8 — Friday, September 13, 2019 Sports The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com C O M M E M O R AT I N G MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 University of Michigan Law School, 1225 Jeffries Hall 4:10–5:30 p.m. Sponsored by U-M Office of the Provost A CONVERSATION WITH U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JUSTIN AMASH Glasgow making impact at WILL Don Brown knows you’ll think he’s crazy, but he doesn’t much care. After all, he’s been around the block a time or two. In over 40 years in the profession, he’s coached All-Americans and future professionals. He’s spent his life living and breathing defensive football — and he’s one of the best around. That gives him the license to make a determination that strays from conventional wisdom a time or two. On Monday, that particular claim came in regard to senior linebacker Jordan Glasgow. “I’ll say this, and I might be criticized: This guy might be one of the best players in the Big Ten,” Brown said. “Watch him run and hit people. Just watch him play.” Coming into the season, the fifth-year senior was seen as valuable versatility — a depth piece to shore up the linebacking corps. He wasn’t the starter at VIPER, the spot belonging to senior Khaleke Hudson. He wasn’t the heir apparent to Devin Bush at the MIKE linebacker spot, either. That position, the general consensus held, was going to be Josh Ross’. He wasn’t slated to be the WILL linebacker either, but he won that job anyway. And in a personnel group defined in the early season by volatility, Glasgow remains a steadying presence. In the early weeks of the season, he’s taken that play up a notch. In a week one win over Middle Tennessee State, Glasgow secured two sacks, matching his career total to that point. Against Army the next week, he seamlessly slotted into one of the inside linebacker spots, helping hold the Black Knights to their lowest yards-per-rush average since 2015 and their lowest total yardage since 2017. Asked to dissect why Glasgow was accepting of a move inside, from his more natural VIPER spot, Brown initially scoffed. “Are you serious? He had no choice, ‘You’re moving inside,’ ” Brown joked. “(Glasgow) was willing (to make the move). He’s a great dude.” Glasgow came to Michigan a walk-on — and brother of Graham, who then manned the Wolverines’ offensive line and now plays for the Detroit Lions. His career at Michigan has been a coach’s dream — steady ascension, gradual increase in role, sudden blossom, invaluable veteran contributor. In many ways, though, he still carries the stereotypes that hang around his path. Asked after his standout opening-week performance about newfound speed, Glasgow instead shrugs it off. “It’s difficult to say. I don’t consider myself very fast relative to the other people on the team, people that are my size,” Glasgow said. “I think that you may be exaggerating how fast I am.” Turn to Brown, though, and he’ll entertain no such degradation. “I mean, he’s a junkie,” Brown said. “He might be one of the funnest guys in the world to coach, because he loves it. He eats it. He drinks it and he backs it up, because he smashes everybody that moves.” Brown then offered a quick anecdote to illustrate that point, recalling a phone call he received one night. Coach, I’ll be available tomorrow morning at 7:20. I’d like to go over my plays. OK, I’ll see you tomorrow to go over your plays. I specifically want to go over my (naked bootlegs). OK, we’ll go over the (naked bootlegs). If anything, Glasgow’s path lends more credence to his merit, not less. He is no longer a walk- on. He is no longer just Graham’s brother. He’s shed nearly every hindrance in his path, and he’s done so on his own terms. Two weeks into his final collegiate season, Glasgow is a steadying force for a group once seen as a possible liability. And if Don Brown has anything to say about it, one of the best players in the Big Ten. MAX MARCOVITCH Managing Sports Editor NATALIE STEPHENS/Daily Senior linebacker Jordan Glasgow has impressed Don Brown this year. This guy might be one of the best players in the Big Ten. OL looking to clean up penalties As Cesar Ruiz assessed the state of Michigan’s offensive line earlier this week, he was careful not to label any struggles as “growing pains.” The implication accompanying that term is that the Wolverines’ inconsistency on the offensive line is a result of Josh Gattis’ new offense. The junior center knows that isn’t the case. “We all understand the offense, we all understand everything,” Ruiz said. “It’s just, once you get in the game, you’ve got to understand everything’s fast-paced and there’s no re-dos.” But the truth remains inescapable. Two weeks into Michigan’s season, the Wolverines’ offense hasn’t lived up to expectations. So what gives? “When you look at it over the past few games, we’ve got seven turnovers, we have 10 penalties, but then we also have seven drops,” Gattis said. “So you go back and look at all those plays in critical situations, they’re killers.” Turnovers have led to every regulation touchdown given up by the first-team defense and drops have held the offense to nine self- described “explosive” plays so far. But as Michigan’s offensive linemen spoke this week, it became clear that penalties are at the crux of the Wolverines’ bye week focuses. At first glance, 58 penalty yards doesn’t seem comparable to three turnovers on the list of reasons that Michigan went to overtime in a game it entered as a 23-point favorite. But when four of those penalties came in a seven-point first half on an offensive line returning three starters, it’s cause for alarm. “We had some penalties that shouldn’t happen,” said senior guard Ben Bredeson. “Procedure penalties that we’re better than that, we know better than that. And obviously just (frustrated) with myself for that one. But it’s just focus time and something that we