The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
Monday, October 8, 2018 — 3B

Patterson’s mobility keys season-high passing performance vs. Maryland

The Michigan football team 
separates its offense into three 
groups to tailor its strength 
and 
conditioning 
program: 
linemen, small skill — running 
backs and receivers — and big 
skill for quarterbacks and tight 
ends.
But those categories don’t 
hold 
for 
Shea 
Patterson. 
Throughout 
his 
time 
with 
the 
Wolverines, 
the 
junior 
quarterback has drilled with 
those shiftier players, working 
to match their speed and 
agility.
“Except 
for 
the 
long 
distance, I stay with the big 
skill (for that),” Patterson said.
Saturday, that work showed. 
Patterson made plays with his 
feet 
throughout 
Michigan’s 
victory over Maryland, helping 
him throw for a season-high 282 
yards and three touchdowns on 
19-of-27 passing.
That 
included 
some 
of 
Patterson’s 
most 
impressive 
plays to date. At the end of 
the second quarter, he flashed 
shades of one of his quarterback 
idols, 2012 Heisman Trophy 
Winner Johnny Manziel.
Working from just beyond 

the redzone, Patterson faked 
the handoff, sprinted out to 
his left and saw nothing. Then, 
like a shortstop turning a 
double-play with a baserunner 
incoming, Patterson whipped it 
into coverage with a Terrapin 
in his face. And just as another 
Maryland 
player 
looked 
to 
be in position to make the 
interception, 
Ronnie 
Bell 
flashed across field to take 
it away. Six yards and a dive 
later, the freshman receiver 
and Patterson had their first 
touchdown connection.
The throw required courage 
— Patterson was drilled after 
releasing — creativity and risk.
“He 
does 
some 
amazing 
things out there on the field,” 
said sophomore center Cesar 
Ruiz. “Having him make those 
kind of plays — improvise when 
things get crazy and make a 
play out of it — it’s just amazing 
to have someone like that lead 
our offense.”
Patterson 
also 
channeled 
that improvisation ability on 
his second score.
Down thirteen a quarter 
later, Maryland blitzed and got 
a free rusher in the backfield 
almost 
immediately. 
But 
Patterson spun backwards — 
a “whirlybird” as Michigan 

coach Jim Harbaugh called 
it — to escape the pocket. 
Most quarterbacks would’ve 
quit there — rolling to the 
left 
17 
yards 
behind 
the 
line of scrimmage is not an 
advantageous position.
But for not Patterson.
Quickly refocusing his eyes 
downfield, he completed to a 
wide-open Donovan Peoples-
Jones, 
who 
scampered 
the 
remaining 
distance 
for 
a 
34-yard score.
“He’s a dynamic player,” said 
senior running back Karon 
Hidgon. “We’ve seen him make 
plays like that time and time 
again since he’s been here. … 
It’s not a shocker to us.
“He’s able to pick his feet up, 
put them down, get out of tight 
windows — he does a heck of a 
job.”
Though 
it 
wasn’t 
the 
same kind of high-level play, 
Patterson utilized his mobility 
on his third touchdown, too. 
On play-action with first-and-
goal in the fourth quarter, 
Patterson ran to the right and 
slipped a touchdown pass to 
junior fullback Jared Wangler.
It was the type of play 
Harbaugh couldn’t have run 
with previous quarterbacks. 
Jake 
Rudock 
and 
Wilton 

Speight were both defined by 
what they could do within the 
pocket rather than outside of it. 
 
But Patterson’s legs give 
Michigan another element. 
“He’s really good when he 
gets outside of the pocket,” 
Harbaugh 
said. 
“Really 
dangerous throwing on the 
run, seeing the field or running 
himself. It’s a real weapon. He’s 
really growing and playing 

better and better every week. 
He throws really well in the 
pocket when he has (time), and 
when he has to, he’s got a real 
knack — great peripheral vision 
(or) sensation — of where to be 
in the pocket.”
Patterson was also effective 
there. He unloaded a 51-yard 
bomb to sophomore receiver 
Nico Collins in the second 
quarter before finding People-

Jones for another deep strike 
— though the latter was called 
back after a holding penalty.
Patterson won’t always have 
that kind of time. Saturday, 
however, Patterson showed he 
doesn’t always need it to still 
be dangerous. 
“It was players making plays 
today,” Harbaugh said. “That’s 
really what I saw — starting 
with Shea.”

