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Friday, October 18, 2019 — 7

Behind Enemy Lines with Penn State writer (and friend) Mike Persak

Ahead of No. 16 Michigan’s clash
with No. 7 Penn State this weekend,
The Daily called up an old friend.
Mike Persak, former Michigan
Daily Managing Sports Editor,
now covers Penn State football for
the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. We
dialed up his number, turned on the
recorder and let the (half-baked)
thoughts flow.
The Michigan Daily: So, what
do you want to talk about?
Mike Persak: Do you want to
know what I cooked for dinner?
TMD: What did you cook for
dinner?
MP: I figured out that it actually
isn’t that hard to just make
homemade
chicken
parmesan,
so I’ve just been making chicken
parmesan for myself like four
nights a week.
TMD: I’m happy for you.
(awkward pause)
TMD: What else do you want to
talk about?
MP: What do you think about
tomorrow?
TMD: Tomorrow? Tomorrow’s
Friday, it should be a good day—
MP: (Expletive) off. Saturday.
TMD: What do I think? I
think (Michigan) is going to get
blown out, honestly. I said two
touchdowns, and I think it could
be more.
MP: I’m not so sure.
TMD: Why? Why not?
MP: Penn State, their offense
hasn’t been good against good
defenses. I think Michigan has
arguably the best defense that
they’ve played so far.
TMD: Yeah, but are we sure
Michigan’s defense is really good?
MP: Well, I don’t know. That’s
the thing. Michigan, when they
show up on defense, they’re
really good. But, yeah, it’s a good
question. I think — I split Penn
State’s schedule into two spots.
And they’ve played Idaho, Buffalo,
Maryland and Purdue. Those four
teams are not that good, and they
really beat up on them. And those
two teams have good defenses

and they scored 17 points in each
game. The only way I see it being
more than two touchdowns is
if it’s, like, 24-3, which I’m not
necessarily ruling out, but it seems
like unlikely. I don’t see Penn State
running up the score here.
TMD: To me, it’s the kind of
thing where if Michigan, let’s say
they turn the ball over early and
Penn State goes up a score or two
scores, it’s over. It’s done.
MP:
Yeah,
it
might
just
avalanche quickly. But the thing
that’s funny to me is that I actually
think these two teams are kind of
similar offensively in that I think
that both offenses are really close
to like breaking out. Like, really
breaking out. Penn State has
technically broken out already,
they have a top-10 scoring offense
because they really kicked the
you-know-what out of the teams
they’ve beat up. But if you told
me that one of the offenses kind
of exploded on Saturday, and it
was like kind of crazy and out of
nowhere, I wouldn’t know which
offense it would be, even if I think
it’s probably Penn State.
TMD: I would be kind of
shocked if Michigan’s offense went
to Penn State during the night
game and exploded.
MP: No, no. I don’t necessarily
think that’s going to happen. But I
think Michigan’s offense is closer
than people think it is.
TMD: That’s interesting. Go on.
MP: I was reading a stat …
comparing when Joe Morehead
came in as OC at Penn State in
2016 and when Josh Gattis came
in as offensive coordinator for
Michigan. (unnecessary rambling)
Through the first six games, it’s
extremely similar. The difference is
that Michigan is 5-1 and Penn State
was 4-2 at that time. And that was
the year Penn State won the Big
Ten championship. I’m not saying
Shea (Patterson) is going to turn
into Trace McSorley and Hassan
Haskins or Zach Charbonnet is
going to be Saquon, but the offense,
it’s more different than people
think it is. I think people thought
it’s just a matter of scheming guys

