Priorites for the next few months
I really hope RR makes the following high on his priority list:
1. Find two guys who will return kicks and punts. Give them at least 500,000 reps. TEACH THEM THE BASICS. Tuck the damn ball on the correct side. Practice in cold weather. Practice when the wind is swirling. Teach them about an obscure concept called "Fair Catch". We cannot have a situation where the attitude is "Hey you look fast go return kicks for us". I am not saying this is happening now or happened last year, just make sure it doesn't happen ever.
2. Teaching good tackling technique. Easier said than done, but we really need to come up to at least D-1 levels on this. This has been a problem at UM for quite a few years(RE for all his "fire" couldn't teach tackling to save his life). Reply to all questions in press conference about defensive "schemes" with one standard retort: "Shut the hell up. When we learn how to tackle better than little girls, we will talk about schemes".
3. Have a conversation with Sheridan and explain to him that under NO circumstances should he take the field. If Tate gets injured, Denard gets injured, Threet gets injured, furrah gets injured.....even the Coner! gets injured, HE STILL HOLDS THE CLIPBOARD. Make it clear to him that we will snap the ball to Will Campbell in the wildcat formation before he even thinks of seeing the field.
4. Put some research into ritual sacrifices that will satisfy the Angry Michigan Hating God. You can prepare all you want, but if we have the kind of luck with injuries that we had last year, hello death...
February 5th, 2009 at 10:53 AM ^
You hit all of the weaknesses right on the head. Tackling was bad. punt return was bad. sheridan was bad. threet was bad too. this year will be different. and we dont have morgan trent thank god, that is a huge improvement right there. i think we'll do just fine this year, it will be very exciting to watch.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:18 AM ^
I am optimistic too, but everytime I get too excited, I just punch myself in the stomach and I remember "oh yeah thats how it feels to get your hopes up too high and tumble down to reality".
I am firmly capping my optimism at 6 wins.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:23 AM ^
Up until this very post, I had forgotten how horrific our kick/punt returns were. I don't know how that's possible, but it's true.
I think if there's one thing that can make a tangible and immediate impact right now, it's the return game. Coughing up the ball like we did is demoralizing for the defense, not to mention the obvious boost for the opposition. I know it seems rudimentary but it's an easy fix that should help us immensely in 2009 and beyond.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:35 AM ^
NO WAI!
February 5th, 2009 at 11:40 AM ^
5. Don't run a hurry-up offense just to go three-and-out. Wouldn't it be prudent to take MORE time on offense to give the defence a rest? If we're making first downs, keep it up, but puttin the defence back on the field after 45 seconds is just bad coaching.
6. Expand the play book. We kept hearing last year that the guys looked "ready" in practice, but looked just awful come game time. The lil counter-handoffs and bubble screens can work against weaker competition, but against any decent team with an observant DC the plays will not work past the first quarter (not to mention DC's studying previous game film). There is a saying, insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
7. Find a quarterback who can throw slants to the slots and downfield to the wide outs. Threet seemed to have a downfield arm some games, but his field vision is poor and his reading defences/checking down receivers will never be at an acceptable level. I'm glad Forcier is already enrolled and working with Barwis and studying play book and game film. He seems like an intelligent kid with a good feel for the game. And ShoelaceRobinson could be a gem in the making.
8. Teach O-line and wideouts how to block!!! I saw soso many missed assignments and blocks last season. If RR is going to use an over-simplified playbook, fundamentals such as blocking and holding on to the ball are paramount.
9. Keep Z o l t a n HEALTHY!!! We need any edge in field position that we can get.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:51 PM ^
I think that several factors contributed to the limited playbook: (1) the QBs constrained running ability; (2) inexperience at all of the skill positions; and (3) it was everyone's first year in the offense.
I expect that with added experience, potential dual-threat QBs, and another year in the offense, we will see fewer bubble screens, more downfield passes, better blocking, and more true option plays.
I also think that the limited playbook contributed to the offense's limited success. In several games, the offense performed well for a quarter and a half and then sputtered once the other team made halftime adjustments (Utah and Wisconsin are the exceptions). Once the adjustments were made, and Michigan continued to run the same plays, the offense collapsed and the defense was hung out to dry.
Here's hoping to a more dynamic offense to keep pressure off the defense.
February 5th, 2009 at 1:47 PM ^
wasn't aware we had british posters here on mgoblog. Welkom!
