The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/137378
M Size Does Not Matter To Michigan Coaches When Brady Hoke took over in 2011, his roster included more wide receivers 5-11 or shorter (five), including 5-8 Jeremy Gallon and Martavious Odoms, than 6-0 or taller (four). Yet, the Wolverines never once complained, knowing that having the ideal measurables were not as important as having the right attitude. Case in point, Gallon. The diminutive wideout led Michigan in receiving a year ago with 49 receptions. "That's the first thing everybody's going to look at [his height], but I tell them all the same thing — 'Okay, you put the film on and you compare him to everybody else in the country. Eliminate his height. Just compare how they play, and you tell me how he ranks,'" receivers coach Jeff Hecklinski said. "He'll do things that maybe some of the taller ones or more recognizable ones won't do. They catch 20 touchdowns. "He's the one that will make the plays that will win you the game." Gallon had four touchdowns in 2012, including two against South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. His quarterback knows that if he puts the ball in the air, there is a good chance Gallon will come down with it. "At the very least, he'll challenge for the ball and won't let it get picked off," redshirt junior quarterback Devin Gardner said. "He has great lower-body strength. He has outstanding springs. That and his timing; he knows when he has to go up. Defensive backs are horrible at timing — that's why they're not receivers. "Though he's only 5-8, he plays like he's 6-3. No matter how high the ball is, he'll go get it." Though he has put up good numbers each of the past two seasons, Gallon has room to grow if he wants to make the NFL. "What he's got to do now is become consistent every day," Hecklinski said. "He can play this game for a long time, but the consistency you have to have in order to play it every day is special. "There are guys that play at the next level — Wes Welker, Danny Amendola, Tavon Austin — there are all kinds of players like that in the NFL. Steve Smith is probably the most recognizable, with the explosion and everything, when he played for the Carolina Panthers. He was Jeremy's height — maybe a little bit taller, but not much. "All those guys had the same attributes. They're dependable. They've earned the right to be there. That's what he's got to do every day. He's got to earn the right to be there, because everybody, when he walks in the door, says 'Well, he's too small.' "But that doesn't mean I'm not better than you, and I'm not better than you, and I'm not better than the guy that's 6-4 over there. Yeah, my initial [look] is not going to open your eyes, Fifth-year senior wide receiver Jeremy Gallon may not have great height at 5-8, but his coaches and teammates alike have praise for his playmaking ability. Photo by lon horwedel but how I play is going to open your eyes. "He's done that here. He's earned the right to be here. He's done that through the way that he's played, through his toughness, through the way he's learned the game, through the way he performs academically. He's got to continue." Michigan Dramatically Cuts Down Big Plays Allowed Cornerback Raymon Taylor (left) and safety Thomas Gordon helped U-M give up fewer big plays last season than in recent years. Photo by lon horwedel Big Plays Allowed Defensively 2010-12 Year TotalRec.Rush 20-2930-3940-49 50+ 2012 3525101710 3 5 2011 44271729 9 4 2 6446183514 7 8 2010 There was incredible, unfortunate, irony in the way in which South Carolina scored its final, game-winning touchdown in Michigan's Outback Bowl loss. The Gamecocks beat the Wolverines with a 32-yard pass play, slicing through the U-M secondary. USC, in fact, enjoyed unprecedented success against the Maize and Blue, completing six passes of 20 yards or more while adding a 64-yard run. South Carolina's seven "big" plays were the most Michigan allowed to a single opponent in 2012. Only Northwestern (six) also had five or more, with U-M, on average, surrendering just two big offensive plays to its other 11 opponents. Air Force, Purdue, Illinois and Minnesota generated only one 20-yard gain against the Wolverines. Over 13 games, the Maize and Blue allowed 35 plays of 20 yards or more, including 25 pass completions and a mere 10 rushes. They ranked first nationally in total big plays allowed, one better than Bowling Green and Notre Dame (each permitted 36); U-M ranked 12th in running plays allowed and second in passing plays allowed. Michigan's success defensively proved the continued maturation of the defense under coordinator Greg Mattison, who preaches a mantra of "inside and in front" meaning keep the ball in front of the last defender and inside the defense to prevent offenses from getting behind the safeties or outflanking the Maize and Blue. In 2011, Mattison's first season, Michigan allowed 44 plays of 20 yards or more, listing 26th nationally. That was down from 64 (2010) such plays during the final season of the Rich Rodriguez era, which ranked U-M 102nd in the country. Perhaps the greatest improvement has come in 40-plus plays given up. In 2010, opponents had 15. In 2011, they mustered only six and they had just eight this past season. That tally would have been even smaller, but South Carolina had pass completions of 56 and 70 yards in addition to its 64-yard run. Michigan must replace mainstay Jordan Kovacs at safety and J.T. Floyd at cornerback this fall, both departed seniors who played key roles in keeping the big plays down. However, fifth-year senior Thomas Gordon is a veteran entering his third season a starting safety, while junior cornerbacks Raymon Taylor (11 starts in 2012) and Blake Countess (six starts in 2011) are experienced defensive backs. The Wolverine 2013 Football Preview ■ 17