*** NCAA Football Preview - Michigan Wolverines ***
From The My Sportsbook
By Frank Haynes, College Football Senior Editor
2003 SEASON IN REVIEW: It was a banner year for the Maize and Blue, as Lloyd Carr's troops went 10-3, beat bitter rival Ohio State, won the Big Ten title and earned a trip to the Rose Bowl for the first time in six years. The Michigan offense, led by QB John Navarre and RB Chris Perry, was as potent as any in the conference last season, ranking 38th in the nation in rushing and 22nd in passing. The defense contributed in a big way as well, ranking 22nd against the run and 15th versus the pass. The year began with a trio of blowout victories as the Wolverines outscored non-conference foes Central Michigan, Houston and Notre Dame by an average of 41 ppg. The team suffered its first loss in heartbreaking fashion at Oregon (31-27) in week four, and opened the Big Ten slate with a 31-17 win over Indiana. A 30-27 setback to Iowa the following week would serve as UM's lone loss in league play, and its 35-21 dismantling of Ohio State in the regular-season finale was the capper on what could certainly be viewed as a highly successful season. It would have been even better if the Wolverines had been able to beat USC in the Rose Bowl, but overall, folks in Ann Arbor had plenty to be happy about.
2004 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: The loss of a solid, if much maligned signal-caller in Navarre means the Wolverines are going into battle with an unproven entity at quarterback. Sophomore Matt Gutierrez appears to have the inside track, and he did well in limited duty last season, completing 13-of-19 passes for 153 yards and a TD. Helping make his transition from backup to starter will be one of the top wide receiving corps in the country. Senior Braylon Edwards and junior Jason Avant both have great size and speed, and combined for more than 130 catches last year. Sophomore Steve Breaston will also see significant playing time. In addition to the uncertainty surrounding Gutierrez, the running back situation is a bit muddled as well, as senior David Underwood is expected to carry the mantle previously held by the highly productive Perry. Underwood averaged better than five yards per carry in '03, but at 6-0, 227 pounds, has the build to take the punishment he will surely absorb now that he figures to get the bulk of the carries. Sophomore Jerome Jackson could also figure in the mix after averaging 6.4 ypc a year ago. Guards Matt Lentz and David Baas (two-time All-Big Ten First Teamer), and tackle Adam Stenavich are returning starters, and the offensive line as a whole averages nearly 314 pounds, meaning there is some serious beef up front to both protect the QB and open holes in the run game.
DEFENSE: The strength of this year's Michigan defense lies beyond the line of scrimmage. The linebackers and defensive backs will have to come up big as the line features just one returning starter in junior DE Pat Massey. A pair of sophomores and a junior are expected to line up at the other three spots, including lightning-quick rush end LaMarr Woodley, but none has proven their worth at the major college level yet. Linebackers Lawrence Reid and Pierre Woods led the team in tackles last year (a combined 150 stops), and both are back for their junior years. If the front seven are able to mount pressure on the quarterback, things in the secondary should be just fine, as returning starters Markus Curry and Marlin Jackson man the corners, and junior SS Ernest Shazor is back to roam the middle. Jackson returns to the outside after playing much of last season at free safety, and that move should pay huge dividends for the Wolverines, who should have a pretty fierce defense once again. That is as long as the line gels sooner rather than later.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Michigan returns both starting kickers from last season, as senior Adam Finley will handle punts and sophomore Garrett Rivas will take care of kicks. Finley was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection in 2003 after averaging 42.2 ypp, while Rivas was accurate in nailing 9-of-12 FGs, including a long of 47 yards. Breaston is an extremely dangerous return man, who set the Michigan single-season record for punt return yardage last season. An example of his playmaking skills is that he returned two punts for touchdowns and had two others called back by penalties.
OUTLOOK: With Notre Dame presenting the biggest challenge early on, the Wolverines should be in fine shape heading into the Big Ten portion of their schedule. The league opener against Iowa will be tough, but it's in Ann Arbor so you know Carr will have his team fired up, particularly when you add the revenge factor for last year. Three of their next four games take place on the road, which is never easy, and the Wolverines will have to play at Ohio State on November 20th in a game that could very well decide this year's conference champion. It all hinges on how well the new starters on offense play, and whether or not the defensive line can come up big. But knowing Carr and his staff, the talent up and down the roster, and the schedule in hand, the bet is Michigan will once again approach double-digit wins and challenge for a BCS berth.
