Non-Conference Over...Positives? Negatives?
Now that the non-conference schedule is over...what are some positives and negatives that you've seen with this team?
Obviously the biggest positives are we're 4-0 and don't have too many significant injuries...but other than that, what do you think?
Here are mine:
+ The return of SOME form of defense
+ Jordan Kovacs
+ Brandin Hawthorne
+ Will Campbell finally coming along
+ Togetherness of team
+ Taylor Lewan emerging as the best LT in the B1G
+ Vince Smith's blocking
+ Fitz Toussaint's running ability
+ Denard's running ability
+ Borges' playcalling vs. SDSU
+ Roh in 2nd two games
+ Martin and RVB's consistency
+ Jake Ryan
+ Forcing turnovers
+ Blake Countess
+ Extra Points
- Borges' playcalling vs. EMU
- Stephan Hopkins
- Denard's passing ability
- Mike Shaw's running ability
- Brandon Moore's blocking
- Heininger playing inside
- Roh in 1st two games
- Kick coverages in 1st 3 games
- Cam Gordon's health
- Jordan Van Slyke
- Getting into position on defense
September 24th, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^
+ 4-0
September 24th, 2011 at 9:25 PM ^
Denard being clutch
September 24th, 2011 at 9:27 PM ^
My tiny little nipples went to France
September 24th, 2011 at 9:36 PM ^
+ Best Big House experience I have ever had
September 24th, 2011 at 9:37 PM ^
Catching punts. Very positive.
September 24th, 2011 at 9:38 PM ^
+ A happy Lloyd Brady
September 24th, 2011 at 9:42 PM ^
Mattison ++++++
September 24th, 2011 at 9:47 PM ^
+ Facepalm Guy
September 24th, 2011 at 9:51 PM ^
+55 yards per game advantage. This despite losing the last quarter-plus against a Western team Michigan was curb stomping. I think Michigan had a yardage deficit last year at this time.
September 25th, 2011 at 3:36 AM ^
Not only did Michigan not have a yardage deficit, they had about a +160 a game advantage, mostly thanks to outgaining Bowling Green by over 400 yards. Even if you throw out that game, they outgained non-conference opponents by 70 yards a game.
September 25th, 2011 at 7:49 AM ^
yards gained doesn't mean a thing. Or is that meme gone now that RR is too.
Negative for me - being bored for long stretches at the game while we try to run "power" football from under center.
Biggest positive is the D collecting TOs
September 24th, 2011 at 9:52 PM ^
I'm not shitting my pants on 3rd and long any more
September 24th, 2011 at 10:03 PM ^
When it was 3rd and 22, for the first time, I thought to myself - wow, I actually feel like this is an advantage...I'm not just assuming we give it up. Then we were offsides, 3rd and 17. And we stopped them again. So yeah, that's a huge difference.
September 24th, 2011 at 10:48 PM ^
just drop back 7 yards and take a knee on 1st & 2nd downs to get themselves into a surely convertible 3rd & 24.
September 24th, 2011 at 9:53 PM ^
Tacopants returns
September 24th, 2011 at 9:54 PM ^
Healthy Denard
Competent defense (Oh how I've missed you)
and an honest to God homefield advantage.
Negatives...Non-Denard running game? It seems like they're even starting to get that together. Denard's shaky passing? I have faith that he'll put it together.
I hoped for these things to happen, but I surely didn't expect them.
September 24th, 2011 at 9:55 PM ^
Getting stops on defense is hugely encouraging. I am actually starting to expect that our d will end the drive and get us off the field. Many pluses for Mattison!
September 24th, 2011 at 10:15 PM ^
The last three years I never expected or thought our D could make/get a stop. This year while watching I actually have confidence that they can/will make a stop. The last few years watching the defense play has been end of your seat type action as in "oh knows please don't give up a huge play...please make a play!"...while this years team I can relax a bit back from the edge of the seat and feel as if we actually have a defense that can do something.
September 24th, 2011 at 10:17 PM ^
*typo
<br>Oh knows? Whiskey done clouded my typing.
September 24th, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
September 24th, 2011 at 9:57 PM ^
Cut Van Slyke some slack...he's barely played.
September 25th, 2011 at 7:54 AM ^
of Gardner if Denard goes down because Hoke didn't feel comfortable up 4 scores against Eastern with 10 minutes left. Listening to the BS about there being things Denard needs to work on (which there are) and then having him run the ball (something he doesn't need to work on) was just plain dumb.
