Utah Open Thread

I think this guy sat by me

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh6Mutq3Zjo

I was so pissed yesterday, asking pointed questions at the TV time and time again, why won't you just f'ing play Carlos f'ing Brown, RichRod! He is the best of the RBs, goddammit.  Well, a Rivals article seems to say that Carlos Brown was sidelined by a shoulder injury.  Well that really sucks.  I hope he comes back soon.

http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=844449

And OMG had Bass never gotten injured, things would be different, although the O-line has work to do.  But would RR be here had Bass been healthy last year?  I say yes, because Lloyd was going to retire regardless of what happened last year, Horror or not.  Bass is our John Connor.

RR said that in his press conference... any word on mathews?  it looked bad to me....  he also said something about hemmingway

i got some stuff up on my site if anyone is interested...

that poole guy is clueless.. i mean really clueless...

I still think, from a fan's perspective that this is a fun year. So many people go to these games because of some sort of need for pedigree or need for prestige. The whiners want the pedigree, the fans of michigan football just want to see the team they cheer for execute and play a good game. One style of fan feeds off of the tradition and one makes it. Fans need to question their own depth. I thought Michigan fought. That in itself is a Victory. Also the coach for Utah, his comments were acceptable but not needed. Yes they could've won by more. But yes they committed a lot of penalties. My question is did the game clock expire on the 1st half 7 minute field goal for Utah. I thought it had expired by 3-5 seconds. I did not record the game otherwise I'd check it. It's time for everyone involved with the program and even the fans to realize there will be no big rewards and the effort needed will be tremendous. That's what starting over is all about.

what was our starting center-right guard combo - Molk/Moosman??  I was at the game and couldnt tell b/c i didnt know their numbers.  I know they sucked though.

While a new QB that fits the system is what will be needed to get over
the top and become elite.....First, To be respectable, consistent, and
steady....we need a strong O-line.  It will take time for these guys to
develop into the system, but we should at least be able run the ball
once the O-line is decent. 

The defense should be fine this year.  It took them one half to find
their stride, and then they played great in the second half against a
very  efficient Utah offense that runs a system that has historically
given Michigan fits.  The D-line and secondary looked impressive in the
second half, and Ezeh looked quick at linebacker.  

Call me crazy.....I would not be surprised if what we see at the end
of the year is a completely different team than what we see now....One
that keeps the OSU game close and even bides for an upset.

Lastly, this is soooo much more bearable than another wasted
monotonous year of 9-4 or 10-3 under Lloyd, because change is being
installed.  The struggles are well worth it, given that freshmen and
sophomores are getting significant playing time.  Once Forcier or
Beaver is running the offense....next year, I will expect a good year. 
And the following year....With all this year's freshmen as juniors,
should be the year the program ascends, and remains strong for the next
decade.

Why did we wait until the second half to switch our defense? We were running a very soft zone the entire first half, which left the flats WIDE OPEN. Any pass 7 yards or shorter was a free play. Our corners were playing 9 yards off for the zone.

We finally fixed it the second defensive series of the second half, and the entire complextion of the game changed. Ezeh got that pick (he was still in zone on that tipped ball) because they started jamming the wideouts.

Defensive ends. Our defensive ends were taking VERY wide paths the first half. The second half we started to just push the tackles in to shrink that pocket. FINALLY.

First Downs. Did anyone else notice how many people Utah kept in the box on first downs?! Always at least 7. For the love of god, throw the ball downfield on a first down!

On the the long throw from Sheridan to Mathews did the entire offensive line remain in their stance for the whole play? I saw it the first time and thought I was seeing things so I rewound and sure enough as you see sheridan throwing the camera pans to follow the ball and there is the entire o-line just perfectly motionless. Was that planned? I have never seen anything like that before.

gsimmons, I tried to read your analysis but it's really hard to follow without down and distance. From my layman's perspective, it looked like our vaunted d-line just got flat out blocked on passing plays for 30 minutes.

I understand that you're saying the difference between their play in the 1st and 2nd halves was more about execution than any schematic adjustments. You also seem to be saying that the defense performed fairly well overall and that you're not really concerned about this lack of execution. Does that mean that you're chalking it up to first-game rust instead of something that could reemerge later like lack of concentration or motivation?

The d-line's performance in the 1st half was the most disappointing thing about this game for me so I'd really like to hear an informed explanation for why their QB had so much time to sit in the pocket during the first half, even in obvious passing situations.

Edit: I'm watching the game again and BJ didn't really have as much time as it seemed when I was watching live. He's getting rid of the ball quickly and scrambling to buy time when he needs to. I'm feeling a lot better about the d-line and a lot worse about the outside linebacker play the more I watch.