Angelique S. Chengelis: Burning Questions
Burning questions as Michigan hosts Eastern Michigan as a 31 ½-point favorite:
Q. Chad Henne made it clear Monday that Michigan is "his" team. What did you make of his remarks?
A. Henne is a senior and a fourth-year starter at quarterback, but he has always been an even-keel guy who never surprises you with his comments. He is not one to boast. He is not one to tell you what a good quarterback he is and how he is underappreciated by the masses.
Well, on Monday, during his first comments since he suffered a knee injury in the first half of the Oregon game, he showed a bit of bravado. He admitted he heard the calls for his backup, Ryan Mallett, during the games against Appalachian State and Oregon.
Clearly, Henne is fired up. It's not that he has something to prove to the fans; he's not that kind of player. But he is ready to prove that he is the rightful leader of this team, and he believes that his best days as a football player are ahead.
Q. Do you sense a fire in Henne that hasn't been there before?
A. I asked Michigan coach Lloyd Carr that question, and, of course, he got a bit defensive. Carr said those who know Henne well know how competitive he is.
But while Henne said he didn't care what the fans were saying, there is no doubt he is fired up to let everyone know what they may have taken for granted before -- that he is theguy.
He is the one who has been in the program for four years and he knows the offense in and out. This is not to say he executes every play to perfection, and he would be the first to admit that. But he does have a store of knowledge that Ryan Mallett does not.
Q. Henne said Monday he suffered a partial tear of the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Wasn't this a speedy recovery?
A. Definitely. Orthopedic Web sites say the PCL commonly is torn when a football player's knee is driven into the ground, and that is what happened to Henne.
How gutsy, though, that Henne played three more series following the injury, even though he could feel his kneecap moving around and knowing the stability wasn't there.
He has worked extremely hard to come back and help the Wolverines finish this season strong. He has been getting treatment and hitting the weight room hard, focusing on strengthening his quadriceps, which help strengthen the knee.
Q. What do you expect from Henne against Eastern Michigan?
A. Henne said he was 85-percent healthy after the Northwestern game. But because he played the second half, he said he feels strong enough to play a whole game.
But if Michigan is capable of building a large lead against EMU, Henne won't play the entire game. Ryan Mallett has received valuable playing time, and coming off a game in which he struggled, at Northwestern, it would be a good move to have him gain some more confidence.
Q. The offense won't have suspended receiver Mario Manningham on Saturday. How will this affect the offense?
A. Manningham will be missed, but the Wolverines still have Adrian Arrington and Greg Mathews.
Carr said earlier this season Manningham has not played as well as he could. Maybe this one-game suspension will light a fire under Manningham.
Q. What's going on with the defense?
A. Shawn Crable is having an impressive season without much fanfare. He was named Big Ten player of the week for his performance against Northwesten, which was a nice reward for his improved play.
After struggling in the first half against the Wildcats' spread offense, the Wolverines' defense settled in and made plays.
Eastern also runs the spread, but Michigan's defense has had enough experience this season alone against the spread to recognize what's coming.
Q. This has been an unusual run of injuries for Michigan. What gives?
A. The areas of concern are linebacker and right guard. Chris Graham was hurt last week at Northwestern and fellow linebacker John Thompson did not practice last week and did not make the trip. Michigan needs those players.
The situation at right guard has been unreal. Starter Alex Mitchell went down and then his backup, Jeremy Ciulla, followed in the Penn State game. Their backup, Tim McAvoy, was hurt in last week's game.
The law of averages say Michigan has had its fill of injuries. And that better be the case if the Wolverines hope to make a run at the Big Ten title.
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