First some articles from mlive.com
Michigan re-shuffles its offensive line combination
by John Heuser | The Ann Arbor News Thursday September 25, 2008, 2:00 AM
It's an old story, but there's a new twist as the University of Michigan football team prepares to host No. 9 Wisconsin on Saturday.
Banged up all season, the Wolverines' offensive line has re-shuffled players this week in a different combination.
Left guard Tim McAvoy has worked at left tackle, coach Rich Rodriguez said, and backup right guard John Ferrara has been getting repetitions at left guard. Those moves were precipitated by injuries to starting left tackle Mark Ortmann and his backup, Perry Dorrestein.
Ortmann, who missed Michigan's loss to Notre Dame with a dislocated right elbow, practiced in a green, non-contact jersey Wednesday. Rodriguez said before practice that Ortmann would be able to play against the Badgers. He wasn't so optimistic about Dorrestein, who donned a green practice jersey because of a knee injury.
"It really depends on what he does today and tomorrow," Rodriguez said of Dorrestein. "...You don't want to keep switching guys, you want to get a chemistry going, but because of injuries, we've been forced to do that."
Another previously injured player, backup guard Mark Huyge, has returned to practice and could play Saturday, the coach added.
More injury updates
Despite freshman Sam McGuffie getting the bulk of the carries, Rodriguez said he remains committed to using other running backs, including, among others, junior Carlos Brown, who has carried the ball twice this season. "Now that Carlos Brown is healthy, you'll see more of Carlos in this game than you did earlier in the season," the coach said. Freshman slot receiver Terrence Robinson, who suffered a knee injury in training camp, practiced Wednesday in a green jersey and moved at less than full speed.
Michigan's keys to winning</STRONG>
Cutting down on turnovers (Michigan had six versus Notre Dame) is the first order of business against the Badgers. What else is important? Not giving up big plays, tackling with more authority and performing better defensively in third-and-long situations, Rodriguez said. "This is the best team we've played so far, a top 10 team and playing very well," he added. "If we don't play better we'll get blown out. If we play better, we've got a chance."
Locked in with Threet
Rodriguez reaffirmed that the early season, two-quarterback experiment has concluded. Steven Threet is No. 1, Nick Sheridan No. 2. "Steve's the starter and we're gonna ride with that," Rodriguez said. "Nick is getting better and he's ready, but Steve has earned the starting role."
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The heavyweight tussles have become a regular part of Terrance Taylor's daily practice routine.
The University of Michigan senior defensive tackle locks up with offensive lineman David Moosman, knowing if he's taken down, what happens next is inevitable.
When Taylor gets overmatched, he is pinned to the ground by Moosman, who keeps him there with his 295-pound frame.
But it Taylor wins the 1-on-1 line battle, he'll return the favor, restraining Moosman by sitting on his teammate.
But these days, Taylor's finishing move isn't nearly as punishing as it once was.
A slimmed-down Taylor has dropped 33 pounds from last season, making him a more active and more athletic part of the Wolverines' defensive line.
He recently weighed in at 295 pounds - a virtual shell of a player who registered a career-high 55 tackles last season while tipping the scales at 328 pounds at his heaviest.
But transforming his body to its current playing condition hasn't been easy.
In addition to drastically modifying a diet once dominated by fast food, Taylor has become a dedicated poster boy for Mike Barwis' strength and conditioning system implemented in the off-season to make the defense quicker.
"I'm not going to lie to you - they're going to hurt, they're going to be sore, they're going to be worn out and they're going to be beat up," Barwis said back in the spring.
"But when we set foot on the field, we want to be in better shape, better condition. For that to happen, we have to work harder."
Taylor is living proof, as his off-season weight-room regimen is now paying off as the Wolverines prepare for their most physical test of the young season.
In three games, Taylor has made seven tackles and registered two sacks. And while his numbers aren't where he'd like them to be because he's often being double-teamed, Taylor knows his physical conditioning has put him in a better position to make plays.
"If you watch the games - in the fourth quarter, we're not tired," Taylor said. "In the first couple games, you'd look at the (opposing) offensive line and they're breathing hard. We're not even tired."
Yet, while Michigan's defense is better-conditioned, it has proven in the first three games to be prone to making mistakes.
They're not big, impossible obstacles, Taylor said, but rather, little inconsistencies that, when added up, result in problems.
This week, Taylor graded Michigan's showing thus far as a C+.
"We're in the best shape of our lives, but we can't make mistakes," Taylor said. "And that's what takes us out of games."
Wolverines coach Rich Rod-riguez used the bye week to focus on the little things, saying the competitive sabbatical proved valuable to the Wolverines' Big 10 preparations.
And while improvement will continued to be stressed as Michigan moves closer to Saturday's stiff test against No. 9 Wisconsin, the emphasis on conditioning also remains a top priority.
