Pressconferencin': Toledo Week Comment Count

Brian

Herein, the things that have been related by Rodriguez in easily digestible form.

Injuries

  • Perry Dorrestein got hit in the head or something but "should be fine" to play.
  • Austin Panter is out with a shoulder issue.
  • Brandon Graham has a leg infection; he played on it last week but might sit this weekend as a precautionary measure.
  • Martavious Odoms also has a shoulder issue. He's in a green jersey and practicing lightly; Rodriguez termed him "questionable" Wednesday.
  • Martin "didn't do much" in the first couple practices of the week but "should be fine."
  • Warren is "banged up," having previously had an ankle injury and now a thigh bruise.
  • This isn't an injury, but Stonum's status is "undecided." Given previous punishments for a similar level of offense, I believe he'll be back.
  • Hemingway and Brown are still out.

Shuffleboarding

The Mark Ortmann at guard experiment didn't go so well, and Rodriguez proposed more shuffling on the offensive line. Sounds like Ortmann will return to LT, Dorrestein will return to RT, and Steve Schilling will end up at guard.

Sex Panther Robinson

…is, of course, still fighting the effects of his ankle issue. If we don't see him Saturday he'll be on the shelf until 2009:

This is the last game, if we're going to be able to medical redshirt him. I don't know if he'll be able to go this week or not. He moved a little bit better yesterday, but this week will be the determination of whether we can get him ready to play.

On Wednesday Rodriguez say he didn't think Robinson would be able to go; looks like a redshirt.

"Soft"

You have, of course, heard this accusation Rodriguez leveled at his team. I thought this was a pithy exposition of the above:

At the inevitable point of contact, or collision you're either the hammer or the nail. I'd rather be the hammer. We weren't the hammer.

There was also this apropos of nothing except a "how did Odoms do on KR?"

we didn't do a good job blocking in our kickoff return. We were soft. Our wedge blocking was embarrassing.

More Odoms

This extended into a conversation about Martavious that was enlightening in re: Rodriguez's recruiting philosophy:

He's a very competitive guy. He's a quick learner. He's not fazed. He's a true freshman; a year ago this time he was playing down in the muck. [note: nickname for the area Odoms is from –ed]

He loves to compete. He's a tough little guy, not much taller than this podium, 165 pounds, and he's blocking 220-pound linebackers. He's one of those guys that is tough. …

A lot of those guys from that area have that mentality. I've had a few in the past, and they just love playing football. They have a passion for it. I want 125 guys like that that have that passion and desire to play, and we've got a lot of them. But I want them all to have it … I don't want to have 119 that do and 10 that don't.

Less Odoms

If Odoms plays it will probably be sparingly; Rodriguez named Avery Horn and James Rogers as the kick returners in his absence.

On, say, 77-yard touchdowns on third and ten to a tight end

They executed it well, but he could have underthrown it or overthrown it and still completed it, because they were so wide open. Just total blown assignments. That's out of veteran guys, and those are things that can't happen if you want to win.

Speaking of, say, a 77-yard touchdown on third and ten to a tight end

It was a misjudgment in coverage by a safety. It was third down and long, shouldn't happen. But it did.

Comments

caup

October 9th, 2008 at 12:10 PM ^

I seem to recall him getting a chance to start against Vandy in 2006. He was horrendous, blowing his coverage assignments left and right. He was benched.

I held out hope that he had improved his Football IQ since then. Eh, not so much.

U of M in TX

October 9th, 2008 at 12:16 PM ^

I think that Stevie put on Stewart's jersey last week to see if it was just our perception that he lacked the ability to play safety or if he really was that bad. 

Survey says?..... Just that bad.

colin

October 9th, 2008 at 12:29 PM ^

but it seems like the more years the player has spent with Lloyd, the more he screws up mentally.  The group of players we expected to have on defense isn't good enough to be the defense we want them to be and it appears to be a result of an inability to process the game properly.  I think it's becoming clear maybe why Lloyd played not to lose?  If we do more of that this year (sit back in cover 3, throw a ton of long handoffs...you know, 2005 all over again), we're probably a full win better so far on the season.  Rodriguez's style provides far less protection for the player.

imafreak1

October 9th, 2008 at 12:43 PM ^

On the 77 yard TD, the ball is so underthrown that the TE does a 360, cathing the ball running backwards. Stewart still wiffs on the tackle behind him. I could understand more if the underthrow caused Stewart to over shoot him but it's the opposite. In a regular universe, Stewart knocks the TE into next week and he drops the ball but think how bad Stewart's angle would have looked had the ball hit the TE in stride.

baleedat

October 9th, 2008 at 1:53 PM ^

Does anyone know why Schilling was supposed to be such a huge recruit out of highschool? Did he just dominate everyone he played? Did he look great at the combines? I'm not trying to rag on the guy but clearly he's no Jake Long (who was a mid 4 star iirc).  I know not all 5 star recruits turn out to be studs in college, but 

I thought it was easier to evaluate o-linemen.