Injuries mounting for Wolverines 
ahead of toughest games this year

The 
No. 
15 
Wisconsin 
football team’s offensive line 
is good. Like, really good. 
It allows just 1.6 sacks per 
game. On the ground, running 
back and Heisman contender 
Jonathan Taylor ranks third 
in the country in rushing with 
141.5 yards per game, 6.7 per 
carry.
Michigan’s 
defense has rarely 
met a challenge 
too 
tall. 
But 
next 
Saturday, 
the 
12th-ranked 
Wolverines might 
be facing a steep 
climb 
against 
its 
toughest 
competition yet.
Late 
in 
the 
second 
quarter 
Saturday against Maryland, 
defensive 
tackle 
Michael 
Dwumfour went to the ground 
after awkwardly planting his 
right foot attacking a run play. 
The entire team surrounded 
the redshirt sophomore on 
the field offering words of 
encouragement before he was 
carted off the field.
Junior 
linebacker 
Devin 
Bush Jr. said he believed 
Dwumfour just rolled his 
ankle. Michigan Coach Jim 
Harbaugh 
said 
it’s 
to 
be 
determined and that the team 
is evaluating the injury.
While Dwumfour’s health 
status is currently unknown, 
he reassuringly tweeted after 
the game: “I’m good thanks 
for the support.”
With less than five minutes 
remaining in the game, junior 
defensive tackle Carlo Kemp 
also limped off the field 
with an apparent injury and 
unknown condition.
“Still 
evaluating,” 
Harbaugh said.
With an already-thinned 
out 
defense, 
an 
adaptive 

mindset has become requisite.
“There has been a couple 
bang-ups 
on 
the 
D-line,” 
said junior VIPER Khaleke 
Hudson. “But we just trust 
the backups to come in and do 
what they gotta do and work 
hard and get the job done. The 
linebackers are doing what 
we’ve gotta do and the safeties 
counter off of that.”
Added 
Bush: 
“It 
just 
encourages me to get those 
guys ready to play at a high 
level.”
Junior 
defensive 
end 
Rashan 
Gary 
also 
sat 
out 
Saturday’s 
contest as a 
precaution. 
The 
junior 
had 
been 
playing 
through 
apparent AC joint pain in his 
right shoulder this season. 
According to Harbaugh, he 
made the decision to give Gary 
time to rehabilitate ahead 
of the daunting three-game 
stretch, noting “it’s not a long-
term thing.”
And sophomore 
defensive 
tackle 
Aubrey 
Solomon 
has 
been 
out 
since 
the 
start 
of 
the 
season 
recovering 
from 
knee 
surgery. 
But 
Harbaugh 
offered a positive 
assessment of his 
improvement.
“Aubrey, 
we’ll 
see,” 
Harbaugh said. “He had a 
good week last week, we’ll see 
how close he is this week.”
Despite the carousel of 
injuries, the Wolverines still 
rank first in the country in 
total defense, allowing just 
230.5 yards and 15.8 points per 
game. The available playing 
time has fallen squarely on 
players like Kwity Paye and 

Josh Uche. The pair combined 
for 
four 
sacks 
last 
week 
against Nebraska.
Stellar 
play, 
of 
course, 
doesn’t 
perfectly 
replicate 
what the defensive production 
could have been fully healthy. 
But the amenable defensive 
front has been nothing to balk 
at.
On the offensive side, junior 
running back Chris Evans was 
also benched as a safeguard. 
Evans is still recovering from 
an apparent leg injury.
“Yeah, Chris practiced two 
days this week, and ultimately 
thought it best not to … play 
him today,” Harbaugh said. 
“Hopefully we get some guys 
back next week.”
Wide receiver Tarik Black, 
who has yet to play this season 
after suffering a broken foot 
for the second consecutive 
season, also remains out, but 
has been out of a walking 
boot for a few weeks. News 
on Black’s health should be 
expected soon.
“Yeah, he’s rehabbing well,” 
Harbaugh said on Oct. 1. “His 
doctor will be coming into 
town when the Packers play 
the 
Lions 
on 
October 
7. 
I 
think 
he’s 
got 
a 
scheduled 
appointment 
then to look 
at it. Could 
have 
some 
good 
news 
at that point. 
Things look 
really 
good 
the way it’s progressing.”
It’s 
all 
speculation 
at 
this point, but Harbaugh’s 
diagnoses and the severity 
of recent injuries point to 
a healthier lineup in the 
coming weeks. And with three 
consecutive matchups against 
ranked conference opponents 
coming 
up, 
Michigan 
will 
anxiously 
await 
that 
possibility.

AARON COHEN/Daily
Junior quarterback Shea Patterson threw for a season-high 282 yards in Michigan’s win over Maryland.

MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Editor

AARON BAKER/Daily
Junior defensive end Rashan Gary sat out of Saturday’s game against Maryland with a shoulder injury.

ETHAN WOLFE
Daily Sports Writer

“There (have) 
been a couple 
bang-ups on the 
D-line.”

“Hopefully 
we get some 
guys back next 
week.”

