Michigan suspends three players for the Outback Bowl and this should help the Gamecocks. The three players are defensive back JT Floyd, punter Will Hagerup and linebacker Brandon Hawthorne. All three were suspended for a violation of team rules.
The university has not disclosed the nature of the violations, but the following statement from Michigan head coach Brady Hoke was released:
It is an honor to play football for the University of Michigan, and we have high standards and expectations for everyone that represents our program. These young men used poor judgment in each circumstance, and these suspensions are teaching moments for our team.
Floyd is a senior cornerback, and Hawthorne is a linebacker also in his final year with the Wolverines. The suspension will bring Floyd's and Hawthorne’s careers at Michigan to an extremely disappointing end.
From the Gamecocks standpoint, this is a boost. Never what to hope for bad things to happen to opposing teams but this should aid the chances of the Gamecocks as Floyd was a starter and the punter was one of the best in the Big Ten.
