Michigan wins a 3/4 game for Hoke's first victory. UM 34 WMU 10

The Wolverines looked like a Michigan Football Team.  First time in 3 years.  They didn't look great, but they looked good.  Go Blue.  Hail to the Victors.   Welcome home Defense.  Congrats Hoke, coaching staff and players.  You stepped up and played Michigan Football the way we want to watch it. 

The Wolverines looked like a Michigan football team again, because they played hard hitting defense.  Good defense.  Not great defense, mind you.  The important difference I noticed immediately was the lack of broken tackles.  When some one was tackled, the tackles were hard and true.  Many coverages were missed, to be sure, but no long gainers after a catch or big hole in the line.  Pursuit was good and opponent brought right down.  This defense knows how to react, something we haven't seen during the past three years.  This is a good foundation to build on.  The defense will get better as the season progresses. 

The defense scored twice and forced another turnover that resulted in a score, a play-making defense.  Haven't seen that in a long time.  Kudos to Kovacs and Herron and Ryan.  By the second half they had Crowder (WMU QB) and the Bronco offense rattled.  All the hard hitting piled up on the Broncos. 

The offense was okay.  Best part was that Denard didn't have to carry the entire team on his back.  He had some good runs, and a decent day passing.  Both would have been higher if we had played a full four quarters.  Played with poise. What was nice to see was some running backs running downhill.  Shaw and Toussaint combined for 134 yards, with Toussaint scoring 2 TDs.  He reminds me a bit of Michael Hart.  These running backs were on the team the past two years.  What's the difference? No more of that spread offense deception stuff.  Power running. 

The offense will have to improve. I'm not at all convinced that Robinson has the kind of arm we need to win a title.  Convince me Denard. 

Special teams were average.  Kickoff coverage sucked.  We gave the Broncos good field position every kickoff.  Blocked extra point too.  This will improve also.  The team has had so much to learn.  This will come.

One final impression.  The team is, for the most part, the same players as last year.  It's amazing what coaches that coach players can accomplish as opposed to that coach we had that coached a system. 

It's good, to be, a Michigan Wolverine.
Go Michigan, Beat the Irish.