need to correct going forward.” So as Ruiz watched his offensive line struggle against a defensive line with no player over 300 pounds, he had a message for the unit. “My thing was, we can’t lose,” Ruiz said. “We can’t lose to this team. We can’t keep shooting ourselves in the foot. That was my main message. We had a few false start penalties — I had one. ... You don’t get too many chances with the football against this team so we’ve got to maximize every opportunity we have.” Against Wisconsin next Saturday, the Wolverines will be confronted with one of the Big Ten’s premier defensive units, further limiting their margin for error. It’s why Bredeson called the bye week “not the worst (timing) in the world.” Now, the challenge is taking advantage of these two weeks. While eliminating unfocused penalties will be a point of emphasis during the bye week, Michigan will also be focusing on spotting blitzes and picking up assignments — two things the Wolverines practice every day, according to Ruiz. Now, the challenge is turning them into live reps. “Every game’s not going to be perfect,” Ruiz said. “But it’s up to us to minimize every single one of those mistakes. It’s great we have a bye week to focus on a lot of those things and to be extra focused on those.” Back at Yost Ice Arena, Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor makes his presence felt A sea of players took to the rink in Yost Ice Arena. Some wore blue practice jerseys, others white. One even wore purple — a signal for exemption from physical contact. But the one thing all the players of the Michigan hockey team shared was the navy helmet they wore, crowning them a member of the Wolverines. But as practice began this week, and even before that, a different colored helmet could be spotted — a player donning a white helmet in a white jersey — shooting pucks hours after practice had concluded and all the players had trickled off the ice to the locker room. It was Kyle Connor. The former Michigan forward recorded 35 goals and 36 assists in his lone year with the Wolverines, placing runner-up for the Hobey Baker Award in 2015-16. Connor got drafted into the National Hockey League with the Winnipeg Jets where he continued his success, recording two back-to-back, 30-goal seasons. And lately, Connor’s presence, as an elite player and friend, has been felt at Yost. “Kyle’s been around,” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson. “He’s been around the last few summers since he’s turned pro. He always comes back to Ann Arbor. He enjoys it here.” Swinging by, summer after summer. A standstill in contract talks has extended his annual summer visit into September this year. When he comes to Yost, Connor arrives with a wealth of knowledge and experience. With three years as a professional, on top of a storied college career, Connor has insights on what it takes to be successful at all levels. “As a coach, I want to ask him questions,” Pearson said. “Just about little things, whether it’s about analytics at the next level or practice at the next level, or how hard they work or what it might be. Or different drills. You’re always trying to steal ideas and steal thoughts and whatnot.” Connor’s time at Michigan didn’t overlap with Pearson, who was the then-head coach of Michigan Tech before taking over for Red Berenson before the 2017-18 season. But the lack of familiarity didn’t stop the two from conversing and learning more about each other’s path to success. And it wasn’t a one-way affair. “As a young kid coming in,” Connor told The Daily, “you just want to pick his brain and talk, kind of similar to Red.” The trading of information wasn’t limited to just coach and pro, though. Pearson thought his players would be “well-served” to ask for a few pointers from “one of the best at what he does.” But the players didn’t need the push from Pearson to act — they had already approached the NHL star themselves. Though Connor was gone by the time the current seniors stepped foot on campus as freshmen, they had seen him plenty, whether for summer skate or a drop-by during practice. “I’ve talked to a lot of the guys, just kind of the upperclassmen,” Connor said. “I know them a little bit, just being familiar and talking to them. They’re a great group of guys. And they work hard. I mean, that’s the biggest thing.” His pointers to the seniors, including forwards Will Lockwood and Jake Slaker, were centered around Connor’s specialties: shooting and passing. “We were out there doing a shooting drill, and he was talking about what it takes to score at the next level,” Lockwood said. “And just some things to work on, which obviously, coming from him, is a pretty big deal — he scores 30 goals a year.” Puck release, speed of shot, shooting on net. Connor emphasized the importance of getting the puck off quickly, regardless of the power behind the stroke. “You just got to hit the net and get it off quickly, especially when the puck’s going from side to side, Lockwood said. “So some good advice from him.” But just as important as Connor’s words are his everyday actions at Yost. As he practices, skating or shooting, eyes wander in his direction, looking to him to lead by example. “It’s not even him talking. Just kind of watching him you know, of course as an elite player in the NHL,” Slaker said. “So just watching him you just learn. It’s fun having him there.” THEO MACKIE Daily Sports Editor ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily Junior center Cesar Ruiz is among the offensive linemen who committed avoidable penalties against Army. TIEN LE Daily Sports Editor FILE PHOTO/Daily Former Michigan forward Kyle Connor has been practicing at Yost Ice Arena and giving advice to Michigan players as he waits for a contract standoff to end. You just want to pick (Pearson’s) brain and talk ... similar to Red. Just kind of watching (Connor) ... as an elite player.