The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - 5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - 5A
MARISSA MCCLAIN/Daily
Redshirt sophomore running back Fitzgerald Toussaint is averaging 56 rushing yards per game, which is the most among Michigan running backs-
Blame for lack of ound production
split between backs and offensive line
Bektas wins program's
first-ever title at ITA
Midwest Regional
By ALEXA DETTELBACH 11 consecutive points against
For the Daily Turvy to reach the finals.
"When I was down 6-5 in
Freshman Emina Bektas had the third, I started playing
reason to smile Tuesday morning. more of my game, and reeled off
Her singles title - the pro- 11-straight consecutive points,"
gram's first ever - led the Michi- Bektas said. "That gave me a lot
gan women's tennis team this of confidence in my final match."
weekend at the ITA Midwest Her impressive run wasn't
Regional Championships in limited to singles. She is also
Columbus. In their fourth non- one half of the No. 17 doubles
scoring tournament of the pre- team with sophomore Brooke
season, the Wolverines also put a Bolender. The pair made it to
doubles team in the semifinals.
But it was the play of Bektas _______
that stood out.
"Emain culminated the "(Betkas)
whole weekend," said Michigan
coach Ronni Bernstein. "She just t the
just played some really solid k p
tennis, and it was good to see in pressure on
the finals today (that) she played
at a really high level." the girl."
After a pair of close three-set-
ters on Monday, Bektas didn't
have much time to rest. She was
back on the court early Tuesday the semifinals before falling to
morning in singles, when her Northwestern's No. 3 team of
serve was not broken once. She Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida
defeated Northwestern's Brit- Hamilton, 9-7. Bektas's victory
tany Wowchuk in straight sets, secures her spot in the USTA/
6-4,6-2. ITA National Indoor Intercolle-
"It puts a lot more pressure giate Championships on Nov. 3
on her opponent when they are at the Billie Jean King National
serving because they have to stay Tennis Center in Flushing, New
with her and try and hold serve," York. She posted an impressive
Bernstein said. "She just kept the 8-2 record during her rookie sea-
pressure on the girl today, got a son and has four wins against
couple breaks and ran away with ranked opponents. With just
it in the second set." two tournaments left in the pre-
Last week's Big Ten Player season, the spring cannot come
of the Week, sophomore Sam soon enough.
Critser, fell short on Monday "We just got to keep working
in the quarterfinals against the hard," Bernstein said. "We defi-
Wildcat's Kate Turvy. But later nitely have some talent on this
that afternoon, Bektas, the 9th- team and good camaraderie."
ranked freshman, rallied to beat Michigan also has an exciting
Turvy in the semifinals. After new player in Bektas, who will
droppingthe first set, Bektas won play a big role going forward.
By MICHAEL FLOREK
Daily Sports Editor
The good news for the Michi-
gan football team is that offen-
sive coordinator Al Borges
identified the offense's problem
in its loss to Michigan State. The
bad news is that he's got a lot
more work than people original-
ly thought.
At Michigan coach Brady
Hoke's radio show last week,
Borges said the Wolverines'
inability to run the ball was what
got them into trouble. The run-
ning backs have struggled for
most of the season. In the past
two games, three different backs
have combined for just 102 yards.
But both the coaching staff and
the players were quick to point
out it hasn't been just the run-
ning backs' fault.
"I think, like anything else,
when you talk about a quar-
terback, and talk about a line-
backer not making as many
tackles, sometimes that's the
front," Hoke said. "(It's the) same
thing with the running backs.
Sometimes it's the opportunities
or what we're doing up front."
The offensive line is look-
ing for a better way to operate.
Fifth-year senior David Molk
said the offensive line deserved
some of the blame because it
hadn't been getting to the sec-
ond level in its blocking. Hoke's
critique didn't get past the line
of scrimmage. He said the line
isn't consistent enough at the
point of attack.
Other than junior quarter-
back Denard Robinson, there
hasn't been much consistency
in the backfield either. No. 18
Michigan opened the season
with 147 rushing yards from its
running backs against Western
Michigan. The group ran for
just 10 yards in the next game.
Before their two poor perfor-
mances against Northwestern
and Michigan State, the running
backs ran for 268 yards against
Minnesota.
"People want to blame one
player or a coach or whatever
and it's generally not that," Borg-
es siad. "It's generally a com-
bination of issues. It certainly
isn't the running backs. ...When
you're not playing well, usually
nobody plays well."
But the most inconsistent
aspect has come from the per-
sonnel. For most of the season,
the load has been carried by
redshirt sophomore Fitzgerald
Toussaint and junior Vincent
Smith. The two began the season
locked in a position battle with
a coaching staff adamant about
finding a lead running back.
Eight weeks later, the two are
still fighting for the spot.
Toussaint appeared to win the
job coming out of camp, beat-
ing out senior Mike Shaw. Then
Toussaint didn't have a carry in
Michigan's second game. Smith,
originally the third-down back,
vaulted himself into the lead
after a 118-yard performance
against Eastern Michigan. Shaw,
who was the favorite coming into
camp, faded out of the competi-
tion early in the season before
reemerging against North-
western. He didn't have a carry
against Michigan State. Hoke
said he would like 100 yards a
game from his running backs
in order to feel good about their
performance. Both Smith and
Toussaint have done it just once
this season.
"No one's standing out, basi-
cally," Borges said. "It's not
something missing. It's just no
one is standing out, and until
somebody does we're going to
operate the way we operate."
Now Borges just has to fix all
the pieces involved in the opera-
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