The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/230001
Then the issues arose, even before the losses. Gardner threw it to the other team too often early on. The interior of the offensive line started young and grew even younger when the first crew got moved or removed. "We didn't have anybody up front who was showing they should be in there every play," insisted offensive coordinator Al Borges, referring only to the interior linemen. "We were shuffling linemen, and that hurt us some. But you can't play guys who aren't performing, so you've got to find the right ingredients, even if it means some growing pains. "The last couple of games, we played pretty much with the same guys. That helped. We just performed so much better in that [OSU] game." Now, he said, it's about playing so much better in every game, moving forward. The Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl certainly isn't the last word on Michigan's prospects for 2014, but it sure could change the offseason outlook. More importantly, it can start to establish the consistency Michigan needs in putting points on the board. "You're not going to romp and stomp every game," Borges said. "Even those [up-tempo] teams learn that when they get into the tougher part of their schedule, they don't romp and stomp like they think they can. When you're not prolific, when you're not dynamic, you still have to be efficient, and that's what we have to get better at." There's no better time to start than Dec. 28. *** John Beilein's Wolverines enter the latter stages of the non-conference season as the best four-loss team in the country, for whatever that's worth. Again, if this were football, Beilein's 6-4 crew would be buried somewhere the Jimmy Hoffa diggers couldn't find it. Instead, they're frustrated a bit over a two-point loss at home to No. 1 Arizona, but still feeling like they could run off 10 or 12 wins in a row at any point. And they're right. This team is young and learning, and toughening up. The Wildcats reminded them they've got some work to do in that area. For all the angst at the moment, they'll be a handful in the Big Ten and beyond. *** Don Lund's passing extends far beyond losing a University of Michigan athletic icon. For anyone who ever had the privilege of sitting down for a conversation with the three-sport standout at Michigan, it represents the loss of a friend. He demonstrated the most graceful combination of accomplishment and genuine humility this reporter has ever witnessed around Michigan. He'll be missed — not for great feats on the field, but for an easy manner, an anecdote and a laugh, and a truly winning way with whomever he crossed paths. ❏ Editor John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on Twitter @JB_Wolverine.