The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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ation and really thought about what I did differently last year, what motivated me and got me going. "Don't lose that hunger. Keep going, and do everything you can: watch film, get with the guys, talk over stuff you don't think is right and being active, not passive." He came off the bench against the Zips to lead the team in tackles with 10, and he has been a steady force on the field since then. "That is where James has come around and decided, 'Hey, I have to practice well to play well.' You can see a change in his production," Smith said. "James is back to James playing hard, playing fast, playing physical, and he knows if he does that, then he'll be what we need," Mattison said. "He wants to. I'm proud of him. He came out [against Nebraska] and played very, very hard and did some really good things." With Ross and Morgan playing up to the level the coaches expected, Bolden needed to step up, in order to build the kind of rotation the Wolverines wanted. And he has. "Joe is a completely different player than when he came in," Morgan said. Understanding the scheme, he's a pro at it now. He is very intelligent on the field." Bolden's numbers have steadily increased throughout the season. After posting 31 tackles in 2012 and just six through the first three games this year, Bolden has put together some big games, making eight stops at Michigan State and posting six tackles against Connecticut, Penn State and Nebraska. He had 41 tackles through 10 games. Smith knew it was only a matter of time before Bolden started playing at this level. When Smith was a defensive assistant coach on Hoke's staff at Ball State, he remembers taking recruiting trips to Cincinnati Colerain High School, where Bolden's dad, Dan, is the athletics director and his uncle, Tom, is the head coach. Smith would see little Bolden on the sideline. "He has grown up with nothing but football his entire life," Smith said. "When it comes to a guy who studies and understands the game as much as anyone I've had in my room, Joe is that guy. He has a true passion to want to be great. "It hurts him when he doesn't play well. That's the case with all of them, but Joe is above and beyond the other guys when it comes to that. With that kind of work ethic, you can be successful." The Pack In the defensive team room at Schembechler Hall, where the linebackers hold all their meetings and film sessions, there is a giant sign that hangs above the dry-erase board. Its message is simple: "COMMUNICATE." "That's critical, the linebackers talking to the D-line, whether it be to get aligned or adjustments we're making," Smith said. "It's very important that they're all tied into the same page. "I have seen some awfully good linebackers on some teams that don't defend the run really well, because they don't have the players up front. Whenever we refer to stopping the run, we talk about the front seven — not the