Michigan football coach Brady Hoke says he expects Troy Woolfolk, Cam Gordon to start against Notre Dame
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Woolfolk left Saturday’s 34-10 win against Western Michigan in the first quarter after spraining his left ankle on kickoff coverage. He played only one defensive series before suffering the injury.
Gordon was a late scratch because of a balky back and never dressed for the game.
Hoke said those are the only two major injuries from Saturday, and that both will play against the Fighting Irish.
Woolfolk missed all of last season after breaking his right ankle and leg (opposite the left ankle he sprained Saturday) in preseason camp. After finally being declared healthy this fall, the senior's return lasted less than one quarter.
He sprained his left ankle while on a kick coverage team, and eventually was carted off the field. Hoke, though, said it wasn’t serious and could have returned to the game in an “emergency situation.”
“It felt better (Sunday),” Hoke said.
Why was Hoke using Woolfolk, who is coming off major injury and is considered the team’s No. 1 corner, on kickoff coverage?
"It's one-third of a football game," Hoke said. "We're crazy if we don't have any segment of the game that the guys who can perform what they're asked to do at the highest level are not out there on the field.
“That's part of it."
Hoke said he likes to fill special teams roles with players who are reserves, as long as they provide "great production."
"You hope to be able to find some of those guys, depending on what you're asking them to do, that can perform at a high level," he said.
Michigan’s special teams — especially its kickoff coverage unit — played poorly against Western Michigan, and Hoke said he would evaluate the personnel on those teams.
He did not specifically address Woolfolk’s future role there.
Gordon never played against the Broncos. The school announced less than an hour before the game he would not play because of his back.
“He tweaked his back early in the week, felt better, but just didn’t feel good enough,” Hoke said. “There was no sense for us to try and put him out there where he could prolong the recovery process.”
Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.
Comments
A2comments
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 10:33 a.m.
Woolfolk missed all of last season after breaking his right ankle and leg (opposite the left ankle he sprained Saturday)... Thanks for pointing out that his right ankle is opposite his left ankle....
tulsatom
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 11:08 p.m.
I think U-M has improved over last year but after watching last Saturday's game it is not an accident they are not in the Top 25. When you have to play a lot of starters on special teams. like on kickoffs, your level of depth and talent still is not where it should be to be a Top 25 team. They say that the most improvement for a team occurs between the first and second games. I hope that is the case with the U-M special teams and defense. The U-M offense has enough talent and leadership to hang with anyone.
GoblueinNE_PA
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 3:18 a.m.
Dude The very fact that Mattison and Hoke MADE adjustments is an improvement. Never saw that during RichRod's tenure.
Dude
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 12:53 a.m.
I don't see how you can say we've improved over last year based on the WMU game we just saw. The defense didn't look any better than it did in last year's first game, and the offense looks a little less potent than it did in last year's first game. Hell, the special teams are still terrible. The only improvement I could see was that Mattison changed the game-plan and started blitzing when his defense was carved up on the very first drive.
DonAZ
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 11:25 p.m.
Amen, Tom ... we're in good hands (with Hoke and company) and we'll get better. We may not be 12-0 "crystal**" candidates, but we'll do well enough to give good entertainment through the season and make us mostly proud. ** The more I think about the pursuit of "crystal" the more I think that's a fool's errand. Those teams that pursue that with reckless abandon get themselves in trouble. If Michigan never again won a National Championship but won B1G champsionships and produced men of character ... I'd be okay with that.
Keith
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 9:19 p.m.
I was worried about the team not having all the starters. I am glad to see that we are establishing some depth. Beat Notre Dame and Go Blue!
Dude
Tue, Sep 6, 2011 : 12:50 a.m.
Pro-style*
DonAZ
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 11:26 p.m.
Yes ... and I hope Denard and company get some cushion so Devin can come in. I can't wait to see what he can do behind a solid O-Line and a pro-set offense.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Mon, Sep 5, 2011 : 8:19 p.m.
We'll need 'im. Good Night and Good Luck