The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1511544
DECEMBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 11 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Mason Graham Is The Underappreciated Star By Chris Balas Sixth-year grad Michael Barrett is in consideration here, and sophomore corner Will Johnson is starting to play his best football. There are probably six guys overall you could point to and say, "He's one of the best in the Big Ten at his position." Junior linebacker Junior Col- son is starting to emerge as a force, edges Jaylen Harrell and Braiden McGregor are playing at a high level, and junior safety Rod Moore is rounding into form after an injury. Senior lineman Kris Jenkins has been great. Grad nickel Mike Sainristil … he really might be the guy. He's had an amazing season. But the choice here is sophomore defensive tackle Mason Graham. Despite missing two games with a hand injury, Graham has been dominant against the run and is improving weekly as a pass rusher, often de- manding double teams. He had one of the most dominant games we've seen from a Michigan interior lineman when the Wolverines won at Minnesota this year, notching 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack in the win. He's recorded 23 tackles, 5 for loss, this year, but that doesn't begin to describe his impact. Mike Sainristil Not The Best, But Most Valuable By Clayton Sayfie Graduate defensive back Mike Sainristil may not be Michi- gan's best defensive player. In fact, we'd argue he's not, behind sophomore cornerback Will Johnson, senior defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and others. However, he's been the most valuable this season, due to a number of factors. Po u n d fo r p o u n d , t h e 5 - fo o t -1 0, 182-pounder might be the toughest player on the team, second among U-M defensive backs with 22 run tackles and adding 6 pres- sures and a sack on 23 pass-rush snaps. The fifth-year standout has been spotty in coverage, allowing a few touchdowns, but they haven't bitten U-M. He was crucial in keeping the secondary together while some other starters missed time early in the season, and he has con- tinually made game-changing plays throughout the year. He completely turned the tide against Rutgers, pulling down an interception in traffic and returning it 71 yards for a score when the Scarlet Knights went for fourth down on the U-M 27-yard line down 17-7 late in the third quarter. The Wolverines went on to win 31-7. He had another pick six in the 49-0 victory at Michigan State and has 3 total interceptions on the season. Nobody has had a bigger impact on the unit this year. ❱ POINT ❙ COUNTERPOINT ❰ WHO IS MICHIGAN'S MVP ON DEFENSE THROUGH 10 GAMES? SAINRISTIL GRAHAM 1969 MICHIGAN vs OHIO STATE GAME Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan ON DVD!! One of the greatest upsets in the history of college football – The defending National Champion and undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes vs the 7-2 Michigan Wolverines under a new head coach! This was one of OSU coach Woody Hayes' finest teams. Ohio State had won 22 games in a row and had not lost a game at Ann Arbor in ten years! Some sportswriters were calling the Buckeyes the greatest college team of all time and had installed Ohio State as 17-point favorites –— at Michigan Stadium! But, by the end of the day, a sky-high Michigan team led by first year head coach Bo Schembechler, had totally outplayed Ohio State in front of an all-time NCAA record crowd of 103,588, had tied for the Big Ten Title and was heading to the Rose Bowl! The original network tapes have been digitally restored by Rare Sportsfilms for outstanding color and picture sharpness and now this historic classic is available for the first time on DVD! Bill Flemming and Lee Grosscup call the action! This entire TV broadcast, plus the pre-game show, includes all the original commercials and also features pre-game and halftime performances by both the Ohio State and University of Michigan Marching Bands! Pre-game interviews feature Jack Tatum of Ohio State and Jim Mandich of Michigan, as well as Buckeye coach Woody Hayes! Players in action you will see throughout the game include quarterback Don Moorhead, Billy Taylor, Marty Huff, Thom Darden, Dan Dierdorf, Glenn Doughty, Garvie Craw and Barry Pierson of Michigan. For Ohio State you'll see quarterback Rex Kern, Jim Otis, Mike Sensibaugh, Leo Hayden, Jan White, Jim Stillwagon, Larry Zelina, Stan White and many others! This game marked the beginning of the famous "Woody vs Bo Ten-Year War", and is one of the most significant games in the history of Michigan-Ohio State football! Running Time: 3 Hours, 20 Minutes $29.95 FREE SHIPPING! "RARE SPORTSFILMS W" 1126 Tennyson Lane, Naperville, IL 60540 1-630-527-8890