Coming into the 2011 season, it was thought Roy Roundtree would be the go-to guy for the Michigan Wolverines receiving corps. After all, he broke the school record for single game receiving yards (246) versus the Illini last year and fell just 65 yards shy of a 1,000 yard season.
But Roundtree only has 8 grabs for 127 yards on the season and it’s senior Junior Hemingway who’s been THE GUY. Hemingway’s 26.1 yards/catch average leads the Big Ten; second in all of college football. For Hemingway it’s been “the Old Man and the YAC” or “A Farewell to PBUs” or “For Whom the Blown Coverage tolls.”
(Tell me when to stop because I can do this all day. If Fitzgerald Toussaint were to develop into a dominating offensive weapon, watch out- I’d be dropping F. Scott Fitzgerald references all day.”
Hemingay Leads UM with 391 receiving yards. At Northwestern, he tied his season high with five catches. His sixth career 100-yard receiving game (124), ties for him for ninth place all-time in Michigan football history.
“I think some of it was a route progression that we ran for him,” said Michigan Coach Brady Hoke.
“Junior’s a big guy, he can body DBs pretty well, we call him an offensive guard some times, he goes up with his hands well and competes for the ball.”
Hemingway has really made a below average passer look really good this season. Denard Robinson has made some big plays on some deep routes, especially so versus Northwestern and Notre Dame, but they were all essentially just jump balls where his very big, very tall, very athletic receivers made some plays for him. Almost all his deep throws are just hail marys and his receivers go up and get it. He has no accuracy on the long ball. Hemingway is the guy making most of these plays, which end up as something like an offensive version of a coverage sack.
Junior moved to 23rd in career receiving yards (1,330) at Northwestern. Against Notre Dame, he posted a career-best 165 receiving yards on 3 catches, including 1 TD for 43 yards. His 77 yard reception was a new career best and U-M’s longest reception since 2007.
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