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Nothing But ‘Net – Week #10 – 01/02/2017 – Disappointing Start

Quick Look

Happy New Year.

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game last week, their Big Ten opener, and they lost it. On Sunday (01/01/2017), Michigan lost at Iowa 86-83 (in overtime). The loss drops Michigan’s record to 10-4 (0-1 in the Big Ten).

What Happened

This was a toss-up game, and Michigan had their chances to win it, but they couldn’t hit the big shots when they needed to, and they lost in overtime. It was a close, hard-fought game, and Michigan didn’t look bad, but they also didn’t take advantage of the golden opportunities they had to greatly increase their chances.

It was a see-saw game, with lots of ties (11) and lead changes (8), and neither team ever got more than 7 points ahead. Iowa just made the shots and got the stops in the key moments, and they deserved to win.

The stats show that Michigan played OK, but not great: 45.9% shooting overall (34-for74), 34.3% shooting from 3-point range (12-for-35), and 60.0% shooting from the free throw line (3-for-5). They lost the rebounding battle (39-42), and won the turnover battle (8-9).

Who Looked Good

DJ Wilson was the star, and the only reason UM stayed close. He scored 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting (4-for-8 shooting 3-pointers), and had 14 rebounds for a huge double-double. He also had 6 assists and only 1 turnover.

Moritz Wagner scored 12 points on decent shooting: 6-for-10, but 0-for-2 shooting 3-pointers.

Zak Irvin also had 12 points, but didn’t shoot very well: 5-for-15. He did have 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Derrick Walton Jr. was the 4th UM starter in double figures, with 13 points. He also had a mediocre game shooting: 5-for-13, 3-for-8 shooting 3-pointers.

Duncan Robinson, coming off the bench, was the 5th UM player in double figures, with 15 points. He shot pretty well overall (6-for-12), but only 3-for-9 from 3-point range.

Who Looked Not-So-Good

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman went scoreless (0-for-2) in only 8 minutes of action. He got in early foul trouble in the 1st half, and only played 4 minutes, but he didn’t get any more fouls in the 2nd half, yet only played 4 more minutes. Something is up here. MAAR has been in quite a slump lately, and I suspect he’s going to be replaced in the starting lineup with Duncan Robinson.

Mark Donnal chipped in a few points (3) off the bench, and played some decent defense.

Xavier Simpson went scoreless (0-for-1) in 9 minutes of playing time.

Sean Lonergan went scoreless (0-for-1) in 1 minute of playing time.

Who Else Played

No one else played.

Who Didn’t Play

Brent Hibbitts, Jon Teske, Ibi Watson and Fred Wright-Jones didn’t play.

The Big Picture

It’s clear that Michigan isn’t going to be in the running for the Big Ten championship, so they need to set their sights on getting to the NCAA Tournament. They won 10 non-conference games, including a couple good wins (Marquette, SMU, and Texas) and no bad losses, so they need to win 9 games in the Big Ten regular season, and 1 game in the Big Ten Tournament. The Iowa game could have been one of those 9 wins, but it wasn’t. Michigan still stands a decent chance of making the NCAA Tournament, but they need to win a few games on the road.

What’s Next

This week Michigan plays two games, both in Crisler Arena. On Wednesday (01/04/2017, 8:30 p.m., BTN), Michigan plays Penn State, then on Saturday (01/07/2017, 3:10 p.m., ESPN2), they play Maryland.

Penn State went 8-5 in their non-conference schedule, with a couple good wins (Georgia Tech and St. John’s), and one sad loss (Albany). They lost to Northwestern at home, and beat Rutgers on the road. Michigan should be able to beat them, but they’ll have to play a solid game.

Maryland went 12-1 in their non-conference schedule, with their only loss at home to Pittsburgh in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. They beat Illinois at home, but lost to Nebraska, also at home. They are the first team out of the AP Top-25 (#26). They will be a tough test for Michigan, and a win would be an accomplishment.

Check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!

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M Football 2016 ORANGE BOWL: SEMINOLES NIP BATTLING WOLVERINES 32 TO 33

The 6th ranked Wolverines laid aside the disappointments that a bittersweet regular season afforded, and attempted to build on the many pluses the season revealed for their battle with the Florida State Seminoles, only to be handed another heartbreaking last seconds loss, replete with a controversial no call on an off sides call on M’s last possession. An irritating call, this time the game did not swing on it.

The pregame ended with the stunning announcement that Jabrill Peppers would not play because of a hamstring tweaked Thursday. This hurt the Wolverine cause on several levels. It was too late to plan around his absence. He was very much missed on special teams, as well as offense and defense.
FSU hyper talented star running back Delvin Cook prospered in his absence as he broke a couple of long runs. He rushed 20 times for 145-yards and a TD. He produced 207-yards, and was definitely the player of the game.

Kenny Allen provided the only field position advantage on special teams. He was simply outstanding. He hit three FGs. And his punting was outstanding. One long punt was dropped by the FSY receiver near the goal line, but M had to settle for three.

Peppers was missed in the pass rush, and as an on field leader, and he was also missed in trying to corral the hyper fast Cook. Cook often cooked M’s defensive intentions. He rendered Michigan’s defense mostly ineffective at times in the first and second quarters putting up 20 points to the Wolverines 9 in the first half, The Wolverines played a terrible 1st half offensively, and defensively, scoring no TDs and yielding big plays. They were inside the ten on three occasions and came away with three field goals, while FSU piled up 20 points in the half. M could not stop the spectacular running of FSU’s Cook, or the pass rush of Florida States Defensive line, until adjustments were made at the half, and they utilized quick short passes over the middle. I very much doubted that a blow-out was not in progress as it was 20 to 6 at the half.

They faced a very good Florida State Football team in this prestigious Capital One Orange Bowl played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Lakes, Florida.

THE LAST GAME OF THE SEASON DID NOT GET ANY EASIER FOR THE WOLVERINES. Ranked 10th in the country, and coached by the colorful and successful Jimbo Fisher, it seemed the Seminoles presented just the ticket to take the Wolverine’s mind off their two critical regular season losses that prevented them from achieving their goals of a shot at the Big Ten Championship, and a spot in the final four. Instead it added a third loss.

They were as disappointed, if not more so, than the fans, by those earlier losses, and probably this one. Many players thought post TOSU that they (Michigan) were among the best four teams in the country. While they had not proved it in late season’s action, the thought endured, and still seemed to be somewhat reasonable, but lessened by their stumble against the Seminoles.

THE LAST HALF: The Wolverines struggled mightily in the first half offensively and defensively, managing only 6 points, while the Seminoles held 20. But they received the second half KO, having deferred. When the drive stalled Kenny Allen supplied his third FG. It was now 9 to 20.

The Wolverines offense was somewhat now revitalized as they loaded their tight ends Bunting, Asiasi, and Wheatley, and gathered a few first downs. Jake Butt had been injured earlier, and was out for the game, but he chugged off under his own power.

TE Bunting caught a couple for 30-yards. With little time left in the quarter, the Wolverines made themselves a break. The defense brought pressure and FSU finally cracked as Mike McCray nabbed a Seminole pass and returned it 14-yards for the TD, diving on a very athletic play into the endzone on a very athletic play and the chase was on. 9 to 20 became 15 to 20. A two point conversion was missed. The defense was now alive and well after yielding 201-yards of offense in the first quarter, FSU managed only 69-yards from scrimmage in the second half.

The big play bugaboo bird kept pecking as Dalvin Cook faced a 3rd and 22, and conquered it by slipping a tackle and speeding 71-yards to the M 13. FSU QB Francois ran a keeper into the end zone and it was 15-27. Now it seemed to be over for the Wolverines.

Now it with a under eight minutes in the fourth, and the Seminoles gave a gift to the Wolverines, hitting a crouching Jordan Lewis with a very dangerous blow to the head. After the penalty, Speight hit Khalid Hill with a laser, and Hill broke the plane for the Wolverine’s first TD. With 5:22 left, it was 22-27.

After a three an out the Wolverines possessed the ball at their 39. Speight saw open field and took off running 27-yards to the FSU . Chris Evans than made the best Wolverines run of the day. His 30-yard run went for 6, and the first Wolverine lead. A Darboh slant for two made it 30-27 with just 1.57 to play.

