Brandin Hawthorne

Was just browsing through some titles on Amazon.com and came across Muck City by Bryan Mealer (no apparent relation to Elliot & Brock), which was just released Oct. 23, 2012.  It apparently centers on high school football in Belle Glade, Florida, which is about eight miles from Pahokee (and also in the muck).  I have to wait 5-7 days for my copy to arrive, but can promise an mgobookreport after that (if nobody beats me to it).  Here's a LINK to the amazon page for anyone else who wants to check it out.

7 days until Brandin and the Wolverine defense shut down the Hokies and get UM its first BCS win since 2000!

No time to write a diary; it's past my bedtime.

Video companion to http://mgoblog.com/content/picture-pages-linebacker-hesitancy-fml.  Analysis, as always, courtesy Brian.

Full YouTube link is http://youtu.be/vHoyD1dnj4w

[ed-M: bump. always bump.]

Do we have any Pinnacle Studio 12 experts among us?  I seem to have lost the ability to have my titles display lower-case letters properly (compare this MPP to my previous ones).

Setup: EMU will run power right against Will Heininger (left DT).

Wha'hoppon: Roh stands up the TE on the edge but Heininger gets blown out of the hole, leaving three blockers coming out against three linebackers going in.  Roh's positioning against the TE forces the FB to 'finish him,' Hawthorne stands up to the pulling guard, and the RB dives into the pile, which poops him out six yards downfield.

Full YouTube page is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaJI_5GgNDc

Original PP is http://mgoblog.com/content/picture-pages-emu-runnin-us-i

Over at Wolverine Nation, Rothstein wrote up a fluff piece on the improvement of our linebacker corps. 

CliffNotes version: he points to the new scheme and improved depth and experience as the main reasons for the overall on-field improvement. Which, like, duh.

Some interesting quotes:

"It's different," linebacker J.B. Fitzgerald said. "Everything is a little bit changed up when you change coaching staffs and all that. However, I think our comfort level this year is really good."

"We don't have to just count on our first string," cornerback Troy Woolfolk said. "If they go down or they get tired, our young set of linebackers will go in and do the job. It's not the man, it's the position."

Nothing really new or earth-shattering, but our linebackers haven't been terrible, and overall I'd say they've definitely been better than last year's group. Hopefully Cam can stay healthy the rest of the year. I am really excited for Jake Ryan's potential, the kid has looked pretty good in the first couple of games, especially if you consider the fact that he's just a redshirt freshman.

Video companion to Picture Pages - Jake Ryan Fights the Power, Again. 

Wha'hoppon: Jake Ryan takes the correct position when a power run comes at him on the edge.  By engaging his blocker and keeping his outside shoulder free, he maintains outside contain and squeezes the run back inside.  It still goes for eight yards after Brandin Hawthorne comes too far inside and gets blocked by the center, but it wasn't as bad as the plays shown in the previous two Picture Pages.

Full YouTube link is at http://youtu.be/c3hr4JK01OQ?hd=1