2B - September 15, 2014

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.cam

2B - September15, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom

SPORTSMONDAY COLMN

Who are Michigan's true fans?

It wasn't even three
into the 2014 season
Brady
Hoke had
to be asked
about fan
reaction.
The
program
with all
of the
tradition, GREG
the one GARN
that you're
constantly
reminded of, didn't win
Not only did Michigan 1
it was also embarrassed
Notre Dame.
So fans did what fans
and they went online to
Hoke's firing, they discu
it on campus and entere
extensive discussions at
who could replace the cc
who hadn't even been fii
Which is why, after h
failed to
win, Brady
Hoke had to Cif
answer to the 1
criticism he f
was receiving
from fans all
over.
Instead, he t
dug himself
into a hole.
"If they're
truly fans, they'll believ
these kids and what the
done and the hard work
put in," Hoke said Mond
afternoon. "If they're no
won't."
But what does it meai

weeks "truly" be a Michigan fan?
n when What do true Michigan fans say
when their team is shut out for
the first time since 1984?
True fans must be thrilled
with ateam that hadto fend
off a program with an 18-game
losing streak.
Surely they must be pleased
with a coaching staff that
couldn't get a play off on a
4th-and-1 against Miami (Ohio).
o A true fan must've been
smiling at the lack of energy
on Saturday after the team
enough. was said to have practiced
ose, but with vigor all week, after a
31-0 by humiliating loss in South Bend
motivated them.
do, He or she should see
call for no problem in a fifth-year
issed senior quarterback who has
d thrown four interceptions in
bout three games, even after his
oach teammates said he looked more
red. confident.
e had True fans will be happy
to shell out
thousands of
they're truly dollars to see a
t t team struggle
ans, they'll through a
schedule in
believe in which maybe
a handful of
hese kids." teams are
likely to make
a bowl game.
No, of
v in course fans don't want to see
y've that, because the true fans
they've Brady Hoke is calling out do
lay care.
at, they There's Lauren Kettle
and Alex Herzog, students
n to who tailgate with the rest of

their friends, but were upset
watchingtheir favorite team
lose last week. They were still
out there Saturday, block 'M'
stickers on their cheeks.
And Lisa Neitzer, who has
come to games for more than 40
years, and was "disappointed"
when she watched the
Wolverines fall apart last
weekend or struggle last season.
Now, she goes to every game,
home or away. She was still at
the parking lot of Ann Arbor
Pioneer High School outside
her RV decorated with pictures
of wolverines and Michigan
Stadium, getting ready to attend
another game.
There's Ben Tupler, who
"understands where (Hoke)
comes from" when he calls out
fans. But that doesn't mean he
liked it any more than the next
fan. Still, he was out nearly five
hours before kickoff to prepare
for Saturday's game.
There are students walking
from a frat house to the Big
House who say the team was
a step down last year, because
they know what the program's
expectations and history are.
They still wear their maize
shirts or blue leggings, even as
they complain.
So true Michigan fans
still show up to games. More
than 102,000 of them did.on
Saturday. But when you play for
a team that is defined by how
successful it has been, even the
most devoted fans will have
doubts.
After Hoke realized that
he had only upset an already

I

frustrated fanbase more, he
tried to dig himself out. On
Wednesday, he said he was
looking forward to playing "in
front of the greatest fans." He
said Thursday that he was "was
a little misquoted, obviously,"
because he's "fortunate and
lucky to have the people we
have who love Michigan
football."
He wasn't misquoted; there
were dozens of recorders on

him. But it's a long season, and
he had to say something sooner
rather than later.
On Saturday, he made a
concerted effort to answer the
first question he was asked in
part by thanking his fans.
"We've got great fans," Hoke
said then. "They've got high
expectations like we do."
So if Brady Hoke can call
out everyone's fanhood for
his program then, don't fans

get a chance to call out his
performance as a coach?
Of course they do. It's
three weeks into the season,
and Michigan's most devoted
are faced with the prospect
his team may not live up to
expectations.
Again.
Garno can be reached
at ggarno@umich.edu or
on Twitter: @GGarno.

q
q


DAYS UNTIL THE DAILY BEATS THE STATE NEWS: 39
ATHLETES CURRENTLY NURSING INJURIES:

"WE DON'T TALK ABOUT INJURIES."


FIVE THINGS
From Page 1B
drive, which ended with
Green running for a one-yard
touchdown. He gained 47 yards
on those four carries.
The timeliness and success
of Green's carries shows that
he is closer to being Michigan's
featured back, and his eagerness
doesn't hurt, either.
3. Darboh has finally
arrived:
Entering his redshirt
sophomore season, wide
receiver Amara Darboh didn't
have any career receptions. In
the season's first two games, he
had three, a positive sign after
missing last season with a foot
injury.
But with junior wide receiver
Devin Funchess sidelined with
an injury, Darboh became a

relied-upon member of the
offense for the first time. He
made six catches for 88 yards,
including his first career
touchdown, a 17-yard reception
in the first quarter.
Aside from his fumble early in
the second quarter, Darboh was
consistently a bright spot for
Michigan.
4. This team is flawed, but
the run defense isn't:
For the second consecutive
game, Michigan's run defense
significantly limited its
opponent. The RedHawks
managed just 33 rushing yards
on 24 attempts, while Notre
Dame mustered 54 yards on 31
attempts last weekend.
Miami's longest run in the
game Saturday was eight yards,
demonstrating once again that
Michigan's defense is solid up
the middle, allowing opponents
little running room.

