The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Appalachian State head coach Scott Satterfield took it a step farther, af- ter Funchess toasted his overmatched crew for seven catches, 95 yards and three touchdowns in roughly a half of football. "He's a tough matchup for anyone," Satterfield said. "He's a big guy with long arms and great hands. Watching film on him from last year, he did that against a lot of people. This spring, for them, and in this fall camp, you've seen some highlights, and he's making great catches. "Two weeks ago in their scrimmage, he made a one-handed catch in the end zone and a one-handed catch across the middle of the field. You put the combo of size and speed on him, he's a hard cover. He's going to be a hard cover for anyone this year, no question about it." As the going gets tougher for No. 1, the chess game will continue to ramp up, according to Nussmeier. "We know people are going to eval- uate our offense and say what can we do to eliminate Devin Funchess from the game plan?" Michigan's offensive coordinator pointed out. "There is al- ways that chess match going on, to find a way. How can we get Devin the ball, and what ways can we get him isolated? "Every week, you go in with a plan. We'll find ways to get Devin his touches. I'm sure they'll try and find ways to make sure he doesn't get his touches. You don't necessarily know how that's going to play out, going into the game. "You can look at each defensive scheme and say, okay, what fits our scheme for them to potentially try and take him away? But you don't know until you get there. In any game, as you go through it, you're constantly trying to play the game a series ahead, have the adjustments and get ahead of what the defense is doing." Meanwhile, Funchess doesn't need to look far for motivation. He catches himself every once in a while taking a glance down at this chest, like he did that opening weekend at Michigan Stadium. The sight of No. 1 doubles as both thrill and challenge. "It gave me goosebumps," Funch- ess told ESPN.com. "A number is just a number. But, you know, this num- ber just brings a bigger target for me because off all those greats that have played here and worn that number." He's looking to bring a bigger re- sponse as well. ❏ It's Not A One-Man Show In The Passing Game There's no question Devin Funchess draws a mighty big spotlight when it comes to Michigan's corps of receivers. Others will enjoy chances to shine as well, and more importantly, the Wolverines will need their contributions throughout. The crew around Funchess has already shown some savvy, both in downfield blocking and catching the football. Last spring, Michigan wide receivers coach