The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/52988
Bowl, has barely subsided for the Wolverines. While Michigan coaches dive into building 2012, we'll take a look back at the performers who made Brady Hoke's first season as head coach a success. Here is a 1-25 ranking of Michi- T gan's best players in 2011, complete with where they were listed prior to the season. It's worth noting that some major contributors weren't listed at all in August, demonstrat- ing the intrigue of every campaign. BY JOHN BORTON he glow from an 11-2 season, capped by wins over Ohio State in The Big House and Virginia Tech in the Sugar 2. Mike Martin, Sr., DT Preseason 2011: No. 2 Martin gave the Wolverines all he had in his senior season, and it proved to be plenty. The defensive line anchor out of Detroit earned the Richard Katcher Award as Michi- gan's best defensive lineman for the third straight season, and earned sec- ond-team All-Big Ten honors by both the coaches and the media. Martin wound up posting 64 tackles for the Wolverines (fourth on the team), in- cluding six for loss and 3.5 sacks. 3. David Molk, 5th-Sr., C Preseason 2011: No. 3 Molk's gritty performance on an Final 2011 Rankings Reveal How Wolverines Line Up TOP 25 1. Denard Robinson, Jr., QB 2011 Preseason: No. 1 All eyes fixed on Robinson when it came to Michigan's transition from one coaching staff to the next. Every- one wondered if Hoke's crew could navigate the move from the spread offense to one infused with more power, and a greater emphasis on the tailback. An 11-2 record, a win over Ohio State and a Sugar Bowl victory over Virginia Tech answered those ques- tions. While Robinson felt the bumps all the way along in shifting from one staff to another, he still directed the Wolverines to their highest vic- tory total since 2006 and claimed the Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player Award for the second straight season. He finished as a second-team All-Big Ten performer in the eyes of the media. Robinson's biggest deficit in learn- ing to decipher defenses and read wideout progressions proved ob- vious: 15 interceptions. But he still completed 142 of 258 throws (55.0 percent) for 2,173 yards with 20 touchdowns. While participating in a 1,000-yard rushing tandem — the first at Michigan since 1975 — Rob- inson raced off for 1,176 yards on 221 carries, scoring 16 additional touch- downs. 24 THE WOLVERINE FEBRUARY 2012 excruciatingly painful foot injury in the Sugar Bowl won't soon be forgot- ten. That's probably how he should be remembered as well, because the Rimington Trophy winner infused the toughness into a Michigan offen- sive line that paved the way for a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. Molk showed himself one of the best in the Big Ten, picked first-team all-conference by the coaches, and his Rimington Trophy revealed him as the best in the nation. The Hugh H. Rader Jr. Memorial Award winner as Michigan's top offensive lineman, Molk served as a captain and catalyst for a highly successful crew — and saved his most stirring performance for the end. 4. Ryan Van Bergen, 5th-Sr., DL Preseason 2011: No. 11 Van Bergen emerged as the spokes- man for the 2011 Wolverines, never missing a Monday press conference at the Junge Family Champions Cen- ter. He did a whole lot more than talk a good game for the Wolverines, delivering leadership and defensive line calls for a crew that performed admirably throughout the season. Van Bergen wound up recording 45 tackles, including a team-leading 12.5 for loss and a U-M-best 5.5 sacks. He forced a fumble and recovered three, and embraced Michigan's move forward with both his actions and his words. Van Bergen shared the Robert P. Ufer Bequest as a senior demonstrating the most enthusiasm and love for Michigan. 5. Taylor Lewan, R-So., OT Preseason 2011: No. 5 Lewan demonstrated some tough- ness of his own throughout the year. He suffered a dislocated wrist early in the game at Michigan State, played with a badly sprained ankle against Virginia Tech and overcame vari- ous physical issues from head to toe. He still protected Robinson's blind side well enough to earn second- team All-Big Ten notice by both the coaches and the media. 6. Fitzgerald Toussaint, R-So., TB Preseason 2011: NR Toussaint didn't even make this list before the season started because, quite frankly, nobody knew which of Michigan's tailback candidates would emerge to be Hoke's first go- to guy at the position. By the end of the season, everybody knew Tous- saint had taken over and would be as tough to dislodge as he is to catch in the open field. The third-year Wolverine wound up with 1,041 rushing yards, becom- ing Michigan's first 1,000-yard tail- back since Mike Hart in 2007. Tous- saint averaged 5.6 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns. 7. Jordan Kovacs, R-Jr., SS Preseason 2011: NR Kovacs is another huge contributor to Michigan's 2011 effort whom vot- ers for this list foolishly overlooked in August. Kovacs proved he could be far more than a fill-in on a bad defense. He became a heady leader on a highly competent one. His interception against Notre Dame helped turn the tide in the first game ever played under the lights at Michigan Stadium. From that high- light to winding up as U-M's leading tackler (11) in the Sugar Bowl, Kovacs demonstrated the ability to always be around the football. He finished second on Michigan's roster with 75 Quarterback Denard Robinson threw for 2,173 yards with 20 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,176 yards and scoring 16 addi- tional touchdowns, in the 2011 campaign. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN