8 — Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Karan Higdon relishes workhorse role he played against Northwestern
Even
when
he
wanted
to forget about it, Karan
Higdon couldn’t avoid seeing
his
holding
penalty
from
Saturday’s
20-17
win
at
Northwestern.
“(I’ve seen it) a couple times,
I had no choice,” Higdon said.
“A lot of people sent it to me.
It’s one of those things that —
I can’t say it happens — I have
no explanation for it. … I don’t
know how that happens.”
The senior running back
was faked a handoff up the
middle,
getting
swallowed
at the line of scrimmage by
a Wildcat player while Shea
Patterson scrambled to the
left for a 20-yard pickup.
While Higdon was sent to the
ground, so was the yellow
penalty
flag,
calling
back
Patterson’s run and stymying
a potential comeback drive in
the fourth quarter.
The call was a blemish
on
an
otherwise
hard-
nosed contest that primarily
featured Higdon. With junior
running back Chris Evans —
who Higdon calls his “partner
in crime” — again sidelined
due to an injury, Higdon was
the Michigan football team’s
bellcow. He toted the ball 30
times for 115 yards and two
touchdowns — one of which
gave the Wolverines their first
lead with 4:06 left in the game.
It’s no wonder that on the
fake handoff, Northwestern
swarmed him.
Higdon’s 30 attempts are
hardly eye-popping; it’s only
tied for the 55th-most rushing
attempts in Michigan history.
It’s not even the most he’s had
as a running back — he tallied
35 rushes in his freshman year
of high school. But in a pivotal,
“prove it” year in the Jim
Harbaugh era, the workhorse
role given to Higdon in Evans’
absence is emblematic of just
how much trust the coaches
and players have in him to
fulfill that role.
“He’s a very valuable player
in the backfield,” said redshirt
sophomore tight end Nick
Eubanks. “I have no doubt in
mind that he’ll run the ball,
break
tackles.
He
always
has the urge to get the extra
yardage off breaking tackles.
I’m glad to have a dude back
there like that.”
And
as
Higdon
stood
before the media on Monday
afternoon, the wear and tear
from Saturday’s game was
non-existent. He has a trusted
post-game and rehab routine
— contrast bath therapy, a
massage and repeat.
After
all,
Higdon
has
seen
similar
work
before.
The senior popped off for a
previous high of 25 carries in
a dominant 200-yard, three-
touchdown
performance
against Indiana in 2017. But on
Saturday, the running lanes
were tighter and Higdon had
more difficulty getting chunk
yardage — 12 of his carries
went for three yards or fewer.
And yet, his versatility and
pass protection kept him as
the lead back.
“He really got the ability
to run all the assortment of
runs,” Harbaugh said. “He’s
not really in a category where
he can only do inside runs or
can only do outside runs, he
can do both. (He) can also
pass protect. High level of
trust with Karan in every
phase, including ball security.
It allows us to do as much as
the offense has.”
Even with a career-high
in carries, the performance
was a not a career-best. But
his dependability rested not
only in Higdon’s run game,
but in his level-headedness.
Higdon said he gets “hotter
and hotter” with more carries,
an assertion evidenced by his
night-capping, fourth quarter
touchdown.
His
calmness
was
also
emblematic of his sideline
demeanor
in
a
comeback
situation.
“This was a game where
guys had to really dig deep,
look in the mirror and see
how bad they really want it,”
Higdon said. “Guys like myself,
the other three captains, Shea,
a lot of the guys on the defense
stepped up, coaches — just
saying, ‘Keep going, it’s a four
quarter game, we have all a
whole other half. This it the
time to make a difference.’
And we did that.”
For now, Evans’ timetable
to return is still a mystery.
But without him, Higdon and
his team still don’t bat an eye.
When Higdon was told of the
current Michigan record for
rushing attempts — 51 carries
by Chris Perry in 2003 — he
laughed.
“50 carries? Shoot, I’d do it
though,” he said. “… Whatever
it takes to get the job done.”
And that’s what Higdon did
Saturday, despite how ugly it
was.
