SB Nation - Tim Jamison

MSU Unit Preview: Offensive Line

LVS — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:50:47 -0000

Bloodied, not beaten.

As discussed earlier this summer, the current college football theory du jour revolves around the importance of offensive line experience. Unfortunately, this is not exactly something we have in spades: The Wall Street Journal's calculations indicate that in the conference, only Penn State has a more inexperienced line than we do. (Cue Don LaFontaine voice) In a world where we must replace our entire offensive backfield, will the Spartans' inexperienced offensive line DOOM any chance of offensive competency?

Eh, maybe. More after the jump.

Last Season: Up and down. The line often dominated lesser opponents, and was dominated by more physical teams: our cumulative rushing total against Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State and Georgia was 143 yards. (Of course, this wasn't helped by Ringer's late-season injury, but still . . . awful.) Says Joel Foreman:

"Mistakes happen. But you've got to be able to play in the big games, and we didn't do that," said sophomore Joel Foreman, who learned on the fly as a starting redshirt freshman in 2008. "You've got to be able to come through."

As we all know, MSU's running game maintained a very odd dichotomy last season: we had at once a historically productive running back, and, statistically, one of the worst running games in the conference. At least some of those who have tried to resolve the conflict have put the blame squarely at the feet of the o-line:

I've also heard from a couple of educated Michigan State fans that the reason last year's Michigan State team had about one run play—power off tackle—was the ineptness of the offensive line. That's all they could do. [Ringer] was not put in a position where he could succeed, and he managed to get drafted despite Dantonio treating him like a pack mule.

Now, you can doubt Brian's objectivity-type substance as pertaining to Michigan State, but I have no particular reason to doubt this explanation. Perhaps more telling: no MSU running back other than Ringer was able to get anything going last season. Perhaps Ringer's exceptional talent allowed him to overcome the shortcomings of the line.

Well, Ringer's gone, and so is half of the line. Can the guys who are left step it up and allow our non-Javon RBs an opportunity for success?

THIS SEASON: Training camp hasn't gone as well as everyone had hoped, as Rexrode explains:

Camp was going to be crucial for Dan Roushar's rebuilding and still-developing unit, but three projected starters - Rocco Cironi, Joel Nitchman and J'Michael Deane - missed time with various ailments.

So instead of building chemistry with that first unit, MSU has done a lot of mixing and matching. That may pay off down the line, but it's scary in 2009.

"I've just been proud of the guys," sophomore guard Joel Foreman said, "because we've had guys going in and out, in and out."

Yeesh. Not exactly the brightest of starts; we can only hope that we're getting through our injury problems early.

WHO'S GONE: Primarily, RG Roland Martin and RT Jesse Miller. Last season, all the questions were on the left side; this season, it's reversed.

THE SURE STARTERS:

Joel Nitchman, Center: While the line as a whole is inexperienced, it's certainly fortunate that the most experienced player will be calling the shots at center. Nitchman already has two years' starting experience, and appears to have put behind him the knee injury which plagued him at times earlier in his career. Nitchman is on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy (awarded to the country's best center); this distinction would be more impressive if he didn't share it with 42 other players. Nonetheless, he should be the closest we get to a "sure thing" one the line this season. Nitchman only allowed 1.5 sacks last season and should be similarly strong this year. If there's one thing to be concerned about, it's that Nitchman wasn't selected as an offensive captain; given his experience, I thought that was odd, particularly for someone who's apparently a great character guy. (Rexrode was similarly surprised.)

Joel Foreman, Left Guard: Simply, our best offensive lineman last season. The Other Offensive Lineman Named Joel was a first-team Freshman All-American last season, and allowed only two sacks all season long. Unsurprisingly, Foreman was selected for nearly all of the notable preseason All-Big Ten teams: The Sporting News (first team), Phil Steele (first team), Lindy's (second team) and Athlon (second team). If Nitchman is the surest thing on the line, Foreman is certainly our best breakout-player candidate. His play will be especially important this year, as he'll be protecting the blindside for one of two very inexperienced quarterbacks.

Rocco Cironi, Left Tackle: The big question: how's his shoulder? Cironi tore his labrum during training camp in 2008, and played the entire season injured. Under the circumstances, he had a decent season which pretty much mirrored the team's fortunes: he played well against lesser players, and badly against superior ones. (Most notably, his repeated pwning at the hands of Tim Jamison.) The New York Times thinks that he could contend for an all-conference slot; that may be a bit optimistic (only Athlon ranks him as a preseason all-conference player, and as a third-teamer at that), but if his shoulder stays healthy, even in a worst-case scenario he should be servicable.

THE CONTENDAHS: Well, we have openings at right tackle and right guard.

J'Michael Deane, Right Tackle: The awesomely named Deane played at tackle throughout the spring, and emerged as one of the team's breakout players. While he was injured for a time this past month, the plaudits largely have continued. For example:

"J'Mike can come off the ball and hit people like no one I've ever seen," Foreman said.

It's been widely assumed that we'll see him mostly at tackle, though Rexrode has reported that the coaches may exploit his run-blocking ability by playing him some at guard. The obvious problem is his lack of experience: he only appeared in the EMU game last season; perhaps it'd be a better idea for him to master one position before we start shifting him all over the place. Nonetheless, the high hopes many Spartan fans have for Deane don't seem to be unjustified.

Jared McGaha/Brendon Moss, Right Guard: Here's where things get a bit dicey. At the end of the spring, it was assumed that McGaha would be the starter. However, Brandon Moss has played himself into the discussion. I think it's going to be McGaha, but I won't be shocked if the coaches go in the other direction.

In any event, Nitchman has has been highly complimentary of McGaha's play:

He is a good guy. He works hard; he is very explosive and very strong in the weight room. I think he has one of the best cleans on the whole team. He just has to keep working with Coach Roushar, keep developing his technique, and he is going to be a great player here.

McGaha, like Deane, only saw action in the EMU game last season, so there's not too much information available with which to make a prediction. RG will be a critical position on the line this season, as our inexperienced running backs may struggle to run inside without substantial help from the interior line.

Moss is similarly inexperienced at right tackle, although he did see some time at tight end in 2007. Moss is a senior; unless he distinguishes himself substantially from the pack, the coaches may be inclined to go with a player who can help us not only this season, but in the future as well.

THE RESERVES:

D.J. Young, Left Tackle. Transfer from Bowling Green, where he saw significant playing time in 2007; currently a walk-on, though he may receive a scholarship when one opens up. Interesting backstory on him is here. Apparently the coaches have been impressed:

Young's work on the field has put him in a "real tight" competition with senior Brendon Moss for playing time at tackle, offensive line coach Dan Roushar said.

"I'm thrilled that he's here," Roushar said of the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Young. "He's going to factor in the two-deep, and he'll be a guy that will play. You'll see him play."

Rexrode noticed the same thing:

Young has opened eyes with his pass-blocking ability. The former Sexton standout transferred from Bowling Green, has walked on at MSU and is making a real push to start right away.

But the problem is, of course, that a walk-on is this high up on the depth chart.

Other players who may see playing time: Nate Klatt (more information on his play during training camp is here), Chris McDonald (left/right guard) and Ethan Ruhland (RS freshman who has impressed some during camp). Not too much about any of these players; they'll see playing time if the injury problems return.

Idiocy; Now in Print

Beauford — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:29:38 -0000

With a tip of the cap to mgoblog diarist redwhiteandmgoblue, on with the fisking.

Dave Poe wrote a ~~fanfiction~~ sports column for the News and Sentinel, a paper based out of Parkersburg, WV. It can be viewed here if you're particularly masochistic. The highlights will be dissected here, because it is rampantly stupid.

July is the slowest month of the year for those of us who write sports for a living.

That gives us plenty of time to think about what might happen in the upcoming sports year.

Sometimes, we get a little carried away dreaming up the wildest, craziest sports scenarios imaginable.

I'll let you decide if that's the case with my latest one.

I've mentioned it to a couple people and the reaction I've received has been so strong, I thought I would share it with you.

First, it's pretty obvious to me this is going to be Rich Rodriguez's last season as the head football coach at the University of Michigan.

First, the formatting is not my own, the paper decided that somehow this would come off better as single sentences spaced out over paragraphs. Second, Dave, you can't offer a caveat for what you're about to say - in this case the fact that it's "wild and crazy" then say "it's pretty obvious to me..." This is the same as saying "It's pretty obvious to me that I'm wild and crazy" but not wild and crazy in a good way, but in a "needs medical attention" kind of way. If I were to say "This is a stupid idea...I'm convinced that the sun will explode tomorrow," that would mean that I am a person who has stupid ideas. If I were to run down the street telling people this, they would probably wonder what home I've escaped from, and whether they should call somebody.

But, for play-along sake, I'll bite. Why, Dave, is it pretty obvious that this is going to be Rich Rodriguez's last season? Besides the burning hatred you and your state feel towards him despite all evidence to the contrary?

He's not going to win. He's going to end the season with another lopsided loss to Ohio State, this time in the Big House, where there is no sin like losing to the hated Buckeyes.

Rodriguez's short tenure at Michigan has been a disaster.

The players don't seem to like his style. The alumni hasn't warmed up to him. The administrators who hired him -and who could fire him -were unhappy they were going to have to be deposed in his legal dispute with West Virginia University.

I can get a total of 5 reasons he's offered, none of which stand up to even the slightest bit of scrutiny:

He's not going to win

Based on....what? I mean, I can't sit here and tell you definitely that he is going to win, but then, I'm not the one who needs to prove anything. You can't use speculation as proof.

He's going to lose to Ohio State

Looking at the two teams...probably. Michigan, however, has lost to Ohio State 42 times. They have not had 42 head coaches. If losing to Ohio State was a fireable offense, Carr would have been gone long before his time. I agree, we're all tired of losing to Ohio State, but uh, dude's not getting fired for losing to a team that, on paper at least, is better than his at nearly every position.

The players don't like his style

Former UM / WVA Safety Ryan Mundy: "Be prepared to run. Everything's way more up-tempo. If you're not willing to bust your ass, you should leave. But if you stay, you'll love it."

Defensive End Tim Jamison: "Barwis likes you to be loud in the weight room," says Jamison. "All the time, high energy. He's brought more fun into it. He doesn't want you to be uptight." (Barwis is part of the Rodriguez Style)

Jamison again: "A lot of coaches could call it quits and get ready for next year...But it's not the coaches' fault we mess up on the field. Our backs are against the wall and we have to come out fighting."

Incoming Freshman QB Tate Forcier: "I've always been more of a visual learner so it hasn't been as hard for me, but coach Smith and coach Rodriguez, they did a great job of really explaining it...They made it as easy as they possibly can make it for me. ... Once you do it more and more, it just comes more naturally."

Yep - those sure sound like quotes of players who hate his style, think he's a jerk, and have given up on the coaching staff. I guess the top-10 recruiting class last year all hated his style too.

(more media fisking after the jump....)

