The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN IN THE PROS do what he's done." His upbeat nature helped the Cardinals overcome some midsea- son struggles, center fielder Jon Jay added. "Mike, he's always positive," Jay said. "That's the No. 1 thing. That's something that definitely rubs off on us." His speeches carried weight, third baseman David Freese added. "When he speaks, it's meaning- ful," Freese said. "He trusts his play- ers. He's got our back from day one. That's cool to see." The Wolverine Mobile Providing you the best coverage of Michigan Football, Basketball, Recruiting and Sports – on the go! Matheny kept a journal of the sea- son, intent on learning from his ex- perience. The four-time Gold Glove winning catcher has high goals, and he expects to come back next year even stronger. "You've got to understand, when I caught probably I could have sec- ond-guessed myself 50-100 times a game," Matheny said. "There are times during the season when I'd have been an idiot to not look at, 'I did this and it didn't work — what could I have done differently?' "To me, that's the only way you learn." Richard hit his first career home run against Milwaukee Oct. 1. Unfortu- nately, that left him two down in the game after he gave up three home runs in a 5-3 loss to the Brewers. "I'll take a win over a homer every time," Richard told the Associated Press. • San Diego Padres pitcher Clayton MLB NOTES "Every pitcher would say that. But it's definitely neat to be able to hit a home run. It was just more luck than any- thing. from a Brewers fan, trading a hand- shake and an autograph. Richard gave up 10 hits in seven in- nings for his second straight loss after winning five straight decisions. He fin- ished the year 14-14 with a 3.99 ERA and 107 strikeouts. "It started out looking like he was go- ing to help his own cause," Padres man- Richard reportedly got the ball back " ager Bud Black said. "The difference was we got out-homered. When that hap- pens, it usually results in a defeat. • Former Michigan infielder Chris Getz finished his season with a .275 batting average for Kansas City in 64 games played. He notched three triples and 10 doubles among his 52 hits. u " NOVEMBER 2012 THE WOLVERINE 121 With your subscription to The Wolverine. FREE! This online publication is INCLUDED with your subscription to The Wolverine! The Wolverine Now is posted on Wednesdays (game previews) and Sundays (game reports) throughout the football season to deliver you up-to-date information in a timely manner! www.TheWolverineOnDemand.com 3 Game Report Packages on Sundays 3 Updated Scouting Reports on Wednesdays 3 Press Conference Quotes 3 Football Notes 3 Cumulative Statistics 3 Columns, Recruiting Updates, and Much More! 3 Can be viewed on your iPad or computer, or printed out to read later. • Headlines • Videos • Recruiting News • Message Boards • Rosters • Schedules • Stats • And More! TheWolverine.com is now available as a mobile app for iOS and Android! Members of TheWolverine.com can login to view premium stories and chat with their friends on the message boards. Download it today for stats, schedules, rosters, and recruiting profiles – everywhere you go! For more information, call 1-800-421-7751 SEPT. 5, 2012 SOMETHING TO PROVE E Air Force Intends To Take The Fight To Michigan BY MICHAEL SPATH njoying some down time after a 49-21 opening-weekend victory over Football Championship Subdivision foe Idaho State, senior ball carrier Wes Cobb flipped on the day's most anticipated matchup: Michigan versus Alabama at Cowboys Stadium in Ar- lington, Texas. He watched with surprise while the Crimson Tide trounced the Wolver- ines, and began to consider what that might mean for the Falcons. "Sometimes when you lose like that, you come out playing harder the next week than even if you had won," Cobb said. "Maybe they're mentally wounded, but they're prob- ably pretty ticked off, too, and they're going to be really eager to show everyone they're not that team, so we have to be ready to take their best shot." Maybe in an ideal world, U-M would wel- come a feeble foe to Ann Arbor this weekend, someone that would just collect a paycheck, let the Maize and Blue psyche recover and be on their way. But that isn't Air Force — a service academy whose football players will, post-graduation, fight battles much more significant than the ones on fall Saturday af- ternoons. "We know this is a statement game for us," 42-24 record in six seasons guiding the Falcons. PHOTO COURTESY AIR FORCE Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun has posted a Air Force junior cornerback Steffon Batts said. "We prepare hard for every game, but this week we'll put a little more oomph into our practices, more into our workouts and our film study. We know they're down a bit, but Game-By-Game Summary they better not expect that just because they're mad and come out fighting that we're going to roll over for them so they can feel better about themselves. "We're going to come out with everything we've got, too." Air Force Academy (AFA) put a scare into Oklahoma two years ago, falling 27-24 to the Sooners, and a year ago challenged a top-five Boise State team in a 37-26 defeat. AFA has been on the big stage before, and will not be intimidated at The Big House. What they haven't done consistently is find a way to win those games, going 1-5 against BCS conference schools in head coach Troy Calhoun's six seasons in Colorado Springs (the Falcons bested Notre Dame 41-24 in the 2007 campaign). "I remember after the Oklahoma game, OU gave up more yards rushing [351] than any Bob Stoops-coached team, and their coaches and players were saying they weren't even going to look at the film because they just wanted to forget it and move on," said Frank Schwab, the Air Force beat writer for The Gazette in Colorado Springs. "Air Force has a tough time scheduling bigger programs be- cause everyone understands how dangerous they are, with a quirky offense, and no one wants a piece of them. "I think they'll give Michigan a game this weekend, but I also know this is a young team — only five starters from last year's bowl game started this year's season opener — and Air Force Michigan Massachusetts Michigan Michigan GAME FACTS 69 Alabama 14 41 Downs 11 20 First 26 19 game nationally. The game can be heard on the Michigan Sports Network (950 AM in the Detroit area, SiriusXM channel 196) with longtime partners Frank Beck- mann and Jim Brandstatter, and sideline reporter Doug Karsch. Coaches: Michigan: Brady Hoke What: Michigan vs. Air Force. When: Sept. 8 • 3:30 p.m. Radio-TV: ABC will televise the 13 63 15 27 294 147 291 (11-3, second season). Air Force: Troy Calhoun (42-24, sixth sea- son). History: Michigan leads the se- 25 31 BY THE NUMBERS THE SEASON Score Yards Rush 214 112 232 290 Yards Pass 200 199 127 208 Com./Att. 11/27 11/21 Passes 10/19 14/25 15/30 16/25 Had Int. 3 0 0 1 0 1 Fumbles No./Lost 0/0 1/1 2/0 0/0 4/1 2/0 Penalties No./Yards 8/99 7/55 5/35 5/45 10/69 5/40 Attendance 90,413 Cowboys Stadium 112,522 Home 110,708 Home MICHIGAN VS. UMASS QUARTER-BY-QUARTER COMPARISON Michigan Time of Possession 3rd-Down Conversions 1-2 4th-Down Conversions 0-0 Avg. Field Position U-M-45 U-M-25 U-M-43 U-M-43 8:16 3-3 0-0 7:10 2-3 1-1 7:40 1-3 0-0 3rd-Down Conversions 2-4 4th-Down Conversions 0-0 7:09 Avg. Field Position UMASS-19 UMASS-27 UMASS-26 UMASS-15 UMASS-24 UMASS-22 UMASS-23 SITUATION TABLES 6:44 1-5 0-0 7:50 2-4 0-0 7:20 2-4 0-0 13:53 3-9 0-0 15:10 4-8 0-0 29:03 7-17 0-0 U-M UMass U-M ries with Air Force, 1-0, last beat- ing the Falcons 24-7 in 1964. Air Force Notes: Saturday's Plays Yards Avg. 26 20 Rushing 155 70 UMass M/A Pct. 1/1 100.0 1/1 100.0 3rd &1 6.0 3.5 M/A Pct. 0/1 3rd & 2-5 2/3 66.7 0.0 crowd will be the largest Air Force has ever played in front of, sur- passing the 105,466 attendees at Tennessee in 2006 … AFA is 5-9-2 against the Big Ten, last playing, and losing to, Minnesota in 2009 … Junior center Michael Husar's father, Michael Sr., played at Mich- igan from 1985-89 … Air Force has ranked among the nation's top 10 in rushing every year since 1987, finishing third, second and third, respectively, from 2009-11. Redshirt freshman quarterback Russell Bellomy got the most extensive playing time of his young U-M career, but he did not complete his only pass attempt. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL THE WOLVERINE RED ZONE EFFICIENCY (INSIDE 20-YARD LINE) U-M UMass 6 0 PLAY CHART (NO. OF PLAYS) (Yards ..................................................U-M UMASS (- ) Yards ...............................................................5 0-5 Yards.............................................................28 6-9 Yards.............................................................12 10-19 Yards ........................................................17 20-29 Yards .........................................................3 30-39 Yards .........................................................1 40-49 Yards .........................................................1 50 or more Yards ..............................................1 offense, Denard Robinson and Fitzgerald Toussaint will score at will. Prediction: Michigan 52, Air Force 17 • PAGE 9 Coming off a big loss at the hands of Alabama, Michigan should be focused. Fortunately, the opponent also isn't anywhere near as strong as the Crimson Tide were. The heaviest player on Air Force's roster weighs in at 260 pounds — a far cry from the 340-pounders on Bama's roster — and the Falcons have also lost too much to 38 11 8 1 1 0 0 7 MASSACHUSETTS • 2-1 U-M48 Mike Wegzyn pass complete to Deion Walker for 33 yards to the U-M15 Average weight of a starting Alabama offensive lineman: 314.2 pounds. Average weight of a starting Air Force offensive lineman: 254 pounds. Yes, the Wolverines got pushed around a little bit last week against the