My takeaways from this game
So I have had some time to reflect on this ugly game, and to let my instant (over) reactions pass. Some thoughts for the MGoCommuity to comment on:
1. Great effort by the D. Better tackling, better fundamentals. But, let's not get too excited. Purdue's QBs couldn't hit the side of a barn. There was virtually no passing attack. Given that we have no pass D, this played to our advantage and masked our biggest problem. My hat is still off tothe D (hell, I don't even wear a hat), but let's keep expectations reasonable. The D played well against a pathetic offense.
2. Demens is really good. A marked improvement in the run D.
3. Ditto Avery. Less to go on here, but I just like his aggressiveness. Almost had a few picks.
4. The offense - obviously, a bad outing. They are obviously a lot better than the results showed. To me, this is just one bad game, and nothing to get worked up over. Young QBs will vary widely from game to game. This one was in the rain (with some wind) which didn't help.
5. Denard is still a raw talent, but I think that it is becomming obvious that he has a long way to go before being annointed as the next Pat White only better. He is fast. His speed is always a threat. He also has a great arm. But, he really lacks touch, and makes a ton of bad decisions. Also, for a fast guy, he lacks shiftiness. Doesn't mean that he can't be great, but he has a ways to go.
6. Tate - I think that RR needs to work him in more, but the way he played today didn't exactly go far in making a case for this. Terrible outing, but his first really bad day all year, so, again, moving on.
7. Kicking - holy hell, we need to find a FG kicker. THis is the worst thing I have ever seen.
8. Special teams - the return game is sub-par. I don't think that Gallon is ther answer, but I don't really know who is. Also, could someone block for him? Just a bit, maybe?
9. Coaching. 7 wins. WE may end up with 8 (or 9?). But even at 7, we are improving. I think that there is virtually no chance that RR gets canned. This is a good thing. 3 wins in 2008, 5 wins in 2009. At least 7 wins in 2010. The trajectory is up. Coach stays. As for GERG - who knows. He really is dealing with more injury / youth than any DC I have ever seen.
Just my thoughts. Agree / disagree? Comments?
November 13th, 2010 at 10:59 PM ^
I would add that we are slowly seeing "potential" emerge from the defense. Demens, Avery, Johnson, Gordons, Roh, damn. People are growing up. It's so damn cute.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:08 PM ^
I won't repeat the good we saw today. The D did well - no questions! Even Ezeh was productive.
On a more concerning note -
We need a placekicker who can actually kick accurately. Seriously we can't get the ball between the posts if our lives depended on it. We can't be that bad at Michigan!
Recruit a soccer player
November 14th, 2010 at 10:28 AM ^
At least he hit all eight extra points last week, when they really mattered!
November 13th, 2010 at 11:04 PM ^
Also, for a fast guy, he lacks shiftiness.
Are you crapping me?? Have you watched him run at all this year??
November 13th, 2010 at 11:08 PM ^
Yeah I completely disagree w/ that statement as well. Denard is extremely shifty.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:08 PM ^
I watched Mike Martin warm up pretty hard before the game but I didn't see him on the field during the game. He looked pretty good in warmups and his body language seemed to indicate he would play. Anyone have any info on this? Mouton on the other hand looked a bit tentative going through drills.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:19 PM ^
It was a decision by Rodriguez to sit Martin, and assumed to be the same regarding Mouton. Sounds like Coach wants them as healthy as can be for the stretch run, and was hopeful that the D would hold up without them (which, hurray, they did!).
November 13th, 2010 at 11:32 PM ^
This is my theory exactly. He took a chance that he could get by this game without them and he did. He wants the Wiscy game big time.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:12 PM ^
Denard has shown a tremendous ability as a runner both in shiftiness and top end speed. It was obvious in todays game that Purdue was not going to let Denard run. I was watching it at a bar so sometimes I miss things, but it seemed like our o-line wasn't handling their d-line very well for most of the day. On the few plays where Denard had a little bit of a crease he picked up 10+ yards.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:13 PM ^
But he seems to have lost a step. Maybe it's just me, but he is either hiding an injury or playing with seriously dented confidence. He has lost a step. Not two steps, not three steps, but a step.
FORGIVE MY HERESY
November 13th, 2010 at 11:18 PM ^
We played in rain today. It's hard to be shifty when your are slipin and slidin all around the field
November 14th, 2010 at 6:12 AM ^
We didn't play in the rain against Illinois, and Denard had the same issues when he ran. I have thought, for the last couple of games that he didn't look like the same runner he did earlier in the season. Defenses may be playing him differently, but something is not the same.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:26 PM ^
He's not the runner he was against BGSU or Indiana. I assume his leg is hurting, as he doesn't show the acceleration to the hole or the top speed he had early in the year. Some of it may be self-confidence, as well. He's going to need to use the offseason like last year again, getting stronger and in better condition, while working on the playbook, decision-making and his throwing mechanics. As good as he is, there are frustrating limitations to his abilities yet. He's got a huge ceiling that I want him to get to as quickly as is humanly possible.
So it's not criticism, it's just wanting him to be all that he appears to be capable of doing. We want to watch our baby grow up. :sniff:
November 13th, 2010 at 11:29 PM ^
but it's hard to make an accurate judgment unless he is in the open field. When he is behind the line and hitting holes, patience is a big part of a runner's production. I thought he looked a step slow in parts of the ND game and then boom he was gone for 87 yards...Same in parts of the Indiana game...
November 14th, 2010 at 2:31 AM ^
Exactly, Denard's looked fine once he's gotten some space. He just hasn't been getting much lately. Is it a coincidence his passing attempts have been going up? No.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:44 PM ^
Have to see what the UFR says but after Tate left and Denard came in the first time (I think that is when it happened). I noticed they started running the veer a lot. Purdue couldn't stop it. That's when Denard was getting 9 a pop. Not sure if Purdue adjusted or what.
November 14th, 2010 at 10:44 AM ^
Yes, that was a great drive until it was stopped by penalties (Lewan clip and Hemingway face mask) that had nothing to do with Denard. I didn't understand why RR put Tate back in for the next series.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:46 PM ^
That is one reason why I'm excited about being bowl eligible again. The guys get some extra practice along with some rest. The difference between Henne in The Game '07 and the Capital One Bowl was like night and day. I think Denard will light shit up in the bowl game.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:14 PM ^
Yea I would say Denard is one of the shiftiest runners I have ever seen. The way he darts between defenders is uncanny.
November 14th, 2010 at 1:53 AM ^
watched many football players outside of michigan then. i wont even touch the "one of the shiftiest runners i have ever seen" . shiftiness has to do with more than footspeed. lateral starting/stoping, making people miss has a lot to do with hips in tight spaces. DRob runs upright elongating his body much of the time. He gets hit an awful lot, and he gets hard and awful lot. shifty runners dont take much damage while being tackled. he is fast so it appears as if he may be shifty. he will learn and may be considered a great speed runner with shiftiness later on in his career. i am not disagreeing that he is not good, but he is not GREAT YET as we hope he will be. Go Blue beat wiscy!
November 14th, 2010 at 2:24 AM ^
As of last week, Denard was leading the ENTIRE NATION in rushing. That's not good enough for you to be considered great? No quarterback in history has ever led the nation in rushing this far into the season.
If he loses the lead this week, the driving rainstorm can be seen as the reason.
Without Denard, Michigan has two wins this season, max.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:33 AM ^
"Without Denard, Michigan has two wins this season, max."
I, and I'm assuming Tate, wholly disagree with this
November 14th, 2010 at 2:29 AM ^
That may be the dumbest thing I've ever read on this blog and I'm not exaggerating. The TD run against BGSU was mindblowingly shifty, seriously, watch him stop, start and accelerate. How many people can do that?
November 14th, 2010 at 11:00 AM ^
First of all- and he gets hard and awful lot.- TWSS
And I don't even know what to say about him not being "shifty", like, ok...
November 13th, 2010 at 11:50 PM ^
Denard's weakness as a runner isn't a lack of shiftiness, but strength - he's not strong enough to run out of tackles. Many, many times we've run the iso and the only guy who had a chance to bring him down, did. When he bulks up a little and learns to use his stiffarm, he'll be a beast.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:58 PM ^
Appreciate the overall post and generally agree with much that you've shared, though as with my fellow posters here I would differ in saying that Denard is really fast, is definitely shifty, and also has great, great vision - a lethal combination. That said, I do agree with the bigger picture of your sentiment here, i.e. Denard is a sophomore, first-year starter who is still very raw and still has a lot of development/growth ahead of him. Of course, this is also very, very hopeful for the Blue in my opinion, as I think his ceiling is incredibly high and (scary for our future opponents) his best football may very likely be ahead of him...
November 14th, 2010 at 1:21 AM ^
what is frustrating is that we have the best running QB in the nation who -for some reason - never scrambles on a pure pass play.
On that second INT he had running room for days...(ok maybe only a few seconds)..but decided to throw it anyway, I wonder if the coaches can work with him so that after a set time if nothing is open he just pulls it down and takes off. As dangerous as he can be on set plays I think he could also be very "juice-like" on scrambles.
November 14th, 2010 at 10:43 AM ^
what is frustrating is that we have the best running QB in the nation who -for some reason - never scrambles on a pure pass play.
Well, look on the bright side. The coaching staff is apparently reading this blog and making adjustments:
- MGoBloggers [correctly] questioned, for almost the entire first half of the season, why there was no one more capable at MLB than Obi Ezeh. And BAM...Demens in for Iowa and an effective starter ever since.
- MGoBloggers [correctly] questioned, for several weeks, why Craig Roh was being (mis)used at OLB instead of his natural, more effective position of DE. And BAM...back to DE for Illinois.
So maybe we can continue to hope that the coaches are reading this thread and setting up the film sessions to encourage Denard to scramble more?
November 13th, 2010 at 11:08 PM ^
"WE may end up with 8 (or 9?) (wins)". Or, we MAY end up with 8 or 9 wins.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:13 PM ^
Well why not 'we may end UP with 8 (or 9) wins'?
November 13th, 2010 at 11:14 PM ^
We may end up with 10 wins. We may end up with 7 wins. What?
November 13th, 2010 at 11:21 PM ^
headache
November 13th, 2010 at 11:21 PM ^
Just laugh and go with it, man.
November 14th, 2010 at 12:07 AM ^
It's easy to nit-pick at Denard's performace, but I wouldn't. Even RR said after the game that the team has been spoiled with the QB play this season. It his first season of starting, don't forget that. The conditions obviously aren't to blame completely, but they didn't help. Denard will learn from this game and move forward.
Offense sputtered and the D took what the opposing offense gave them, end of story.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:25 PM ^
I think Robinson is shifty, but he has been making some errant decisions when he hits the holes the past couple of games. There were several times where he hit a hole that was clogged up and there was a wide open one right next to him.
It's amazing to think that this offense can get that much better with improvement in the decision making of the QBs. Napalm on cleats baby!
November 13th, 2010 at 11:28 PM ^
This is turning out to be one of my favorite all time Wolverine squads. There's something about watching the team's improvements and mistakes from week to week that just gets me feeling good. Perhaps it's the overwhelming positive attitude from the players or maybe all the underclassmen receiving playing time each week! Yes, the mistakes kill me but they are hanging with it this year. They don't sulk...Bless them as they stay hungry, healthy, and humble. I like it!
November 13th, 2010 at 11:41 PM ^
This is turning out to be one of my favorite all time Wolverine squads.
Same here, which makes me feel kind of guilty because I love the Henne/Hart/Long squad.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:50 PM ^
There is definitely something special about them.
November 14th, 2010 at 12:29 AM ^
These guys are so clearly totally committed to winning. They want it so bad. Couple that with inexperience and you get mistakes but you also get excitement. It is a lot of fun to watch as it takes shape.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:30 PM ^
Gordon, Avery, and Vinopal are no longer playing like Freshmen.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:34 PM ^
But the offensive play calling was a large part of the problem with the offensive output. Yes Denard and Tate did not play all that well for a number of reasons (including weather, good Purdue pass rush etc.) but our playbook seems to be shrinking.
November 14th, 2010 at 12:03 AM ^
I think the weather limited what they could do, play-wise.
November 14th, 2010 at 1:44 AM ^
November 14th, 2010 at 3:01 AM ^
Tate is getting held back by lack of play time. IDK what is holding Denard back, but the threshold for pulling him seems to be exponentially greater than Tate's.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:35 PM ^
Did you see the ball he threw to Koger? That was a gorgeous pass. What he lacks is consistently good decision making and consistently good delivery, particularly on the deeper throws. But he's demonstrated over and over again that he has the tools. Denard has two more regular season games, 15 additional practices, a bowl game, and then an offseason full of healing up, getting stronger, and shoot, maybe quicker. The guy's a sophomore in college, he has an incredible work ethic, and his ceiling is way above where he is now. Relax and enjoy what we have....
November 14th, 2010 at 12:23 AM ^
November 13th, 2010 at 11:42 PM ^
Um, has anyone else noticed that Denard is a sophomore in an offense that requires the QB to make a large number of reads, at speed? Not just pass game reads but running game reads? Has anyone noticed the production of the offense this year, including in Big 10 games? It's hard to get too concerned with a single game of poor offense. Maybe the offense will blow up, but let's see how it plays out for the rest of the season.
I also have to say, for the plays that weren't executed, they seemed to be there. But, again, we have a sophomore QB. I'm not getting all that worried yet.
November 13th, 2010 at 11:43 PM ^
For those saying Denard has lost a step...did you see the Penn State game? Just saying.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:17 AM ^
What is it you're saying?
November 14th, 2010 at 10:20 AM ^
Just sayin'