The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN FOOTBALL players from that weekend's contest, unveiling "The Hot 11" on Monday mornings. After eight games, here are the top overall performances. QB Denard Robinson: Ranked second after the first four weeks, Robinson turned in stellar per- formances against Purdue and Illinois, totaling 627 yards of offense, while leading the Wol- verines to their first win over Michigan State since 2007. Rob- inson suffered a critical injury at Nebraska, but overall finished the first four games of the con- ference campaign 35-of-67 (52.2 percent) passing for 482 yards with three touchdowns and a single pick, while rushing for 505 yards and two scores on 65 car- ries (7.8 yards per rush). LB Jake Ryan: The Michigan defense began to assert itself in Big Ten play, and Ryan was at the heart of that improvement. The redshirt sophomore, fittingly, re- mains second in the monthly Hot 11, with most considering him U-M's second-best player and top defender. Over the past four weeks, against Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State and Nebraska, he recorded 31 tackles, including 3.5 sacks among seven tackles for loss. He also forced two fumbles. WR Devin Gardner: Gardner Hot 11: Michigan's Top Performers Through Eight Weeks Of Play During the season, TheWolverine.com ranks the 11 best Air Force. But he began to pick it up early in Big Ten ac- tion, with six stops, including two for loss, against Purdue, and has been even better since, finishing October with 31 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss. Morgan was also bestowed a great honor, receiving Gerald Ford's No. 48 Legends Jersey against Illinois. PK Brendan Gibbons: One could probably make the case that if this was simply a Hot 11 for October, Gibbons should rank No. 1. The redshirt junior place- kicker was, arguably, Michigan's most consistent performer the past four weeks, drilling 10 of 11 field-goal attempts (90.9 per- cent), including the game-win- ner against Michigan State and a career-long 52-yarder against Nebraska. For the season, he has now made 13 of 15. His 86.7 con- version percentage ranks fourth all time. TE Devin Funchess: The rookie Junior wide receiver Devin Gardner's totals of 16 catches for 266 yards both ranked second on the team through eight was the top Wolverine in last month's Hot 11, and by virtue of all the good he did in September, remains in the top three for now. However, the junior quarterback-turned-wide receiver saw his produc- tion drop dramatically, making just five catches for 71 yards and a score during the first four games of conference action compared to 11 receptions in the non-conference. WR Jeremy Gallon: The redshirt junior was fourth a didn't make the cut for the Hot 11 after the first month, and to now rank fifth demonstrates how big of a leap he made in October. Demens ranked third with 30 tackles during the past four games, including two for loss, and has been a big reason why the Wolverines improved from the nation's No. 88 rush defense (182.0 yards allowed per game) to the No. 46 unit (145.1 yards given up per game). LB Desmond Morgan: Morgan was also nowhere to be seen on the Hot 11 during the first month, feeling a threat to his starting job after average play against Alabama and month ago and is fourth still, a testament to his consistency in a playmaking role for the Maize and Blue. Gallon had a team-high seven receptions in the first four Big Ten games, good for 139 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed the ball seven times for 33 yards (4.7-yard average). LB Kenny Demens: The fifth-year senior middle linebacker games, and his four receiving touchdowns led Michigan. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL ranked sixth after September and has fallen three spots, though not because he has played poorly, but because oth- ers have just made a greater impact. The fifth-year senior contributed 13 tackles in four October games, and had an interception against Michigan State, but hasn't been the same force off the blitz he was in 2011 when he had four sacks and eight tackles for loss. This year, he has just two tackles for loss, and had none in October. WR Drew Dileo: Dileo didn't make much of an impression tight end was a revelation in Sep- tember, catching eight balls with two touchdowns, but his op- portunities have dried up, with Funchess hauling in only three balls for 35 yards during the past four games, though his eight- yard reception against Illinois did go for a score. Overall this year, Funchess has 11 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns. SS Jordan Kovacs: Kovacs earlier this season, but his effort against Michigan State alone has elevated him into 10th position on the Hot 11. In that game, the junior caught four balls for 92 yards, set- ting up three of U-M's four field goals, including the game- winning 38-yard strike with five seconds remaining. He's had just one other catch in October, for nine yards against Illinois. over a pair of defensive linemen — senior Craig Roh and redshirt junior Quinton Washington — but Norfleet remains a big play waiting to happen in the return game, averaging 23.6 yards on 25 runbacks this season while recording a team-high 15 plays of 20 yards or more. KR Dennis Norfleet: The freshman barely made the cut — Michael Spath NOVEMBER 2012 THE WOLVERINE 43