Next another bite from the big play bugaboo wounded the Wolverine’s chances as FSU’s Gavin returned the ensuing KO 66-yards to the M 34 with 1:29 left. Kenny Allen had been putting KO’s deep enough to prevent treturns, but not this time. A completed screen took it to the 13. A fade into the end zone was completed for six. The Wolverines were again down, this time 30-33. There were just 36 seconds left to tick on the clock. M’s Josh Metellus collared the bouncing ball after the blocked extra point try and hauled it into the Seminoles end zone at the opposite end of the field for two. The final outcome was set at M-32, FSU-33.

THIS COMEBACK WAS WORTH NOTE: This was a Michigan team that had trouble playing its best football for a full game against better opponents this season and this one was no exception. The recovery of the defense and offense in the second half were tributes both to the player’s grit and determination, but to the ingenuity of the half time coaching adjustment.

They didn’t quit, but fought back. The offensive cold spells, and offensive line inability to protect a passer or provide a consistent running game, and the inexplicable characteristic of an otherwise hard hitting and effective defense to give up big plays at critical times was all part and parcel of this team.

Now a part of Michigan Football History, it is time to move on. Even if these things kept this team from progressing and accomplishing as much as we and they wanted them to. They were good team, just not as great as they wanted to be. It has been an exciting season of which players and fans can be proud. The brass ring will come around again. They are a rising team and program.

Now this team and season are a part of Michigan Football History. We will all move on. Even if these things kept them from progressing as a team from good to as great as they wanted to, it was an exciting season of which fans and players can be proud. The brass ring will come around again. They continue to be a rising team and program.

Happy New Year to you, and yours, on every level.

Go Blue!

 

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Nothing But ‘Net – Week #09 – 12/26/2016 – End Of The Non-Conference Schedule & Mid-Term Grades

Quick Look

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played one game last week, and they won it. On Thursday (12/22/2016), Michigan beat Furman 68-62 in Crisler Arena. The win raises Michigan’s record to 10-3.

What Happened

Michigan was supposed to win this game, and they did, but it wasn’t as quick and easy as expected. Furman played hard, and gave Michigan all they could handle. Michigan played their “B-” game, which was just enough to escape with the win. It sure looked like they were just playing to get the game over with, so they could go home for Christmas break.

The lead went back and forth all game, with Michigan clawing their way to a hard-fought 6-point lead at halftime (31-25), only to see Furman go on an 11-0 run to start the 2nd half and take a 5-point lead (36-31). Michigan got the lead back (43-42) with 11:29 left in the game, and never trailed again, but Furman was still only 3 points down (63-60) with 2:34 left to go. Michigan played the end of the game smart and under control, and managed to hang on for the win. It was good practice for the close games that are sure to come in the Big Ten portion of the schedule.

The stats are not particularly impressive, except for free throw shooting. UM shot pretty poorly overall (24-for-55 = 43.6%), they shot terribly from 3-point range (4-for-20 = 20.0%), but they were perfect from the free throw line (16-for-16). They lost the rebounding battle (30-26), but they won the turnover battle (5-13). That’s where they won the game. It’s hard to believe they won shooting 20% from 3-point range, but they did.

Who Looked Good

Moritz Wagner was the leading scorer for Michigan, with 18 points. He didn’t shoot as well as he has been lately (7-for-16 overall, 1-for-5 from 3-point range), but he got the job done. He had a little trouble guarding a quick shorter center for Furman, but he made up for it on the offensive end.

Zak Irvin had a good game (16 points), but he also shot pretty poorly (6-for-14 overall, 0-for-4 from 3-point range). He made a couple big shots in crunch time, but he also missed a couple. He was a little guilty of playing “hero ball”.

Derrick Walton Jr. was the other Michigan player in double figures, with 13 points. He had half of Michigan’s 3-pointers, shooting 2-for-5.

DJ Wilson had a quiet game, scoring 7 points and grabbing 3 rebounds. He did play pretty good defense.

Duncan Robinson provided some bench scoring (8 points), and even dished out 4 assists.

Mark Donnal also chipped in a few points (6) off the bench, and played some decent defense.

Who Looked Not-So-Good

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman went scoreless (0-for-3).

Xavier Simpson didn’t even attempt a shot in 6 minutes of “action”.

Who Else Played

No one else played.

Who Didn’t Play

Brent Hibbitts, Sean Lonergan, Jon Teske, Ibi Watson and Fred Wright-Jones didn’t play.

The Big Picture

This game was good practice for the lower-division Big Ten teams, but if UM plays like this against “the big boys”, they’ll get trounced.

