Fitzgerald Toussaint : All posts

Fitz Toussaint's improved vision ignites season, draws comparisons to USC Heisman Trophy winner

Fitzgerald Toussaint picked up 1,011 rushing yards this season.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

At one time, the biggest knock on Michigan football tailback Fitz Toussaint was his vision.

It was so bad, in fact, that offensive coordinator Al Borges was worried about what kind of production he'd get out of the sophomore. The introduction of the West Coast offense, a sharp departure from the spread-option, exacerbated the problem in spring camp.

"I had those (concerns) — immeasurably," Borges said at a news conference Tuesday. "The running game was different, just like it was different in the passing game for Denard (Robinson), and he was just running into people, and he was doing just such stupid stuff. And I said, 'God-dog, Fitz.'

"But he don't do that much anymore."

Michigan football coach Brady Hoke expects 'makeshift offense' to continue to evolve in offseason

The Michigan offense this year was a combination of the spread option used by Rich Rodriguez -- like this shotgun read option that quarterback Denard Robinson and tailback Fitz Toussaint ran against Ohio State last week -- and the West Coast offense favored by new offensive coordinator Al Borges.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Michigan football coach Brady Hoke has taken to calling the Wolverines' hybrid offense a "quasi-" or "makeshift" offense.

Offensive coordinator Al Borges calls it a "spread-West Coast" offense, because it's mostly an amalgam of the spread option offense that existed when the staff took over this year, and the West Coast offense Borges brought with him.

It borrows from both disciplines in an effort to get the most of running quarterback Denard Robinson, while also installing a featured back and vertical passing game.

Denard Robinson and Fitz Toussaint hurdle defenders, obstacles en route to 1,000-yard rushing seasons

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson (16) and tailback Fitz Toussaint (28) both eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season on Saturday.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

One lost an offense designed for him. The other had to fight through fall camp and eight games to earn his spot.

Now, Michigan junior quarterback Denard Robinson and sophomore tailback FItz Toussaint are 1,000-yard rushers, achieving the milestone in the 17th-ranked Wolverines' 40-34 win Saturday against Ohio State. They are only the second pair to accomplish the feat in school history.

It had been 36 years since Gordon Bell and Rob Lytle did it for Bo Schembechler in 1975. Now, in a season that has featured a renewed emphasis on the tailback position, Toussaint and Robinson have joined them.

Not that they really wanted to talk about it.

Notebook: Red zone follies hamper otherwise dominant Michigan performance

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The way the first-half box score read, one might have thought the Michigan football team was well on its way to a walk in the park.

But, thanks to several hiccups, the Wolverines' possible blowout turned into somewhat of a white-knuckle affair.

Michigan out-gained Illinois 249-30 in the first half, but thanks to a pair of Denard Robinson fumbles, a turnover on downs near the goal line and a missed field goal, the Wolverines only held a two-possession lead at the break.

"Yeah, it was frustrating," Hoke said. "Everybody gets frustrated."

Notebook: Michigan loses the turnover battle, in turn, loses the game Saturday against Iowa

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson fumbles in the first quarter. Iowa recovered the ball.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

For most of the season, the Michigan football team's defense has been able to overcome turnovers by the offense.

Against Notre Dame, the Wolverines coughed the ball up three times, but picked up five turnovers of their own. Against San Diego State, Michigan lost the ball four times, but took it back three.

The same was true against Northwestern, when the Wolverines threw three interceptions but forced the Wildcats into a fumble and a pick.

Michigan played with fire again Saturday against Iowa. But this time, it got burned in a 24-16 loss.

"Turnovers always hurt," Michigan coach Brady Hoke said. "The thing we missed today, though, is we didn't get any back."

Michigan football coach Brady Hoke says Fitz Toussaint is his lead tailback

Fitz Toussaint pulls away from the Purdue defense on his way to a 170-yard rushing day.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

The Michigan football coaches have dangled the lead tailback position over the running backs all year, yet none of them have been good enough or consistent enough to seize the role.

Until now.

Coach Brady Hoke said Monday during his weekly news conference that sophomore Fitzgerald Toussaint has won the lead tailback derby for No. 13 Michigan (7-1, 3-1), which visits Iowa at noon Saturday on ESPN.

"I don’t think there’s any doubt," Hoke said. "I think he’s earned that opportunity."

Analysis: 'Deuce' formation becoming fixture in Michigan offense, with Denard Robinson employed as decoy

Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges, left, deployed his "deuce" formation frequently against Purdue. The formation includes Michigan's two quarterbacks, Denard Robinson, right, and Devin Gardner, in the same backfield.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Denard Robinson is the quarterback, Michigan football coaches say.

Yet, backup Devin Gardner took one out of every six snaps against Purdue, not counting the ones he got with the game in hand.

Confused? Don't be. This makes a lot of sense.

Just like that, Fitzgerald Toussaint proves the Michigan football team can resemble its old self

Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint fights through the face-mask grab of Purdue safety Albert Evans to score a second-quarter touchdown.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

Fitzgerald Toussaint isn't sure how to explain his trademark moment Saturday.

With the Michigan football team threatening to take control on the opening drive of the second half, the sophomore running back remembers seeing a crease behind sophomore left tackle Taylor Lewan.

From there, things got blurry.

"(There was) a lot of adrenaline," he said. "I just saw (the hole) and hit it.

"And scored a touchdown."

