2008 Michigan Wolverines
Nov. 22
Ohio State 42 …
Michigan 7
Ohio State came up with the largest margin of victory in the rivalry since 1968
as Beanie Wells tore off a 59-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter and
Brian Hartline caught a 53-yard touchdown pass for a 14-0 lead. Michigan came up
with a 14 play, 65-yard drive finishing up with a one-yard Brandon Minor
touchdown run late in the first half, but it was all Ohio State in the second
half as Dan Herron ran for touchdowns from 49 and two yards out, Brian Robiskie
caught an eight-yard touchdown pass, Hartline caught an 18-yard scoring pass
from Todd Boeckman. Ohio State outgained Michigan 416 yards to 198.
Player of the game:
Ohio State RB Beanie Wells ran 15 times for 134 yards
and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Michigan - Passing: Nick Sheridan, 8-24, 87
yds
Rushing: Brandon Minor, 14-67, 1 TD. Receiving: Martavious Odoms,
5-37
Ohio State - Passing: Terrelle Pryor, 5-13, 120 yds, 2 TD,
1 INT
Rushing: Chris Wells, 15-134, 1 TD. Receiving: Brian Hartline,
2-71, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It’s way too easy
to pile on Michigan at this point. So here’s more. Nick Sheridan obviously isn’t
going to be the answer at quarterback going forward. Michigan’s 2009 starting
quarterback is probably working on his high school finals at the moment, but all
the woes can’t be blamed on the offense. The defense broke down time and again
against Ohio State, and while part of that can be blamed on the coaching, the
players simply aren’t there. Going 1-of-17 on third downs conversion attempts
isn’t going to help the cause, and with the woes offensively, the wheels came
off in all phases as the game went on. Now the Wolverines can get working on the
off-season. Erase the memory of the game and the season, wipe the slate clean,
and get recruiting.
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2008 Michigan Preview
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2007 Michigan
Season
2008 Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
7-5
2008 Record: 3-9
Aug. 30 Utah L 25-23
Sept. 6 Miami Univ. W
16-6
Sept. 13 at Notre Dame L 35-17
Sept. 20 OPEN DATE
Sept. 27 Wisconsin W 27-25
Oct. 4 Illinois L 45-20
Oct. 11 Toledo L 13-10
Oct. 18 at Penn State L 46-17
Oct. 25 Michigan State L
35-21
Nov. 1 at Purdue L 48-42
Nov. 8 at Minnesota W
29-6
Nov. 15 Northwestern W
21-14
Nov. 22 at Ohio State L 42-7
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2007 Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
11-1
2007 Record: 9-4
Sept. 1
App. State
L 34-32
Sept. 8
Oregon
L 39-7
Sept. 15
Notre Dame
W 38-0
Sept. 22
Penn State
W 14-9
Sept. 29
at Nwestern
W 28-16
Oct.
6
Eastern Michigan
W 33-22
Oct.
13
Purdue
W 48-21
Oct.
20
at Illinois
W 27-17
Oct.
27
Minnesota
W 34-10
Nov.
3
at Michigan State
W 28-24
Nov.
10 at
Wisconsin L 37-21
Nov.
17
Ohio State
L 14-3
Capital One Bowl
Jan. 1 Florida W 41-35 |
Nov. 15
Northwestern 21 … Michigan 14
In lousy weather conditions that eventually turned into a snowy day,
C.J. Bacher connected with Ross Lane for a 17-yard touchdown early
in the second half and with Eric Peterman for a 53-yarder just over
two minutes later. The Northwestern defense did the rest as
Michigan, who outgained NU 264 yards to 257, couldn’t get back on
the board after getting a three-yard touchdown run from Nick
Sheridan in the first quarter and a three-yard blocked punt for a
score from Ricky Ross midway through the second.
