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September 03, 2013 - Image 13

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The Michigan Daily, 2013-09-03

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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

September 3, 2013 - 5B

GAME
STATISTICS

With a stable of rushers, defensive
line rotation dominates Chippewas

TamStts
First Dons
Ru2sh/Yards
Pasing Yards
Offensive Plays
Total Offens~e
Kick reurns/yds
ComRp/Att/GHt
Punts/Av2g
Penalties/Yrds
Tie of Possession

Michigan
22
47/242
68
463
5/108
4/40
14/21/3
1/51
1-0
7-55
34:16
C H I G A N

PASSING
Player C-A Yds TD
Gardner 10-15 162 1
Mori 4-6 5 0
Potals S4-2 OAR 1o
RUSHING
Plaer Att Yd Av L
Toussaint 14 57 4.1 20
Gardner 7 52 74 22
Norfeet 1 8 38 38
Rawls 3 12 4 9
Johnson 2 9 4.5 7
Totals 47 242 51 38
RECEIVING
Player No. Yds Avg Lg
Gallon 4 47 11.8 16
Funchess 2 47 23.5 36
Nleet 2 5 5 1
Reynolds 1 45 45 45
Jackson 1 17 17 17
Butt 1 8 8 8
Toussaint 1 -1 -1 -
Totals 14 221 15.8 45
PUNTING
Player No. Yds Avg
Totals 1 51 51
KICKOFF RETURNS
Player No. Yds Avg
Norfleet 4 106 25.5
Totals 4 106 25.5
PUNT RETURNS
Player No. Yds Avg L
Gallon 2 -1 -0.5
Thoma 1
Reynolds 0 30 30
Tota' 4 40 10

CM8
29A
57
210
5/108
0/0
13/28/1
7/39.6
2-1
8-74
25:44
Int
2
TD
2
0
1
0
6
TD
1
0
0
0

30
20
8
9
7
38
Lg
6
36
5
7
8
-1
5

By EVERETT COOK
Daily Sports Editor
Earlier this week, defensive
coordinator Greg Mattison said
that his defensive line could
rotate three deep, even if that
means constantly swapping
players. Some would play more
than others, but Mattison had
enough faith in the second and
third string players to consider
them a part of the regular rota-
tion.
On Saturday, we saw what
Mattison has been seeing all off-
season - a deep, talented group
strong enough to comfortably
rotate more than ten players on
the line even though it's a group
without much experience.
In Michigan's 59-9 drubbing
of Central Michigan, the defense
registered four sacks, two of
them by the defensive line. The
Wolverines posted four sacks in
a game just once all of last sea-
son, when the defensive line con-
tributed just 12 sacks all year.
"(The defensive line) had a
lot of energy," said junior line-
backer Desmond Morgan. "They
were flying around. Stunts came
a little bit cleaner and guys com-
municated a little bit better.
It's something we kind of pride
ourselves on, having depth and
rotating guys in as much as pos-
sible."
The Wolverines were at it
from the get-go, rotating differ-
ent defensive lineman in on just
the second play of the game. The
game officially became a blowout
in the second half, but even while
the game was still close, the rota-
tion never stopped.
Veterans like fifth-year senior
Quinton Washington played.
Rookies like redshirt freshman
Willie Henry played. There
were budding stars like junior
Frank Clark and lesser knowns
like junior Brennan Beyer, who
got the first sack of his career
against Central Michigan.
(Beyer switched to linebacker
from defensive end, but played
on the line at times Saturday.)
Mattison had them all in

Lg
51
51

Lg
39
39
Lg9
2
30
30

0
0
0
0
10
1

TACKLES
Player
Morgan, D.
Stribling
Furman
Gordon
Taylor
Gedeon
Wilson
Countess
Beyer
Bolden
Ross
Lewis
Wormley
Thomas
Strobel
Pipkins
Butt
Johnson
Heitzman
Godin
Ojemudia
Chesson
Wile
Jenkins
Totals

Solo Asst
3 4
4 1
3 2
3 1
2 2
2 2
2 2
1 3
2 1
1 2
0 3
2 0
2 0
1 1
1 1
0 2
1 0
1 0
1 0
1 0
1 0
0 1
0 1
0 1
34 30

Sophomore defensive end Mario Ojemudia and junior linebacker Brennan Beyer highlight Michigan's uncommon defensive depth.
there, in-and-out, almost like he That doesn't mean the unit off this game. We took 68 guys Make no mistake - Cen-
had a limitless stream of depth to played perfectly. Hoke men- to the hotel last night and 36 of tral Michigan is not a Big Ten
pull from. tioned a specific drive in the them were first and second year team. Notre Dame will make
"It was good to get a lot of the second quarter where the Chip- players. That's a lot of babysit- this defense look a lot younger
young guys in," Hoke said. "Wil- pewas rushed for 48 yards. Rush, ting and teaching going on. And next Saturday, even with start-
lie Henry on defense and those first down, rush, first down, and it is babysitting." ing safety Thomas Gordon back
guys. It will be good to watch so on. There were missed tackles But still, the defensive line from a one-game suspension.
some tape with them and really and gaps in the line. It's a young depth speaks to the depth of But for one Saturday, the first
coach them off that tape." group that could afford to make the defense as a whole. Playing Saturday, it was important to
The last time Mattison could some mistakes against a vastly without three of its starters, the see what the defensive line was
remember this much depth on inferior Central Michigan offen- defense held Central Michigan capable of, even if it's not the fin-
the defensive line was when he sive line. Down the line, maybe to210 yards and forced two turn- ished product.
was a defensive coordinator at next week against Notre Dame, overs. "You can say you gave up nine
Florida. He had six first-string that youth will rear its inexperi- The biggest example: star points, so I guess they respond-
guys. Five of them were NFL enced head. linebacker Jake Ryan is out until ed," Hoke said. "But did they
Draft picks. Last week, Michi- "There's discipline and things mid-October. His replacement, respond well enough? This is all
gan coach Brady Hoke said he's like that you need to play with," fifth-year senior Cam Gordon, about winning a championship.
"never had that much on depth," Hoke said. "That's something was a wrecking ball and finished If we get satisfied, for one effort,
on the defensive line. they'll learn. They'll learn a lot with two sacks. then we aren't going to win it."

4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
t
t
1
1
1
1
1
64

W e s t e r n M i c h i g a n

PASSING
Niznak
Kater
Totals
RECEHING
Player
Totals

C-A Yds
11-22 131
2-6 13

TD
0
0

FIVE THINGS
From Page 1B
the first touchdown of his
career. He still looked big, but if
Hoke and Co. have anything to
do with it, he won't be that big
all year.
Fifth-year senior Fitzgerald
Toussaint has the starting job
locked up. Green won't be chal-
lenging for that spot any time
soon. But after backup Drake
Johnson was lost for the year
with an ACL injury, Green has
a good chance to see the field
when the game is still close.
3. The kids are alright.
This team is going to be a
strong national contender with-
in the next two years, regardless
of how this season goes. That's
how good these freshmen could
be, especially when the highly-
ranked recruiting classes of
2014 and 2015 join.
IncludingGreen, 13 freshmen

Att
10
4
4
29
No.
4
2
1
2
1
1
1
13

Yds
52
16
16
66
Yds
79
28
17
8
8
7
1
144

Avg
5.2
4.0
2.5
2.3
Avg
19.8
14
17
4
8
7
1
11.1

Lgs
7
15

TD
0

or redshirt freshmen played on
Saturday. They made an impact
from the get-go, when Dymonte
Thomas blocked Central Michi-
gan's first punt attempt and
fifth-year senior Joe Reynolds
returned it for the first touch-
down of the game. Channing
Stribling had the second-most
tackles on the team, while
Smith and Green split 10 carries
on a 55-yard touchdown drive in
the third quarter.
Hoke also got backup quar-
terback Shane Morris some
much-needed game reps. Mor-
ris had a tipped interception in
the third quarter that was inch-
es away from being a fantastic
pass to fellow freshman tight
end Jake Butt.
That pass, like the rest of
these young players, will come
with time.
4. The depth is there.
Michigan's defense was miss-
ing three of its starters and
the unit still only allowed nine

points. Again, it was Central
Michigan, but it's still a good
sign.
Next week, fifth-year strong
safety Thomas Gordon is back
from a suspension, but senior
free safety Courtney Avery will
miss another week or two, and
captain Jake Ryan is out until
mid-October.
And yet, some of their
replacements were key players
on Saturday. Fifth-year senior
Cam Gordon had two sacks in
place of Ryan, while redshirt
junior Josh Furman and sopho-
more Jarrod Wilson did a solid
job from the safety spots.
The defensive line rotated
more than 10 players through-
out the game, confirming
defensive coordinator Greg
Mattison's idea that he could
go three-deep on the defensive
line. Many of the defensive line-
men are inexperienced, but it's
still a talented group that will
consistently rotate enough guys
to stay fresh.
This team's depth is inexpe-

rienced but talented, and could NOTRE DAME
be a big factor late in the season. From Page 1B

Lg TD
43 0
7 0

43

0
0

PUNTING
Player
Hogan
Totals
KICKOFF RETURNS
Player
Davis
Lavali
Totals
TACKLES
Wilson
Cunningham
Chapman
Benton
Walton
Hamilton
S,7y
Smith
Gaier
Henry
Armstead
Annese
Ricketts
Johnson
Losiniecki
Latta

No. Yds Avg Lg
6 277 46.2 67
6 277 46.2 67
No. Yds Avg Lg
4 88 22 27
1 20 20 20
5 108 216 27
Solo Asst Tot
6 2 8
5 2 8
3 3 6
2 4 6
2 1 3
0 3 3
2 0 2
2 0 2
2 0
1 01 2
1 0 1
1 0 1
1 0 1
1 0 1
1 0 1
0 1 1

5. Bold Prediction: Den-
nis Norfleet is going to win a
game for Michigan this year.
Man, he's fast, and man, can
he read the field. In the first
quarter, the sophomore wide
receiver/kick returner took a
reverse handoff on a 38-yard
gallop, and late in the game, he
had a long punt return that was
called back because of a block-
in-the-back penalty.
It still doesn't seem that
Michigan is entirely certain
how to use Norfleet yet. He
caught two passes along with
his reverse and came close to
breaking a kick return on more
than one occasion.
He might not be a factor in
every game, but he's too quick to
not turn a game at one point this
season. It might not be against
Notre Dame, but before the sea-
son ends, a game will belong to
Dennis Norfleet.
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of the older kids talk about what
that atmosphere will be like."
But many of these true fresh-
men will take on a minor role.
Redshirt sophomore cornerback
Blake Countess recalled how
during the Under the Lights
game his freshman year, his
principal job was to act as a sup-
portsystemfortheolder players.
In the meantime, Hoke is
using every resource at his fin-
gertips to try and keep a sense
ofnormalcythis week while still
promoting the importance of
the rivalry.
"With technology today,
you can show (the freshmen
the atmosphere)," Hoke said.
"Then you talk about not being
distracted. Taking care of your
job, being accountable to the
teammates thatyou have on this
team."
NOTE: Redshirt freshman
running back Drake Johnson is
out for the remainder of the sea-
son with a torn anterior cruciate
ligament sustained during the
Central Michigan game. This
makes him the third player since
the spring to suffer from an ACL
injury.
Saturday was Johnson's first
career game for the Wolver-
ines. He had two carries for nine
yards and one tackle on special
teams.
"You just hate it for Drake, but
he's as tough as anyone on this
football team, and he will make
it back from this," Hoke said in
a statement. "He worked so hard
through his redshirt season and
had a really good camp in back-
ing up Fitz (Toussaint), not to
mention he was areallyvaluable
special teams player for us."
According to Hoke, John-
son was injured trying to make
a tackle but was pushed from
behind. He also said that the
strength staff and the trainers
would take a look at preventa-
tive measures to protect the
team from more ACL injuries.

Sophomore wide receiver Dennis Norfleet has the speed and athletiCism to win a game for Michigan.

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