Articles re: Offensive Line / Kyle Kalis

Submitted by BlueCube on

The Detroit News has an article today about Michigan's offensive Line. Some interesting comments were from Fitz Toussaint who said he knew the line needed to to develop. He also mentioned that he will continue training around campus for Pro Day so he can continue working with Derrick Green and De 'Veon Smith. He feels he has more he can help teach them. Kudos to Fitz for sticking around.

Kyle Kalis mentions that he suffered a severe sprained ankle in the Minnesota game which was the reason for his reduced time.

There is also a discussion about how the line has gelled. Let's hope it shows Saturday.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131227/SPORTS0201/312270033/1131/s…

Edit:  MLive has a more indepth article on Kalis. I'll add it here:

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2013/12/michigans_kyle_kalis_…

This article has a different story and says Kalis didn't want to sit. He was hurt but didn't want to come out. He sat down with Funk and Borges and was told he was the guy and would be the guy but there were reasons he needed to sit. He took it as a reason to work harder and it paid off.

I love the attitude.

evenyoubrutus

December 27th, 2013 at 9:05 AM ^

I really liked reading about his side of it and how he had to get his head straight, but I am starting to feel like there is an unusually high number of "I didn't play well because I had an underlying injury" stories/rumors/conjectures.

GoBLUinTX

December 27th, 2013 at 9:46 AM ^

always keep in mind that these are very young men of 18, 19 and 20 years old that have put a tremendous strain on their bodies even as those bodies are still naturally growing, filling out, and strengthening.  Those lads aren't naturally 300 LBs and able to bench press my fat azz numerous time, they do that, and then they're told to bash skulls with similar sized guys on a weekly basis.

evenyoubrutus

December 27th, 2013 at 10:06 AM ^

I didn't say anything other than that it feels unusual.  

I'm not trashing college kids or accusing them of being weak or making excuses. I just don't remember a year when it seemed like there are so many of these stories and it seemed worth pointing out. Stop putting words in my mouth you are all starting to sound like my significant other!

TWSWBC

December 27th, 2013 at 9:12 AM ^

I think it was pretty obvious they needed to gel. Hopefully the OSU game was a step in the right direction along with the extra bowl practices. With Shane playing tomorrow, we shall see how far they've come along over the past month.

CR7

December 27th, 2013 at 9:12 AM ^

I knew there had to be a reason behind Kalis' benching. Someone that touted within Fort Schembechler wouldn't have been sat so easily without one.

ontarioblue

December 27th, 2013 at 9:14 AM ^

He has been class throughout all the adversities he has had to deal with.  Love to see him want to help out the other backs, even if they have replaced him on the coaches depth chart.  The future is bright.

team126

December 27th, 2013 at 9:19 AM ^

Hope his injury has since healed and I bet he is going to work even harder realizing nothing is a given.

Hopefully he becomes another All-American OL from AA.

LSAClassOf2000

December 27th, 2013 at 9:23 AM ^

I really did like the story about Kalis in particular because that to me is how you would want a player to react to having to sit for a few games, to strive to do better and do everything they can and more to get back to starting status. You can learn a lot of lessons from a moment like that, and most of them are applicable outside of sports as well.

At the end of the piece, it is mentioned that the struggles of this year did bring the offensive linemen closer together as a unit, and for those that will be back, it will be interesting to see how the lessons of this year translate into the next.  

Sione's Flow

December 27th, 2013 at 9:30 AM ^

Hearing Kalis say that something clicked in the bowl practices could turn out to be significant.  I remember during the 2007 MNC game Charles Davis mentioned that Jim Tressel said during the bowl practices something clicked for Beanie Wells.  Let's hope this bodes well for game tomorrow.

 

MGoBrewMom

December 27th, 2013 at 9:30 AM ^

Thanks for a great post. Quality and insightful on a number of levels. It is great to hear about Fitz's leadership, the line's development and specifics about Kalis and how the coaches handled things.
Thanks for posting!

