Marcus Ray on Football Problems on the Field.

Submitted by BornSinner on

http://www.wtka.com/page.php?page_id=87

You guys should all should tune into what Ray had to say on WTKA this morning... Great insight.

Bullet points for quick summary

Thought Morris was physically and strategically not prepared. 

Morris should not be hailed as the next QB of Michigan when Speight and Malzone can easily take away the job next spring/fall. 

Devin Gardner not being utilized properly and should have started against Minnesota due to his succesful history against the Gophers. 

Doesn't like the flack Gardner gets because of his lack of proper utilization and thinks he should have transferred if he knew the crap he was about to be in for

Rutgers front 4 on defense should be problematic. Outside of that not much else. 

Leonte Carroo should be problematic on Rutgers offense, don't underestimate Friedgen and Nova. 

Michigan against the world, hopefully they come out as worldbeaters. 

Questions DB coaching due to blown coverages on Minnesota touchdowns. I guess this comes back to Roy Manning not having experience. 

Thinks defense lost faith after offensive struggles. Thinks overall atmosphere of U of M lacks trust and it clearly shows on the football field. 

Thought contain on Cobb was done poorly especially by Ryan. 

Wants to see Gardner not lose trust in teammates and not try to carry team on his back. 

Mentions that Michigan is at the tip of the iceberg and there is much more research that needs to be done before things can change. Says Hoke was done dirty referring to over the top criticisms, but did relent that as the person in charge Hoke gets the most criticism. 

 

 

Class of 1817

October 1st, 2014 at 3:02 PM ^

breakdown from the field level dicussing the fact that these kids are playing as if they are poorly coached due to lack of cohesion and trust as a unit. They are making the wrong or no reads, it's leading to poor positioning, and it's killing the team across the board.

Bluemandew

October 1st, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^

This comment was specifically referring defensive backs. He said he repeatedly saw dbs watching the backfield for the run game instead of on the reciever when they were in single coverage. This is a coaching issue.

maizenbluenc

October 1st, 2014 at 7:23 PM ^

was the bit about Devin and the rest of the offense. There is a dynamic he alludes to within the offense itself based on his mentoring with Devin.

It sounded like [my interpretation] at least part of the offense thought the old guy - Devin - was the problem, and needed to get out of the way of the new guy - Shane.

If this is the case, is it possible Hoke kept Shane in for the bulk of the game to prove a point to the team itself? (Not to mention how it reset the minds of the crowd?)

readyourguard

October 1st, 2014 at 3:00 PM ^

He definitely offers another perspective.

It's interesting to read Marcus' and Todd Howard's points of view versus Michael Taylor's.  Personally, I agree with Marcus and Todd.  Sure, I get frustrated like everyone else, but man, unless you've been in the lockerroom or on the practice field, you can't know what it's like to play for a coach that you love.

umumum

October 1st, 2014 at 4:33 PM ^

but there is no known factual basis for the assumption that they "love" Hoke beyond any normal coach-player mutual respect.  They certainly haven't been playing as if they do--and I don't mean the losses themselves, but the almost indifferent attitude on the field and sidelines. That doesn't mean they don't; but if they do, they don't show it.  Similarly, as many have already pointed out, the on-field responses to DG and Morris getting cheap-shotted left much to be desired.

los barcos

October 1st, 2014 at 3:10 PM ^

by saying that he supports Hoke.  

"My man Brady I stand by you...and the real OGs, the real Michigan people, we riding with you."

Sam Webb then says "well stated."

iawolve

October 1st, 2014 at 3:32 PM ^

good of the program. At this point, we really don't need to be taking on much more water than we already are. My gut is that Marcus is a smart enough guy to see that this is a disaster, him coming out and giving a vote of no confidence at this point only further weakens the program. I hope he is providing a different opinion behind the scenes.

SalvatoreQuattro

October 1st, 2014 at 6:07 PM ^

loyalty question. Sometimes rightly so.(Benedict Arnold) That's a hellluva a lot more important than a football program. If those men can be question than a former Michigan player certainly can.

 

I appreciate that he loves Hoke. But how can objectively look at the product and say that Hoke is a good coach? This team is poor and that's a direct reflection of Hoke.

SalvatoreQuattro

October 1st, 2014 at 6:06 PM ^

When you join a program you have to be committed first to the program.  The one exception is family. Family always comes first.

Marcus Ray should want what is best for Michigan, not what is best for Brady Hoke. He can love him and support him. I commend him for that. But at the end of the day Ray should want what is best for Michigan football above all else. 

Bluemandew

October 1st, 2014 at 6:55 PM ^

From what I heard Ray say this morning he thinks Hoke is being thrown under the bus by Brandon. See the no show at the press conference and a 1 am press release that Hoke thought was coming out earlier in the day. Then you have fans on this blog going as far as asking if criminal charges should be filed against Hoke because of Saturday. That is a extreme example but I think we can be assured that quite a few fans and media members have claimed that he does not care about player safety. Ray doesn't agree with any of this. Is he supposed to remain silent? He never said Hokes coaching is above question . He even stated Hoke should have used a timeout. if standing up for a friend in those circumstances is disloyal is the program woth being loyal to?

Gulogulo37

October 2nd, 2014 at 9:59 AM ^

This is ridiculous. Just because Marcus Ray is blinded by loyalty to Hoke doesn't make him disloyal to Michigan. Hoke is the HC at MICHIGAN. Marcus thinks Hoke can be successful. Therefore, he thinks Michigan can be successful. Hoke, like it or not, is a part of Michigan. They aren't two separate entities.

Having said that, I still have yet to hear if anyone knows what he was doing during the Rich Rod days. Same goes for Jay Feely. He has a tweet saying he doesn't like John Bacon because he defended Rich Rod in Three And Out. They're obviously biased, but if they think Hoke's a good coach and Rich Rod's a bad one, then fine. That's their dumb opinion. But the thing that really grates me is when they talk about how loyal they are and all the fans calling for Hoke to be fired are traitors or fair-weather fans even though they were on the fans' side of things during Rich Rod's tenure. What were they then?

CooperLily21

October 1st, 2014 at 3:17 PM ^

LOL the "real Michigan people" - he's as biased of an insider as they come.  Honestly, I couldn't care less about what former players think.  Their opinions are tainted.  I could easily discredit them on the witness stand - for many of them a coach is as close to a father figure as it gets.  I think we all know where they stand, similar to that silly letter that the athletes put out in support of Brandon.  They all lack perspective.

Then again, we all do too so what't the point of it all at the end of the day?  <head explodes>

pearlw

October 1st, 2014 at 4:30 PM ^

If you read Jay Feely's tweets in last couple hours combined with this, there is really starting to be a strong line drawn between 1) current athletes and former football players and 2) fans/ticketholders. In last day, many of the threads are across this battle line.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

umumum

October 1st, 2014 at 4:39 PM ^

while I don't treat their opinioins are definitive, I do care and respect what former players have to say.  How are their viewpoints tainted?  Because they played and understand a lockerroom atmosphere?  That said, they are wrong when they elevate a coach over the program itself.

MGolem

October 1st, 2014 at 3:36 PM ^

And I loved him as a player but to say that the "real" Michigan people support Hoke is such shit. I am a third generation Michigan alum and a proud Ann Arborite; I have followed Michigan since I was old enough to watch television. I have two degrees from Michigan and I paid money out of my own pocket to do so. Don't tell me what it takes to be a real fan! 

Anyone who thinks Hoke is doing a good job is blinded by loyalty. My loyalty is to the institution and what it stands for. Our current football product does not meet expectations, period. That falls on the head coach no matter how good of a man he is.

CooperLily21

October 1st, 2014 at 3:56 PM ^

That's it in a nutshell.  I appreciate former players and the enjoyment/fun times they provided and the hard work they put in.  But to sit there and act like their opinions matter more because they played is a crock of shit.  I arguably gave more of my time over the last 30 years to Michigan football than many of them did in their lifetimes. Not to mention the amount of money I and my family spend at and on the school and AD events while they got free tuition and board.  I don't begrudge their experiences and scholarships at all, but for them to think their opinion somehow trumps people like us is laughable.

P.S.  Sometimes being a nice, kind, and caring person just isn't enough to retain a job.  If my clients lose money because of some shitty document I drafted, I'm going to be in trouble no matter how much they like me.  It is what it is.

Mocha Cub

October 1st, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^

Sounds a lot like Lloyd put in a call to Marcus Ray and asked him to say some stuff in support of Hoke honestly. It's absolutely right, where were the former players during the RichRod years? I guess they weren't "real Michigan fans" then either. I like Marcus a lot, don't get me wrong, but to throw out that line really gets under my skin. Fans aren't booing the team, they're booing the coach over his head and the athletic director who only cares about making himself look good.

In the words of an all-time great, "The Team, The Team, The Team" and the ultimate "Team" is the University of Michigan and not just the athletic department or the football team. The events of the last few days have made this university look so bad, that alone should be grounds for termination. I just hope whoever is in charge of making the final decision makes the right one and shows Hoke and Brandon the door.

MGoCarolinaBlue

October 1st, 2014 at 8:59 PM ^

This blog is making me like other fans less and less.



If you guys are serious about having a problem with the AD's profit obsession, if you guys seriously want Michigan Football to be a spiritual experience and not a commercial one, you need to stop acting like your input as paying customers matters more than the input of former players, program insiders, etc.



And furthermore, no one on this blog is more knowledgable than the coaches. Space Coyote is probably the most informed guy here. And he'll be the first to tell you that he is not an expert in the same way that the coaches are. You guys need to stop acting like Hoke and his staff are morons because no one here is qualified to make that call. This blog suffers from a MAJOR case of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect



Seriously, I want everyone here to try one thing for me. Next time you think the coaches are doing something dumb, instead of jumping to conclusions about Hoke's qualifications just because he doesn't come off as particularly erudite in press conferences or because we haven't had 10+ wins since 2011 [you know, since we've really started feeling the effects of the imbalanced roster in full force -- someone remind me how many seniors we have on offense currently?], how about do the reasonable thing and ask yourself "what do they know that I don't?"

Gulogulo37

October 2nd, 2014 at 10:27 AM ^

Some people have been over the line for sure, but your comment is so tone deaf.

First, people aren't just saying their input lies in the fact that they pay money. Fans are the ones going to the games and cheering. The fans are just as much a part of the program as the players. Michigan without the fans is just a game of backyard football. Also, a lot (most?) of the people here went to Michigan, have degrees from Michigan, and spent 4 great years in Ann Arbor.

Also, regarding the coaching, SCOREBOARD. Sure, Hoke knows way more about football than us. And sure, a lot of people talk out their ass about what precisely is wrong with the coaching. But Nick Saban also knows a lot about football. The thing is, Saban doesn't get pounded by mediocre teams like Utah and Minnesota at home. I was defending the OL coaching last year because of the inexperience. This team is still young, but there are a lot of young teams out there who would kill for our talent doing far better. Like Brian mentioned, Arkansas is in year 2 of their MANBALL overhaul after being terrible and they would absolutely destroy us right now. I didn't expect us to get a conference championship this year, but I also didn't expect us to be worse than Rich Rod's first year, which is what it's shaping up to be.

I went whitewater rafting once in a big group along with a couple friends. We needed more people in the boat so 2 guys joined. They were doing their master's in some engineering field. Long story short, we couldn't steer the boat at all because of those 2. One guy in the back kept dragging his paddle in the water not realizing the drag was causing us to turn to his side all the time. We ended up smashing into a rock when we inevitable failed to do the maneuvering we were instructed to do. Everyone fell out but me (because you lean TOWARDS rocks you're hitting). I'm sure they could have told me a bunch of shit about physics and math that I don't know, their X's and O's so to speak, but the only thing that matters is they couldn't get it done on the river. They were total failures with basic real-world physics.

BornSinner

October 1st, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^

I think this comment is jading what Ray really meant. Before in the podcast he criticized coaching decisions made for the Minnesota game. He was aiming those OG comments at people who criticized Hoke for literally everything on the field, when in reality the medical staff, refs, Bellomy, and other coaches all messed up in his view. 

He does criticize Hoke for not taking a T/O and says it could have been handled better. 

MGoManBall

October 1st, 2014 at 3:13 PM ^

"You don't take the only trump in your hand and throw it out"

Namely, you don't take your best player (Gardner) and take him out of the game. He was 2-0 against Minnesota. Shane was not ready to play.

mGrowOld

October 1st, 2014 at 3:20 PM ^

So let me get this straight. Hoke's a "good coach" and all true Michigan men should be "riding with him" right?

Then who in the fuck decided to start the unprepared Morris over the QB that Ray thinks would've given us a better chance to win?  

That makes zero sense to me.  Or in Ray's eyes do good coaches start the wrong QBs?

I'm real confused.