The Alumni haven't warmed up to him

Jim Brandstatter, alum of the 1969 team: "If Bo could see these practices, he'd love it...It's eerily similar to the culture shock when Bo took over. They're being physical. They hit. They wear pads every day."

The last I've checked, Michigan isn't exactly hurting for ticket or merchandising sales either.

The Administrators aren't supporting him

Athletic Director Bill Martin: "There's absolutely no question I'm totally supportive of Rich. Was I surprised with the loss last Saturday? Sure I was, no question about it. But I think he's the right man for this program at this time...You always have to, when you're sitting in my seat, look at long term. You can't look at instant gratification."

Sounds like a guy who is just waiting to fire somebody.

These aren't reasons that are supported by any shred of, well, discernable fact. Even those quotes I found - after 5 minutes of googling - aren't the most supportive that I could have used. Dave, apparently, hasn't located the google yet.

Although most coaches get at least three years to prove themselves, I'm convinced Rodriguez is only going to get two.

Baseless speculation based on nothing, especially given that Michigan has had a total 3 head coaches since the 60's. Quick trigger that is not.

That means he once again will be looking for another coaching job (then again, he always seems to be looking for another coaching job, even when he has a good one.)

Ah - a cheap shot revealing your true agenda. And calling "Head Coach West Virginia" a "good" job while Michigan's calling might be stretching. He goes on to write more fanfiction about Marshall - claiming that their head coach will be fired as well - before mercifully putting down the keyboard to return to whatever group activity the home is doing that afternoon. Fingerpainting, I think.

And they say that blogs are the ones writing insidious, incendiary crap. There isn't a shred of objectivity in this entire piece, and it's based on useless speculation and innuendo. I'm not so mad that he wrote an article saying that Rodriguez would be fired - that I can handle. The fact that he wrote it so...stupidly is why I'm mad. There are some examples he could have used to demonstrate why he thought Rodriguez would be fired, but instead he just went to the old Jihad against Rodriguez, which is played, man. So played. To call this article poop would be, in fact, insulting to the poop.

Outside Linebackers: Long look back, brief look forward

Fooch — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:34:09 -0000

Earlier in the week we took a look at the 49ers wide receivers in 2008 and what that meant for 2009. Today we'll take a look at the 49ers outside linebackers. I originally planned on combining all the linebackers together, but in the 3-4 I feel it's more beneficial to consider the OLBs separately.

As with our wide receivers (and actually most of the positions), this felt like a tale of two seasons: The Nolan half and the Singletary half. The Nolan half involved a convoluted system of switching back and forth between the 3-4 and 4-3, virtually on a whim. Had that system continued, we probably would have to review Justin Smith's performance both as a defensive end AND as an outside linebacker. This was the system that led to Manny Lawson actually playing one game entirely on special teams.

Once Coach Singletary took, that all changed as the defense became a straight 3-4 squad. This change resulted in significantly more playing time for Manny Lawson and Parys Haralson. The problem created by Nolan's initial decisions was reducing the body of work we have to look at in regards to the OLBs, with Haralson and Lawson being the two primary examples.

Parys Haralson: Haralson finished the season with more sacks than any 49er since Bryant Young also had 8 in 2005. While he has made contributions in other areas, his primary ability rests in his pass-rushing skills. This was his third season with the team and there had always been talk of "potential" with Haralson. After a virtually non-existent rookie season, he 2.5 sacks in 2007 before busting out this season.

Haralson is shorter and stouter than Manny Lawson and there has been some question about his speed. It seems like he figured something out this year, although part of that probably had to do with coming in behind a guy like Justin Smith sometimes. Since this is only one year of big production one might argue it could very well be a flash in the pan. While that is certainly possible, I also think it says something a bout Haralson that given the clear lack of a pass rush elsewhere, he was still able to make things happen and get his numbers.

Manny Lawson: After missing almost all of 2007, Lawson's 2008 campaign could probably best be described as inconsistent. He had some big performances, and then would disappear the next week. This is probably primarily due to his continued recovery from knee surgery and so somewhat expected. Throw in Mike Nolan's sometimes bizarre use of him and it was hard for him to get going at times.

Lawson is not a pass rushing OLB in the traditional sense. He certainly can use his athleticism to get to the QB, but his real talent lies in run stopping and dropping back in coverage, along the lines of Julian Peterson. Singletary has done a better job of utilizing Lawson and I think next season could be big for Lawson considering it usually takes a full season before a player is completely recovered from knee surgery.

Roderick Green: Green is a pass rushing specialist and while he certainly made some big sacks for the 49ers, he was not as consistent a threat as I would have liked. I'd imagine part of the reason he ended up in San Francisco was because of his connection to Nolan in Baltimore. Green is an unrestricted free agent and I'd be pretty surprised if the 49ers brought him back. I think you know what you're getting with Green and resources would be better spent on bringing in someone new, whether it be through the draft or free agency.

Tully Banta-Cain: TBC has more or less become an outside linebacker in name only. He spends a majority of his time on special teams, although he seems to do a fairly solid job in his role. Depending on which resource you consider, TBC is scheduled to hit the cap for around $3.5 million, including a base salary of $2,475,000 (the NFLPA reports a base salary of $1,275,000). Since he's a free agent following next season, I'd imagine the 49ers might just keep him around, even if it's mostly as a special teams player. We'll see how Singletary/McCloughan handles it.

One area considered a big need for the 49ers is in the pass rush department. The general idea is that the 49ers need defensive or outside linebacker help in the form of a big-time pass rusher. In looking at the 49ers depth chart, I really wonder if that need has to be filled at outside linebacker. We know what Parys Haralson did when he got playing time this season. And while Manny Lawson isn't a traditional pass rusher, he brings plenty of skills to the OLB position.

One interesting point is that Parys Haralson is entering the final season of his rookie contract. In early 2008 the 49ers approached his agent about working on an extension but it did not go much further than that. I'd say that was well-played by Haralson given his 2008 production. If he has another impressive year without getting a new deal, he could very well be gone. If you're the 49ers, do you start looking for a replacement now? Free agency doesn't provide a lot of linebacker options, so that leaves the draft. If the team can't work out a deal with Haralson before the draft, maybe it's worth spending a high pick on the position. Thoughts?

I've got a list of potential 3-4 outside linebackers after the jump. The one problem is that many college players that become NFL OLBs are currently listed as defensive ends. So this is probably not the most complete list (that and it's only 8 guys right now).

And as for the poll, consider it in terms of the entire season. If you think the 49ers will bring in a free agent or a high draft pick to work in to become a starter, clarify your vote in the comments.

EDITOR'S NOTE 10:55PM: If you vote note, feel free to let us know what you think will actually happen at the OLB position in 2009.

I took this list from Draft Tek's positional rankings. Normally I'd use ESPN, but their list of outside linebackers does not differentiate between 3-4 and 4-3 so it's not 100% useful yet.

1. Brian Orakpo, Texas
2. Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech
3. Everette Brown, Florida State
4. Clint Sintim, Virginia
5. Clay Matthews, USC
6. Cody Brown, Connecticut
7. Orion Martin, Virginia Tech
8. Tim Jamison, Michigan

Poll

Assuming the defense runs strictly a 3-4 will Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson be the primary starting outside linebackers?

Yes

99 votes

No

26 votes

125 votes | Poll has closed

Celebratory Brews, Wags of the Finger, and All Things Inbetween: Elavuating Michigan Football's Performance Against Wisconsin

Maize n Brew Dave — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:51:42 -0000

Sure, it's Wednesday, time to move on. But there are still things to discuss. Like what we can take away from the game and the things we need to work on. With that in mind I dish out a few Celebratory Brews and a couple of Wags of my finger!

Celebratory Brews:

The Defense: There aren't enough superlatives to do justice to the job they did on Saturday. Aside from a few missed tackles (more on that later), one of the best defensive performances the Big House has seen in quite some time. Taylor, Johnson and Max Martin get massive props for Standing up Wisconsin's massive line, and winning. Also, while Taylor and Johnson were great, I hope everyone is paying attention to just how good Mike Martin has been (as opposed to Max Martin, who's name I erroneously used before). And he's a freshman. But a freshman who shed a double block on the failed two point conversion to smash Evridge as he threw on the game's final, and most important play. If he continues to play like this we're going to be memorializing his name in song very shortly.

Halftime Adjustments: Until this year I'd only heard of them. When the coaching staff realized the horizontal game plan wasn't working, they changed it. I back sets. Some traditional power game. The deep ball. The offensive coaching staff should be commended for an excellent second half.

Jonas Mouton: Just an outstanding game by the young linebacker. Mouton was all over the field from my vantage point; in a good way. He seems like a hybrid DE/LB in the Shawn Crable mold, except without the constant penalties that make you want to break things. Mouton routinely shed his blockers to make a play, blitzed his way into Evridge's helmet, and took down backs in space when he was the only thing between them and 30 yards. That added up to 8 tackles, a sack, and a boatload of props. Monster game.

Brandon Graham: Defensive POW in the Big Ten. I still maintain my prediction that he's going to break someone in half by midseason. He saved the game sacking Evridge at the six. Leads the Big Ten in TFL.

Brandon Harrison: Quickly becoming my favorite player on the 2008 squad. I've never seen someone his size hit like that. Cus D'amato once said of Mike Tyson, "He hits with bad intentions." So does Harrison. Harrison laid a hit on PJ Hill halfway through the second quarter that made my teeth rattle, and it should be noted that Hill sat out the rest of that series. Harrison also lit up Wisconsin's receivers whenever they touched the ball. At five foot nothin' he plays like the biggest guy in the defensive backfield.

All your conciousness are belong to Brandon Harrison. via mikedesimone.com

Donovan Warren: Served notice that the left side of the field is his, and his alone. Throw there at your peril. Best corner in the Big Ten at this point in the season. Warren also showed he can play some run defense, as he took down a handful of stretches to his side and made a touchdown saving tackle on Clay when he busted contain in the second.

Minor/McGuffie/Grady/Brown: All of them chipped in something big. Minor busted the "holy crap we can win this" run. Grady gave us hope with the "this is our season" 4&1 conversion. Brown gave Threet his first passing first down and seemed to settle Threet with that effort. McGuffie capped the comeback with a ballsy, 3& goal cut to the endzone. Sure some longer runs would've been nice, but these guys provided consistent effort and great pass blocking all day. They also provided 14 points.

Steven Threet, Version 2.0: Not to be confused with the Version 1.0 that spent the majority of the first half flailing about the backfield like a trout on dry land. While V2.0 wasn't perfect, he was pretty damn good and showed himself to be an above average college level quarterback on Saturday. He showed some touch, threw a couple of outstanding deep passes, and made the proper decisions at crucial times in the comeback. Plus, that pass to Koger was beautiful. His intermediate, middle of the field passes still need work but the majority of what he showed us from the 30 minute mark onward was outstanding.

