The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/432566
MICHIGAN FOOTBALL convinced he'd crossed the goal line. "They said, 'We thought you were a great player — it took you four times to score?'" Dufek recalled. "Af- ter that, we held them, took the ball over and got to the 7-yard line, ran a buck lateral play off tackle and it was wide open. It was a fun play to run — there was nobody there, and it was fun sailing into the end zone." Dufek's contributions to the Mich- igan program continued after his graduation, starting in 1954 when he joined Bennie Oosterbaan's staff as an assistant coach. He remained on staff through 1965, going back to Pasadena with the 1964 Michigan team that waxed Oregon State in the Rose Bowl to finish fourth in the na- tion in the polls, and later worked for the U-M Alumni Association. He enjoyed athletics director stints at both Grand Valley State College (now University) west of Grand Rap- ids, Mich., and at Kent State (Ohio) among his other ventures. DEVIN FUNCHESS TO DECLARE FOR NFL DRAFT Michigan junior wide receiver Devin Funchess is foregoing his se- nior season with the Wolverines and seeking a spot in next spring's NFL Draft, Michigan announced Dec. 9. Funchess, who was given the No. 1 jersey prior to the season, led Michi- gan in receiving with 733 yards and four touchdowns on 62 catches this fall. He averaged 11.8 yards per re- ception, while playing in 11 games. FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK RYAN A BUTKUS AWARD FINALIST Fifth-year senior middle linebacker Jake Ryan was one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, given annually to college football's top linebacker. Ryan lead Michigan with 112 tackles this season, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors and being named a permanent team captain following the season. The five finalists were Ryan, UCLA's Eric Kendricks, Washington's Hau'oli Kikaha, Miami's Denzel Perryman and Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith. Kendricks was an- nounced as the award winner Dec. 9. Ryan posted a career-high 14 tackles in the penultimate game of his collegiate career, a home loss to Maryland. He finished his career with 10 games in which he reached double figures in tackles in a single contest. He earned Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week awards twice this season. One involved his 10-tackle performance, three of them for loss, in the Wolverines' 18-13 win over Penn State. The other followed a 10-tackle (two for loss) outing against Indiana, in which Ryan also forced a pair of fumbles. WOLVERINES TO START 2015 ON THE ROAD The last time Michigan began a football season in a true road contest, the