Does anyone know if there was some reason Hopkins never got back in. He seemed to be very effective for the few plays he was in and then never reappeared, even in situations where a big back seemed like exactly what we needed.
To those who say we were outplayed or that State was better, I would point out that after our first two possessions we should have been up 14-0. That would have had an impact on our feeling of confidence, it would have left our young players calm and it would have left State feeling a certain level of panic. Instead, we were up 3-0 and were shortly thereafter down 7-3. By failing to take advantage of our opportunities, we boosted our opponent's morale and put ourselves into a state of doubt and anxiety. You see it happen every week in the pros where one team fails to take advantage of its opportunities and eventually bolsters the other team to the point where it is able to exceed expectations. Some of that is what happened on Saturday. So, it is not enough to say that if we took advantage of our opportunities, State might still have scored more. The timing of our gaffes was critical in keeping State's hopes alive and making them believe they could beat us at least in part because we were so busy beating ourselves.
In the nearly 75-year history of the Heisman Trophy, a freshman never has won - though Georgia's Herschel Walker in 1980 and Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson in 2004 were deserving candidates.
Freshmen seem to be the only group excluded from the exclusive award. Yet after last week, the question has to be asked: Could the final frontier be conquered by Forcier?
Michigan freshman quarterback Tate Forcier was absolutely remarkable in leading the Wolverines to a 38-34 upset of Notre Dame. He passed for 240 yards and rushed for 70 while accounting for three touchdowns, including the game-winner in the waning seconds after he weaved through the Irish rush and found Greg Mathews for a 5-yard touchdown pass.
Bleacher Report, 10/4/09:
After another near comeback victory for Michigan's Tate Forcier against Michigan State on Saturday, his performance begs one question.
Should the freshman be considered as a runner in the Heisman Trophy race?
After five games, the answer is yes.
Yes, it's only the beginning of October and the college football season isn't even half over, but Forcier has been electric in his first five starts this season.
He led Michigan to a thrilling victory over a then-ranked Notre Dame squad in Ann Arbor and also threw a go-ahead touchdown to Martavious Odoms to lead the Wolverines past Indiana.
You are wrong. He was considered, and at the time he was a true freshman without the year of seasoning that Denard had received by the start of this year.
While Denard was great for the first five games this year, Tate was equally great for the first four games last year (and was getting the same sort of Heisman hype that Denard has been getting this year) and really only stopped being great when he got hurt, at which time he continued to play pretty well through a lot of pain. Last year and this year, both were great against the weaker part of the schedule. And, FWIW, this year the one time Tate got in, he was 12 for 12 and took the team right down the field for a touchdown on every single drive. Without taking anything away from Denard, it seems to me as if it may well be that a passing quarterback who can run would be better, especially against tougher competition, than a running quarterback who can pass. While Tate may be less likely to take it to the house than Denard, he may well take us on longer more ball control oriented drives. That is exactly what he did until he got hurt last year and the one time he got in this year. But, I must admit, I was rooting for Tate to be the starter from the beginning and still think we might be better with him. I continue to think we may well be better with him passing and occasionally running while handing the ball to the running backs. Who knows?
As Brian suggests, age may make a difference, and as a 1968 alum, I am certainly no longer young. However, to me piped in music is just a bad idea regardless of what is played. It is just artificial noise. I would rather strain to hear the MMB, which at least keeps up the traditions that are such a big part of Michigan football. One commenter suggested that Caps games are a good example of effective use of piped in music and another commenter suggested that Fedex Field uses it and maintains the same sort of consistent sellouts that we experience at Michigan Stadium. Having recently attended a Caps game with a much younger nephew, I can tell you we both came out of the Verizon Center cursing the crappy piped in music that does little more than make your ears (and after a while, head) hurt. While adding nothing to the game (which the Red Wings managed to lose in the closing minutes on 2 very weak goals allowed by Osgood), it did much to detract from the experience. As to Fedex Field, while the tickets sell out, primarily to businesses, there are always a lot of empty seats, and no amount of piped in music is going to affect that very much, one way of the other, in this town. What affects the no-shows at Fedex Field the most is that the Redskins stink.
