Running Back Mysteries
I know there are more pressing topics to consider (i.e., cc) after today, but the mysteries of the running back spot continue to swirl in my mind.
I am always confused by the lack of rb rotation used by UM - especially by the delayed use of Shaw today? Not discounting Smith's heart or desire, but would have liked to see someone else have a shot when the game remained in the balance ...
January 1st, 2011 at 7:44 PM ^
I dont understand the love of Smith????
January 1st, 2011 at 7:47 PM ^
Hey, man, Morrissey is awesome.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:20 PM ^
1) players he recruited
2) guys with dreads
January 1st, 2011 at 7:44 PM ^
when they have pics & have like those hardee guys or tom quick or wut his name was and they come in blue & i do reports & got a 3.5 in Eng 304 4 tha 1 wher they figurd out it was tha owner of tha car wash that was steelin stuff
January 1st, 2011 at 7:45 PM ^
I thought the same thing when Shaw came in. I know Smith might be considered a slightly better blocker and receiver, but why we continue to give him the ball so we can gain 1 yard on first down is baffling when Shaw consistently looks like a better all-around runner and Toussaint is finally healthy enough to see what he's got.
January 1st, 2011 at 7:45 PM ^
Was wondering where Hopkins was, did he play? The lack of a consistent running game by non-Denard has hampered this offense time and time again.
January 1st, 2011 at 7:46 PM ^
Looked like he was injured on his only play in there.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:36 PM ^
but i thought this offense was supposed to be the bomb diggity?
January 1st, 2011 at 7:50 PM ^
Was Shaw benched due to academic issues? I remember there were some talk about eligibility issues with him.
January 1st, 2011 at 7:53 PM ^
if there was an academic issue, then he would not have played at all. Perhaps some other internal punishment.
No matter what happens, we need a stud rb.
January 1st, 2011 at 7:51 PM ^
I don't get why the hell Smith was out there. We kept running the same damn play with him and obviously it wasn't working it hasn't worked all year. I was glad to see Toussaint out there, but he only got 2 or 3 carries. I don't get why Shaw wasn't out there until the second half. I would have been nice to see Mike Cox play, at least he could do what Smith was doing probably better.
January 1st, 2011 at 7:51 PM ^
I can only assume Shaw and Hopkins were suspended for the first half otherwise there is no reason to hold them out. Being at the game today I heard nothing all day about why they were out.
January 1st, 2011 at 7:54 PM ^
After a promising freshman season, Vincent Smith has shown that he just isn't an elite every down back in the Big Ten. Why didn't Shaw, Fitz, and Hopkins get more carries today? Smith obviously didn't have it today.
Smith is a tough kid, and a good pass receiver out of the backfield, but he had another fumble today, and he just doesn't have the speed to do any real damage.
January 1st, 2011 at 7:59 PM ^
Smith is fundamentally sound. He blocks well and is a good receiver, as you mentioned. He lacks the size and speed to be an elite back, thus, him starting, IMO, is more an indictment on the lack of fundamentals with regards to the other rbs.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:23 PM ^
An indictment on the lack of fundamentals on all of our other RB options, if true, would be an indictment of the coaching they're receiving.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:31 PM ^
Agree 100 percent
January 1st, 2011 at 8:31 PM ^
Fred Jackson says they are all the best running back he's ever seen.
January 1st, 2011 at 10:13 PM ^
Fred Jackson is all of sudden a bad coach? I think at some point you have to give one of the other guys a shot. You cant put Smith on the outside and expect him to outrun and juke defenders.
I know we were losing but there is no reason Denard should be throwing the ball 40 times a game. I like RR and support him but it's like he never makes adjustments.
January 2nd, 2011 at 9:29 AM ^
but it's like he never makes adjustments.
But that's MICHIGAN TRADITION (TM) going all the way back to Bo and beyond. I thought that's what the alumni wanted?
January 2nd, 2011 at 9:54 AM ^
Rich Rodriguez is ultimately responsible for choosing which running back steps on the field. I don't think Fred Jackson is a bad coach at all. The fact is, Jackson has had effective running backs in just about every year at Michigan. But then you've got Sam McGuffie playing more than Brandon Minor, Vincent Smith starting at running back, etc. and you just have to shake your head and realize that the guy who determines PT is dropping the ball.
