The Monday Morning Free Press: Injuries, injuries, injuries

Each Monday, Maize n Brew is given the opportunity to opine about Michigan Athletics on the Detroit Free Press website. In conjunction with the Freep, we are also hosting the column on MnB as well. If you would like to read the original column, you can do so here.

ANN ARBOR -- If it weren't for bad luck, Michigan would have no luck at all this season.

After U-M lost starting running back Derrick Green last week to a broken collarbone, it was announced an hour before kickoff that redshirt freshman tight end Khalid Hill will also be missing the season with a torn ACL he suffered in practice. This also doesn't count missing sophomore starting receiver Jehu Chesson, who was not dressed for Penn State and appeared healthy last week against Rutgers.

Just when it appeared both Green and Hill seemed to start turning the corner, injury strikes. Typical for a team who can't seem to find any positive karma as it approaches the home stretch of the season.

For a team that desperately needs some good news, which it received temporary relief after a 18-13 victory over Penn State on Saturday, the injuries keep coming.

The bye week could not come soon enough.

The injury scares do not stop there, however. U-M received two on Saturday when quarterback Devin Gardner went down in the third quarter with an ankle injury and Devin Funchess needed attention as well -- but has been injured since the Notre Dame game -- Gardner was later inserted back into the game and walked into the postgame interviews with a walking boot but was adamant that he would not miss any time.

There's also the whole Shane Morris fiasco, in which he apparently still isn't ready to play after third-string quarterback Russell Bellomy played Saturday when Gardner came out.

The addition of the sophomore tight end Jake Butt's torn ACL he suffered before spring practices put a nice ribbon on the absolute terrible luck the offensive side of the football has faced with injuries this year.

We can even break it down further; U-M has its fair share of injuries on the defensive side of the football, too.

U-M has been missing linebacker Desmond Morgan for much of the season after suffering what appears to be a broken arm. Although he is expected to return at some point this season, it is clear that the defense has been missing senior leadership on the field at points this season. Something Morgan, alongside senior Jake Ryan, could provide. Defensive tackle Willie Henry appeared to not play Saturday with an apparent injury although he was dressed and taking third team reps. Hoke did not exactly allude to the fact that he was injured.

Another playmaker, another injury.

Freshman cornerback Jabrill Peppers has not been healthy this season as well. For someone so highly touted coming out of high school, to see him miss the majority of the season thus far has been isappointing.

This is why U-M has been having such poor luck. When talent like Peppers walks into the doors of Schembechler Hall, the injury bug strikes. Is this why U-M can't have nice things?

Sure, the injury bug doesn't excuse the team for such a poor start. But it goes to show the kind of season that U-M has been having. The victory, in combination with the bye week, couldn't come at a better time for a team that is desperate for good news and some good luck. When things go wrong, it all seems to happen at once. In this case, the bad luck is hitting them in the loss column and where it hurts, the depth.

Sometimes when it rains, it pours.