The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1051817
DECEMBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 35 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL KARAN HIGDON RUNS FOR 100 IN SEVEN STRAIGHT GAMES Michigan senior running back Karan Higdon has been one of U-M's top of- fensive players this year, and he's one of the country's best rushers. He ran for 100 yards in his seventh straight game, which included the first six Big Ten contests, when he posted 132 yards against Penn State Nov. 3. However, the streak fell one short of matching Mike Hart's 2007 school record, when he was limited to 42 yards on 15 tries against Rutgers the following week. However, that hasn't put a damper on what he has accom- plished so far while gaining 1,005 yards through U-M's first 10 games, one of which he missed due to injury. "It's time for him to get nominated for some big-time awards," junior quarterback Shea Patterson said after the Wolverines beat Penn State, and head coach Jim Harbaugh agreed. "I've been happy with the backs, Karan the most," the head coach said. "He's playing at a really high level, ball security's been A-plus-plus and the yards he's getting after contact are really good. He's got a knack for even taking the short runs blocked for a two-yard run and getting it to four. "He has the ability to break the long one, a great penchant for that, and did it again this past game [against PSU]." Higdon broke out for a 50-yard gain to set up the Wolverines' first score. The veteran graduated from Michi- gan in April, at the end of his third year on campus, which was his plan before he signed his letter of intent during the recruiting process. He admitted this summer he almost left last season and would have if he'd just gotten six more yards. He finished with 994 total. "If I touched 1,000, I was leaving," he stated. Instead he's back and setting per- sonal records. He's also become one of the team's leaders as a senior captain. "You can tell he knows he's a leader," junior safety Josh Metellus said. "He knows guys look up to him, and he's taken that with a high head and is like, 'Alright, if people want me to be the leader, I can be the leader.' "He's speaking up. Whatever he doesn't like, he says it … or if he wants to talk to the team, give us some en- couragement, he does. Everybody re- ally listens to him." — Chris Balas JOSH UCHE HAS BECOME 'UNBLOCKABLE' Junior linebacker Josh Uche waited for a letter. In the spring of his junior year at Columbus High School in Miami, Uche met with his high school coach Chris Merritt. Uche was upset because he didn't have any college offers yet. While the two were talking, Merritt reached over on his desk and found someone else's letter, scratched out the name and wrote Uche's on it. At the end of the conversation, Mer- ritt slid the letter over to him and Uche looked at him funny. While that letter wasn't his, Uche would soon become a hot commodity to college football teams and receive plenty of his own. After gaining 132 yards on the ground against Penn State Nov. 3, Higdon eclipsed 100 rush- ing yards in his seventh straight game, but the streak came to an end one shy of the school record the following week at Rutgers . PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. WR 9 D. Peoples-Jones 6-2 208 So. 80 Oliver Martin 6-1 200 R-Fr. or 8 Ronnie Bell 6-0 182 Fr. LT 75 Jon Runyan Jr. 6-5 310 R-Jr. 76 J. Bushell-Beatty 6-6 318 5th-Sr. LG 74 Ben Bredeson 6-5 320 Jr. 72 Stephen Spanellis 6-5 300 R-So. C 51 Cesar Ruiz 6-4 319 So. 72 Stephen Spanellis 6-5 300 R-So. RG 50 Michael Onwenu 6-3 350 Jr. 72 Stephen Spanellis 6-5 300 R-So. RT 76 J. Bushell-Beatty 6-6 318 5th-Sr. 71 Andrew Stueber 6-7 323 R-Fr. TE 83 Zach Gentry 6-8 262 R-Jr. 84 Sean McKeon 6-5 251 Jr. WR 4 Nico Collins 6-4 218 So. 88 Grant Perry 6-0 195 Sr. or 7 Tarik Black 6-3 215 R-Fr. QB 2 Shea Patterson 6-2 205 Jr. 18 Brandon Peters 6-5 230 R-So. or 3 Joe Milton 6-5 234 Fr. FB 42 Ben Mason 6-3 254 So. RB 22 Karan Higdon 5-10 202 Sr. 12 Chris Evans 5-11 216 Jr. DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. DE 15 Chase Winovich 6-3 255 5th-Sr. 19 Kwity Paye 6-4 260 So. DT 90 Bryan Mone 6-4 335 5th-Sr. 50 Michael Dwumfour 6-2 285 R-So. DT 2 Carlo Kemp 6-3 280 Jr. 93 Lawrence Marshall 6-4 285 5th-Sr. DE 3 Rashan Gary 6-5 283 Jr. 97 Aidan Hutchinson 6-6 268 Fr. OLB 7 Khaleke Hudson 6-0 220 Jr. 29 Jordan Glasgow 6-1 223 R-Jr. 59 Noah Furbush 6-5 237 5th-Sr. ILB 36 Devin Gil 6-1 231 R-So. 12 Josh Ross 6-2 225 So. or 6 Josh Uche 6-3 238 Jr. ILB 10 Devin Bush Jr. 5-11 233 Jr. 12 Josh Ross 6-2 225 So. FS 23 Tyree Kinnel 5-11 215 Sr. 26 J'Marick Woods 6-3 210 So. SS 14 Josh Metellus 6-0 204 Jr. 20 Brad Hawkins 6-2 213 So. CB 24 Lavert Hill 5-11 181 Jr. 1 Ambry Thomas 6-0 183 So. CB 22 David Long 5-11 198 Jr. 28 Brandon Watson 5-11 204 5th-Sr. MICHIGAN DEPTH CHART (UNOFFICIAL) Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. PK 3 Quinn Nordin 6-1 206 R-So. 2 Jake Moody 6-0 177 Fr. P 17 Will Hart 6-3 192 R-So. 2 Jake Moody 6-0 177 Fr. KO 2 Jake Moody 6-0 177 Fr. 3 Quinn Nordin 6-1 206 R-So. H 17 Will Hart 6-3 192 R-So. Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. LS 33 Cam Cheeseman 6-4 235 R-So. 49 Andrew Robinson 6-0 218 5th-Sr. KR 1 Ambry Thomas 6-0 183 So. 8 Ronnie Bell 6-0 182 Fr. PR 9 D. Peoples-Jones 6-2 208 So. 8 Ronnie Bell 6-0 182 Fr. SPECIAL TEAMS