2C - Thursday, January 5, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com L .._ aStonum motivate by Hemingway's big Sugar Bowl MAR 55A MCANDiy Fifth-year senior David Molk got injured in pregame warm-ups and wasn't supposed to play. He missed three snaps. Molk fights througinjury, i e By STEPHEN J. NESBITT Daily Sports Editor NEW ORLEANS - David Molk only had one leg, but that couldn't stop him. Michigan's fifth-year senior captain, All-American center and Rimington Awad winner was held out of the starting lineup after sustaining a foot injury during pregame warm-ups before the Allstate Sugar Bowl. "Something popped," said Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon. "Freak little thing, it just slipped out," Molk said. Slip, pull, pop or twist, the outcome was the same - the Wolverines were forced to start little-used redshirt junior backup Rocko Khoury under center in the biggest game in recent memory. "I thought, 'Where's the Rim- ington award winner guy?' " said redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Taylor Lewan. "Then I found out he was hurt." Molk's final bill of health from the team trainers prior to the game cast a sobering shadow over the All-American's final game at Michigan: "I wasn't a go." "It was something where I had to get the feelingback - I couldn't move on it," Molk said. Molk tried to get loose on the sideline during Khoury's first series, watching his replacement send a pair of errant snaps back to junior quarterback Denard Robin- son. The offense went nowhere. The coaches and trainers had left the decision up to Molk. After watching the first series, he made his decision. He was back under center for the second drive. He didn't miss another snap. "David is a warrior," said Mich- igan coach Brady Hoke. "He's a captain on this football team. He has a lot of pride in Michigan, he has a lot of pride in this offense. It means a lot to see him come out there and perform like he did." The offense struggled from start to finish. The dynamic rush- ing attack of Robinson and red- shirt sophomore running back Fitzgerald Toussaint combined for just 43 yards, by far their low- est total of the season. But the players couldn't deny the effect Molk's return had on stabilizing the offense early in the game. Rob- inson found the ball in his hands on every snap and had more time in the pocket for his throws. "I don't know if the offense needed me, but obviously I wanted to be out there and help my team," Molk said. "I knew I could be a positive force no matter if I was 50 percent, 40 percent or 100 per- cent. "It's something that's within me - I can't stay off the field, I muscle through injuries." It isn't the first time Molk has battled injury. As a redshirt sophomore, Molk started four games before being knocked out of a matchup against Eastern Michigan with a foot injury. He returned for the Penn State game and suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first series. This time, in the Sugar Bowl, it was bearable. And the team drew a clear line between hurt and injured. "We said unless we see bone, we're not coming out," said fifth- year senior defensive tackle Ryan Van Bergen. The trainers thought Molk was injured. He decided he was just hurt. "Dave Molk has more heart than I expected," Lewan said. "At the end of the day, the kid had a heart. Molk knew. He loves this team, he loves this university, and he's going to play for them no matter what." As Molk stepped away from the crowd of teammates celebrat- ing the overtime victory, he gazed around the massive Mercedes- Benz Superdome. It was worth it. It was worth everything. His career began inauspi- ciously, with a historic upset loss to Appalachian State at Michigan Stadium. It ended gloriously, with an overtime epic in New Orleans. "How we came in and how my first four seasons went, I thought we were the stain on Michigan tra- dition," Molk said, walking slowly toward the winner's podium on the turf. "But the reality is that we came back from everything and we're back to where Michigan is." The stoic Molk couldn't wipe the smile from his face. Michigan strength and conditioning coach Aaron Wellman swept his arms around the fifth-year senior. Molk only had one leg, but that's all he needed. His Michigan career came to an end on Tuesday. His foot- ball career is moving to the next chapter - Molk will now begin training for the NFL. The scope of Molk's journey couldn't be cap- tured better than his final words after the Wolverines topped Ohio State on Nov. 26. "It's been a lot and it's been a rollercoaster that for some reason has