The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/480355
MICHIGAN FOOTBALL to claim the starting position, a dem- onstration of moving the chains and not surrendering the football remains vital. "He has a very strong arm," Fisch said of Morris. "He can make all the throws, so one of the things you talk about with guys like that, and I'm talking in general, the prettiest ball isn't always the best ball. "If I threw you a knuckler, but it landed right here and you caught it for a touchdown to win the Super Bowl, it's better than throwing the best spiral in the world but missing you. One of the things we talk about is the first and foremost thing for any quarterback is to complete passes. Don't turn it over, take care of the ball, complete passes." Fisch likened the quarterbacks to point guards in basketball, responsi- ble for dishing out assists to receivers. "With all of our guys, that's what we're trying to drill into them right now," he said. "Be smart with it. Wherever I've been, wherever Coach Harbaugh has been, that's been the philosophy: 'How can we be smart with the ball?' "Even with a guy like [Jackson- ville Jaguars'] Blake Bortles last year, the first nine games of the season he threw 17 interceptions. The last seven games, he threw one or two. And one was on fourth-and-20 on a Hail Mary. You have to treat the ball as gold. You have to take great care of it." "The ultimate goal is to be versatile enough to play whatever Coach Durkin wants, whenever he wants, however he wants it." How challenging is it to alternate between the two defenses? Bolden: "I can tell you it's not hard. If you spend time in the meeting room, you learn what your position does, along with the other guys, and I don't think it's that hard to grasp. I think if you put your mind to it, your head is in the playbook and you transfer that to the field, and you have communication on the field, you can run a 3-4 a 4-3, a Bear defense. It's whatever you want to run." Can you feel a chemistry developing with this team? Bolden: "Going back to last year, I said it was one of the tightest teams I've ever been a part of. This year, I feel the same thing. When I walk out onto the practice field, we're competing, we're getting after each other, but we love each other and we're making each other better." What do you think of Coach Harbaugh's bigger-than-life personality? Bolden: "It's like he's Superman. Coach Hoke you wouldn't see him as much in public. He was in here. He was one of the hardest-working guys I've ever seen in my life. Coach Harbaugh is out coaching first base with the Oakland Athletics, living a lot of guys' dreams. He's everywhere. He's living life and you can't blame him for it. If the opportunity is there, take it and make the best of it. He might seem like he's on a pedestal, but he's humble. It's all about having great heart and great character, and he does." — Michael Spath