ShockFX

October 9th, 2008 at 2:17 PM ^

Steve Schilling is a redshirt Sophomore that had mono his freshman year.  Last year he spent the season trying to single block J. Lehman and Gholston.  This is after he lost lots of weight from mono and had Gittleson trying to get him back up to strength.

Also, Schilling played guard in highschool.  He has guard measureables.  The reason he is at tackle is because other players failed miserably at it (Mitchell, Ciulia) or dropped out of the program (Gallimore, Schiafano, someone else I'm missing).  In super awesome parallel world where Moeller is never the oline coach and Boren isn't a pussy, we have Zirbel (6'7") at left tackle and Boren (6'3") and Schilling (6'5") as dominant guards.  Some combination of RS Junior Schiafano (4*), RS Seniors Mitchell (4*) and Gallimore (4*) at C and RT.  But we didn't get that, we got Moeller and Gittleson failure.

TL;DR - Schilling will be fantastic at guard, by next year at the latest.  Mark it down.

msoccer10

October 9th, 2008 at 12:53 PM ^

I was sitting right in front of that play and his angle was so bad, not only because he took too long to recognize the route and where the ball was going, but also once he tried to get there he totally sold out on trying to get the ball. I think he actually got his hands on it because I remember seeing it and thinking the Illinois player dropped the ball because Stewart wacked at it. Unfortunately, he didn't get enough of it (or maybe not at all) and since he wasn't even trying to tackle the man, gave up a touchdown. There is a reason we call them "safeties" and I don't think Stewart knows why.

msoccer10

October 9th, 2008 at 1:03 PM ^

Just read an interesting comment from Jerry Hanlon on thewolverine.com and he blames the long TD pass to start the 3rd quarter on Warren for not forcing the receiver inside so that Stewart could get there.

Don

October 9th, 2008 at 1:13 PM ^

So much for the hope that eeeeeBarwis was going to result in fewer dings.

We're almost as bad this year as ND was last year, albeit for different reasons. I can't see us going any better than 5-7...wouldn't surprise me a bit if PSU hangs 60 on us. 

caup

October 9th, 2008 at 1:19 PM ^

In his presser, RR addressed this play and said it was the safety's fault. So yeah, I'll go ahead and listen to Rich on this one, not Hanlon.

msoccer10

October 9th, 2008 at 1:23 PM ^

Yeah, that is what I thought too, from watching it in person and on video. I think Warren was too passive in letting him sprint by, but Stewart should have stopped it from going the distance if not break it up entirely. I am not sure Rodriguez would have blamed Stewart if it turned out to be just a long gain and not a td though. I mean, if Stewart makes the tackle, does he blame Warren?

caup

October 9th, 2008 at 1:23 PM ^

I have every confidence that PSU will try to score as many points on us as possible. Hell, they left Clark in there against ILL until the very end, even brought him back into the game after he got dinged up.

gsimmons85

October 9th, 2008 at 1:36 PM ^

anyone that didnt know that was cover 2 is an idiot.  and pretty sure, like i said, a healthy warren would have helped a little more, but the play still would have happend...  

gsimmons85

October 9th, 2008 at 1:36 PM ^

anyone that didnt know that was cover 2 is an idiot.  and pretty sure, like i said, a healthy warren would have helped a little more, but the play still would have happend...  

msoccer10

October 9th, 2008 at 1:41 PM ^

that Stewart has deep responsibility and should definetely break this up no matter what? I agree with you he should have made the play. I have never played football and sadly, I don't really know what cover 2 means. Are you saying that Hanlon is wrong that Warren shouldn't have turned his man inside? I am not doubting that you are correct, just want to know what you think.

gsimmons85

October 9th, 2008 at 2:54 PM ^

is that the two safties have two deep half responsibilites...  usually you combine it with a middle drop player in a tampa two scheme, from a inside lb... or you carry fades, with corners...   of course you would like to funnel wr inside  to make the play easier for the safety...  but if the wr is determined to get outsdie, you simply carry him untill something else show up underneith,,, so you should be in a follow technique, forcing a throw between you and the safety...  problem is warren just couldnt keep up on his back hip, and the safety was way late... so like i said, a health warren at least forces a bewtter throw,  but he isnt expected to make that play,  i dont remeber if he had an underneith threat as well, which he would have had to sit on....