January 16th, 2011 at 1:29 PM ^
I agree with the gist of your post, but Rodriguez never offered Brindza. It's a reasonable question.
That being said...there's virtually no chance that Brindza would come to Michigan, even if offered.
January 16th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
January 16th, 2011 at 12:07 PM ^
No, they simply cannot go into the season just hoping that one of the current kickers will work out. They need to get out there and either snake-oil a commit away from another school or try to get CL. I appreciate the odds Hoke is facing here. But this position is, in many ways, the most crucial right now.
January 16th, 2011 at 1:01 PM ^
Won't Jim Harbaugh be bringing us a fab California kicker when he comes?
January 16th, 2011 at 12:15 PM ^
Anyone?
January 16th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
I cannot think of one game this past season where a field goal kicker would have made a difference. That is not to say we don't need one. But until we become competitive, field goal kickers are not a first priority.
Also, they are a time a dozen. Just have to do a better job finding and teaching them. If I am not mistaken, Gibbons was highly rated and we all know how he has fared.
January 16th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
I am not sure you can say that. Direct impact, maybe not, indirect impact may have cost us a few games. Having to go for it on every 4th down inside the 30 puts alot of pressure on both the offense and defense.
January 16th, 2011 at 3:44 PM ^
we made the first down by going for it on fourth. There is a book written by a statistician who claims coaches should go for it on fourth down more often. Those that do, often are more successful than not.
Also, even if you had an excellent kicker, in college their averages are not that great especially when they are 30 yards and out.
Finally, when you are saddled with a woeful defense three points is irrelevant.
January 16th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
If you don't think that Iowa game was affected by the kicking game at all, then I don't think you're knowledgeable enough about football to be posting here. You might want to sit out for a little bit. That's not to mention the number of times we had to forgo a field goal while we were in normal field goal range, it was 4th and long, and we turned it over on downs after a good drive and came up with 0 points. That is demoralizing for a team.
January 16th, 2011 at 12:27 PM ^
A remarkable logic exercise, Sir. Congratulations.
January 16th, 2011 at 12:33 PM ^
I wanted Connor Loftus more anyway
January 16th, 2011 at 12:57 PM ^
Wanted to come to UM because the academics were so good. Gues that was a bunch of bull....Miami??? Aint much for academics there. I don't think he would have been that good.
January 16th, 2011 at 1:02 PM ^
January 16th, 2011 at 1:07 PM ^
If you meet a girl (Matt Goudis) and she has a boyfriend (Boise State) but she starts sleeping with you (Michigan) behind her boyfriends back.. and then leaves her boyfriend for you and tells you she only wants to be with you ... dont be surprised when she leaves you for the next guy (Miami).
January 16th, 2011 at 1:09 PM ^
Connor Loftus is still available and was beaten to the punch by Goudis on the offer. I think he will take it if Hoke decides to use another scholarship on a kicker.
2005 Paw Paw MI. H.S. graduate/minor league baseball player Derrick Mitchell plans to walk on in the spring. Mike Gillette arranged this with Rod before Rod was fired.
Soon to be Alpena MI. H.S. graduate Garrett Mead plans to try and walk on in the fall as a kicker as well.
January 16th, 2011 at 1:10 PM ^
It doesn't matter because according to various press conferences and interviews, we're gonna have "toughness" and we're gonna "get after it" next year with someone who "understands what Michigan is all about." So a catastrophic fustercluck of a recruiting class won't matter.
January 16th, 2011 at 1:55 PM ^
I'm amused everytime there's a decommitment and the doom-folk come out. No wonder Black Heart, Gold Pants think we should be on collective suicide watch.
As for Goudis, his offer from Miami came after he committed to Michigan. He was going to end up at Miami no matter what. He has family in the area, etc. I suppose we'll go after Loftus now.
Gibbons is a lost cause. The fact that he ever got a scholarship offer at any level of college football astounds me, let alone an offer from Michigan. His technique is horrible. Really, really horrible. Broekhuizen's form isn't all that appalling, and perhaps he'll make a mental breakthrough during the spring. I still think someone should give Hagreup a chance. It's not like we have much to lose.
January 16th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^
...every decommit is Hoke/Brandon's fault. Hart was unlikely to ever come here after Alabama did what they did for his High School. Goudis had already switched once from a school (Boise State) and thus had a decent chance at doing it again. The only true decommit that you might lay on Brandon/Hoke's head is Dallas Crawford and if we get Taylor (its us and Pittsburgh, so I admit its not a lock, though he is scheduled for a visit which is encouraging) we should be okay on that front.
January 16th, 2011 at 2:00 PM ^
Wish him luck. Honestly, that was one of the worst kicking perfomances statistically and in reality of all time last year. Even a bit of a regression to the mean would be a massive improvement, so while I'd like a kicker in this class, I definitely think there are other areas where the coaching staff should focus on.
January 16th, 2011 at 2:02 PM ^
I'm going to open tryouts and trying out for kicker next year. This is not a joke.
January 16th, 2011 at 2:02 PM ^
January 16th, 2011 at 3:24 PM ^
Rivals has him being offered by Penn, Brown, Harvard, Cornell, among the schools previously mentioned. If he's as smart as his GPA and testscores indicate he should jump on that Harvard offer.
January 16th, 2011 at 3:54 PM ^
David Brandon makes life easy for people.