open, but that’s not the case, you
know?
TMD: I think that’s interesting.
People here talk about 2016 Penn
State as the optimist’s take on this
year, because they do have so much
talent.
MP: Yeah. And it’s a different
kind of talent, because Penn State
was just like quarterback — they
had Gesicki, Sayid Blackwell on
the outside. They had some good
receivers. But it was like, Trace
McSorley was sick, and they
finally just had to trust him. And
Saquon was a god. But the other
thing was, I remember watching
that Penn State team and being
like, ‘Jesus Christ, they just throw
bombs and that’s all they do.’ The
Big Ten Championship Game
against Wisconsin that year, they
just threw bomb after bomb after
bomb.
TMD: McSorley throwing those
slot fades on Michigan. I don’t
know, I think the optimist’s take on
this Michigan team is 2016 Penn
State, and the pessimist’s take on
this team is 2017 Michigan.
MP: For sure. And whatever
way it goes. … I could see it either
way.
TMD: How has your perspective
on—
MP: Hold on, shh shh, listen.
TMD: I’m listening.
MP: (Crackling noise)
TMD: What was that?
MP: That was a beer can.
(Laughs)
TMD: Anyway. How has your
perspective
on
the
Michigan
football program changed since
you flew away from the nest?
MP: I mean, it’s pretty much the
same. The answer is what everyone
says. Michigan is convinced that
it’s still the late ‘90s and Michigan
is Michigan. I heard it put well
by someone that, like, I’m not
writing off — Michigan I think
in any given year could make the
College Football Playoff under
Jim Harbaugh. But to expect
them to be a perennial contender
for the Playoff, it’s just not where
the program is right now. I think
people outside of Michigan get

that, and I think people who watch
Michigan every year don’t quite get
that. But that’s just fandom.
(Random Lions blabber. Super
Bowl bound. Other nonsense.)
MP:
Do
you
think
that
Michigan currently has a Big
Ten
championship-winning
quarterback?
TMD: Yes.
MP: You do?
TMD: I mean, it depends how
you define “Big Ten championship-
winning quarterback”. They don’t
have the best quarterback in the Big
Ten. But they have a quarterback
who’s capable of leading a Big Ten
— I still think this roster is talented
enough to be good enough to put
themselves in a position to win a
Big Ten title. I just do. And I still
think the talent is there with Shea
Patterson. I just don’t know.
MP: Last year, I would have
told you that I thought Shea was
good enough to be a Big Ten
championship, potential College
Football
Playoff.
This
year,
obviously, he hasn’t been great.
But I also don’t know… if I see
Joe Milton or Dylan McCaffrey
as being that either. Who knows.
Maybe it’s J.J. McCarthy.
TMD: J.J. McCarthy, the next

reason for Michigan fans to point
two years down the road.
MP: I’m old enough to remember
when Alex Malzone was that guy.
TMD: Then Shane Morris.
Remember him?
MP: I do. What’s he up to? Still
at Central?
TMD: Uhhhhh. We’ll cut this.
TMD:
I
have
two
more
questions because I don’t want to
transcribe more. First question:
prediction?
MP: I don’t know. I’m really bad
at predictions. … I’ll go 28-10.
TMD: That’s pretty convincing.
MP: Yeah, 28-10, but it’s like
closer than that. Do you know what
I mean?
TMD: 28-10, but really it’s an
eight-point game. Got it.
(Laughs)
MP: 28-10, but really Michigan
wins by 35.
MP: I don’t know that’s just
reaching into my gut and pulling
out a random score that I think
might happen. But if I have to
make a prediction, don’t think
Michigan’s going to be able to score
on Penn State very well. See, man,
the other thing is Penn State really
hasn’t faced an offense like this
from one of the good teams...

TMD: I don’t know how much
of the Michigan offense you’ve
watched, but uh…
MP: I mean, I watched pretty
much the whole game last game,
and I watched pretty much the
whole Wisconsin game. And Army.
I have got the spectrum of both
(good and bad). Either way, yeah,
prediction: 28-17.
TMD: If we talk to you on
Saturday morning, that’ll be 28-26.
MP: It’ll be 45-2, Penn State.
(Random Vegas spread talk.
Mike offers gambling advice. Isn’t
sure what can feasibly be printed,
per his contractual obligations.
Swears he’s not betting on Penn
State games. That’s unethical.)
TMD: Last question, where
should I go —
MP: Wait, is Louisville at home
against Clemson?
TMD: I don’t know.
MP: Because if so, that’s my
pick: Lousiville to cover against
Clemson.
TMD: Last question, where
should I go for dinner tonight?
MP: How about a good Piada
push?
TMD:
Interesting.
Very
interesting. I’m going to turn off
the recorder now.

Howard at home during media day

On
Thursday,
freshly-
minted Michigan coach Juwan
Howard
sauntered
into
the
room full of reporters at Crisler
Center.
Greeting
the
crowd
and recognizing some familiar
faces, the 19-year NBA veteran
sat down in the Ron and Eileen
Weiser
Family
Club
—
an
exclusive area of the arena
shrouded in maize and blue —
and looked like a man who’s been
doing the job for years.
Answering questions about
the state of the team, the
development of his roster, the
city of Ann Arbor and more,
Howard gave a glimpse into what
the men’s basketball program
is going to look like under his
tenure.
Blending key aspects of the
program’s identity under former
coach John Beilien and a new
scheme and value set under
Howard, a few key aspects of
the team appear to be making
their way into the limelight:
work ethic, coachability and
athleticism.
Going one by one, detailing
his players’ strengths, a few key
words kept making their way to
the forefront. Chief among those
was dedication.
Junior forward Isaiah Livers?
He’s in the best shape of his life
after hitting the weight room
hard all off-season. Sophomore
forward Brandon Johns Jr.?
He’s been hustling in practice
attempting to gain confidence in
his position. Senior guard Zavier
Simpson? He was working so
hard his coach had to tell him
to ease off the three-a-day
practices.
Howard lent further insight
into this mentality through a
story of one of his first weeks on
the job this summer.
He was in his office late,
around 10:30 p.m., when he
heard music blaring from the
gym at the Player Development
Center.
Startled
and
a
bit
confused, Howard made his
way to the floor, where he saw
a group of his guys putting up
shots and getting in a workout.

“I enjoy it,” Howard said.

“Guys were in there working out.
Whatever it takes for you to get
into that zone, get comfortable,
come into the gym and get a
workout. You can blast your
music or whatever music it is. I
don’t care. At 10:30 I heard music
playing, and there’s always one
or two guys in there working out,
and it’s not policed by me, I don’t
see it. They do what they want to
do.”
In the summer, these late-
night
music-
blaring workouts
became a staple
of
the
off-
season regimen.
Especially
for
sophomores
Colin Castleton
and
David
DeJulius, junior
guard Eli Brooks,
and Johns — the
usual
suspects
for late-night shenanigans.
Howard also noted that his
players are inherently coachable,
always striving to get better — a
skill perhaps most embodied by
Johns.
The sophomore struggled to
find the floor in his first year
with the Wolverines. Confidence
problems, difficulties adjusting
to
a
new
position
and
a
complicated offensive scheme
were used as reasons for his
benching. This offseason, the
name of the game has been
building
up
confidence
and
getting ready to take a larger role
in a team that saw its top three
offensive producers take off for
the NBA.

“Brandon is a very athletic
guy who has a beautiful stroke
in his jump shot,” Howard said.
“I’m just instilling more and
more confidence in Brandon.
He’s competing hard in practice.
He’s grasping a lot of the new
responsibilities in teaching what
is asked of him. He’s a joy to
work with.
“I see that he’s gonna have his
chance to play a lot this year, but
as he knows, it starts in practice.
You gotta earn your minutes.”
Straying away
from basketball,
Howard
also
delved into what
made Michigan
and the city of
Ann Arbor such
a great place —
especially
for
any top recruits
who
may
be
making
their
college decisions
soon.
Discussing the diverse food
scene, the Art Fair and the
unparalleled academics, Howard
provided a snapshot into his
recruiting toolkit. After all,
basketball is only one of many
factors going into a recruit’s
decision of where to spend their
lives for the next one to five
years.
But
his
larger-than-life
personality and sense of humor
snuck into his description of the
city, too.
So when he added, “And we
have me,” when listing off what
makes Michigan the place to be
as a student athlete, he seemed
right at home.

Michigan ready for physical play

End-to-end hockey. Battles
on the boards. Body checks,
poke checks and forechecks.
Anything to bother a player
and get position in between a
Michigan player and the net.
Grinding hockey.
That’s
the
first
phrase
Michigan coach Mel Pearson
used to describe the scrappy
play style the team had faced
thus far. It was gritty. It was
extremely
physical.
The
Wolverines had to fight for
every inch of the ice.
They saw it last weekend
against No. 10 Clarkson —
every loose puck required a
battle. The space in front of
the net was clogged by Golden
Knight players. They outworked
Michigan without the puck,
and the moment the Wolverines
had the puck on their stick a
Clarkson player was preparing
for a hit. These little details
ultimately led to a loss and a tie.