5. Bold prediction:
Michigan willioseat least five
games this season:
The Wolverines will likely be
favored in the rest of the games
on their schedule with the
exceptions of Michigan State
and Ohio State. But if Michigan
plays the way it did Saturday, it
will end up losing more than just
those games.
With turnovers aplenty and
the offensive line looking shaky
in pass protection, there are
other teams on the schedule that
will trouble the Wolverines.
If the Wolverines continue to
play like they have in the past
two weeks, Michigan will lose
at least two of its games against
Penn State, Rutgers and Utah in
addition to falling against the
Spartans and the Buckeyes.
As it stands right now, the
Wolverines are at least a five-
loss football team.

6
6

l

CONCERNING
From Page 1B
back on Michigan's depth
chart, once he turned north-
south, he gashed Miami.
And we'd be remiss not to
include Matt Wile in this section
after less-than-favorable reviews
the first two weeks. He was
perfect on field goals.
The bad
Fifth-year senior quarterback
Devin Gardner had a decentnight
on paper, finishing 13-of-20 for
184 yards and two touchdowns.
But he was also skittish in the
pocket, struggled with accuracy
and would've had more than one
interception if not for drops by
the RedHawks and Butt's strong
reception.

Some of that stemmed from
Michigan's offensive line, which
broke down at times. Wolverine
tailbacks had just two negative
rushes,though,so that's certainly
an improvement.
Finally, the attendance dipped
dangerously close to the 100,000
mark, and patches of empty seats
were visible around the stadium.
The announced 102,824 was the
lowest total since Sept. 9,1995.
The ugly
Michigan's four-minute drive
at the end of the first half was a
downright disaster.
Check out this sequence: The
Wolverines began the series by
running five plays - four runs
and a pass, spanning more than
two minutes - to get into Miami
territory. On 3rd-and-7, Gardner
threw complete for six yards, the

Wolverines lined up for a quick
snap on fourth down, and the
RedHawks called timeout.
Then Michigan was flagged
for delay of game coming out of
the break, and coach Brady Hoke
sent out the punt team. Amidst
a chorus of boos, senior Will
Hagerup sent his kick booming
into the end zone for a touchback.
Earlier in the half, the
Wolverines had looked entirely
unprepared for a Miami pooch
kickoff, resulting in a turnover.
Returner Justice Hayes could
have called fair catch, but he
didn't, and Wyatt Shallman was
eventually tagged for a fumble.
That was one of Michigan's
three penalties in the first half,
a sloppy performance that could
have been much more disastrous
if not for the quality of the
opponent.

0


BOOING
From Page 1B
the RedHawks spoil the party.
The problem was it was Sept.
13, 2014, yet Michigan's play was
reminiscent of the Akron game in
2013 or the Toledo game in 2008.
And, of course, the problem was
that the Wolverines had suffered
a 31-point embarrassment last
week to a fierce rival, and it didn't
look like they were responding
very well to it at all.
So yes, Michigan fans, it was
OK to boo. When face value on a
ticket is $70, you havea right to
be critical. When a historically
successful program suddenly
looks middling in a horrible
Big Ten, you have a right to be
frustrated.

It's not fair to jeer at the
players, which happened when
Will Hagerup's punt from the
42-yard line sailed into the
end zone with 52 seconds left
before halftime. They're unpaid
amateurs and students, after all.
Hagerup and Gardner are just 22
years old, and you'd better believe
they're aware of their flaws
without thousands of people
shouting in disapproval.
But enduring disdain
should come included in the
six- and seven-figure salaries,
respectively, of Dave Brandon
and Brady Hoke.
And Hoke heard your
condemnation.
"We have great fans," the
coach said after the game when
asked about the boos. "They have
high expectations, like we do."

So yes, the box score says
Michigan outgained Miami, 460-
198. It shows that the RedHawks
managed just eight first downs,
and 33 rushing yards, and punted
seven times, and ran 17 fewer
offensive plays and were 2-of-12
on third downs.
Per the box score, the
Wolverines were flat-out
dominant.
You don't need to be a coach to
know they weren't. All you had to
do was look at the halftime score:
17-10, with Miami receiving to
start the third quarter.
As Hoke said, if you're a
Michigan fan, it's normal to
expect more.
Zdtiga can be reached
at azs@umich.edu and on
Twitter @ByAZuniga.

0