Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/394762
Football and the First Amendment don't al- ways go hand in hand, but at Michigan, stu- dent fans have been exercising their right to assemble quite regularly recently. Ever since athletics director Dave Bran- don's 1 a.m. press release Sept. 30, regarding the team's mishandling of in- jured quarterback Shane Morris – who was allowed to go back into the Wolverines' game against Minnesota a?er suffering a concussion – the students have been at it. It began with a march toward the on-campus house of university president Mark Schlissel the morning of the news release, a rally com- plete with picket signs and bull- horns, calling for the dismissal of Brandon. And they're expected to continue their protest this weekend when Penn State is in town. Stu- dents are reportedly organizing a boycott of the opening kickoff. It is the first Big Ten night game in Big House history, and who knows how many students will be there. Asked Monday if he was worried about a lack of attendance, head coach Brady Hoke simply replied, "No." P R E G A M E R E P O R T P E N N S T A T E @ M I C H I G A N 7 P . M . E T , O C T . 1 1 E S P N 2 MICHIGAN FACTS COACH Brady Hoke (Ball State, '81) COACH'S RECORD 28-17 in four seasons as head coach (15-11 Big Ten); career record: 75-67 2014 RECORD 2-4, 0-2 Big Ten RECORD VS. PSU The Wolver- ines lead the all-time series, 10-7. MOST RECENT MEETING Chris- tian Hackenberg led an 80-yard, 23-second touchdown drive in the final minute to tie the score, and Bill Belton scored the winning touchdown in quadruple-over- time, as Penn State rallied past the 18th-ranked Wolverines, 43- 40, in one of the greatest games in Beaver Stadium history. GOOD NEWS Michigan has scored on all 15 of its red-zone opportunities this season (13 touchdowns, two field goals). The Wolverines are one of only five FBS teams with a 100 percent success rate. BAD NEWS Where to begin? The Wolverines have lost their starting tailback, one of their quarterbacks, and may soon be looking for a new coach and AD, too, if student pro- testers have their way. There was an outpouring of anger when QB Shane Morris wasn't pulled from the Minnesota game immediately after being knocked woozy. DID YOU KNOW? The Bars family will have some conflicting emotions on Saturday night. Brad Bars is a senior defen- sive end for the Nittany Lions, while his younger brother Blake is a sophomore offensive lineman. The family resides in Nashville, Tenn. T I M O W E N | O W E N . T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M Steve Manuel O C T O B E R 8 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 1 ESCAPE VELOCITY Gardner is one of the Big Ten's most elu- sive quarterbacks, but he has a pen- chant for turnovers, as evidenced by his seven interceptions this season. UNDER PRESSURE Wolverines looking to turn around a troubled season