OT-MHSAA Football Playoffs
Little late but I just got done watching the Clarkston and Stevenson semi-final game. While the coach for Clarkston screwed up with the classic "All The Right Moves" move by handing off. I have never seen a team get fucked by the refs worse than Clarkston. I think I counted 4 horrible calls that if any would have been called correctly would have won the game. IF you haven't seen it go to the MHSAA website and watch the last 3 minutes of the game, simply amazing.
November 27th, 2009 at 2:47 PM ^
This game is the ultimate example of execution and technique vs size.... Lowell is playing great and Inkster looks like they are in a pick up game...not over yet though. Lowell's offensive line looks like they weigh about 200lbs on average.
November 27th, 2009 at 2:48 PM ^
Hopefully Gardner can settle down a little bit in the second half. I would like to see him step into some throws and get off a couple of decent runs.
November 27th, 2009 at 2:48 PM ^
Wow, now that was nice.
November 27th, 2009 at 2:49 PM ^
Nice play by Gardner. Evaded a tackle then threw a strike to his receiver downfield.
November 27th, 2009 at 2:50 PM ^
thanks for the updates!
November 27th, 2009 at 2:50 PM ^
No blocking for Gardner
November 27th, 2009 at 3:02 PM ^
Gardner's got a nice arm. His throwing motion isn't all that fluid but the ball gets there. He's clearly got a strong arm and puts nice air under his deep throws. Maybe it's the playcalling, or opposing defense, or something else, but Gardner seems more of a pass-first QB than run-first. He's been unable to turn the corner on some QB sweeps, though he has shown an ability to improvise on the run. His decision-making is about where you'd expect a HS senior to be; he's stared down some of his WRs and thrown into coverage some.
On the whole, I think he's clearly very talented but still a work in progress. He may push Tate some but I'd be surprised if he won the job. He'd probably benefit from a redshirt season.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:08 PM ^
In my e-pinion (which doesn't mean much at all) that is an excellent critique. It points out that he isn't perfect or the seconding coming, but dwells on the positives and not the negatives.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:29 PM ^
When did it become unacceptable to point out when a player plays like ass in a game? I am a believer that Tate played great this year for a true freshamn, and I will be the first to tell you that he sucked ass against OSU. People were all over RR for saying something negative about his performance, but I don't think Tate disagreed. We have too many people here with participation ribbons hanging on their walls talking about how hard they used to try. Gardner will be a the starting QB for Michigan and do very well, IME, if he is given a couple of years to mature as a passer. That being said, he sucked today. That doesn't mean he is a bad person or a bad player, just that he did not play well today. I have had bad days at work, school, and athletically just like the rest of you, so why is it impossible for this kid to have one?
November 27th, 2009 at 3:25 PM ^
His highlight videos and camp evaluations demonstrate clear ability, but he still has to figure out how to put it all together. He obviously has arm strength, and he showed some good touch on shorter balls, too (though not always smart decision making). One thing that stood out was his comfort in the pocket; I think his size is going to help him throw from the pocket as well as on the run. He seems to make really good throws when he has time, which is what we've seen from his reps in camp videos. If he enrolls in the fall, I think it'd be best to give him a redshirt year; that's assuming that Denard stays at QB and shows marked improvement and the coaches trust him to throw once in a while to keep defenses honest. I'm excited for what he'll be able to bring to M in the future.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:08 PM ^
He needs a red shirt year. The fact that he's considered a 5-star prospect despite his total lack of quarterback coaching just speaks to his potential. I really like the idea of him starting after a long time of quarterback coaching. Just need Tate to experience the expected jump from freshman ability to sophomore ability.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:10 PM ^
I just think most Michigan fans were hoping for a more dominate Gardner. After all he is ranked by one scouting service as the #1 dual threat QB in the Nation. We haven't seen any running ability. The Lowell QB looks quicker and more elusive.
He's big, raw, and talented. RR and Rod Smith will be able to mold him into a stud college QB.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:14 PM ^
Dominate is a verb. Dominant is the adjective.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:11 PM ^
I think Inkster could really benefit from an O-Line that could block just one player.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:12 PM ^
It's hard to tell how good Gardner really is when he's in this offense. The D is clearly trying to stop him and are forcing him to throw while giving little respect to the rest of his team. He also has little time to throw as his offensive line always seems to miss at least one guy when Lowell sends the blitz. He hasn't handled the blitz well either, he doesn't seem to feel the pressure coming towards him. His deep throws have been good but his receivers are always well covered. I'm surprised the coach wasn't telling DG to just dump it off short to a safety valve when Lowell sends the blitz.
He's been decent today but it's clear he's not ready to start for Michigan yet but he does seem like the kind of player that will benefit a lot from having more talented players around him at the next level as teams won't be able to focus solely on him, allowing him to make better use of his natural talents.
November 27th, 2009 at 3:15 PM ^
Yeah this game seems less about Gardner's ability and more about how bad Inksters line is.
I liked the quick hurry up offense though that Inkster ran last series. They had something going until Lowell started to blitz and Gardner fell on his rear.
November 27th, 2009 at 4:05 PM ^
they are bashing Devin Gardner. I don't think there is any problem at all if he does redshirt. It seems like people think that if he redshirts that it means he is not good enough. All it means is that they see some things that they would like for him to fix so that he can become an even better quarterback. We have Forcier and Robinson next year so it allows Gardner to develop more. The scouts have even said that he is very raw and has not had very good coaching. I honestly think he should redshirt and then let him compete for the job the following year. It is not good to start a freshmen quarterback every year. A lot of his ratings are due to his ability. It is known that he can become an excellent quarterback but that does not mean he would be his freshment year. Not coming in early does not help his chances much either.
November 27th, 2009 at 4:19 PM ^
To everyone posting negative comments about DG:
Do you really think it is in the best interest of the team to write how he "sucks ass" and "needs to redshirt" all over this board? Sure maybe he didn't have te best game of his career but what kind of impression do those comments make on the people around him that might read this board. The same goes for critiquing other recruits on here. Do you want him to be a Florida Gator? -- because if you keep hating on our best recruit he just might decide that Michigan isn't the best fit for him. The guy is 6'4" 210, strong arm and for all of you incompetent "fans" he is FAST not slow. He is 18 and very impressionable so stop leaving the impression that UofM fans are unsupportive. If you had any sense at all, you would be hesitant before disparaging our potential recruits on this board.
November 27th, 2009 at 4:36 PM ^
Wow, this isn't an overreaction at all.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:05 PM ^
to an extent. internet criticism goes on for every school, because people are idiots.....it's not going to be a determining factor, but criticizing anonymously only hurts, and it doesn't show much class.
and i think taking anything long-term away from this game about devin gardner is foolish anyways. lowell was ready.
November 27th, 2009 at 6:09 PM ^
Why don't you give the kid some credit, I bet he's mentally stable enough to absorb some criticism from forum-goers, that is, if he's even inclined to go look on the internet (Mr. Roh does it =/= the majority does it). Why do you say red shirt like it's a bad thing? Aaron Curry and Vince Young, amoung countless others, beg to differ.
November 27th, 2009 at 7:05 PM ^
"(Mr. Roh does it =/= the majority does it)."
I have no idea how you know that. If anything, the fact that Roh's dad came onto The Fort and posted what he did only proves that we should be supportive of our recruits. Many of our recruits had a less than stellar senior season. Should we constantly rag on them? Or should we presume that the men that are being paid to coach football might know something more about their performances?
November 27th, 2009 at 7:55 PM ^
I'm not against Gardner, I just believe he could use some coaching for once, and *gasp* a redshirt year. I don't know that, but by citing that Mr. Roh did it means that a lot of them do it is not an assertion you can make. I'm not for baseless claims, but if their's something wrong with your game there's no reason to sweep it under the rug.
November 27th, 2009 at 9:31 PM ^
He's still a high-school kid, and just because he plays bad in a game doesn't mean people should act like an ass themselves and say he played like ass or that they don't see the hype, etc. And it just isn't how I personally would like our fanbase to act.
As far as saying it's ok to post that because nobody probably will read it: if you act like an ass in the forest, but there's no one around to see it, you were still definitely an ass.
November 28th, 2009 at 9:28 AM ^
I think saying that he played like ass is a bit too much. It was an ignorant way of stating his opinion of DG's play. However, if one cannot be critical of a current player or a recruit than why are we here? He is giving an opinion based on what he saw which is fine.
This whole thing with Roh's dad is weird. If a recruit or their parent gets on a message board and takes offense bc some annoymous poster says something negative then they need to reassess things in a big way. If you can't be mature enough to realize that their are idiots out there that are so unhappy with their own lives that they need to bash on kids who play a meaningless game then they are hopeless.
Furthermore, people should be able to give opinions good or bad. If the bad ones involve people saying that a certain player "sucks ass" then so be it. If this is a serious problem and has any "real" effect on the recruitment of a player then I am sure that the people in charge would remove posts accordingly.
November 27th, 2009 at 7:47 PM ^
I think you are getting the wrong impression here. Just because someone says that he needs to redshirt does not mean that we don't support him or that we don't think he is good. If he redshirts it should not be thought of as a sign of punishment or that he is not any good. It is about getting the most out of Gardner and teaching him more about the game. Normally, both Tate and Denard would have redshirt. The only reason they didn't is because Rich was not comfortable with playing Sheridan and Cone the whole time. Gardner could be the best quarterback as far as talent goes but he is also a freshmen and has a lot to learn about the game. He has to learn all of the plays and how to read the defense better. There is a very good reason why very few freshmen start at quarterback.
November 27th, 2009 at 4:54 PM ^
Devin was the tallest player on the sidelines, but he isn't as muscular at I had imagined. I can't imagine what he will look like with a couple years under Barwis! Vince Young 2.0.
His line was miserable today, and the Inkster D could not tell who had the ball most of the time. The Lowell QB had some really nice ball fakes.
I was impressed with Devin's accuracy when he made the right read. The throw on the two-point conversion was excellent and his good throws were really good.
After seeing him in person, I think that him playing next year is an unreasonable expectation. He needs coaching, and time to grow into his monster frame. He will be a huge asset at Michigan once he develops.
Go Blue!
November 27th, 2009 at 6:48 PM ^
Speaking of unreasonable expectations, let's avoid comparing him to Vince Young.
November 28th, 2009 at 12:01 AM ^
Well, in build at least. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the playmaking ability to carry over.
November 27th, 2009 at 6:16 PM ^
First, let me say that whatever QB gives us the best chance to win next year should get the starting job, even if it is a freshman again. I want to win now and the more competition we have at every position, the better. Since I had the opportunity living here in San Diego to watch Tate a couple times in high school last year and now today having had the chance to watch Devin in the state finals, here are some observations for what it’s worth.
Devin is definitely a more impressive physical specimen at 6’4” and over 200 pounds. However, as others have said, he is still very raw from what I saw. He probably has more upside as he develops but as I think back to watching Tate in the state playoffs a year ago, he clearly was the more polished and impressive player.
Today’s game may not have been Devin’s best but what surprised me most was not seeing the speed or shiftiness I thought he had. The few times he tried to run wide, the Lowell defenders didn’t seem to have any problem catching him. I would have liked to see him run vertically just once to see if he could have broke one open. He has a nice arm and throws very effortless, but threw off his back foot a few times under pressure and lofted a few too many passes. When he sat back in the pocket, planted his feet and delivered the ball with velocity, he looked great. Unfortunately, Inkster’s defense was on the field most of the time and he didn’t have the ball a whole lot.
When I think back to watching Tate last year (one game he won, one he lost – both in the CIF playoffs), he really stood out as a player, despite the even higher level of competition played in the San Diego area. Though he made some of the same mistakes in these games he made as a true freshman this year, his running, passing and playmaking always made him standout, even against the better competition. He even was one of the better players on defense, starting as a defensive back/safety. The two things that worried me about him then and still now unfortunately, are his size and his tendency to gamble too much trying to make a play when there wasn’t one.
Ideally, Tate would have been redshirted and had a full year to put some weight on, get use to the speed of the game and learn the offense as part of the practice squad. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen given the QB situation we have so we got to see the ups and downs of a true freshman playing for the first time against big-time D1 competition. Just thinking about it, overall Tate played about how I would have expected, though early in the year he was much better than I thought he’d be.
What is obvious to me from watching Devin play today (and Tate a year ago) is that there is a HUGE difference going from high school to major college football, and even more so at the QB position. We all get enamored by the rivals, scout, and espn ratings looking for “the one” that will make this nightmare end, but there is a reason why so few true freshman QB’s play (let alone start). Development of Devin and Tate (along with Denard and Conelius Jones) is going to be critical over the next 9 months. They all need a lot of coaching between now and Sept 4 when UCONN comes to town. I just hope one of them is ready to step up big time when this time comes. GO BLUE!
November 28th, 2009 at 10:40 AM ^
Good post, couldn't agree more.
November 27th, 2009 at 11:03 PM ^
Inksters coaches are clueless and Connor Kruse was the best player on the field today.