Absence of Toussaint vs. Notre Dame
Forgive me, but I don't believe I saw any similar topics during searches of the board, but here goes...
One glaring item that I saw missing from the ND game was Toussaint. I believe I saw him in on a couple plays, but am not 100% sure of that. I am sure that he didn't record a carry or catch though. After a solid week (and a start for that matter) against WMU, I thought for sure he would be playing a decent bit.
This past week felt eerily like last year in regards to the running game against decent defenses. Basically, if it isn't Denard, it isn't working. The difference I felt this year was Toussaint.
Smith = Loss or 2-3 yard gain
Shaw = running sideways or backward when he should have hit that hole a while ago
Hopkins = 1-2 yard gain or fumble
Anyone have any insight as to why Toussaint wasn't even given the ball once? Was there an injury that I missed?
September 13th, 2011 at 3:47 PM ^
Injured shoulder, IIRC.
September 13th, 2011 at 3:49 PM ^
I guess we may never get the real Toussaint.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:26 PM ^
The funny thing is he will probably leave the program as having the record for most yard per carry in his career as he will only be "healthy" for the really crappy teams for some reason....
and therefore, he will play saturday...
September 13th, 2011 at 6:52 PM ^
IMHO he'll never reach the miminum number of carries necessary to qualify for a record like that.
September 13th, 2011 at 3:48 PM ^
You never saw him.
You dreamt the game and your dreams were incorrect.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:14 PM ^
Keyser Soze?
September 13th, 2011 at 7:14 PM ^
Keyser Soze
September 13th, 2011 at 3:47 PM ^
Reported shoulder injury, which is like his third ailment of the same kind since he's been at Michigan.
September 13th, 2011 at 3:48 PM ^
He didn't play at all. He was injured, but that wasn't announced before the game. For better or worse, the Hoke staff is not putting out injury reports like the Rodriguez staff did. They will answer a direct question about a player's health if asked, it seems, but they won't volunteer information about a hurt player.
September 13th, 2011 at 3:52 PM ^
I'm pretty sure injury reports were not that much more forthcoming under Rodriguez than they were under Carr.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:04 PM ^
Yes they were. Every injury report was broken down by percentage chance they'd play (25%/50%/75%?), and was far more detailed than anything that ever came out of Fort Schembechler.
See: Chad Henne starting against Miami in 2004.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:02 PM ^
I never understood why Rodriguez was so geeked about injury reports.
September 13th, 2011 at 8:31 PM ^
RR wanted all coaches to do something similar so he was doing it. I don't really mind either way, and while it would be nice if everyone did it for the fans, I'm still meh one way or another on it.
September 13th, 2011 at 6:55 PM ^
Carr put out a report that listed players as "will play," "will not play," "doubtful," "questionable," and "probable." That isn't all that different from percentages. This was done once into the season so the example of Henne starting an opener in place of Gutierrez is not relevant.
Your constant romanticism about "Fort Schembechler" is not only incredibly lame, it's not even all that informed.
September 13th, 2011 at 7:10 PM ^
Grow up, man.
And I defy you to find a single injury report, itemized and broken down like that, put out by Lloyd Carr. It was nothing like what Rodriguez was putting out. It's a simple fact, nostalgia or not.
It's not meant as a knock on Rodriguez, but rather as a point of comparison. That's all.
September 14th, 2011 at 2:11 AM ^
I remember some classic responses (and facial expressions) given by Carr when asked about injuries. The man was not a fan of disclosing that information, this is a fact. I for one like it. When you're so detail oriented about even the injury report that probably means everything else is closely cared for as well.
September 14th, 2011 at 8:03 PM ^
BRCE is upset that his Irish lost to Michigan again.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:31 PM ^
I liked the injury reporting so I was not at the game guessing why guys were not playing. I understand Hoke's position but it's kind of a pain as a fan to not know what is going on. I was trying to figure out why Desmond Morgan was playing at first.
September 13th, 2011 at 6:02 PM ^
I don't give a crap about guessing at a game whether or not someone was going to play, because if I was guessing, so was the opposition. That's the point.
Detailed injury reports are for fans. Fort Schembechler is for competitive advantage.
September 13th, 2011 at 6:58 PM ^
Yup. Injury reports were too detailed. That's why Rodriguez wasn't more competitive.
Jesus Christ you are tool.
September 13th, 2011 at 3:49 PM ^
In the Friday presser it was mentioned he was banged up. It was later stated it was a shoulder and that he wouldn't play. After the game Hoke said he should be fine this Saturday but they didn't want to push him back because they didn't see enough in practice.
September 13th, 2011 at 3:52 PM ^
You should show up for class more often. This has been talked about on numerous occasions.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:04 PM ^
and Fitz were both out entirely against ND?
Along the same lines, where is Cam Gordon and should I expect to see him anytime soon, and am I correct that it will be very unlikely that Wolfolk plays until at least Minnesota?
September 13th, 2011 at 4:50 PM ^
Hoke made it sound like Woolfolk is good to go for Eastern.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:28 PM ^
I don't know if this is thread-worthy but I don't have enough points to make one anyways. If someone feels it's important feel free to make a thread out of it.
I saw Troy Woolfolk today on the diag. He has some sort of bandage on the lower half of his nose, which is why he caught my eye in the first place. My guess is that it is just a pretty bad cut and not a break.
He also has a cast on his right hand. I broke my hand a couple years ago, punching a wall -- no less, and had to wear a cast. Since it was a bad break my cast went to about three inches below my elbow. His looks to be two or three inches above his wrist which makes me think the injury isn't too serious. The good news is that he was walking quite fast without any signs of pain, so hopefully his ankle doesn't give him anymore trouble.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:05 PM ^
Vincent Smith rarely losses yards
September 13th, 2011 at 5:04 PM ^
sadly no one will ever believe you
September 13th, 2011 at 5:33 PM ^
I do. I know we may not win without VS scoring on that screen play, talk about crappy blocking!
September 13th, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^
Well, technically, we have yet to get any Toussaint this year because they're vacating the stats from the WMU game.
BOOM, you mind has been Brian Kelly'd!
September 13th, 2011 at 4:13 PM ^
Looks like some people need to start reading the presser transcripts Heiko puts up on the front page.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:17 PM ^
I have major doubts if he will ever really play much at UM with how he can't even make it a game or practice with out being hurt.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:41 PM ^
I still hold out hope that Toussaint
will get in one good year. Sort of like Hemingway is about to.September 13th, 2011 at 4:48 PM ^
"Smith = Loss or 2-3 yard gain"
I think you mean: "Smith = loss or 2-3 yard gain, coupled with awesome blocking for Denard on EVERY SINGLE PLAY, or awesome freaking run in the final minutes of one of the biggest games of the season during which he cut past and eluded 2 ND defenders that should have smashed him into the ground to get a huge TD that set up the most exciting final minute of play in Big House History."
September 13th, 2011 at 5:24 PM ^
Call me crazy (don't actually do it, it'll hurt my feelings), but I think Vincent Smith should still be the starting back. He's clearly still the most reliable. He may not have top-end speed like the others but he's consistent and a known commodity. Sometimes that is better than the wildcard with the bigger upside, especially one that starts but ends the day with negative yards rushing.
September 13th, 2011 at 8:08 PM ^
I kid , I kid.
<br>
<br>I totally agree with you. Smith is by far the most consistent. He is an awesome blocker and unlike Hopkins, he doesn't fumble. Sure, there are times when he gets between 0 and 3 yards, but there are also many times when he breaks loose for good gains. Finally, it just seems to me that Denard is way more effective when smith is in the game.
September 14th, 2011 at 9:21 AM ^
VS is extremely impressive with his blocking. On 3rd down, he can make that key block for DR or catch a pass for a key first down. I love him in there on 3rd and longer than 5.
September 13th, 2011 at 4:56 PM ^
I had heard he was banged up before the game, but I didn't realize he would be out. I assumed banged up meant hurt, not injured.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:10 PM ^
wonder what the deal is with the shoulder. Didn't he have issue with them last year too? Can't think of what would be such a chronic issue.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:20 PM ^
The backs had 8 total carries against a dominant front seven. I think the sample size is a bit small.
September 13th, 2011 at 6:42 PM ^
I think the sample size would have been bigger if Hoke, et al., had any confidence they could be successful.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:26 PM ^
Cox must really be in the dog house. I thought with his style of running he would do well in this type of offense. It's sad that he's not getting PT with the injuries and suspensions at the RB position.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:52 PM ^
Have read on another premium board that Cox is struggling to learn the offense and remembering plays
September 13th, 2011 at 7:34 PM ^
This is the second coaching staff that has buried Cox very deep on the depth chart. Maybe he just isn't that good at football.
September 14th, 2011 at 9:24 AM ^
And the 2nd coaching staff to talk him up as impressive and get our hopes up for the year. I have lost hope that he will ever see the meaningful time.
September 13th, 2011 at 5:51 PM ^
I also noticed Tate wasn't on the field either. Must have missed that in the injury report as well.
September 13th, 2011 at 7:36 PM ^
I thought I saw him... Crying on the bench....
September 13th, 2011 at 6:59 PM ^
is only slightly more quixotic than hoping Antonio Bass will miraculously recover from his knee injury and rejoin the team.
September 13th, 2011 at 8:36 PM ^
Oh, wait...