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.”