The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN FOOTBALL "Ten wins looks a heck of a lot better than nine," senior Joe Bolden said. "Being a senior, being able to play in a bowl game and finish my career here with guys like Graham and other guys on the defense that you love playing with and have been a large part of your life the past four years — it's a special feeling. "It's a good opportunity that we have with the Citrus Bowl and a solid opponent in Florida to end the season on a good note, and get these guys rolling into the next year." A win in the bowl game does not guarantee immediate success the fol- lowing year — U-M is 2-2 in home openers since 2000 after winning their bowl game the previous season — but the postseason contest does provide the chance for young players to develop with extra practices. "You get those extra 15 practices, which gets overlooked sometimes," junior tight end Jake Butt said. "That's an extra spring ball and can go a long way towards player devel- opment. "You're playing New Year 's Day against a good Florida team, playing somewhere warm right around the time that it will be packing down the snow here. We're fired up about it." JAKE BUTT IS THE BIG TEN'S BEST AMONG TIGHT ENDS Junior tight end Jake Butt led the way for the Wolverines' honors squad in the conference, named the Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year. "It's really an honor," the veteran noted. "There are some great tight ends in this conference and some great tight ends on our team. It's a team award. It's not something I just won on my own. "It's something that I've had to work for, of course, but I'm bang- ing against guys on the scout team. I've got everyone in the tight end room pushing me. It's something me, A.J. [Williams], Ian [Bunting], Khalid [Hill] all talked about at the begin- ning of the year — we wanted to be one of the best groups in the Big Ten. I think we accomplished that." Butt also earned All-Big Ten first- Butt was named the Big Ten's Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year and has announced he will return to Ann Arbor for his senior season. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN