Big Ten football roundup: Michigan

Michigan football took a step toward its past this offseason to build the foundation of its future.

After firing former coach Rich Rodriguez, Michigan officials retraced their steps to what made the program elite. Brady Hoke, a former Michigan assistant under Lloyd Carr, promises to return the program to its roots. Hoke's shift includes a slamball running attack and a physical defense, almost a complete reversal from Rodriguez's spread-option offense and shockingly porous defense.

For Hoke, it all starts with attitude.

"The game's played up front on both sides of the ball," said Hoke, who coached last year at San Diego State. "We've got a group of guys on both sides that are learning a little differently. When you look at it offensively, the power game, the combination blocks, some of the things that we believe in in how we want to run the football, downhill running backs, then defensively going from a three-man front to a four-man front, trying to work some guys. 

"Trying to get all those guys fundamentally, the techniques, how you want to play the game up front with a mentality I think on both sides of the ball is important."

Michigan had perhaps the nation's most electrifying player last year in quarterback Denard Robinson, the league's offensive player of the year. Robinson, now a junior, ran for a league-best 1,702 yards and threw for 2,570 yards. He's the only quarterback in NCAA history to rush and pass for more than 1,500 yards in a season.

Hoke is trying to convert Robinson from a shotgun-based quarterback to one taking the ball from under center in a pro-style attack. It remains a work in progress.

"I think in our case with Denard, with what he brings to the table, his skill sets, I think (offensive coordinator) Al Borges says it perfectly: he's a guy who is obviously very dangerous withthe ball in his hands, but he can do a tremendous job of throwing the football," Hoke said. "So it really has been a real smooth transition. He played under center during his entire high school career. Those are some of the mechanics you always worry about."

Hoke's major area of concern begins on defense. The proud Wolverines defense was a shell of its tradition last year, finishing last in the Big Ten in total defense (450.8 yards), pass defense (261.8) and 10th in rush defense (188.9). Michigan allowed a least-worst 35.2 points per game, and Wisconsin ran the ball 38 consecutive times to end the game in a 48-28 loss.

The defensive philosophy shifted from Rodriguez and Greg Robinson's 3-3-5 scheme to a base 4-3 defense. Hoke hired Greg Mattison, the former defensive coordinator at Florida, Notre Dame and the Baltimore Ravens, to install it.

"When you're thinking of defenses, the first defense that comes to mind for me was the Ravens' defense, when you want to see who you want to model yourself after," Michigan defensive tackle Ryan Van Bergen said. "When you come in with a reputation like that, everything (Mattison) says is gold to everybody on the team. We all bought in completely because of where he's come from and what he's done successful-wise.

"I think that his impression on the defense, his attitude gets reflected in how we play. He's a no-nonsense kind of guy, do-your-job kind of guy, it's going to be perfect or it's not good enough. That's the standard we're starting to hold ourselves to and it's starting to show up."

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

• Division: Legends
• 2010 record: 7-6, 3-5 Big Ten (lost Gator Bowl 52-14 to Mississippi State)
• Returning offensive starters (10): QB Denard
• Robinson, RB Michael Shaw, RB Vincent Smith, WR Junior Hemingway, WR Darryl Stonum, WR Roy Roundtree, TE Kevin Koger, LT Taylor Lewan, C David Molk, RG Patrick Omameh
• Returning defensive starters (9): LB J.B. Fitzgerald, MLB Kenny Demens, LB Cam Gordon, CB Courtney Avery, SS Jordan Kovacs, NT Mike Martin, DE Craig Roh, DT Ryan Van Bergen, FS Ray Vinopal
• 2010 review: Michigan started the season with five straight wins, including a 30-10 stomping of eventual Big East champ UConn. Quarterback Denard Robinson was the early favorite for the Heisman Trophy and became the first quarterback to rush and pass for at least 1,500 yards in a season. But the Big Ten season wore on Michigan's defense, which allowed at least 34 points in every league game except one. The Wolverines finished the season with three straight losses to Wisconsin, Ohio State and Mississippi State, giving up a combined 137 points. Coach Rich Rodriguez was fired after the 52-14 Gator Bowl loss to Mississippi State.
• 2011 schedule: S3 Western Michigan; S10 Notre Dame; S17 Eastern Michigan; S24 San Diego State; O1 Minnesota; O8 at Northwestern; O15 at Michigan State; O29 Purdue; N5 at Iowa; N12 at Illinois; N19 Nebraska; N26 Ohio State
• Noteworthy: Michigan retains its key rivalries in the Big Ten's new divisional setup. Ohio State was preserved as its non-divisional protected rival, and Michigan State joined the Wolverines in the Legends Division. Michigan also will play Minnesota annually for the Little Brown Jug, which is Division I football's oldest traveling trophy, and still play non-conference foe Notre Dame. ... The Wolverines return its top passer, three leading rushers and four leading pass receivers from last year.
• Quotable: “My thoughts are there's no tradition, there's no bigger rival in sport than that football game (Ohio State-Michigan). It's always played there in the last Saturday in November. That's where it should be. I know the excitement that it generates, that great rivalry, the respect that the two schools have for each other. I think the Big Ten hopefully keeps it exactly where it is." - Michigan Coach Brady Hoke