Player of the game:
Northwestern QB C.J. Bacher completed
17-of-29 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns with two
interceptions
Stat Leaders: Michigan - Passing: Nick
Sheridan, 8-29, 61 yds
Rushing: Carlos Brown, 23-115. Receiving: Greg
Mathews, 5-46
Northwestern - Passing: C.J. Bacher, 17-29, 198
yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Stephen Simmons, 22-56, 1 TD. Receiving: Ross
Lane, 7-77, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Much
has been made about the woes of the Michigan offense, but the
running game worked against Northwestern with 181 yards, but the
passing game is abysmal. It doesn’t have to be Texas Tech, but it
has to keep the chains moving and it can’t be an utter disaster.
Steven Threet completed 4-of-7 passes for 22 yards with an
interception, but Nick Sheridan was worse completing 8-of-29 passes
for 61 yards. With eight losses, this is by far the worst season in
the program’s history. Michigan had never lost this many games in a
season, but if it can beat Ohio State, all would be quickly
forgotten and the off-season would change around in a big hurry.
Nov. 8
Michigan
29 … Minnesota 6
K.C. Lopata was 5-for-5 on field goal attempts and the Michigan
defense held Minnesota to 188 yards of total offense in the
stunningly easy win. Lopata gave the Wolverines a 9-0 first half
lead on three kicks before Greg Mathews caught an eight-yard
touchdown pass. The Wolverines were up 19-0 before Minnesota finally
got on the board with a 28-yard Joel Monroe field goal, but Lopata
answered on the following drive with a 23-yarder. Minnesota was
never in the game.
Player of the game:
Michigan PK K.C. Lopata hit five field
goals from 44, 34, 26, 48 and 23.
Stat Leaders: Minnesota - Passing: Adam Weber,
13-24, 105 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: DeLeon Eskridge, 11-80. Receiving: Jack
Simons, 3-20
Michigan - Passing: Nick Sheridan, 18-30, 203
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Michael Shaw, 8-71. Receiving: Martavious
Odoms, 7-43
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Welcome
back, defense. The Michigan D had been awful as the season had gone
on, but it dominated the Minnesota offense, particularly the line,
this week. Nick Sheridan wasn’t anything special, but he kept things
moving, he didn’t make any major mistakes, and he ran the ball
relatively well. The offense had way too many field goals instead of
touchdowns, but the attack kept moving with a near-perfect balance.
It seems like the team played loose now that the pressure is off.
Beating Northwestern next week would be a nice next step before
facing Ohio State.
Nov. 1
Purdue 48
… Michigan 42
Greg Orton ran the hook, caught the pass, and pitched the lateral to
Desmond Tardy for a 28-yard touchdown with 26 seconds to play to
close out a wild shootout. The two teams went back and fourth, after
an early 14-0 Michigan lead coming from a 45-yard Brandon Minor
touchdown run and a 73-yard punt return for a score from
Martavious Odoms. Brandon Minor
scored three times for the Wolverine including a one-yard touchdown
run with 1:20 to play before Purdue was able to go 73 yards in four
plays for the win. Kory Sheets ran for three short touchdowns for
the Boilermakers, and he caught a seven yard touchdown pass. The
Wolverine passing game wasn’t consistent, but it got a 51-yard
touchdown catch from Darryl Stonum.
Player of the game:
Purdue RB Kory Sheets ran 30 times for 118
yards and three touchdowns, and caught three passes for 43 yards and
a score.
Stat Leaders: Michigan - Passing: Steven Threet,
9-21, 123 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Brandon Minor, 24-155, 3 TD. Receiving:
Martavious Odoms, 4-26
Purdue - Passing: Justin SIller, 21-34, 266 yds,
3 TD
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 30-118, 3 TD. Receiving: Greg
Orton, 8-89, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... At
least the offense worked a little bit against Purdue. Michigan is
going to a bowl for the first time in 33 years, and maybe that could
take the pressure off. While this is a lost season results-wise,
there’s no reason the team can’t work on things going into next
year. It’s a learning process under Rich Rodriguez,
and at this point, simply trying to win games doesn’t really matter.