The Offensive Line: While this group wasn't terrific during the opening half, they were more than serviceable. The fact Michigan couldn't run the ball had more to do with 9 man fronts more than anything else. Even on the rare occasion someone got to Threet in the backfield, it was usually on a broken play or that infamous late hit. Face it, they controlled the line of scrimage the second half of the game. Threet may have been hit from time to time, but the line didn't give up a sack. Not bad for a bunch guys the media called no-names, back-ups and underachievers at the beginning of the year. Steve Schilling, at least from where I was sitting, looked pretty impressive.

Wags of the Finger:

First Half Offensive Play Calling: When your wife is describing the the play calling as Weis-esque, you know something is wrong. She alos mockingly asked when we hired Bob Davie to run our offense. That may have cut to the bone, but, damn son, I married a good woman. While I will grant you Threet V1.0 was terrible, even that shouldn't have handcuffed the Michigan offense to the extent we saw. Wisconsin was stacking the line, over pursuing, and locking in on the totally obvious screens we were running. A little misdirection, mabye even a single deep ball in the first half would've helped to keep the defense honest. It wasn't pretty.

Throwing to the Shortest Guy on the Field in the Middle of the Zone: I may be in the minority on this, but the continued attempts to get Martavious Odoms the ball on these little run to the hole in the zone pass plays are driving me crazy. Yes, Threet was inaccurate on a majority of those throws, but if there's a linebacker anywhere between Threet and Odoms that's a tough throw. It's also going to be a throw where an extra 6 inches in height and arm span come in handy. If the backer's in there, there's got to be height on the throw, and its got to be a hard throw because otherwise the safety will knock it away or intercept it. We tried it at least four times and got one completion. Two bad passes, one drop, and one completion. Those numbers scream "Don't Ever Use Me Again," at least until Threet proves he can make the throw and Odoms proves he can catch it.

Martavious Odoms: I'll be honest, this is a stretch, but Odoms looked a little lost. He failed to turn around for the ball twice on passes to him. He dropped a ball or two that should've been caught, and looked a little tentative. He's here because of the misunderstandings on the pass plays. We're lucky those didn't get intercepted and run back.

Morgan Trent: Maybe I'm being too harsh, but Trent had a rough day. The fumble on the kick off was just maddening. On the second quarter Clay near-touchdown run, Trent blew the tackle that allowed Clay to scamper an extra 20 yards before Warren pushed him out of bounds. On the game's last touchdown, he got beat, stumbling on his own two feet, on a single move to the middle of the field. Sure Brown had the inside of that play, but Trent's stumble allowed the free release before Brown could get there. In his defense, one of the bright spots was an absolutely wicked hit he put on Jefferson. Even so, I'm sure this is a day #14 would like to have back.

Steven Threet Version 1.0: Horrid. Bad decision making. Bad option release. Bad arm mechanics. Bad throws. I think he'd agree with me on this.

Officiating: These guys were terrible. Failure to review plays that warranted it (Mathews fumble). They missed, at a minimum two blantant Pass interference calls in one series, a dozen obvious holds, and blew at least on call on replay (the completion on UW's final drive).

Hi, I'm Bobo, and I'll be the lead Big Ten Official for your game!

Special Teams: Two more fumbles and an anemic return game. WHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?

All Things Inbetween:

The Linebackers: Great game from Ezi and Thompson. Under normal circumstances they'd be at the top of the Celebratory Brews list, but I ran out of space. One thing that deserves special note is Thompson's individual effort to string out a stretch play while being blocked by a fullback and tackle, and still make the stop during UW's second possession of the Second half. He was the only thing between UW and a big gain, and he made things happen. Quietly, these guys played great.

The Booing: Meh. Everyone's chimed in on this. Brian hates it. Varsity Blue's annoyed. M Victors didn't like. Maize and Blue Nation had an anurysm over it. On the other hand, Michigan Sports Center and I have owned up to being among those who voiced their displeasure. To each their own. In hindsight I wish I'd kept my emotions a little better in check and not done it, but I don't blame people who did. That was the worst played half of football Michigan's ever played in the Big House, and to paraphrase Chris Rock, "I'm not saying you should've done it, but I understand."

Block M in the Student Section: Wooooooo!

via mvictors.com

Kevin Koger: Welcome to the show kid. From the looks of things Koger will be Michigan's starting tight end for the foreseeable future. Mike Massey tries, God bless him, but unfortunately isn't as good as the effort he puts forth. Carson Butler, much to my reget, can't stay out of anyone's doghouse and was benched for the game, despite suiting up. Blocking wise Butler is probably the best tightend on the team and he certainly adds an offensive deminision you love, but if Koger can get open like he did Saturday Butler's playing time may go out the window until he proves he can stay out of trouble and in the good graces of his coach.

Greg Mathews: Good and bad day for #13. Bad fumble on his punt return. Great and crucial catches throughout the second half.

Stevie Brown and Charles Stewart: Good game boys. Keep it up.

A Comeback for the Ages: Michigan Football Rallies from 19 Down to Top Wisconsin 27-25

Maize n Brew Dave — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:19:41 -0000

via mikedesimone.com

Maturity is something that, by definition, comes with age. It's something you get as you go through life's little challenges and emerge from them with a little scar to remind you of the things you're really not supposed to do. Maturity takes time. I mean it's not like you can learn what to do and what not to do in an afternoon. You grow into things. You take your knocks. You eventually emerge from it stronger, and sometimes victorious. But it doesn't happen in an afternoon, does it?

