Lightning in a Bottle (x 2)?
A lot of Michigan fans were born to wear maize and blue. They came home from the hospital in block M socks and winged knitted stocking caps. They spent Saturdays at grandpa's house, learning how to pump their little arms into the air and sing along after a Michigan touchdown, learning how to belt out creative obsceneties after a Michigan turnover. Some of us weren't that lucky. We had to settle for becoming Michigan fans later in life, say for example, when we were looking at educational opportunities and realized a giant towers above all others when it comes to combining education and football, and her name is Michigan.
Those born into it have experienced things I have not. Indeed, they are the fortunate ones when it comes to the Wolverine rushing attack. They have seen it all when it comes to Michigan running back styles - Power, elusiveness and extraordinary speed. Those who happen to be my age have seen running backs I have not - Lytle, Morris, Boles, Wheatley, Biakabatuka, among others. They've seen real wiggle and real speed, often in the same package. I have not.
Perhaps until now. Don't get me wrong, I have been fortunate enough to witness some incredible Michigan RB's. Chris Howard, Anthony Thomas, Chris Perry and Mike Hart have each wowed me at some point or another. All ran with great determination and power, punishing defenders and eeking out the tough yards. Perry obviously possessed much better than average elusiveness and first step explosiveness. As for Hart, about the only thing I can say other that "wow" is, can you imagine if he had take-it-to-the-house, morgan-trent-you speed?
Which leads me to my point. It seems that, based upon on the Fall practice reports, we johnny-come-latelys may finally get an opportunity to see what it looks like when a winged-helmet half back gets a step on the corner and runs away from everyone. And given the big play potential of the spread coupled with the sheer numbers of guys who seem capable of going the distance on the roster, we may get to see it repeatedly, and from different ball carriers.
I know we are all terrified at some level given the youth of this team, the entirely new scheme, and the uncertainty at QB. But at the same time, whether we admit it or not, I'm guessing we are equally excited at the possibility that is this stable of running backs. Granted, if there's one thing I've learned over the past decade, it's that practice reports and $5 will get you a grande latte at the local Starbucks. They don't necessarily translate to anything come game day. But one thing seems to be certain. We have 3 or 4 guys playing RB that, if given a step into space, are capable of changing a game in seconds.
In the end, it's that fact that helps me sleep at night.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:29 AM ^
August 18th, 2008 at 11:58 AM ^
August 18th, 2008 at 12:12 PM ^
Tony Boles and Butch Woolfolk (was on the track team) come to mind.
Alan Jefferson was also very fast, but had a brief career due to injury
August 18th, 2008 at 12:29 PM ^
August 18th, 2008 at 12:49 PM ^
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August 18th, 2008 at 8:17 PM ^
August 19th, 2008 at 11:19 AM ^
August 19th, 2008 at 11:45 AM ^
Did Biakabutuka have the same type of speed as Wheatley? Not in my opinion. For me, I group the Michigan backs as follows:
- sprinters/speedsters - This would be Wheatley, Boles and Woolfolk. Jon Vaughn, and Gordon Bell (from '73-75,more of a "scat back" but still very fast).
- Very small, lost in the crowd type backs. Not real fast, but very good and makes guys miss. Jamie Morris and Mike Hart
- Power backs with some speed - Most Michigan backs and include Larry Ricks, Stan Edwards, Chris Perry, Anthony Thomas, and Biakabatuka.
- Power back with no speed - Rob Lytle
August 19th, 2008 at 11:55 AM ^
August 19th, 2008 at 12:23 PM ^
I do not have a lot of recollection of David Underwood (RB from '01-'04). He just didn't get a lot of carries:
As a junior, sub. for Chris Perry in '03: 52-270, 5.2 avg., 2 TD's, long of 35
As a sr, sub for Mike Hart in '04: 29-129, 4.4 avg., 2 TD, long of 46
He was stuck behind a couple of prettty good backs, but I remember liking him and him having pretty damn good speed. As I recall (and this is with all of 1 brain cell), his size and style was a lot like Jon Vaughn. So based on that little of info, I would tentatively put him in the sprinters category.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:28 PM ^
August 19th, 2008 at 12:47 PM ^
Funny you should mention that. I did a little more digging and David Underwood did have very good speed for a running back with "4.5 or better" speed in the 40. If Underwood had better than 4.5 speed, he was a sprinter type.
But, his carries were kept low due to a "lack of consistency" and not being "reliable." Apparently he had some opportunities where he "didn't protect the football."
And that is really very interesting. A promising player (Lemming rated him the 69th best player in the country as a recruit). A fast, returning senior who had by far the most carries for a RB going into the '04 season. But has a reputation for not protecting the ball... (tribute to elipses man) and loses the competition for starting RB to a TRUE FRESHMAN, who was a bit slower and, eventually established a reputation for never fumbling the ball.
Maybe what happened to Underwood had an effect on that freshman RB, Mike Hart?
August 19th, 2008 at 12:54 PM ^
Actually. Underwood WAS the starting tailback going into 2004. IIRC, he was injured early in the Notre Dame game that year (the second game). He had 24 carries the first game, got hurt, and was replaced, mainly, by Jerome Jackson, who was awful (2 yards a carry). Hart only had 5 carries in the first two games. If I recall, some combination of Jackson and Rembert played the majority of the first half in game 3, vs. San Diego State, and then ceded way to Hart, who ran for 124 yards, then didn't look back.
So Hart, really, was the third option that year. It's funny - going into the season, we planned on Guitierrez at QB and Underwood at RB.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:57 PM ^
August 19th, 2008 at 1:04 PM ^
August 19th, 2008 at 1:07 PM ^
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