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8/10/06-Football
Morgan Trent seeks to start for U-M defense
BY MIKE ROSENBAUM OF THE OBSERVER AND ECCENTRIC
According to the cliché, offense wins games and defense wins championships. If that's true, then several area players will have a large say in whether or not the University of Michigan football team wins a championship this fall.
New cornerbacks coach Ron Lee got his first look at Orchard Lake St. Mary's graduate Morgan Trent and former Farmington Harrison standout Charles Stewart during this year's spring practice. The two sophomores, along with redshirt freshman Johnny Sears, are competing for a starting cornerback position.
"I thought Charles Stewart had a very good spring practice," Lee says. "I look forward to him competing this fall for a starting spot. The same can be said for Morgan Trent. I think they're both going to allow us to be able to rotate players more often than before, and it's going to make us a better secondary."
Trent looks forward to the cornerback battle.
"It's going to be a big competition coming up at camp," he says. "We're going to be competing the whole time for it. So it's going to be fun."
"Everybody brings something to the table," adds Stewart. "I don't really look at it as competition. I just look at it as, how good can I get? Because I know the other guys, they're going to play hard. So it just makes me have to come out and make plays every day."
Trent played nickel back last year and started five games, all in five-DB sets. He finished with 22 tackles -- including 20 solo hits -- one interception and six pass breakups in 11 games, after switching from wide receiver to cornerback the previous spring.
"I think (the transition) went pretty well," Trent says. "I think I did pretty well for just switching (that spring). But I still had a lot to learn. I think I'll definitely improve this year...Game experience helps a lot. The more reps you get the more comfortable you feel. So I think I'm getting a lot better."
Trent says his top challenge on the field is "being consistent. That's the biggest thing at the corner position. You've got to be consistent. If not, you're going to give up a big play."
Like Trent, Stewart saw his first collegiate action last year after redshirting in 2004. He played in 10 games, mainly on special teams, and registered four tackles plus one pass breakup.
"It's always good to get in the game," Stewart explains, "but you hope to play a little bit more. I just played special teams last year and everybody's goal is to ultimately start. So it was good playing last year a little bit, but I look to make a much more significant contribution this season."
Lee sees different strengths in each contender.
"Morgan Trent, I think his speed is something that is a really obvious (strength)," Lee says. "And the experience of having some playing time last year. I think with Charles Stewart, it's basically that this is his time to help the team. He has very good cover skills -- they both have very good cover skills...It was really surprising this spring to see (Stewart) go out there and perform."
As with the defensive linemen, both Trent and Stewart should receive solid playing time even if they don't start, either via rotating into the lineup, or in five- or six-defensive back sets.
And, like the rest of their defensive brethren, the local products want U-M to avoid the late-game struggles it suffered last season.
"At the end of the game," adds Trent, "we want to make that stop, that last stop that we didn't (make) last year. Just show the country what we're all about as far as defense goes."
"That's the key, to win the fourth quarter," echoes Stewart. "It's not good to play hard the whole game, then lose at the end. That's a strong emphasis for us this year and we're going to get that done."
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