Top Five Wolverines of 2011

Tag: David Molk


31Dec 2011
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Top Five Wolverines of 2011

Brady Hoke

1. Brady Hoke.  The first year head coach has brought back a winning attitude and solid defensive play, things that were sorely missing for a few years.

2. Greg Mattison.  The new defensive coordinator, brought back to Michigan after stints with the Florida Gators and Baltimore Ravens, took last season’s defensive players, added a few freshmen, and concocted the #17 defense in the country.

3. Denard Robinson.  The quarterback looked shaky at the beginning of the season while adjusting to offensive coordinator Al Borges’s offense, but Robinson turned it on toward the end of the year.  He’s one of the most electrifying players in the entire country.

4. Mike Martin.  The nose tackle had an excellent year for Michigan, especially in the second half of the season.  More so than creating havoc inside, it was exciting to see the 6’2″, 304-pounder chase down plays from sideline to sideline.  Michigan hasn’t had a nose tackle this athletic in my memory.

5. David Molk.  The four-year starter at center won the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation’s top snapper.  It’s a well deserved award for a quick and intelligent lineman with an old-school attitude.

Thanks to all the Wolverines for working hard and giving us fans an exciting 2011 season.  Hopefully even better things are to come in 2012, including a Sugar Bowl victory against Virginia Tech on Tuesday.  Go Blue!

27Dec 2011
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Offensive Line Preview: Michigan vs. Virginia Tech

Blake DeChristopher (left) is a four-year starter for Virginia Tech
and head coach Frank Beamer
(image via Washington Post)



MICHIGAN
Starters: Redshirt sophomore left tackle Taylor Lewan (6’8″, 302) has started every game this season and was voted Second Team All-Big Ten by conference coaches.  Redshirt junior left guard Ricky Barnum (6’3″, 292 lbs.) has started three games this season and remained #1 on the depth chart all season despite missing all or part of the other nine contests.  Fifth year senior center David Molk (6’2″, 286 lbs.) received every conceivable award for a center, including First Team All-America status and the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation’s top center.  Redshirt junior right guard Patrick Omameh (6’4″, 299 lbs.) has started every game this season.  Fifth year senior right tackle Mark Huyge (6’6″, 302 lbs.) has started every game this year.
Backups: The only backup to see significant playing time this season was redshirt sophomore tackle/guard Michael Schofield (6’7″, 299 lbs.), who actually started more games (9) than Barnum at left guard.  Schofield is a tackle by trade, but with Barnum consistently hurt, the coaches plugged him in and he’s essentially a sixth starter.  The next two backups appear to be redshirt junior tackle Elliott Mealer (6’5″, 310 lbs.) and redshirt junior center Rocko Khoury (6’4″, 287 lbs.), who have played in seven and four games, respectively.

VIRGINIA TECH
Starters: Fifth year senior left tackle Andrew Lanier (6’5″, 306 lbs.) is a two-year starter at left tackle.  Redshirt junior left guard Greg Nosal (6’6″, 297 lbs.) has started every game for the past two seasons and was Honorable Mention All-ACC in 2011.  Redshirt sophomore center Andrew Miller (6’4″, 290 lbs.) has started every game this season.  Fifth year senior right guard Jaymes Brooks (6’2″, 307) is a three-year starter and two-time Second Team All-ACC selection.  Fifth year senior right tackle Blake DeChristopher (6’5″, 311 lbs.) is a four-year starter with 50 career starts, was a First Team All-ACC selection and earned the ACC’s top award for offensive linemen.
Backups: True freshman Caleb Farris (6’3″, 309 lbs.) has played in four games as a backup offensive center.  Redshirt junior Michael Via (6’7″, 292 lbs.) has played in eleven games as a backup guard and center this year, and also has past experience at tackle.  Redshirt junior Nick Becton (6’6″, 326 lbs.) has played in every game at offensive tackle.  Via and Becton appear to be in line for starting jobs next season.

THE TAKEAWAY
Michigan’s starters average a shade under 6’4″ and about 294 lbs.  Virginia Tech’s starters are a shade under 6’4″ and about 302 lbs.  In addition to size, the Hokies also have a slight advantage in experience, with an average experience level of 4.4 years; Michigan’s starters average 4.2 with Barnum counted as the starter and 4.0 if Schofield earns the nod.  It’s a slight advantage, but an advantage nonetheless.  Virginia Tech’s linemen have 158 starts total, or 31.6 on average.  Michigan’s linemen have 123 starts among them, or 24.6 on average.  That means the average Hokie lineman has started for half a season longer than Michigan’s, and if you look at the following list, the only position Michigan has an experience advantage over VT is at center, where Molk’s 41 starts and Rimington Trophy hold an obvious edge over redshirt sophomore Miller:

Lewan: 21 starts
Barnum: 3 starts
Molk: 41 starts
Omameh: 28 starts
Huyge: 28 starts

Lanier: 27 starts
Nosal: 28 starts
Miller: 13 starts
Brooks: 40 starts
DeChristopher: 50 starts

Michigan might have more talent due to playing in the Big Ten, but experience is a key component in offensive line development, so . . .

