Counting Down Michigan’s Greatest Season Openers

1984 for the most part was not a memorable season for Michigan. Schembechler’s squad would finish 6-6 after an injury to QB Jim Harbaugh sent the season into a spiral. But it did begin with a bang, as the Wolverines took out the number one ranked Hurricanes propelling the Wolverines to a temporary third place ranking. 1984 was also Jimmy Johnson’s first at the helm for Miami. He would finish the season 8-5 with three consecutive losses, including the historic Hail Flutie Game. An odd tidbit, Miami entered the game 2-0, while it was Michigan’s season opener.

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Welcome to my re-rankings of the 2003 Big Ten Recruiting Classes. Every week I’ll break down a different position. I also will cover Notre Dame’s recruiting because Michigan often goes head to head with the Domers for recruits.

2003 Big Ten Quarterback Recruiting:

Brad Bower’s senior season in high school went very well as he had 2,886 total yards and 48 total TD’s. Brad was a consensus all-state selection and was rated a higher end three star prospect by both Rivals (#21 dual-threat) and Scout (#23). At Illinois, Bower redshirted in 2003 and accounted for 658 yards passing in 2004. After the ’04 season, Bower opted to transfer to Ohio University. After sitting out the ’05 season, Brad passed for 2,192 yards with 12 TD’s. Bower came out of high school a pretty highly regarded recruit, but in my opinion did not lift up to the hype.

2003: Rivals - 3 stars. Scout – 3 stars. 2010 re-rank: High 2 stars.

DaJuan Warren exited high school with a decent three star rating and all-state honors as a senior. When he arrived at Champaign he saw no time at quarterback and made a position move to wide receiver where he was pretty much a non factor.

2003: Rivals – 3 stars. Scout – 3 stars. 2010 re-rank: High 2 star athlete.

Blake Powers was a borderline Big Ten QB coming out of high school. He was rated a high two to low three star player in 2003. During his career at quarterback he passed for 2,789 yards and 23 TD’s, before moving to tight end in 2006 making Kellen Lewis the starter. His final two seasons at IU were mainly spent as a “coach” for the younger QB’s.

2003: Rivals - 3 stars. Scout – 2 stars. 2010 re-rank: 2 stars.

Drew Tate sits second in passing yards for Texas high school football with 12,183 and third in touchdown passes with 113. Coming out of high school he was ranked anywhere from a 3 to 4 star kid. During his career at Iowa Tate passed for 8,292 yards, second behind the great Chuck Long. He also threw 61 TD’s which ranks eighth in Big Ten history.

2003: Rivals - 4 stars. Scout – 3 stars. 2010 re-rank: Solid 4 stars. I would’ve given him a high 4, but his team was only 13-12 his final two seasons and his senior year was his worst.

Eric McCollom was named Mr. Football in South Carolina as a senior. During his final two seasons McCollom passed for 6,345 yards and threw for 72 touchdowns! Yet coming into college he was a relatively low ranked player. He switched positions to wide receiver in Iowa City, but his career was very limited due to numerous injuries.

2003: Rivals – 3 stars. Scout – 2 stars. 2010 re-rank: Incomplete. I really wish that we could’ve seen this kid at full strength.

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Here is a look at our projected class:

Name	Position	City
Kevin Sousa	QB	Orlando, FL
Demetrius Hart	RB	Orlando, FL
Shawn Conway	WR	Birmingham, MI
A.J. Jordan	WR	Trotwood, OH
Jake Fisher	OT	Traverse City, MI			-
Tony Posada	OT	Tampa, FL
James Elliott	OG	Pensacola, FL			-
Jack Miller	OG	Scottsdale, AZ
Anthony Zettel	DT	West Branch, MI
Brennen Beyer	DE	Plymouth, MI
Chris Rock	DE	Columbus, OH
Kris Frost	LB	Matthews, SC
Antonio Kinard	LB	Hyattsville, MD
Kellen Jones	LB	Houston, TX
Greg Brown	CB	Fremont, OH
Delonte Hollowell	CB	Detroit, MI
Dallas Crawford	CB	S. Ft. Myers, FL
Daren Kitchen	CB	Houma, LA			-
Avery Walls	S	Union Grove, GA

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Most of the official media outlets are picking the Connecticut Huskies to come to the Big House and surprise the Michigan Wolverines. But how confident are the fans heading into the matchup?

