Michigan safety Makari Paige updates his health, more on U-M injuries
HOUSTON — Michigan safety Makari Paige was banged up in the Rose Bowl win over Alabama, and he wasn’t alone. Junior defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny also went down early, helped off the field with a lower leg injury.
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Benny sported a cast on his right foot in the postgame locker room. While he was hopeful he’d get better news when he returned to Ann Arbor, he wasn’t spotted at Michigan football National Championship Game Media Day Saturday. Several sources have told us they don’t expect him to play Monday night against Washington.
The news is much better on Paige. He was spotted on the field in the postgame celebration Monday and again Saturday, where he was moving around fine between interviews.
“I’m good to go,” Paige said. “I’m great. I’m not going to talk about (what happened against Alabama), but I’m good to go. Our mindset it to get out there and play our brand of football.”
With no hesitation, as they have all year. Washington’s passing offense might be the best the Wolverines have faced all season, but U-M has risen to the occasion against every offense this year and for most of the last three. That includes Ohio State the last two years. CJ Stroud got his yardage the last two years, but defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s crew has done a great job keeping them out of the end zone.
The Huskies will challenge with their downfield passing game more than anyone else on the schedule.
“They’ve definitely got good receivers — good size and speed, good hands,” Paige said of the Washington group. “They have good route running abilities. They definitely have good receivers, so it’s going to be a challenge for us. But …. we see challenges all the time.”
Many have been trying to compare the Washington receivers to Ohio State’s the last few years, the Michigan veteran acknowledged.
“A little bit,” Paige said. “A couple of their guys, especially. They’re skilled. We’ve just got to do what we’ve got to do — do what we’ve been doing this whole year. Nothing different than what we’ve been doing this whole year. That’s our whole focus is to do what we’ve been doing.”
Other than senior guard Zak Zinter, out for the game with a broken leg (though he walked from the plane to the bus last night without crutches upon arrival), the rest of the Wolverines appeared healthy and rested. They’re excited to cap a special season with a national championship, knowing it won’t be easy.
“It was definitely an aspiration; definitely a goal,” Paige said of what he expected when he signed. “But you expect to win. You’re at Michigan.
“It’s definitely surreal being in this position I’m in — that we’re all in — right now.”