Advantage: Virginia Tech

9Dec 2011
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David Molk, Rimington Award Winner

David Molk (left) is pretty dang good

Congratulatioins to Michigan center David Molk, who last night won the Rimington Award for being the nation’s best center!  Molk is the second Michigan center to win the trophy, following David Baas (now with the New York Giants) who won it in 2004.

Other award winners so far this year:

Maxwell Award (Outstanding Player): Andrew Luck – QB – Stanford
Walter Camp Award (Player of the Year): Andrew Luck – QB – Stanford
Home Depot Award (Coach of the Year): Les Miles – LSU
Doak Walker Award (Outstanding Running Back): Trent Richardson – RB – Alabama
Davey O’Brien Award (National Quarterback Award): Robert Griffin III – QB – Baylor
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (Senior Quarterback Award): Andrew Luck – QB – Stanford
Fred Biletnikoff Award (Outstanding Wide Receiver): Justin Blackmon – WR – Oklahoma State
John Mackey Award (Outstanding Tight End): Dwayne Allen – TE – Clemson
Outland Trophy (Outstanding Interior Lineman): Barrett Jones – OT – Alabama
Vince Lombard Award (Outstanding Lineman): Luke Kuechly – LB – Boston College
Rimington Trophy (Outstanding Center): David Molk – C – Michigan
Chuck Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year): Tyrann Mathieu – CB – LSU
Dick Butkus Award (Outstanding Linebacker): Luke Kuechly – LB – Boston College
Jim Thorpe Award (Outstanding Defensive Back): Morris Claiborne – CB – LSU
Lou Groza Award (Outstanding Placekicker): Randy Bullock – K – Texas A&M
Ray Guy Award (Outstanding Punter): Ryan Allen – P – Louisiana Tech
Ted Hendricks Award (Outstanding Defensive End): Whitney Mercilus – DE – Illinois
Campbell Trophy (Top Scholar Athlete): Andrew Rodriguez – LB – Army
Frank Broyles Award (Top Assistant Coach): John Chavis – Def. Coordinator – LSU

29Nov 2011
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All-Big Ten Teams Announced

David Molk (#50) is the conference’s best lineman

On Monday night the All-Big Ten teams were announced.

Michigan center David Molk was named the league’s best offensive lineman, so congratulations to him.

Other notable Michigan honorees:

SELECTIONS BY COACHES
First team: David Molk, C
Second team: Taylor Lewan, OT; Mike Martin, DT
Honorable mention: Kenny Demens, LB; J.T. Floyd, CB; Kevin Koger, TE; Junior Hemingway, WR; Denard Robinson, QB; Fitzgerald Toussaint, RB; Ryan Van Bergen, DT
Sportsmanship Award: Jordan Kovacs, S

SELECTIONS BY MEDIA
First team: None
Second team: Denard Robinson, QB; David Molk, C; Mike Martin, DT
Honorable mention: Kenny Demens, LB; J.T. Floyd, CB; Kevin Koger, TE; Jordan Kovacs, S; Taylor Lewan, OT; Craig Roh, DE; Fitzgerald Toussaint, RB; Ryan Van Bergen, DT

I find it a little strange that a team with a 10-2 record could have zero first team selections by the media and then only three on the second team, especially when David Molk was named Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy was named first team by both parties, but his season stats (23 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks) are less impressive than those of Mike Martin (54 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks) and Ryan Van Bergen (41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 5 sacks), not to mention several of the second team selections from other schools.  Worthy’s inclusion on the first unit is kind of a joke.

And I understand Russell Wilson being chosen as the best quarterback in the league due to his great statistics, but Kirk Cousins was the second team quarterback, according to the coaches?  Cousins beat Denard Robinson in the turnover category (Cousins threw only 6 interceptions), but Cousins also only accounted for 21 total touchdowns (all passing) while Robinson had a total of 34 (18 passing, 16 rushing).  Cousins also accounted for only 2,670 yards, whereas Robinson had 3,219.  So Denard Robinson had 13 more touchdowns, 549 more yards, and produced the same overall record . . . and somehow Cousins is the better player?

Oh well.  There’s always next year.  Congratulations to Michigan’s outstanding football players!