Drake Johnson What the ?
November 1st, 2014 at 7:14 PM ^
When? I don't remember hearing about him being injured this year. Didn't he get a carry or 2 in the opener in garbage time? Last year he was out though.
November 1st, 2014 at 7:19 PM ^
Johnson was mentioned. Thing is, he didn't have those stars after his name when he signed his LoI.
November 1st, 2014 at 7:25 PM ^
Johnson was mentioned a lot in fall camp. Hoke kept saying he was pushing Green and Smith. I think Brian was kind of freaking out about because he didn't think Johnson was that good so it must have meant Green and Smith weren't good.
I did a quick google search on Drake Johnson injury and could only come up with the ACL tear from last year. And yes, he did play against App St., 3 carries for 28 yards.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:39 PM ^
I don't think it's possible, at this point, to calculate DMFJ's talent from Indiana's ineptitude.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:39 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 9:27 PM ^
Drake led the state of Michigan in rushing yards his senior year in high school and I believe he was the 110m hurdle champion. Seems like he's got the credentials to be a big time back. I think he showed today why he's special and if he gets past the first level he's the only home run threat UM has, and that includes the receives. Our skill players look very slow (including MGoBlog favorite Norfleet, sad to say) on the field, maybe Drake can give us som big play potential.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:39 PM ^
but I really cant picture Green or Smith looking that good. Those guys are just too slow and are not nearly as shifty as Johnson was. Johnson needs to start from here ime
November 1st, 2014 at 6:39 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 6:48 PM ^
I'll grant that DMFJ may have been injured. However, was he injured at the start of the game, when Smith started? Or when Hayes came in before him?
It's on the coaches
November 1st, 2014 at 6:55 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 7:30 PM ^
"This is the worst thread ever" is the most optimistic thing I've read here in many weeks. I was thinking "this is the most typical thread ever."
I like your version better; I wish I believed it.
November 1st, 2014 at 8:37 PM ^
This is the worst and most typical thread ever.
November 1st, 2014 at 11:39 PM ^
...where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the threads are below average.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:39 PM ^
There is no way that Green makes several of the runs that Drake made today. Drake has burst, vision and feet.
Fuck Hokemeier for not recognizing that Drake is the best RB on the active roster.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:55 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 1st, 2014 at 7:17 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 7:22 PM ^
Johnson was doing things today, irrespective of it being Indiana, that we haven't seen from a Michigan RB in Donkey years.
November 1st, 2014 at 9:02 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
I am happy for him.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
Apparently Dave Brandon was setting the RB depth chart.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
So Drake Johnson has one good game and now we've been playing the wrongs guys forever? Maybe Johnson has just been improving after getting healthy.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:43 PM ^
No, no, can't be that ...
Clearly Brandon didn't think he was B1G material...
November 1st, 2014 at 8:04 PM ^
wtf does brandon have to do with this?
November 1st, 2014 at 8:51 PM ^
Consider the result of Hoke not giving Drake a few carries earlier in the year. Brandon never had the opportunity to identify him as the lead back when breaking down the game film with the coaching staff. With Johnson at RB the offense would have been more productive which would have produced more wins which would have saved Brandons job.
Heres a clap and a pat on the behind for Bradys poor talent identification.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:46 PM ^
If Drake was too injured to play that's one thing.
But since Green and Smith had trouble identifying the proper running lanes, so egregiously they missed the correct side of the field to run to, maybe rotating players through isn't too much to ask.
November 2nd, 2014 at 12:05 AM ^
And we've seen it before. Bellomy, Morris v. Minne, AJ Williams, etc... This staff hasn't shown enough to be given the benefit of the doubt. Chengelis had Drake tagged as best RB before the season.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
Not that I think a reporter would ever ask a question of value BUT if they were inclined I'd want them to Hoke why Johnson got zilch for playing time unitl now.
Maybe those legenary practices dont involve the backups.
November 1st, 2014 at 7:15 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 6:41 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 6:41 PM ^
He has speed that this team has been lacking for two years. Deveon Smith hits the hole so slowly that it closes up before he even gets through it. Drake bursts through the hole and actually made some players miss today.
I like Johnson and Hayes way more than Smith just because of the speed they bring and obviously the pass protection that Hayes brings was excellent today. Gardner had all day today and the backs had some good holes to run through.
GO Blue!
November 1st, 2014 at 6:41 PM ^
He has speed that this team has been lacking for two years. Deveon Smith hits the hole so slowly that it closes up before he even gets through it. Drake bursts through the hole and actually made some players miss today.
I like Johnson and Hayes way more than Smith just because of the speed they bring and obviously the pass protection that Hayes brings was excellent today. Gardner had all day today and the backs had some good holes to run through.
GO Blue!
November 1st, 2014 at 6:41 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 6:43 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 6:42 PM ^
HELL YEAH!!! We have a shot at the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl!!!!!
BS aside, I'm glad to see these kids out there fighting. The defense, no matter if it's against Indiana, is a nationally ranked defense....
All we need is for the offense to get down the f'n field and this team would be rockin. It just makes me sad for all the kids who bought into this team that will be gone after this year (just like the denard-era players)..
I hope this isn't a fluke and that DG can get in some good recovery time, not take any big hits, and be a little more like his potential seemed to be just a couple years ago.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:44 PM ^
DG had two of his worst throws all season today. The first was somehow dropped by the DB.
November 1st, 2014 at 7:42 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 7:46 PM ^
It was just a bad throw.
I still think it's the foot. So many of the bad throws come when he doesn't step into them, and he doesn't look right running the ball either.
November 1st, 2014 at 8:22 PM ^
^SO MUCH THIS
"We don't talk about injuries"
You guys (including me) don't know the extent to which DG is fighting pain through these games. Watching every game from start to finish through all of the worst times, whether on a TV or in the house, I can't help to believe that DG is not perpetually hurt while playing.
His sloppy throws don't have a lot of logic surrounding them, because we KNOW he can put a ball where it needs to be with authority. It's the consistency that keeps dropping. He looks hurt. I still feel DG is better than what we see. I still feel like he has been cheated out of being developed into a really huge star talent, and I really believe he could make it at the next level if his body is able to recover.
I really don't care if you just don't like his performances, but the HATRED towards DG when he has shown signs of brilliance in the past really pisses me off, because that kid has sacrificed more for this fucking team than most people ever will, and he did it in a time that will be looked back upon as a dark period in this school's football history. It's sad, the kid deserved better, and he dserves your fucking support while you're sitting there pounding beers and being pissed off after he throws an INT in garbage time after getting hit by 240+lb guys running at full speed 6 or 7 times. It makes me sick to see people talk down on that kid like thety do, because a healthy protected DG would not be like this. He GAVE ALL OF US HIS LOYALTY, maybe some of you should shut up, sit down, and be thankful he didn't move to better pastures and leave you with morris and bellomy. (who wouldn't last a single game if they got hit like DG, and I think we can QED that at this point. )
Just remember. Denard is suddenly emerging as an NFL talent getting two 100+ yard games in a row.... playing on the worst team in the league.... and nobody here gave him a chance in the NFL until the sudden uproar of the past few weeks. They have only given him the FT job two games now, and he's done that with a team that can't wipe it's own ass. Imagine if he had key blockers. I guess he's used to not having them, though.
November 1st, 2014 at 8:54 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 11:54 PM ^
I personally have no question that something is wrong physically with Gardner. No idea if it is his foot or something else, but go back and watch him from last year and then watch him from this year. He looks like a totally different thrower this year. Yeah he made some bad decisions last year, but he didn't make the amateur hour throws like he has this year where he underthrows guys by 10 yards and gets picked off.
I think he's clearly playing way below 100% and we're just not being told any of it.
November 1st, 2014 at 6:42 PM ^
That burst will show regardless of the opponent. Seems to have better vision than anyone else, as well (though I'm starting to think half of the backfield including QBs are legally blind so take that FWIW).
November 1st, 2014 at 6:52 PM ^
My theory, and I know a lot of people will likely negbang me for this, is that DG's vision issues go back to coaching.. he looks for one or two people tops, is always anticipating getting blasted by an unblocked defender, and his only other thought is to look for a lane to run into to try to grab a few yards... I think it's bad development and a litlte bit of a lack of confidence.
You can see it in that kid's eyes when he's confident. Just like when shane went out of that game and devin walked down the field with ease, and ran straight into the defenders in the end zone, didn't go down, and stared them straight in the eyes... the kid is great when he looks confident.
And while others will shit on DG all day, I just say look at that game last year on the broken foot. Watch his performance in that game. Keep it in your head the entire time that he is not only banged up as can be, he is running on a broken foot. Yeah, i wish that last play would have been different. I really thought he was going to take it into the endzone himself on that play, and it's hard for me to believe on that day that DG would not have broken the plane by sheer willpower if he had kept it.
I have never seen a QB so heavily criticized when they have taken so many hits. I've never seen a QB still able to play after taking the hits DG has taken. Tired of the "we don't have a QB" hate. We don't have a HC, we have a QB that could have ran away with RR and probably would be dominating out in the PAC right now, and we should appreciate his LOYALTY to the institution, not to mention the sacrifice of his career and health.
November 1st, 2014 at 7:05 PM ^
I have never seen a QB so heavily criticized when they have taken so many hits.
My friend, you have never watched David Carr and then seen the fan responses.
Edit: also, your post was one of the better posts in the thread.
November 1st, 2014 at 7:08 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 7:31 PM ^
People should lay off Devin Gardner. Yes, he isn't a very good quarterback, but virtually none of that is his fault. He has tremendous physical skills, is smart and hardworking. If his quarterback decisionmaking is poor, it is solely because of coaching. Blaming DG for that is like blaming a student for being bad at math when he has a math illiterate as a teacher. Or giving a student a failing grade in English when his teacher doesn't even speak the language. Add to it that he has been beaten to a bloody pulp because of horrific offensive line play and you have a quarterback that plays like he has PTSD.
With proper coaching, DG had 1st round potential and possibly millions of dollars from the NFL in his future. Instead he is unlikely to play in the NFL at all, and certainly not at quarterback if he does. On his way out the door, Hoke should apologize to DG for destroying his athletic future.
November 1st, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 8:28 PM ^
I would like to see you take one hit out of the top 25 hits gardner has taken and not go out of comission drew bledsoe style.
November 1st, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
People are voting you down on that, but i pretty much agree. He showed he had what it took back then.... he was showing improvement... then came the perpetual no-proteciton brutal hits every single game... His vision has turned into a tunnel, his confidence is like a light switch, and his throws are suffering, and i bet it does have something to do with injury. Some of his throws that he normally nails end up being pretty sloppy, and for seemingly no reason... looks like it's harder for him to step into throws.
I have no doubt that DG HAD the capabilty of being a high pick, but just like denard who couldn't play in the NFL for almost two f'n years because of the injuries he suffered in ann arbor, i think DG is going to go through the same shit. I just hope he gets to recover fully and has a chance at the next level. if he isn't good enough, so be it... but most people here didn't think denard could do anything in the NFL... and he's doing it with the worst team backing him up.
November 2nd, 2014 at 12:34 AM ^
He is a fifth year senior at Michigan. Expectations are high. Wake the fuck up. He is physically tough, just not a good QB. Enough already. Some people think you can't talk bad about players.
HE IS NOT A GOOD QB. REGARDLESS OF WHY.