The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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and beat back the Wolverines on Se- nior Night, 75-61. Thus, the storybook ending appeared ready to stay in the storybook. "They shot incredibly, and we didn't," Novak said. "We didn't do the things we can do to overcome that. We've had games this year where we found a way to win. Tonight, we just didn't do that." Both seniors assured a quick move past any lingering effects of what felt to Michigan fans like a devastating loss. The seniors assured all they were ready to take the anger generated by the Purdue pratfall into bigger and better results. "It just hurts," Douglass said. "There is an element of embarrass- ment from being honored like that and coming out and getting killed on your home court, not finishing out undefeated at home. No sentimen- tal emotions — just upset more than anything." "I've taken this stance the whole year. It's not about us," Novak added. "It's not seniors, and this is our show, and you guys are helping us build what we're doing. It's about this team, and what we're going to do together. We've still got a lot of work left to do." Beilein jumped into the move-on Senior Stu Douglass talked about "the will to win" that has been re-established in the U-M program in recent years. the Wolverines raced into the final eight days of the regular season tied with the Buckeyes, one game behind league leader Michigan State. A sweep of the final three games PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL — home against Purdue, and on the road versus Illinois and Penn State — would have put Beilein's team in position for a tie for the champion- ship, if MSU slipped just once. For a program without a regular-season Big Ten title since 1986, the dream carried a special allure. The fact that Novak and Douglass decade desperately waiting for one turn on the NCAA's big board. That confluence of circumstances elevated Novak and Douglass to hero status on Senior Night. The thunderous ovation greeting them prior to the showdown with Purdue portended yet another raucous night at Crisler, where the Wolverines had gone 15-0 on the sea- son. Making it 16-0 meant U-M posting a were leading the way added a layer of poignancy. The senior duo came to Michigan as lightly regarded as hand- warmers in the desert four years ago, and was set to leave Ann Arbor with three NCAA Tournament appear- ances in four years. Michigan fans spent the previous 46 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2012 first undefeated season at home since 1977, or 13 years before Novak and Douglass were born. It also meant the Big Ten title staying clearly in the Michigan sharpshooters' crosshairs. But a decidedly unfunny thing sentiment as well. He acknowledged some younger Wolverines were in- volved in key defensive breakdowns and other struggles against the Boiler- makers, but insisted Michigan needed the short memory of a just-burned defensive back. "Stu told the team in the locker room, 'If this helps us get better … I didn't come to Michigan to win on Senior Night. I came to win,'" Beilein said. "If I know this team, I hope that trend continues when we get beat by a team that plays better that night, we get better ourselves. "It's disappointing, given the cir- cumstances. I don't like losing, ever, but 15-1 is not a bad year and we'll try it again next year. We'll do the best we can one of these years to go undefeated at home." Novak put an even finer point on it, happened on the way to the story- book capper at home. The Wolverines couldn't get out of their own way, and Purdue at times couldn't miss. The Boilermakers invaded Crisler for the days directly ahead. "If we can use this loss to propel bouncing back from losses, learning from our mistakes and coming out motivated," Douglass added. "We us into a run in March, I'll take that," he said. "One thing we've been good at is