The coaching staff needs to know once and for all if Steven Threet
is the type of quarterback to build around for next year. After
giving up 522 yards of Purdue offense, who can play defense? The
Minnesota and Northwestern games will be interesting learning
opportunities before facing Ohio State.
Oct. 25
Michigan
State 35 … Michigan 21
Javon Ringer ran for 194 yards with touchdown runs from 64 and three
yards out, and Brian Hoyer threw three touchdown passes including a
61-yarder to Blair White to open the scoring. Michigan had a 21-14
lead helped by two Brandon Minor touchdowns, including a disputed
play when he hit the pylon forcing a review, but the Spartans
overcame the controversy with 21 unanswered points. The two teams
combined for seven turnovers and 14 penalties.
Player of the game:
Michigan State RB Javon Ringer ran 37
times for 194 yards and two touchdowns, and caught two passes for 25
yards.
Stat Leaders: Michigan - Passing: Steven Threet,
13-27, 168 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Brandon Minor, 15-55, 1 TD. Receiving:
Martavious Odoms, 6-42
Michigan - Passing: Brian Hoyer, 17-29, 282 yds,
3 TD
Rushing: Javon Ringer, 37-194, 2 TD. Receiving: Blair
White, 4-143, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Michigan is showing flashes and its showing some signs of
potentially turning the corner, but the offensive production simply
isn’t there to go a full 60 minutes. The defense didn’t help out too
much against Michigan State. There were some takeaways and the pass
rush was great, but without any help from the O, the D started to
wear down late. The team needs to relax and not worry about a bowl
game at this point. Just getting a win at Purdue next week to break
the four game losing streak would be a good baby step before dealing
with Minnesota.
Oct. 18
Penn State
46 … Michigan 17
Michigan was fantastic in the first half getting out to a 17-7 lead
on two Brandon Minor touchdown runs and a 27-yard K.C. Lopata field
goal, and then Penn State woke up. Jordan Norwood caught a
three-yard touchdown pass with 23 seconds left in the half to spark
a run of 39 unanswered points. Daryll Clark ran for two one-yard
scores and Stephfon Green took a pass from Pat Devlin 80 yards for a
score. Penn State ended up with 482 yards to Michigan's 291.
Player of the game:
Penn State RB Evan Royster ran 18 times
for 174 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 13 yards
Stat Leaders: Michigan - Passing: Steven Threet,
9-13, 84 yds
Rushing: Brandon Minor, 23-117, 2 TD. Receiving:
Martavious Odoms, 3-34
Penn State - Passing: Daryll Clark, 18-31, 171
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Evan Royster, 18-174 , 1 TD. Receiving: Deon
Butler, 8-105
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Look,
Michigan is going to need a while; everyone needs to settle down.
The offense showed a little bit of what it could do in the first
half against Penn State, just like it showed signs of life in the
second half against Wisconsin and in a spurt against Utah. The
coaching staff finally decided to scale back Sam McGuffie and
started to use Brandon Minor more. Good move. Minor, if he gets a
chance to work on a regular basis will get 100 yards per game.
Steven Threet even looked good at times, but he’s just not a spread
quarterback.
Oct. 11
Toledo 13 …
Michigan 10
Kevin Lopata missed a 26-yard field goal in the final seconds as
Michigan lost for the first time to a MAC team. The Wolverine
defense held the Toledo offense to two Alex Stiegerwald field goals,
with a 48-yarder bouncing off the crossbar and in, but the UM
offense gained just 290 yards and lost three interceptions with
Tyrell Herbert taking one 100 yards for a score. The Rocket offense
netted gained just 257 passing yards, but Nick Moore got 162 of them
on 20 catches. Michigan got its only touchdown on a 27-yard Brandon
Minor catch and got a 26-yard Lopata field goal in the second
quarter.
