Joey Burzynski & Erik Magnuson to start at guard vs. Indiana
From the Michigan football Twitter account.
October 18th, 2013 at 6:52 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:16 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:29 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:31 PM ^
He got benched because he wasn't good. Him being smaller than Glasgow was likely part of the reason he wasn't as good, but it's not like the coaches simply said "Miller is too small, let's put someone bigger there." There are guys at every position who don't have ideal size who are good. When a guy lacks ideal size and he isn't good, people like to point to his size as the reason. Molk lacked elite size but was a badass. Elliott Mealer had great size but really couldn't.
Point is, size is only one part of the equation. Miller's other attributes couldn't overcome his (slight) size deficit. Maybe the coaches feel Magnuson can. He seemed to do pretty well last week.
October 18th, 2013 at 7:39 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:46 PM ^
I disgaree that if Mags was good enough he would have started from the beginning. Sometimes 4 weeks of camp isnt enough time to really see who the starters should be. It's possible Magnuson was close to getting a starting spot, was edged out, and now things have changed. And some guys look better in practice but not so in games. We'll see.
As far as moving Schofield instead of Magnuson - either way you're moving a tackle inside. Might as well keep 3 of the 5 spots in place rather than moving more guys around.
October 18th, 2013 at 7:55 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 10:31 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 10:15 PM ^
Yes, it matters. Face it, football is a grown-up man's game. When a smaller guy makes a splash, they make a movie about him, he gets laid by hot Catholic chicks, and he never has to buy another beer.
October 19th, 2013 at 3:55 AM ^
Is there nothing the SEC can't do?
October 20th, 2013 at 10:14 PM ^
I can't help myself. Given his recent troubles, I doubt many are buying Rudy beers. And as anyone on campus at the time knows--Rudy wasn't getting any chicks--Catholic, hot or otherwise. But the myths endure. :)
October 18th, 2013 at 6:55 PM ^
Do you have a better suggestion for TE starting OL? Who eould you start on the OL and why?
October 18th, 2013 at 6:58 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:19 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:31 PM ^
That's just not true. Molk's Oline was good. That makes it a one and a half year problem.
October 18th, 2013 at 7:40 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:20 PM ^
There always needs to be a scapegoat responsible for all evil. Borges Must Be Criticized. No changes? Stubborn!1!!!1! Changing personnel? Desperate!!11!!
October 18th, 2013 at 7:27 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 10:36 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 11:03 PM ^
The play calling and offensive concept are basically making their job impossible.
Why Borges would not game plan to set his offense up for success is "mind bottling"...
October 18th, 2013 at 11:40 PM ^
List your credentials.
October 19th, 2013 at 8:44 AM ^
We need to show credentials with differing opinions? What are yours to say he wrong? I should hope UM would hire no less that an "expert" as OC - how's that been working out?
We all recognize Mattison's 2011 turnaround of the "same" defense as a testament to his coaching prowess - a textbook example of what good coaching can achieve. And yet it's crazy to think that a different OC could achieve more?
October 19th, 2013 at 1:17 AM ^
And come up with something new. You've repeated this same comment way too many times.
October 18th, 2013 at 7:35 PM ^
Size aint the problem. Bowling Green, Louisiana Lafayette, and the Ohio Bobcats' 260-pound linemen didn't have any problems creating space against Akron. Our four-star 300-pounders did.
October 18th, 2013 at 6:53 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 6:56 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:05 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:34 PM ^
And those numbers are also almost never accurate. If an OL recruit is 260, he's not going to say he's 260. At least not usually. This is why so many of our recruits come in shorter and lighter on the roster than they were as recruits.
Chris Wormley was reported anywhere between 6'6" and 6'8" as a recruit, but now he's 6'4". This is not the case with everyone, but it is with most.
October 19th, 2013 at 4:14 AM ^
Wormley has a case of the shrinks?
October 18th, 2013 at 7:17 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 8:32 PM ^
October 19th, 2013 at 12:26 AM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 6:55 PM ^
Why not try Terry Richardson at Guard...I hear he's up to 170 now. Maybe he can get a push on the line.
October 18th, 2013 at 6:58 PM ^
At some point you just have to let the guys play through the tough times so they can grow and mature. This constant shuffling does nothing but keep setting us back.
October 18th, 2013 at 7:20 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 10:45 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:00 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:02 PM ^
October 18th, 2013 at 7:03 PM ^
I may be wrong here, but I'm wondering if this means Michigan is going to run more of a shotgun/spread type of offense. Burzynski and Magnuson are guys more suited to zone blocking than someone like Chris Bryant or even Kyle Kalis, and Magnuson came out of high school as a solid pass blocker who needed to work on his run blocking. Maybe the coaches are (finally) saying "F*** the power and iso. We're running zone, we're gonna throw the ball, and we'll see what happens."
October 18th, 2013 at 7:08 PM ^
I sure hope you're right!
October 18th, 2013 at 7:09 PM ^
I think you're right. If it works early they will stick with the whole game and expand on it in the bye week.
October 18th, 2013 at 7:14 PM ^
After reading that, I can't decide if Borges is using his brain or if he's lost the last of it having said "F*ck it. Maybe these guys will be able to run block"
October 18th, 2013 at 7:14 PM ^
Pretty please.
October 18th, 2013 at 7:17 PM ^
And it comes from MAGNUS of all people!
October 18th, 2013 at 7:38 PM ^
Is that they're going back to that god-forsaken zone stretch.
October 18th, 2013 at 7:40 PM ^
Please be right Mr. Mangus
October 18th, 2013 at 7:54 PM ^
I had the same thought. Magnuson is pretty good at pass pro, Bryant is... not very good. We might be buying some more time in the pocket for Gardner at the expense of push on run (theoretically, Bryant was getting pushed, not getting push).
October 18th, 2013 at 10:23 PM ^
Magnuson = Son of Magnus. I now see the connection. Well played.
Seriously, though, I hope your reasoning is correct. I'll personally pen an ode to Magnus (haiku format) if this strategy comes to fruition and your instincts are correct.