The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/152358
fashion, with regard to Michigan's X‑Factor for the 2013 campaign. As for a bottom line, two of the three believe the Wolverines need to wait at least one more year to reach the Big Ten championship game. One of them, meanwhile, sees a doubleheader showdown arising in an old, fierce rivalry. The Wolverine: Will Michigan's offense take a significant step up with redshirt junior Devin Gardner at the helm? Meinke: Yes. What we saw at the end with Denard Robinson was that the offense was a little flat. That's because it was too one-dimensional, too dependent on the run, whereas with Devin Gardner you have a quarterback who is a true dual threat. "You'll have Fitz Toussaint in the backfield, and he'll be better. Derrick Green coming in will help as well. Then you throw in Devin Gardner with them, being able to attack through the air or on the ground. I do think it will be immediately better." Chengelis: "In general, yes. I think it's going to be a smooth transition, mainly because Devin had five games last season as a starter at the end of last year. Al Borges started flexing his muscles a little bit, in terms of what he wants to run in the pro-style scheme. There's a little bit more of a comfort level going into this season. "With Devin Gardner running the offense, we're going to see a bit more of a return to the Michigan offense of old. Some people may cringe, but a lot of people will like what they're going to bring. They've recruited a lot of great athletes. "We're going to see the running back become more of a focal point. We're going to see tight ends involved, see the fullback involved. We're going to see big, athletic offensive linemen, which Michigan has lacked for a few years. From the getgo, Devin Gardner and this offense will run pretty smoothly." Snyder: "I think it's better just because of Devin. Even the pieces that go around him are going to be better, because he can pass the ball better, and he's had the whole offseason to work. When you see what he did in five games after no preparation, to think he's had a whole offseason to work and consider how much work he's put in, it should take a great leap just because of that." The Wolverine: How do you see Michigan's defense shaping up? Snyder: "I think there will be a better pass rush. They're going to get a lot of heat on the quarterback. The question is, there is still some uncertainty in the back end. Look at how much value Jordan Kovacs had, getting people into the right places and moving properly. "You look at the talent of the cornerbacks. The one passing team they faced last year, at the end of the year, they were exposed by. They still need to prove on the back end that they can play. The linebackers will be more athletic and be able to move, but it's really going to be interesting to see how the back end reacts." Meinke: "Immediately, they will