Michigan vs. Minnesota Awards
Didn’t you dummies watch the Notre Dame film? What else is there to do in Minnesota but watch film? (image via AnnArbor.com) |
Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Thomas Rawls. The freshman running back (10 carries, 73 yards) is yet another runner who looks better than Stephen Hopkins. The lower Hopkins goes on the depth chart, the better off Michigan will be. Fitzgerald Toussaint (11 carries, 108 yards, 1 touchdown) looks like the best back, Vincent Smith is a solid change-of-pace and third down back (5 carries, 27 yards; 3 total touchdowns), and Michael Shaw (8 carries, 60 yards) ran the ball well on Saturday, too.
Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Hopkins. It was necessary for #33 to play almost the entire way because starting fullback John McColgan missed the game due to injury. McColgan has developed into a better blocker this year than he had been previously, and I think he has some value when running out of the I-formation. Hopkins made a nice catch out of the backfield for 28 yards, but I’m hoping McColgan can return when the schedule gets tougher.
Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Blake Countess. The freshman cornerback looks to have surpassed sophomore Courtney Avery. He’s a decent enough tackler and has better coverage skills than Avery or redshirt junior J.T. Floyd. Countess had 2 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble to go with his 5 tackles.
Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Troy Woolfolk. For goodness’ sake, let him have a week off. For the fifth week in a row, Woolfolk left the game due to injury. He’s got a tweaked ankle. I know he wants to play and I commend him for it, but everybody and their mother knew that Michigan didn’t need Woolfolk to beat Minnesota handily. The coaches had a chance to rest him against Minnesota so he would be available for the two tougher offenses coming up the next two weeks – Northwestern and Michigan State. Now he’s still injured, Northwestern looms as a snake in the grass that could rise up and bite the Wolverines, and Michigan State follows with its dangerous passing game. There won’t be another possible opportunity to rest him until possibly Purdue, three weeks from now.
Play of the game . . . The most exciting play of the game was Devin Gardner’s scramble and run. He bootlegged right into a defender, ran out of an arm tackle, reversed field, juked two defenders, gained about 4 yards up the sideline, and then churned his legs for another 2 or 3 yards after the defense caught up to him.
MVP of the game . . . It’s a tough choice between Denard Robinson, Vincent Smith, and Fitzgerald Toussaint. I’m going to go with Smith, who didn’t have a monster day numbers-wise but had a hand in three offensive touchdowns. His day included 5 carries for 27 yards and 1 touchdown; 1 pass reception for 28 yards and a touchdown; and 1 halfback pass for 17 yards and a touchdown to Drew Dileo. On top of that, he made a heads up recovery of a Devin Gardner fumble late in the game.