2E - Tuesday, September 4, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
FOOTBALL
Tim Ro an: Those
w ho stay will
redeem themselves
Those who stay will
redeem themselves.
Ryan Van Bergen
stayed.
While his
teammates
mobbed
Courtney
Avery, whose
interception
for the Michi--
gan football TIM
team sealed ROHAN
the 40-34 win
over Ohio State on Saturday, Van
Bergen slowly walked to the side-
line, his hands on his head.
He flipped off his helmet,
collapsed on the blue bench and
wept.
The crowd's roar was deaf-
ening as Jake Ryan pulled Van
Bergen close, whispering in his
ear. Then Craig Roh did the same.
They told Van Bergen how much
his leadership meant, how much
of an impact he had on them.
The fifth-year senior had to
answer for why the defense was
so bad for three years. Now, he
could stand proudly and boast
about one of the best units in
the country.
"Michigan probably needed
this win to solidify what we've
done this season asa program,"
Van Bergen said after the game.
"This game is more than a win in
the win column. It's bigger than
that. It encompasses way more.
Our team feels like we finished
the season.... We went out the
way we wanted to go out.
"We put Team 132 in the
books forever. I think this team
will always be remembered
as the team that set a new
standard and re-established
what Michigan is supposed to
be about. I'm just glad I was a
senior, being a part of it."
Denard Robinson stayed.
When the game ended, he led
the sprint to the student section
to sing "The Victors." His 337
total yards and five touchdowns
will be a part of history, but
Team 132 will'emember how
he willed Michigan to finally
beat the Buckeyes.
Brady Hoke finally found bal-
ance for Robinson in a "make-
shift" offense, one that fit the
quarterback who once thought
of transferring before Hoke
arrived in January.
Now, the quarterback who
had been beaten up - by his
critics and by Big Ten defenses
- smiled wider than ever.
"I'm just glad I'm play-
ing with these guys because I
wouldn't rather be (anywhere)
else," Robinson said.
"I'm glad I stayed."
Mike Martin stayed.
The team's best defensive
player on a few of Michigan's
worst defenses finally was a
part of a true Michigan defense.
Martin,.Van Bergen and fifth-
year senior defensive tackle
Will Heininger stepped back
from the mob that started to
rush the field.
"We just kind of stood out
there and soaked it in -what
this team had done," Martin
said.
David Molk stayed.
He anchored the offensive
line Robinson turned to in the
fourth quarter when the Wol-
verines needed to ice the game.
"We're going to ride you
guys," Robinson told them.
"You're going to win this for
us."
Molk, the centerwith-wmmten
streak, became the lifeline
of Hoke's offense, protecting
Robinson and guiding a power-
ful run game. The injuries that
plagued his career became an
afterthought.
When it was done, the usually
even-keeled Molk laughed the
loudest.
"It's been a long time," Molk
said. "I've been through a lot of
stuff. But then again, in the end,
you truly realize what this place
means.
"I love Michigan, there's
no doubt about it. I don't care
what we had to go through.
I love this school. I love this
university. I love this team. I
love my teammates. I love my
coaches. This is great. This is
what college football is. (I'll)
never forget it."
Senior receivers Kevin Koger,
Junior Hemingway and Mar-
tavious Odoms all stayed, and
they all caught touchdown pass-
es against the Buckeyes.
Those who stayed were
around long enough to see
Hoke's countdown clocks be
reset - on Sunday, one of them
read "zero" days since Michigan
last beat "Ohio," the other read
"364 days" until the next edi-
tion of The Game.
Many seniors watched the
finale unfold from the sidelines,
their reward for staying being
a kiss on the cheek from Hoke
and a personalized Michigan
football from the pregame
senior day festivities.
Still, those who stayed will
forever be known as Brady
Hoke's first team - Team 132, as
he calls them - immortalized
just like Bo Schembechler's first
team in 1969.
When Schembecher told
that team, "Those who stay will
be champions," he didn't inher-
it the 110th-ranked defense.
His quarterback wasn't an
enigma.
We've learned that some-
times those who stay will
have to endure. They will be
ridiculed. They will be embar-
rassed, playing through the
worst three years in the his-
tory of Michigan football. They-
will represent a dark age, one
unknown to anyone before their
time. They will be considered
the children of a prestigious
program that just don't fit in.
