Beware the kicking game
We all saw the short-kick return fiasco last week, but that's not what worries me most.
I was at the game and paid attention to Wile and Hagerup during warmups. It seemed to me that both of them were very inconsistent. Even though Wile made his FGs during the game, IIRC they were not down the middle (seemed to pull them left somewhat).
Did anyone else notice this?
September 18th, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^
We've been riding this fearwave since, what, 2002? I don't even remember what it's like to watch a Michigan placekicker and not expect the worst.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^
struggled his freshmen year so I was always a bit nervous his sophomore year. However, I felt pretty confident when Hoke sent him out his Jr and Sr years.
September 18th, 2014 at 6:15 PM ^
How drunk were you during the Penn State game?
September 18th, 2014 at 6:34 PM ^
but over his last 2-2.5 seasons that was his only bad game.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^
Hayden Epstein.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:28 PM ^
You're both wrong; Garrett Rivas.
September 18th, 2014 at 6:03 PM ^
This was the first name that came to mind for me as well, him and his "cold weather gear" in September.
September 18th, 2014 at 6:31 PM ^
He was solid, but not long...that's what she said.
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September 18th, 2014 at 6:55 PM ^
I can't really think of a kicker at UM that has had long range. Gibbons didn't have that great of range. Under Tressell it seemed like OSU just kept churning out kickers who were rock solid up to 50 yds.
September 18th, 2014 at 7:16 PM ^
Hayden Epstein did. Inconsistently, but as good as it had been since Mike Gillette kicking from artificial turf with a tee and wider goalposts.
September 18th, 2014 at 11:42 PM ^
Sparty always seems to have solid kickers too.
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September 18th, 2014 at 7:25 PM ^
His aunt was my 5th grade teacher at the time here in Tampa.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:59 PM ^
Epstein got a couple FG's of over 50 yards. But I remember him kicking wide right on many 35-45 yarders.
Epstein's kickoffs were the most memorable because they were almost always non-returnable. Against Eastern in 1998, he had a kickoff that went through the uprights.
September 18th, 2014 at 6:51 PM ^
I remember Olesnavage and Lopata both missing 20 something yarders--specifically against Toledo.
September 18th, 2014 at 9:00 PM ^
You win 1,000,000 points from me.
September 18th, 2014 at 9:04 PM ^
I havent watched a Michigan FB live, even in the Stadium, since the 2002 Washington game. It's my one superstition for the game. Started after all of the misses in that game and has saved me some stress at different points in time over the last decade.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:11 PM ^
I noticed we played a football game, which we won. I also noticed that we had coaches who were obviously coaching the players. Plus I noticed, just like you, that Matt Wile made his field goals.
I think we're gonna be okay.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:15 PM ^
Feeders in the MAC and the rest of our games are played at home, we'll be OK.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^
as long as I'm right.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:55 PM ^
Always been a fan of you, Darker Blue, but it seems ever since The Lemon, you've really stepped up your game. Been on your game so much lately.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:15 PM ^
According to wiki has 5 kids - why isn't one a kicker for us?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Haji-Sheikh
September 18th, 2014 at 5:22 PM ^
Dont worry I can't think of a single football game coming down to a field goal attempt. Right?
September 18th, 2014 at 6:36 PM ^
it would have been nice to keep the shutout streak going.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:21 PM ^
Searching for an Australian punter.
Actually,I have no idea what Michigan's doing about finding the next punter.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^
Minnesota did that once. Kid had a rocket leg.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^
If I'm more concerned about kicking than I am about the offensive line, or Devin Gardner, or the DBs, then we must be in decent shape, right?
September 18th, 2014 at 6:23 PM ^
If that was one of your positive comments, you must be a joy to be around.
September 18th, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^
Uh, maybe not.
September 18th, 2014 at 6:38 PM ^
A fellow Saint Joe Bear!
September 18th, 2014 at 5:31 PM ^
Just for mgousers. Captions:
BEEN A MEMBER SEVERAL YEARS
STILL CREATES STUPID THREADS
September 18th, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
Are you new? Us getting a field goal of 40 yards or more (sometimes 35 or more) is usually expecting too much. It's been that way for many years. Even during the pre-2007 days when Michigan actually looked like Michigan.
September 19th, 2014 at 1:26 PM ^
Exactly. Kicking problems are sort of the original Wolverine sin. If nothing else, Mike Lantry two years in a row against Ohio State.
September 18th, 2014 at 6:17 PM ^
play in general. The 2 big goofs of App State onsides kick (almost a turnover) and the short kickoff turnover from Miami after Norfleet had a nice return were predictable situations that the boys should have been prepared for. They were not.
At least we play at home, so road buterflies s/b at bay.
September 18th, 2014 at 6:22 PM ^
We landed on the Moon?
September 18th, 2014 at 6:37 PM ^
All these comments and no Remy Hamilton?
September 18th, 2014 at 6:45 PM ^
Coaching restrictions make it difficult to have a legitimate kicking coach. Most coaches know a lot about blocking, tackling and holding on to the ball. Every team has a QB coach. But nobody can afford to have a kicking coach without creating a deficiency elsewhere.
That makes kicking a recruiting crapshoot. They have to hope the person they recruit is good and can develop themselves beyond the basic "coaching" that they get from whoever is in charge of special teams.
Add in the apparent "fact" that coaches don't want to "waste" a lof of schollies on kickers and punters, and you have a recipe for failure. Sadly, Michigan is approaching "chef" status in regards to this recipe.
September 18th, 2014 at 9:43 PM ^
I know nothing about kicking coaches, but just wanted to note that we don't have a qb coach. Nuss and Borges both do their own QB coaching.
September 18th, 2014 at 6:47 PM ^
I don't think successful coaches sit around and worry about the kicking game because with any luck they have planned well enough not to have the momentum of a game rest on the kicker.
September 19th, 2014 at 7:12 AM ^
I wouldn't want to be the one to tell that to Bill Snyder this morning...
September 18th, 2014 at 6:54 PM ^
How about just score touchdowns. Then all you have to worry about is extra points.
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September 18th, 2014 at 7:04 PM ^
Mike Gillette.
September 18th, 2014 at 9:27 PM ^
he played for the Lakeland Tigers, I was like 10 years old, he gave my brother a signed bat, nice guy.
September 18th, 2014 at 7:10 PM ^
I'm less worried about the place kicking than I am the punt game. Supposedly, the Utes can punt...but I'm much less worried about the punt game than I am of the Utes up tempo O and potential UM TOs. UM D needs to come up big and cause Wilson to turn over the damn ball.
September 18th, 2014 at 8:29 PM ^
Um ok thanks
September 18th, 2014 at 9:28 PM ^
I think Kenny Allen is our best punter when watching warm-ups and I've said it since kickoff that Wile is bringing back Gibbons first year nightmares to me.
September 19th, 2014 at 5:48 AM ^
Yes, we know. Our kicking game is in ruins. Hoke is getting paid millions to try to fix it. The only problem is he has no idea how to do it.