Senior Week for Michigan football brings forth a lot of pride, but carries a bit of a cloud this season. The most high-profile Wolverine senior may be taking it all in from the sidelines.

That's what quarterback Denard Robinson has done the past two weeks, and U-M head coach Brady Hoke once again described the senior as "day-to-day." Hoke quickly waved off any notion that Robinson might see the field quicker this week because of it being the seniors' last game in Michigan Stadium.

"That won't have anything to do with it," Hoke insisted. "His health is what it will have to do with."

Hoke did admit, there's a little more emotion to the week in some respects.

"This week's a special week," Hoke noted. "Number one, our seniors. It's the last time they get to play in the greatest stadium in this country, get to wear that blue jersey here at home. It's really special for us as coaches and for those underclassmen to go out and play well."

Hoke hasn't guided this crew all four or five years, obviously. He has a special feeling for them, though, given that they adjusted to a new coaching staff well into their careers.

"You see as a team that we're pretty resilient," Hoke noted. "That's what this group is. They've been through two approaches, two styles of how you go through a football program. They've done a great job with it. They've worked hard.

"They're a fun group of guys to be around. I think the world of them."

As for Robinson, he's obviously proven a stalwart for the seniors, a captain that has been a leader and top yardage producer of all time at Michigan. For him to not be able to perform in his final game at Michigan Stadium would tinge the day, for many, with a little sadness.

At the same time, Hoke stressed it's about the team. When asked specifically about Robinson, he went beyond talking about the senior quarterback.

"He's obviously made a mark within Michigan football," Hoke said. "He's done a tremendous job. But there are a lot of guys, as a team, as seniors, who have done things. Will Campbell is a guy who has really grown. He probably played his best football game [against Northwestern]."

•••NOTEBOOK•••

• Despite its 4-6 record, Iowa cannot be taken lightly, Hoke stressed. The Hawkeyes are coming off a pair of losses by a field goal each, 24-21 to Indiana and 27-24 to Purdue.

"Iowa is a very good football team," Hoke said. "They've lost the last two games by a total of six points. They run the football well. They've had some nicked-up people earlier in the year, but they're really coming together.

"James Vandenberg is a very good quarterback. We've got our work cut out for us, and we've got a lot to do."

• Hoke noted he briefly considered taking a shot at the end zone, rather that immediately kicking the game-tying field goal to send the contest against Northwestern to overtime. He quickly overruled that thought.

"It just made sense at the time," he said. "The kids were running all the way down the field. We didn't have a timeout. He [quarterback Devin Gardner] spiked it, and did a great job of managing that. No one was moving.

"At that time, I thought it was the right thing to do. It did cross my mind, but I thought, no, let's kick the field goal."

• The U-M head coach insisted the Wolverines have plenty to correct on the defensive side of the football, but that Northwestern's offensive proficiency shouldn't be discounted.

"[Kain] Colter is a football player," Hoke said. "Venric Mark is a guy who can play anywhere. He's got great quickness to him, and speed. Our defense stood up when it had to.

"Obviously, it's some of what they did well, and some that we didn't do well enough. Those are two really good athletes. I don't know how you want to slice it. Are there things we could do better, leveraging the football better, getting off blocks better? No question about it."


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