Category: Featured

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M Football 2011-Eastern Vanquished 10th Time: M-31,EMU-3

By Andy Andersen

The Wolverines have never lost a football game to their immediate neighbors about seven miles east on Washtenaw Avenue.  Wolverines fans did not expect them to lose today either, but at first there was uncertainty.

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This is an Eastern team that is much improved over last year’s version of the Eagles.  They have their fair share of 300 pounders.  They are primarily a one dimensional offensive football team, having demonstrated little passing capability.  They did turn the corner on swing passes.

The list of ex-Wolverines at EMU is now enlarged by the presence of Mike Hart on that staff.  Ron English is making some real progress there and is a respected coach despite his Eagle’s struggles the past several years.

The Eagles are a run first team, they provided valuable opposition for the Wolverines who need to develop more run stopping capability, and who are searching feverishly to develop an offensive threat at tailback not named Denard Robinson.

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M Football 2011-A Football Night To Remember-M 35,ND 31

By Andy Andersen

At first it looked like AD David Brandon had set up the Wolverines to fail on the biggest possible stage, in prime time, under the newly installed lights.  Before over 114,840 energized spectators,  at home, and with ESPN’s game day on the premises.   It looked like the Coach Hoke “honeymoon” was about to end, and worse yet, the team was going to do something it had not done the two prior years.  Get dominated and lose to the Irish.

In the end, as you know, the first night football game at Michigan Stadium ended in such spectacular fashion that even the pre-game honoree, Desmond Howard could appreciate being honored before the game.  Desmond became the first player in Michigan history named a “Michigan Football Legend”.  His spectacular game winning, 4th down, 4th quarter lay out TD reception of an Elvis Grbac desperation pass against ND, happened twenty years ago.

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M Football 2011-Broncos Busted In Storm Shortened Opener- M 34-Western Michigan 10

By Andy Andersen

Brady Hoke’s debut as the Head Football Coach of the Michigan Wolverines was twice interrupted by thunderstorms and heavy rains.  There were also some uncooperative Western Michigan Broncos when the game was on, at least  in the first half.

During the second lightening delay, the  threat of strong winds, hail, much lightening, and cloudbursts, extended the game delay until 7:30 PM.  Before that, the game was cancelled at 1:27 of the third quarter, at 7:10PM.  How about 137 degrees F on the field at the start of the game?

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A football game had never been cancelled previously in Wolverine history.  It was unbearably hot on the field, and stands, for most of the game, until the rains came.  The score at the time of cancellation was 34 to 10, and became the final.  There is no question that cancelation was the appropriate thing to do, for team and fans.

The Broncos were a tough nut to crack in the first half.  They led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.  It seemed that maybe Michigan’s defense was as inept as last year’s defense.  In the end that did not prove to be true.

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Anytime, Anywhere? Appalachian State will return to the Big House

From the Appalachian State Athletic Web Page:

While the Appalachian State University football team garnered three NCAA Div I FCS national championships between 2005 and 2007 – and upset the University of Michigan in 2007 – Mountaineer athletics has more to brag about than just its gridiron success.

The Michigan Wolverines will attempt to avenge their 34-32 loss at the Big House in the 2007 season opener by scheduling a return visit by Appalachian State to open the 2014 season.

It makes perfect sense. Michigan fans are itching for a rematch to clean the bitter aftertaste of the last meeting between the Wolverines and the Mountaineers. Appalachian State is in line for a big payday and a chance to show the world that the 2007 game wasn’t a fluke.

But I wish it wasn’t happening- at least not in Ann Arbor.

Imagine that when Michigan AD David Brandon called down to the Boone, North Carolina his counterpart had declined a return visit to Ann Arbor but instead issued a challenge for the Wolverines a play a game at Kidd Brewer Stadium (max capacity 31, 000) .

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M Football 2011-The Proof Is In The Winning

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Another football season is fast looming larger for the Wolverines, their 132nd.

Another new season, repleat with new coaches, new defensive and offensive schemes, and to compound the imponderables, it is also the advent of the now split in two twelve team Big Ten with Legends and Leaders  divisions, a championship title game, and a new adversary in the formidable Nebraska Huskers.

Obviously first year Head Coach Brady Hoke faces real challenges in his first go round as the head Wolverine football cheese.  Serious challenges.  Recent Swiss cheese Wolverine defenses were aggravated by recruiting defiencies which in turn diminished the defensive talent pool.  This, with other problems, resulted in a last place defensive finish in the team’s previous season. There was a problem implementing schemes, and inexperience.  Special team debacles were at times a catastrophe.

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