The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 141 DL A walk-on and younger brother of offensive lineman Graham, the 6-4, 297-pound Glasgow played in 11 games as a reserve defender in 2013. He is prepared to do as Graham did in taking a starting job away from a scholarship Wolverine. "That is a very good football player that had a great spring. Not a good spring, a great spring," Smith said. "He has a passion and a commitment to play. He's extremely intel- ligent. He is a student of the game. When you go through something or ask him to look at film, he will do that. He will understand what you're trying to teach. He will try to do it like you want it done. He takes your coaching to heart. On top of that, he's a tough kid. I feel good about his role." Godin was jockeying with Wormley early in their redshirt freshman campaign to be U-M's top backup at strongside end last fall, but he ran into medical issues that stunted his progress. With his injury treated, Godin is angling to win a starting spot. "He had some shoulder/neck issues with burner stingers, but he's done a great job in the weight room and the training room to get that under control where he doesn't have that pain coming down his arm," Smith said. "The thing about Matt Godin is he's very tough. If you hit him in the face, he'll hit you back. You want guys up front that have that mentality — that will fight you until they've got nothing left." Pipkins spent his winter and spring largely with Michigan's re- habilitating specialists, working to come back from a torn ACL that knocked him out for the season in week five. A former five-star recruit, Pipkins played too much to receive a redshirt in 2013, so his career is progressing rapidly, and he is run- ning out of time to make the impact expected. Smith is hopeful the 6-3, 313-pound junior will do just that, but he must believe in his knee. "The biggest thing with Ondre is that he gains his confidence back," Smith said. "Anyone that comes off a knee injury has to expe- rience that first big hit and that first block, and that feeling that this thing is healthy. Even if a doctor tells you it's healthy, it's in the back of your mind. "He did a great job all spring of staying in-tune with what we were doing in meetings, what the defense is, what installations we were making. He did a great job of helping Bryan Mone. "From an emotional standpoint, I hope he can pick up right where he left off. From a physical standpoint, he has to get his football legs back and then feel confident the knee is healthy." Pipkins' mentoree, Mone arrived in January with six of his fresh- man classmates and impressed. The 6-4, 315-pound Salt Lake City native will likely experience the ups and downs of any rookie cam- paign, but in moments, he will contribute. "I don't want to put expecta- tions on him. Even though he came here early, he's still a fresh- man, and he's going through a lot of adjustments being so far from home," Smith said. "But he has a lot of natural raw ability and he has a great future. "He plays with great pad level. He's tough, and it will be exciting to see how far he progresses so he can help us win this championship." It's not championship or bust, but the Maize and Blue understand another season without a Big Ten title puts the absence of hardware at a decade, and that's too long. To win, every element must click, but some parts can carry more weight than others. The defensive line should be one of U-M's con- stant strengths, putting offenses on their heels in creating the game- changing plays that lead Michigan to victories. "Talking about expectations and going out and doing it are two different things, but it's a great group," Smith said. "They want to be good. They don't like the way things have been going the last two years when we've had a chance to win a championship but didn't. It's not all on them, but they haven't gotten the job done in November, and they know that. "It will be fun to watch these kids through the year. They have the physical ability to produce, and I believe they have the mental makeup also." ❑ Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Ryan Glasgow, a walk-on who played in 11 games as a reserve defender in 2013, started the spring game at an interior tackle spot. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Rushing Yards Yards Year Allowed Per Game Per Carry 2013 1,822 140.2 3.8 2012 1,957 150.5 3.8 2011 1,712 131.7 4.0 2010 2,456 188.9 4.4 2009 2,063 171.9 4.4 Rushing Yards Yards Year Allowed Per Game Per Carry 2008 1,643 136.9 3.6 2007 2,039 156.8 4.0 2006 564 43.4 1.9 2005 1, 648 137.3 3.8 2004 1,600 133.3 3.6 Rushing Yards Allowed Year-By-Year 137-143.DLs.indd 141 6/19/14 1:15 PM