Return Game AKA Gallon
I dont know how many mistakes this guy can make and still keep his job returning Kicks and Punts...He litterly has 1 mistake per game or more. These mistakes are critical to the game. He did have some decent returns tho, but still. Thoughts? I would like to see someone else get a shot?
Great Win tho Boys it feels GREAT TO BE A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!!!!
November 6th, 2010 at 6:41 PM ^
to Stonum was pretty nice.
November 6th, 2010 at 6:43 PM ^
agreed that was tits!
November 6th, 2010 at 7:08 PM ^
Are you the freshman that sits behind me that keeps yelling "suck on my tits! suck on my tits!" throughout the entire game? If so, I hate you. Otherwise, yes, that pitch was executed perfectly. Had no idea it happened until Stonum was over the 50.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:00 PM ^
No one at BWWs saw it either until that defender got laid out by Floyd Simmons. At that point the entire bar went into a roar.
November 6th, 2010 at 6:41 PM ^
This is the definition of "nitpicking"
November 6th, 2010 at 6:43 PM ^
A fumble this week and a ball that goes out at the 2 last week is not nit-picking. He has made mistakes in every game. Just sayin
November 6th, 2010 at 6:47 PM ^
We had 4 other turnovers this game and we still won the game. We just became bowl eligible for the first time since 2007 and we're talking about the kickoff return man. Does it need to be cleaned up a bit? Yes. But it doesn't need to be a headline on the board.
November 6th, 2010 at 6:50 PM ^
why not? its a huge part of the game...and a huge game changer.
November 6th, 2010 at 7:01 PM ^
I totally agree with you that it's a huge part of the game and it is a game changer. But it didn't cost us the game today and for the Penn State game, I was there and sure it hurt us but that wasn't the main reason why we lost that game. I'm not argueing with you saying that it doesn't need to be cleaned up. It definitely does. I'm just saying we just won a game that gets us in a bowl game and we're focusing on the kick returner. Either way, Go Blue.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:27 PM ^
The fact that it didn't cost us the game doesn't mean that it isn't an area for improvement. And I'd question your claim that it didn't cost us against PSU. Gallon's fumbled kickoff at our own 2-yard line in that game was a killer.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:41 PM ^
to point out anything negative on the board? This is absolutely worthy of being a topic...say what you want about PSU, but that play gave us the ball at our two, which changed our entire play calling for the series. The result? NO first down, punt out of end zone, then PSU TD.
Momentum is HUGE in college FB, and you can't underestimate the role of special teams, especially when a mistake causes you to take the ball at the two. Just because we won today doesn't mean you ignore the turnovers. Sorry, but if there's a monster in the corner, you kill it. I would LOVE to see Stonum handling all of our kickoffs.
November 6th, 2010 at 11:33 PM ^
stonum had one return today (on the handoff) and almost took it to the house. he should be the return guy. no question. he's by far the best return guy we have. i don't understand why he's not back there anymore.
November 6th, 2010 at 9:11 PM ^
but the fumble today was him being held up and the ball being taken from him, at least that's what I felt I saw. Last week's mistake was depressing, but hey, coach feels confident with him, so I'm not going to second guess. At least he's not putting the ball on the turf. He's getting better back there overall, why put some one back there new...
November 6th, 2010 at 11:34 PM ^
had a few other muffs earlier in the year too. we just happened to recover them. he averages about one screw up per game back there.
November 6th, 2010 at 6:42 PM ^
Dileo. The kid is a natural punt returner
November 6th, 2010 at 7:53 PM ^
November 7th, 2010 at 12:00 AM ^
Code for: He's white?
November 7th, 2010 at 3:50 PM ^
November 6th, 2010 at 6:43 PM ^
"litterly"
that's new
November 6th, 2010 at 6:44 PM ^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
English Major
November 6th, 2010 at 7:46 PM ^
I'm not an English major...yet. I'm fifteen years old. The word is "literally."
November 6th, 2010 at 6:45 PM ^
adverb. "cat toilet like"
November 6th, 2010 at 6:47 PM ^
ya thats how he has played at times returning the ball...
November 6th, 2010 at 6:44 PM ^
First we need a dedicated ST coach.
November 6th, 2010 at 6:48 PM ^
Exhaustive list of schools in the Big Ten with a dedicated ST coach: Purdue
Exhaustive list of AQ schools with a dedicated ST coach: Purdue, NC State, Boston College, USC, Oregon St., UCLA.
That is not the problem.
November 6th, 2010 at 6:50 PM ^
It is for us. Clearly.
November 6th, 2010 at 6:53 PM ^
Is it? Guys who are specialist coaches aren't necessarily good at coaching kick returns/coverages and vice versa.
November 6th, 2010 at 6:52 PM ^
I've seen you post this before, and I approve of you posting it every time someone complains about that. (seriously)
I guess I hadn't totally read the list before, it's interesting that 3 of the 6 teams are in the Pac-10.
November 6th, 2010 at 7:05 PM ^
Yeah, I haven't had enough time to make a full diary about it, but that's my intention eventually. I did find it interesting the SEC and Big 12 didn't have any.
November 6th, 2010 at 9:00 PM ^
How many of those AQ schools have the HC coach the SP? (FL Meyer) Or some other high profile coach on the staff?
Just asking, I don't know the answer
November 6th, 2010 at 6:47 PM ^
I would like to see someone else get a shot?
So...Would you?
November 6th, 2010 at 7:09 PM ^
Gallon is the 2nd most explosive player on the team behind Denard. Sure he's made some mistakes, but he doesn't seem to get down because of it and bounces back pretty well. I'm pretty confident in him as the KR going forward. PR too, probably, but our whole PR unit seems poor so I might rather just have Dileo or someone to hold onto the ball back there until we get that side of the game worked out.
November 6th, 2010 at 7:32 PM ^
That's certainly the first time I've ever heard that statement.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:17 PM ^
"Gallon is the 2nd most explosive player on the team behind Denard."
Really, I didn't know that.
November 6th, 2010 at 9:29 PM ^
Well obviously it's just my opinion, but when watching this team play this year, Gallon seems the most likely behind Denard to break a long play any time he touches the ball. Don't get me wrong, Smith/Shaw/Odoms/Roundtree/Hemingway/Stonum are all great players and definitely better football players right now than Gallon, but I'd take Gallon over any of them to grab a quick screen and take it the distance, or to do the same on a kick or punt return.
I sort of think this is part of the reason Gallon keeps getting chances. He has incredible acceleration and agility to make plays the other guys can't at this point. Go back and check out the bubble screen against either Iowa or Penn State, I think it was the Iowa game. Gallon took it 20 yards and I'm quite certain no one else on our offense but Denard could have turned that play into 20 yards.
November 6th, 2010 at 11:41 PM ^
seriously?
November 6th, 2010 at 7:53 PM ^
Compared to 2008's kick and punt returning performance, Gallon has not been as bad. That one mistake per game you talk about is something that I will take for now.
By the way, Denard makes plenty of mistakes too - part of the difference with Denard is that the lineman recover his fumbles. Both Denard and Gallon are secure in their jobs right now.
You would have a better case to gripe about turnovers in general (5) as opposed to picking on on one guy with one mistake all day.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:07 PM ^
Compared to 2008's kick and punt returning performance, Gallon has not been as bad.
That is not the best measuring stick. We were historically bad that season. Right now we rank near the bottom of the country in both kickoff and punt returns.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:52 PM ^
"That one mistake per game you talk about is something that I will take for now."
Seriously? A guy only handles the ball 6-8 times a game and you're okay with that one mistake, even if it's a TO? Denard handles the ball EVERY SNAP. I'll forgive him a mistake or two. A kick returner gets the ball in the OPEN FIELD. Tuck it and run, and HOTTDB. I'm NOT willing to "take it for now". I'll take a guy who gets the ball past the 20 most of the time and NEVER fumbles it.
November 6th, 2010 at 11:43 PM ^
we have a better proven option in stonum.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:00 PM ^
He also seems to be most likely to break on normal returns. But yeah, HOLD ON TO THE DAMN BALL!
November 6th, 2010 at 8:04 PM ^
I'd like Stonum to go back to being our kickoff returner. He was excellent last year and was great on the reverse today.
On punts, it seemed a few weeks ago like we were grooming Dileo to take over. What happened to him?
November 6th, 2010 at 8:13 PM ^
I havent seen him since the one punt return a long time ago...is it possible that he is redshirting also? I do not want to see Stonum back there on full return duty!! Stonum is great straight line speed runner, but he does not have that R3 button shiftiness like Gallon. It seems like Stonum use to take some vicious hits because he would go 0-60 so fast and has no way to slow down or hit another gear. Plus all I want Stonum to concentrate on is catching the ball...that is all!
November 6th, 2010 at 8:25 PM ^
Kickoff returns mostly are about straight-line speed. When KO returners try to reverse field and juke guys, it usually backfires. Stonum set a school record for KO return yardage last year and took one to the house against ND. Has Gallon returned one across midfield?
November 6th, 2010 at 8:58 PM ^
http://mgoblog.com/content/mailbag-wedges-banned-yukon-cornelius
David is correct: the NCAA banned wedge blocking this offseason, which at least partially explains how an effective kick return game has disintegrated. If Michigan was really good at the wedge and now it's gone they're starting over. That doesn't explain why they're really bad, but does get you to average.
That lack of effectiveness and Darryl Stonum's increased importance to the offense make his removal from kick returns less annoying than it was earlier in the year. With Odoms out there's not much depth on the outside and Stonum wasn't getting any returns; it's possible that one-cut-and-go type stuff is less effective and kick returners should be shiftier guys closer to punt returners.
November 6th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^
That's an interesting point about the ban on wedge blocking. It's possible that's been a factor. And yeah, with Odoms out we are thinner at WR. Maybe Stonum is not the guy. I'm not sure Gallon is either, though.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:14 PM ^
I agree about Stonum. I think we have enough depth at WR that it's not too big of a risk to put Stonum back returning kickoffs.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:40 PM ^
I'd like Stonum back on KR's again. Gallon makes me nervous. I posted it last week on the live feed and someone came back with "Stonum's too valuable as a WR."
A) It didn't hurt him last year
B) It's safe to say Desmond Howard was a pretty big deal and he wasn't too valuable to return kicks.
November 6th, 2010 at 8:42 PM ^
when everyone who could return kicks and punts for us are doing wind sprints up and down the field with the offense scoring so fast and the defence chasing people all over the field. We don't have anyone left to do the job other than Gallon. Basiclly.