September 25th, 2011 at 2:04 PM ^
I wouldn't have minded seeing Gardner in for that last real possession against EMU, but let's be realistic here. Do you think one additional garbage-time series against a bad team would really have left the kid a lot more prepared for the rest of the season?
September 24th, 2011 at 10:02 PM ^
The defense is only giving up 12.7 ppg.. Who would have thought?
September 24th, 2011 at 10:05 PM ^
I have went from defcon 4.5 to 2.
3rd and long is now awesome as opposed to bitter sweet.
We tackle like assassins.
We swarm like a hungry zombie mop looking for brains. Not just any brains, but really good ones.
September 25th, 2011 at 12:42 PM ^
"We swarm like a hungry zombie mop looking for brains. Not just any brains, but really good ones."
This mentality could hurt against the likes of sparty and osu.
September 25th, 2011 at 1:57 PM ^
I trust Mattison will work in a new wrinkle for game week.
September 24th, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
This season through four games the defense is giving up an average of 351 yards per game and 12.75 points per game. Last season was an average of 400 yards per game and 23 points per game.
September 24th, 2011 at 10:23 PM ^
Two guys a lot of people here were writing off after the coaching change have flourished. Despite all the manball talk this staff has proven to be open-minded in utilizing their talent. I'm talking about V. Smith and Gallon.
The play of JT Floyd and the depth that's been emerging are pleasant surprises on the defensive side.
Obviously there are some growing pains as players learn new schemes and coaches discover what works. I'm most disappointed that Hagerup got himself suspended.
#31 is Jared Van Slyke. Calling him out seems a very strange choice.
September 24th, 2011 at 10:40 PM ^
The depth that is immerging is really impressing me. Countess and Avery are stepping up at CB, Ryan has established himself as a starter, Black has begun pushing Roe for playing time, Campbell is getting reps and making plays, Desmond Morgan got some more time today as well. Each week were seeing leseser players improve their games and make an impact, its very reassuring.
September 24th, 2011 at 10:28 PM ^
Also, Vincent Smith really is a pretty good running back. I didn't really know that until the last couple of games. Check out (again) that nifty TD run today (at the 43 sec mark):
September 24th, 2011 at 10:33 PM ^
+ more golden poop
September 24th, 2011 at 10:36 PM ^
Just too early to know. There's no way anyone can be sure this season is much different from the last two. 4-0 against decent but hardly top-tier teams. The real tests await.
September 24th, 2011 at 10:49 PM ^
The record might not end up much different but this is an entirely different team that will not get stomped on against good competition.
September 24th, 2011 at 10:50 PM ^
After the first month of the season, I don't think theres a team on the schedule that isnt beatable. Unlike the last few years, Im not looking ahead going "theres a loss, theres a loss, theres a loss". I have no doubt that this new defense will keep us in every game. I find your lack of faith disturbing, need a hug?
September 24th, 2011 at 11:04 PM ^
The program moreso than the season.
Nonetheless, three of four OOC teams are looking pretty solid at this point. Not counting losses to Mich
WMU: 2-1 & only lost to Illinois today at the end 23-20
ND: 2-1 & only loss to 4-0 #18 USF in a turnoverfest giveaway
EMU: OK, not good
SDSU: 3-0
September 25th, 2011 at 8:10 AM ^
I'm not saying I expect the team to go 12-0, but MSU and OSU are not as good as last year. Nebraska hasn't been very impressive and are an injury to Martinez away from being average at best as they have no back up (Cody Green transferred and Bubba Starling signed w/ the Royals). Nebraska's schedule is also murder. Minny is terrible. Northwestern is not good and can Persa make that big of a difference if he comes back? MSU down this year with major questions along Oline despite having lots of scholarship players there. Purdue not very good. Illinois is Illinois plus they lost their two best players from last year when we beat them. Iowa has been more shaky then good but they do always play us tough at their place. How beat up will Nebraska be when we finally play them? Ohio who knows but our chances are much better then they have been the last three years.
I suspect the first test will be MSU on the road, but the Big Ten is way down this year.
September 24th, 2011 at 10:53 PM ^
we have seen this before. Now the test of the conference schedule begins.
Teams are bigger, stronger, and deeper. Even the bad ones.
Denard does not look comfortable yet and i thought he would by now.
I was not impressed with the hire of Brady Hoke and i am not impressed with what he has done so far either. He inherited much better players than did RR and has not done anything special with them to this point. I was not impressed with the hire of RR at the time either, but, that offense he installed was pure magic as far as scheme goes. If Denard was still running the RR offense he would be vastly more comfortable and we would be seeing much better execution. Denard has regressed under Hoke so far. He has no touch on his passing...and when he does hit them...we drop way too many.
The defense is better this year...but lets not get carried away. It still does not compare to the better ones in the league.
The game i want most right now.....is msu. But in all honesty....i dont feel too good about it right now. The offense has a very long ways to go in terms of consistency.
September 25th, 2011 at 12:22 AM ^
With no hope of it getting better. And we still cannot say this offense would do well enough to beat MSU and OSU. Denard's questionable throwing skills would still be iffy no matter if Rich was still coach or not.
<br>
<br>But you are right. We still don't know if Hoke's program will do better than RR's. We will start to find out in three weeks vs MSU.
September 24th, 2011 at 11:19 PM ^
So far, so good. We're 4-0 with a good amount of coaching, skill, heart, and a little bit of luck.
But this is what separates us from Notre Dame. Nobody is proclaiming after a few wins that we are headed for the National Championship and that we've "Returned to Glory".
We've still got a long way to go.
September 24th, 2011 at 11:11 PM ^
+No factional squabbling (winning solves a lot of problems)
+Gallon #10
+Being ranked and not immediately choking the week after
++++Brian not posting a cat picture (symbol of trauma or existensial dread) for his EMU preview
September 24th, 2011 at 11:11 PM ^
First of all, 4-0 trumps everything else. Secondly, there is no way this team should have beaten ND on paper before the season started. The importance of that win cannot be overstated.
Hoke is a good leader, motivator, delegator, and "face of the program," Mattison has the defense playing well, and Borges is taking very close to full advantage of what he has. As long as this team is undefeated, I am going to conclude that every decision the coaches have made has worked out fine.
September 25th, 2011 at 8:23 AM ^
When we gain 32 total yards in a quarter against Eastern. He still doesn't have the faintest idea what to do with Denard in the passing game. I know one thing, Denard has complete both QB fake toward the line passes this year. Of course that play only works if the QB is a running threat which Borges pretty much eliminated the first game and three quarters.
I cringed yesterday watching Lewan try to get to the sidelines from his tackle spot on a tunnel screen. He barely touched the guy who ended up making the tackle. Our WRs are great blockers (see a couple DRob runs yesterday where they had DBs walled off) so I don't understand Borges hatred of the bubble screen. I not sure I remember a slant pass this year and Denard needs some easy passes to start off the game to get his confidence up.
September 24th, 2011 at 11:26 PM ^
The biggest positives include a coaching staff that makes adjustments as the game progresses and defensive backs who are on screen during replays of our opponents passing attempts and even do things to prevent completions.
The biggest negatives include the field goal unit which has yet to instill any confidence the passing game.
Pleasant surprises include Kovacs, Huyge, Floyd, Countess and Jake Ryan much of the time.
Unpleasant surprises include Woolfolk's fragility, Henninger, Brink, and Hopkins.
September 24th, 2011 at 11:58 PM ^
healthy Fitz Toussaint? semi-healthy Woolfolk? We've had a few guys banged up today but hopefully nothing serious... JT Floyd and Lewan had some scares but they kept playing...
Also when is the last time the defense allowed only 10 points over 2 games? Last season the defense was letting up about 10 points a quarter. Yes EMU and SDSU, but I think last year's D would have given up a lot more points to both EMU and SDSU.
The only negatives - kicking (Hagerup's suspension hasn't hurt us too much, but Gibbons miss again today... geez ) and hate to say it but Denard's passing. Plz fix this soon m'kay, Borges?
September 24th, 2011 at 11:51 PM ^
There's nothing like seeing the defense improving from week to week. Mattison's a hell of a coach.
And the Denarding.
Special teams look a little better, too.
September 24th, 2011 at 11:52 PM ^
Back in May, I said Alex Avila had no business being a MLB catcher and he wasn't very good.
Second, I thought the Hoke hire was not wise.
I'm happy to say I'm an idiot.
September 25th, 2011 at 12:00 AM ^
the red zone offense
September 25th, 2011 at 1:39 AM ^
+ Only giving up 12.75 pts/game
At this point last year we were giving up 23 pts/game
September 25th, 2011 at 3:03 AM ^
+ halftime adjustments on D! Thank God for Mattison