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Senior running back Karan Higdon carried the ball 30 times, the most since his freshman year of high school, in the Michigan football team’s 20-17 comeback win over Northwestern on Saturday.
ETHAN WOLFE
Daily Sports Writer
Runyan: O-line improved, but still needs work
The season-opening loss
to
Notre
Dame
displayed
numerous truths about the
Michigan football team. It
showed
that
the
addition
of
one
player
—
junior
quarterback Shea Patterson
— couldn’t fix everything. It
showed the beginnings of a
heavily-penalized defense. It
showed a continuation of the
Wolverines’ struggles on the
road.
But at the defeat’s core
was an offensive line that
was outmatched. Michigan
allowed three sacks while
struggling
to
generate
substantial push for senior
running back Karan Higdon.
That
combination
—
a
quarterback with little time
and a running back with little
room — culminated in only
one
offensive
touchdown
against the Fighting Irish.
“Notre Dame showed us
what we needed to work on,”
said senior left tackle Jon
Runyan Jr. “For me, it was
definitely pass protection.”
The emphasis has been
clear
in
the
following
weeks, albeit versus lesser
competition.
Michigan’s
offensive line has allowed
five sacks in its four games
since, as Patterson has had
noticeably
cleaner
pockets
from which to throw.
“Pass protection is going
pretty well,” Runyan said. “…
Shea’s had time, and when
he has time, he can make
unbelievable plays with his
arm.”
Patterson’s
ability
was
apparent in Michigan’s game-
winning drive Saturday. He
found redshirt junior tight
end Zach Gentry twice for
gains of 12 and 22 yards to
set up Higdon’s go-ahead
touchdown.
Most
importantly,
they
were completions that were
well
protected.
Patterson
went
through
multiple
progressions before throwing
both passes, allowing Gentry
enough time to get open
thanks to his offensive line.
Now,
Runyan
sees
run
blocking as his unit’s biggest
area
for
improvement.
Excluding jet sweeps and
quarterback
runs,
the
Wolverines ran for 126 yards
on 33 carries Saturday. That’s
respectable
but,
especially
with
Higdon’s
yards-after-
contact,
not
ideal.
“We’re
not
at
the
point
we
need
to
be,”
Runyan
said.
“I
think
we
averaged
(around)
three
yards per carry
last week, and
we want to get that up around
four, four and a half. … That’s
something
that’s
been
a
big point of emphasis as an
offensive line.”
There’s been no shortage
of criticism for the group this
season. From former standout
receiver
Braylon
Edwards
to
fans,
the
Wolverines’
offensive
line
has
been
dragged through the mud on
social media.
It’s been a challenge for
Runyan to manage all that
noise. For he and fifth-year
senior right tackle Juwan
Bushell-Beatty
especially
— the most popular targets
of criticism — it’s a delicate
balance using it as motivation
and not listening at all.
“The narrative has been
going in ever
since
I’ve
been here that
the Michigan
offensive line
hasn’t
been
up
to
the
standards that
people outside
this
building
would
like,”
Runyan
said.
“We take that
personally, and we’ve been
trying to (change that) every
day.
“When it comes to certain
things that go on during the
game, people have no idea
what our scheme is on the
play, no idea how we block it.
… Stuff like that, we take it
with a grain of salt it doesn’t
affect me too much.”
It helps Runyan to know
he’s
an
everyday
starter.
Even
with
his
struggles
and growing hype around
redshirt
freshman
James
Hudson and true freshman
Jalen Mayfield, coach Jim
Harbaugh hasn’t wavered on
his starting group.
That’s allowed chemistry
to build up front. Last week,
junior guard Ben Bredeson
said
communication
was
the offensive line’s biggest
jump
since
Notre
Dame
— something Runyan now
believes comes naturally on
the left side.
“Being with Ben working
with him since the beginning
of camp, we have that non-
verbal communication going
where we don’t really need
to say much — we know what
to do,” Runyan said. “Having
that consistency has been
really helpful.”
Added
Harbaugh:
“(Runyan’s)
been
healthy,
stronger this year playing
with physical demeanor. He’s
always been athletic, but he’s
stronger at the point of attack.
