The Wolverine Now

SEPT. 2, 2012 opener would provide a clear measuring stick for the Wolverines. Unfortunately for his team, the Crimson Tide grabbed that stick and beat U-M with it repeatedly, de- livering a 41-14 pummeling before 90,413 fans in Cowboys Stadium. 41 14 "I would think we're on the short end of the measuring stick right now," Hoke con- ceded afterwards. "We've got a lot of things I know we can do better." He didn't have to search the stats to know it, either. Alabama piled up 431 yards to Michigan's 269, limited the Fitzgerald Toussaint-less Wolverines to 69 yards rush- ing, and picked off three U-M passes while turning the ball over just once, a meaning- less fumble on the final play of the first half. On a night when Michigan wanted to show its stuff on the biggest possible stage, it instead washed away under a merciless wave from the defending national cham- pions. Wide receiver Jeremy Gallon noted the Alabama tailback Eddie Lacy's nine-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter made it 21-0 Crimson Tide, and the rout was on for the defending national champions. PHOTO BY JOHN RHODES Wolverines' game plan was to punch first, start fast and finish strong. Instead, Alabama raced away to a 31-0 start, leaving the Wol- verines in disarray. TIDAL WAVE M ichigan head coach Brady Hoke in- sisted facing Alabama in the season Wolverines Doubled Over In Dallas, 41-14 BY JOHN BORTON "We didn't play Michigan football," in- sisted senior quarterback Denard Robin- son. "They're a great team — give credit to them — but we didn't come to play ball today. You guys can see, we didn't come to play ball today. We've got to bounce back from it." Alabama struck first, scoring on a two- yard touchdown pass from quarterback A.J. McCarron (11-of-21, 199 yards, two TDs) to tight end Michael Williams. With the Wolverines stacked in a goal-line defense, the 'Bama QB sucked in a flood of defend- ers on a handoff fake and then lofted the ball to a wide-open Williams with 6:56 remain- ing in the first quarter. The nine-play, 61-yard drive marked an ugly turn in the game for Michigan. Corner- back Blake Countess hobbled off the field on the punt that preceded it, and McCarron used his arm and his runners to set up the TD. He connected with Kenny Bell on a 19-yard toss to chew up a chunk of yardage on a series that never saw Alabama face a third-down situation. The Crimson Tide then began to really roll, throwing to the side Countess normally patrols on their next possession. DeAndrew White put a double move on Michigan's secondary, doubling U-M's deficit misery in no time. The ensuing 51-yard TD bomb made it 14-0 with 4:59 left in the first quarter. Michigan fans suddenly began getting that

• Cover