Player of the game:
Toledo WR Nick Moore made 20 catches for
162 yards
Stat Leaders: Michigan - Passing: Nick
Sheridan, 8-16, 65 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Sam McGuffie, 25-105. Receiving: Sam McGuffie,
5-44
Toledo - Passing: Aaron Opelt, 33-50, 257 yds
Rushing: DaJuane Collins, 10-65. Receiving: Nick
Moore, 20-162
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
offense hits a new low. Toledo is awful. The Rockets got blown out
by Florida International and were just shut out by Ball State, but
Michigan still couldn’t do much of anything. The defense was fine,
outside of a bizarre inability to cover Nick Moore, who made 20
catches, but if Sam McGuffie is your total offense, you have a
problem. The attack needs quarterback. Nick Sheridan and Steven
Threet aren’t getting it done. They’re not even close. The
rebuilding job Is going to take longer than expected.
Oct. 4
Illinois 45 … Michigan 20
Michigan took a 14-3 lead into the second quarter as Greg Mathews
caught an 11-yard touchdown pass. And then it was all Juice Williams
as the Illinois quarterback ran for a six-yard score, swing a pass
to Daniel Dufrene for a 57-yard touchdown, and connected with Jeff
Cumberland for a 77-yard touchdown as part of a 28-point run to put
the game away. Williams closed out the scoring with a two-yard run.
In all, Williams accounted for 431 yards of total offense, the most
by any player ever at Michigan Stadium. Illinois outgained Michigan
501 yards to 319.
Player of the game: Illinois QB Juice Williams completed
13-of 26 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran 19
times for 121 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Illinois - Passing: Juice
Williams, 13-26, 210 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Juice Williams, 19-121, 2 TD. Receiving:
Arrelious Benn, 6-122
Michigan - Passing: Steven Threet, 18-35, 250 yds,
2 TD
Rushing: Sam McGuffie, 19-70, 1 TD. Receiving: Martavious
Odoms, 7-129
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean,
Basil? ... Michigan’s offense continues to be
inconsistent. The win over Wisconsin appeared to carry over into a
nice start, but there was no running game, again, and the passing
attack couldn’t pick up the slack. The defensive line was as lousy
in the second half as it was good in the second half against the
Badgers, but LB Obi Ezeh had a nice game with 15 tackles and 4.5
tackles for loss. Eventually, the offensive line has to come around
and start producing on a regular basis.
Sept.
27
Michigan 27 ... Wisconsin
25
Michigan couldn't have been worse in the first half, turning it over
five times as Wisconsin took a 19-0 lead into halftime. It was a
completely different Wolverine team over the final 20 minutes of the
game as Steven Threet hit Kevin Koger for a 26-yard touchdown late
in the third quarter, Brandon Minor ran for a 34-yard score, and
John Thompson picked off a pass and took it 25 yards for a score.
But the Wolverines went for two and failed, giving them a 20-19 lead
with 10:24 to play. The Wolverine scoring run continued going 77
yards in six plays with Sam McGuffie running for a three-yard score
with just over five minutes to play. But Wisconsin would rally on
its final drive going 64 yards in six plays with Allan Evridge
connecting with David Gilreath for a 22-yard touchdown with 13
seconds to play. Down two, the Badger converted the conversion, but
it was called back to an ineligible receiver penalty. Evridge
misfired on the second try and Wisconsin didn't get the onside kick.
Philip Welch hit four first half field goals for the Badgers.
Player of the game:
The entire Michigan
defensive line, led by DE Brandon Graham, who made six tackles,
three sacks, and forced two fumbles
Stat Leaders: Michigan
- Passing:
Steven Threet, 12-31. 96 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Steven Threet, 9-89. Receiving: Greg Mathews, 4-48
Wisconsin
- Passing: Allan Evridge, 20-37, 226 yds,
1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing:
P.J. Hill, 22-70. Receiving:
David Gilreath,
5-65, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Much will be made
about how the comeback win over Wisconsin could charge up the Rich
Rodriguez era and turn the season around. This was a great, great
win, but the heart showed in the second half might mask all the
major problems the team still has. A steady quarterback needs to be
unearthed, a real, live tailback has to emerge, and the offensive
line has to be better. However, Michigan can win a lot of games if
the defensive line plays like it did throughout. The score should've
been at least 30-0 at halftime with the mistakes the offense made,
but the defense came through big-time. In the second half, Brandon
Graham and Tim Jamison dominated the Wisconsin offensive front. Even
though there are still issues, this win will allow everyone to
exhale for a week with Illinois coming to town.
