The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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game-winning touchdown drive at Minnesota Oct. 31 with starter Jake Rudock shelved for the fourth quar- ter with an injury. The then-rookie connected on three of six attempts for 29 yards, driving U-M 40 yards in seven plays, culmi- nating with a 12-yard touchdown pass and subsequent two-point con- version pass to give the Wolverines a 29-26 lead they held on to for the win. "To be able to go into a game like that and make an impact, and even- tually win the game … you carry that with you," Speight said. "I'm not looking in the past, but you know you can do it and you know you can do it going forward. "I got the job done, and I've done well carrying that forward [in the spring] and leading the team, show- ing confidence that the guys can trust me, and then making plays, moving the ball down the field, not turning the ball over and not making as many mistakes as the next guy." Speight only completed 36.0 per- cent of his 25 total attempts in five contests a year ago, and he doesn't move the needle with fans that be- lieve his lack of overwhelming arm strength and fleet feet are reasons why it has to be O'Korn at QB. But the coaches' confidence is all that matters in this battle. "Coach Harbaugh doesn't tell you what you want to hear — he tells you what he sees, he tells you the truth," Speight said. "He's hard on you, but he's reiterated to me over and over again that this is an open competi- tion, and if I keep doing the things they're asking me to do then I'll have a chance to win the starting job. "Coach Harbaugh had a lot of con- fidence in me last year, and he didn't flinch in that Minnesota game when I went in for Jake. He has a lot of confi- dence in me now, and he's giving all of us a chance to show what we can do … and I believe I'm right there." Following the spring game, he may have even taken a slight lead over the field in the race to start at quar- terback against Hawaii in the season opener Sept. 3. "That's coach's call, but I know where I stand in my eyes, and I know what I am capable of and what we can do as a team when I'm under center," Speight said. "I feel good going into fall camp." Harbaugh, offensive coordina- tor Tim Drevno, and quarterbacks and wide receivers coach Jedd Fisch haven't tipped their hand in this de- bate, and the competition is far from over with every quarterback on the roster needing to put in great effort this offseason. Michigan Quarterbacks In The Spring Game, By Efficiency Quarterback Comp.-Att. Yards TD-INT Rating Wilton Speight 5 of 6 46 1-0 202.73 Alex Malzone 2 of 4 53 0-0 161.30 Brandon Peters 3 of 6 36 0-0 100.40 John O'Korn 6 of 14 93 0-0 98.66 Shane Morris 4 of 9 31 1-1 87.82