The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN FOOTBALL because they were tired of losing, and now you're sort of in transition. "I'm confident that when Brady Hoke has a roster of his guys, and he has older guys that have been in the system, that Michigan will win." DONOVAN WARREN REFLECTS ON APPALACHIAN STATE There will be no avoiding the media coverage the week before Michigan's 2014 season opener. With Appalachian State on the docket, highlights (or lowlights) from the 2007 game will be broadcast over and over again; ASU became the first Division I-AA team (now Football Championship Subdivision) to upset a ranked I-A squad (now Football Bowl Subdivision) when it knocked off the fifth-ranked Wolverines 34-32. It is a game that lives in Michigan infamy, and a contest that haunts ev- ery Wolverine that wore the winged helmet that season, former corner- back Donovan Warren admitted. Warren, then a true freshman, played most of the second half in place of starting cornerback Johnny Sears. A week later, in a loss to Or- egon, he started at corner, and he would start 11 games, recording 52 tackles, five passes broken up and an interception. He has mixed feelings about U-M playing Appalachian State, which will fully be a FBS team this season after making the transition, but notes his strongest urge is redemption. "My feeling is revenge," he said. "I know those guys [on the current team] didn't play against Appala- chian State, but I still have a sour taste in my mouth from that game. "I am talking to some of the guys on the team this year to let them know, 'Don't take this game for granted. These guys are going to come out and compete. They know in their history they can compete with us and that shouldn't be the case at all. 'Dominate the game, and really come out aggressive and make a statement early on.'" FCS teams beating FBS teams was rare prior to 2007, but Michigan was one of nine victims that season, and in the six seasons that have trans- pired since, FCS programs have added 48 more victories, though only two against ranked teams. Michigan's oldest players, fifth- year seniors Devin Gardner and Will Hagerup, were only 15 years old when the Maize and Blue fell to the Mountaineers in 2007 so the current Wolverines are far removed from what transpired that day. They may not feel the surge of revenge cours- FCS WINS OVER RANKED FBS PROGRAMS Year FCS Team FBS Team Result 2007 Appalachian State No. 5 Michigan W, 34-32 2010 James Madison No. 13 Virginia Tech W, 21-16 2013 Eastern Washington No. 25 Oregon State W, 49-46