Five Reasons To Be Thankful for Eastern
List your own, even one. Although we overlook opponents at our peril, I'm not doing that here. I do think Michigan should comfortably defeat Eastern, though, and here are five things we'll probably see on Saturday that Michigan fans should be thankful for:
(1) An introduction to semi-relevant Michigan playing time for JT Turner, Vladimir Emilien, Teric Jones, Je'Ron Stokes, Elliot Mealer (YAY), Patrick Omameh, Ricky Barnum, Rocko Khoury, Mike Jones, Big Will Campbell and Roy Roundtree.
(2) Michigan should be able to win without having to risk Stonum or Hemingway (as well as, if injured, M. Williams and Moosman).
(3) Not as much running by Tate, but more rushing for Denard.
(4) A couple of sacks for Roh and Graham, before they get the fourth quarter off.
And, most importantly:
(5) If we see Johnny Sears screw up in the Big House on Saturday, you won't have to groan.
September 13th, 2009 at 12:42 PM ^
Don't count your chickens before they have hatched.
I am simply thankful we are 2-0 with a good chance to win on Saturday.
(and to play along, I'd go with the Denard running and the resting of questionable players)
September 13th, 2009 at 12:43 PM ^
I want to see this on the 50 in between the 3rd and 4th quarters: http://www.michiganfansite.com/blogdetail.asp?blogid=43346
September 13th, 2009 at 12:58 PM ^
If last season taught us nothing, it's that we can't look past anyone just yet...we still have a freshman starting QB.
while I think we win, I want to see UofM destroy them, reestablish themselves as a dominant team and leave now doubt that we are back.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:48 PM ^
Okay, I fully appreciate the limited sample size of one game and the danger of making subsequent generalizations. But, honestly, I think the "we still have a freshman starting QB" line can be put away until the next freshman to play QB for U-M comes along. Tate's performance yesterday was better than most every other QB's in the country (including Pryor), despite pressure and different looks all day. As Joe McKnight said (in reference to Barkley, but applicable here to Tate): He's not an 18-year-old after today; he's a man. I can't think of many U-M QBs at any stage of their careers who could have put together as good a game yesterday as Tate did. I think he gets the benefit of the doubt after that. Until he starts making "freshmen mistakes," I don't think the freshman-QB line should get any more play.
September 13th, 2009 at 2:45 PM ^
Tate still makes a fair amount of mistakes, it's just that they haven't hurt us yet. He repeatedly takes sacks while trying to make something out of a broken play instead of just throwing it away, every time he tries to make the slant pass he ends up throwing to an empty spot on the field because the receivers aren't on the same page and he continually tries to beat people to the corner when he just doesn't have that kind of speed. All of those things have the potential to be dangerous.
I'm not complaining about Tate. He's fucking White Jesus, man, and there is no possible way any freshman in history could have performed the way he has so far. I'm just saying all the talk of him being flawless is hyperbole at it's finest.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:55 PM ^
page loading? o nvm.
September 13th, 2009 at 12:57 PM ^
Less running from Denard and have him develop a credible passing threat. That will make him dangerous.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:00 PM ^
I couldn't agree more. We know Denard can run, and we know he has an arm, but he needs to refine it. Tate seems more resilient than people give him credit for, but we need a better throwing Denard to back him up. Obviously RR won't tell us, but Tate seems to have solidified himself as our starter and our clear clear #1... and damn if feels good
September 13th, 2009 at 1:11 PM ^
Yeah, not only did Tate solidify the job . . . but it also makes me wonder about the comment to the effect of "they're all so awesome that it's impossible to decide." Yet, somehow, RR managed to pick the right one it looks like.
September 13th, 2009 at 2:29 PM ^
I think we can safely conclude that that was just coach-speak. Even in the opener, Tate got the large majority of the snaps in the first half, when the game was still in doubt.
September 13th, 2009 at 2:03 PM ^
so he can learn to let the play develop before turning on the afterburners. It is an acquired skill to sit back and be patient when your instincts are screaming: RUN! RUN! RUN!
EDIT: I meant Denard, not Tate
September 13th, 2009 at 1:16 PM ^
Denard play nearly a half of the game and attempt a dozen passes. That would be great.
And, um - Ron English is the coach at EMU, right? I liked him when he was at U-M, but given our ability to defend the spread under his tutelage, well ... I like our chances on Saturday.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:29 PM ^
If Michigan is subject to the traditional "letdown" week after a big win (looking at you Oklahoma State), then I'd rather be playing a weak team by MAC standards. EMU doesn't seem to be likely to trip us up.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:38 PM ^
Houston is not at all what I'd consider a cupcake team. But I agree... Oklahoma State still should have won that game.
But talk about bad luck... Houston got a couple of picks off of crazy tipped passes. Stillwater is not happy today.
September 13th, 2009 at 2:02 PM ^
I was calling EMU a cupcake. I think that Oklahoma State was hurt by not playing a cupcake after a big win. Houston was a potential (and realized) trap game.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:33 PM ^
Good points JG! I like the thought on working young players in the mix and even just getting them on the field. Plus on the DR points as well.
Question: Does anyone have a read on Emelin not playing?
I guess I had missed something along the way, but I was surprised when Williams got dinged up and Emelin didn't come in to replace him v. ND. In general, watching on TV, I really didn't have a great sense of what the substitution rotations were.
I realize it must be hard for most frosh to jump right in and swim so to speak. There is a big transition from high school to college for many players. So EMU and perhaps IU are very nice to see on the schedule before we go to E.L.
6) The O line will get more game reps in so they reclaim the mojo they were brewing toward the end of last season. I'm very curious to see what Brian's O UFR reveals about the O line blocking v. ND. After reading the UFR v. WMU, I came away with the impression that the O line was not clicking on all cylinders but did alright. I would love to see the big guys take a giant step forward.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:35 PM ^
Sears made it to EMU? I thought he was at Washington.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:55 PM ^
All five of my reasons are probably connected to the fact that I'm going to the game and it'll be the first time back since graduating. So yeah. That'll be nice.
September 13th, 2009 at 1:57 PM ^
I personally hope we blow them up in the first half like we did against WMU so that the second half can be all Denard. I want to see him run the read option until he gets it perfect.
September 13th, 2009 at 2:32 PM ^
1. We didn't have to read any "Eastern Michigan week starts NOW!" posts two seconds after the ND game ended.
2. Cone might see action again. I really hope he can get a TD.
September 13th, 2009 at 2:46 PM ^
I want to see Cone break off a 60 yard touchdown run.
September 13th, 2009 at 3:58 PM ^
made me think of the spring game, which brought up this thought: wasn't it nice to watch a Michigan game in which the announcer talked about someone's jock being on the fieldturf (Tate's TD run), and they weren't referring to Stevie Brown or any other Michigan defender?
September 13th, 2009 at 2:34 PM ^
Hope Michigan is able to keep it simple next week and own the LOS both ways. Let Tate throw enough to keep his timing and Denard throw enough to establish his - otherwise 300 yds on the ground from as many backs as the coaches care to play.
September 13th, 2009 at 2:54 PM ^
I haven't watched them play, but they didn't exactly get blown out by Northwestern this weekend. In fact, they almost won the game at the end, and had very similar stats. We should win, no question, but the team needs to avoid complacency. English appears to have EMU headed in the right direction, and I wish them well. Just not next weekend.
September 13th, 2009 at 3:30 PM ^
it's also my first ever UM game!