Sugar Bowl 2012: Why Michigan Will Run All over Hokies

The Michigan Wolverines will have a field day rushing the football against the the Virginia Tech Hokies in the 2012 Sugar Bowl.

Sounds crazy, right? Who would in their right mind make such a claim about a team going against a Frank Beamer defense?

Well, this is the same defense that allowed the Clemson Tigers to rush for 217 yards in the ACC Championship Game.

I understand that the Hokies rank high in the majority of defensive categories, but when they faced a high-powered offense like Clemson’s, well, both games ended in losses. Other than Clemson, who has Virginia Tech defeated that should impress me?

You might could say they beat a formidable opponent in Georgia Tech, but they’re a four-loss team, and even in that game, the Hokies gave up 247 yards rushing.

Then you might say, well that’s their bread-and-butter, and that’s when I respond by saying look at the team they’re playing in the Sugar Bowl.

Michigan ranks 12th in the nation in rushing yards per game, and come Jan. 3, the Wolverines are going to run the football down the Hokies' throat. These are the reasons why.

The Evolution of Shoelace

After a rocky start to the season, Denard “Shoelace” Robinson is finally hitting his stride.  

In the past three games, Shoelace has thrown five touchdowns with only two interceptions and has used his legs as a weapon. Nothing new there though, right?

The game that impressed me the most, though, was the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s a rivalry game, and while the Buckeyes aren’t having the season that college football fans are used to seeing, the victory shouldn’t be taken lightly. After all, it was the Wolverines' first victory over the Buckeyes since 2003.

The victory shouldn’t be taken lightly—and neither should Robinson’s performance. Shoelace completed 82.4 percent of his passes, threw three touchdowns with no interceptions, rushed for 170 yards and had two rushing touchdowns.

Basically, it was the Denard Robinson show, and that’s the biggest reason why Michigan will have success rushing the football against this Hokies’ defense.

The Hokies will have to respect the pass while containing Robinson in the pocket, and that’s no easy task. Robinson is the first step in having success with the run against Virginia Tech.

Fitzgerald Toussaint

Sharing carries in the backfield with Shoelace will be none-other than Fitzgerald Toussaint. We’ll call him step two in this article, though.

See the Hokies’ defense will be worrying about containing Shoelace, and that opens things up for the Wolverines’ running back.

Like Robinson, Toussaint has really come alive in the past three games. Against Illinois, he rushed for 192 yards and a touchdown, then rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns against Nebraska and rushed for 120 yards against Ohio State in the last game of the season.

Toussaint and Robinson have formed quite a formidable two-man punch, and they’re both going into this bowl game with a lot of momentum.

Numbers Don’t Lie

If you’re like me, then you know that there is always a story behind the numbers. It’s a pet peeve of mine when someone throws out a bunch of stats from a football game or a season, because that doesn’t do the sport justice.

While stats can be misleading a lot of times, they can also provide a pretty good understanding of where a team ranks among its peers. So bare with me, as I run through these numbers.

The Hokies’ defense is third in the ACC in rush defense. They're giving up over 107 yards per game on the ground. They haven’t faced a better rushing football team than Michigan this season.

The Hokies’ defense is fifth in the conference in pass defense. Granted, Shoelace might not be the best passer Virginia Tech has seen this season, but then again, he might just be. What elite quarterback has this Hokie defense played this season? I’ll admit Tajh Boyd is a talented young quarterback, but I might be hesitant to call him elite.

I'm not calling Robinson elite, but he can get the job done throwing the football. Expect Robinson's passes to set up the running game, and furthermore benefit the rushing stat I named earlier.

The final number is the number I brought up in the intro slide, and that’s 12th in the nation in rushing yards.

Michigan averages 235.7 yards per game rushing the football. I’m no mathematician, but I believe those statistics favor Michigan’s running game.

A Tired Defense is a Weaker Defense

I call this "The Tim Tebow Effect." The hot topic around the NFL has obviously been Tebow and the Denver Broncos, and everyone wants to know how they come back each and every week (except for Sunday against the New England Patriots).

I believe Tebow’s heart leads them, but the reason they’re able to do so well is because their defense isn’t tired and the opposing defense gets tired.

That’s caused by time of possession, and Virginia Tech’s success relies on controlling the clock. Virginia Tech leads the ACC in that category, but Michigan will control the clock this game with their rushing attack.

This will wear down the defense, and by the fourth quarter, Michigan should be able to do whatever they want due to a fatigued Virginia Tech defense. Hey, it works for the Broncos, doesn’t it?

Brady Hoke’s Gameplan

While Les Miles won The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, I believe Brady Hoke should have at least gotten some consideration.

Had you told the Michigan faithful that they would return to a BCS bowl game before this season, they would have jumped for joy, but that’s just what Hoke and his coaching staff have done.

Hoke has used Shoelace’s abilities in the offense, and he’s put this team in the best position to win all season long.

With all this time to prepare, I believe that Hoke will have a gameplan for this game that is filled with rushing the football with both Shoelace and Toussaint.