Michigan Monday: Practice, Suspensions, Red Shirts and Recruiting --- O My!

Today starts Fall Camp for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines.  Today officially starts the preparation for year 1 in the Brady Hoke era.  There should be plenty of motivation and expectations for this group of Wolverines.
With the start of practice came a press release last night on 3 players: senior wide receiver Darryl Stonum, senior wide receiver Terrance Robinson and sophomore punter Will Hagerup.

We know Stonum has multiple DUI's and the coaches have decided to redshirt him this year to get his life together:  "While it would be great to have Darryl on the field this season, we feel it is in his best interest and the best interest of our program for him to redshirt," Hoke said. "Darryl will continue to be an important part of our team and family. He has done everything we have asked him to do, but our number one priority is to help Darryl grow as a person."  With Stonum using a scholarship in 2012 now, I wonder if the 2012 class size is now down to 25 players instead of 26?

Terrance Robinson will be suspended for season opener and Will Hagerup will be suspended for 4 games, both players broke team rules. 

Here is my take:  This was the right decision for Michigan and Stonum.  I hope he gets everything together and has a great 5th year next year and heads to the NFL.    Not sure what T-Rob did but he really hasn't ever contributed on the field for the Wolverines.  

Now to Hagerup.............What is going on Big Fella?  You are a punter and now have been suspended for the 2010 Ohio State game and for the first 4 games of the year.  Get your off field stuff in order and keep booming punts in Michigan Stadium.

Hoke:    "In order to build a championship-caliber culture, you have to be accountable to each other on and off the field. There are expectations at the University of Michigan you must live up to." 

Many remember the disaster that was the Ohio State game punting and are worried about how Michigan will punt for the first 4 games of the year.  Well, don't worry too much (worry a little) but incoming kicker Matt Wile is a pretty good punter as well.  He punted in the Army All American game and averaged 41 yards per kick.   I can hear the coaches talking to him today:  "Matt welcome to practice you now have 2 starting positions!"  I hope this kid has a ton of confidence.

Recruiting Weekend Re-cap:

• Michigan wants another elite corner in the 2012 class and they have targeted two guys out East.  We know about Armani Reeves and the second one is 4 star CB from NJ, Yuri Wright.  I expect both players to visit Ann Arbor for a game this season and maybe announce after the season.  Yuri plans to announce at the Army All American game.

• 2013 Offensive line prospect from Wheaton, Illinois Kyle Bosch visited Ann Arbor on Sunday.

• John Beilein has offered another 2012 prospect, this latest offer goes out to 6'8 200 pound forward Marshall Wood from Lynchburg, VA.  

• For those wondering whatever happened to Demar Dorsey, he ended up at Grand Rapids Community College. 

Michigan Friday: Talking Heads

Brady Hoke spoke yesterday and people took notes. It was pretty much of what we expected, no news on Stonum and Kellen Jones is not enrolled. He expects everyone to be in shape and ready to compete at the start of practice on 8/8. He is all about Michigan and showing some swagger. Maybe Brady should be the next Old Spice Guy. Look at Me, Look at my Defense, now back at Me.

• Danny O'Brien had a online chat on Rivals last night and will announce his top 6 schools on Friday. He pretty much said he liked all the schools he is considering (Alabama, Tenn, Michigan, Florida, Iowa, MSU, Ark and others) and will visit them all and make a decision during the season or after. He did say he would like to play college ball with his best friend Matt Godin.
  
• Aaron Burbridge committed to MSU yesterday. He was planning to be at the BBQ at the Big House on Sunday so the timing was unexpected the result wasn't. Good luck to him in East Lansing.  

• Allen Trieu of Scouts tweeted that Ondre Pipkins might commit somewhere sooner rather the later "if he feels it". He is visiting Ann Arbor this weekend. Let's hope he feels it!

• Former Michigan QB commit Shavodrick Beaver is leaving Tulsa for Midwestern State University.  He was planning to be an academic redshirt this year for Tulsa.   Out of the 4 QB's that verballed to Michigan in that class it seems the last one was the best.  If you wondering who was the last one was, see the below video.

Your moment of Zen with Denard and that Million Dollar Smile....................

Michigan Thursday: Drunk Driving is a Serious Offense

There are three Wolverines with recent Drunk Driving offenses; Darryl Stonum is a current Wolverine who is suspended from the team for 2 violations, Jalen Rose who is a member of ESPN and a former Fab 5 member and of course Braylon Edwards former Michigan WR and current NFL Free Agent. 

There are whispers that Darryl is hanging on by a thread to his college career with Michigan and could face being kicked off the team to a 4 game suspension.  Let's hope he has learned his lesson, cleans up his act and gets to re-join the team some time this year. 

Jalen was just sentenced to 20 days in jail for pleading guilty to his DUI this winter.  Which seems to be a pretty harsh penalty but so was his crime.   I like Jalen a lot but what he did was serious and he is paying a high price.

Braylon won't face any jail time but will have his probation from a Cleveland fight extended one year and will serve 100 hours of community service.

I like all 3 guys and hopefully they will all learn from these serious mistakes. 

• TomVH catches up with WR Amara Darboh who visited A2 this week:  I feel a lot better with them. They all seem like really nice guys and they have a great staff there. This visit helped Michigan a lot, and it also helped with my comfort level, so yeah.

• The Big Ten Media Days start today.  Should be lots of coaches talk.  For example; We have a talented team but we also have holes we need to fill.

• New BBQ visitor is 2013 ATH Dymonte Thomas who will be there with his father and his cousin Bri'onte Dunn.   The early returns on Dymonte is he might be one of the best players in Ohio in the 2013 class and has Michigan #1 in his recruitment right now. 

• I know NFL transactions are flying around fast.  To catch you up on some Wolverines:  Mike Hart got cut by Indy,  Jonas Mouton signed his deal with the Chargers, Stevie Breaston is now with Kansas City, Martell Webb signed with the Eagles, James Rogers with Denver and  Perry Dorrestein to the Jets.   Good luck Guys!  (Obi Ezeh, Greg Banks and Adam Patterson are still looking for teams).

Wolverine Thursday: 2012 WR Recruiting

One of the spots that Michigan would like to add some depth in for the 2012 class is Wide Receiver.   Darryl Stonum's status with the team is fuzzy at best, Hemingway is a senior and Roy Roundtree is a junior.  There is room for 1 WR in this class and here are a few names to keep an eye on:

• Instate 4 star WR Aaron Burbridge who plays for Farmington Hills Harrison which historically has been an MSU feeder school but the Wolverines have already gotten verbal commits from Harrison teammates Devin Funchess and Mario Ojemudia in this class.  Could Aaron be the Harrison Hat Trick?  Aaron has visited A2 a number of times and there are some concerns/rumblings about his grades and if he has a commit-able offer from the Wolverines.  Could be one of those deals where if he gets his GPA up and a qualifying test score he will have an offer.

•  Dwayne Stanford from Cincinnati is another 4 star kid that has been rumored to be visiting Ann Arbor with his teammate Aldouphs Washington for a few weekends this summer already.  Neither Stanford or Washington has made it North on 75 yet but they both are keeping Michigan in their top group.  Aldouphs is having a hard time scheduling visits because of his AAU basketball schedule and it seems he and Dwayne would like to visit together.

• The latest name to get Wolverines fans excited is 4 star prospect from California, Jordan Payton who just de-committed from USC a couple of days ago.  Michigan seems to be running for his services and he hopes to make it out to Ann Arbor for a visit this summer.   This would be a great pick up for the Wolverines but we all know the disclaimer on West Coast kids coming to the Big Ten. 

Other names you might have heard of;

-Avery Johnson (no not that Avery Johnson) picked LSU.
-Durron Neal picked Oklahoma.
-5 star WR Dorial Green-Beckham.
-5 star WR Stefon Diggs.

As you can see with just one spot the Wolverine coaches are just focusing on top prospects.   If I had to guess, the best race for this spot maybe between Mr. Burbridge and a few text books.  I think a few names above would like to see first hand how Al Borgus uses WR's in the new Michigan offense.  Which is a pretty fair request.   Having Shane Morris locked up next year and 3 years of Devin Gardner doesn't hurt either.  This recruitment might go right down to signing day.

• Dee Hart just tore his ACL and is out for the season at Alabama. 
• Danny O'Brien says that Tennessee and Michigan will be there to the end in his recruitment.
• Don't forget that Jarrod Wilson has his announcement scheduled for tomorrow.  It's between Michigan, ND and Penn State.  I think Michigan is the favorite but look out for Penn State.  ND already has like 20 safeties in this class already.  

Michigan Friday: For Whom The Bellomy Tolls

In early January, Michigan's depth at QB took a hit when Tate Forcier was asked to leave the program.   That left only 2 scholarship QB's on the roster, Denard and Devin. 

Fast forward to June and there has been a lot of excitement about the 2013 commitment of Michigan QB Shane Morris and the 2012 recruitments of Gunner Kiel and Zeke Pike (before he verballed to Auburn).   The forgotten man in all this QB hype is Michigan's one and only QB in the 2011 class, Russell Bellomy.

Russell is a 6'3 185 QB out of Texas that decided to make a late switch from the Boilermakers to the Wolverines before signing day.  Some have titled this move a "Roy Roundtree".

“I have no doubt in my mind that I made the right decision (in decommitting to Michigan), Bellomy told GoBlueWolverine. “It’s always hard doing that to people you’ve been committed to for almost half a year; but it’s a business and I have no regrets now. I’ll shake their hand on the field and hopefully they’ll shake mine back. I just feel 100% sure that I made the right decision and I cannot wait to take advantage of it. It seems to be working out pretty good for him Roundtree (laughing).”


Russell is a talented QB that could use a couple more pounds and some time in the weight room but did have a successful junior and senior year in high school.   During his junior season he threw for 1,546 yards, 13 TD's and 3 picks.  He also ran for 434 more yards and 6 more TD's.  He had a comparable senior year with 1,564 yards through the air, 804 on the ground and 24 total touchdowns (15 passing - 9 running).


Russell expects to compete for a spot behind Denard and Devin when camp opens.  “They told me I’m looking at competing for third string, and that might be a traveling redshirt job, and that it may turn into a regular third string job maybe get some playing time. I’m up for anything, nothing’s promised and I love to compete. If I get some playing time I’ll make the most of it, and if I don’t I’ll make the most of it when I do get some playing time.”

Looks like most of the 2011 class will be on campus in the next two weeks or so.  Russell will be rooming with fellow freshman Desmond Morgan. 

Other News:

• More Traffic Trouble For Darryl Stonum:  Darryl was sentenced this morning to two years probation, one year of a suspended jail term for his second DUI arrest.   Earlier this morning he was ticketed for driving with a suspended license.   Which might be the last straw in his Michigan Football career.   Since he is a senior let him get his degree and move on with his life.  

• Tonight Michigan's ND "throw back" Jerseys will be reveled.  If your not into surprises and want to wonder out loud: what is Adidas thinking? Look below. BTW:  I think those should be re-titled "Throw Aways".   I have seen a lot of photos from past Michigan teams, I don't recall ever seeing anything close to the pajamas below.   

HT: Mgoblog

Wolverine Weekend Update: Michigan Double's Down on Two DE Commits

Michigan seems to recruiting 2 by 2 this year.  I wish some of this news would break on Monday Night or Tuesday Morning, so I could use the headline Two for Tuesday. 

So remember this week, when I mentioned that Michigan's DE recruiting would break in a similar way to Michigan's LB commitments?  Well that title wave started on Saturday late afternoon. 

First DE Commitment come from Instate DE prospect Mario Ojemudia who is a teammate of 2012 TE commit Devin Funchess.  They have one more teammate that Michigan is interested in WR Aaron Burbridge but they have yet to offer and there is rumored to be some academic issues.

Mario is a 6'2 215 pound DT in high school but his size and speed is more suited for DE at the next level.  Here is what Scout's Allen Trieu says about him:"Mario Ojemudia is quick off the ball, aggressive, and disruptive. The main knock on him is that he's about 215 pounds and has been playing out of position as a tackle. I think he will be fine at end, though, because he's so athletic.

Mario was rumored to be a strong Spartan lean early on in his recruitment but warmed to Michigan with every visit he took to Ann Arbor.  He visited MSU last weekend and decided that East Lansing was no match to Ann Arbor and made up his mind to be a Wolverine.

Mario is rated 4 stars by Scouts and 3 stars by 24/7.  Rivals still doesn't have their stars out yet.
Mario's offer list includes MSU, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Stanford and Syracuse.   




DE Commit #2 is Ohio's DE Pharaoh Brown who will come to Ann Arbor as 6'6 230 pound DE prospect.  Yes, Six Foot Six!   (some have him at 6'7).  This kid is very athletic and plays QB and DE in high school.  There was some news out of Ohio that he prefers TE over DE at the next level but many agree after some weight and some extra time in the weight room that he best projects at DE. 

Pharaoh has a 3 star grade from Scouts and 4 stars from 24/7.   He has a ton of offers which include: NC, NC State, BC, Colorado, UConn, Cincy, Louisville, ASU, MSU, Nebraska, WVU, Pitt, Purdue, Illinois and many more.

Watch this video, this kid is a freak!  You can do a ton of things with an athlete like this.   How about on punt blocks or field goal blocks?  Emergency QB?    Love this kids upside!




What now at DE?  There is still one prospect that the Wolverines would like to have at DE in this class and his name is Chris Wormley from Toledo who could be Ohio's best player.  Chris grew up a Michigan fan but is considering the Wolverines and Buckeyes. 

Needs Now?   QB, DT, Offensive Line and WR seem to be the biggest needs for the 2012 class at this point.   Michigan could get some good news on 5/12 when Matt Godin, DT announces his choice.    


Bad News: Darryl Stonum received his second DUI on Friday night and has been suspended from the team.  Since this is his second offense (he also broke probation) his long term status with the team is now highly in doubt.

Michigan - Wisconsin Post Game: No Surprise

Well, I guess most of us expected that.  We thought Michigan might have a chance to pull an upset but it was clear after Michigan ran out of the tunnel that wasn't going to happen.  (I will address that in a minute)

If Michigan had a bad defense or even an average defense they would be in these games.  They have an awful defense that is lined with true freshman doing the best they can against a very well balanced offense, where the QB only missed a couple of throws all day.   Mix that accuracy in with a power running game and you have yourself a huge miss match. 

7-5 is Michigan's record this year heading into the Bowl Game.   You could see it in the eyes of RR after the game in his press conference that this year is really wearing on him.  A defense that has only stopped UConn and Purdue and a list of injuries that would make your head spin.   So you think the Wolverines are going to be able to be competitive in C-Bus next week with these potential players either out or coming back from injury:  Lewan, Roh, Stonum, Martin, Gallon, not to mention the guys that are already out for the year? 

We all sort of expected 7-5 at the beginning of the year and this team delivered just that.  7-5 = a Bowl Game, 8-4 = a Bowl Game, 9-3 = a Bowl Game.  So does it really matter?

Here are the things that concerned me watching the game at the Big House yesterday:

• RR continues to coach like he has a defense or kicking game.  Which really confuses me.  The play calling was way too predictable in the first half.  Wisconsin was putting a safety in the box and basically letting Michigan's talented WR's be down field in single coverage and Michigan continued to run the ball  or throw short slants with very little luck.   I mentioned this early in the year: THIS TEAM CAN'T WASTE OFFENSIVE POSSESSIONS AND THINK THEY WILL WIN THE GAME.   It's not possible.  Michigan can't come from behind because the defense can't stop anyone.   A field goal on 4th and 6?  Really?  I would rather have Denard running or throwing then kicking a field goal of any length.   3 doesn't help anyway because a Michigan defensive stop means the other team kicked a field goal.   If Michigan is going to win games, they are going to be shoot outs. 

• Coming out Flat:  This is a huge problem.  Ever since the Michigan State game, Michigan has come out flat in every big game.   I'm not sure if it's practice, pre-game speech, the night before, warm ups, youth, but this needs to change.   You can see it when they come out of the locker room that they are not ready to play.  Which in turn equals, drop balls, interceptions, fumbles, and 3 and outs on offense.   This is on RR and staff.  This team was ready to play coming out against UConn and ND but ever since then this has been a huge issue.  You can tell a lot about a team on how they run out of the tunnel.  

• Defense - I'm getting a little tired hearing about the youth on defense.  RR and Staff have been here 3 years now and they should have recruited many more defensive players if they saw this would be an issue two years ago.   I agree that Carr didn't recruit defense like he should have in his last few years, but depth issues on defense now are clearly on RR.   There should be a lot more sophomores or juniors playing and there just isn't.  This team couldn't tackle at all yesterday.  Does Greg Robinson make it to the Bowl Game?  I'm not sure he should. 

• Did Wisconsin beat Michigan once, twice or three times?  Wisconsin man handled the Wolverines physically.   Michigan can expect the same treatment next Saturday as well.   The Wolverines are injured physically and mentally and I think they will have a hard time finding the motivation to pull an upset next weekend.  These players haven't beat Ohio State and if they continue to come out of the locker room without any confidence, it will get real ugly early next weekend.   I'm betting the Vest is having a discussion right now with his assistants, "should we have Pryor throw the ball at all? I think we could put 42 on them without ever putting the ball in the air."   At this point, the Wolverines can look forward the 2 weeks of bowl practice, getting healthy and hopefully getting better.  

RR Monday Press Conference Notes

Mike Martin and David Molk have ankle sprains, expected to play on Saturday limited this week.
#9 WR Tay Odoms is out with a broken foot
James Rodgers had cramps and will be back against Iowa.


RR

Not worried about team bouncing back.  The young guys seem to be able to put a loss behind them quicker then some of the upper classman.  But he is worried about the team bouncing back.  He is more concerned about fixing the mistakes.

Poor execution was the reason that  the running yards were down.

Stonum has a slight hamstring and that is why he didn't return too many kicks

Need to be better on kick returns

Kenny Demens and Moundros might get more playing time at LB

Can't run any delays against Iowa's defensive front.  They are too good.

Doesn't look like Fitz is going to play.  Rotator cuff type of injury.  Had some tough luck with injuries, might be back after the bye week.

Shaw should be 100% this week

More info from Tim at Mgoblog before RR took the mike. 


Greg Banks:

Going into this week with the same type of focus.

Losing is losing, every game is a big game.  Trying to make improvements.

Seniors stand up in leadership roles and all the guys could do better.

When he was a freshman, the play book was large and the speed of the game were the two biggest things that took some time getting used to.

Need to get better each week. 


Ryan Van Bergen:

First team meeting this afternoon.  Stay focused on Iowa.

Young players can get better week to week.  All they need to do is find something that "clicks" and then keep doing it.

Wants the team to prepare harder this week.

This team has a good leadership core there is not going to be a letdown this season. 

DT things happen quicker, DE is a more athletic position. 

Strongest leaders on offense:  Molk, Schilling, and Roundtree

Confident in game plan.  The plays they ran for touchdowns is the ones they practiced all week.   Didn't get it done in the game.

Patrick Omameh

The running game was something they wanted to focus on against MSU.  It worked early and State made some changes and the line didn't execute the way they wanted.

Expecting the team to bounce back well. 

Iowa has a talented front 4 and talent defense. 

Big strong dudes on the interior.  Real good all around.

Denard was clearly upset after the game. 

Kelvin Grady

WR were frustrated with the drops, don't want it to happen again.  Will catch a few more balls this week.

All mistakes are fixable.

Had high expectations, had more mistakes against MSU then they had in 5 weeks.

Iowa has a great defense and we know what we need to do.  We are 5-1 were not 1-5, we are going to bounce back.

Denard spoke out after the game and showed emotion.  It was the first time he did that and he gained a lot of respect from the players.  He took another step at being a leader.

You could see it in his eyes, he is (Denard) hungry.  You can feel it.

Michigan - Indiana Preview

Time: 3:30 EST
Location: Bloomington, IN
Line: Michigan -10
TV: ESPNU
Weather: 66 and Partly Cloudy


This is the first Big Ten game of 2010 for both teams.  IU is 3-0 with wins over Towson, W. Kentucky, and Akron while Michigan is 4-0 with wins over UConn, ND, UMass, and Bowling Green.  

If it was a boxing match, most experts would expect a knock out in the first 3 rounds.   Both guys throw a ton of punches but don't protect themselves very well.

Let's go to the team ranking through 3 or 4 games:

Rushing:
Michigan #2
IU #96

Passing:
Michigan #50
IU #11

Points For:
Michigan #11
IU #10

Points Against:
Michigan #64
IU #43

So what do you make of these?  It's clear both teams like to score points, Michigan on the ground and IU through the air.  Neither team plays much defense.  I would say Michigan being #64 against the teams they played is a bit better then IU's #43 through 3 cupcakes.   Everyone is predicting a ton of points in this one and a running time of about 5 hours.  Which should make the crew from ESPN U happy since 2 million people tuned in for the Michigan - BGSU blowout a week earlier. 

Tale of the Tape:

Michigan Offense vs IU Defense = Denard

IU Offense vs Michigan D = Lots of practice for Michigan's Young DB's

Special Teams = Push

Intangibles = Push (IU is at home but Michigan is the best team they have faced this year)


Indiana has a senior QB and good players at the skill positions.  Michigan on defense will have to get a ton of pressure with the pass rush and not get surprised by the running game.   Michigan's DB's will have to make some plays to get some stops.   If there was ever a time to consider Brian from Mgoblog's theory of putting Kovacs at middle linebacker, this would be the game.   IU came into the Big House last year and almost beat Michigan with only a controversial interception by Donovan Warren giving Big Blue the win.

