The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Biggest Breakout Year, Offense FITZGERALD TOUSSAINT: For the first seven games of the season, Toussaint was mired in an on- going battle with junior Vincent Smith and senior Mike Shaw for the starting tailback position. In those games, he averaged just 8.8 carries and 47.6 yards a game. At Michigan State, Toussaint hit a low point, garnering just two carries and picking up seven yards. It looked like the search for the No. 1 back would continue indefinitely. But then something clicked. After a bye week, Toussaint carried the ball 20 times for 170 yards in a 36-14 win over Purdue. Over the last five games of the regular season, he averaged 22.4 carries and 135.6 yards a game. In that stretch he gained at least 120 yards on the ground four times. Though he took a step back against Virginia Tech's potent front seven (13 carries for 30 yards), Toussaint has the job for the foreseeable future. Biggest Breakout Year, Defense BLAKE COUNTESS: When Countess was first thrust onto the field, the true freshman cornerback didn't get a warning, or much time to warm up. Fifth-year se- nior cornerback Troy Woolfolk went down with an injury midway through the San Diego State game, and Count- ess stepped in. The last time Michigan fans watched a true freshman cornerback sub into a game after an injury, Cullen Christian (now at Pitt) was burned for a touchdown against Michigan State. Quote Of The Year At his introductory press conference in January, head coach Brady Hoke uttered six fiery words that defined the season. The short clip was even used on the JumboTron during home games to pump up the crowd. "This is Michigan, for God's sakes," he bellowed. Wolverine Nation rallied behind the quote, because it was just the right mix of confidence and cockiness that embodied fans during Michigan's most glorious years — the Wolverines win, and they expect to do so every season. Because "This is Michigan." PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN True freshman cornerback Blake Countess made six starts in 2011, and he posted 44 total tackles, including 30 solo hits, and broke up six passes. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN And Aztec quarterback Ryan Lindley tested Countess, early and often. He responded, never giving up a deep ball and recording seven tack- les. When Woolfolk came back, the coaches knew Countess had earned a spot — they moved Woolfolk back to safety and entrusted Countess to remain at cornerback. Although he has yet to tally his first interception, Countess was a valuable asset on his side of the field. Most Interesting Stat 29 OF 51 The Michigan defense was at its best when its back was against the wall. In third- and fourth-down situ- ations with three or fewer yards to go, the Wolverines turned the offense away 29 times out of 51 attempts (56.8 percent). ❑ The Best Of The Rest Of The Big Ten Best Team — Wisconsin: If not for two last-second Hail Mary plays leading to losses at Michigan State and Ohio State, the Badgers might well have played LSU for the BCS na- tional championship. Veteran quar- terback Russell Wilson and big-time tailback Montee Ball combined to put together one of the most pun- ishing offensive attacks in the coun- try, scoring 44.14 points per game. Best Offensive Player — Mon- tee Ball, Wisconsin: There are very few running backs who can be men- tioned in the same breath as all-time great Barry Sanders. In the 2012 Rose Bowl, Ball tied Sanders' single- season touchdown record with 39. He finished the year with 1,923 rush- ing yards (No. 1 in the country). After the Badgers' loss to Oregon, Ball an- nounced that he would be coming back to Madison for his senior year. Best Defensive Player — Whit- ney Mercilus, Illinois: The Fighting Illini's all-star defensive end came out of nowhere to have one of the best years in recent Big Ten history. He tallied 16 sacks — 14 solo — to lead the nation in punishing quar- terbacks. He also tallied 22.5 tackles for loss (second in the country) and forced nine fumbles (No. 1 in the country). Best Freshman — Braxton Miller, Ohio State: Miller's numbers won't impress anyone, but the Buckeyes' 6-7 season could have been much worse without his services. By the end of the season, the Ohio State coaches were ready to unleash all of Miller's athletic prowess — he ex- ploded for 335 total yards and three touchdowns against Michigan and almost pulled off the upset in Ann Arbor. Best Game (Non-Michigan) — Michigan State 37, Wisconsin 31: Shades of a "Doug Flutie" or "Kordell Stewart" play, MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins launched a pass 44 yards to the end zone as time expired. The ball was tipped up, where receiver Keith Nichol grabbed it and pushed his way just past the goal line for the winning score. — Andy Reid FEBRUARY 2012 THE WOLVERINE 31