Michigan will see the same
style of play again this weekend
with Lake Superior.
While all teams aim to play
with a high level of physicality,
in the Big Ten, speed and skill
reign supreme over strength and
size. There’s much more open
ice to skate and make plays. But
non conference opponents like
the Golden Knights and Lakers
force the Wolverines to adjust
their play style slightly.
“We played Lake State last
year,” said senior forward Jake
Slaker. “They definitely play
the same kind of similar style

(as Clarkson). Kind of a grindy,
simple game so now we’re
expecting what we had last
weekend so we can change a
few things and be ready for the
weekend.”
All
week
in
practice,
Michigan has been prepping
and fine-tuning its play in the
wake of the series with the
Clarkson.
There’s been a lot of battle
drills, contact drills — really
anything
to
get
the
team
further attuned to the physical
play. Ultimately, its focus is
on competing hard, especially
from the get-go. Just like last
weekend, the Wolverines know
if they want to win, they have
to get off to an early lead. They
cannot afford to play from
behind.
Last year, when Michigan
played Lake Superior, the games
almost didn’t resemble hockey.
Whether the puck was nearby
or not, the Lakers were hitting
hard. The Friday night game
had 18 penalties, and Saturday’s
had 10.
And Lake Superior has the
personnel to make that play
style work. Its roster is stacked
with big, strong defensemen.
Only one of its blue line players
measures under six feet tall.
Offensively, the Wolverines
aren’t necessarily known for
being physical. Against the
Golden Knights, the forwards
showed
they
could
handle
matching up against defenders
with a size advantage. But
playing a stronger team gives
Michigan a chance to win with
a different skill — speed.

“It’s nice when you play
those physical teams,” Slaker
said. “Usually they’re a little bit
slower and clunkier. It’s a time
for the fast guys like myself to
use that to our advantage.”
While playing a gritty team
offers the Wolverines a chance
to
display
their
quickness,
there’s also a catch — less open
ice to play. Big, physical teams
take away space to move the
puck in the offensive zone,
particularly around the net. It’s
an issue Michigan battled with
last weekend, and will have to
overcome this weekend to have
a chance of winning.
“As a team we’ve all agreed
upon (the fact) that we need
to drive the net better,” said
fifth-year senior forward Jacob
Hayhurst. “When we see shots
going towards their net we need
to get in front of their goalie’s
eyes and drive the back post in
order to create more scoring
opportunities.”
Crashing the net will require
the Wolverines to perfectly
balance
both
speed
and
strength.
To
make
matters
more
difficult, the team will be
without one of its most physical
players,
senior
defenseman
Griffin Luce. He was suspended
one game after hitting a player
from behind in the closing
minutes of last Saturday’s game.
In his place, another defender —
maybe sophomore Jake Gingell
or
fifth-year
senior
Shane
Switzer — will have to step up.
“Their forwards aren’t real
big,” Pearson said. “They play
strong, but we have to use our
quickness and our speed. Would
I like to have Griff in the line
up? Yes. But Gingell is physical.
Switzer is a big guy so I think
we’ll be fine there.”
But after Clarkson, Michigan
is better prepared to handle
situations where every puck is
a battle to get to. A game where
ice space, especially in front of
the net, won’t be easy to come
by. And now, the Wolverines
know what they’ll have to do
to find success against a team
that plays an extremely physical
brand of hockey.

JACOB KOPNICK
Daily Sports Writer

KEEMYA ESMAEL/Daily
Michigan coach Juwan Howard has acclimated to his new role.

Whatever it
takes for you
to get into that
zone.

MOLLY SHEA
Daily Sports Writer

ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
Senior foward Jake Slaker said he was eager to use his speed this weekend.

FILE PHOTO/Daily
Former Managing Sports Editor Mike Persak now covers Penn State football for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

MAX MARCOVITCH
Managing Sports Editor