AriGold

December 27th, 2013 at 9:32 AM ^

thanks for sharing...this makes me feel terrible for the o-line, not only were they battling thru injuries/no starting experience, they have an OC who continues to screw them over with play calls they cannot (and most likely will not be able to) execute next year with the loss of both Tackles...i see another 8-4 or 7-5 year full of bad/predictable play-calling and watching DG get beat up again

SteelBrad

December 27th, 2013 at 9:34 AM ^

Kalis needs to be on that line. The Minnesota game was the best the line looked all year outside of the OSU game and I believe Kalis had the most to do with that.



I remember the play where he hurt his ankle in the Minnesota, and I also remember him sprinting back on the field to finish a touchdown drive. The kid is a gamer and will be just fine.

AriGold

December 27th, 2013 at 9:43 AM ^

sorry for my inquisitve post, but who in the hell was talking smack about Kalis??? i believe you, of course, but i am borderline shocked that idiots on this board would call out a freshman lineman with play-calling that horrific...i must have selective memory when in comes to terrible posts (mine included, since I'm sure I have made some incorrect posts in the past)

GoBLUinTX

December 27th, 2013 at 10:01 AM ^

About that play calling.  I hold myself as no expert on such matters, but it seems to me the more we learn about what happened this season, the more the "bad playcalling" doesn't seem to be that bad after all.  

Take the failed 2pt conversion as an example.  All manner of blame going around, most of it about the play calling and then we find out that there was at least one mitigating factor, Gardner could barely walk much less run.  Now we find out that Khalis wasn't just performing poorly, he was legitamently hurt (and yes, Khalis, Bosch, and Miller were all held in tremendous contempt by many people posting on this site).

So maybe with the revolving door on OL, and other factors to which we aren't yet privy, there is a reason why, to some, the play calling seemed at best misjointed.

AriGold

December 27th, 2013 at 10:19 AM ^

the last play-call or the OSU game in general...I am talking about the Iowa, Nebraska, Penn St. OT, Akron and UConn gameplan/playcalling that nearly cost Borges his job...unfortunately he will return, and it is highly likely nothing will change other than Gallon not being there to help bail out DG when he is running for his life with 2 new tackles in place that will almost asuredly get blown by against the likes of ND, OSU, MSU, Penn St. etc....but hey, I hope im wrong and manball gets us 10 wins

SWFLWolverine

December 27th, 2013 at 1:10 PM ^

Are you talking about the outcomes in which the OC called enough plays to put the team in a position to win 10 games? Even with some pretty poor performances by the OL, QB, RB, WR, TE groups? Sometimes a defense needs to make stops, and they were rotating enough players in and out that fatigue should not have been an issue. Other teams do not rotate and seem to be able to make stops. The O had the team in position to beat PSU, Neb, and OSU the defense owns those losses more than the O, even if you don't care for the play calling. Yet, I've not seen you reserve criticism for the defense...it is all Al's fault.

Also, if a play is called, and the play is there; but, a ball is dropped, a poor pass is thrown, a blitz isn't picked up, the right cut isn't seen/made, your athlete can't out athlete an arm tackle, etc. this is not typically a coaching issue, but a performance issue. You know, the dreaded "E" word. I have not heard the coaches throw any players under the bus, "We need to execute better" is generic coach speak. If, after those performances, the players didn't believe they needed to execute better then 1.) there is little hope they will ever improve and 2.) shouldn't be D1 athletes. 

avid

December 27th, 2013 at 5:11 PM ^

Remember how our bonehead OC had our team up 2 scores late against PSU until our defense and special teams completely collapsed? Or how we were driving to beat Iowa despite a million dropped passes, until we fumbled the game away? Or how we turned the ball over and straight up gave points to Akron and kept them in the game (which we won by the way). Or how we looked freaking great against ND and osu?



Seems you have a selective memory indeed. Everyone made mistakes this year including the coaches, but you act like nothing good will ever happen as long as al is OC and that's ridiculous

cbs650

December 27th, 2013 at 9:53 AM ^

I wonder if Funk and Borges talk. it's has to be frustrating for a position coach especially an OLine coach to teach a group of players a scheme that won't put them in position to be consistently successful.