How MSU is prepping for Denard
Michigan State is using wide reciever Tony Lippett (who?) to emulate Denard Robinson in practice this week. At first glance it sort of makes sense since the guy was a spread qb in high school, but hes 6'3'' and ran a FAKE 4.53 forty coming out of high school. Do they really not have a faster shorter guy to try and show what Robinson can do? Other random things from the article:
Dantonio having trouble moving still, but hopes to get on to field.
Wisconsin game was "best moment of his head coaching career"
http://noise.typepad.com/hey_joe/2010/10/dantonio-is-here.html#more
October 5th, 2010 at 7:22 PM ^
If I ever learned anything from Mick, it's that to gain speed, you've got to chase chickens in the yard.
October 5th, 2010 at 7:25 PM ^
Odoms and the rest of Pahokee nation says you gain speed by catching jackrabbits
October 5th, 2010 at 7:32 PM ^
chicken in the yard or a jackrabbit in the field, the key is to CATCH it--then you know you're fast.
October 5th, 2010 at 8:27 PM ^
All of our animals are fast. Armadillos, opossums, rabbits; hell, even our turtles have dredlocks and haul ass... BTW, catching a jackrabbit is damn impressive. Anyone from the muck who catches 1 should be instantly mailed a scholarship from UM.
October 5th, 2010 at 8:31 PM ^
Provided they meet the academic requirements
October 5th, 2010 at 10:24 PM ^
I'm from Florida and I've caught an armadillo before... I will be the first to say that I should not be on scholarship for football at U of M.
October 6th, 2010 at 12:36 AM ^
...you kick?
October 6th, 2010 at 8:04 AM ^
...it would be like chasing after jackasses?
October 6th, 2010 at 8:23 AM ^
The Kansas City Chiefs once prepared for Barry Sanders by bringing live Chickens to practice to catch.
October 5th, 2010 at 8:13 PM ^
Rocky could catch Denard. Ask you shall receive
October 6th, 2010 at 9:08 AM ^
Although it tends to make you feel like a Kentucky fried idiot.....
October 5th, 2010 at 7:24 PM ^
i was sure that Keshawn (sp?) Martin (?) was by far their fastest player. On that kickoff return for a TD, he actually did look really fast. Maybe not Denard fast, but he sure doesn't give up much.
EDIT: 6'0", 180 coming out of HS. A FAKE 40 time of 4.4 per rivals. Either way, he is fast.
October 5th, 2010 at 7:26 PM ^
They're not going to risk injuring him on the scout team.
October 6th, 2010 at 3:01 AM ^
Who would ever sacrafice one player for the good of the team?
Sarcasm Meter. Hopefully High.
October 5th, 2010 at 7:27 PM ^
but they aren't going to have a starter sacrifice time with the 1's to go with the scout team. If there ever was an exception though, it would be this.
October 5th, 2010 at 8:12 PM ^
Sucks that this guy was in class of 2008 and not 2009. Carr didn't recruit him for the pre-RR portion of the 2008 class b/c he didn't fit the pro-style offense.
Due to his low recruiting profile (2 star recruit, Illinois only other offer) and the new staff's relative lack of familiarity with Michigan HS football they would not have known about him. Plus they were busy going after Pryor, Shaw, Roundtree, Odoms, Barnum, etc.
It would have been nice if the staff had known about this guy though; he would be a perfect addition to our stable of slot receivers. He seems very tough and hard to bring down; I almost want to say he's a faster version of Odoms. He would've definitely been another uncut diamond that this staff was able to uncover. Instead, he is stuck being misused in MSU's pro-style offense.
I'm very happy with our WRs btw. I just like being greedy.
October 6th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^
is that martin didn't start to get looked at by schools until his coach sent tape out to every coach in the big ten and mac... plus his HS team his senior year wasn't very good so he didn't put up crazy numbers... i also believe that grades could have been a big issue with him at one point so that would scare schools off also...
October 5th, 2010 at 7:29 PM ^
Denard is one in a million and cannot be replicated !!! Think you can stop him ... think again !! Total QB - can beat you with his legs or his arm, and he doesn't care which he uses !!!
Go Blue !
October 5th, 2010 at 7:32 PM ^
You don't prepare for Denard.
October 5th, 2010 at 8:23 PM ^
You *can't* prepare for denard
October 5th, 2010 at 9:04 PM ^
You CAN NOT simulate speed.
October 5th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
You get Denarded
October 5th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
is like trying to prepare for surgery by playing operation...
No matter how realistic it might seem, theres no such thing as the real deal.
October 5th, 2010 at 7:56 PM ^
I would love to see Denard rip off a 60+ yard run in the first half against Sparty. I agree with you they cannot fully prep for him. But I do wonder if defenses can adjust as the game goes on to his speed to stop the big run. If he continues to gash defenses early (like IU and ND), I would stick with this theory. Hopefully they don't! Or if they do, more deep passes to our stellar WRs.
October 5th, 2010 at 8:42 PM ^
Im guessing that the only real way to "adjust" to denards speed is to have either a S or a Mike shadow him.. either way, your taking a player out of th middle of your defense.
Now what this effectively does, at least with our current H-back set and 3 wide (assuming Z is left) is in man coverage, you have.
Denard: MIKE/S
2 WRs: 1CB/S or 2CB
1 WR: 1CB
That effectively leaves 1 deep safety to cover 3 reciever threats, and there is still a hat for a hat in the box (6 blockers: 4 DL and 2 LBs)
So, from here, the quesiton is "play action or zone read"
Ill take shaw running with 6 blockers for 6 tacklers in the box all day every day.
Ill take our WRs 1v1 with no deep help all day every day.
October 5th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
and a wizard hat.
October 5th, 2010 at 7:40 PM ^
October 5th, 2010 at 7:38 PM ^
Wonder if they are practicing take cheap shots on him too. You know, to fully prepare.
October 5th, 2010 at 7:56 PM ^
They don't need to practice cheap shots, they've got that down already. Zing!
But now, at this moment I am reminded of this:
Ohio State's Reynolds on bench after Badger choke
http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/uwire/101403aao.html
October 5th, 2010 at 7:38 PM ^
They can do what ever the hell they want to mimic denard, nothing they do is gonna mimic his speed, or agility sorry.. It's the reason why denard is breaking records no one else ever has, cause there is NO one like him to ever play QB in the nation
October 5th, 2010 at 7:46 PM ^
This always makes me laugh - I remember when the Lakers used Tyronn Lue to "simulate" Allen Iverson in practice before they met in the Finals, as if having a guy with approximate size and in-the-ballpark speed really prepares a team for the leading rusher AND yard gainer in the NCAA. I'm sure that MSU will say they are ready for Denard, but the first time he flies past a LB on the way to a 40-yard gain, they'll realize how impossible it is to prepare for a player like Denard. Of course, if "preparation" is just a code word for practicing taking shots at Denard and stepping on his ankle, then I see why they chose a little-used backup.
October 5th, 2010 at 9:03 PM ^
Uhhh, you know the Lakers won that series 4-1, right?
October 5th, 2010 at 10:49 PM ^
How are you this fine evening?
October 5th, 2010 at 7:51 PM ^
Bwahahahahaha!
October 5th, 2010 at 7:57 PM ^
Do they really not have a faster shorter guy to try and show what Robinson can do? Other random things from the article:
Nobody is fast enough to replicate dilithium.
October 5th, 2010 at 7:58 PM ^
Denard's speed and agility isn't what makes him so incredibly effective and impossible to prepare for. He had both of those attributes last year. What makes him impossible to prepare for is his speed at making correct reads and decisions--his understanding of the system. Denard makes it looks so easy because right now, if you cheat even just a little bit, he'll quickly see it and execute another option. Those plays where he runs towards the line of scrimmage and decides to throw at the last second are prime examples. Unless you can mimic the entire offense of all 11 men being exactly where they are supposed to be to exploit a weakness... you can't prepare.
Oppenent's cheating punishment: facing a fiery death of consistently getting demolished 50+ yards at a time.
October 5th, 2010 at 8:30 PM ^
It would probably be downright comical watching this WR and his scout-team buds trying to run an offense that requires the QB to make multiple reads at every snap. I'm sure they'll get it down in one week's time.
October 5th, 2010 at 9:04 PM ^
You'd better hope you're right because he looked God-awful against MSU last year.
October 5th, 2010 at 7:58 PM ^
I thought they'd search for their own Dilithium...
October 5th, 2010 at 8:14 PM ^
onto a picture of helpless Spartans
October 5th, 2010 at 9:58 PM ^
The Spartans pictured look concerned/confused...was there a cop car siren blaring when this was taken?
October 5th, 2010 at 8:07 PM ^
Their LB's are practicing "Repeat after me, 'Holy !%$, is that guy fast!!'. Let's hope Denard's practicing how to avoid their cheapshots.
October 5th, 2010 at 8:15 PM ^
I have a friend,who is cousin's with Keshawn Martin and He said that Keshawn said That there going to be using possible recievers at The Defensive back'sPostion...DUMB
October 5th, 2010 at 8:27 PM ^
But you're not fooling us Keshawn
October 5th, 2010 at 9:47 PM ^
that Martin is not being the Denard decoy