February 5th, 2009 at 11:48 AM ^
I like your post, but I think the negative comments about Sheridan are unnecessary. The kid isn't a D1 talent, but he worked his ass off for this team and committed his time and effort to them long before he ever thought he was going to see the field. Maybe we should spare him the slaps in the face--if all the kids worked as hard as Nick to maximize their potential, we'd be doing pretty well.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:50 AM ^
i hope we do not need sheridan to take the field this year but the dude was a walk on who started 3 yes 3 games in highschool. the fact he worked his ass off enough to say that he "started at michigan" is remarkable. i wish we had more players with his work ethic to set a goal and go out and accomplish it.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:43 PM ^
And we should remember that Sheridan started against Minnesota and was therefore responsible for one of Michigan's best offensive games... and one of only three wins.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:55 AM ^
just his play.I am not saying pull his schol or run him out of town. Just saying he needs to not get on the field.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:54 PM ^
He beat Minnesota.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:53 AM ^
Great post I really like it and I'm glad you know more about running a D-I football program than a guy who's been doing it (with great success) for the better part of a decade.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:10 PM ^
I'm 188-1 in my dynasty I started in NCAA 2004. I know recruit using Prestige and always get 14 5* players a year. I know my shit.
February 5th, 2009 at 1:23 PM ^
Is your dad the winningest coach in D-1 history??
February 5th, 2009 at 12:14 PM ^
Where did that come from dude? When did ever say I know more than anybody? You referring to RR or RE? If it is RR then look at my handle for god's sake, and if it is RE, then I'll just say he is a good coach who overlooked a gaping hole in our defense.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:20 PM ^
Was it really his hard work or more of a numbers game that got him on the field?
February 5th, 2009 at 12:21 PM ^
Amen to those priorities, especially teaching the basics of kick returns. Also, I think we need to hike it the Otter in wildcat formation - once just for the hell of it.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:29 PM ^
That one was nice. In no shape or form should he ever be allowed on the field. Not even for the FG holder! Please NO
February 5th, 2009 at 1:07 PM ^
RR is never going to do anything like what you suggested he do with Sheridan - it's totally against his philosophy. In yesterday's press conference, when talking about the QB situation, he included Threet, Sheridan, and even Cone in the discussion. Sitting a player down and telling him he will never ever play would go totally counter to RR's philosophy of creating competition at every single position every single day.
February 5th, 2009 at 2:05 PM ^
I was very happy to hear him say that yesterday, because I've always had a problem with recruiting guys to sit on the bench. It gave me a warm feeling with rich rod to know that he leaves a kid's chances of starting to the kid's mind and work-ethic. he's starting to sound like he's molding with tradition
February 5th, 2009 at 1:38 PM ^
bubble screens, please, or maybe 1 per half, mostly resulted in negative yards or fumbles, poor blocking.
February 5th, 2009 at 2:09 PM ^
We were not running the "hurry up" last year we ran a no huddle offense...which in most cases we stood around until the playclock ran down just like most other teams..."it's ok to run the hurry up if you are getting 1st downs" Well you won't know if you got the 1st down until you already ran a play or 2 so it will be tough to run then.
I would like to bury the "definition of insanity" that everyone likes to throw out during a discussion. Everyone knows what you are going to say and it is not the definition so it's played and incorrect. It's a quote from Albert Einstein it's not the definition. Plus it's not true look at Rod Marinelli he kept pounding the rock and nothing happened and then 1 day it broke and the Lions were great..oh wait...Doh!!!!
February 5th, 2009 at 3:52 PM ^
hurry up...no huddle...same diff...they played "fast" between plays. and "you won't know if you got the 1st down until you already ran a play or 2" is not an argument. but three-and-out afta three-and-out is a pattern. and the defense was dog tired. the D took a lotta shit, but a good part of it was the inept offensive time of possession and turnovers that put the D in bad field position.
Ahh...Albert...it is Relativity. The insanity that I refer to is an AA mantra not a definition.
Don't see much credit in your corrections, sorry.
February 5th, 2009 at 2:30 PM ^
Teaching the wideouts to block is huge as far as im concerned. if were gonna keep running the screens, we need the wideouts to get a body on some one to give the reciever some time.
tackling has definitly been our most consistent weakness over the past 4 yrs. even during out 2006 campaign, when our defense was allowing 20 yard rushing per game, we still missed a lot of open field tackles, especially the DBs. and i noticed a lot this yr that we were allowing a lot of yards after contact. consistently we would allow teams to get the first down after initial contact was made two yards short of the marker.
stop allowing conversions on 3rd and 18!!! i honestly think we would have been better off intentionally committing encrouchment penalties to shorten the first down yardage so that we could have treated it like a normal 3rd down.
we should also try teaching the safeties wut their damn assignments are. im tired of watching safeties offer no help to the corners because their too busy getting pants by the opposing qb using a pump fake or running play action
February 5th, 2009 at 3:39 PM ^
Does anyone know if the Angry Michigan Hating God prefers many small animals be sacrificed or one large one??
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