Saturday afternoon started the same way the last three have. Fumbles. Mistakes. Fumbles. Mental errors. Fumbles. Poor play calling. Fumbles. So, as Michigan left the field at the end of the first quarter, the Michigan faithful, men and women, rose to their feet and voiced their displeasure. Could you blame them? Five turnovers. One first down. Negative seven yards passing. And the fifth turnover was an end of the half interception that nearly found its way back into Michigan's endzone. And as the chorus of boos rained down on the field, much to my surprise, I found myself riding this wave of frustration and anger and let loose a good hearty "Boo!"

It was a first for me. I'd seen worse beatings inflicted on Michigan during an opening half, last year's Oregon game for instance. 2002's Iowa/Brad Banks' delivered butt-whuppin'. This year's Yackety Sax in South Bend. But as I glanced back through my treo at my thoughts on the first half, I'd used more expletives than a longshoreman's convention and used the word "criminal" in describing the play calling more than once. I wasn't mad at the kids on the field. I was mad at the situation they'd been put in. And, well, honestly, I was a little mad at the kids who kept fumbling. Human nature being what it is, right? How could we spend two weeks "getting better" and do the same damn thing we'd done against Notre Dame? Why was our offense so damn inept?

Seriously? The offense was a disaster. Wisconsin stacked the line, keying on any movement by McGuffie or anyone else in the backfield. It was as if the two coaches were in a staring match and Michigan kept blinking, determined to not blink first and run the ball until it found success. Student body left. Student body right. Those were Michigan's two plays for the first half. That and the 15 yard scamper by Stephen Threet that resulted in him both getting plastered by Wisconsin's safety and losing the ball. Michigan's passing game was strictly horizontal, even more so after Threet sailed every down field pass into geostationary orbit. The running game was predictable. The line was getting beat. Nothing was going right. It was as if DeBord never left. And what the hell was with the constant fumbling?

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Buried in the specactular, steaming turd the offense left on the field was a diamond of a performance by the defense. Despite spending the entire first half on the field the defense held Wisconsin to just 19 points. 19 points when three Wisconsin drives started inside the Michigan 40, and their own touchdown drive of the first started at the Wisconsin 40 yard line. For the first time this season Stevie Brown and Charles Stewart weren't just serviceable, they were actually pretty good. Even more important, Jonas Mouton was a force at Linebacker. Making plays in the backfield, pressuring the quarterback, tackling and wrapping up. And the line, oooh boy, the line, was just awesome. Both Jamison and Graham were in Evridge's face the entire day and the Taylor/Martin/Johnson rotation was simply dominant against a line that they were giving up an average of 30 pounds to. More on this later.

But defense wins championships and offense wins games, and without any signs of life from the offense when Michigan went into the locker room everyone in my section looked as though they'd just seen Seven Bells not only euthanized but thrown on the barbeque.

Unbeknowst to those of us in the stands or at home, the defense not only controlled the first half, but the locker room as well. At halftime, apparently before the coaches reached the locker room, Terrance Taylor went off. Not-fit-for-print went off. He teed off on everyone, challenging them. In my head I imagine it went something like this:

Reggie Dunlop: Goddamn lard-ass Barkley Donaldson, I'm tellin' you he jumped us!
Steve Hanson: [nodding head] Mm huh.
Reggie Dunlop: Gloves off, stick down, no warning, he challenged the Chiefs!
Steve Hanson: Called us names!
Reggie Dunlop: Called us names! But Dave was there.
Steve Hanson: Dave's a killer!
Johnny Upton: Dave's a mess.
Reggie Dunlop: But Dave's out. Who's gonna take his place?
Ned Braden: Is the answer Jesus?
Reggie Dunlop: [looks at the Hanson brothers] Ok guys. Show us what you got.

via mikedesimone.com

Whatever he did, it worked. Michigan's offense was entirely different in the second half. Maybe it was effort. Maybe it was emotion. Maybe it was the fact Michigan had to throw the ball vertically. But things were different out of the locker room.

The most notable difference was Stephen Threet. After his first half performance I was fairly certain we'd see Nick Sheridan in the game. In hindsight there's no way in hell Sheridan would've been put in, but it's difficult to describe the level of despair that settled in following his first half performance. But there he was. And he looked pretty good.

His passes were where they were supposed to be. His deep balls were Henne-esque (and I mean that when I say it), and he managed the game within himself rather than trying to win it with every throw. A couple of quick sideline passes to Mathews and Brown and Threet had finally found his rhythm. And then, after a bulldozer performance by Kevin Grady on 4&1 picked up five, Threet lofted the perfect 20 yard pass to a streaking Kevin Koger over two linebackers right down the middle on his third read. It was an incredible thing to watch, really. Even from the other side of the field I could see his head turn from read to read, finally settling on Koger. It may be hyperbole to say you saw a quarterback grow up before your eyes, but that may be what we saw.

Then the defense stepped up again, forcing two punts in quick succession and giving the offense the opportunity to make something happen. They did. If there's one thing the Michigan coaching staff isn't calling enough of, it's the deep pass. Threet has an amazing ability to put the ball into a bucket 40 yards downfield. On the same series he launched to moon scrapers that found the hands of his receivers 30 plus yards away only to have one dropped on a circus catch and the other batted away by excellent coverage. Even though they fell incomplete, they left Wisconsin just enough time to do something stupid, like nail Threet two seconds after his throw and pick up a personal foul for roughing the passer. After that, it was Threet making things happen, even when things went wrong. A couple of drops and a third and long later, Threet scrambled for a first down on an obviously broken play. It was his show now.

The next two plays were all Threet. On a quick read he found Minor to his right on a short pass that went for 11. And then, obviously arguing with the play calling, Threet gave the sideline the bird (though it had to be a signal or something, but it sure looked like the ole' eff you), caught Wisconsin in an obvious blitz, checked off to a run, and Brandon Minor did the rest, sprinting 36 yards to paydirt right before my eyes.

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Minor's run was beautiful to watch. Sitting in the corner of the endzone has tremendous advantages. For one, it gives you and excellent vantage point to observe the whole field, including the holds, gaps and lateral issues you can't really see on TV or at a direct or perpendicular view. Second, when Minor blew threw the gap in the line and broke right for the endzone, he was running right at us. Legs churning, eyes darting for the safety he knew he could beat, showing us why we got so excited about him as a freshman/sophomore, and why we expect so much from him today. When he crossed the goal line, highsteping away from a diving safety, all of a sudden it was real. Michigan could run this spread thing we'd heard so much about. Michigan could win this game. Some how, some way, despite the half from hell, Michigan was the better team and they were playing like they spotted Wisconsin 19 points just to make it fair.

A play later this suspicion was confirmed. For some reason offensive coordinators feel like it's a good idea to keep challenging Donovan Warren. I haven't figured out why. Even on a three step drop, when Warren is in tight coverage throwing at him is simply asking for trouble. Seemingly oblivious to this, on Wisconsin's first play after the Minor touchdown, Evridge took the snap at UW 20, took three steps back and fired a bullet to his left. It was a good pass. Really. It sure looked it. the only problem was Warren read the play and got the the ball and the reciever at the same time, deflecting the ball skyward and eventually into the happy hands of Johnny Thompson.

All of a sudden, there was Thompson, surrounded by a sea of blue jerseys running right at the same spot Brandon Minor had recently christened as comeback corner. In front of him was the entire Michigan defensive line, looking for someone to block and/or inflict pain on. It was like the whole thing was in slow motion. As Thompson dodged the first defender, Taylor lined up an offensive lineman and drove him halfway to Philadelphia. Behind this wall of Thompson rumbled into the front right corner of the endzone, setting off jubilation in the stands.

Good lord, we're winning.

The next possession for Wisconsin ended nearly as quickly. Three short plays and a punt to the Michigan 23. Everyone was thinking the same thing. We're up a point 20-19. We're running the ball.

A year ago this would've meant Hart running into a line stacked with Badgers three times before punting the ball away. Maybe after the first half when Michigan showed no ability to disguise its runs or any ability to move the ball in an unconventional way, Wisconsin thought they'd figured things out. That's when Threet showed us he's more than capable of making the other team pay for underestimating him and his offense. On the first play following the punt, Rodriguez sent in Minor, seemingly signifying that Michigan was going to run the ball down Wisconsin's throat and chew up the clock. You could see the linebackers key on Minor as Threet went into his cadence and lock onto him as he darted to the right following the snap, taking a quick step toward and away from Threet behind a wall of blockers.

Only Minor didn't have the ball.

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Reading the over aggressiveness of the defense, faking the hand off to Minor, Threet tucked the ball under his right arm and darted through the open gap vacated by the linebackers and weakside DE. This type of manuever you expect to gain 10 or 15 yards with a guy like Threet in the ball game. But just like with the passing game, Threet showed everyone he's got a lot more in his system than measureables. With a quick first step, Threet seemed to be at full speed by his second stride, he blasted through the linebacker contain before the LB even completed his dive at Threet's feet, and simply outran the Wisconsin safety for a 58 yard gain before he was finally hauled down by a cornerback. Describing the visual of a 6'6" quarterback, whose pre-season mobility was likened to office furniture, outrun Wisconsin's hyped linebackers and safeties is as difficult as it was remarkable. Threet may not be Pat White, but goddammit he is one competitive sonofabitch who is full of surprises.

Five plays later Sam McGuffie, who'd been kept in check all game, rumbled into the endzone behind increasingly impressive roadgrader Mark Moundros. All of a sudden it's 27-19 and everyone, coaches, players, fans, and more importantly, Wisconsin, knew Michigan was a legitimate football team. 27 unanswered points will do that to you.

Then it was time for the refs to try to screw Michigan out of a victory and for the Defense to say to Hell with it and win it anyway. Despite the referees awarding a first down on a juggled, trapped first down catch and finding Wisconsin on 6 yard line, Brandon Graham and his buddies stiffened and knocked the holy hell out of Evridge forcing a fumble that Taylor recovered.

To Wisconsin's credit, they forced a punt, then caught Michigan off guard on several plays, before beating Morgan Trent to pull within 2 points. On the two point conversion somehow Brandon Harrison got matched up on Travis Beckum, and Wisconsin seemingly tied the game with 14 seconds to go. But this time the officials got one right. Bekum lined up improperly, negating his game tying catch. The next play, negative five yards later, saw Michigan in a three man rush and Max Martin beat a double team to smash Evridge just as he released the ball, forcing it high and harmlessly into the stands.

Then, it was over.

A kneel down by Threet followed by a jumping chest bump with Mathews, and Michigan's greatest home comeback was complete.

Everyone in our section stayed. Shaking. Unbelieving but believing at the same time. No one could believe the turnaround. No one could believe that the team we saw during the first period was the same team we saw in the second. But we'd seen it with our own eyes. We'd seen the comeback. We'd seen a young team mature in 30 minutes and dominate the 9th or 8th ranked team in the country. Hell, we'd seen them post 27 points in 18 minutes.

From a todler to a full grown team in 30 minutes. That doesn't happen, does it? We'll know for sure next week when Illinois comes calling. But for a day, we saw a team grow up before our eyes and pull off the greatest comeback in Michigan Stadium history.

via mikedesimone.com

All photos courtesy the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Wolverine Photo, the Associated Press and Mike Desimone, who put all these together.

Things of Little Importance

Maize n Brew Dave — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:26:19 -0000

This past spring Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis was recorded saying some less than flattering things about the Michigan Wolverines. It wasn't in front of the general cavalcade of assembled media, but in front of a bunch of fans and donors who had forked over big bucks to attend the Blue and Gold luncheon and spring game. It was supposed to be a closed event. It was supposed to be just for the faithful. It was supposed to fire up Notre Dame's core donors and get people excited about their upcoming season. In that respect it was a success. People left excited about Notre Dame’s chances in the 2008 season. Some were even predicting going into the USC game undefeated.

Then, someone either too excited about the season or too dumb not to keep their little video camera tucked away, put Weis' comments up on the net for all to see. The result was a couple of "Oh yeah? Well same to you, too!" postings around the Mich-o-sphere, which appeared more the result of little news during the off season than any real interest in what Weis had to say. The general reaction among Michigan fans was "He said what? Really? What a dumbass. Ok, let’s grab lunch." Nothing more.

Now, despite the irrelevance of Weis’ comments, they’re back. Within 24 hours, four major news sources (ESPN, The Ann Arbor News, The Detroit Free Press, and The Detroit News) have all run substantially the same story. Two of them even start the exact same way (Ann Arbor News and Detroit News). It's a story about comments made five months ago affecting the present. But the real story in all of this is that there isn’t one. There is nothing to report on. There is nothing in Weis’ comments that have anything to do with this game. And more importantly, there is nothing in either team’s reaction to Weis’ “To Hell with Michigan” statement that warrants a quote or even a second glance.

It’s possible to claim that the reason we’re talking about this is Weis himself. Ever since arriving in South Bend he’s managed to be more of a headline than the teams he coaches. He’s quotable. Accessible. Admirably or Loatheably confident, depending on which side of the fence you sit on. And he’s the head coach of the nation’s premier independent football program. Face it, if he sneezes, someone’s going to report on it. He’s also presided over the worst Notre Dame season in modern history. In 2008 a lot is expected out of the Irish, but after a less than convincing 21-13 win over San Diego State, there aren’t many positives to focus on.

So back into the treasure trove of quotes the writers have delved. But Weis’ presence isn’t enough to justify dragging a five month old non-story out of the cobwebs. There are other reasons this came back and to stop there would be to tell half the lack of story.

Frankly, it’s not like Michigan has done anything to change the topic. Were Michigan 2-0 and in possession of a bona-fide starting quarterback, perhaps the stories would be different. If Michigan had shown signs of life against a mediocre Miami of Ohio team, or beaten a good but overrated Utah team, we’d be talking more about the positive changes in the program than about what Weis said in April. Perhaps if the coaches and players simply ignored the stupid “Did you hear what Weis said?” questions we’d be focusing on Michigan’s passing game or lack thereof. It’s possible if Rodriguez hadn’t been so overloaded with the buyout-litigation, learning a new team, recruiting from scratch, and so on that he would’ve ignored the initial comments and avoided giving them any credence.

The fact of the matter is neither team has given either fanbase much on the field to cheer or write about on this year. Sure there are stories, like the excellent one Brian unearthed on Brian Nowicki, Michigan’s new starting left tackle who was a 6’9” 380 pound walk-on who’s dropped 40 pounds, earned a scholarship and is now starting on Michigan’s line. There’s the sad yet heartwarming story of how Michigan’s team and players have rallied around freshman Elliot Mealer, who lost his father and girlfriend in a horrible car accident over the spring. Even the Canadian press got that one right. There’s the story of Michigan’s Jekyll and Hyde safety situation which alternates brilliant pass breakups with coverage errors that will eventually cost Michigan a game this year. Or maybe the story about how Notre Dame’s offensive line only paved the way 105 total rushing yards against a San Diego State team that gave up over 200 against D1-AA Cal Poly. But those are human interest stories or negative stories about your/our team. Why run those, they’re depressing or cut too close to the bone.

No. The unwashed masses don’t want to read things that actually have a bearing on the game or have some actual informative value. No. They want drama! They want meaningless antagonism! They want blood. Bring them blood and they’ll love you. As an added bonus, you don’t have to do any research! Just drag it out and slap a fresh headline on it like “U-M still recalls Weis' remarks.” Of course they do. You keep reminding them!

Bulletin board material is just that. Something you pin up in the weight room to get you to do that extra rep after three hours of listening to speed metal and doing power squats has you tapped out. It’s a reminder that you’re playing a rival. Past that, it’s nothing. To the unwashed masses, it’s something you can use to get excited about a game that, on paper, doesn’t seem to offer much to get excited about.

But if you’re vested in either team, or simply a college football fan, Weis’ comments offer nothing that is worthy of print, much less four main stream media outlets. They’re irrelevant. They have no bearing on this game. There are far better stories to cover. Far more interesting ones too.

If there’s one quote that deserves more airtime, it was delivered by Tim Jamison in responding to the whole, stupid affair. “I believe you talk with your pads and your helmets.”

I wish writers could remember this. What an opposing coach says in April is irrelevant in September. What is important is talking these young men do with their pads and helmets, and they’ve been doing it for two weeks. I wish the press would realize this. The lead into this weekend’s game would be a lot more interesting and a lot more informative if they did.

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