Playing good football.”
With their play on Saturday,
perhaps that last point can be
extrapolated to the rest of the
offensive line as well.
‘M’ sweeps Rutgers
The job every week for the No.
17 Michigan volleyball team is to
handle business and get the win.
So against Rutgers, the Wolverines
could be considered overqualified.
The Scarlet Knights have won
only one out of 80 Big Ten games
since joining the conference, and
on Friday, the Scarlet Knights
continued the trend of losing by
bowing out to Michigan in straight
sets, 3-0.
The Wolverines played the match
much like how a typical work day
would go. Up early, staying strong
until the break but ready for the
day to end at close. Michigan put in
work on the offensive and defensive
end in the first two sets, providing
little reason for scare until the third
set, when it lost focus and dug itself
in an early deficit. However, the
Wolverines responded in quick
succession to quash any doubt that
they would win.
“Being down or being close to a
team and being able to keep playing
our own game,” said junior outside
hitter Sydney Wetterstrom. “And I
think that we’ve implemented it in
this match, and we’ve been working
on it.”
Playing its game and style had
given Michigan success all season, so
the team had little reason to change.
With their balanced offense, the
Wolverines were led by senior outside
hitter Carly Skjodt and Wetterstrom
in the first set. With three runs of four
or more, Michigan built an early lead
that it wouldn’t relinquish, winning
the first set 25-11.
Rutgers had little response in the
second set as well. Though it put up
a much better fight, the efforts of
the Wolverine veterans proved to be
too much to overcome. Junior setter
Mackenzi Welsh, in particular,
played her part in controlling the
pace of play.
“(Welsh) ran a great offense,”
Wetterstrom said. “I think tonight,
she was seeing the block. She was
heading away from the block, we had
a lot of one-on-one, or one-on-nones
hitters, and she was utilizing going
against the mismatch, and she just
did a really good job placing the ball.”
For part of the third set, the
Scarlet Knights worked out an
answer.
This time, it was an approach
Michigan
had
seen
before.
Opposing services have proven to
be a challenge for the Wolverines all
season if they deviate any bit from
the standard serve. Michigan saw
it with Nebraska and with Iowa.
And as both teams started play after
intermission, Rutgers pulled out the
same tactic.
Quickening the pace at which
she served, Scarlet Knight Marle
Weidt disrupted the pace of play
for Michigan by preventing the
Wolverines from setting up their
receive defense. Unsettled, the team
allowed Rutgers a 7-3 lead.
“That server was going back and
serving as soon as the ref blew the
whistle, and that’s not something
we see very often,” Welsh said. “In
the Big Ten especially, and she was
putting really good pace on the ball,
and so we put our three best passers
back there to be able to fight her off
and be able to get out of the rotation
as fast as possible.”
With a lineup of sophomores
defensive
specialists
Jacqueline
DiSanto and Natalie Smith and
senior libero Jenna Lerg in the
back row, Mark Rosen opted for
a defensive lineup specializing in
receiving. The Wolverine coach saw
the struggle and realized the need to
respond.
With
better
first
touches,
Welsh saw the burden of having to
coordinate passes off of bad touches
lifted. Michigan, through the efforts
of Welsh, Wetterstrom and Skjodt,
fought back to win the set 24-26 and
claim the match 3-0. Welsh ended
the night with 41 assists while Skjodt
and Wetterstrom tallied 15 and 11
kills, respectively.
“I think the passing and defense
tonight was amazing from all the
people that played back row for our
team,” Welsh said. “I think I was
put in really good positions to out
our hitters in really good positions
because of that. And I think all of
our hitters did amazing and got hits
when we needed them and fought
hard through every single push.”
Though Michigan lapsed at
moments during the game, the
match ended up as just another day’s
work for the team.
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Redshirt junior Jon Runyan Jr. (#75) believes the offensive line has improved pass protection but still needs work.
VOLLEYBALL
MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Editor
TIEN LE
Daily Sports Writer
“Notre Dame
showed us what
we needed to
work on.”