The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 15 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS MICHIGAN'S TOP PERFORMERS Football graduate wide receiver Ronnie Bell: The fifth-year player was named to the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award Watch List Oct. 12, one of 42 players nationally to be recog- nized. At the time of his placement on the list, Bell led Michigan with 30 catches and 390 receiving yards along with 2 touchdowns (1 re- ceiving, 1 rushing). The two-time captain led the Maize and Blue in receiving yards in both 2019 and 2020, before suffering a season- ending ACL injury in the first game of the 2021 campaign. Women's golf senior Hailey Borja: Michigan's first three-time all-conference honoree paced the Wolverines with her second consecutive top-10 individual finish, tying for fourth at 218 (73-68-77, +2) at the Windy City Collegiate Classic Oct. 3-4. Her second-round 68 (-4) tied her career low for the fifth time and was the third time in her last six rounds she posted the score. As a team, U-M finished ninth out of 15 schools. Wrestling redshirt senior Will Lewan: He was No. 1 in the country at 157 pounds in FloWrestling's preseason weight class rankings. After placing fifth at the 2022 NCAA Championships, Lewan is the weight's top returner this season after graduation and with Princeton's Quincy Monday and Iowa State's David Carr — Lewan's two losses at NCAAs — both moving up to 165 pounds. A year ago, Lewan posted a 21-7 record and placed second at the Big Ten Championships. Men's basketball junior Hunter Dickinson: The 7-foot-1, 260-pound center was tabbed as a unanimous pick for the 11-member preseason All-Big Ten list released by the con- ference. He's the program's fifth player to earn multiple preseason team honors after racking up the accolade last season, joining Maurice Taylor (1996, 1997), LaVell Blanchard (2001, 2002), Manny Harris (2009, 2010) and Caris LeVert (2015, 2016). Dickinson was picked as the league's preseason player of the year in The Athletic/Columbus Dis- patch media poll. He has led Michigan in points and rebounds in both of his two seasons in Ann Arbor. As a freshman in 2020-21, he averaged 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting 59.8 percent from the field. As a sopho- more a year ago, he posted 18.6 points and 8.6 boards per outing while shooting 56.3 percent overall. — Clayton Sayfie FIVE YEARS AGO, 2017: Michigan took down Maryland 35-10 in a Big Ten road victory for Jim Harbaugh's crew on Nov. 11, 2017. The Wol- verines rolled up a 21-0 halftime lead and cruised to a rare road blowout. Tailback Chris Evans played a featured role in this one, rushing for 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while backfield mate Karan Higdon tacked on an additional 50 yards on the ground. U-M quarterback Bran- don Peters went 9-for-18 for 145 yards and 2 TDs through the air, con- necting with tight ends Zach Gentry and Sean McKeon on scoring throws. Meanwhile, Michigan's defense didn't surrender a touchdown until the fourth quarter, despite the Wolverines getting outgained on the day, 340- 305. A pair of interceptions hurt the Terrapins' cause, along with convert- ing only 3 of 16 third-down chances. "It might have been our best ball game in all three phases," Harbaugh noted afterward. "You're never as good as you think. I know that there were some mistakes that we made." Maryland made more, with quarterback Ryan Brand — the Terps' fourth starting QB of the season — going 16-for-35 for 136 yards. 10 YEARS AGO, 2012: Michigan blasted Iowa 42-17 on Nov. 17, 2012, in its final football tune-up before the annual showdown against Ohio State. Brady Hoke's crew racked up 513 yards of total offense in the rout, quar- terback Devin Gardner connecting on 18 of 23 passes for 314 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also rushed for 3 touchdowns, while fellow Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson lined up at running back and led the Wol- verines with 98 yards rushing on 13 carries. Jeremy Gallon paced the pass catchers with 5 receptions for 133 yards, with Roy Roundtree also snagging 5 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. The Wolverines scored 3 second-quarter TDs to build what turned out to be an insurmountable 28-10 halftime advantage. Robinson changed positions late in the season due to nerve damage in his right elbow. "I think it tells you about what kind of kid he is, what kind of young man he is, his growth, his character, his integrity," Hoke said. "This kid had some unbelievable moments here and at Michigan Stadium and has had some moments that weren't so good, but he's grown from within. "Devin said the other day, Denard has been the face of Michigan foot- ball." 25 YEARS AGO, 1997: The No. 1-ranked Wolverines held off No. 4 Ohio State 20-14, scoring only 1 touchdown on offense to complete an undefeated regular season on Nov. 22, 1997. The Wolverines took a 13-0 halftime lead in what became a battle of attrition and defenses. Freshman running back Anthony Thomas staked U-M to a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard TD run midway through the second quarter. Then, with time running out in the half, Charles Woodson fielded an OSU punt, veered to his left and set sail on a 78-yard touchdown return, setting off a wild celebration in Michigan Stadium. The Wolverines made it 20-0 less than five minutes into the third quarter, with Andre Weathers picking off a pass and racing 43 yards back to the end zone. That's when it got scary for the Wolverines. David Boston's 56-yard touchdown catch and Pepe Pearson's 2-yard TD run pulled the Buckeyes to within six, 20-14, with 13:08 remaining. But Michigan's defense rose up to shut down any further rally, clinch- ing the outright Big Ten championship, a Rose Bowl berth and a shot at Michigan's first unblemished season since 1948. "Our defense won the game for us," U-M coach Lloyd Carr said. "In the fourth quarter, I kept saying, 'Let's just punt the ball so we can play de- fense.'" — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY