The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN FOOTBALL a more conscious effort of stripping the ball and getting turnovers on the defense. Stripping the ball from be- hind when the quarterback has it for sacks." Hoke and Mattison appreciate Henry's efforts, but the redshirt sophomore returns the gratitude. Those two, he insisted, have done something for him that goes well be- yond the paint. "Mentally, as a man, to grow up," Henry said, when asked what he'd learned from them. "When to play, when to cut it off. How to be a better student-athlete. Just learning how the ropes go. And life, also. So, it's life lessons. It's not all football." OFFENSIVE LINE STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS Michigan's offensive line put up 350 yards rushing and allowed only one sack against fifth-year senior quarterback Devin Gardner in the season-opening 52-14 win over Ap- palachian State, an encouraging start after last year's performance. Notre Dame, though, proved the line still had work to do. Michigan managed only 2.9 yards per carry and 100 yards rushing in a 31-0 road loss, and Gardner was sacked twice and hurried nine other times throughout the game. Former Michigan All-Big Ten line- man Doug Skene (1992) kept an eye on the front and saw plenty that needed improvement. "They still have problems in the middle," he said. "I saw one play in particular that NBC highlighted, [the center] got put on roller skates. "If you're going to be a pocket pass protection team, you've got to be stout in the middle to set the pocket. Usually that means you need a one- to two-yard buffer to work with off the line of scrimmage, but you can't have the center sitting in the lap of your quarterback, because there's no way to step up and deliver." There were a few missed assign- ments against the Irish, Skene noted, an indication of a unit with plenty to improve upon. They've gone through the plays hundreds of times during walkthroughs and watching film, he added, so part of it is concentration. "Then you've still got a freshman [Mason Cole] playing at left tackle, so he's going through his developmen- tal growing pains," Skene said. "But as a unit, there was no control. That's what you look for in an offensive line — controlling the game. There was no control. It doesn't mean they can't get better. It doesn't mean they 2014 Football Schedule Date Opponent Time/Result Aug. 30 Appalachian State W, 52-14 Sept. 6 at Notre Dame L, 31-0 Sept. 13 Miami (Ohio) W, 34-10 Sept. 20 Utah 3:30 p.m. Sept. 27 Minnesota 3:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at Rutgers 7 p.m. Oct. 11 Penn State 7 p.m. Oct. 25 at Michigan State TBA Nov. 1 Indiana 3:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at Northwestern TBA Nov. 22 Maryland TBA Nov. 29 at Ohio State TBA