Each Sunday, players lift weights before practice. They spend as much as 10 hours a day at the football building. The schedule is nothing like it was in the past, and Taylor notices the difference.
Not only with his teammates, but in himself.
So, too, does Rodriguez.
"You may not see the sacks, but Terrance is in good shape and he's worked hard," Rodriguez said. "He's made some plays, and he's been solid. But the bigger test is going to come this week."
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Wisconsin's Bielema eyes victory at Big House, but says beating Michigan won't be easy
by John Heuser | The Ann Arbor News Wednesday September 24, 2008, 1:21 AM
University of Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema knows what it's like to beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. He just hasn't done it as a coach.
During his playing days, Bielema was part of the Iowa team that edged the Wolverines 24-23 in 1990. Since becoming a coach - first as an Iowa assistant, and now with Wisconsin - Bielema hasn't tasted victory in Michigan Stadium.
He and his team will get another chance Saturday when Big Ten play opens. The No. 9 Badgers (3-0) are favored over the Wolverines (1-2), but Bielema anticipates seeing a better Michigan team. Especially with the Wolverines and coach Rich Rodriguez having a bye week to prepare.
"He's a good coach for a reason," Bielema said on Tuesday's Big Ten teleconference. "With young players, you have the ability to make the most improvement in a shorter period of time. ... Usually when you surround good football players with good coaches, they get improvement."
Turnovers aside, Bielema said he thought Michigan's performance in its Sept. 13 loss at Notre Dame was notable for several reasons: The offensive line played its best game of the season, the Wolverines identified their quarterback (Steven Threet) and their top running back (Sam McGuffie).
"We haven't beaten Michigan in Michigan since 1994," Bielema said. "I'm excited and I know our kids are excited about the opportunity to go to Michigan and see what happens."
Badger injury update
Like Michigan, Wisconsin didn't play last week, and the time off was used by several key players to heal. Top running back P.J. Hill, who rushed for 123 yards in the Badgers' 13-10 win Sept. 13 at Fresno State, was recovering from a bruised back and leg. Hill's backup, redshirt freshman John Clay, had suffered from back spasms and All-America tight end Travis Beckum is coming off a hamstring injury that has slowed him since training camp.
In his news conference Monday, Bielema sounded optimistic that all three would be healthy for Saturday's game.
Settling on Pryor
Senior Todd Boeckman earned All-Big Ten first-team honors last season. Terrelle Pryor hadn't played a down of college football until last month. But as No. 14 Ohio State (3-1) prepares for its conference opener against Minnesota on Saturday, there's a new starting quarterback in Columbus.
Boeckman, who started the season's first three games, has been supplanted by Pryor, who started the last one.
"I would call Terrelle the starting quarterback," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "I don't know if that means 95 percent of the snaps or 65 percent of the snaps. I would call him that."
Considered the nation's No. 1 recruit this year, Pryor has impressed Tressel with his ability to quickly grasp the offense.
"Terrelle probably learned at a more rapid pace than any other freshman I've been around," the coach said.
Boeckman has handled the demotion well, Tressel said, and continues to support his successor. In his start - last week's 28-10 win over Troy - Pryor completed 10 of 16 passes for 139 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 66 yards.
"There are little things that need to be second nature that we need to improve on," Tressel said, assessing Pryor's play. "But on the big things; decision making, turnovers, big plays, I'd say he scored very well."
QB derby at Iowa
While Ohio State and Michigan have settled on No. 1 quarterbacks, the merry-go-round continues in Iowa City. The first game, Jake Christensen started, then it was Ricky Stanzi, then Stanzi, then Christensen. Now, the job's going back to Stanzi.
"At some point we'll work through this equation," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "It gets old, but at some given point, I think the picture will become a little more clear."
Stanzi has completed 29 of 48 passes for 426 yards and three touchdowns this season, while Christensen is 33-of-56 for 372 yards and two TDs.
Wildcats get defensive
Chasing after Stanzi this weekend will be a Northwestern defensive line that has been grabbing quarterbacks and the attention of the rest of the Big Ten. After getting just 18 sacks in 2007, the Wildcats lead the conference with 15 sacks this year. Junior defensive end Corey Wooton has 3.5 sacks, followed by freshman Vince Browne, who had all three of his sacks last weekend against Ohio. Off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 1962, the Wildcats can give much of the credit to the defense, which is coordinated by former Michigan player Mike Hankwitz, who's in his first season in Evanston. Tenth in the Big Ten in scoring defense a year ago, Northwestern ranks third in the league (11.2 points per game) so far this season.
Game of the week
Penn State has spent the season's first four weeks bullying far lesser opponents. Now the No. 12-ranked Nittany Lions will get a tougher team, No. 22 Illinois. Expect Penn State -Â led by the league's most efficient quarterback, Daryll Clark -Â to step up to the challenge and edge the Fighting Illini in Saturday night's ABC game.
opcorn::tiphat:
