GBMWolverine: Coach’s Corner — Michigan Football — Looking Back to the Past Year — Part II
Posted at 6:00am — 12/10/2011
GBMWolverine: Coach’s Corner — Michigan Football — Looking Back to the Past Year — Part II
The season started with lightning, not on the field but from the sky, and for the first time in Big House history a game was called (I guarantee this was the best call of the year). The middle was at times gashed by a MAC team, but the defense hung in enough to do the ultimate task of a defense: prevent points. The offense struggled to make much more than a two yard run, excepting when Denard took off. At this time of the year, Denard’s running was Michigan’s best shot at converting third downs, nothing else was close. Running backs came and went in the first few games as Smith showed to be the best bet.
The second game of the year was a magical turning point for Michigan. This was a swing game that could trigger great things or deliver a set-back. Michigan again got gashed up the middle early but sealed the seams in the second half in large part because Notre Dame got a little cute and aired it out. No one could handle Floyd but Mattison set up a defensive play that changed the season. Deep in Michigan territory, Kovacs stepped into the middle, Rees audibles and Kovacs sprinted to the boundary n front of Floyd for the pick. Rees never saw it coming.
The next three weeks yielded strong wins but still the running defense and offense struggled somewhat. Minnesota got gashed on the ground and looked to be dead as an Egyptian mummy. The Gophers made a great comeback a few games later.
Michigan State was a test of physical power, line play, and poise. The Spartans won the battle and Michigan proved to be not quite prime time. Gloom hit the fans but anger hit the coaches and the pads popped. Purdue did not play well and Michigan’s offense played sound. The final score should have been more lopsided.
The Iowa game was a second test on the road against a very respected Big Ten team. Mistakes at the critical quarterback spot may have played more of a role than the fiasco of the last minute. Basic and sound again beat not quite ready.
Michigan next went to Illinois and the talented Illinois defense provided some difficulty for Michigan in the first half. The Michigan defense stopped everything, including the usual early score by an opponent against a vanilla defense. Michigan played more physical than in the past and won a victory thought to be significant. The glow off the Illinois rose faded into albino with the Michigan loss. This was the last stand for the 2011 Illinois team.
Michigan returned home to play two legendary programs. The Wolverines may have played the best game of the season against the Huskers. The defense was exceptionally stout and Fitz Toussaint continued to stay on the recent roll. The Husker’s talented Martinez had a day to forget and the secondary had perhaps its best game of the year.
This set the stage for a show down with Ohio State, a game that Ohio State would have been favored by two touchdowns shortly after the New Year but now found itself as an underdog. Ohio State brought a dazzling freshman and much better receivers than had been indicated by pure performance throughout the year. Ohio State let it fly and played very well, regardless of what some may say. The difference was how Michigan could run out of its formations and break the read options for big yardage. Denard may have had his best game sitting in the pocket and throwing strikes. Later in the game Ohio State threw the blitz sink but during the game Ohio State chose to spy and sit back, choosing to let Denard pass rather than run by a pack of blitzers into a secondary where the tackling had been so-so.
Michigan won the game and deserved to win the game. The good times continued with a somewhat improbable invite to the Sugar Bowl.
Credit should be given to the entire Michigan family, and now on to the future.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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