[Updated] Starters on OL and injuries (Dileo), Michigan State week
Michigan OL for MSU game (per depth chart): Lewan LT, Bosch at LG, Glasgow C, Magnuson RG and Schofield RT
— angelique (@chengelis) October 28, 2013
UPDATE: This is apparently subject to change:
Hoke anticipates same OL that finished w vs IU. He said that could change after Tuesday -- Kalis and Bryant ready to go
— angelique (@chengelis) October 28, 2013
UPDATE #2: Drew Dileo may or may not play:
Hoke: Drew Dileo is a 'we'll see' vs. Michigan State -- will know more on Wednesday. — Michigan Football (@umichfootball) October 28, 2013
October 28th, 2013 at 12:20 PM ^
I would guess that portends the same (or at least similar) style of offense and play calling as the Indiana game. Seems like a good idea, at least for now.
October 28th, 2013 at 12:22 PM ^
What's the word on Kalis? Is he getting outperformed, or is he banged up a bit?
October 28th, 2013 at 12:26 PM ^
Kalis has trouble at guard and is much more effective at tackle. If this is true, I dont understand why they haven't ried Schofield at right guard and Kalis at right tackle.
October 28th, 2013 at 12:39 PM ^
From what I read on Rivals, Kalis is having a hard time with the mental side right now. They say he's thinking more than reacting.
October 28th, 2013 at 12:51 PM ^
great coaching there funk....
October 28th, 2013 at 1:04 PM ^
That is not on Funk. All players mature on their own. You cannot speed up the process some times. That is why you don't want RS Freshman playing on the line.
One day it will click in Kalis' head. It might be this week, it might be next week, it might be the offseason. Hell, it might take till week four next season. When that light switch flips from thinking to reacting, he will be a hell of a football player.
October 28th, 2013 at 1:39 PM ^
Has any OLineman developed under Funk, though?
Two years of pretty absymal OLine play with two NFL-caliber tackles is not really a positive sign. And as someone else in the thread pointed out, 7 games and 2 byes in, the OLine is still being shuffled around.
Are they young? Sure. But plenty of teams have young OLines that they get figured out eventually (look at MSU's line last season). This unit has been really underperforming and it's severely hampering the entire offense.
October 28th, 2013 at 1:49 PM ^
And as one of the posters pointed out and many keep asking.. WHERE the hell is Braden. I heard on here that he has problems pulling and can't play the interior as good as tackle.. Ok fair enough, but why is he not seeing and playing time at all as a tackle like when Lewan went down if they are trying to squeeze short yardage? I mean hes the biggest linemen we have and he's had an entire year and a half in the system. If he is just not good i'll be a disappointed fan for sure. The expectations were sky high.
October 28th, 2013 at 2:30 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 2:37 PM ^
As a unit, they have been pretty terrible for a couple of years now. Let's not forget the performance of three 5th year seniors last season.
I would expect at least average performance from them, especially at this point in the season. Instead, they're still shuffling the starting line-up. There are serious problems at that position.
October 28th, 2013 at 2:56 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 3:15 PM ^
I am more likely to give Mattison the benefit of the doubt, because I've seen more good on the defensive side of the ball. I haven't caught up with the Indiana game yet, but the previous 2 1/2 seasons have generally looked good to me. Especially considering the turn around from the 2010 defense. Not lights out every game, but that side of the ball has been reliably good since Mattison got here.
My broader concern about the offense stems from not seeing any development. Three seasons in, and things don't seem to be trending upwards. Things just seem highly, highly erratic. Capable of doing good things, but you can't count on it. Especially the QB play; the best quarterbacking we've seen since Borges got here was Gardner after practicing at WR.
As far as the OLine, it's two good tackles, a serviceable center, and a mess at both guard spots. And that comes after a mid-season switch at center. That's, at best, 2.5 spots out of 5. I'm not expecting the slew of 2nd and 3rd year players to be dominant, but that interior has been underperforming even modest expectations.
October 28th, 2013 at 3:28 PM ^
Bosch may turn out to be the best one at the guard spot and he was buried on the depth chart...??? A coach is supposed to be able evaluate talent and pull talent out of kids right?
October 28th, 2013 at 5:08 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^
FWIW this is ESPN's scouting report of Bosch coming out of high school.
"With his size and raw tools, he shows some upside, but we feel will need a redshirt year to keep develop his skills and allow him to maximize his ability."
So, this is a guy that although has good size and physicality and was also highly ranked out of high school, was thought by scouts to need a RS to develop his strength and push in run blocking.
October 28th, 2013 at 3:22 PM ^
Glasgow is a Sophmore
October 28th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^
Your reply makes zero sense
October 28th, 2013 at 1:52 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 1:56 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 7:12 PM ^
They are all also RS freshman. It takes time to teach and develop O-Lineman. If we are playing as bad as they are this time next year then its time to worry.
October 28th, 2013 at 2:01 PM ^
Well on a typical UM team none of these guys (ex Glasgow I guess) would be sniffing the field other than to get some reps vs CMU due to age. UM usually would roll out a RS sophomore that is uber talented (Long Lewan etc) and in rare exceptions 2 (Hutchinson Backus) but usually you throw 1 out there and surround him with a bevy of juniors and seniors. Like what OSU is doing this year with 1 very young starter. Rolling through RS freshman and now a true freshman? Not ideal.
All that said you'd expect out of the 2012 class if Funk was the answer, one of these guys - just by chance would be hitting big. Maybe its going to be a 2013 kid (Bosch), which would be strange - but who knows. Just from probability you'd expect someone to pop up out of so many candidates. It really is going to set up an interesting 2014 when multiple of these guys have to "hit it big" together just to be competent.
Last point about the OL - it is the one unit on the team that is truly a unit. Your safeties are somewhat separate from your corners. Your LBs are more out in space and DL are much more about 1 on 1 battles. The OL is so much about communication and being on the same page - it really is difficult to figure out who is doing what and who has what skill. Lewan has looked down at times this year from even last year; I assume some is the constant injuries but I have to believe part of that is the turnstile that has set up next to him all year.
October 28th, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 4:12 PM ^
Lewan and Long both started as RS freshman, not sophomores (well, they did as sophomores, too, but you know what I mean). And I'm not just comparing this line to vintage UM lines; that'd be a crazy standard. Other schools have been able to cobble together functional lines out of less. Will they get better? Sure. Doesn't mean I don't think they shouldn't be playing better now.
To your last point, the OL can't develop as a unit when they're still shuffling players and positions 9 weeks into the season.
October 28th, 2013 at 2:20 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 2:32 PM ^
Point taken about Glasgow. But personally, I feel like his success is outweighed by the struggles of seemingly everyone else who isn't a 5th year senior.
And I'd be happy if the line performed average, let alone "above average."
October 28th, 2013 at 2:46 PM ^
Our Depth goes
2 - 5th year seniors
3 - 3rd year sophmores (1 too small, 1 too injured, & 1 amazing ex-walk-on)
1 Billion - True Freshman and RS Freshman who should never be forced to see the field this early under normal Michigan circumstances.
So everyone who isn't a 5th year senior & who isn't named Graham Glasgow are usually not 100% developed under any program. Let's see how the new line performs against MSU this week before you say Funk can't develop. Who knows, maybe Mags & Bosch (who is a true freshman, which is amazing) are the answer. And your whole lack of development thing goes out the window.
October 28th, 2013 at 2:52 PM ^
What about the line last year? There were two 4th year players and three 5th year players that Funk had for two seasons.
And plenty of teams can field functional, sometimes pretty good, OLines out of two 5th year players, some 3rd players, and some 2nd year players. As a unit, they have been underperforming for two straight seasons. Yes young, but still playing worse than they should.
October 28th, 2013 at 3:27 PM ^
We have zone read lineman trying to play a power run game. Add in the fact that our bread and butter (QB zone read) didn't option off the extra defender like it is designed to do, and you become less effective.
I completely disagree with you that the young lineman are playing worse than they should.
I am just asking you to wait and see. Funks guys are 1st & 2nd year guys. Let them develop (or underdevelop) before you jump down his throat. Kalis would look a lot better playing on the line if juniors & seniors were at the G and C spots.
October 28th, 2013 at 3:35 PM ^
They aren't 1st and 2nd year guys, they are 2nd and 3rd year guys. Those redshirt seasons are there specifically to aid development. And running an offense ill-suited to your personnel might give Funk a bit of a pass, but is still a mark against the coaches (I guess, in this case, Borges's play calling).
Lucky for you, for some reason Hoke and the AD don't seem to want to listen to my opinions of their coaching staff.
October 28th, 2013 at 5:54 PM ^
but I have never believed he's the coach who's deciding what kind of offense to run.
October 28th, 2013 at 6:01 PM ^
I think you're right, because Borges has a reputation as a West Coast Offense guru.
October 28th, 2013 at 8:24 PM ^
October 29th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^
Has any OLineman developed under Funk, though?
Two years of pretty absymal OLine play with two NFL-caliber tackles is not really a positive sign.
October 28th, 2013 at 1:50 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 2:02 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 12:27 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 1:03 PM ^
I have a feeling we'll go to a lot of max-protection packages, which will mitigate the damage caused by the mismatches up front. The question will be whether or not we can capitalize downfield to Funchess and Gallon.
October 28th, 2013 at 1:49 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 1:58 PM ^
I think between Funchess's size and Gallon's ability to get separation via route running, the WR v. DB match-up is actually a good one for UM, even with MSU's DBs. The passing game is going to be really interesting to watch.
October 28th, 2013 at 2:11 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^
October 28th, 2013 at 12:40 PM ^
Key term there is "pre season hype." It's why the Grady Brooks Memorial King of Spring Hype exists.
October 28th, 2013 at 1:22 PM ^
Braden is #2 on the depth chart at LT.
October 28th, 2013 at 12:32 PM ^
Bosch did look decent against IU, for what that's worth. Hopefully him and Glasgow don't have any miscommunications like last game; they had a play on the goal line where they both bumped the DT and went to the 2nd level, while said DT was just left alone to roam around in the backfield. Blocking mishaps like that will get somebody killed against MSU.
I'm sure Narduzzi took one look at our interior Oline and said "Double A-gap blitz. Every play." As long as the Oline picks that up well, we have a chance. Gardner running for his life in the backfield is a recipe for disaster.
October 28th, 2013 at 12:33 PM ^
we will see a healthy dose of Kalis so long as he isn't injured...I don't mind this line-up since we won't be able to run much power runs against Sparty's tough defense
October 28th, 2013 at 12:34 PM ^
M is going to win.
October 28th, 2013 at 12:37 PM ^
][\/][ is going to win.
October 28th, 2013 at 1:05 PM ^