Mid-Term Grades

With 13 games down, and at least 19 more to go, it’s close enough to mid-season for mid-term grades.

Freshman Eligibility

Austin Davis (Inc.) – Austin is being voluntarily redshirted this season, since UM has so much depth at center.

Brent Hibbitts (Inc.) – Brent has only played in “garbage time” so far: 18 minutes in 7 games. He’s 1-for-1 (a 3-pointer), and has grabbed 4 rebounds.

Charles Matthews (Inc.) – Charles has to sit out this season after transferring to Michigan from Kentucky. He’ll have sophomore eligibility next season.

Xavier Simpson (B-) – Xavier has played in all 13 games, averaging 9.7 minutes/game. He has scored 22 points, and dished out 16 assists. He’s shooting OK, but he isn’t really having much impact out there. He does give Derrick Walton a rest every now and then.

Jon Teske (C-) – Jon has played in 10 games, averaging 3.8 minutes/game. He has only scored 5 points (1 basket and 3 free throws), and grabbed 8 rebounds. He is still very tentative out there.

Ibi Watson (C-) – Ibi has played in 11 games, averaging 6.1 minutes/game. He has scored 20 points, but he has really struggled with his 3-point shooting: 1-for-15. He seems pretty confident out there, but he just isn’t producing.

Fred Wright-Jones (Inc.) – Fred has only played in “garbage time” so far: 12 minutes in 8 games. He hit his only 3-point attempt, for his only 3 points.

Sophomore Eligibility

Moritz Wagner (A) – Moe is easily the most improved player on the team so far, and he has been the “go to” guy on offense in several games. He has started all 13 games, and he’s 3rd on the team in scoring, averaging 11.5 points/game. He has cut way down on his fouls, and has only had one bad turnover game (4 vs. Mount St. Mary’s). His defense still isn’t as good as his offense, but he’s gotten better as the season has gone along.

DJ Wilson (A-) – DJ is another vastly improved player. He has played in all 13 games, and started the last 11. He is averaging 8.5 points/game, and he leads the team in rebounding with 86, and blocked shots with 18.

Junior Eligibility

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (B-) – MAAR has regressed this season, after 2 strong showings his first 2 years. He has played in all 13 games, and is averaging 8.1 points/game, but he has had 4 lousy games (5 points vs. Mount St. Mary’s, 0 vs. Kennesaw State, 3 vs. Texas, and 0 vs. Furman), and couple other mediocre games. When he’s “on”, he’s fine out there, but he has disappeared several times this season.

Mark Donnal (C+) – Mark has also regressed from his first 2 seasons, especially last season. It’s hard to believe that this is the same player who put up 28 points vs. Illinois last season. He almost acts disinterested out there at times. He has played in all 13 games, and he’s averaging 6.5 points/game, but he has had more bad games (7) than good (6).

Sean Lonergan (Inc.) – Sean has mostly played in “garbage time”, but he has a few brief appearances in significant game situations. Still, he only has played 23 minutes in 9 games, and has scored only 7 points.

Duncan Robinson (B-) – Duncan is yet another player who has regressed from last season. He has played in all 13 games, and he even started the first 2, but he quickly lost his starting spot to DJ Wilson, and now he’s coming off the bench to provide “instant offense”. He is averaging 8.8 points/game, which isn’t bad, but his 3-point shooting percentage is way down (24-for-60 = 40.0%). He still has a tough time staying in front of his man on defense, which is limiting his playing time. If he were still shooting 60% from 3-point range, it would be worth it to have him out there, weak defense and all, but at 40%, not so much.

Senior Eligibility

Andrew Dakich (Inc.) – Andrew is being voluntarily redshirted. It’s odd to see a senior be redshirted, but Andrew voluntarily “burned his redshirt” the last 2 seasons to help the team when injuries sidelined point guards. I suspect he’ll graduate on time, and play a “grad transfer” year somewhere smaller where he can start and contribute.

Zak Irvin (B) – Zak is the leading scorer on the team, at 14.1 points/game, and is 2nd on the team in rebounding, with 64. So, why a “B”? Leadership, or lack of it. This team has the talent to play with any team on their schedule, except maybe UCLA, but they’ve muddled through close games against teams they should handle easily, and Zak is one of the reasons. I don’t see him out there keeping the team focused and organized, and I don’t see him trying to get them fired up. Instead, I see him taking too many long 2-pointers, and playing “hero ball” in crunch time.

