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Monday, October 1, 2018 — 3B

Next generation of Michigan defense emerges

As the Michigan football 
team 
mounted 
its 
largest 
comeback 
in 
the 
Jim 
Harbaugh era Saturday against 
Northwestern, fans saw a team 
clawing for its season. They saw 
an offense do just enough, led 
by a quarterback who showed 
guile and resolve.
They also saw a defense 
show a prolonged glimpse into 
what the future holds on that 
side of the ball. 
Junior 
Josh 
Uche 
and 
sophomore 
Kwity 
Paye, 
in 
particular, asserted themselves 
in career-best days. Uche and 
Paye — dubbed as two of the 
players expected to fill the 
shoes of fifth-year senior Chase 
Winovich and junior Rashan 
Gary — notched two sacks each. 
Their contributions proved 
game-altering 
against 
the 
Wildcats. 
“Like I said, talked about it 
at halftime,” Harbaugh said. 
“We were being tested, this 
is time to find out what we’re 
made of. And our guys really 
responded.”
Though 
oft 
regarded 
as 
hard-working 
players, 
stubborn about taking even one 
play off, Gary and Winovich 
intentionally 
cede 
time 
in 
practice to get Paye, Uche and 
others more reps.
“Rashan 
and 
Chase, 
in 
practice, make sure I get my 
reps, make sure I know what 
I’m doing,” Paye said Saturday. 
“They 
quiz 
me 
sometimes 
on what I’m doing in those 
situations.”
The writing is on the wall, 
with 
Paye 
specifically, 
to 
ascend into a a more regular 
role next season. Gary and 
Winovich know it. Paye does, 
too.
The sophomore has been 
operating in practice at both 
the “end” side and “anchor” 
side, 
taking 
all 
the 
reps 
Winovich and Gary relinquish. 
It’s made Paye — a natural edge 
pass-rusher — a more well-
rounded 
defensive 
end, 
he 
says, but remains a challenge 
nontheless.

“I 
think 
(defensive 
line 
coach Greg Mattison) knows 
those guys are getting ready to 
leave,” Paye said last week. “So 
I feel like he’s trying to prepare 
me to try and eventually take 
over, eventually fill those spots. 
But as of right now, I’m just 
trying to contribute.”
But it’s not only about the 
future.
Given that opportunity to 
contribute Saturday, with Gary 
in and out of the lineup due to 
injury, Uche and Paye made the 
most of the present, too.
In the fourth quarter, with 
the defense needing to get 
off the field on third down, 
Paye 
noticed 
Northwestern 
quarterback 
Thorson 
drifting to his left with the 
pocket eroding. Showing his 
athleticism, 
Paye 
exploded 
right at Thorson, finishing 
with vigor for a 10-yard sack, 
his second on the day. 
Uche, touted as a potential 
up-and-coming 
pass-rushing 
force for years now, seems to 
finally be emerging into just 

that. He earned two sacks of 
his own by dipping his shoulder 
and sneaking past the tackle, 
the latter of which ended the 
game.
As 
Harbaugh 
rattled 
off 
names of guys who impressed 
after Saturday’s game, Uche 
and Paye neared the top of the 
list multiple times.
“Josh Uche, some of those 
speed rushes he had on the 
edge were huge,” he said. … 
“And also Kwity Paye, thought 
he really stepped up.”
Then again later.
“Kwity Paye, also showed 
up, as I said, Josh Uche,” he 
said again. “Two of those speed 
rushes went fast and powerful.”
When Harbaugh mentions 
a player off-hand, that alone 
merits note. He, along with 
Mattison, will undoubtedly be 
finding more ways to get the 
duo on the field. Perhaps that 
means sliding Gary inside on 
some downs. Maybe it means 
resting the banged-up Gary in 
lower-leverage spots. It could 
just mean a more frequent 

rotation in general.
These are good problems to 
have.
That these questions even 
need to be asked speaks well 
to the depth up front, and the 
future of the defense. And 
it wasn’t restricted to Paye 
or 
Uche. 
Freshman 
Aidan 
Hutchinson 
continues 
to 
demand playing time on the 
defensive 
line. 
Sophomore 
defensive 
tackle 
Michael 
Dwumfour played his best 
game in a Michigan uniform. 
Sophomore 
linebacker 
Josh 
Ross made several key plays, 
including a thumping pass-
breakup on a third down in the 
second half. The list could go 
on.
Saturday’s 
game 
will 
be 
remembered in several ways. 
A late comeback on the road. 
A quarterback finding a way. 
A game that was closer than it 
should’ve been. 
But perhaps the most lasting 
memory? The emergence of the 
next generation of Michigan’s 
defense.

MAX MARCOVITCH
Daily Sports Editor

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Sophomore defensive end Kwity Paye recorded a career-best two sacks in Michigan’s 20-17 win over Northwestern.

