Not much work for the coverage team...
As many ST players as we saw, I think there will be some shuffling on coverage come PSU. This remains a bullet for Mich special teams, given the returns for DSU and the Iowa punt coverage.
It's too bad we can't get special teams coach (due to NCAA rules?) to address this weakness (...that really only surfaced in the Iowa game?)
I'm thinking we see some competition and then different personnel in the PSU game. Troy covering punts?
October 17th, 2009 at 10:17 PM ^
I am not an expert and have never played organized football in my life, but I cannot understand why many of the second/third/scout team players play on special teams. Put your best players out there damnit! They are just as likely to get hurt on that play than on any other play...
October 17th, 2009 at 10:23 PM ^
You play second and third team players on special teams to get the starters much needed rest, and to get your second and third team players some type of game reps. I have played organized ball at every level but professional, and this is done one every level including the N.F.L.
October 17th, 2009 at 10:32 PM ^
Thanks for the clarification... I guess that makes sense. Like I said, I never played so wasn't really sure why this is the way it is.
October 17th, 2009 at 10:19 PM ^
I think that Cissoko will be back by the PSU game and hopefully Floyd will be back (even though Floyd is really slow) because for this next game the secondary needs all the help it can get! They look miserable so hopefully we will have all personnel on deck and healthy for the game.
October 17th, 2009 at 10:23 PM ^
Why were the kicks so shallow today? The last few weeks, they'd been fairly deep. I thought perhaps it was the wind today, but it was in both directions.
October 17th, 2009 at 10:32 PM ^
Zoltan had an exciting day. 9 perfectly held extra points. When was the last time we went a whole game without punting, if ever?
As Brian mentioned after the Iowa game, A lot of the big returns seemed like the result of Mesko outkicking the coverage. A little more hang time and a little less distance will probably help keeping the returns to a minimum. That and the usual tackling issue.
October 17th, 2009 at 11:21 PM ^
+1 for "perfectly held extra points"
Lol, I didn't even realize he had made it onto the field.
As far as never punting, I recall UM beating up on Houston pretty bad in the early 1990's, score was pretty similar to this one, 50 or 60 something to 7. Might not have had to punt in that game.