The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/106890
wasn't considered capable of becoming a No. 1 target. Out of necessity, Gallon would prove otherwise, hauling in 49 receptions for 829 yards and four touchdowns. He routinely defied the limits placed on him, catching jump balls and deep balls — his 13 receptions of 20 yards or more represented a team high — and he soared late in the year with the rise of Gardner at QB, making 31 catches for 511 yards and three touchdowns in U-M's final five games. The rest of the receiver position was a mixed bag of ups and downs. Gardner gave Michigan an early boost, catching a touchdown in four of the first five games, while junior Drew Dileo came up huge against Michigan State with first-down catches of 22, 15, 35 and 20 yards, and fifth-year senior Roy Roundtree came on late in establishing a reliable second option for Gardner in November. Gallon, however, was the lone receiver to deliver with regularity. Grade: B- Tight End Summary: Early in the season, with freshman phenom Devin Funchess turning heads, former Wolverine Bennie Joppru wondered if his Michigan single-season tight end record of 53 catches (2002) might be in jeopardy. It wasn't. Funchess finished with 15 receptions for 234 yards, though his five touchdowns matched Joppru's production (they were still three shy of the U-M tight end scoring record). Funchess was an early-season rev- elation, catching eight balls for 151 yards and two scores in Michigan's first three games. He would add touchdowns against Illinois, Northwestern and Iowa, but he wouldn't catch more than one pass in any of UM's final 10 contests. Still, the talent and big-play ability is there, and his future is extremely promising. Both Funchess and classmate A.J. Williams were thrust into the lineup immediately because the Maize and Blue lacked depth and experience, and their challenge would grow when fifth-year senior Brandon Moore was lost for the majority of September and October. Williams held his own on the line of scrimmage, and he combined with fifth-year senior Mike Kwiatkowski to give Michigan solid blocking from the position. Kwiatkowski, a former walk-on, caught four balls for 37 yards as well, adding a dual-threat element to the tight ends. Much wasn't expected from this position group, but expectations were heightened by Funchess' dazzling first-month play. He and his brethren would return to earth, and the unit would largely experience a season slightly better than average. Grade: B- Offensive Line Summary: Michigan entered the year needing to replace two starters — right tackle Mark Huyge and center David Molk. With the decision by Rocko Khoury not to explore a fifth year, U-M returned just seven scholarship linemen with at least one year of experience.