Northwestern’s blitz too much for Wolverines

Heading into Friday night, 
the Michigan women’s soccer 
team may have anticipated 
that Northwestern’s backline 
would give the Wolverines the 
most trouble.
The Wildcats’ defense had 
surrendered just five goals 
over the first 11 games of the 
season, and thanks to brick-
wall 
goalkeeper 
Mackenzie 
Wood, seven of those games 
were shutouts.
On 
Friday 
though, 
Michigan’s 
demise 
came 
at 
the 
hands 
of 
a 
rapid 
offensive onslaught, as No. 17 
Northwestern (2-2-1 Big Ten, 
8-2-2 overall) defeated the 
Wolverines in Evanston, 4-1.
A lot about Friday’s game 
was unusual.
For 
starters, 
Michigan 
(2-3-0, 
6-6-0) 
outshot 
the 
Wildcats, 7-6, in the first half 
of the game—the same frame 
Northwestern saw all four of 
its goals scored. The Wildcats 
hadn’t scored four goals in a 
game in two seasons.
The first three goals came off 
corner kicks, as Northwestern 
jumped on opportunities when 
they were able to create set-ups 
and slow the game down.
“I 
think 
it 
came 
down 
to attention to details, and 
they capitalized on us,” said 
Michigan coach Jennifer Klein. 
After a contentious first 10 
minutes that saw somewhat 
sloppy play characterized by 
midfield turnovers from both 
sides, Northwestern began to 
differentiate itself.
At 
the 
10:45 
mark, 
the 
Wildcat players crowded the 
box on their first corner kick 
of the game, drawing the 
Wolverine defense inside. This 
left 
Northwestern 
forward 
Brenna Lovera open on the 
outside to smash the ball into 
the top of the net, opening up 
scoring in the game.
The Wildcats wasted little 
time, striking again under six 

minutes later. Northwestern 
capitalized 
on 
another 
set 
piece opportunity, this time 
with a header from defender 
Kayla Sharples, putting them 
ahead, 2-0.
Almost 
immediately, 
Michigan 
responded 
with 
smart passing up the pitch 
from senior midfielder Ashley 
Calcagno to redshirt junior 
midfielder Katie Foug. After 
fighting off a defender, Foug 
crossed the ball to sophomore 
midfielder Alia Martin, who 
sent the ball in to cut the 
Wolverines’ deficit in half.
“I think our ability to come 
back and score, we had great 
control of the ball in the run-
up play, we moved it really 
nicely, creating good chances,” 
Klein said.
Over the course of the next 
15 
minutes, 
Northwestern 
tacked 
on 
two 
additional 
insurance goals — the first 
off yet another corner kick — 
running an efficient offense 
for a team primarily known as 

a defensive powerhouse.
By the 30-minute mark of 
the 90-minute game, all of the 
scoring that would happen had 
happened.
It 
wasn’t 
until 
the 
dwindling 
seconds 
of 
the 
half that Michigan regained 
momentum, 
crisply 
passing 
between 
midfielders 
and 
forwards in center of the pitch, 
but it was too late. 
At halftime, the Wolverines 
knew they had significant 
work to do with a three-goal 
deficit. 
“I told them (at halftime) I 
think we can come back and 
win 5-4 if we clean up details,” 
Klein said. “I think we were 
unfortunate to not get a goal 
in the half, but again, I thought 
we controlled a lot of play 
and really had the ball for the 
majority of the second half.”
And in the second half, 
Michigan was able to clean 
things up. The Wolverines 
made a series of defensive 
adjustments, 
such 
as 
not 

allowing the Wildcats to catch 
them in transition and not 
giving away as many corner 
opportunities—the detrimental 
flaw of the first half. 
Michigan exuded confidence 
in the final 15 minutes of the 
game after a back and forth 
start to the second half. The 
Wolverines created five or six 
viable scoring chances, but 
were unable to convert on any, 
leaving the game’s score the 
same as it was at halftime. 
Klein felt proud of her team’s 
second half appearance, noting 
that Michigan’s play didn’t 
necessarily reflect in the box 
score.
“I was proud of the team’s 
response in the second half 
to continue to fight and push, 
but we just were unfortunate,” 
Klein said. “It got close at the 
end, I told them that we needed 
to be a team that was okay 
doing some dirty work, and I 
thought we could come back 
and find a way to get a result. 
Unfortunately, we didn’t.”

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Sophomore midfielder Alia Martin scored Michigan’s lone goal in the Wolverines’ 4-1 loss to Northwestern on Friday.