Being at the 1969 game was one of the great experiences of a lifetime. Bo was able to get it done in a year, because Bump Elliott had left him a lot of good players. Rich Rodriguez did not have that luxury, but he has done (my opinion) a good job with what he was left, has the team on the right track and has continued to foster the values important to me as an alum by being a player's coach who is bound and determined to make his players succeed in all aspects of college athletics, including academics. While the Freep tried to undermine his accomplishments regarding last year's academic performance by the team, the fact remains that last year's team did very well academically. He seems to be carrying high academic goals forward, as we often hear of players getting into trouble for not attending study halls or classes. All of his efforts will help make our players successful in life, and that should be the primary goal. I want to win (every single game and especially tomorrow's game), but if the team comes out and plays its heart out, I will be satisfied and proud of them and the coaches. Go Blue! In Rod I Trust.
Recent Comments
Does anyone know if there was some reason Hopkins never got back in. He seemed to be very effective for the few plays he was in and then never reappeared, even in situations where a big back seemed like exactly what we needed.
To those who say we were outplayed or that State was better, I would point out that after our first two possessions we should have been up 14-0. That would have had an impact on our feeling of confidence, it would have left our young players calm and it would have left State feeling a certain level of panic. Instead, we were up 3-0 and were shortly thereafter down 7-3. By failing to take advantage of our opportunities, we boosted our opponent's morale and put ourselves into a state of doubt and anxiety. You see it happen every week in the pros where one team fails to take advantage of its opportunities and eventually bolsters the other team to the point where it is able to exceed expectations. Some of that is what happened on Saturday. So, it is not enough to say that if we took advantage of our opportunities, State might still have scored more. The timing of our gaffes was critical in keeping State's hopes alive and making them believe they could beat us at least in part because we were so busy beating ourselves.
Scout, 9/16/09:
In the nearly 75-year history of the Heisman Trophy, a freshman never has won - though Georgia's Herschel Walker in 1980 and Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson in 2004 were deserving candidates.
Freshmen seem to be the only group excluded from the exclusive award. Yet after last week, the question has to be asked: Could the final frontier be conquered by Forcier?
Michigan freshman quarterback Tate Forcier was absolutely remarkable in leading the Wolverines to a 38-34 upset of Notre Dame. He passed for 240 yards and rushed for 70 while accounting for three touchdowns, including the game-winner in the waning seconds after he weaved through the Irish rush and found Greg Mathews for a 5-yard touchdown pass.
Bleacher Report, 10/4/09:
After another near comeback victory for Michigan's Tate Forcier against Michigan State on Saturday, his performance begs one question.
Should the freshman be considered as a runner in the Heisman Trophy race?
After five games, the answer is yes.
Yes, it's only the beginning of October and the college football season isn't even half over, but Forcier has been electric in his first five starts this season.
He led Michigan to a thrilling victory over a then-ranked Notre Dame squad in Ann Arbor and also threw a go-ahead touchdown to Martavious Odoms to lead the Wolverines past Indiana.
You are wrong. He was considered, and at the time he was a true freshman without the year of seasoning that Denard had received by the start of this year.
While Denard was great for the first five games this year, Tate was equally great for the first four games last year (and was getting the same sort of Heisman hype that Denard has been getting this year) and really only stopped being great when he got hurt, at which time he continued to play pretty well through a lot of pain. Last year and this year, both were great against the weaker part of the schedule. And, FWIW, this year the one time Tate got in, he was 12 for 12 and took the team right down the field for a touchdown on every single drive. Without taking anything away from Denard, it seems to me as if it may well be that a passing quarterback who can run would be better, especially against tougher competition, than a running quarterback who can pass. While Tate may be less likely to take it to the house than Denard, he may well take us on longer more ball control oriented drives. That is exactly what he did until he got hurt last year and the one time he got in this year. But, I must admit, I was rooting for Tate to be the starter from the beginning and still think we might be better with him. I continue to think we may well be better with him passing and occasionally running while handing the ball to the running backs. Who knows?
We have held teams below their average when we are at home and have had our two bad games on the road. We play state at home!