Coming into the season, senior wide receiver Marquise Walker was expected to be an All-America candidate, or so the Michigan media guide would have you believe.
- Paul Wong
- B.J. Askew made his debut as a starting tailback Saturday against Miami (Ohio).<br><br>MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daily
Walker, who had 49 receptions for 699 yards last season, was All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and was expected to fill in for the departure of All-American David Terrell.
And, after all, Walker”s first three catches from Navarre last season went for touchdowns, and his 39-yard first quarter reception in last Saturday”s game set up B.J. Askew”s one-yard touchdown.
The play came on a bootleg by Navarre, and allowed Walker to use his 6-foot-3 size to out-jump the shorter defensive back.
But after the catch, Walker was relatively silent the rest of the day, finishing with only two more catches for five yards.
When asked what his thoughts were about Michigan struggling offensively, he said “We need to look at our mistakes and correct them.
“I think everyone was a little off their first game. Once we get the first game out of the way, I”m sure we”ll shape up.”
While the Wolverines weren”t sharp, they tend to play better against good teams. This will need to be the case against No. 15 Washington.
“I think we have a had a lot of tradition down through the years,” Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. “The tradition here is that you play with pride and you play your best games in the big games. That has a lot to do with the players we have had here as well as the coaches. It is a team thing and when you have people with great pride and togetherness, as well as leadership, then you have a chance to be successful … and we have had that.”
What”s in a number?: If Michigan beats the Huskies Saturday, it would obviously be a great win.
But it would be a monumental win as well.
If Michigan wins, it will take the lead for all-time victories in college football. Michigan and Yale who hasn”t started its season yet are currently tied with 806 wins.
The two schools will likely compete all season for possession of the record, as Yale, who was 7-3 last year, is expected to challenge for the Ivy League title.
Michigan already owns the record for most wins by a Division I school, as the entire Ivy League plays in Division I-AA.
The Wolverines” game with Washington could be coach Lloyd Carr”s 60th career win at Michigan as well. Carr, who is 59-16, also has the highest winning percentage by a Michigan coach, with his .787 percentage.
This past Saturday”s game was the 450th game in Michigan Stadium, and put Michigan over 35 million fans. The Wolverines are 334-101-15 in their 75 seasons in “The Big House.”
Thanks for stoppin” by: With the NFL regular season still one week away, former Michigan stars and current Chicago Bears” rookies Anthony Thomas and Terrell made their way back to Ann Arbor for their former teammates” first game.
What was their impression? “They looked good,” a polite Terrell said.
After the game the duo couldn”t move without fans asking for pictures and autographs, but the two found time celebrate, going into lockerroom and singing “The Victors” a post- win ritual with the team.