The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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CENTER STAGE To Set The Rushing Tone Again The Offensive Line Wants OL Redshirt junior Taylor Lewan is entering his third season as a starter and has the potential to be the Wolverines' next great offensive tackle. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN O BY JOHN BORTON ffensive linemen love to see rushing numbers pile up. Those digits serve as medals of honor decorating the otherwise anonymous, while representing defenders who have been deterred, derailed and sometimes de-cleated. So when a crew paves the way for a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in the same season, it says plenty. That's precisely what line coach Darrell Funk's group accom- plished in 2011, the Grand Funk Railroad engineering only the second double-grand tandem in the history of Michigan football. Quarterback Denard Robin- son (1,176 yards) and tailback Fitzgerald Toussaint (1,041) churned their way to a combined 25 rushing touchdowns behind a lineup of veterans. "That's a landmark that doesn't happen a lot," Funk acknowledged. "We're proud of that, and we're all part of it. Nobody is about individual recognition, but when you can have a single 1,000-yard rusher as an O-line, that's a feather in your cap. When you can have two, it's a special accomplishment." "Nobody is about individual recognition, but when you can have a single 1,000-yard rusher as an O-line, that's a feather in your cap. When you can have two, it's a special accomplishment." OFFENSIVE LINE COACH DARRELL FUNK "It's been since '75. It's a combination of a lot of things. Obviously, Denard and Fitz are two real talented athletes. But the guys up front, and the tight ends, and the fullbacks, they do some blocking, too. 132 s THE WOLVERINE 2012 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Funk quickly brings the focus back to the task at hand. With an offensive lineman's bluntness, he issues a reminder that no Big Ten championship trophy has yet been issued based on the num- ber of 1,000-yard rushers a team features. "It wouldn't matter if we had three 1,000-yard rushers and didn't win the Big Ten title, we haven't met our goal," Funk said. "But it is a start, and we're going to constantly strive to have that type of rushing production." The Wolverines obviously won't be replicating 2011's ground game with the same personnel up front. Center David Molk — last seen gutting out a one-legged Sugar Bowl with a ruptured tendon in his right foot — has moved on to seek his NFL fortunes. Right tackle Mark Huyge, whom Funk noted experienced a "ter-