0 The Michigan Daily ( michigandaily.com September 6, 2011 GILD" Toussaint emerges as Hoke's lead back By TIM ROHAN Daily Sports Editor What kind of running back is Fitzgerald Tous- saint? The question seemed simple enough. Denard Robinson smiled, leaning back in his chair.,. "Oh man," Robinson said, with a guffaw. "All right, I don't want to juice his head up too much." Sittingto his left was Toussaint, the redshirt sophomore who missed eight games in his first season due to knee and shoulder injuries, the back who took his first career handoff from and saw nothing but green grass in front of him only to be caught from behind by a Bowl- ing Green defender 61-yards downfield. He's the same back running backs coach Fred Jack- son said had "Mike Hart ability with speed," a year ago. "Fitz is probably one of the best running backs I've played with," Robinson said. "When he gets the ball, he runs hard and he makes guys miss and he's fast - he's a good back." Toussaint shot all 5-foot-10, 195 pounds of himself out of a rocket into the heart of West- ern Michigan's defense every time he got the ball on Saturday, shooting gaps between the tackles, side-stepping defenders in a phone booths. Relentlessly, Toussaint kept answering the bell, launching himself into the opponents'gut. "We just chip away until we get the long one," he said. "Credit to the offensive line, keep doing their job, then eventually it will come." The hiring of Brady Hoke could be the best thing that ever happened to Toussaint. Last year's backfield was just as crowded as it is now, and Toussaint was fourth on the depth chart entering his redshirt freshman season. Jackson said he could become the inside run- ner Hart was, but it would take time. See TOUSSAINT, Page 4B Robinson's debut in new offense cut short due to thunderstorms, Woolfolk OK By MICHAEL FLOREK Daily SportsEditor No one knew what kind of things junior quarterback Denard Robinson would be asked to do in his debut in offensive coordinator Al Borges's pro-style offense. That included the quarterback. "I didn't know what to expect, to be hon- est with you," Robinson said. "We were just out there ready to play and we've been work- ing all the plays, so whatever he threw at us we had to be NOTEBOOK ready." It turns out 144 is the new 335. Though Saturday's game against Western Michigan went just under three quarters after being ended due to lightning, it was the worst statistical game of Robinson's career. He threw for just 98 yards and ran for 46 more, giving him 144 all-purpose yards. A year ago he aver- aged 335 all-purpose yards in his first season as a starter. Since Borges's new offense is designed to take the load off Robinson and distribute it among others, Robinson's previous perfor- mances in the spread offense aren't compa- rable. The only way to evaluate his game is to take his word for it. "I've still got some learning to do," Robinson said. "I got to do better. I think I did alright." Seeing just six offensive drives couldn't answer the question about whether the new scheme bottles up Robinson's speed too much. But there were glimpses of the past. Borges See ROBINSON, Page 43 34 Michigan 10 Western N/Daily Michigan tercep- fought where ... we made a check and I ended up coming off the edge, and Kovacs got free. I don't think the ball rolled my way. I think I went to go get the ball and then just ran it into the endzone." But it wasn't all defensive scores and rampant positivity on defense Fifth-year senior linebacker Brandon Herron (top) scores on the longest in tion return in Michigan history. Junior quarterback Denard Robinson (left) through the rain. So did Michigan coach Brady Hoke (right). By KEVIN RAFERTY Daily Sports Writer Fifth-year senior linebacker Bran- don Herron should probably send out a couple of thank-you notes - one to redshirt freshman Jake Ryan and another to redshirt junior Jordan through a dismal year defensively last season. With the score knotted, 7-7, and the Broncos threatening midway through the second quarter, Ryan tipped a pass by Western Michigan junior quarterback Alex Carder, popping the ball straight up into the just looked straight ahead, obviously with no ball security whatsoever. I just tried to get it in the endzone." In the third quarter, with the Wol- verines leading 20-10, Kovacs busted through the Western Michigan front line and drilled Carder, forcing the ball loose. Herron was right there Kovacs. air and eventually into the hands of to scoop it up and return it for his Saturday. In the Michigan football team's Herron. The linebacker cradled the second score of the game - this time On the first drive of the game, 34-10 victory against Western Mich- ball and took it 94 yards for the score from 29 yards out - to increase the things looked awfully similar to igan on Saturday, the first-ever rain- - the longest return for a touch- Wolverines' lead to 27-10. last season. Carder carved up the shortened game in Michigan football down in modern-era Michigan foot- And after the game, Herron said Michigan defense, finishing a per- history, Herron was the beneficiary ball history (since 1943). himself that he has some people to fect 8-for-8 with 56 yards. He threw of a pair of great defensive plays - a "I was just looking up (at the ball) thank. the ball with ease, often finding his three-word phrase that is music to and my legs just carried me," Her- "First of all, I want to thank receivers wide open with room to Michigan fans' ears after suffering ron said. "After I caught the ball I Kovacs," Herron said. "It was a call See WESTERN, Page 4B Defensive line dos' edfrHke J 5 3 By TIM ROHAN Daily SportsEditor Brady Hoke said he wants to hear his football team. And he certainly sees them. On Monday, he defined another sense he uWses in evaluat- ing his players - Hoke wants to feel his players' impact. The Michigan defensive line bet- ter take notes. "I think we played OK," Hoke said of his defensive line. "We weren't - you guys have heard me talk about hearing football. You also want to feel guys during the course of a game. I felt No. 32, (Jordan Kovacs), during the course of the game, an impact. To some degree, I thought, J.T. (Floyd), ypu could feel him a little bit. 4 "I never felt our front like we need to - not to be specific. So I think we played OK, but I think we need to play at a higher level and a higher standard." Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison - both former defen- sive line coaches - preached all off- season how their defense has to be led by the play of the Wolverines' front four. After one game, the defensive line could be described as the weak link. The front four couldn't pressure Western Michigan quarterback Alex Carder on its own, and the defense didn't start making an impact until Mattison started blitzing more to rattle Carder's cage. Specifically, three potential impact players fell silent - senior captain defensive tackle Mike Mar- tin finished with one tackle; fifth- year senior defensive tackle Ryan Van Bergen had three; and Craig Roh, the team's rush defensive end, See DEFENSIVE LINE, Page 8B HERRON'S A BELIEVER Brandon Herron made sure to credit God for his unbelieveable performance on Saturday, but Tim Rohan offers another man to thank. Page 2B DOMINATION IN UTAH Led by freshman setter Lexi Dannemi- ller, Michigan goes perfect during Utah Valley Invitational, setting the stage for next weekend in Dayton. Page 7B