The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/629217
INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Five Years Ago, 2011: John Beilein's crew kept their comeback season rolling with a 73-69 win over Indiana at Crisler Arena Feb. 12. The Wolverines built a 20-point lead on the Hoosiers, then withstood a furious comeback attempt to move to 16-10 overall and 6-7 in the Big Ten, following a 1-6 start to conference play. One of those losses involved an 80-61 humbling at Indiana a month earlier. This time around, freshman guard Tim Hardaway Jr. notched a career-high 26 points, while three other Wolverines — sophomore guard Darius Morris, and junior guards Stu Douglass and Zack Novak — all scored in double figures. "We're learning more about what it takes to win," Beilein said afterwards. "We still have some rough spots. The coaches still have frustrations with the team as they see the big picture of how to do it. But it's a good win for us, no matter how it turned out in the last four or five minutes." 10 Years Ago, 2006: Michigan's No. 4-ranked wrestling squad trailed No. 3 Illinois by five points entering the final match on Feb. 3, 2006. But fifth-year senior captain Greg Wagner proved a road warrior in Champaign, earning a fall at heavyweight to nail down an 18-17 win. The Wolverines had opened up a 12-7 lead at one point, with fifth-year senior cap- tain Ryan Churella toughing out a 7-6 overtime win against Illinois' Mark Poeta at 165 pounds. Illinois battled back to win three straight decisions, including a major, to set the stage for Wagner's heroics. The drama marked the third time in the 2005-06 season that Michigan's fate had come down to Wagner's match. He won all three of those, including controlling the battle against Illinois' Matt Weight after a takedown late in the first period. 25 Years Ago, 1991: Michigan football pulled in the No. 1 recruiting class in the na- tion, according to analyst Tom Lemming. The 21-member class included 13 Superprep All-Americans, eight Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report All-Americans, and four play- ers on USA Today's All-USA first and second teams. "I'm really pleased with this group," head coach Gary Moeller noted. "I think we might get some help quickly from a defensive lineman or two and maybe a receiver, but the offensive linemen take a little more time to get into action. They have a lot to learn before they can play. "It's a good class for us in filling our needs on the line and at outside linebacker, run- ning back and quarterback. Even though we got just one wide receiver, I think that will help, but I would've liked to have had more." One running back in the class — 6-1, 215-pound Tyrone Wheatley — made a lasting impression. He rushed for 4,287 yards and 47 touchdowns over the course of his four- year Michigan career, becoming MVP of the 1993 Rose Bowl with 235 yards and three touchdowns on only 15 carries. — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY