The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – Michigan – INSIDE SLANT
Before September ends, Michigan will have played the defending national champion Alabama and traditional power and rival Notre Dame. Both games will be played away from Michigan Stadium, and in the spotlight as a night-time national television audience watches.
That’s about as tough a twosome as any team in the country will take on in the first month of the season, when most of the top programs have their schedules laden with softies and a string of home tilts.
With the Fighting Irish up next, Brady Hoke, Michigan’s rough and tumble head coach, can focus his energy on preparation. He won’t need to spend any time selling the opponent this week.
The Wolverines all took notice last weekend of the way the Fighting Irish man-handled the Michigan State Spartans, a team many regarded as one of the pre-season favorites in the Big Ten this year, and a team that has had its way with Michigan lately.
“We have a lot that we need to keep doing better,” Hoke said as he readied his team for an unbeaten and resurgent Notre Dame. “We are still growing as a team, I think, in a lot of ways, and we have got to improve every week if we want to be the kind of team that we need to be.”
Hoke continued his mantra from the previous three weeks, harping on the need to be more sound along both lines. He contends that is the place Michigan will need to win the battles in order to be successful in South Bend.
“We just have to keep making progress on fundamentals to techniques, everywhere across the board; and do a better job up front on both sides of the ball,” he said. “You’ve heard that many, many times, and you probably will continue to hear it. But that’s where the game is played and that’s where it starts.”
DE Craig Roh, a senior about to experience his fourth round of the rivalry with Notre Dame, said all of the Wolverines will be a little extra jacked up, given the importance of the game and the significance of the match-up.
“This is one of the oldest, most ferocious rivalries in college football and you don’t treat this game like just another game,” Roh said. “It is Notre Dame, and this is the peak of college football right here, Notre Dame vs. Michigan. We have been going against each other for a really long time and it has been a great rivalry and it will be a great experience.”
The experience will be a whole lot enjoyable for the Wolverines if they are able to derail the Irish and move to 3-1 before the start of Big Ten play.
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NCAAF Team Report – Michigan – NOTES, QUOTES
–OT Taylor Lewan recovered a fumble near the end zone last weekend against UMass and flopped in for a touchdown, thus becoming the first Michigan offensive lineman to score a touchdown since the 1948 season when center Bob Erben was credited with a touchdown.
–Injuries are starting to become a troubling issue for the Wolverines. Gone for the season are: CB Blake Countess (torn ACL), DE Chris Wormley (torn ACL), LB Kaleb Ringer (knee), OL Chris Bryant (broken leg). Several other regulars in the playing rotation have missed significant time due to injury.
–QB Denard Robinson ranks fifth in Michigan history with his 46 touchdown passes and is tied for fourth on the all-time list with 39 rushing touchdowns.
SERIES HISTORY: Michigan leads Notre Dame 23-15-1 (last meeting, 2011, 35-31 Michigan)
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Michigan has relied on the speed and skills of QB Denard Robinson to crank out 944 yards of total offense in the last two meetings with Notre Dame. The Wolverines will likely be much better off this time around if Robinson carries less of the load individually. RB Fitzgerald Toussaint needs to have a workhorse kind of night, while the receiving corps has to provide Robinson with plenty of quick options against a rugged Notre Dame defense.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Wolverines face a confident and multi-faceted Notre Dame offense, led by QB Everett Golson. The young Fighting Irish leader has demonstrated a good arm and escape-ability, so Michigan coach Brady Hoke is legitimately concerned. “I think Everett Golson who has done a nice job running the offense and managing it, with a lot of tight ends involved, and they are a good football team,” Hoke said. “So we have our hands full.” The Wolverines are hoping that facing QB Denard Robinson in practice every day will have them prepared for Golson.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “You know, this is a great national rivalry, and we are fortunate at Michigan, because we have three great rivalry games. With the storied history of our programs, on and off how this series has gone, I think it’s special. I think it’s one reason why you go and come to Michigan; to play in that rivalry.” — Michigan coach Brady Hoke on facing Notre Dame, along with other traditional rivals Michigan State and Ohio State
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NCAAF Team Report – Michigan – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
THIS WEEK’S GAME: Michigan at Notre Dame, Sept. 22 — The Wolverines have won this rivalry game in the final 30 seconds for the past three years. Last year, QB Denard Robinson tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to WR Roy Roundtree with two seconds left to give Michigan a 35-31 win. The expectations are for more drama, but it will be tough to upstage some of the recent battles.
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Wolverines are banking on pressure from their defensive line being able to force young Irish QB Everett Golson into mistakes. Michigan coach Brady Hoke made it clear that turnovers will likely play a big role in the outcome, so the onus is on the Michigan defenders to come up with a takeaway. On the offensive side, giving QB Denard Robinson that shade more than a second he needs to get into space will be vital to Michigan’s success.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
WR Drew Dileo — The junior wideout had a career high three receptions for 91 yards against UMass, including a 66-yard catch that took the ball down to the Umass five yard line.
LB Kenny Demens — Has played in 41 straight games for the Wolverines, and made 23 straight starts at middle linebacker. For the Wolverines to be successful at Notre Dame, Demens needs to have a big night.
TE Devin Funchess — Through three games, the true freshman leads Michigan with his average of 70 receiving yards per game. When Funchess caught four passes for 106 yards against Air Force, it was the first 100-yard receiving game by a Wolverines tight end since the 1997 season.
ROSTER REPORT
–LB Desmond Morgan, who sat out last week’s game against UMass with a head injury, is expected to play against Notre Dame.
–TE Brandon Moore injured his knee in the loss to Alabama and has been out of the lineup the past two weeks. Moore is not expected to play against Notre Dame.
–FB Stephen Hopkins sat out the UMass game with a hamstring injury but could return to the field when the Wolverines face Notre Dame.
–DE Brennen Beyer, who has been out with a knee injury, is questionable for the Notre Dame game. His position in the starting lineup has been filled by DE Frank Clark.
–DL Richard Ash, who did not play against Air Force or UMass due to an undisclosed injury, remains sidelined.
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