‘Evil genius’ Don Brown 
aids defense in 20-17 win

It was a familiar punch 
to the jaw. Just as Notre 
Dame racked up three quick 
touchdowns in the season 
opener, 
Northwestern 
dealt the Michigan football 
team blow after blow early 
Saturday.
The Wildcats ran 17 plays 
for 145 yards on their first 
three 
drives, 
seemingly 
converting everything they 
wanted. Quarterback Clayton 
Thorson 
completed 
slant 
after 
slant, 
resembling 
a 
prized fighter meticulously 
shredding and wearing down 
his opponent. He consistently 
had 
a 
clean 
pocket 
to 
throw from — 
the Wolverines 
defensive line’s 
“twist” stunts 
weren’t getting 
home.
Michigan 
couldn’t avoid 
its 
own 
jabs, 
either. 
Its 
defense 
was 
penalized three times for 
40 yards, as yellow flags 
dismantled any resistance the 
Wolverines could muster.
Late in the first quarter, 
a 
nine-play, 
52-yard 
touchdown 
drive 
extended 
Northwestern’s lead to 17. 
It looked like a potential 
knock-out punch, especially 
with 
Michigan’s 
offensive 
sputtering.
“We 
let 
small 
missed 
assignments 
turn 
into 
a 
big gains,” said sophomore 
defensive end Kwity Paye. 
“We just had to settle down.”
“Settling down” is certainly 
not 
Don 
Brown’s 
M.O. 
The 
third-year 
defensive 
coordinator is known instead 
for 
his 
fiery 
personality, 
“solve your problems with 
aggression” 
mantra 
and 
endless 
pursuit 
of 
the 
quarterback.
But 
that’s 
exactly 
what 
Brown did for the Michigan 
defense. 
After 
the 
first 
quarter, 
the 
Wolverines 
allowed 
just 
119 
yards 
of 
total 
offense 
and 
kept 
the 
Wildcats 
from 
truly delivering 
that KO.
“He’s an evil 
genius 
of 
the 
defense,” 
said 
fifth-year senior 
defensive end Chase Winovich. 
“It’s 
more 
than 
just 
his 
coaching style, it’s his ability to 
manage relationships, which 
requires a certain level of 
genius in itself to get everyone 
on the same page.”
Naturally, aggression was 
Brown’s key to finding that 
page. Moving away from those 
twist stunts for a traditional 
pursuit, 
Michigan 
sacked 
Thorson five times in the 
second half.
“It was like, ‘Let’s put our 
best pass rushers out there 
and straight pass rush them,’ ” 

Paye said.
The problem met aggression, 
and Brown had the answer. 
Calling 
blitzes 
like 
you’d 
expect from an “evil genius,” 
Brown made Northwestern’s 
offense look lost down the 
stretch, 
its 
quarterback 
picking himself off the turf 
consistently.
Thorson couldn’t rely on 
those slants anymore, either.
As they had two weeks ago 
against SMU, safeties Josh 
Metellus and Tyree Kinnel 
struggled 
early 
on 
quick 
passing plays in man-to-man 
coverage. But Brown had his 
solution, and of course, it was 
based in physicality.
“We 
came 
in 
knowing 
that was their 
go-to 
— 
the 
short 
game,” 
said 
junior 
linebacker Josh 
Uche. 
“We 
just had to get 
better hands on 
the 
receivers 
coming off the 
line.”
And 
as 
Metellus 
and company did just that, 
Michigan’s 
defense 
was 
officially settled in. Those 
penalties, quick passes and 
points all mostly disappeared 
during the second half.
“Don 
Brown 
had 
some 
tremendous calls,” said coach 
Jim Harbaugh. “We got free 
runners to the quarterback, 
and that was big … We started 
getting our hands on some of 
those balls in the secondary 
and started applying pressure, 
and it really helped us.”
So did the play of Uche and 
Paye, which was especially 
critical 
considering 
Rashan 
Gary left injured in the third 
quarter 
— 
he 
did 
return 
eventually. 
In 
breakout 
performances, 
the 
pair 
collected 
two 
sacks 
each 
during the absence of the junior 
defense end.
True to his adjustment, it 
was Brown’s call that sealed 
Michigan’s largest come-from-
behind victory since 2011. On 
the 
game’s 
final 
play, 
Uche 
speed 
rushed 
off 
the right edge 
to 
dispatch 
Northwestern’s 
tackle 
— 
no 
twist 
stunt 
needed — and 
sack Thorson. 
“It was good 
for 
him 
to 
show himself that he could 
ball,” Paye said. “Rashan got 
injured, and he stepped up 
and made some big plays for 
us.”
Most 
importantly, 
they 
were 
the 
kind 
of 
plays 
Michigan needed with such a 
thin margin for error. With his 
team bruised and on the ropes, 
Brown helped Michigan settle 
in the only way he knows how: 
with aggression. 
“This would’ve been the 
greatest night of (their) lives,” 
Winovich said. “I think we 
spoiled that.”

MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Editor

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Defensive end Chase Winovich notched three tackles for loss on Saturday.

“We just had 
to get better 
hands on the 
receivers...”

“Don Brown 
had some 
tremendous 
calls.”

FOOTBALL

ANNA MARCUS
Daily Sports Editor