seemed like it would never get good," Molk said, his voice rising. "But we kept fighting. "It's just like the old saying goes: Those who stay will be champions." By TIM ROHAN But it's fair to ask: what Daily Sports Editor could've been? What if junior quarterback Denard Robinson NEW ORLEANS - His had Stonum, who is arguably one teammates raced around the of the fastest receivers on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, team? high-fiving fans, while he mean- Instead of Hemingway, it dered behind. His roommate, could've been Stonum. But the fifth-year senior wide receiver player Robinson calls "Big Play" Junior Hemingway, was the Hemingway made two spectacu- game's most outstanding player lar touchdown catches, saving and had developed into the go- Michigan's Sugar Bowl chances, to-deep threat he was supposed while Stonum watched from the to be. sidelines in a sweatsuit. But Darryl Stonum cracked a "He makes that play in prac- smile. tice all the time," Stonum said. The wide receiver didn't play "That's the plays he makes. I'm a snap this season, in what was proud of him. I love him. I wish supposed to be Stonum's senior him the best. year. A drunk driving charge "I'm going to miss him when - his second since coming to he's gone, but we're always going Michigan - caused Michigan to be best friends. We'll always coach Brady Hoke to suspend stayin contact - forever." him for the season, which ended Stonum should return next up being the Wolverines' best in year for a fifth year as one of years. Michigan's top receivers and kick So while his teammates returners. Gone are Hemingway basked in their success, Stonum and seniors Kelvin Grady and stood back. Martavious Odoms. But Roy "It was a learning experience," Roundtree, Jeremy Gallon and Stonum said, his voice lowering, Drew Dileo all return. At 6-foot- just moments after Michigan 2, Stonum could fill in Heming- finished off Virginia Tech in way's shoes as a bigger target overtime, 23-20. "It was pretty Robinson can trust. hard. But everything happens . It appears Hoke has a mature, for a reason. I'm just glad coach humbled and motivated receiver Hoke kept me around tobe a part to add to his lineup. of this. And I'm back - I'm back "It just motivates me for next now." year," Stonum said, watching his Out of the limelight, he teammates celebrate. became the best practice squad "They're going to see a receiver he could be, his team- beast.""Just because a kid mates said. During practices throws a couple of picks, pulling in New Orleans, starting cur- him out of the game - I know a nerback J.T. Floyd was beat on lot of guys who are quick trig- more than one occasion by Sto- ger guys and they'll say, 'He's num. not playing well, we'll get the "He's embraced what hap- other guy in there,' " Borges pened to him and has learned said. "We're never doing that. from it," said senior tight end They can boo or do whatever.... Kevin Koger earlier this week. "A You want to stick with that guy, lot of guys might get suspended and if you stick with him you and then they'd just transfer. give him a chance to prove that But he stuck it out. And he's like he's your leader and the team a brother to me, so I'm proud of will believe in him. But if you go what he has done. south on him, I just don't believe "When he's been through that's a good way of doing it. everything he's been through, "Now I've taken quarterbacks and all the turmoil and all the out before, but that's usually speculation, I'm just glad he because they've lost their confi- stayed." dence." Van Bergen's foot, and defense, bend but don't break By KEVIN RAFTERY Daily Sports Ediotr NEW ORLEANS - Ryan Van Bergen limped off the field, with trainers under each arm helping him make it to the sidelines. He and the Michigan defense had just made a critical third down stop in overtime, forc- ing Virginia Tech to settle for a 37-yard field goal, which Hokie kicker Justin Myer would miss wide right just moments later. Van Bergen had been battling a foot injury since the second quarter, when he got caught up awkwardly in a pile of players. "My foot just feels like rub- ber," Van Bergen said after the game. "I couldn't plant on it or anything like that. "It actually went down, like parallel to my chin when I was in a pile. "The next time I was tryingto plant, I was trying to overcom- pensate for it, and I put it the other way and got chopped, so my toe was coming up to like the top of my ankle." Van Bergen's foot was bent, but it wasn't broken - just like the Michigan defense in the Wolverines' 23-20 overtime