Sept. 13
Notre Dame 35 ... Michigan
17
Michigan turned it over six times including two fumbles on early
kickoffs, and Notre Dame took advantage going 11 yards in three
plays for a two-yard Robert Hughes touchdown run, and went 14 yards
in three plays finishing with a 10-yard Duval Kamara catch for a
14-0 Irish lead four minutes in the game. Jimmy Clausen connected
with Golden Tate for a 48-yard touchdown pass for a 21-0 first
quarter lead. Michigan got a 40-yard Sam McGuffie touchdown catch
and a 23-yard K.C. Lopata field goal to get back in the game, and
made it 28-17 late in the first half on a seven-yard Kevin Grady
touchdown. But Notre Dame's defense came through, shutting out the
Wolverines in the second half and putting the game away with a
35-yard Brian Smith fumble recovery for a score. Irish head coach
Charlie Weis suffered a blown out knee when he was run into on the
sideline by an Irish player.
Player of the game:
Notre Dame S David Bruton made 15 tackles with an
interception, a forced fumble and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Stat Leaders: Michigan
-
Passing: Steven Threet, 16-23, 175 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Sam McGuffie, 25-131. Receiving: Martavious Odoms, 6-56
Notre Dame
- Passing: Jimmy Clausen, 10-21, 147 yds,
2 TDs, 2 INTs
Rushing:
Robert Hughes, 19-79, 2 TDs. Receiving: Golden Tate, 4-127, 1
TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Do we know anything
about Michigan after the bad loss to Notre Dame? The offense
outgained the Irish 388 to 260 and the defense did a decent job
overall, but this loss proved just how costly mistakes will be.
There's no margin for error for the Wolverines, and the last thing
they need is to get behind 21-0. Steven Threet appears to be the
best of the quarterback options and Sam McGuffie is a good
all-around playmaker to work with, but there needs to be a steadier
rushing option.
Sept. 6
Michigan 16 ... Miami
University 6
Michigan got a nine-yard touchdown run from Steven Threet to start
the scoring and and a 15-yard run from Brandon Minor in the fourth
quarter to put the game away, and in between the two scores was a
great game from the defense. Miami only managed two field goals, one
from 27 yards out and one from 23, and came up with just 252 yards
of total offense. Miami held on to the ball for 35:13 and allowed
Michigan to convert just two of 13 third down conversions.
Player of the game:
Michigan RB Sam McGuffie rushed 17 times for 74 yards and had three
receptions for 32 yards.
Stat Leaders: Miami Univ. - Passing: Daniel
Raudabaugh, 20-33, 191 yds
Rushing: Thomas Merriweather, 21-77. Receiving:
Jamal Rogers, 9-78
Michigan - Passing: Steven Threet, 6-13, 63 yds
Rushing: Sam McGuffie, 17-74. Receiving:
Martavious Odoms, 3-57
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense isn't
working. Miami University has a decent defense with a great
linebacking corps, but Michigan is still supposed to be able to line
up and smash the ball with the running game. While averaging 5.1
yards per carry is nice, and Sam McGuffie ran well, there were too
many third downs and too many misfired s to keep the chains moving.
Without top receiver Greg Mathews, the Michigan passing game managed
just 103 yards. It's going to be a work in progress overall with the
defense needing to carry the team over the next several weeks.
Aug. 30
Utah 25 ... Michigan 23
Utah cranked out a 19-0 run in the second and third quarters on four
Louie Sakoda field goals and 19-yard Bradon Godfrey touchdown grab.
