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Michigan coach Brady Hoke liked the spirit and energy he saw and sensed from his first preseason practice with the Wolverines.
''It was good. Was it the greatest practice I've been around? No,'' Hoke said Monday night. ''I've got about 15 things to go over that I probably didn't like.
''I'm a hard guy to please because we want to be the best.''
College football's winningest program has not been among the best lately, struggling so much over three seasons that Rich Rodriguez lost his job in January.
Hoke's arrival has generated a lot of excitement and higher expectations, but he knows there's a lot of work that needs to get done between now and the season opener in less than a month at home against Western Michigan.
''We kind of ground ourselves every day when we meet because we have so many things that we know we have to be better at,'' Hoke said. ''There's a ton of things we need to do.
''We talk about Michigan every night and being Michigan and those expectations that we all have. As far as us believing anything, we have to prove it every day.''
Center David Molk agreed.
''Time is running out to get work done,'' Molk said.
The Wolverines are going from a spread offense and three-man fronts on defense to a pro-style offense and four-man fronts, leading to body transformations. Defensive lineman Will Campbell and offensive tackle Taylor Lewan pleased Hoke by following orders on their own during the offseason.
''Will Campbell, I think he left at spring 342 or something like that and came in at 316,'' Hoke said. ''Taylor Lewan gained some weight he needed to gain. A lot of guys needed to get bigger and more physical.''
Michigan's biggest problems are in the kicking game and on defense.
A pair of kickers combined to miss 10 of 14 field goals last year and the returning punter, Will Hagerup, will miss the first four games for violating unspecified rules.
Hoke said freshman Matt Wile may be asked to kick and punt, getting experience kicking in Michigan Stadium this month along with at the team's practice facility.
''We need them to kick up in the stadium a bunch, that's a little different animal,'' Hoke said. ''You can be a great kicker on State Street, but you kick up on Main Street. The wind is a little different up there. I don't know if the two new scoreboards will change that.''
Opponents have been lighting up the Big House scoreboards with points recently. The much-maligned unit expects to get a boost with the return of defensive backs Troy Woolfolk, who had a season-ending ankle injury in fall practice a year ago, and J.T. Floyd, who had a season-ending ankle injury in November.
''We're pretty healthy,'' Hoke said. ''Troy is full speed. Floyd is full speed.''
The team isn't full strength, though, with the loss of Hagerup for one-third of the regular season and receiver Darryl Stonum for the entire year. Hoke redshirted Stonum, who is on two years of probation for a reduced charge of operating while visibly impaired.
When Stonum was a freshman in 2008, he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license. Stonum ended up in jail last summer because he didn't comply with terms of his probation.
Hoke said Stonum, who has started 25 games in his career, will be allowed to practice with the team this year, but he won't play.
''We want a championship culture here and there's an accountability we all have to have for each other,'' Hoke said.
