Devin Funchess and Frank Clark light it up in debut

Submitted by Blueblood2991 on

After Jake Ryan had a great performance for GB yesterday, Funchess and Clark had stellar performances in their first NFL action.

Clark lead the team with 9 tackles and had a forced fumble.

Funchess finished with 2 catches for 53 yards.  Both catches were quite difficult too.

Check out this sideline tip-toe (NFL won't let you embed copyrighted clips)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWGqXSdFVAI

Also noteworthy: Denard got the start at RB for the Jags and played 2 series.  He had 4 carries for 22 yards(5.5 avg)

I know its only preseason, but Wolverines are representing well thus far.

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team126

August 15th, 2015 at 6:18 AM ^

If these guys are doing well in NFL then they must have had great training in college.

It  is how to use these talent on Saturdays that Hoke failed the most part.

Think about using putter to drive, or vice versa.

Joined: 05/31/2011

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Avon Barksdale

August 15th, 2015 at 7:56 AM ^

And ours was awful. You fix that, you fix basically everything that was wrong with this team. It shouldn't be that hard to fix 10 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

Yes, I know the running game wasn't great. But guess what - if you don't have a quarterback that can complete a 5 yard out route, you're not going to be able to run the ball with 8 in the box.

Joined: 04/27/2013

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MichiganTeacher

August 15th, 2015 at 8:25 AM ^

Almost any qb could have hit those bubble screens that were ridiculously open because the opposing d refused to cover them. They refused to cover them because our coaches refused to throw them. Wasn't qb play alone. A good deal of it was qb coaching/play calling.

Joined: 10/06/2011

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CoverZero

August 15th, 2015 at 3:07 PM ^

Hoke just had low accountibility.  "Good enough was good enough" for Brady Hoke.

"weelllll we had a great week of practice.  hes a good kid" etc.

Strangely, I read more and more of those type of comments coming from Mattison later in the Hoke era too...so this lack of accountibility for performance rubbed off on the rest of the staff.

 

Joined: 08/30/2014

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UMForLife

August 15th, 2015 at 6:56 AM ^

I saw the first series of the second half and Frank Clark was in on all three plays that resulted in a fourth down. Tons of effort. It is easy for us to criticize Funchess, but depression is a real thing. If I am hyped up the whole year to win the B1G, but when you are on the field, you realize that you have no chance to win the game, it is hard to keep the focus. There was a mental letdown for our players. It can be blamed on coaches, AD, players and us fans. It was just a bad two years. They were just not good enough. Good luck to them and I hope their talent finally pays off.

Joined: 11/04/2013

MGoPoints: 63393

UMForLife

August 15th, 2015 at 8:47 AM ^

I didn't read that either. I am putting myself in his shoes. I will not be motivated and actually depressed with what is going on in the field. I was trying to play a psychiatrist on the internet. Probably got carried away. But the point is it is hard to be motivated when you feel like you can't conquer. Hope he gets a lot of opportunities and makes the best of it.

Joined: 11/04/2013

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Blue in Yarmouth

August 15th, 2015 at 4:05 PM ^

Yeah...but you insinuated he had clinical depression which IS a real thing and something he probably doesn't have. There's a difference between feeling a little down and being clinically depressed. I think what you're referring to is the psychology aspect of the game of football, which is certainly a component of players performance, but that's not clinical depression .



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Blarvey

August 15th, 2015 at 8:00 AM ^

Looks like Clark was on yesterday. In the first drive of the 3rd quarter, Denver went three and out and Clark had 2 assisted tackles including one for loss and then one solo tackle for no gain.

Joined: 11/21/2011

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Leonhall

August 15th, 2015 at 8:53 AM ^

to hear, I could see Frank Clark being an excellent NFL player for years to come...Devin has the capability to be an NFL player for awhile too. I wonder on MNF if Frank will say he's from UM or if he'll be from Tedd Ginn HS...lol

Joined: 06/14/2012

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ThadMattasagoblin

August 15th, 2015 at 9:07 AM ^

Funchess cracked under pressure from everyone saying that he sucked, the team sucked, and that they were not going to the games to protest. I don't blame him for anything he said.

Joined: 08/24/2011

MGoPoints: 64068

Sopwith

August 15th, 2015 at 9:26 AM ^

Start with this quote from Lyle Lanley:

"A town with money is a little like a mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how he got it and danged if he knows how to use it." 

Now fix it thusly:

"[Brady Hoke] with [NFL talent] is a little like a mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how he got it and [fuck] if he knows how to use it."

But isn't the good news that he may very well have been a recruiting genius who just left a loaded weapon on the table for someone who knows how to use it in a way that doesn't involve pointing it at his own feet?

Heh heh. Mule.

Joined: 06/29/2010

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Magnum P.I.

August 15th, 2015 at 10:26 AM ^

Glad these guys' stock wasn't driven completely into the ground by the previous coaching staff. It makes you wonder how many other guys had the ability to get a rookie contract (and be more or less set for life) but didn't.

Joined: 07/16/2009

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mgeoffriau

August 15th, 2015 at 12:43 PM ^

...he was a bit fortunate to be matched up on a 5'11" rookie cornerback. He got no separation at all. Not sure that play works against a seasoned NFL cornerback.

Joined: 01/01/2013

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Farnn

August 15th, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^

If he were a taller rookie CB he may not have stayed step for step with Funchess too.  The game plan for a bigger WR isn't to get seperation, it's to be able to position yourself such that a pass to you can't be knocked down, either too high for a shorter CB or by using your body to box them out.  Funchess could do very well this year opposite Benjamin.  Two WRs like that is going to be tough for opposing defenses to have the right personel for.

Joined: 07/07/2008

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BornInA2

August 15th, 2015 at 1:49 PM ^

Rawls was solid for the Seahawks as well. He's a bruiser and I'm still baffled about why he never really did anything during his days in Ann Arbor. Nonetheless, I really hope he and Clark keep their noses clean and stick with the Seahawks.

Joined: 02/15/2014

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nerv

August 15th, 2015 at 4:03 PM ^

Maybe Im in the minority here, but I am done rooting for Frank Clark. Im not sitting here wishing ill on him but in my, completely meaningless, book that guy has ran out of chances to be cheered for.

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