Michigan Wolverines

Head Coach

Rich Rodriguez	1st year
07-08	9-4
Big Ten	6-2
FCR	27

Previous Season Wins

Head Coach - Let’s see, West Virginia beat Pittsburgh and plays for the National Championship meanwhile LSU coach Les Miles hears the call of his alma mater and returns to Ann Arbor, well not exactly. What a chain of events, Rich Rodriguez is the new head man at Michigan after leaving the Mountaineers for the Big House. The defense will be outstanding but the losses on the offensive side are huge, add in the fact they’ll be going to a new offense and it could be a bumpy ride in year one of the Rodriguez regime. But then we’re taking about Michigan so make no mistake, there’s plenty of talent to draw from.

Quarterback - At quarterback redshirt freshman Stephen Threet is the frontrunner to start when the season begins, the Georgia Tech transfer is 6-6 and has a good arm, excellent pocket presence and adequate running skills but he’s probably the perfect fit for the spread attack. Incoming freshman Justin Feagin possesses the skills that Rodriguez looks for in a signal caller, the question is ready or does he need a year to be ready.

Running Backs - The Wolverines must replace Mike Hart at running back and ready to take the reins is junior Brandon Minor. He gained 385 yards in spot duty but look for him the get 20-25 carries a game, he’ll also be asked to catch the ball out of the backfield and use his speed to get outside. Junior Carlos Brown is a former cornerback who has size and speed, he rushed for 382 yards a year ago and he’ll be in the mix. Sophomore Matt Moudros will be the fullback, he’ll be asked to block and be a safety valve receiver.

Receivers - On the outside at wide receiver junior Greg Matthews is the Wolverines only returning starter, he had 39 receptions for 366 yards but will be asked to be the number one man and his production will need to improve. A couple of sophomores in Toney Clemons on the outside at the Y and Junior Hemmingway at the inside Z will start, they saw virtually no action last fall but stepped it up this sping. Returning at tight end is junior Carson Butler; he’s a big body but will contribute over the middle in the passing attack.

Offensive Line - Lots of holes to fill, they return only one starter and they must replace Jake Long who was the number one selection in t he NFL draft, but Michigan always has excellent big guys waiting in the wings. This will be an extremely young group as the only returnee is sophomore Stephen Schilling at right tackle. The newcomers will all be juniors in Mark Ortmann at left tackle, at left guard Tim McAvoy, at right guard Cory Zirbel and at center David Moosman. How quickly they develop will be a key factor in Michigan’s success this fall, they’re smaller than past units but that a plus in the new offense, the question is can they play?

Defensive Line - They return four starters and will be looking to improve on last seasons 58th ranked run defense On the outside at defensive end will be senior Tim Jamison and junior Brandon Graham, they combined for 14 sacks and get great pressure upfield. Returning on the inside will be seniors Terrance Taylor at nose tackle and at defensive tackle Will Johnson, Taylor was 2nd team All-Big 10 and is a beast on the inside. They’ll all could contend for All-Big 10 honors, with the concerns on offense they’ll need to be more consistent this season.

Linebackers - They must replace two starters but back in the middle is rising star Obi Ezeh, he’s a big backer who excelled against the run last season with 68 tackles, looking for him to become a more constant presence in the oppositions backfield. On the outside will be senior Austin Panter at the strongside spot and on the weakside will be sophomore Marell Evans. Considering the pressure that will be applied upfront they should be given plenty of opportunities to make plays.

Defensive Backs - Solid at the corners in returning starters senior Morgan Trent and sophomore Donovan Warren, both have the speed to stay with any receiver and they combined for 93 tackles last fall. At free safety will be junior Stevie Brown and the strong safety will be either senior Brandon Harrison or senior Charles Stewart, Brown’s a big hitter with good speed who should excel now that he’s earned the starting assignment.

Special Teams - At placekicker will be senior K.C. Lopata, doesn’t have much range but was 11 of 12 a year ago. Zoltan Mesko returns as t he Wolverines punter, he averaged 41.1 yards but has the leg to improve on that number. Less than stellar last year, if Brandon Minor isn’t returning kicks look for Donovan Warren and Carlos Brown to get some chances.

Schedule - Non-conference they open with Utah and two weeks later they play at Michigan, the Wolverines will do good to get a split. The conference slate includes home games against Wisconsin and Illinois back to back and they must go to Penn St and close as always at Ohio St. Too many questions on offense and the schedule is tougher than usual, look for ups and downs in year one of the Rodriguez era. They’ll improve as the year progresses but it will be uphill all year long, look for Michigan to get but 6 wins in 08’.