8 — Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Kemp adjusting to new defensive tackle spot
Carlo Kemp started the first
game of his career Saturday
at defensive tackle. With both
sophomore nose guard Aubrey
Solomon and fifth-year senior
defensive
tackle
Lawrence
Marshall out due to injuries,
it was a moment three years
in the making for the redshirt
sophomore.
“It was my first time playing
and having a majority of snaps
during a football game, so it
just felt really good to be out
there and run around and just
play football,” Kemp said. “It’s
been a while since I got a lot of
snaps.”
That’s partly because Kemp
has twice changed positions
with the Michigan football
team. When he first came to
Ann Arbor in the spring of 2016,
Kemp cut ten pounds to practice
at outside linebacker. But he
didn’t feel comfortable there,
and
after
receiving
limited
action his freshman year, Kemp
switched back to defensive end.
Drawing
from
familiarity
playing the position in high
school, it was a more natural fit
for him. That still didn’t equate
to playing time. Firmly behind
now-junior Rashan Gary at
Michigan’s anchor spot, Kemp
registered just three tackles
and one quarterback pressure
in 2017.
So early this past winter, he
went to defensive line coach
Greg Mattison with a proposal:
move to the three-technique
defensive tackle. Kemp didn’t
have interior line experience,
and he knew the change meant
embarking on an ultra-intense
workout and eating regimen to
gain weight. It was a challenge
Kemp was ultimately willing to
undertake.
“Even if it meant being a
backup,
just
letting
coach
Mattison know, ‘Hey, I want
to learn it at least’ just so he
has that option,” Kemp said. “I
think he liked the idea of me
coming to him and asking him.”
Thus Kemp began working
at both defensive tackle and
anchor during spring practices,
picking up on sometimes subtle
differences in footwork and
blocking. Kemp now feels like
he’s honing in
his
technique,
but it wasn’t an
easy process.
“For
me,
it was pretty
tough
just
because
I
hadn’t done it
and it’s a whole
lot
faster,”
Kemp
said.
“At the anchor
position, you just got to watch
that tight end and whatever he
does you just kinda play off it.
If you try to mirror anyone’s
footwork inside, you’re gonna
end up 10 yards running into
your linebackers messing up the
whole defensive play.
“On the inside, you got to play
even more aggressive since you
got the guard and the tackle to
worry about, and you’re getting
600 pounds on you on every
play.”
More on the mental side, that
number
represented
Kemp’s
biggest
hurdle
to
changing
positions.
He’d
already
cut
10 pounds to play outside
linebacker. Now,
Kemp would have
to beef up to hold
his own at three-
tech.
And
with
plenty of targeted
eating
and
protein
shakes,
Kemp
did
just
that.
He
went
from around 275
to 295 pounds,
becoming one of the team’s most
physically imposing players in
the process.
“Just
really
strong,
he’s
playing
really
strong,”
said
coach Jim Harbaugh. “Very
dedicated player who we had no
hesitation starting and playing
him a lot. He’s coming into his
own. Physically, the strength is
showing up.”
It showed when Michigan
needed it on Saturday. Kemp,
who rotated with junior Michael
Dwumfour and fifth-year senior
Bryan Mone, made two tackles
and was instrumental on junior
defensive end Rashan Gary’s
first sack of the season. Bull
rushing the left guard in the
first quarter, Kemp closed off
both inside gaps, allowing Gary
to come off the edge and tackle
Western Michigan quarterback
Jon Wassink for a loss.
Kemp is far from a finished
product at defensive tackle, and
the Wolverines would benefit
significantly from the returns
of Solomon and Marshall, who
are “week to week” according
to Harbaugh. But so far, Kemp’s
long transition has worked out
for both him and Michigan.
“You just want to get on the
field,” Kemp said. “So if they
recommend moving inside, I’m
not gonna fight that. I’m going
to be the best at the three-tech
that I can and just fight my way
on the field.”
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Carlo Kemp filled in for Aubrey Solomon and Lawrence Marshall on Saturday.
MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Editor
“It’s been a
while since
I got a lot of
snaps.”
The redshirt sophomore got his first start of his college career in Saturday’s win
Wolverines get shots
but struggle to score
For two straight games,
Emma Way came through in
the clutch for the Michigan
field hockey team. On both
Friday and Sunday, the senior
forward scored game-winning
goals in overtime, and she even
managed to score with 8:17
remaining in the extra period
in both games.
But Way’s flashy game-
winners hid the fact that the
Wolverines
(3-3)
shouldn’t
have been in overtime in the
first place. They tallied 17
shots against Pacific on Friday
and 24 against Monmouth on
Sunday, despite emerging with
just four goals across the two
games. With that many shots,
Michigan expected to score
more goals.
“Obviously
it’s
really
frustrating,” Way said. “When
you see the stats saying we
have a lot of shots and no goals,
you know you have to work on
something.”
For the Wolverines, that
something could be finishing
scoring chances off penalty
corners. Michigan scored off
of just one penalty corner this
weekend — scoring on only one
of its 13 chances Sunday and
none of its 12 chances Friday.
The lone penalty corner the
Wolverines managed to score
from was Way’s second game-
winner, where there were just
six Hawks on the field — just
seven players on each side
take the field for overtime
and Pacific received a green
card moments earlier — and
the extra space on the field
may have contributed to the
scoring success.
“I think we felt good, having
a little bit more room on the
field
now,”
said
Michigan
coach Marcia Pankratz. “We
were able to execute. I think
we felt confident about that.”
Despite
the
last-minute
scoring, the shots throughout
each game were frequently
saved, blocked, or just wide of
the goal.
When
a
shot
misses,
sometimes it’s doomed from
the start. Maybe it was sent at
a bad angle or directly towards
the goalie, or it just wasn’t
strong enough to get through
the defenders. But sometimes,
it’s a case of bad luck.
“It’s a game of wins and
losses, sometimes you get it
and sometimes you don’t,” said
sophomore midfielder Kayla
Reed. “Sometimes it’s just the
luck of the bounce. I’m really
confident in the girls, I know
they’re all great goal scorers,
but
now
it’s
just
getting
that into play. It’s definitely
something we’re going to work
on as a team.”
The Wolverines had four
shots that bounced off the side
or the crossbar of the goal in
Sunday’s game, including a
shot that hit off the side of the
goal after a penalty corner.
While Michigan can certainly
improve its finishing, some of
this
weekend’s
inefficiency
may come down to unlucky
bounces.
“We
got
24
shots
to
(Monmouth’s) six, so we’re
getting there, we’re making
the opportunities,” Reed said.
“Over time, we’ll start slotting
them in, and when we do,
hopefully that scoreboard will
read a little bit more difference
between the two teams.”
Misfortune likely played
a part in the Wolverines’
scoring difficulty. But when
they score just four goals on
41 shots in a weekend, it may
take more than just improved
luck for them to increase their
output.
FIELD HOCKEY
BAILEY JOHNSON
Daily Sports Writer
Through criticism, Michigan looks at silver lining with offensive line
When asked to evaluate his
offensive line’s play thus far, Jim
Harbaugh predictably offered
a rosier picture than what one
would have found on an online
message board.
But Harbaugh didn’t even
mention the five guys who have
played seven of the season’s first
eight quarters.
“It
was
good
to
see
(freshman) Jalen Mayfield get
in the game, it was good to see
(redshirt
sophomore)
James
Hudson get in the game and do
well,” Harbaugh said during
Monday’s
press
conference.
“We’ve got good hopes for both
those tackles. It’s kind of a race
to see how fast they can get up
to speed.”
It’s
no
secret
that
the
Wolverines’ offensive line is
the offense’s — and perhaps
the entire team’s — bottleneck
capping
its
potential.
But
Harbaugh has steadfastly stood
by his starting five. So why
would Harbaugh mention two
backup linemen unprompted?
“They’re in the ballpark,” he
said of the competition at both
tackle spots. “So that bodes
well for us. Want depth there. …
Whether they’re the best player
at the position? Time will tell.”
With
two
games
under
Michigan’s belt, the time for
Mayfield and Hudson’s possible
ascendence
is
now.
Junior
quarterback Shea Patterson has
flashed his savvy with accurate
on-the-run throws and evading
pass rushers, but it hardly seems
sustainable.
Patterson’s
mobility
was
relatively capped against No. 8
Notre Dame, with three sacks
coming on the left side past
senior tackle Jon Runyan Jr.
The frequency of quarterback
hurries allowed by the leaky
o-line alarms the naked eye, but
the Wolverines are protective of
the starting rotation, trying to
remain loose and disregard any
ire from the fanbase.
“Most
people
do
not
understand fundamentally what
offensive line play is and what
it entails,” said junior backup
center
Stephen
Spanellis.
“Someone
might
perceive
something as bad offensive line
play that in reality is not on us
or they don’t understand what
our assignments
are, so they don’t
know what we’re
supposed to do.
“It’s
a
complicated
thing, so people
often blame us
but we just try
to block that out
and know that as
a unit we’re solid
and
improving
and we’re gonna
continue to do that.”
Against Western Michigan
on Saturday, the offensive line
was being credited left and
right for the success of the
run game, which amassed 308
yards. Junior running back
Chris Evans said “you could
drive a car through” the holes
they
produced.
Patterson
said
the offensive line
“had a heck of a
game.”
But
even
against
an
inferior
team
like the Broncos,
pass
rushers
made it to the
backfield several
times. Spanellis
admitted
that
even on some of the successful
plays,
like
Evans’
27-yard
touchdown run, the offensive
line
missed
blocks.
Thus,
frustration persists as eyes peer
to future foes like Wisconsin
and Ohio State.
The candid Spanellis, though,
sees things from a more assured,
theoretical
point
of
view.
One of the most
intelligent
players on the
roster, Spanellis
explained
the
nuances
of
the
offensive
line
schemes
academically.
“If
we’re
in
a
five-man
protection
and
the call-side tackle has to come
down on a blitzing linebacker
and leave the end and let him
go free, the average fan will
say ‘What the hell is that guy
doing? He just let up a sack,’ ”
Spanellis said. “But no, that’s
his assignment, that’s what he’s
supposed to do. … You’re gonna
have to take the
most dangerous
guy,
in
terms
of
if
you’re
gonna
look
at
a
Pythagorean
triangle,
the
guy that’s inside
is closer to the
quarterback.”
Harbaugh
boils down his
offensive line in
simpler
terms.
After praising Mayfield and
Hudson, he later circled back
to compliment the his starters.
Sophomore center Cesar Ruiz
was “really good,” junior right
guard Michael Onwenu “made a
lot strides,” and Harbaugh was
“very pleased” with Runyan and
fifth-year senior right tackle
Juwann Bushell-Beatty.
Harbaugh’s words were a
far cry from any animated,
overjoyed commendation. But
his team continues the wait-
and-see approach to display
pass-blocking improvement.
“I think we’re close,” Spanellis
said. “I’m not an expert, I don’t
know when exactly you’ll be
able to tell exactly when. But I
think we’re gonna get there. I’m
not exactly sure what it’s gonna
look like, but I’m sure it’ll be
great.”
But through two games and
with much still to improve,
impatience can justifiably grow.
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Senior left tackle Jon Runyan Jr. has come under increasing fire, especially after junior quarterback Shea Patterson was sacked three times by defenders from the left side against Notre Dame.
ETHAN WOLFE
Daily Sports Writer
“... the guy
that’s inside is
closer to the
quarterback.”
“It’s kind of a
race to see how
fast they can get
up to speed.”