Michigan-Western Michigan Game Canceled At End Of 3rd Quarter; Wolverines Credited With 34-10 Win

A bizarre debut for new Michigan head coach Brady Hoke ended with a weather-shortened 34-10 victory over Western Michigan.

The game was stopped twice in the third quarter due to severe weather, and officials decided to call the game with Michigan winning 34-10. There was just over a minute left in the third quarter.

Hoke’s debut got off to a rocky start when Western ate up the first seven minutes on the game’s opening drive, a 76-yard march that ended in a 1-yard touchdown by Antoin Scriven.

Michigan answered with an eight minute drive, ending with a one yard plunge by Fitzgerald Toussaint that tied the game at 7-7.

The game quickly turned into the Brandon Herron Show after that. The Michigan linebacker intercepted WMU quarterback Alex Carder at the 6-yard line and romped 94 yards for a 14-7 Michigan lead with just under seven minutes left in the first half. It was a school record for an interception return.

Another short touchdown by Toussaint and a WMU field goal in the final minute led to a 20-10 halftime lead for Michigan.

Weather then struck just a minute into the third quarter, delaying the game a half hour. When play resumed, so did Herron. Safety Jordan Kovacs drilled Carder on WMU’s first possession out of the delay, forcing a fumble that Herron scooped up for a 29-yard score.

The Michigan offense got in on the action after the defense forced a punt on WMU’s next drive. Toussaint rumbled 43-yards on the first play to the WMU 44, and two plays later Michael Shaw busted free for a 44-yard score to put Michigan ahead 34-10.

Carder drove Western to the Michigan 25-yard line on the ensuing possession, but he was hit by Ryan Van Bergen and fumbled again, with Van Bergen also recovering the ball. Michigan drove down to the WMU 26, but the weather turned foul again, forcing the game to be called.

It was the first time in Michigan history a game was canceled.

Final Stats

Passing
Robinson, UM: 9/13, 98 yards
Carder, WMU: 22/31, 183 yards, interception, 2 fumbles

Rushing
Toussaint, UM: 11 carries, 80 yards, 2 touchdowns
Shaw, UM: 4 carries, 54 yards, touchdown
Robinson, UM: 8 carries, 46 yards
Tevin Drake, WMU: 10 carries, 65 yards

Receiving
Jordan White, WMU: 12 catches, 119 yards
Junior Hemmingway, UM: 1 catch, 37 yards

Mother Nature seems intent on stealing the spotlight from Brandon Herron and Brady Hoke.

Severe weather has delayed Hoke’s debut as Michigan head coach a second time, with the Wolverines leading Western Michigan 34-10 near the end of the third quarter. The Detroit News’ Bob Wojnowski reports the stadium is being evacuated:

Michigan Stadium is now officially being evacuated. Entire stadium bowl being emptied. Lightning keeps striking. Bizarre scene.

Lightning was again reported in the area of the game, which was already delayed once early in the quarter due to similar circumstances.

The Michigan defense seemed to get a bit of a swagger after the first stoppage halted play just a minute into the half. On Western’s first possession after the delay, quarterback Alex Carder was drilled by Michigan safety Jordan Kovacs, forcing a fumble that Herron scooped up and returned 29 yards for a score. Herron set a school record earlier in the game when he returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown.

Not to be outdone, Michigan’s offense decided to get in on the fun after the defense forced a punt on the next drive. Fitzgerald Toussaint led off the drive with a 43-yard burst to the WMU 44-yard line, and two plays later Michael Shaw finished it off with a 44-yard touchdown run.

Western appeared to get its feet on the ground, driving to the Michigan 25, but Carder fumbled again after getting hit by Ryan Van Bergen, who also recovered the ball.

Michigan had driven the ball to the WMU 26 before play was stopped again. When play resumes, Michigan will have a 2nd-and-8 with 1:40 left in the third quarter.

Stats After (Almost) Three Quarters

Passing
Robinson, UM: 9/13, 98 yards
Carder, WMU: 22/31, 183 yards, interception, 2 fumbles

Rushing
Toussaint, UM: 11 carries, 80 yards, 2 touchdowns
Shaw, UM: 4 carries, 54 yards, touchdown
Robinson, UM: 8 carries, 46 yards
Tevin Drake, WMU: 10 carries, 65 yards

Receiving
Jordan White, WMU: 12 catches, 119 yards
Junior Hemmingway, UM: 1 catch, 37 yards

The Michigan Wolverines’ starting cornerback Troy Woolfolk was forced to leave the Western Michigan game early due to a lower body injury. Woolfolk was carted off the field and into the tunnel after being tended to on the sidelines by the team trainers.

Woolfolk was still in his uniform after halftime, but he walked out of the locker room gingerly and accompanied by a trainer, separate from the rest of his team. Woolfolk tested the injury on the field shortly before the third quarter began, but decided he couldn’t give it a go and was replaced by fellow senior cornerback J.T. Floyd.

