The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/50790
INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS THEY SAID IT "This is a business trip. We're going to enjoy ourselves, and do all those fun things with each other and experience it, but we're going down there to win a football game." — Senior defensive tackle Mike Martin on the Wolverines' mindset heading into the Sugar Bowl "I watched Darius a lot last year and he performed at a very high level and I knew I had some big shoes to fill. I was ready to take on the challenge and I was confident coming in, and I knew I could step up and be a point guard for this team." — Freshman Trey Burke on stepping into the starting point guard role left vacant after Darius Morris left for the NBA "It allows more coaching resources to work on the two primary responsi- bilities of any staff — coaching and re- cruiting. I am struggling to understand how this relates to the 'level playing field' the NCAA claims it is always working to create." — Michigan athlet- ics director David Brandon on the NCAA granting a waiver that allows recently hired Buckeyes boss Urban Meyer to re- cruit while the previous staff coaches Ohio State's bowl game "He's at Ohio State, he's a good foot- ball coach and I had great years with him. I really don't want to go into the Urban-Ohio State deal. Let's talk about Michigan" — Michigan defensive coor- dinator Greg Mattison when questioned about coaching with new Ohio State boss Urban Meyer in the past "Robinson has been in the Heisman conversation in the early part of the past two years, and voters are very fa- miliar with his abilities. He'll definitely be on the radar if Michigan keeps win- ning under Brady Hoke." — ESPN.com columnist Brian Bennett on senior quar- terback Denard Robinson's 2012 Heis- man prospects "When you're running with the quar- terback, you use your running back as an extra blocker, and it's tougher to get into gaps because there's that extra blocker. It's more difficult, espe- cially with a runner like him. He can break it for a long run in a flash, so in this game it's all about stopping Denard Robinson." — Virginia Tech Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Ryan Van Bergen on his teammate's brute strength "There's no one in college football as strong as Mike Martin, I'd be willing to bet." MIKE MARTIN PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL redshirt sophomore linebacker Jack Ty- ler on game planning for Michigan's quarterback "We were having a great time laugh- ing, and it was amazing how much chemistry we all had. I really was bond- ing with people like they were my brothers. I'm pretty pumped about it, honestly. I just got even more excited about going up there now." — Michi- gan tight end commitment A.J. Williams on the chemistry felt with future team- mates on a recent recruiting trip "I don't think we have to apologize to anyone. When you're the winningest football team since 1995, I don't think there's any apologies necessary." — Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer on the Hokies' controversial bid in the Sugar Bowl JANUARY 2012 THE WOLVERINE 13