IU on defense won't be able to stop Michigan's offense since they had a hard time stopping Western Kentucky and Akron.  So ball protection will be key for Wolverines.  Michigan was focused and ready to play the last time they had a road game in Indiana a couple of weeks ago against ND and they need to have the same focus against IU.

Sing Hail to the Victors if............

• Michigan doesn't have to punt or kick field goals again
• Denard is Denard
• The Michigan Defense against UConn, ND, and BGSU shows up
• Michigan gets 5 sacks and 2 picks
• A Michigan RB has over 100 yards and Stonum and Roundtree are open all day
• Bill Lynch launches his gum toward the crowd 3 times.  Is that double bubble?

Scream, Indiana is a basketball school! if............

• The game becomes the "Chappell Show"
• If Saturday starts to look like 2009
• IU gets some stops on defense
• Michigan turns the ball over
• Michigan's DB's look like high school seniors

There is one thing I know for sure in sports:  When everyone thinks one thing is going to happen the opposite usually does.  Everyone and their brother are calling for a ton of points in this game (like 80!).  Whoever scores last wins!  Which could be true but I think Michigan's 2010 defense is actually better suited for a Pistol or Spread type of offense then a Pro Style (like Michigan will see the following weeks).  Greg Robinson will be very key in this game on the personnel and formations he uses.   I think both teams will give up big plays but not as many as predicted.   Turnovers will be the difference.  Michigan 31 IU 20


GO BLUE!

Wolverine Wednesday: Is this Team Different Then the 2009 Sqaud?

Everywhere a Michigan player or coach goes these days, there is one question on the mind of Michigan fans:  Is this team better then last years team?  It gets asked by every media member to every player or coach at Michigan. 

Coach Rod doesn't look back and uses his favorite line from the Lion King about the Monkey hitting the Lion and the Lion asking, "Why did you do that?"  The Monkey:  "It doesn't matter it's in the past".  That DVD must be stuck in his player because he dusts that line off a couple times a year. 
The players say, this is a different team.  They have had another year in the system and they are just a lot closer family this year. 

The reason the question gets asked is Michigan has had a lot of similarities between the two years, both teams: started 4-0, had wins over ND, had an early season Heisman trophy candidate, and had higher expectations then before the season started.  The bottom fell out of the 2009 season and Michigan could only muster one more win against a very poor FCS team.  That memory is still fresh in the minds of Michigan fans and many are scared that history could repeat itself.

All of the above is true, but I will give you the real reasons Michigan is better in 2010 then 2009:



#5:  Greg Robinson is coaching the linebackers.   Take away the UMass game and the linebacker play has improved from 2009.

#4: Michigan already has a road win.  Michigan has struggled the past two years on the road under RR and only had one win in two years.  Michigan played well at ND which should give them confidence to play on the road at IU, Penn State, Purdue, and OSU.

#3: Speed on offense.  Remember when Michigan had two QB's that ran a 40 in about 6.0 flat?  The running backs were beat up and Michigan didn't have a deep threat at WR?  Well times have changed and Michigan has depth at all the skill positions and many have contributed in a positive way.  Roy Roundtree is on his way to earning the #1 jersey next year and Darryl Stonum is running by CB's down field.  You get Junior Hemingway back catching the ball and this is one dangerous unit.  (we haven't even mentioned the WR in the freshman class or the true sophomores either)

#2:  Michigan's offensive line is playing very well and there is depth at each position.  Taylor Lewan has had one start under his belt and is already being compared to another famous #77 Jake Long.    David Molk is healthy and leading the charge from his center position.

#1:  Surprise!  It's Denard.  Who has taken college football by storm and is so humble he acts like he doesn't even notice.  He is the perfect combination for a RR QB.  He has personality, fast feet and a strong arm, a defensive coordinators nightmare.   What's interesting about this team is, it's just not Denard.  Michigan has two backups ready to play and play well.  Devin Gardner is a true freshman but has looked good so far and we all know Tate has one of the most accurate arms in all of college football.  Michigan has three guys that can beat you at QB and that is a great feeling for Michigan fans who remember the Sheridan and Threet days.

Sounds good!  What's the catch?

