The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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16 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2017 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIVE YEARS AGO, 2012: Jordan Kovacs went from one- time walk-on to Michigan's Most Valuable Player in Football Bust ceremonies following Michigan's 8-5 season. The fifth-year senior safety, a 2012 All-Big Ten sec- ond-team selection, finished with five tackles for loss among 68 take- downs, with a pair of pass breakups and one forced fumble. Kovacs came to Michigan with- out a scholarship, but wound up starting 46 of 50 career contests. He racked up 334 tackles in his career and tied for third on U-M's all-time list with six forced fumbles. Kovacs accepted the Bo Schem- bechler Most Valuable Player Award and shared the Captain's Award with fellow senior Denard Robin- son. Many thought Robinson might capture a record third MVP designa- tion, but Kovacs got the nod. "I'm truly, truly humbled," Kovacs noted at Michigan's annual football banquet at Laurel Manor in Livonia. "It's just been an honor to play for this University. It was a dream come true when I first walked on, and that's how I approached it day-in and day-out. "I've always been proud to wear the winged helmet and just give everything I could to this University. I can't be thankful enough." Michigan head coach Brady Hoke noted the man for whom the MVP award is named would have greatly appreciated a player like Kovacs. "Knowing Coach [Schembechler], being here eight years with him down the hall, there are certain things he admired in people," Hoke said. "Loyalty, toughness, guys who had a passion for the greatest game there is, guys who were true teammates and guys who had the love for Michigan." 10 YEARS AGO, 2007: Michigan rode its big two, Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims, to a 103-87 shootout win over Oakland University at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor Dec. 12. Harris poured in 24 points and Sims 22 to pace the Wolverines for first-year Michigan head coach John Beilein. Harris also grabbed eight rebounds, while he enjoyed plenty of backup from teammates. Ron Coleman scored 13 points, while Ekpe Udoh and Jevohn Shepherd tossed in 11 and 10 points, respectively. Michigan hadn't scored 100 points in a game since 1998, prior to the explosion versus the Golden Grizzlies. The win was also a rarity that season, with Beilein changing the program and the culture around Crisler. The Wolverines won just 10 games that year. 25 YEARS AGO, 1992: The No. 1-ranked Michigan basketball team weathered an early scare in its season opener, surviving at Rice, 75-71, on Dec. 1. The Fab Five had to rally from behind to hold onto its top spot in the polls. "We're the No. 1 team in the country, and you have to expect these kind of battles when you're No. 1," sophomore forward Chris Webber said afterward. "They gave us their best shot in the first half, and we gave them ours in the second half." Rice's best shot produced a 31-30 halftime advantage for the home Owls. They increased the advantage to 52-46 in the sec- ond half, prior to Michigan righting the ship. Steve Fisher's squad ran off 10 straight points at one juncture, taking back control of the game and hanging on for a win. "We'll get better," Fisher promised. "This was just the first game." — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY Former walk-on Jordan Kovacs was named Michigan's MVP over quarterback Denard Robinson fol- lowing the 2012 season. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN STOPPING BIG PLAYS Michigan plays an aggressive de- fense that can be prone to giving up big plays (defined as a gain of 20 yards or more). Defensive coordinator Don Brown loves to send exotic blitzes and play man coverage, which makes for some highlight plays — occasionally for the wrong team. "[Stopping big plays] is always a fo- cus, but it's always a risk with the way we play defense," redshirt junior line- backer Noah Furbush said. "We're ag- gressive. Sometimes big plays happen and we move on, obviously we want to limit those as much as possible." It became a bigger area of focus fol- lowing the team's loss to Penn State, according to redshirt junior defensive end Chase Winovich. Last season in 13 games, Michigan allowed 43 total plays that went 20 yards or longer to rank seventh nation- ally. Five of those went for longer than 50 yards — two of which came against Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Six- teen of the 43 plays were rushes. Through 10 games in 2017, Michigan has given up 41 big plays to tie for 41st nationally, 13 of which have come via the run. Four of the 41 went for 50 yards or more, with three coming on the ground. Michigan is on pace to allow 10 more big plays than a year ago. Through 10 games last season, Michigan had allowed 33 plays that went at least 20 yards. — Andrew Vailliencourt 2016 Big Plays Home Run 2017 Big Plays Home Run Opponent Allowed* Plays Allowed** Opponent Allowed* Plays** Hawai'i 2 0 Florida 5 0 UCF 5 1 Cincinnati 3 0 Colorado 2 2 Air Force 3 1 Penn State 3 0 Purdue 3 0 Wisconsin 2 0 Michigan State 2 1 Rutgers 0 0 Indiana 3 0 Illinois 3 0 Penn State 8 1 Michigan State 8 0 Rutgers 4 1 Maryland 6 0 Minnesota 3 0 Iowa 2 0 Maryland 7 0 Indiana 3 0 Wisconsin TBD TBD Ohio State 1 0 Ohio State TBD TBD Florida State 6 2 Bowl Game TBD TBD *20 or more yards; **50 or more yards