8 — Friday, April 3, 2015 Sports The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Harbaugh brings new excitement to Spring Game By MAX COHEN Managing Sports Editor Since Jim Harbaugh was hired as Michigan’s football coach Dec. 30, there has been constant excitement surrounding his every action. There he was one day, helping two women after a car crash. There he was on another, coaching first base for the Oakland Athletics. Even his presence online has been a point of captivation — Harbaugh has amassed more than 200,000 followers on Twitter in less than four months. But Saturday will be the first time that attention will be turned to the football field, when Harbaugh will coach Michigan’s Spring Game. With his arrival, the excitement for the game around campus is more palpable than in years past. Associate Athletic Director Dave Ablauf estimated that there could be between 35,000 and 50,000 fans in attendance depending upon the weather, a sizable increase from the 15,000 fans who attended last year’s Spring Game. Ablauf said a crowd of 75,000 fans wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. That can be attributed to Harbaugh. Even Michigan’s students, known for their relative indifference toward attending football games in recent years, have made the game a point of discussion on campus. Fraternities have planned tailgates for the morning of the game, and talk on campus indicates that the Spring Game could overtake the annual city- wide marijuana celebration, known as “Hash Bash,” as the go-to weekend event for students. The format of the Spring Game will only help matters. In recent years, the game has served as little more than an opportunity for the public to watch the team practice. Last season, the team spent a large portion of the afternoon warming up and running drills that were not reminiscent of a football game. That won’t be the case Saturday. The Wolverines will play four 10-minute quarters of football. Last Saturday, Harbaugh held a draft to determine rosters for the game. Michigan’s players will be split up into two teams, one maize and the other blue. Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach D.J. Durkin drafted and will coach the maize team, while offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Tim Drevno will have the same role for the blue team. The Athletic Department released the rosters Wednesday afternoon, though the order the players were picked is unknown. The main point of interest for fans in attendance will likely be the quarterback battle. The returning quarterbacks have seen little game action, and Saturday could provide a glimpse into their development. As expected, the three scholarship quarterbacks on the spring roster were split up between the teams. Early enrollee Alex Malzone is a member of the maize team, while junior Shane Morris and redshirt freshman Wilton Speight will play for the blue team. Members of the coaching staff have claimed on numerous occasions throughout the spring that no quarterback has separated himself from the rest of the group by a margin worthy of the starting job. The Spring Game will be the last opportunity for the trio of quarterbacks to impress the coaching staff on the field until new competition arrives on campus over the summer. ESPN reported Wednesday that Iowa graduate transfer Jake Rudock plans to enroll at Michigan and play for the Wolverines in the fall. Rudock was a two-year starter for the Hawkeyes, and threw for 2,436 yards last season to go along with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. Also arriving on campus this summer will be highly touted prospect Zach Gentry, a four- star recruit from New Mexico. Participating in spring practice won’t be a prerequisite for winning the starting job. Drevno believes practicing in fall camp will give the newcomers enough time to come in and potentially earn a starting role, even at the game’s most important position. Other Michigan players possibly competing for time were not listed on the Spring Game roster, perhaps the result of injury. This group includes junior linebacker Mike McCray, senior linebacker James Ross III, junior defensive end Taco Charlton, senior running back Drake Johnson, senior fullback Sione Houma, senior defensive end Mario Ojemudia, senior defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins and junior tight end Khalid Hill. Despite the division of the Wolverines’ squad, Drevno laughed when asked if there would be trash-talking between him and Durkin. He said there wouldn’t be. Still, a victory will be his goal. “We’re competitive, which is fun,” Drevno said. For the first time in recent memory, the Spring Game could be, too. Maize vs. Blue When: Saturday 12 P.M. Where: Michigan Stadium TV/Radio: BTN RUBY WALLAU/Daily Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s presence will bring an added layer of excitement to this year’s Spring Game.