RB Rotation vs. Rutgers

Submitted by Sten Carlson on
I didn't see this discussed anywhere else and was wondering if anyone has any insight/explanation for the RB rotation we saw vs. Rutgers. Smith (15/73) and Johnson (7/27) were as expected, but the third RB was Houma (6/19), not Green (2/6) whose carries came in garbage time when Speight was QB. Shallman (3/9) and RT-D (2/8) both got carries in garage time, but no Higdon, and as expected, no Isaac. Did I miss something? Injuries? Dog house? We knew about Isaac, but Houma as 3rd RB? Green looked heavy IMO -- not that I should talk -- and a bit dejected coming off the field. I liked the way Shallman initiated contact and ran hard, as did RT-D. Any ideas?
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Sergeantturnip

November 8th, 2015 at 4:16 PM ^

I would love to see Higdon get like 10 carries in a game like yesterday just to see what he's really about but there's still time to if we take it to Indiana and PSU, but I have a bad feeling Indiana is gonna be a close game. They've played everyone really tough at home

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gutsnglue

November 8th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^

Green also looked like he got dinged up. I hope Kareem Walker was watching because Harbaugh has shown that he'll play just about everyone on the roster. 

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Inuyesta

November 8th, 2015 at 4:19 PM ^

Yeah, kinda strange that we didn't see Higdon at all, maybe they're keeping him out until they finish exterminating the gremlins that make him randomly trip and fall before he can get to the hole.

 

Isaac is obviously getting disciplined for something, and as you pointed out it doesn't take too many guesses to figure why Green isn't getting more run.  Best guess is that Houma came in above Higdon and Taylor-Douglas as a reward for doing good things in practice.

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reshp1

November 8th, 2015 at 4:21 PM ^

I wonder if Higdon is on the "medical" redshirt plan. Green looks like he put on 25 pounds of bad weight. He went down on that sweep from an ankle tackle, came up gimpy, and I don't think he played again.

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schreibee

November 8th, 2015 at 6:43 PM ^

Exactly Vailant!

But don't ever, ever, ever ever ever try to rain on someone's recruiting dream scenarios.

I don't look at other team's sites or blogs, so I don't know if this is just common to all college football sites - but literally ANY post about recruiting gets exponentially more comments than any other topic, even a great win like yesterday's.

There's something about recruiting that gets people going like no other topic. Even after the past coaching staff showed us how much more important actual coaching is then recruiting.

I guess it's the popularity contest aspect of it that get's fans feeling so personally involved? 

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wolverine1987

November 8th, 2015 at 8:38 PM ^

You're right that recruiting gets tons of ink, and comments. and that people get excited about it. But that excitement or disappointment is based upon fact, not just fandom.

The facts are that recruiting, as shown by about 15 different looks at it, is of critical, not just average, importance to successful programs. The fact that Green, or any other 5 star, has not panned put, or that Mike Hart, or any other 3 or 2 star, was great, is immaterial--they sre outliers. The facts show that recruiting large numbers of highly tated players is important to team success. Flat out. There are many looks at it archived on the blog I'm sure, plus others if you care to look at them.  Before I looked at them, I was more like you--pointing out the flaws in recruiting After reading them, I know it is of critical importance--it guarantees no win, no championship, but if you want to be a consistent top 20 team, you need to recruit well--as measured by ratings. It's just that simple.

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schreibee

November 8th, 2015 at 10:56 PM ^

I agree with you to the extent that USC of 2003-10, or Bama of 2009-15, or ohio st of virtually the entire 21st century, have an enormous advantage over many other schools simply by virtue of stockpiling highly rated talent.

But then I would counter that the Utahs, spartys, Wiscys of the world, or Michigan of 2015 (with virtually the same exact roster as '14, yet so much more prepared and determined) demonstrate that assessing talent that suits your needs beyond what the rating sites offer, and coaching up the players you get to the best of their best abilities, can make you extremely competitive with the starz system winners.