Derrick Walton Jr. (B+) – Derrick is 2nd on the team in scoring (12.4 points/game), and 3rd in rebounding (52), but he is also lacking in leadership. He needs to take charge out there, and keep the team focused. With some good leadership, this team can start to meet their expectations.

What’s Next

This week Michigan only plays one game, their Big Ten opener. On Sunday (01/01/2017, 2:15 p.m. EST, BTN), Michigan plays at Iowa. Iowa finished their non-conference schedule at 8-5, with only one quality win (78-64 vs. Iowa State), a couple understandable losses (100-92 vs. Memphis and 92-78 vs. Notre Dame), and a few surprising losses (91-83 vs. Seton Hall, 74-41 vs. Virginia, and 98-89 vs. Omaha). The loss to Virginia is particularly embarrassing. This will be a tough road game for Michigan, and they’ll have to play well to win. Iowa certainly isn’t great, but they can certainly score (except for the Virginia game), and they’re tough at home.

Check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!

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Nothing But ‘Net – Week #08 – 12/19/2016 – A Couple Christmas Cupcakes

Quick Look

The University of Michigan men’s basketball team played two games last week, and they won them both. On Tuesday (12/13/2016), Michigan beat Central Arkansas 97-53, then on Saturday (12/17/2016), they beat Maryland Eastern Shore 98-49. Both games were in Crisler Arena. The two wins raise Michigan’s record to 9-3.

What Happened

Michigan easily took care of a pair of “cupcakes” to pad their record and boost their stats. They also managed to get some playing time for the two freshmen who don’t play as often. They were both fun, easy games, where the final outcome was decided by halftime, and the (sparse) crowds were able to relax and enjoy the glorified scrimmages.

Michigan led from start to finish in both games, with good starts (15-5 vs. UCA, and 19-2 vs. MDES), good leads at halftime (49-20 and 49-22), and good “largest margins” (44 and 50 points). Michigan shot well overall in both games (32-for-62 = 51.6% vs. UCA, 34-for-52 = 65.4% vs. MDES), they shot 3-pointers very well in both games (19-for-45 = 42.2% and 12-for-21 = 57.1%), and they shot free throws well enough in both games (14-for-18 = 77.8% and 18-for-26 = 69.2%). They outrebounded both opponents by a wide margin (36-27 and 35-26), and they won the turnover battle in both games (6-14 and 9-15). It was total domination. Here are the complete stats for UCA and MDES.

Did you notice the 3-point numbers for the UCA game? Both 19 made 3-pointers and 45 attempts are new single-game school records. It was fun to watch.

Who Looked Good

DJ Wilson hit double figures in both games (11 and 16 points), and chipped in 7 and 6 rebounds. He’s looking very good out there so far this season.

Zak Irvin also hit double figures in both games (16 and 11), along with 6 rebounds in each game.

Duncan Robinson was the 3rd player to hit double figures in both games (12 and 17). He came off the bench in the UCA game, but he started in the MDES game (due to a “clerical error”). He shot his 3-pointers pretty well: 4-for-9 and 3-for-6.

Derrick Walton Jr. almost had double figures in both games: 9 and 21. He didn’t shoot very well vs. UCA (2-for-7), but he was on fire vs. MDES (7-for-9, including 5-for-7 from 3-point range).

Moritz Wagner also just missed hitting double figures in both games (18 and 9). He had almost perfect shooting for the week: 8-for-9 and 4-for-4.

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman had a pretty good week scoring (14 and 7), but he also chipped in 4 assists vs. UCA and a career-high 10 assists vs. MDES.

Xavier Simpson finally scored a few points: 7 and 4. He’s starting to look a little more comfortable out there.

Who Looked Not-So-Good

Mark Donnal had a quiet week, with 0 and 5 points.

Who Else Played

Ibi Watson played in both games, and had 3 and 4 points. He is still struggling with his 3-point shot (1-for-15), but he finally hit his first one in the UCA game.

Jon Teske is starting to get more playing time, but he still isn’t looking very comfortable out there. He had 2 and 0 points. He hit his first career basket vs. UCA.

Sean Lonergan scored 2 and 1 points.

Fred Wright-Jones scored 0 and 3 points. He hit his first career 3-pointer vs. MDES.

