The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/575020
MICHIGAN FOOTBALL The Big House breached 100,000 for the first time in 1955, but poor play during the 1950s turned off the fans; only 51,801 saw Michigan host Missouri in the first game of the 1955 season. Throughout the last half century, Michigan Stadium continued to grow and grow, until 2008 when U-M an- nounced The Big House had lost 1,300 seats. However, with the completed stadium renovation in 2010, Michi- gan Stadium expanded exponentially, by 3,700, and its opening matchup against Connecticut filled the seats beyond capacity. MICHIGAN'S IMPACT FRESHMEN In three games this season, Michigan has used seven redshirt freshmen from its 2014 recruiting class and two true freshmen from its 2015 signees. Here is a ranking of the nine impact rookies, both redshirt and true. 1. DB Jabrill Peppers: The redshirt freshman safety had a lot of hype head- ing into the 2015 season, and so far he's shown it was warranted. One of the cor- nerstones of the defense, Peppers has been all over the field for the Wolver- ines, laying big hits and delivering key tackles. Through three games, Peppers had 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and one pass broken up. He also is poised to make an impact on special teams, with four punt returns for 38 yards (9.5 yards per attempt) and three kick returns for 78 yards (26.0 yards per attempt). 2. TE Ian Bunting: With Jim Har- baugh's love of two-tight-end pack- ages, many wondered who would be the second to step up behind junior Jake Butt? Through three games, red- shirt freshman tight end Ian Bunting has flashed fantastic potential. He has recorded three receptions for 45 yards (15.0 yards per catch). If he improves in run blocking, he could as- sume a pivotal role going forward. 3. WR Grant Perry: If there's been a pleasant surprise in Michigan's receiv- ing corps, it'd be hard to overlook the MICHIGAN STADIUM CAPACITY CHANGES Year(s) Capacity First Opponent Attendance Pct. 2015 107,601 Oregon State 109,651 102.0 2010-14 109,901 Connecticut 113,090 103.0 2008-09 106,201 Utah 108,421 102.1 1998-2007 107,501 Syracuse 111,012 103.3 1992-97 102,501 Oklahoma State 104,253 101.7 1973-91 101,701 Stanford 80,177 78.8 1955-72 101,001 Missouri 51,801 51.3 1949-54 97,239 Michigan State 97,239 100.0 1928-48 85,752 Ohio Wesleyan 17,877 20.8 1927 72,000 Ohio Wesleyan 17,483 24.3