January 2nd, 2011 at 10:48 AM ^
Yup. For all of RRod's failings his inability to put his most talented players on the field is by far the most egregious.
Plus after reading the toussaint fluff piece, and Jackson's quotes about how he was going to get some real time in the game, it doesn't appear that Jackson and Rodriguez were on the same page at all.
January 2nd, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
LOVES Vincent Smith...and he loved Sam McGuffie. He didn't get along with Minor and it affected his PT early in 08.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:00 PM ^
Had the same thoughts.
January 1st, 2011 at 7:55 PM ^
I asked this in the other blog, and should have asked this in here, did we have a back this year gain 100 yards?
January 1st, 2011 at 7:58 PM ^
Shaw against UMass (126 yds) - Smith had 99 against Purdue
January 1st, 2011 at 7:59 PM ^
Thanks.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:03 PM ^
Shaw had 126 yards against UMASS.
Edit: Late to the party. That's what I get for clicking "Reply" and then getting distracted by the Rose Bowl.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:03 PM ^
Smith is literally the fourth-best running back on the team. The insistence on using him as the feature back (if there is one next to Denard) is completely asinine. There's no other way to put it. Shaw and Cox are better than him, and Toussaint is, too (although he's obviously been limited by injury).
January 1st, 2011 at 8:12 PM ^
5th best. Hopkins is better too.
January 1st, 2011 at 11:09 PM ^
will get more production out of the running backs. It is hard to imagine getting less.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:03 PM ^
Since Barwis arrived, we haven't been able to keep a single rb healthy.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:06 PM ^
Before Barwis, there were literally zero running back injuries in the history of Michigan football. Pretty impressive stuff.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:17 PM ^
Just a priceless response. UM has had trouble with healthy RB's for about as long as I can remember.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:41 PM ^
I don't remember Perry or Thomas ever having injury problems. Before then I can't remember since I'm not very old, but since Mike or "Bike" Hart, we've had RB problems all the time.
January 1st, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
You do realize how Mike Hart got the job, right? David Underwood got injured.
RB injuries happen - a lot (Ty Wheatley, Tony Boles, etc). No training staff in the world can prevent that.
January 2nd, 2011 at 8:50 PM ^
That's not why Hart got the job. Underwood just wasn't very good. Hart simply beat him, and the other backs, out.
Now, Henne indeed won the job in '04 because of an injury (to Gutierrez).
January 1st, 2011 at 8:08 PM ^
The broken clavicles and concussions are clearly the fault of Mike Barwis. Damn him!
January 1st, 2011 at 8:04 PM ^
I know Denard is the first option in this offense, but man, the running game looked real bad today, and not real good all year.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:11 PM ^
It seemed that the o-line was having trouble today. There was a lot of zero or 1 yard gains today. Thats usually on the o-line. That said, our RB's seem to have a hard time creating yards on their own.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:04 PM ^
and please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like Shaw got in on the first play of the second half. That screams disciplinary action.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:05 PM ^
Our running backs seem to keep us wanting to put the next guy in because he is the guy who should be getting the carries. Hopkins should be a good one but he is a freshman. In the spring it sounded like many thought Cox would be the starter and we were anxiously awaiting the debut of Fitz. To sum it up, it would be nice to get Dee Hart on campus.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:06 PM ^
i got another question, if there is a coaching change, can players transfer without sitting out a year?
January 1st, 2011 at 8:09 PM ^
Not unless the NCAA grants a special waiver, which I sincerely doubt they would.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:10 PM ^
Thanks.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:32 PM ^
Not developing a productive running threat to go with Denard is the most disappointing aspect of the season for me. Whether it be Denard not making the right reads, the offensive line not being up to par, the running backs themselves under performing, bad coaching, bad tactics,or a combination of everything, the running of people not named Denard has be underwhelming. With the amount of attention given Denard, I thought the RB's would thrive. It just never happened and I am perplexed.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:40 PM ^
is almost as disappointing as the tackling.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:34 PM ^
work hard and that's great, but I just can't get over his inability to break tackles. A stiff breeze can force him to ground.
January 1st, 2011 at 8:36 PM ^
I got excited when Fitz was the first RB I saw out there, even though they started with 2 backs (Smith). Then, he didn't get his first carry until the 4th quarter, I think. Obviously he wasn't going to be a savior today, but it would have been nice to see what he could do with more carries
January 1st, 2011 at 8:47 PM ^