vic- tory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday night. The Wolverines gave up sev- eral key third-and-long plays on the night. Third and 20. Third and 12. Third and 8. "Third-down defense, we weren't very good at all," defen- sive coordinator Greg Mattison said. "A lot of it was missed tack- les. We had the right defense, we had guys in the right place, you just had to get them down." For most of the game, the Hokies had little trouble mov- ing the ball downfield. Yet, the Michigan defense gave up just one touchdown all game. The key? Red-zone defense. "We didn't play our best game defensively," Mattison said, "but we played our best game as far as keeping them out when you had to." No play exemplifies that more than one that came early in the second quarter. After having driven 72 yards to the Michigan 4-yard line, the Hokies were faced with a fourth-and-1. The Wolverines had already given up a couple big plays on the drive, including a 16-yard completion on third-and-8 and a 32-yard rush by running back David Wilson. Feeling confident, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer elect- ed to go for it. The Michigan defense had already bent hard on the drive. But as the Hokies lined up, Van Bergen and fellow lineman Mike Martin saw something they recognized. And it paid off. "Me and Mike called that play, because we had seen it on film," Van Bergen said. "I don't know who ended up making the play because we just dove down, but we were ready for that." Bend, don't break. The Michi- gan defenders swallowed up Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas, stopping him just a few inches short of the first down marker. "We had to adjust real quick, last thing," said redshirt junior linebacker Kenny Demens. "We just came through. Those guys, those front four players, they do a great job." And on the Wolverines' ensu- ing offensive drive, they scored their first touchdown of the night on a miraculous pass from junior quarterback Denard Rob- inson to fifth-year senior receiv- (Left) Fifth-year senior Ryan Van Bergen was on crutches after the game. (Right) Freshman Desmond Morgan helped keep the Hokies in check. er Junior Hemingway. Early in the third quarter, it was another defensive play that helped spark the offense. On first-and-10 from the Vir- ginia Tech 49, Thomas dropped back out of the shotgun and looked left. He didn't see freshman defen- sive end Frank Clark. Clark read it the whole way. "I saw the quarterback pull out and try to scramble," Clark said. "He threw the hitch, and I jumped up and caught it." For the defense, it was the first and only interception of the night. For the offense, it was just what the doctor ordered. "When Frank intercepted that ball, that was a shot in the arm for us offensively," said Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges. The interception gave Michi- gan the ball at the Virginia Tech 35-yard line and set up the Wol- verines second touchdown of the game to give them a 17-6 lead. But the Hokies continued to push the Michigan defense to its breaking point. Midway through the fourth quarter, Virginia Tech was faced with a fourth-and-11 at the Wol- verines' 35-yard line and elected to go for it. A stop and Michigan would be in the driver's seat. Thomas had other plans. Noticing that most of his receiv- ers were covered downfield, he scrambled left, gaining just enough yards for the first down. Moments later, Thomas con- nected with Marcus Davis for the score. After the Hokies con- verted on a two-point attempt, it was a tie ball game. But the Wolverines remained poised. "We knew it was gonna be a back and forth game," Martin said. "We knew they were gonna step up and make plays, but we knew that we were gonna step up and make plays, too." And make plays they did. With Virginia Tech driving and down by three with the clock winding down, Michigan had to at least hold the Hokies The Michigan defense struggled early, but tightened in the redzone, forcing the Hokies to three field goals and keeping the Wolverines in the game. to a field goal. On third-and-7 from the Michigan 13, the Wolverines allowed Thomas to complete another pass - but only for five yards. Bend, don't break. Virginia Tech hit the field goal and sent it to overtime. But it didn't matter. When it needed to most, the Michigan defense got it done, forcing a Hokies' three-and-out on their only overtime possession. And as Michigan kicker Brendan Gibbons hit the game winner, Van Bergen no longer needed trainers to help him get on the field to celebrate with his teammates. Suddenly, that once-bent foot felt a whole lot better.