Crimson Tide. That should not be cause for Michi- gan fans to write 2012 off. All it really says about the Wolverines is that they're not one of the three or four best teams in the country. And that's fine. Michigan will be the ones doing the pushing Saturday. And, on Poss. TDs FGs No Score 6 2 0 2 0 0 yards to the UMASS0 • 3-9 UMASS36 Robinson rush for 36 yards to the UMASS0 to the UMASS5 • 3-7 UMASS42 Robinson pass complete to Gardner for 42 MICHIGAN • 1-10 UMASS26 Robinson pass complete to Funchess for 26 yards to the UMASS0 • 1-10 U-M29 Robinson pass complete to Dileo for 66 yards — Andy Reid Now that the warm-up game is out of the way … Air Force is all about as- signment football, but the Wolverines also have a huge size and strength ad- vantage. They should own the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and Air Force simply doesn't have the athletes to slow the Michigan offense. Denard Robinson should have a big day both running and passing, and while the Falcons will break a few plays or sustain a few drives, they won't score at will. U-M just might. Prediction: Michigan 41, Air Force 17 — Chris Balas FIRST AND TEN THIRD-DOWN EFFICIENCY 3rd & 6-9 M/A Pct. 4/5 80.0 2/7 28.6 Plays Yards Avg. 9 7 Passing 169 18.8 39 5.6 Plays Yards Avg. 35 27 Totals 324 109 M/A Pct. 2/4 50.0 2/6 33.3 3rd & 10+ BIG PLAYS (25 YARDS OR MORE) 9.3 M/A Pct. 7/11 63.6 7/17 41.2 Totals Greg Mattison's defenders will have a clear size and strength advantage over the Falcons' offensive players. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN 4.0 Massachusetts 1st Qtr. 2nd Qtr. 3rd Qtr. 4th Qtr. 1st Half 2nd Half Final Time of Possession Air Force represents a tough week of preparation, a little-seen option scheme, and a gritty group that always plays with great ferocity. But it's not Alabama, and that's good news for a Michigan team still wearing shades over the black eye from the opener. The healing begins Saturday. Prediction: Michigan 38, Air Force 20 U-M-33 U-M-43 U-M-36 16:07 4-5 0-0 14:50 3-6 1-1 30:57 7-11 1-1 — John Borton 1st Qtr. 2nd Qtr. 3rd Qtr. 4th Qtr. 1st Half 2nd Half Total 7:51 STAFF PICKS The writers of The Wolverine weigh in with their take on U-M football. compete with a team like Michigan. Prediction: Michigan 47, Air Force 27 — Tim Sullivan There will be some hangover stemming from a Cowboy Classic de- bacle in which Michigan was thoroughly decimated by one of the top teams in the country, but the talent disparity between these two teams will be too much for Air Force to overcome — especially at Michigan Stadium. The Falcons' offense is hard to prepare for and could cause prob- lems early, but ultimately the return of redshirt junior running back Fitzgerald Toussaint will help the Wolverines get back on the winning track. Prediction: Michigan 35, Air Force 17 — Kevin Minor U-M Football Injury Report Games Player Roy Roundtree, WR Taylor Lewan, OT Brandon Moore, TE Antonio Poole, LB Chris Bryant, OL Kaleb Ringer, LB Blake Countess, CB Chris Wormley, DE 12 31 2-2 8-2 Injury Missed Air Force? Knee Leg MCL Pectoral Tibia Knee ACL ACL None None None One One One None One By The Numbers Michigan's record in games in which the Wolverines have worn alternate uniforms. It beat Notre Dame and Virginia Tech in 2011, while losing to Michigan State in 2011 and Alabama in 2012. Michigan's record in its last 10 home openers, in- cluding three straight wins entering this season. True freshmen to see the field for the Wolverines in the loss to Alabama — a U-M single-game record. Years since Michigan played a service academy (Army, Navy, Air Force) in a regular-season game (1981). U-M 338 is 17-10-1 against the three all time. Consecutive contests the Maize and Blue have put points on the board, owning the nation's longest active scoring streak. Air Force ranks fourth at 234 straight games. THE WOLVERINE • PAGE 14 2012 Football Schedule Date Opponent Sept. 1 vs. Alabama* Sept. 8 Air Force Sept. 15 UMass Sept. 22 at Notre Dame 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at Purdue Oct. 13 Illinois 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. L, 41-14 Time Oct. 20 Michigan State Oct. 27 at Nebraska Nov. 3 at Minnesota Nov. 10 Northwestern Nov. 17 Iowa Nov. 24 at Ohio State 3:30 p.m. TBA 4 p.m. 8 p.m. TBA TBA TBA Noon * at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas Will Play Will Play Out Doubtful Out for season Out for season Out for season Out for season GAME WEEK POLL What area of U-M's play needs to make the most improvement from week one to week two? THEWOLVERINE.COM Rush offense — 24 percent Pass offense — 10 percent Pass protection — 1 percent Rush defense — 65 percent Pass defense — 0 percent 728 votes 24% 10% 1% 65% 0% Division I FBS All-Time Won-Lost Records By Percentage U-M 1,242 .7351 895 311 36 ND 1,196 .7316 854 300 42 Last weekend, Notre Dame defeated Navy 50-10, and Michigan lost to Alabama 41-14. School Games Pct. W L T iPad Ready!