What do you want to see out of the 2014 Spring Game?
Welp, with another amazing Basketball season in the books and having 24 hours to reflect on it, I'm ready to move on and have the spring sports quench my thirst for Michigan Athletics.
The warm weather today in SE Michigan has caused me to bitten by the Football bug.
Yesterday I was dreading the fact of going to watch a glorified practice on Saturday, but the weather looking good (knock on wood) for the day and the Lacrosse game after have me in good spirits on the matter.
What do you want to see out of the spring game to send you home happy/make you happy?
- NO INJURIES
- Run the football for positive yards
- A good OL combo that can keep me from waking in a cold sweat during the summer worrying about this upcoming 2014 season.
- An effing pass rush. PLEASE?! (no hitting the QBs, obviously)
- Catch the football
For those who ask the annual question "will this be a spring game?". Nope. Hoke said it's going to more of a practice. Again. For the 13th(?) year in a row due to depth issues.
I'd like to see some kind of scoring system. RR's spring "games" had a way where the defense could score points, but nobody could figure it out since the ADept didn't bother telling us.
I'd like to see some kind of scoring system so I can be more entertained.
You?
No injuries. But more importantly, TONS of ads so the board can freak the fuck out
Noodles. Noodles everywhere.
Giant.Macaroni.
the Arby's fries !!!
Go Blue!
My prediction: NOT PAIN
Monkey Rodeo
Ala Kazaam!
She has a crush on him. She wants to get there early enough to sit in the first row behind the bench so that when she screams his name and hold up a sign he will hear her. So that is what I want to see from the Spring Game. So I will need to know what side of the field he will be on. I am sure that will be posted here on Friday. Other than that, Devin connecting on a couple of deep route and a couple of nice runs for Green would make me happy.
your daughter has an appreciation for the dirty work the o-line does.
For obvious reasons. But Kalis is her first choice.
WILE YOU PUT IT THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS ARGHHHH
or McGrath, but I'm assuming Wile is the new K.
A successfully executed run block
This.
I don't think I have overcome the visual trauma of last season to watch it.
A win.
Derrick Green and DeVeon Smith
Do we ever find anything out anything of note from the spring game? (Serious question)
I think we learned in 2009 that Tate Forcier was pretty skilled. I think we knew one year (can't remember which) that we were in trouble at kicker. I remember noting the lack of impressive defensive moments during the RR years.
I think it will be somewhat telling if the offense cannot run on the defense with the RBs (rather than Gardner). I say that b/c I think we can be pretty sure the defense is not a shutdown unit right now, so an inability to run on them would be a genuinely bad sign - though of course the OL/RBs could improve this summer and fall.
So, sort of.
Competent OL play, coupled with Green and Smith for positive yards.
a way to make a game of it.
Pretty sure that was Devin Gardner in the 4th quarter of "The Game", last year.
A good OL combo AND a pass rush? Seems difficult to achieve. Also, you are specifically asking to be pandered to with an arbitrary and meaningless score for a practice. Is that seriously going to alter the experience? You're cheering for both sides.
I want to see Gardner threading the needle, Green/Smith hitting any hole hard, and WRs getting open. I'm not really worried about the defense.
Nebraska makes their spring games fun.
They draft teams up and actually keep records.
The last game format was 2001 IIRC. I don't think there has been severe depth problems like there are now for 13 years.
Obviously the weather plays a HUGE factor in attendance. 2009 was an estimated 50,000 which was believed to be a record for Michigan Football.
They could try a little harder to make it more fun for the fans. Even if they get one of those ridiculous score systems that go up into the 70s like the 2009 one did.
That actually blocks someone.
Is there pulling in a zone blocking scheme?
not really, but i imagine that we'll still run a few plays that have pulling action.
I had always thought that there were some play variants in zone schemes where you do see some pulling, but I don't know exactly how frequent it is. Minnesota used to have zone runs in the Glen Mason days where uncovered linemen would pull, but his was more outside zone, as I recall. A few teams in the NFL have run similar plays as well - typically, they are in single-back, 2-TE formations too. This is just something I've noticed - I could be off.
The concept you are referring to is called the "Pin and Pull" concept. Glen Mason's Minnesota teams made this a staple. USC also used this quite often in the early 2000's. Like you said, uncovered OL pull and covered block the man covering them or down block the man in their inside gap. Cool stuff.
Progression and a better running game
A time machine to the start of the season, as well as all current injuries healed and no new ones. I'm good with that.
I don't really care. I just can't get into football at a time like this.
Well, you're British.
I want to see the Kraft noodle take the first snap of the game.
I am disappointed in you.
Well,
Saturday marks the first time I wear my 2011 Spring Game jersey.
And we get to see the Maize non-contact jerseys in action instead of the Beaver Orange from last year.
That's more like it. It would be interesting to see the Maize jersey in person. I'm pretty sure I don't like the Maize jersey that the QB's wear, but it would be interesting to see nonetheless.
Show up instead of tweating and cherping. Get out of your chair kinda Michigan types. Probably the same "fans" that don't go to all the games or are not there before kickoff. Its a tradition. I want real fans there. It will probably be the same 15K true blue. Then they ccomplain about the SEC ... watch their Spring games!
And an O- line and running backs that can block.
admissions into grad school yet? I think he should get a HELLO when he joins the team this summer!
Jake, Big Ed, Skrep reconfigured in our current O-linemen.
No excuses in year 4.
Players and coaches that execute well.
Positive rush yards.
and more fans also.
Hoke with a headset.
That shit made me laugh!
period!
if we get no pash rush does that mean we have the worst DL ever because our OL is terrible?
if we get a great pass rush, what does that say about our OL?