I through for a while earlier in the season that Denard had lost a little speed. The I noted the 53 yard touchdown. What is unmistakable about that is how far behind him every single person on the field was by the time he scored. It was sick, and he slowed down toward the end. The difference in Denard this year and last year, is that last year he was like a child driving a Ferrari in Gran Tourismo. Brakes were never applied, and all movement was with the accelerator jammed to the floor. How many times did he spin out or run into tackles last year where if he would have slowed a step he could have gotten that last block and really uncorked something. This year, he lets the play develope and come to him. He's not getting caught from behind more this year either. Those trips come from guys taking a much better pursuit angle this year, and still he has almost outrun their angles. The one in the SDSU game, if that guy's hand hadn't swiped at the just the right second when Denard's leg was back, he would have taken it to the house. Also, he had slowed on that play for a block on a safety to develop.
I'm a UT alum, and as such I follow Texas football almost as closely as I follow Michigan football. (Born in A2 and raised on the Maize and Blue) I will say that I totally understand what Borges is saying when he says that all of a sudden everything will come together for Denard. Vince Young's first year as a starter he was terribly inaccurate, and made a lot of stupid throws and reads. Unlike Denard, he was not expected to be the end all be all of the team as it was loaded with talent in those years at both the WR and RB positions. At times his passing was so poor that you wondered how he could possibly be the QB and why they don't move him to some other offensive position. The towards the middle of his sophomore season he started showing some flashes, and he started putting together drives or quarters where it was like someone else was out there. He would always follow it up with some garbage plays, and it always made you wonder what it would be like if he could put it all together for just one game. Then at the end of that season it all came together for one of the great bowl performances when he torched Michigan in the Rose bowl. Which is still the most beautiful and yet painful game I've ever watched. The confidence and swagger he took from that game into the following season, and all of you know where that ended; with the most dominant single player performance of our lifetimes on the National Championship/Rose bowl stage. Denard is hands down a better runner than VY in my estimation, and his arm is just as good. We've all seen flashes of his ability where he throws a beautiful rope someone running a flag route. He usually follows this up with a throw to tacopants right now though. The point I'm making is that, at somepoint I think Denard is going to put everything together and it will look magnificent. I'm talking flying golden unicorns, rainbows and pots of gold. I think the change in coordinators this year just set him back a bit, possibly an entire season, as I expected it all to fall in place this year if RR was still the coach.
The man with the moustache is known as "Moochie", or he once told me that I could call him "Uncle Mooch". He has been a sideline fixture at games since I was a child. He once gave me gloves from the locker room that he said were worn by Ricky Powers. He used to play softball with my dad through out the 70's and 80's at every field in the Ann Arbor area.
Off the topic of the post, but does anyone know when UofM plans on mailing paper tickets out this year? Our family has 3 season tickets, but they go to my parent's house and I'm always fearful of them falling into the black hole until I visit the parents and have them physically in hand.
I just think the school has been playing far too long for a Ring of Honor or Hall of fame. Even if you were to make a list of "Gods of the Game" it would still be several names long. I definitely don't agree with retiring numbers either. I love watching guys wearing the numbers of former greats. Retiring numbers would mean playing without the #1 jersey. I'm totally, 100%, against that. Instead why not just have a wall that lists every single National Championship claimed by the Maize and Blue. It would be simple, straightforward, classy, team oriented, and yet powerful, while at the same time keeping within the tradition of UM football. If you absolutely have to have a statue, then build one of Yost; without him none of the rest would have been possible. He is the Godfather.
As a kid growing up in A2, I always followed the old SC teams. I thought the stuff was way cool and the A2 News always had articles on the team. This post was awesome, and it also reminded me why I should have been an engineer instead of an accountant.
I know that the board has had numerous discussions related to the defense and how much we as fans can/should expect it to improve. I find these posts to be very interesting. I hope the defense shows up this year.
One thing that a defense must do, and has been missing, is intimidate the players accross from them. I don't care if guys are out of position, or if they miss tackles, or the other side happens to be more athletic right now; but I do care about how much effort and physicality is being put into it. a lesser athlete can always make up ground by being more physical and simply intimidating the other side. When was the last time we had a Michigan defense where to a man you could say you would not want to be hit by any of those guys? I can't remember the last time I saw a solid de-cleater where a Michigan man was on the giving side and not the receiving side. I just want them to HIT SOMEONE.
As my college defensive coordinator used to say "find someone and make them your B$TCH!"