I can't type here and say the defense is better in 2010 with the losses of Brandon Graham, Donovan Warren, and Troy Woolfolk.  Michigan will have to out score some opponents in the Big Ten season and some games might look more like a track meet then a football game.  What I can tell you is, that Greg Robinson does know what he is doing and will do his best putting the Michigan personnel in the proper position to make plays.  Michigan is young pretty much everywhere on defense but I don't feel like we will get out coached on that side of the ball.

Special Teams is a big concern:  Punting has not been good and the field goal kicking has been terrible.  Missing field goals in Big Ten play will cost Michigan a game or two.  The good thing is RR knows this and will be more aggressive in getting first downs then settling for field goals.  Look for Michigan to go for it on a number of 4th downs.  

So there you have it.  Agree or disagree with me, but I now fully expect a bowl game and to be very competitive in games I thought were losses before the season started. 

Michigan Thursday: CC with RR

As we know, Colin Cowherd was in A2 yesterday to do his radio show and his ESPN TV show.  He had a good interview with Rich Rod that can be found here.  

• Dee Hart is visiting Arkansas this weekend.  Per his mom, he is supporting his teammates and not really interested in The Hogs.  Of course, if Ryan Mallett beats the #1 team in the nation this week, that could have a big effect on changing his mind. 

•  David Molk is the only Michigan guy right now on Mel Kipers 2011 Draft Board.

• Brian Griese will be calling the Michigan game this weekend for ESPN 2.

• In a Michigan fan's strange game of the week: West Virgina visiting LSU.  I wonder if Bill Martin will tune in or maybe he is on his sailboat.

 

• Former Michigan WR Ron Bellamy is now the head coach of West Bloomfield High.

• Good article from A2.com on Darryl Stonum's good game and his grandmother in the stands last week:

At age 87, Nettie Stonum boarded an airplane for the first time in her life last week for a flight from Houston to Detroit. That experience was nothing compared to watching her grandson play for the Michigan football team in Michigan Stadium.

“A lot of the people in the stands were trying to calm her down, because they didn’t know if she was going to have a heart attack or what,” said junior wide receiver Darryl Stonum.


“From what I heard, she was screaming and jumping out of her wheelchair in the stands, and just having a good time.”

UMass Post Game

photo courtesy of John T. Greilick / The Detroit News

So how did that go?  Did you feel like the Toledo game or maybe even the App. State game again.  I sure had flash backs and that uneven feeling in my stomach.  The Wolverines didn't show up today.  This clearly is on the coaches.  Greg Robinson and whoever coaches the special teams failed miserably today.    RR also failed on that second to last drive on the third down and 1 call when Smith is tackled for a two yard loss.  A drive with points ends the game and UMass hadn't stopped the Michigan offense in the second half.  The punt was blocked and UMass scored soon after. 

With that said, let's get to the cheers and jeers.

Cheers:

• Michigan won the game and scored 42 points
• Mike Shaw went over 100 yards and 3 TD's 
• Darryl Stomun had a good day receiving with 2 TD's

Honorable mention goes to Jordan Kovacs.  He had a pick and a strip.  He also had a pretty big MA on a touchdown. (could have been Mouton's fault)

Jeers:

• Michigan Special Teams are a mess. The kickoff return is the only unit that is somewhat playing effectively.  The kicking game is terrible.  The kickoffs are short line drives and I'm not sure if we could make a 20 yard field goal from the middle of the field.   Punting is not much better with the blocked punt almost costing Michigan the game.  The punt return was a comedy of errors.
• Greg Robinson:  When Michigan plays an FCS team you would expect that Michigan has better talent then the other team.  Michigan needed to man up on the WR and stop the run.  UMass ate up the zone most of the day and the Michigan rush hardly ever pressured the passer.
• UConn lost to Temple.  That win now doesn't look so good.
• Mistakes all over the field:  Missed coverages, penalties, fumbles after interception, dropped snaps, block punt, and so on.
• Not getting time for the backups.  The starters had to play the entire game.
• The linebackers had a pretty poor day
• Way too many missed tackles

I could go on, but it's too depressing.  A win is a win for this team as much as it feels like a loss.  A couple of things to take from this game.  Michigan has a long way to go on defense.  Michigan might have been a bit lucky in it's first two games on defense (UConn is not that good and ND had 2 back up QB's and a starter probably playing with a concussion). 

Not being able to kick field goals will cost Michigan a win this year.  They have to find someone to put the ball through the up rights.  The kickoffs have to have some hang time.  I'm not sure what is going on with that unit. 

I know the Michigan coaches didn't want to introduce anything new on offense for this game, but success is not measured by not showing your future opponents something and getting Denard less hits.   If there was a line on this game (estimated at 21-28 points for Michigan) it wouldn't have been close.   UMass also has given every team Michigan plays a blue print on how to score points on Robinson's defense.

If you want to take a positive from this game, a win is a win and maybe this will be a wake up call for Bowling Green next weekend.  Right now the trip to Indiana is much more in doubt then it was 24 hours ago.

Michigan vs UConn Preview

Date: September 4, 2010

Time: 3:30 EST

TV: ABC/ESPN 2

Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Weather: 65 degrees
Line: Michigan -3

Final pre-season rant: 
Harvey Danger has a song called Flagpole Sitta that has a line that states:  "I'm not sick but I'm not well".  This line best describes the Michigan football program the last 3 years.  Yes, the last 3 years.  The last year in the Lloyd Carr era was full of lows and highs with some things that were just un-excusable.   We all know what has happened under RR the last two years.  This program is not sick but it's not well either. 

The time for change is now.  Not a year from now, it's f'ing now!   It's time to flush the past 3 years down the toilet and start playing Michigan football.  I don't want to hear about the Freep, Stretching Gate, players leaving, players with out wings, past records, or hot seats.  I want to see some GOD DAMN Michigan football.  I want to see fast, physical, smart football.  On Saturday it doesn't matter if your a freshman or a senior, it doesn't mater if you love or hate the new Big House.  On Saturday it's time to STAND UP and play Michigan Football.  Play hard, Play for the men that came before you, Play for MICHIGAN!

Ok, I feel better.  Thanks for the letting me get that out. 

Game Preview:

I don't expect any surprises on Saturday.  Both teams are pretty familiar with each other.  The reason being is; Michigan is full with a Big East coaching staff and UConn of course is a Big East Team.   Rich Rodriguez and Greg Robinson are two former head coaches in the Big East vs Randy Edsall.   It's clear both teams are better on offense then they are on defense and whichever team get more stops is going to win.  Pretty simple, right?

Opening games are normally sloppy, full of penalties, with a number of turnovers, and special team mistakes.  If we even those things out with both teams, then the game prediction is pretty clear in my mind. 
Let's go to the tale of tape to see if what I am thinking is right.

Michigan Offense vs UConn's D = Michigan

UConn's Offense vs Michigan D = UConn

Special Teams = Push

UConn's offense strength is in the running game with junior RB Jordan Todman who ran for 1,188 yards in 2009.  Michigan defense is the strongest up front with a good defensive line and experienced linebackers (I know - I said experienced).   Michigan weakness is clearly in the secondary where they have a ton of youth with zero experience.   Still I don't expect UConn to go Texas Texas and start throwing the ball around the yard.  They will still try to run the ball, unless they get down big. 

Michigan on offense has two sophomore QB's nicknamed the "Fed-Ex duo"  that can beat you via the air or land.   I expect Tate Forcier to get the start but Denard to get a ton of time.  I also expect some sets with both Tate and Denard in the backfield.  (Maybe Tate pitches to Denard and he throws or runs or maybe he is just a decoy).   This unit with an experience offensive line is the strongest unit on the field for either team.  UConn is also young in the defensive backfield and could give up some big plays in the passing game. 

Whoever plays the best defense wins the game. 

Players to watch for Michigan:

• Michael Shaw at running back
• Cullen Christian at cornerback
• Taylor Lewan offensive line
• Cam Gordon at Safety

Sing Hail to the Victors if...............

• Michigan has a RB over 100 yards
• Michigan limits turnovers and negative plays
• Both Tate and Denard play well
• The freshman CB's know where to lineup
• The senior linebackers play like seniors

Worry if...........

• Michigan has trouble stopping the run
• There is little pressure on the Zach Frazer UConn's QB
• The Big House atmosphere doesn't rattle the young Huskies 

I expect that Darryl Stonum will be the difference at WR and in the return game.  He catches 2 touchdowns passes and one deep.  All the Michigan running backs play and they play well.  The offense line dominates and the new Big House shakes! Michigan wins 31-21.

Brock Mealer you are an inspiration to everyone!    I'm looking forward to you walking across the field! 

Go Blue!