If Team 132 has taught us
anything, it's that there won't
always be championships for
those who stay, but there will
be glory.
Those who stay will knock
off Notre Dame under the lights
at Michi n Stadium. They'll
demolish Nebraska, welcoming
Big Red to the Big Ten the way
Michigan teams of old would.
And, above all, those whostay
will beat Ohio State, completing
their journey from forgettable
to legendary.
Those who stay will bring
back Michigan football.
They immediately bought into
a magical coach and didn't look
back. Hoke taught them how to
play "Michigan football," when
they admittedly didn't know the
meaning of the phrase.
He made sure the Ohio State
game would be the most impor-
tant of their lives. Molk said The
Game was emphasized "a thou-
sand times" more than during the
three-year Rich Rodriguez era,
and they'll remember this win -
the one that ended Ohio State's
seven-year win streak - forever.
Those who stay will love
Brady Hoke and all he stands
for. They'll play for him because
he loved them first.
"He is us; we are him," Molk
said. "I love him. I love how he
coaches. I love his leadership
ability and how he does it. I'd do
anything for him.
"IfI ever (come) back, 20
years from now, the first guyI
would find, I would call coach
Hoke. That's who he is."
When the fans rushed the
field, the seniors who stayed
thought, "finally," as Van Ber-
gen did, and the win over Ohio
State brought them to tears.
They drenched Hoke in water,
then hugged him.
One student in the stands
stayed. She held a sign that read:
"Brady, thanks for making our
senior year."
Eventually, Team 132 left
the Michigan family on the
field and gathered in the locker
room. An emotional Hoke told
them how he's "proud of them
and what they've done for
Michigan."
"Just to see them happy,
that's the neat part," Hoke said.
"I mean; the investment and
commitment they've made as
a team. It's special. It's special.
It's one of those good days."
Those who stayed huddled
together one last time in the Big
House.
Van Bergen shouted, "Team
132 'til the death."
For having stayed, they got to
sing "The Victors." And it will
never again sound so sweet.
- Originally published
on Nov. 28, 2011
Michigan outlasts gnaTc n
Sugar..B owl
By TIM ROHAN ing and the half winding down,
Daily Sports Editor Robinson had Kyle Fuller, Vir-
ginia Tech's best cornerback,
JAN. 4, 2012 - NEW reaching for his ankles. But the
ORLEANS - Brady Hoke leaned junior quarterback reloaded and
in, hugged Junior Hemingway fired off his back foot as two
and gave him a kiss on the fore- more Hokies crashed into him.
head. Hemingway's Most Out- The ball floated. Virginia
standing Player Trophy sat on the Tech safety Eddie Whitley
table in front of him, and Hoke whiffed on the pick, while his
wore a smile as he took his seat. teammate, Antone Exum, was
Earlier, Hemingway cried on two steps out of place. The ball
his mother's shoulder while cel- landed neatly in Hemingway's
ebrating Michigan's 23-20 over- hands. The fifth-year senior
time victory in the Sugar Bowl raced for a 45-yard touchdown.
over No. 13 Virginia Tech. Hoke For Robinson, it was another
always said he'd lead with his head-scratching decision that
seniors, and a fifth-year senior turned out OK. Borges has'
had capped the coach's blessed resigned himself to the fact that
first season with a win. his quarterback doesn't always
"You've got to have guys who listen to the advice he gave him
can make those plays, and when before the season: "Make plays
(Denard Robinson and Heming- and let God do the miracles."
way) are the ones doing it, you "Sometimes he elbows God
feel pretty good about it," said outta the way and decides he
Hoke, whose team became just wants to do it anyway," Borges
the fifth in modern Michigan said.
football history to win 11 games. On that play, Michigan inex-
On a day Michigan amassed plicably took its first lead, 7-6.
just184yards ofoffense,itwasn't Virginia Tech quarterback
Denard Robinson or Fitzgerald Logan Thomas had put on an
Toussaint that saved the day, it aerial show, lasering passes in
was "Big Play" Hemingway, as and around a Michigan second-
Robinson calls him. No one will ary that lived almost exclusively
be quick to call Michigan's win by the motto "bend, but don't
pretty, but the few plays Michi- break." His favorite target was
gan did make came at the. most receiver Danny Coale, who was
crucial of times, when the game a nuisance for the Michigan sec-
was in the balance. ondary all game.