It could well be that Michigan has just been extremely unlucky with the few 5* players they do get - maybe we're getting an outlier number of the outliers you might say? But Kevin Grady, Big Will, Kalis, D. Green (I'm sure I'm missing some, but more have been marginal players or even outright busts for us than superstars, that's for sure) may be outliers as you say.

And Mike Hart, Ryan Van Bergen, Jeremy Gallon, Dave Molk, Jake Ryan et al may be outliers in overacheiving their ratings and offer sheets - but that's a fairly comprehensive list of the last 10+ years of Michigan football in a nutshell.

I'll take players who BURN to excel, who coaches say are coach's dreams, who don't show up on campus feeling entitled by all the years of fawning over them born of their reps on the recruiting sites.

NOW - if a coach like Harbaugh (and in fairness Urbz or Saban) can get those highly rated players AND coach them up, well now you're talking NC contender. THAT'S what we all hope for - but winning "The Recruiting Natonal Chanmpionship" without the other bit - Fool's Gold, my friend!

 

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alum96

November 8th, 2015 at 7:46 PM ^

There were so many "Green should pass Fitz by the start of Big 10 season after he gets 3-4 games to get his feet wet posts I can't even count em.  Fournette was a guy you looked at film and say ' sick, filthy, wrong, can't be true'.  Those guys come around once every 6-7 yrs.  Walker I hope is good but hoping he takes over the backfield next yr (IF he commits) - gonna learn my lesson.

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Sten Carlson

November 8th, 2015 at 4:28 PM ^

It would be odd to have Houma, a FB, jump up the RB depth chart unless there were an injury or some reason for him to be taking RB reps in the first place. Maybe Green and Higdon are dinged up and when Isaac issue(s) necessitated the move. I was hoping to see Higdon as well.

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Acedpar3

November 8th, 2015 at 5:03 PM ^

we got so feelers out for some high rb next year. jh plays the best one all the time. screw the red shirt. looks like he is getting players in and if they do not perform they can transfer. you will see lots of freshman in the years to come.

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getsome

November 8th, 2015 at 5:51 PM ^

itd be odd at bama or usc or other schools with boatloads of nice tailbacks but i dont really find it too odd at m.  they dont have great RB depth, just a bunch of guys for the most part.  issac has been inconsistent when in the lineup, smith and johnson were done, green is lost at this point, etc.

houma was a good runner in high school, still moves pretty darn well for 240-250 lb FB, and hes been extremely effective with limited touches so far this year.  i have no clue what his stats were entering yesterday but id guess like 18-20 carries 100-115 yards 4 TDs - thats outstanding (if close to accurate), especially for FB, and certainly averages out higher than other RBs.  he deserved those carries.

i agree, id also like to see more higdon, see what he can do in that situation with consistent 6-8 touches, they obviously signed him for a reason.  but houma is a senior, and harbaugh has said he loves his play, work ethic and just how he carries himself, so im not surprised.

might as well roll them all in there in that situation though and allow all healthy backs to put something on tape.  they need to find more RBs, either via recruting or buried on the roster, who can make necessary cuts to play this level of ball and consistently get to the 2nd level

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umbig11

November 8th, 2015 at 4:41 PM ^

Runs hard and blocks well. Green just hasn't impressed this staff at all and may be hurt. This staff evaluates players every day. I am sure he knows what he needs to do to see the field. As for Johnson, had he not fumbled on his first carry I think he would have gotten more carries.

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pkatz

November 8th, 2015 at 8:21 PM ^

This line of reasoning made its way to the board a few weeks ago and was resoundingly shot down... Green is not a FB and does not possess the intangibles to be one. Just because a guy can put on weight does not mean he possesses the ability to take on DL and LBs as he looks to pave the way for an RB. It's just not in the cards for Green.



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CalifExile

November 8th, 2015 at 6:56 PM ^

Isaac's in a difficult spot. One year at USC with a thin resume, a year red-shirting at UM and a year at UM with little production puts him in a bad position. If he transfers to a major school he has to sit again. He'd probably be better off focusing on his degree or going to Canada.

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