Recent Comments
I through for a while earlier in the season that Denard had lost a little speed. The I noted the 53 yard touchdown. What is unmistakable about that is how far behind him every single person on the field was by the time he scored. It was sick, and he slowed down toward the end. The difference in Denard this year and last year, is that last year he was like a child driving a Ferrari in Gran Tourismo. Brakes were never applied, and all movement was with the accelerator jammed to the floor. How many times did he spin out or run into tackles last year where if he would have slowed a step he could have gotten that last block and really uncorked something. This year, he lets the play develope and come to him. He's not getting caught from behind more this year either. Those trips come from guys taking a much better pursuit angle this year, and still he has almost outrun their angles. The one in the SDSU game, if that guy's hand hadn't swiped at the just the right second when Denard's leg was back, he would have taken it to the house. Also, he had slowed on that play for a block on a safety to develop.
I'm a UT alum, and as such I follow Texas football almost as closely as I follow Michigan football. (Born in A2 and raised on the Maize and Blue) I will say that I totally understand what Borges is saying when he says that all of a sudden everything will come together for Denard. Vince Young's first year as a starter he was terribly inaccurate, and made a lot of stupid throws and reads. Unlike Denard, he was not expected to be the end all be all of the team as it was loaded with talent in those years at both the WR and RB positions. At times his passing was so poor that you wondered how he could possibly be the QB and why they don't move him to some other offensive position. The towards the middle of his sophomore season he started showing some flashes, and he started putting together drives or quarters where it was like someone else was out there. He would always follow it up with some garbage plays, and it always made you wonder what it would be like if he could put it all together for just one game. Then at the end of that season it all came together for one of the great bowl performances when he torched Michigan in the Rose bowl. Which is still the most beautiful and yet painful game I've ever watched. The confidence and swagger he took from that game into the following season, and all of you know where that ended; with the most dominant single player performance of our lifetimes on the National Championship/Rose bowl stage. Denard is hands down a better runner than VY in my estimation, and his arm is just as good. We've all seen flashes of his ability where he throws a beautiful rope someone running a flag route. He usually follows this up with a throw to tacopants right now though. The point I'm making is that, at somepoint I think Denard is going to put everything together and it will look magnificent. I'm talking flying golden unicorns, rainbows and pots of gold. I think the change in coordinators this year just set him back a bit, possibly an entire season, as I expected it all to fall in place this year if RR was still the coach.
The man with the moustache is known as "Moochie", or he once told me that I could call him "Uncle Mooch". He has been a sideline fixture at games since I was a child. He once gave me gloves from the locker room that he said were worn by Ricky Powers. He used to play softball with my dad through out the 70's and 80's at every field in the Ann Arbor area.
Off the topic of the post, but does anyone know when UofM plans on mailing paper tickets out this year? Our family has 3 season tickets, but they go to my parent's house and I'm always fearful of them falling into the black hole until I visit the parents and have them physically in hand.
I just think the school has been playing far too long for a Ring of Honor or Hall of fame. Even if you were to make a list of "Gods of the Game" it would still be several names long. I definitely don't agree with retiring numbers either. I love watching guys wearing the numbers of former greats. Retiring numbers would mean playing without the #1 jersey. I'm totally, 100%, against that. Instead why not just have a wall that lists every single National Championship claimed by the Maize and Blue. It would be simple, straightforward, classy, team oriented, and yet powerful, while at the same time keeping within the tradition of UM football. If you absolutely have to have a statue, then build one of Yost; without him none of the rest would have been possible. He is the Godfather.
As a kid growing up in A2, I always followed the old SC teams. I thought the stuff was way cool and the A2 News always had articles on the team. This post was awesome, and it also reminded me why I should have been an engineer instead of an accountant.
I know that the board has had numerous discussions related to the defense and how much we as fans can/should expect it to improve. I find these posts to be very interesting. I hope the defense shows up this year.
One thing that a defense must do, and has been missing, is intimidate the players accross from them. I don't care if guys are out of position, or if they miss tackles, or the other side happens to be more athletic right now; but I do care about how much effort and physicality is being put into it. a lesser athlete can always make up ground by being more physical and simply intimidating the other side. When was the last time we had a Michigan defense where to a man you could say you would not want to be hit by any of those guys? I can't remember the last time I saw a solid de-cleater where a Michigan man was on the giving side and not the receiving side. I just want them to HIT SOMEONE.
As my college defensive coordinator used to say "find someone and make them your B$TCH!"