The first half had belonged And Thomas's running back,
to Virginia Tech, but Michigan ACC Player of the Year David
held the lead. The second half Wilson, found room on the
belonged to the Hokies too, but edges, where so many teams
Michigan had overtime. When exploited Michigan this season.
overtime came, Virginia Tech's on defense, the Hokies' front
third-string kicker - who had seven blitzed Robinson, con-
was a perfect 2-for-2 to that taining him to modest gains.
point - missed a 37-yard field Toussaint's quickness wasn't
goal Michigan's Brendan Gib- always enough, either.
bons made his 37-yarder. Virginia Tech had more yards
After the game, Hemingway in the first half than Michigan
found his place on the stage did the entire game (185), but
at the 20.-yard line, maize and the Hokies were held to just six
blue confetti falling, right near points due to an opportunistic
where he initially caught in his Michigan defense and timely
first touchdown catch-and-run. mistakes.
At that point, right was left. "This defense made this game
Up was down. And, still, Junior happen," said redshirt sopho-
Hemingway was celebrating in more tackle Taylor Lewan.
the end zone. "Because God knows our
Call it magic. Call it luck. But offense didn't."
Robinson and Hemingway rou- On Virginia Tech's first drive
tinely made plays like this all of the game, facing a first-
season. down-and-goal, with the ball on
Robinson had thrown a pick their own 4-yard line, Wilson
on just his second pass attempt bounced outside. But he quickly
of the game, when he lofted a aborted the original plan, as
ball toward Hemingway, who his offensive line lie obliterated
had a one-on-one matchup. Ear- on the ground. Thomas Gor-
tier this week, Robinson said don, Craig Roh, Jordan Kovacs,
he wouldn't second-guess him- Jibreel Black and Jake Ryan
self when he looked towards stared him down like a pack of
Hemingway. foaming dogs. Relentless, they
"We had alot of confidence in chased Wilson as he retreated.
that combination," Hoke said. Briefly, Wilson entertained
With Virginia Tech romp- the thought of running around
them. But Ryan accelerated,
wrapping Wilson and hurling
him down 22 yards from where
the play started.
Virginia Tech settled for a
field goal.
Then, with a chanceto demor-
alize Michigan and build on a
6-0 lead, facing a fourth-and-1
again on the Wolverines' 4-yard
line, Thomas tried to sneak the
ball himself. Fifth-year senior
defensive tackle Ryan Van Ber-
gen stuffed him.
Virginia Tech came away
with no points.
After Hemingway's touch-
down catch - and right on cue
- senior special teamer J.B.
Fitzgerald forced a fumble on
the kickoff and Michigan tacked
on a field goal.
Early in the second half, the
defense complemented "Big
Play" Hemingway again. Fresh-
man defensive end Frank Clark
snatched a screen pass out of the
air, and four plays later Heming-
way was celebrating.
Robinson threw the ball high
and far, where only Hemingway
could reach it. He tiptoed the
sidelines and came down with
the catch. The play was remi-
niscent of his missed opportu-
nity at Iowa, when Hemingway
couldn't come down in bounds
with a high pass.
In his head, he thought:
"Please, Denard, throw this up.
Please, I want you to so bad."
The 17-6 lead allowed Michi-
gan breathing room, as Thomas
led the Hokies back with two
consecutive scoring drives -
a field goal and a touchdown.
A beautiful pass to the. back
of the end zone-converted the
two-point conversion, tying the
game.
But Michigan no longer need-
ed "Big Play" Hemingway'isser-
vices.
Coale, who kicked in high
school, was called upon to punt
earlier in the game for the Hok-
ies. He was no slouch kick-
ing the ball, but with the game
tied 17-17 midway through the
fourth quarter, Virginia Tech
coach Frank Beamer elected to
call the fake.
The Wolverines had trouble
covering the Hokie receivers and
slowing Thomas's quarterback
runs, but they snuffed Coale's
run out. Then Gibbons nailed a
39-yarder, which was enough to
get Michigan to overtime.
His teammates knew
Hemingway had carried them
there.
"Real big impact," Toussaint
said. "I'm kind of speechless
about that. He was outstanding
tonight."
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