Grant Perry and Oliver Martin
were productive with 17 catches
for 181 yards.
Now the challenge is ensuring
the tight ends and receivers are
effective concurrently.

When
asked
if
Michigan
would look to its tight ends more
against the Broncos, Harbaugh
on Monday didn’t give an explicit
direction. But the answer should
be yes.
The Wolverines need more
from
Gentry,
McKeon
and
Eubanks.
Combining
the
reliability the group provided
last season with the flashes
the receivers showed Saturday
would make life significantly
easier for Patterson.
And so would more of Martin.
In his first collegiate affair,
Martin
did
exactly
what
receivers are supposed to do
with a scrambling quarterback:
find open space. On a third-and-
seven late during Michigan’s
lone offensive touchdown drive,
Martin saw Patterson moving to
his right and jolted towards the
hash to catch a 21-yard pass.
“I had a seam release corner,
and cover-2, and I kinda got
bumped outside a little bit early,”
Martin said on Tuesday. “So I got
on the sideline quick, and then I
saw Shea scrambling and kinda
motioned me in. And I saw the
defense kinda overplay a little
bit, so I just cut back across the
field and there was that little
hole in the defense that he hit me
on.”
Despite the lopsided score,
the play didn’t go unnoticed.
Receivers coach Jim McElwain
mentioned
that
Martin
and
freshman Ronnie Bell would
receive more playing time this
week.

Josh
Metellus’
(second)
debut
Josh Metellus finished his
day in South Bend after just
five minutes and 54 seconds.
Attempting to dislodge a pass on
the Notre Dame’s second drive,
the junior safety was called for
targeting and ejected.
Cornerbacks coach Michael
Zordich said the play made him
re-examine how the targeting
rule is called.
“Was it helmet to helmet?
I don’t know,” Zordich said.
“Looked like a shoulder to me.
But you gotta be smart. The play
was made.”
Sophomore Brad Hawkins was
adequate after the ejection in
replacement — besides allowing
43-yard touchdown pass to Chris
Finke — but Saturday will be
Metellus’ first true opportunity
of the season. Despite being an
All-Big Ten honorable mention
in 2017, Metellus acknowledged
he needed to improve in man and
slot coverage — a priority across
the safety position in fall camp.
And though Western Michigan
is no Notre Dame, it has weapons
that
could
make
Michigan’s
defense
pay.
Wide
receiver
D’Wayne Eskridge caught eight
passes for 240 yards and two
touchdowns against Syracuse,
using his straight-line speed to
burn safeties over the top.
Former
Michigan
receiver
Drake Harris is also a threat
for the Broncos — though he
made only one catch last week.
Still, there’s a rare challenge in
facing a player who knows the

Wolverines inside and out.
“We know Drake is a really
good athlete. Hell of a basketball
player,” Zordich said. “He can
jump through the roof, so you
gotta watch him. And then
(Eskridge), really, damn good
game last week. Really explosive,
very fast, so there’s a challenge
for (both) of those guys for us.”
Added Harbaugh: “(They’re)
very
aggressive.
The
game
against Syracuse was a hard-
fought game. They battled. So,
that’s what we’re getting to
know right now. We looked at
the team in the summer. … Been
impressed.”
Bottom line and prediction
Last week wasn’t a confidence-
inspiring
performance
for
Michigan. Notre Dame stepped
on the Wolverines’ throat early,
and
even
when
momentum
looked to swing, the contest
never really felt close.
Thus,
Michigan
needs
a
strong effort from start to finish
this Saturday. That means no
early
defensive
lapses
while
keeping its quarterback upright
— in addition to capitalizing on
redzone opportunities. It would
take a lot for the Wolverines to
fall, but a lackluster performance
could further cut confidence in
Jim Harbaugh’s team.
Prediction:
Michigan
27,
Western Michigan 13

BY THE NUMBERS
Michigan vs. Western Michigan
249
Passing yards by Michigan against
Notre Dame

2
Sacks allowed by Michigan against
Notre Dame
170
Passing yards by Notre Dame
against Michigan
132
Rushing yards against by Notre
Dame against Michigan

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Senior left tackle Jon Runyan Jr. will play against Western Michigan Saturday despite being overmatched against Notre Dame.