Woolfolk was the second defensive starter lost today, as sophomore linebacker Cam Gordon did not dress due to a back injury.

As you know, Woolfolk missed the entire 2010 season with a dislocated ankle and broken fibula. Hopefully, for the Woolfolk’s and the Wolverines’ sake, this injury is not related or serious.

Brandon Herron’s 94-yard interception return has essentially been the difference in Michigan holding a 20-10 lead over Western Michigan into the third quarter.

With seven minutes remaining in the second quarter, the senior outside linebacker caught a pass tipped into the air by freshman LB Jake Ryan. Herron caught the ball at the WMU six-yard line and took off down the field. With most of the Broncos’ offense moving toward their end zone, and three or four Wolverines defenders around to block, Herron had a free path to a touchdown.

That gave Michigan a 14-7 lead, and the 94-yard run back for a touchdown set a modern-day (post-World War II) school record.

The previous record was set back in 1971 by defensive back Thomas Darden, who returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown against UCLA.

Herron apparently liked scoring that first touchdown because he got another one in the third quarter. After play resumed following a weather delay, safety Jordan Kovacs sacked WMU quarterback Alex Calder on a blitz, forcing a fumble. Herron recovered the fumble and ran 28 yards for a touchdown.

Michigan currently leads Western Michigan, 27-10.

Heavy rain and lightning in the Ann Arbor area has led to the postponement of Michigan’s season opener with Western Michigan.

Michigan came out and completed its first drive of the second half, an uneventful three-and-out that was likely affected by the pouring rain. Before Western’s offense took the field for its first drive of the half, officials made the call to postpone the game for 30 minutes.

There is a severe weather system in the area and there was an active heat advisory in effect for Southeast Michigan. The ESPN/ABC crew reported that there was lightning within 20 miles of the stadium that caused the delay. This is the first time since 2006 that a game at Michigan Stadium has been delayed, when Michigan’s Sept. 9 contest with Central Michigan was postponed nearly an hour.

When the game resumes, Western Michigan will have the ball with a first-and-10 on its own 13 yard line. There will be 14:08 left in the third quarter

Michigan’s offense has picked up right where it left off last season. The defense has been somewhat hit and miss.

The Wolverines’ offense has looked sharp in the first half and Brandon Herron had a 94-yard interception return for a touchdown to stake Michigan to a 20-10 halftime lead.

The Broncos took the ball into to the end zone on the game’s first drive, marching 74 yards in seven minutes that was capped by a one-yard touchdown by Antoin Scriven for a 7-0 lead.

Michigan responded with a long drive of it’s own, eating up eight minutes on a drive that ended with a one-yard score by Fitzgerald Toussaint to tie the game.

The defense finally woke up after Western appeared poised for another long drive. Western quarterback Alex Carder drove the Broncos to the Michigan 4-yard line, but his 2nd-and-goal pass was tipped and intercepted by Brandon Herron, who returned it 94 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead. It was the longest interception return in school history.

The defense continued the inspired play, forcing a three-and-out to setup Denard Robinson and the offense for another scoring drive. Toussaint capped a nine-play, 66-yard drive with another short plunge from the goal line to give Michigan a 20-7 lead. Brendan Gibbons’ extra point was blocked.

Western was able to get into field goal range for John Potter in the final minute, and he converted a 36-yard field goal to cut the lead to 10.

First Half Statistical Leaders

Passing
Robinson, UM: 8/9, 61 yards
Carder, WMU: 17/24, 135 yards, interception

Rushing
Robinson, UM: 6 carries, 40 yards
Toussaint, UM: 8 carries, 25 yards, 2 touchdowns
Tevin Drake, WMU: 5 carries, 47 yards

Receiving
Jordan White, WMU: 9 catches, 96 yards
Kevin Koger, UM: 2 catches, 16 yards

(Sports Network) The Brady Hoke Era in Ann Arbor will kick off this Saturday afternoon when the new look Michigan Wolverines host the Western Michigan Broncos at Michigan Stadium.

It is safe to say the Rick Rodriguez experience in Ann Arbor was a failure. Michigan is usually one of the elite programs in the country, but tallied just 15 wins over three seasons. However, in Rodriguez's defense the team did improve each year, and last season finished above .500 with seven victories. That win total earned Michigan a spot in the Gator Bowl, but the Wolverines were embarrassed by Mississippi State, 52-14. The loss was the final straw and shortly after Rodriguez was terminated.

The program elected to go with Hoke as head coach, and while he is a much better fit it will be interesting to see how the team performs Saturday as Michigan had to endure another major facelift in playing style.

