The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN FOOTBALL dance leader for the 14th consecutive season dating back to 1998. Tennes- see held the title briefly, in 1997, and barely — the Volunteers averaged 90 more fans per contest than the Wolverines — with U-M ranking first from 1974-96, 1972, 1955 and 1949-50. This season Michigan set NCAA records for both average attendance per game and overall attendance (897,431) during its eight Saturdays. The Maize and Blue's average crowd exceeded stadium capacity by 2.70 percent per game, ranking U- M's overflow eighth behind Oregon (9.9 percent), Texas A&M (5.40), TCU (5.27), Nebraska (5.15), Oklahoma (3.71), Texas Tech (2.92) and Ohio State (2.84 percent). U-M has averaged better than 110,000 fans in 11 of the past 14 sea- sons, including 2011, failing to do so in 2001 (109,908), 2008 (108,571) and 2009 (108,933). Rk. School Avg. Year +/- 1. Michigan 112,179 No. 1 +0.32% 2. Ohio State 105,231 No. 2 +0.05% 3. Alabama 4. Penn State 101,427 No. 3 -2.70% 5. Texas 6. Tennessee 94,642 No. 6 -5.20% 7. LSU 101,821 No. 4 0.0% 100,524 No. 5 -0.13% 92.868 No. 8 0.16% 8. Georgia 92,613 No. 7 -0.14% 10. Texas A&M 89,061 No. 9 -1.60% WOLVERINES FINISH AMONG NCAA'S TOP RUSHING DUOS Michigan junior quarterback De- nard Robinson and redshirt sopho- more tailback Fitzgerald Toussaint finished among the nation's most prolific rushing tandems in 2011. With 43 combined yards in the Sugar Bowl, the two accumulated 2,217 yards on 408 carries (5.4 yards per rush) during the season, ranking ninth. Oregon running backs LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner were the top duo in the country, totaling 2,744 yards for the Ducks this season, while Wisconsin tailbacks Montee Ball and James White had 2,636. Ne- braska's two-headed monster of tail- back Rex Burkhead and quarterback Taylor Martinez (2,231 yards) gives the Big Ten three of the top-10 rush- ing teammates in the country. No other BCS conference had more than 2011 COLLEGE FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE LEADERS Last Running back Fitzgerald Toussaint (above) teamed with quarterback Denard Robinson to form the nation's No. 9 rushing tandem in 2011. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN one, with Oregon representing the Pac-12, Alabama the lone representa- tive from the SEC, Baylor in the Big 12 and Virginia Tech the ACC's lone program. MOST COMBINED RUSHING BY TEAMMATES NATIONALLY Rk. Yards Ball Carriers School 1. 2,744 RB L. James RB Kenjon Barner 2. 2,636 RB Montee Ball Wisconsin RB James White 3. 2,397 RB Bernard Pierce Temple RB Matt Brown 4. 2,387 RB Robert Turbin Utah State RB Michael Smith 5. 2,353 RB T. Richardson Alabama RB Eddie Lacy 6. 2,335 QB C. Harnish 7. 2,246 RB T. Ganaway RB Jasmin Hopkins QB Robert Griffin III No. Illinois Baylor 8. 2,231 RB Rex Burkhead Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez 9. 2,217 QB D. Robinson Michigan RB Fitzgerald Toussaint 10. 2,178 RB David Wilson Virginia Tech QB Logan Thomas DENARD ROBINSON JOINS ELITE QB COMPANY Junior Denard Robinson finished second among quarterbacks nation- Oregon FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK OFF THE TEAM • Senior wide receiver Darryl Stonum has been dismissed from the football team for a violation of team rules. He spent 10 days in jail beginning Jan. 7 after violating terms of his probation after he was cited for driving with a revoked license Jan. 5. The Stafford, Texas, native was suspended last May by head coach Brady Hoke and missed the entire 2011 campaign. "I love Darryl and wish him nothing but the absolute best," Hoke said. "However, there is a responsibility and a higher stan- dard you must be accountable to as a University of Michigan foot- ball student-athlete. That does not and will not change. It's unfor- tunate because I believe he has grown a great deal as a person since the beginning of the season. My hope is that maturing process continues." Stonum started 25 games at U-M, making 76 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. "I appreciate everything the University of Michigan, Dave Brandon and Coach Hoke have done for me," said Stonum. "I look forward to continuing my football career down the road, but more importantly, right now I'm focused on graduating from Michigan this spring." NEW HOME • Former Michigan defensive back Greg Brown, who left U-M in the middle of his freshman sea- son this past fall, has resurfaced at Division II Findlay according to The Toledo Blade. A Fremont, Ohio, native, Brown appeared in three games but did not record a tackle. ALL-STARS • Senior tight end Kevin Koger and fifth-year senior wide receiver Junior Hemingway will play for the West squad in the annual East- West Shrine Game Jan. 21 in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Senior Bowl Jan. 28 in Mo- bile, Ala., has not yet announced its entire rosters. FEBRUARY 2012 THE WOLVERINE 47