But Michigan came up with a blocked punt and rallied with a 33-yard
touchdown catch from Junior Hemingway and a three-yard Sam McGuffie
scoring run to close the gap to two with over six minutes to play
after the two-point conversion failed. Michigan had three more
chances to come through, but ended up stalling at midfield on the
final drive. Utah committed 15 penalties for 137 yards, while
Michigan committed eight for 53 yards.
Player of the game:
Utah’s Louie Sakoda connected on all four of his field goals,
including a 53-yarder, and averaged 47 yards on his six punts.
Stat Leaders: Utah - Passing: Brian Johnson,
21-33, 305 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Matt Asiata, 13-77. Receiving: Bradon
Godfrey, 7-84, 1 TD
Michigan - Passing: Nick Sheridan, 11-19, 98 yds,
1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Brandon Minor, 4-21. Receiving:
Martavious Odoms, 5-7
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Panic sirens are
sure to go off, but before cancelling the season, there are few
reasons for the Wolverines to not get too down. First, Utah is that
good. This isn't an Appalachian State situation; the Ute talent
level is strong. Second, the defense settled down and ended up
playing better than the final stats might indicate. The offense
wasn't providing much help, and the Wolverine D forced field goals
instead of touchdowns, for the most part. And now for the big
issues. The offensive line was awful. Utah has a good defensive
front, but there was no push for the running game and the pass
protection was spotty. The running backs were merely average. That's
not a plus against a Miami University team next week that has a
great linebacking corps, even if the loss to Vanderbilt didn't show
it.
2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: You don't have Lloyd Carr to kick around
anymore. He was a better head coach than he ever got credit for, but
there was a large segment of Wolverine fans who were ready to move on.
If you wanted a change, you got it, and then some, with Rich Rodriguez
coming in to change around the attack to his beloved spread. If West
Virginia could win with the offense, what can Michigan do with the
talent it brings in? However ...
Why to be grouchy: ... it's going to take a little while. Even if
Terrelle Pryor, the nation's top recruit, picks the Maize and Blue over
Ohio State and Florida, it's not like the offense is going to rock and
roll right away. There are two huge, screaming concerns. 1) If you
thought Carr couldn't get Michigan over the hump after winning it all in
1998, take a look at Rich Rod's inability to come through when the
spotlight was on. 2) This is a big gamble. Michigan was a wide receiver
pipeline to the NFL. That could dry up to a trickle in a big hurry.
The number one thing to work on is: Just getting everyone on the
same page. No one's expecting anything for at least a year knowing there
needs to be a little bit of an adjustment period. That's not to say the
team can stink, but if it struggles a bit this year to take a giant leap
forward for 2009 and beyond, that's fine. Every move, every practice,
and every game has to have an eye on being better for next year.
Biggest offensive loss: RB Mike Hart
Biggest defensive loss: LB
Shawn Crable
Best returning offensive player: OG Justin Boren, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
DT Terrance Taylor, Sr.
2007 Recap
2007 Recap:
Arguably one of the most peculiar seasons in school history,
Michigan began the year with an epic loss to Appalachian State,
ended it by upsetting defending champ Florida, and in between,
fought like hell to pick up the pieces from an 0-2 start. It
certainly wasn’t the season most expected in Ann Arbor, but the
Wolverines showed a lot guts by battling through injuries for eight
straight wins before losing to Wisconsin and Ohio State in the final
two regular season games. In many ways, the season marked an end of
an era at Michigan, as Lloyd Carr retired after 13 years on the
sidelines, and QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart, and LT Jake Long
concluded stellar careers as four-year starters.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Mike Hart
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Shawn Crable
Biggest Surprise: Crable. An enigma and an underachiever for
most of his first three seasons, Crable exploded in his senior year
for a team-high 90 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks.
Finally tapping into all of his freakish athletic ability, Crable
was the catalyst of a defense that regrouped nicely after a rough
start.
Biggest Disappointment: Losing in the first two weeks to
Appalachian State and Oregon, ending any hope of fulfilling
preseason forecasts. The Wolverines were widely viewed as the Big
Ten favorite and a strong contender for New Orleans, but after
yielding 73 points over the first two Saturdays, the team goals were
irreparably altered.
Looking Ahead: With Carr out and former West Virginia head
man Rich Rodriguez in, things may never again be the same in Ann
Arbor. Considering the offensive upheaval that’ll be taking place
on the two-deep and in the playbook, Rodriguez’s value to the
Wolverines may not be fully felt until the 2009 season.
2008
Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Brandon Smith
DB 6-3 210 New Brunswick, NJ
Intercepted 24 career interceptions ... tallied 82 tackles, seven
interceptions and 17 pass breakups as a senior ... collected 60
tackles and nine interceptions as a junior ... passed for 1,053
yards and 16 touchdowns and added 670 rushing yards and nine TDs
junior year ... A Sports All-American third team ... PrepStar
Magazine All-American ... four-star prospect and the fourth-best
safety in the country by Scout.com ... Associated Press All-State as
a senior ... played in the U.S. Army All-American game.
Potential Instant Impact Players
|
Sam McGuffie |
RB |
6-0 |
188 |
Cypress, TX |
Carried the ball 205 times for 1,711
yards and scored 23 touchdowns during injury-shortened senior season
... rushed for 3,121 yards on 358 carries and scored 44 TDs as a
junior ... rushed 115 times for 853 yards and scored 11 touchdowns
sophomore season ... 2007 All-USA second team by the USA Today ...
EA Sports All-America third team ... PrepStar All-American and the
publication's 93rd-best player nationally ... played in U.S. Army
All-American Bowl ... four-star recruit and the nation's No. 7
running back according to Scout.com ... rated as the No. 30 running
back nationally by Scouts, Inc. ... unanimous first-team
All-District as a senior ... named Associated Press All-State 5A at
running back junior year.
|
Michael Shaw |
RB |
6-0 |
185 |
Trotwood, OH |
Gained over 1,250 rushing yards and 300
receiving yards as a senior ... rushed 180 times for 975 yards and
scored 21 touchdowns as a junior ... added 10 receptions for 200
yards and one TD junior year ... carried the ball 80 times for 475
yards and three scores as a sophomore ... four-star recruit and the
29th best running back nationally according to Scout.com.
Rest of the Class
|
Ricky Barnum |
OL |
6-2 |
246 |
Lakeland, FL |
|
Boubacar Cissoko |
DB |
5-8 |
171 |
Detroit, MI |
|
Mike Cox |
RB |
6-0 |
203 |
Avon, CT |
|
Kenny Demens |
LB |
6-1 |
224 |
Detroit, MI |
|
Justin Feagin |
ATH |
6-0 |
190 |
Delray Beach, FL |
|
J.B. Fitzgerald |
LB |
6-4 |
225 |
Princeton Junction, NJ |
|
J.T. Floyd |
ATH |
6-0 |
179 |
Greenville, SC |
|
Taylor Hill |
LB |
6-2 |
205 |
Youngstown, OH |
|
Rocko Khoury |
OL |
6-6 |
280 |
Traverse City, MI |
|
Kevin Koger |
TE |
6-4 |
235 |
Toledo , OH |
|
Mike Martin |
DT |
6-2 |
278 |
Novi, MI |
|
Elliott Mealer |
OL |
6-6 |
280 |
Wauseon, OH |
|
Brandon Moore |
TE |
6-6 |
243 |
Trotwood, OH |
|
Dann O'Neill |
OL |
6-8 |
291 |
Grand Haven, MI |
|
Patrick Omameh |
DE |
6-4 |
236 |
Columbus, OH |
|
Terrence Robinson |
RB |
5-9 |
170 |
Klein, TX |
|
Roy Roundtree |
WR |
6-0 |
154 |
Trotwood, OH |
|
Darryl Stonum |
WR |
6-2 |
180 |
Sugar Land, TX |
|
Kurt Wermers |
OL |
6-3 |
278 |
Crown Point, IN |
|
Marcus Witherspoon |
LB |
6-2 |
215 |
Absecon, NJ |
|