So far in our season prediction contest, fans have predicted victory at a 90.5% rate. The average predicted season calls for between 7 & 8 wins.

Great Interviews with the defensive staff, courtesy of Rivals.com:

Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson -

Defensive Backs Coach Tony Gibson -

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• Name: Hasean Clinton-Dix
• Position: Athlete
• Height & Weight: 6’2” 190 lbs.
• High School: Dr. Phillips Panthers (FL)

HIGHLIGHTS

NEWS

Currently committed to Alabama. Visiting with teammate Demetrius Hart to the UConn game.

QUOTES

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Although the 1986 match-up was a victory for Michigan, it is an ode to the Irish. Michigan entered 1986 ranked 2nd in the Country. The game at South Bend was Lou Holtz’s first leading Notre Dame after previously coaching at Minnesota. The Fighting Irish were unranked, but came out firing as they amassed 455 total yards while never punting. Yet somehow the Wolverines would pull out this game by the skin of their teeth. 

They did due to the Irish’s poor ball security. Notre Dame turned over the ball four times to Michigan’s one. Three of those turnovers occurring inside the red zone. A missed extra point and 45 yard field goal by future pro John Carney also helped seal their fate. For the first time in history, an unranked team, Notre Dame, moved up into the rankings (#20th) following a loss.

Source: Wolverine Liberation Army

• Name: Nick Patti
• Position: Quarterback
• Height & Weight: 5’10” 185 lbs.
• High School: Dr. Phillips Panthers (FL)

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The class of 2003 was ranked 8th overall by Scout.com & 17th overall by Rivals.com

The Michigan Wolverines Recruiting Class of 2003:

Pos.	Name	High School
QB	Clayton Richard	McCutcheon (IN)
RB	Jerome Jackson	Saginaw (MI)
TE	Will Paul	Parkway West (MO)
OL	Jake Long	Lapeer East (MI)
OL	Adam Kraus	Brother Martin (LA)
OL	Jeff Zuttah	The Hun School (NJ)
OL	Pat Sharrow	Monroe (MI)
DE	Shawn Crable	Massillon (OH)
LB	LaMarr Woodley	Saginaw (MI)
LB	Prescott Burgess	Warren Harding (OH)
LB	Jim Presley	Milford (MI)
DB	Leon Hall	Vista (CA)
DB	Ryan Mundy	Woodland Hills (PA)	-
DB	Anton Campbell	Fort Zumwalt West (MO)
ATH	Brandent Englemon	Holmes, KY
K	Garrett Rivas	Tampa Jesuit (FL)

Made it to the NFL:

Jake Long – (  ) Started 38 games during his career at Michigan as a tackle on the offensive line. Named team captain during his junior & senior seasons while also making All-conference. Was drafted 1st Overall in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.

LaMarr Woodley – (  ) Made 177 tackles, 24 sacks and forced 10 fumbles during his Michigan career. Although Michigan lost the 2005 Rose Bowl to Texas, Woodley shared the MVP Award with Vince Young. Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2006. Drafted in the 2nd Rd. of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Member of the XLIII Super Bowl Champions. 2009 Pro Bowler and 2nd Team All-Pro. Recorded 29 sacks in the first 3 years of his pro career.

Prescott Burgess – ( ) Made 171 tackles and intercepted 4 passes while at Michigan. Made a career high 11 tackles against Iowa in 2005. Drafted in the 6th Rd. of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.

Leon Hall – ( ) Started 33 games during his Michigan career. He had 180 tackles and 12 interceptions as a Wolverine. Leon was drafted 18th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Hall started at cornerback his first game at a Bengal and has 14 career interceptions.

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Today was the much expected day in which we all found out exactly where everyone was going to play in the Big Ten.  I, for one, was extremely confident I knew where everyone would play, but I was great to see it out so everyone knew.  The divisions names will be announced at a later time, but the divisions will be seperated as such: the first division will feature Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin, and the second division will feature Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern.  I think the divisions are setup great, and I will be looking forward to the Nebraska meeting so we can get some redemption for past occurrences; the 1997 season.

The specifications are, each school will play the other five schools within the division they play in,  and will face three teams from the other division (to be named later).  The guaranteed cross-division matchups are Illinois-Northwestern, Indiana-Michigan State, Ohio State-Michigan, Penn State-Nebraska, Wisconsin-Minnesota and Purdue-Iowa.  On another note, the schedules were released, and rest assured, Michigan will be meeting Ohio State at the end of the season.  Many people were worried about the matchup being in October; however, we don't know exactly what the future beyond the 2012 season holds.  Time will tell.  It's time to put the pieces of the puzzle back together, and have a productive year!  All in favor, ALL HAIL to Michigan!

The game started out slow with Denard Robinson unable to gain a first down during Michigan’s first two possessions as both teams went scoreless. Tate Forcier was inserted for the Wolverine’s third possession and promptly 5 consecutive passes driving the Wolverines 83 yards down the field before Micheal Shaw would score from 3 yards out.

7

0

9:51 1Q

	14		0	2:22 1Q

Fraser quickly responded for the Huskies completing 5 passes in a row covering 76 yards. The scoring play was a 8 yard pass to Moore.

	14		7	0:51 1Q

The following drive will be one that the Head Coach Rich Rodriguez will have on his mind all night as Denard drove the team to the 1 yard line before they would attempt a 4th down conversion. Robinson missed Darryl Stonum in the corner to cause a turnover on downs.

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2011 Big Ten Recruiting Rankings

1		The OSU express keeps on chuggin’ along, headed by Braxton Miller.
2		Coach Kelly is having a very nice first year on the recruiting trail at ND, reeling in prospects from all over the country.
3		The Cornhuskers have a very nice offensive line class going, averaging around four stars a piece.
4		Smaller numbers this year, but it will be a very talented class headlined so far, by Brennan Beyer.
5		Snagged a few Michigan recruits including Jordan Walsh and Ray Hamilton.
6		Has a commit from the top player in Michigan, Lawrence Thomas.
7		Texas receiver Christian Jones leads the Cat’s offensive heavy class.
8		This is without a doubt one of Indiana’s best classes in some time.
9		A class of few superstars, but many good looking sleepers.
10		Nice on quality, but short on quantity so far.
11		Offensive guard Tom Olson heads a solid group of OL’s.
12		The Zooker is a very good recruiter, but is off to a slow start this season.
13		Always recruit nice athletes, this year is no different.

The Iowa Hawkeyes had a very nice month on the recruiting trail, picking up three very good prospects. Ranked as one of the top guard prospects in the 2011 class, Jordan Walsh broke the hearts of many Wolverine fans when he chose the Hawks. Walsh has a nonstop motor and gets off of the ball very well. Jordan also had offers from Michigan, Boston College, Illinois, Nebraska, USC and Wisconsin among others. In the near future, Walsh will block for Wisconsin back Melvin Gordon. In 2009 Gordon rushed for 1,060 yards and 15 touchdowns. Athlete Torrey Campbell has primarily played running back in high school, but will play corner in Iowa City. Campbell has a ton of speed and talent, but is a little raw as a corner prospect.

Name	Position	Hometown	H.S.
Melvin Gordon	Running Back	Kenosha, WI	Bradford
Jordan Walsh	Offensive Guard	Glen Ellyn, IL	Glenbard West
Torrey Campbell	Athlete (RB/CB)	Naples, FL	Barron Collier

Michigan State also had a very strong month of August. Solidifying the inside of the offensive line are Donovan Clark and Jack Allen. Clark is one of the top OL’s in Ohio this season and chose Sparty over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and USC. He is a good looking prospect who does a great job with run blocking, but has to improve his pass protection and quickness. Allen is a kid who plays with really good technique and has very good athleticism. He needs to put on a little muscle, but he looks like he’ll be a good center for years to come. MSU also grabbed two nice defenders as well in Ed Davis and Darien Harris. Davis is a kid with a very high ceiling, but is pretty raw at this point. He has great athleticism and does a great job in coverage. He chose Michigan State over Iowa and Michigan. Harris is a kid who could play either safety or linebacker at the next level. Last season he had 67 tackles and 7 sacks as a linebacker for Maryland power DeMatha.

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