The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/106890
junior Quinton Washington would be a surprise at the nose, improving every week, and freshmen Mario Ojemudia (weakside end) and Ondre Pipkins (nose) would also contribute. U-M's front line was run over by Alabama in the season opener and struggled again a week later against Air Force, but the Maize and Blue began to figure it out after that. Their ability to occupy blockers, and make some plays in the backfield, proved key to the emergence of a stellar linebacker corps that could roam freely to stop ball carriers. The line was not perfect, though. Both Northwestern (248 yards) and Ohio State (207 yards) — in addition to Alabama (232) and Air Force (290) — still ran effectively against the Wolverines, and the unit failed to create consistent pressure all season, tallying just 12 sacks. The line showed chemistry, working well together, but lacked difference-makers. Grade: B Linebacker Summary: The final memory of the 2011 season at linebacker was Kenny Demens and Desmond Morgan missing tackles in the Sugar Bowl, causing considerable offseason consternation about the development of U-M's backers. Both would bounce back in a big way in 2012, while redshirt sophomore Jake Ryan would announce himself as the Wolverines' most reliable playmaker defensively. Demens was benched early after the fifth-year senior struggled against the Crimson Tide and Falcons, giving freshman Joe Bolden a longer look, but he soon reclaimed his job, and capped his career in grand fashion, finishing second on the team with 82 tackles. Demens was the kind of middle linebacker a team needs — one that is in the right place on runs, can shed blockers, and will bring down a running back on first contact. He also was adept in pass coverage. Morgan would record a career-high 81 stops in his sophomore campaign, proving capable of making plays in space and providing leadership to a defense that belied his age. Bolden and classmate James Ross III played beyond their experience in substituting for Demens and Morgan, respectively, combining for 6.5 tackles for loss. Ryan continued his ascent, improving his tackles (37 to 88), tackles for loss (11 to 16) and sacks (3.0 to 4.5) from the season before in becoming the one U-M defensive player opponents had to account for on every snap. Overall, the three starters, and their capable backups, offered the reliability needed from a linebacker corps, while totaling 37 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 6.5 sacks. Grade: B+ Secondary Summary: To grade the secondary in 2012, one must almost divide the year into two parts: the regular season and the bowl game. The Wolverines ranked second nationally after their 12-game fall campaign in pass defense, yielding only 155.2