The Broncos don't have to adjust to a new head coach this season, as Bill Cubit will be running the show at WMU for the seventh campaign. Last year though, wasn't the best for coach Cubit has his squad severely underachieved at times and were much better than their 6-6 ledger indicates. In fact, if it wasn't for a three-game winning streak down the stretch it would have been the third losing campaign in the last four years for WMU. That was not the case however, and coach Cubit is excited for the new year, but this will be the first of what appears to be a daunting road slate in 2011 for the Broncos.

In 2009 the Wolverines opened their season against Western Michigan, and in convincing fashion defeated the Broncos, 31-7. The win gave Michigan a 5-0 edge over Western Michigan in the all-time series.

Although the Broncos finished a mere .500 on the year there was plenty to take away from the 2010 season. One of the bright spots was the play of quarterback Alex Cader, who was sensational, throwing for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Cader is primed to have another big year and should open the 2011 campaign with a strong showing. It will be easy for Cader to have success this year since Western Michigan possesses one of the best receiving groups in the Mid- American Conference.

Jordan White returns for WMU, giving coach Cubit one of the most dangerous QB/WR tandems in the league. White led the team last year in catches, yards and touchdowns and is ready to have another outstanding season. However, he is not the lone toy for Carder, as opponents will have to watch out for Robert Arnheim as well.

Over the past couple of seasons the ground game for WMU has fallen short of expectations, but there is reason for real optimism in 2011. The reason for the excitement is because of Tevin Drake, who averaged an astonishing 10.1 yards per attempts on 40 carries. While that is not going to happen this year, Drake is an exciting athlete that may give the Broncos a consistent ground attack. He will get every opportunity to do so, starting this week in the Big House.

Having the bulk of the starters back up front gives coach Cubit plenty of options. There is a lot of experience up front, but the player that is needed most will be Paul Hazel, who racked up eight sacks a year ago.

Mitch Zajac led the team in tackles last season and will be back at middle linebacker. However, the most experience is in the secondary. Last year WMU had some trouble stopping the pass, as opponents tallied 221 yards per matchup through the air. There are three returning starters and even more players that gained valuable experience a year ago, so that number should improve. Lewis Toler, who picked off five passes last season will be the leader of this bunch as a sophomore. The secondary will be taken to task on Saturday against Denard Robinson and Michigan.

As for Robinson, he is the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, but will he be able to take on the new responsibilities of leading coach Hoke's offense?

Robinson gave defensive coordinators fits and became the first QB in NCAA history to rush and pass (2,570 yards, 18 TDs) for more than 1,500 yards in a season. However, with coach Hoke moving from a spread offense to a pro-style scheme, it will be interesting to see how Robinson adjusts to the switch.

The transition should be made easier with the return of most of the receiving corps from a year ago. Roy Roundtree was Robinson's safety net in 2010, and do not be surprised if these two juniors hook up early and often on Saturday.

Robinson did it all in the spread offense, and his 1,702 rushing yards were by far and away the best numbers on the team. With the new scheme comes more opportunities for others on the ground. The question coming into camp however was who will get the ball the most.

For Saturday the starter will be tailback Michael Shaw, who scored nine touchdowns a year ago. Look for Fitzgerald Toussaint to see some action as well. The junior only had eight carries a year ago, but did average nearly 11 yards per carry (10.9).

The Michigan faithful love tough defense, but that side of the ball never lived up to expectations under Rodriguez.

Last season's numbers certainly contributed to Rodriguez's firing, as the Wolverines were horrendous, allowing over 450 yards per game and 35.2 ppg.

Michigan will not get its defensive swagger back immediately, but the addition of defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will surely help. Mattison is the fourth defensive coordinator in the last five seasons for Michigan, but he may just have the perfect formula to turn things around.

It also helps to have the returning talent he has at his disposal. Kenny Demens and Cam Gordon give the Wolverines experience at the linebacker position, while Mike Jones will make his presence known as well throughout the year.

Pressuring the quarterback was a big issue for Michigan last year, but the team's sack leader from 2010, Ryan Van Bergen will move to tackle, giving the Wolverines pressure up the middle.

The most intriguing part of this defense will be the secondary. Last year Michigan surrendered over 260 yards per game through the air, but the unit was decimated by injuries. Coach Hoke is fortunate to have corners Troy Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd back. Both missed significant time last year, but are healthy and ready for the opener, along with safety Jordan Kovacs, who was second on the team in tackles (116).

Michigan is 27-1 against Mid-American teams all-time, but this is a different Michigan squad, and Western Michigan is not your average MAC team. The Broncos are dangerous offensively, especially through the air, and that was a weakness for the maze and blue last year. However, coach Hoke has the wild card in the deck, and that is Robinson.

Look for the athletic junior to work his magic in front of a feverish 100,000 rabid Michigan fans looking for a fresh start.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Michigan 45, Western Michigan 21

Michigan has announced its depth chart for the season opener against Western Michigan. Some starting jobs haven't been determined just yet (as denoted by the presence of "or" after a player's name), but most of the positions are set. Check it out below.