Sounds simple enough. In reality, it was more than that.

Michigan tailback hierarchy taking shape with Smith, Toussaint, Rawls at top; Shaw sliding down

Junior Vincent Smith (2) has ascended the Michigan tailback depth chart while senior Michael Shaw has dropped.

"I would think so," Hoke said. "Fitz (Toussaint) had a good day (Tuesday), too. Both those guys ran the ball hard. (Thomas) Rawls ran the ball hard and he got some snaps in there. We're still trying to find what that magic combination is."

Notebook: Brady Hoke expects Fitzgerald Toussaint, Cam Gordon to be play, and more notes

Michigan football coach Brady Hoke said Wednesday that both sophomore running back Fitzgerald Toussaint and sophomore strong-side linebacker Cam Gordon practiced Tuesday and appear ready to play Saturday against Eastern Michigan.

After earning the start at running back for the season opener against Western Michigan, Toussaint was held out last weekend against Notre Dame game after injuring his shoulder.

"He should be (ready to play)," Hoke said. " He did everything (at practice Tuesday), so we hope to (get him back)."

with video: Troy Woolfolk, Fitz Toussaint and more of Michigan's injured players take part in Tuesday's open practice

Michigan football coach Brady Hoke said Monday that several players’ status for this weekend’s game against Eastern Michigan would hinge on how they practice Tuesday and Wednesday.

So far, so good for many of them.

Michigan's Fitz Toussaint, Troy Woolfolk dealing with previously undisclosed injuries headed into Notre Dame matchup

Michigan football coach Brady Hoke said Friday night that top cornerback Troy Woolfolk and starting tailback Fitz Toussaint are dealing with previously undisclosed injuries.

Both remain probable to play against Notre Dame on Saturday (8 p.m., ESPN).

Woolfolk, a senior cornerback who played only one series last week after he sprained his left ankle on kickoff coverage, suffered a hand injury at Thursday’s practice.

Notebook: Fitz Toussaint will retain starting tailback role against Notre Dame and more Michigan football notes

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Notebook: Toussaint makes most of opportunity as Michigan's No. 1 running back

Michigan sophomore running back Fitzgerald Toussaint rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns in his first start.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Fitzgerald Toussaint saw an opportunity and ran with it.

With the Michigan football team taking control of what turned out to be a mutually agreed-upon, weather-shortened 34-10 win over Western Michigan on Saturday, Toussaint -- the newly anointed No. 1 running back in the Wolverines' new pro-style offense -- found a gap that ended any doubt.

"I was just running to daylight," the sophomore back said.

updated: Michigan football coach Brady Hoke names Fitzgerald Toussaint starting tailback hours before opener

One of the top storylines of the Michigan football team’s fall camp has been the race to become the program’s first lead tailback since 2007.

Just hours before Saturday’s season opener against Western Michigan, coach Brady Hoke revealed his choice: Fitzgerald Toussaint.

Detroit News: Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint ticketed for driving with suspended license

Michigan freshman running back Fitzgerald Toussaint will be arraigned Thursday in Ann Arbor's 15th District Court for driving with a suspended license, The Detroit News reported Wednesday.

notebook: Michigan football team injury report, uniform number change and more on potential Alabama matchup

Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, who missed the first three games with a knee injury, is hauled down by Bowling Green defenders after a 61-yard gain on Saturday.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

The redshirt freshman will have tests done this week. His knee still isn’t completely healthy -- a brace on it hampered his speed during a 61-yard run against Bowling Green on Saturday.

His only other carry was a 5-yard touchdown on the next play.

“He’ll get teased about that forever now,” Rodriguez said of Toussaint getting caught from behind by Falcon defenders.

“Part of that was it was a long run in his knee brace. … The issue with his shoulder, that’s a shame. He’s had tough luck.”

NOTEBOOK: Michigan running back FItzgerald Toussaint likely to play, hybrid Carvin Johnson probably will not

Fitzgerald Toussaint

The Michigan football team appears to be at full strength at running back for the first time this season.

Redshirt freshman Fitzgerald Toussaint, who missed the first two games of the year with a knee injury, looks like he’ll be available when Michigan faces Football Championship Subdivision school Massachusetts on Saturday (noon, Big Ten Network).

“I don’t know how much he will play,” Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said on a teleconference Wednesday afternoon. “But he should be healthy enough to play.”

Toussaint had been vying for snaps in preseason camp with junior Michael Shaw, sophomore Vincent Smith, redshirt sophomore Michael Cox and freshman Stephen Hopkins.

Through two games, Rodriguez has used Shaw and Smith almost exclusively in tandem with Robinson. Hopkins received one carry Saturday - a 1-yard touchdown against Notre Dame. Cox has yet to play.

notebook: Michigan football team running backs receive mixed news, plus quarterbacks await decision

Mike Shaw will play for the Michigan football team Saturday. Fitzgerald Toussaint will not.

The statuses of the two running backs were the biggest question marks remaining for the Wolverines heading into Saturday’s season opener against UConn (3:30 p.m., ABC) at Michigan Stadium.

Fitzgerald Toussaint, young running backs ready for bigger roles at Michigan

Fitzgerald Toussaint didn’t see game action last year because of a broken collarbone, but the redshirt freshman did enough on Michigan’s scout team to impress running backs coach Fred Jackson.

“He’s a good player,” Jackson said. “I’ve seen enough. I didn’t have my blinders on.”