Michigan
Spring Game
Kornacki: Morris Takes Lead in Wolverines' Quarterback Derby
4/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Steve Kornacki
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior Shane Morris has made himself the man to beat for the Michigan starting quarterback job. Morris led the victorious Blue team in Saturday's (April 4) intrasquad scrimmage and made more big plays than freshman Alex Malzone, who started for the Maize team and also impressed Wolverine head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh said, "If I looked at it overall, the spring ball, Shane would be ahead. The competition will rage on, though, starting tomorrow, into April and into May, and certainly into June and July and August."
The Wolverines open the season Sept. 3 at Utah, and highly recruited quarterback Zach Gentry from Albuquerque, New Mexico, will arrive this summer to compete with Morris and Malzone, who enrolled in January after quarterbacking Bloomfield Hills (Michigan) Brother Rice in the fall.
Morris showed his strong arm and ability to throw well-placed touch passes -- something he needed to improve upon. Morris, who started two games for Michigan while backing up Devin Gardner, had a tendency to put too much mustard on some passes, making them a bigger challenge to catch than necessary.
"I do think there has been improvement (in that area)," said Harbaugh. "I think you can ask him what he would say about that, but I see improvement in that way, just understanding completions and throwing the ball that is going to be caught."
Morris agreed with Harbaugh that he's improved where touch is concerned.
Receiver Amara Darboh added, "I think he's getting a lot better at it. And it's not all on him; it's on the receivers as well. We have to judge the ball and have a feel for him, too. If we got the guy beat, we know how strong his arm is, to just take off and go instead of waiting."
The play of the game came on a third-and-28 situation late in the first half. Morris threw a perfect touch pass down the left sideline that Darboh caught in double coverage for a 37-yard first down.
He also threw a spiral on a rope to Darboh and zipped another 12-yard pass on a slant route to Darboh, who is the top returning receiver and stepped up in this game to make four catches for 75 yards.
Morris' 14-yard touchdown pass went to junior Jaron Dukes and was the difference in a 7-0 win by the Blue.
But perhaps Morris' most impressive all-around play came on a fourth-and-one pass to fullback Joe Kerridge. Morris was under pressure but stayed cool and threw accurately for a 12-yard gain.
"I went over and was patting him on the back on that one," said Harbaugh.
Morris said: "I have a great receiving fullback in Joe Kerridge, so I knew if I threw it anywhere near him he'd grab it. When I rolled out of the pocket, I had a guy on me, so I lobbed it up for him. That was a big play for us."
Morris completed 11-of-24 passes (45.8 completion percentage) for 135 yards (5.6 yards per attempt) one touchdown and one interception.
"I thought Shane played well, played with real good courage in the pocket," said Harbaugh. "I thought he stood in there and made some good throws."
Morris said he's learning how to be more economical in pocket movement from Harbaugh and passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch.
"I've been working on taking smaller movements in the pocket," said Morris, "(and) keeping my eyes down the field for receivers and not worrying about the rush."
Morris said he's also learned more about how to studio film and has been watching videotape "cutups" of NFL quarterbacks such as Michigan's Tom Brady, who led the New England Patriots to a fourth Super Bowl win last season, and Matt Hasselbeck, a 16-year NFL veteran who Morris said does an excellent job of executing the things he must focus upon in the Wolverines' offense.
Malzone completed 15-of-27 passes (.556) for 95 yards (3.5 yards per attempt) and two interceptions.
"I was pleased with the way he played," said Harbaugh. "I think he'll come out of this feeling good about the way he played, and it will build some confidence. Anything is good for [Malzone]. He is so young. He should be in high school right now, and he's out there competing in 11-on-11 football in a game environment situation. That is valuable, valuable type of experience.
"He did good things, he managed the game, controlled the huddle, made some plays, and (it was) great experience for him. Anything he gets right now, to play an entire, full spring game as a true freshman, that is money in the bank. He has a place to go from, to improve from. It is a start from him. I'm pleased with his effort."
Malzone showed his strong arm by completing a 21-yard out-cut route to Jehu Chesson. The ball had enough zip to get past cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who went for the interception but arrived an instant too late.
Malzone at times rushed things, but by the second half he learned when it was time to throw the ball away and avoided mistakes.
"I'm really proud of Alex and how far he's come," said Morris. "He's supposed to be in high school right now, and he hasn't even gone to prom yet. We tell him, 'Close the yearbook.' And he says, 'I don't have a yearbook.' As far as competition goes, we're all competing every day. We are just trying to get better every day."
"THREE-WAY" NORFLEET: Senior Dennis Norfleet has added cornerback to his work load. He's already a kickoff and punt returner as well as a receiver. Norfleet made three tackles and caught one pass for seven yards. There were no punts or kickoffs in the scrimmage, and so he didn't get to make any returns.
Harbaugh said: "That was probably three quarters of the way through the spring, we started playing Dennis as a nickel corner, and he took right to it. From the first day, he was pretty darn good, and I think we are going to look at the possibility of Dennis being a three-way player -- offense, defense and special teams. We are excited about that."
TIPPED INTERCEPTIONS: The Wolverines had five interceptions in 2014, ranking last in the Big Ten, but made three in the first half. Two were tipped, but the defensive backs had to be credited for making the proper reactions to balls and catching them.
Malzone put the proper touch on a sideline pass to Maurice Ways to beat double coverage, but Ways lost the ball while being tackled, and Brandon Watson grabbed it.
Morris also notched an interception he didn't deserve. The tipped pass went high, and safety Delano Hill grabbed it like a center fielder catching a can of corn.
Harbaugh said: "Catching more contested balls. I think our receivers can continue to improve in that area and make the tougher catches, make the catches when they are contested. Shane had that one interception, but that was off a throw that really was on target and should have been caught and deflected up in the secondary.
Malzone's second interception came on a ball he tried to force into Chesson over the middle. Linebacker Desmond Morgan jumped to snare it.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Radio analyst Dan Dierdorf after a penalty was called on No. 72, Logan Tuley-Tillman: "I get shivers whenever I hear that. The minute I heard, 'Holding on No. 72,' I was looking for Bo (Schembechler) coming after me.'"
Dierdorf wore that same number as a Wolverine and was an All-America offensive tackle in 1970.
NOTES
• Interim athletic director Jim Hackett and former Wolverine assistant coach Jack Harbaugh, the father of the head coach, joined play-by-play announcer Jim Brandstatter and Dierdorf during the second half.
• Jon Jansen, another former Michigan All-America offensive tackle (1998), who is part of the broadcast team, said 350 to 400 former players met Friday and attended Saturday. "We have more guys on the same page now," said Jansen.
• Tailback De'Veon Smith (seven carries, 50 yards) broke a 30-yard run on the first play in a game that lacked long-gainers. There wasn't another rush longer than nine yards, and fullback Wyatt Shallman had 12 carries for 22 yards.
