April 16th, 2010 at 12:31 PM ^
Could you hook a brother up with a link?
Could you hook a brother up with the chick in your avatar?
...are readily available on the interwebs for your "date".
April 16th, 2010 at 12:32 PM ^
...being it's just spring practice. Let's revisit this topic at the end of August! :)
April 16th, 2010 at 12:47 PM ^
However, this topic will be visited and revisited many times before the end of August... and you will participate.
The site will shut down!
All the plants will die!!
April 16th, 2010 at 12:33 PM ^
Yes I found that odd also. It would be a plesant suprise, but I think shes just filling a colum.
April 16th, 2010 at 12:35 PM ^
I love how are backs are competing, and each week a new one emerges. This only makes the whole unit better!!!
PROTIP #1: When you correct a typo in the body of the comment, correct it in the subject line as well.
PROTIP#2: While you "our" correcting typos, be sure to hit all of them.
I needed a good belly laugh.
April 16th, 2010 at 12:35 PM ^
I find it hard to believe that Chengelis would not think highly of Cox.
Cox doesn't know how to handle his ball.*
* he actually doesn't since he was demoted for fumbling for the circle jerkers out there.
April 16th, 2010 at 12:36 PM ^
She's normally not bad, but this is one thing about which I have zero faith that she's correct. Toussaint has been a distant third in almost every other practice report. He's practically neck-and-neck with Hopkins.
April 16th, 2010 at 12:40 PM ^
The title of your post suggests either an essay on French politics or a classy porno movie. Either way, bravo.
April 16th, 2010 at 12:51 PM ^
But I agree with the sentiment above about waiting until the fall and all the practice reports so far. That being said, Cox and Shaw have both gone through spring practice and gotten on the field already, so they should have been better at the start of spring. The last couple of practices though, I have read Toussaint is coming on strong. I am a big fan and think that he is going to be our starter before the year is out.
April 16th, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^
I doubt we'll be seeing a traditional "starter" for awhile. Rod has never had a problem with splitting carries if he's got more than one good back. I think we'll see at least two guys, and as many as four, all getting fairly equal playing time. It could be a weekly battle to see who "starts."
April 16th, 2010 at 12:57 PM ^
depend a lot on who we are playing against, I would assume.
April 16th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^
I think there are different backs for different packages (novel idea right...?)
All Purpose Backs:
Leader: Cox
Second: Fitz
Third: White
Speed Backs
Leader: Shaw
Second: Vincent Smith (2nd because of injury)
Power Backs
Leader: Hopkins
I'm guessing that because we no longer really ever see the fullback, there will be tons of plays that both Cox is on the field with either Fitz, Shaw, or Smith. The best comparison I can give is when Illinois used to line up Pierre Thomas and Rashard Mendenhall in the backfield if only to confuse defenses on the direction the play was working...
April 16th, 2010 at 12:57 PM ^
This is wise. As nuanced as RR's system is, it is simplistic to rank the backs together in the same general category. They will be used for different purposes - something that the backs themselves have stated, but that we, in our infinite need to rank everything, ignore.
to call V. Smith a "speed back." Dude has Mike Hart-esque wheels. Fortunately, he also has some of Hart's moves.
Yeah, he was never extremely fast to begin with, and he's coming off a torn ACL. He's quick, but not that speedy.
He's always reminded me of Garrett Wolfe out of Northern Illinois actually. Similiar size, similiar speed, shifty little guys that can run with a bit of power. I doubt he gets enough carries to put up Wolfe type numbers in his career, but I think they play the same way.
April 17th, 2010 at 12:13 AM ^
they all have is the ability to pass block.
In regard to your all purpose back depth chart, there's no reason for Shaw not to be included. He should probably be above Toussaint, and he should definitely be above White, who will likely redshirt this year. I don't know what you're basing your "all purpose" talents on, but Shaw can catch - he was listed as a WR for his first two years of college.
I'd certainly agree. Shaw is probably our best receiver out of the backfield actually. A real mismatch and he showed great hands on a couple of catches over the last couple years.
All purpose was meant to convey a combination of both size and speed.
Cox, Fitz, and White (in my opinion) are bigger and stronger than Shaw and Smith.
Shaw and Smith were placed into the "speed" category because (in my opinion) they're shiftier and more likely to go around someone than through them.
I also agreed that White is likely ticketed for a redshirt. I just added him where I thought he best fit.
The basic point of the post was just meant to convey that there is a good chance we see multiple backs on the field at the same time in order to (1) run misdirections, (2) spread and confuse the D (3) create mismatches for the slots and (4) allow the plays to adapt to the opposing D
...that Kelvin Grady and Terrence Robinson will be hybrid slots/RBs and get carries as well.
Anyone who's paid attention to them during practices know if this will be by shifting from the slot to a running back position prior to the snap or via handoffs/pitches after they come in motion from the slot?
I would switch Smith and Fitz in your categories. Fitz is easily the second faster TB we have behind Shaw. Also, Smith is certainly All-purpose after seeing his pass catching last season, he caught a pass for a TD against OSU, yeah? And also because VSmith has a lot of talents, but speed is not near the top of that list. And Cox might be more of a power back than an APB, albeit less powerful than Hopkins who might really hurt other players.
I agree with your overall point though, who our "starter" or "#1 back" is might depend on both the defense we're facing and the game situation. The guy who gets the first snap of the game isn't necessary our top guy, on any given Saturday.
April 16th, 2010 at 12:56 PM ^
Angelique is the only reporter in Detroit besides Wojo who doesn't seem to hate everything about the University of Michigan. I am more than willing to forgive her errors in judgement because she doesn't have an agenda, either covert or overt, that involves getting UM coaches fired, and she seems to geniunely love her "beat."
As possibly the only NASCAR fan who visits mgoblog, I like her work in that area, too. It's great to read a writer who enjoys the events she covers and has fun instead of trying to create controversy and piss people off.
I wish more "writers" had her style of reporting.
are you accusing Drew Sharp of bias...?
BLASPHEMY!
/Sarcasm...
brie en croute
The fact that we have a handful of backs who could be called our #1 is encouraging. There are a lot of teams with a clear #1, but nothing behind him in the event of fatigue, injury, or scheme change. We have a number of backs capable to being the go to back if need be.
Considering how prone to injury tailbacks are, this is a very good thing.
Also: Hopkins excites me. He's one of those backs who will likely never break a 50 yard scamper, but if we play a team with a smallish front 7, he might be able to get 5-6 yards every single play. There might be a game where we give him the ball 8 straight plays and when they bring everyone up, Denard takes it around the outside for the score. Touchdown Michigan!
I would disagree with you - I can almost guarantee you that Hopkins will have a 50+ yard run to his name by the time his career here is done. This offense is designed to get the RB matched up with a safety at the next level. At this point all Hopkins needs to do is steamroll the unlucky SOB or give him a good stiff arm and he'll certainly have the speed to get another 35-40 yards until someone else catches up with him.
Also keep in mind that if Hopkins is in there with Shaw, Toussaint, or Smith, that just increases the chances the D will over-commit to the speedier guys, which opens up lanes for a big guy like Hopkins. Think about the role Owen Schmidt had at WVU.
I bet Owen Schmitt didn't have many 50+ runs either.
Brandon Minor didn't have a 50 yard run until his senior year, and it was 55 yards. Shaw still hasn't had a 50 yarder in his 2 years here. Even DRob never ran for 50 last fall.
A 50 yard run is rare for any back, and between Hopkins' lack of top end speed and the situations in which he'll be used, I would be willing to bet he never busts one for 50+. I'm not sure a guy like him is going to get more than 10-15 carries a season outside of the 50.
Just so you know, steamrolling a safety and then running for 40 yards is almost unheard of, at least at the college level. I will look you up and pay you $100 if Hopkins ever does that.
Owen Schmitt had carries of 50+ yards in 2005, 2006, and 2007, fwiw.
I never said he didn't have any, I said he didn't have many.
And don't get me wrong, I hope all of our backs have a 50+ yard run in every game. But if you take out EMU and DSU, as a team we had one 50+ yard run from all of our backs, and that was senior, healthy Brandon Minor, against Purdue, for 55 yards.
It seems like the article was comprised of opinions found here. The whole comment about not wanting to start a freshman QB for a third straight year, how Robinson is improving, but it would be hard to believe he has passed Forcier. I guess it just reinforces I need not go anywhere else for Michigan news. Easier for me.
I'm optimistic on Toussaint. Word is that everything he does gonna be funky from now on.
to make this joke. Thanks for ruining it.
Don't worry, they did enough together that it should be good for at least one joke a week.
...the most like this guy is the guy we should go with.
...we should do the opposite
to an NFL roster for so long. Look at his awful form -- cutting off his inside foot. Who does that guy think he is, Barry Sanders?
/sarcasm
Touissant > everyone
assuming he gets the offense down of course. he's had trouble doing just that according to RR. hard to take first team reps when you dont know the full playbook.
in my opinion Toussaint is our most complete tailback. he has the best combo of size, speed, strength, vision, and cutting ability.
I don't get the love Fitz gets... oh wait because the Michigan faithful loves new players they haven't seen. Shaw has been tossed to the side by many fans and I wouldn't give up on him yet. He will be the starter to start the season. Most people will be seeing Fitz for the first time during the spring game. I just wish people
would allow the players to play their first real game before blessing them the starter stud of the future.
Toussaint reminds me of a former M running back Jon Vaughn. Toussaint and Vaughn are virtually the same size and both were top sprinters in the 100 and 200 meters in HS.
Vaughn, as I posted in another thread started out his redshirt sophomore season (1990) with back to back 200 yard games against ND and UCLA. As a redshirt freshman(1989), Vaughn rushed for about 60 yards total. Vaughn ended up sharing the running back duties in 1990 with true freshman Ricky Powers. Powers was a power runner somewhat similar maybe to Stephen Hopkins, so lookout for both Toussaint and Hopkins to have a big year this year if history repeats itself.