Brent Hibbitts scored 3 and 0 points. He hit his first career 3-pointer vs. UCA.

Who Didn’t Play

Since both games were blowouts, everybody played.

The Big Picture

It’s not clear how much we can learn about the team from these “guarantee” games against overmatched opponents. It was fun to watch them run around and score and hit lots of 3-pointers, but the Big Ten games aren’t going to look anything like that.

What’s Next

This week Michigan only plays one game, due to finals and the holidays. On Thursday (12/22/2016, 7:00 p.m., BTN), Michigan plays Furman in Crisler Arena. This is their last non-conference game. Furman isn’t very good, but they’re a lot better than Central Arkansas and Maryland Eastern Shore. Michigan will have to play a solid game to beat them.

Check back next week to see what happened, and why.

Go Blue!

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M FOOTBALL 2016-SOME COMMENTARY REGARDING THE SEASON AND THE FOOTBALL BUST

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Photo compliments of Ian Bunting (Twitter)

The 96th edition of the Wolverine’s football bust was again sponsored by the University of Michigan Club of Detroit, and was held on the evening of December 12, 2016 at Livonia’s Laurel Manor.

I was not able to attend the Bust again this year, but it remains an opportunity that Michigan Fans should take annually for a number of reasons.  It enables fans to put a face on the football machines you see on the field on Saturdays, and some that you don’t often get to observe that are in the background of the program, but contribute much to success.

This year we will all still remember the two defeats that deflated and eliminated the Wolverines’s Big Ten Championship and National Championship goals for the season by a slim margin.  We will recall the 2016 season as a near miss with only two close losses.  It was a season which produced a long awaited victory over the Spartans, and an opportunity for a prestigious Orange Bowl battle.  Overall the season show cased rising Wolverines.

The Wolverines gave OSU all that they wanted. Unfortunately, those three critical and fatal Wolverine errors effected the outcome.  While it is obvious the game was sprinkled with some inventive refereeing with a Buckeye flavoring, the three miscues put the game out of reach.

The officiating set-off a Harbaugh howl, but he never said it cost them the game.  It was the stuff under the Wolverine’s control which sealed their fate against the Buckeyes, and cost them post season opportunities.

It was disappointing that they could not control their own post season fate, but the regular season did not end a with a pounding by the Buckeyes as did 2015.  They were in the hunt all season long. The season overall was a resounding success.

The Wolverine surge is not yet at Tsunami level, but the frenzy is building.  Harbaugh said at the Bust that he suspects that the going to the NFL rumors maybe designed by some competitors to dampen recruiting. They will continue, and he will continue at Michigan.  He says he is not interested, thank you.  That is believable.

No pundit, none, knows the answer to the when will Harbaugh leave question.  Only Harbaugh knows that.  For now, and the foreseeable future, he is rock solid at Michigan. Believe he is leaving only when you hear him announce it, not before.

The coaching team was, for the most part, also outstanding, and remains intact.  Overall the defense, under the guidance of its newcomer mentor, Dr. Blitz, was outstanding.

The entire record of this season is not written, as Florida State stands in the way. The Wolverines and FSU will cross paths in their third confrontation in the Orange Bowl Saturday December 30.  Each team now holds a one and one record in the Orange Bowl.  This should be one of the better Bowl match ups.

THE 2016 AWARDS: The nomenclature of the MVP Award was changed to the Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player Award last year, and was earned for this year by Jabrill Peppers.

The Dr. Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award was awarded to Grant Newsome.

The Hugh J. Rader Award for the Best Offensive Lineman was bestowed on Offensive Tackle Erik Magnuson.

The Richard Katcher Award for the best Defensive Lineman was awarded to both Ryan Glasgow and Chris Wormley.

The Robert P. Ufer Award for enthusiasm and love for Michigan was bestowed on Offensive Tackle Grant Newsome.

The Roger Zatkoff Award for most outstanding Linebacker was given to Ben Gedeon.

The Most Improved Player Award named QB Wilton Speight.

There is just one game left this season, but the fifteen practices preceding it will continue to benefit the Wolverines into next season, no matter the outcome.

Bring on the Seminoles, and Go Blue!

 

Note:  As stated above, I did not attend this year’s Football Bust.  The commentary is mine, but the facts pertaining to the Bust were gathered from the official M football web site.