The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1184078
INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS THEY SAID IT " The Steelers have seemingly been drafting and developing star linebackers for decades, but they don't usually start as rookies. Since 1999, the only rookie Steelers linebackers to start seven of their first eight games in the league, as Bush has this season, are T.J. Watt and Kendrell Bell. Bell was a Pro Bowler as a rookie, and Bush might be on the same path. Bush continues to stuff the stat sheet, although after recovering three fumbles over the first month of the season, he has only recovered one over the ensuing three games. He took that fumble to the house against the Chargers, and he added an interception of [Los Angeles quarter- back] Philip Rivers in that game." — ESPN staff writer Bill Barnwell, in a Nov. 4 article where he placed Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker DEVIN BUSH No. 3 on his list of the top Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates at midseason " I think he'll keep Michigan stable as a top- third-of-the-league team. He's a sharp guy. He is in his dream job so he's going to be devoted. He's going to have some recruiting pop, and he has been smart enough to hire some accomplished coaches around him in Phil Martelli, Saddi Washing- ton and Howard Eisley, which suggests he's humble enough to understand that there's a lot he doesn't know. "… That being said, John Beilein is the best basketball coach in Michigan history and I'm not ready to buy that Howard will outperform him in the long run. The really interesting question is how his career will track against the other famous Michigan alum working across the parking lot: Jim Harbaugh." — The Athletic's Dustin Dopirak in a preseason round- table talking about Big Ten basketball and whether the writers were " buying or selling" Juwan Howard 5th In the Big Ten was where the Michigan basket- ball team was predicted to finish according to an ESPN poll of its college basketball experts. 3 Preseason top-25 polls the women's basketball team made — they were listed No. 23 by ESPNW, No. 24 in the USA Today coaches' rankings and No. 25 by the Associated Press. " T h e Wo l v e r i n e s hope to avoid an- other slow start to Big Ten play and give themselves a chance to compete for a top three spot in the confer- ence," ESPN noted. "After a 3-6 start last season, Michigan transformed into one of the league's best teams. Forward NAZ HILLMON, last season's leading scorer and re- bounder, and guard Amy Dilk, who led Michigan in assists, are just sopho- mores. Another jump by 6-1 junior Hailey Brown would give coach Kim Barnes Arico a big boost." 5 Former Wolverines now in the NFL scored touch- downs through the first 10 weeks of the season, and four of them are on defense — Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis (63-yard fumble return), New York Giants safety Jabrill Peppers (32-yard interception return), Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush Jr. (nine-yard fumble return) and New England Patriots defensive end Chase Winovich (six- yard return of a blocked punt) — while the other is legendary Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, whose three rushing touchdowns this year are tied for his most in a single season since 2012, when he set a career best with four. " It's always fun, it's always full and it's loud. When you get 110-112,000 people in there loving Michigan football, it's the place to be on Saturday afternoons." — U-M senior left guard Ben Bredeson, explaining to Big Ten Net- work what makes The Big House such a special atmosphere PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH STEELERS / KARL ROSER DECEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 13 PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN