The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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170 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 1. 41-30 VS. NOTRE DAME, 2013: Cornerback Blake Countess notched two huge inter- ceptions, one before the half that set up a touchdown and another in the end zone late in the game to clinch it. Defensive end Brennen Beyer notched a late fourth-quarter sack and fellow end Frank Clark added a big tackle for loss to stall a drive in the first quarter to aid the defense's effort. Matt Wile handled punting and kickoff duties, notching five touchbacks. 2. 18-13 VS. PENN STATE, 2014: Beyer notched a pair of sacks, Wile was Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after making three field goals and Clark's sack forced the Nittany Lions to take a safety late in the game on fourth-and-32 from inside their own 5-yard line. Countess iced the game by recovering the onside kick, ending the Wolverines' three-game losing streak. 3. 12-10 VS. MICHIGAN STATE, 2012: Michigan had lost four straight games to the Spar - tans heading into the 2012 contest and played without Countess, lost for the year after injur- ing his knee in the opener. A handful of the class of 2011 played well in his absence including Wile, who dropped one of his two punts inside the 20 and made one of the key plays of the game — a 48-yard field goal just before the half. Morgan was outstanding against the run, notching 11 tackles in helping hold MSU running back Le'Veon Bell to 2.6 yards per carry, while Beyer added three tackles and a forced fumble. 4. 24-21 AT UCONN, 2013: Michigan was supposed to roll the Huskies but struggled — only great efforts by many of the 2011 group helped the Wolverines escape. Morgan's one-handed interception late in the game set up the winning touchdown, and he added four tackles. Clark finished with five tackles and 1.5 sacks, and Beyer added a tackle for loss among his three stops (and notched a quarterback hurry). Countess added two more tackles for loss among his four stops. Center Jack Miller and walk-on guard Graham Glasgow started for the Wolverines on the offensive line. 5. 27-19 (3OT) AT NORTHWESTERN, 2013: Again, it was not pretty, but several from the 2011 class played well. Morgan and cornerback Raymon Taylor notched seven tackles apiece, Clark had one tackle for loss among his six stops, and Countess added five tackles. Wile notched a touchback on his three kickoffs and averaged 42.5 yards on six punts, pinning three inside the 20. 1. BLAKE COUNTESS VS. NOTRE DAME, 2013: Countess returned from a 2012 injury that cost him most of the season and hauled in his first career interception in the first half of Michigan's 41-30 win, returning it 30 yards to set up a touchdown that gave the Wolverines a 27-13 halftime lead. His second interception clinched the game. He grabbed a tipped pass from fellow corner Raymon Taylor with only a minute and change remaining to give the Wolverines their second home night win over the Irish in as many tries. 2. FRANK CLARK AT PENN STATE, 2013: The Wolverines lost in four overtimes, 43-40, but Clark was one of the best players on the field. He notched a pair of tackles for loss, two sacks and two fumble recoveries, returning one for a 24-yard touchdown that cut a 21-10 deficit to 21-17 early in the second half. 3. DESMOND MORGAN VS. OHIO STATE, 2011: Playing as a true freshman in 2011, Morgan struggled at times with the Buckeyes' speed on the edge but more than made up for it by leading the team with 10 tackles — then a career high — adding 1.5 tackles for loss and his first career sack in a 40-34 win. He earned ESPN.com and BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman honors after the season, and that game was a big reason why. 4. BRENNEN BEYER VS. PENN STATE, 2014: Michigan won ugly, 18-13, in a night contest at Michigan Stadium, and the true senior was a huge part of a dominant defensive performance. He recorded four tackles, including a career-high two sacks, in helping the Wolverines snap a three-game losing streak. The Nittany Lions didn't score after the half and managed only 214 yards of offense. 5. MATT WILE VS. PENN STATE, 2014: The true senior hit all three of his field goal attempts (45, 42 and 37 yards), including the last two that tied the game and gave U-M the lead, and earned Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his performance in the 18-13 win. He also handled kickoff duties, booting three of his five tries for touchbacks. Top Five Wins For The 2011 Class Top Five Individual Performances Of 2011 Class Big Ten Teams' Winning Percentages From 2011-15 Rk. School Rec. Pct. 1. Ohio State 56-11 .836 2. Michigan State 54-14 .794 3. Wisconsin 49-19 .721 4. Nebraska 43-23 .652 5. Michigan 41-23 .641 6. Penn State 38-25 .603 7. Iowa 38-27 .585 8. Northwestern 36-27 .571 9. Rutgers~ 36-28 .563 10. Minnesota 31-33 .484 11. Illinois 24-38 .387 12. Maryland^ 23-39 .371 13. Indiana 20-40 .333 14. Purdue 19-43 .306 ^ Spent 2011-13 in ACC ~ Spent 2011-12 in the Big East and 2013 in the AAC NFL Draft Picks Frank Clark — Seattle Seahawks, second round, No. 63 overall, 2015 Graham Glasgow* — Detroit Lions, third round, No. 95 overall, 2016 Blake Countess# — Philadelphia Ea - gles, sixth round, No. 196 overall, 2016 * Michigan walk-on # Spent fifth-year at Auburn in 2015 Cornerback Blake Countess notched two of his con- ference-leading six interceptions during Michigan's 41-30 triumph over Notre Dame in 2013. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN