Similar to what I said after last week’s victory over Illinois – Rich Rodriguez and this Michigan team has again shown that they are a better football team than a year ago. I’m not claiming much beyond a sliver of improvement, but hey wins are wins are wins. It’s an extremely incomplete team with a lot of weaknesses and that was some downright uggo play in West Lafayette – but improvement is what we’ve asked for as Michigan fans. And improvement is what we are getting.

So the high level, simplistic look at what’s transpired in three seasons under Rich Rodriguez…

2008 –> 3 [baseline]
2009 –> 5 [+2]
2010 –> > 7 [+2, +3, +4, or +5]

Interpretation…a three win 2008 season was a shock, was shitty. 2008 was extremely tough to swallow, but it what it is, was what it was. For RR, it was his bottom, his baseline for improvement. A five win 2009 season sucked, but there was noticeable improvement on the field. Now, in 2010, as I said, this team has tons of weaknesses but has shown further improvement. This improvement is so far reflected in the win column. And it makes me happy.

I watched the game with my father, who grew up in Bad Axe, MI and is the sole reason I’m now an obsessive fan (thanks Dad!), and after the game he echoed how enjoyable it was to see a Michigan game with a normal amount of points on the board. That was the first game in a long time where Michigan’s defense held an offense in check for an entire game. I know it rained and Purdue’s offense purdoesn’t do anything well, but still. I agreed with my father, it’s nice to win an ugly one on the road.

You can admit it, you knew when Michigan went ahead 14-0 in the first quarter that it wasn’t going to be a blow out. Not for one second did I expect Michigan to trounce Purdue. I expected many more points on the board, but knew it would be uncomfortably close for the majority of the game. And it was.

The Denard and Tate possession floppage. Didn’t bother me one bit. I think the conditions favored Denard’s skill set over Tate’s, but I think Forcier has earned a few possessions in the heart of the game. Denard was clearly struggling with his decision-making out there. About that…

Denard’s decision-making. I want to say that it’s getting worse, but it’s not like it’s bad in the first place. But there’s definitely a level of frustration relative to Denard’s interceptions and his weird tendency to not take off and run when he doesn’t find a receiver right away. I can’t tell whether it’s a lack of recognition on Denard’s part – that he could probably pull the ball down and take off or what. I think I can count on one hand how many times Denard has done exactly that. I can only wonder what he’s being told as he watches film with the coaching staff. I don’t like to see the rare Denard speed go to waste!

Wisconsin. I’m involved in a business plan competition and I have to present next Saturday at Noon. Not cool. Not cool at all. Maybe I can avoid all things sports and people and fire up the DVR when I get home, but chances are that I’ll be nervously hitting the refresh button on my scores app before and after I present. Whatevs. It’s a game Michigan can win, but it’s going to take some breaks and some solid execution from Michigan’s offense.

Team unity. Winning helps. Player exposure via twitter and other media access helps someone like me feel this way, but this team just feels like they are really All in for Michigan. I don’t sense that any player, from Tate to Junior to Obi to any other play, cares about anything other than winning for the team. This is already a special group of kids – and the team is so young that this all in team dynamic is only going to improve in the next couple years. This is something Dave Brandon knows, feels, and understands goes out the window if Rich Rodriguez leaves Michigan. I’m 99% sure RR is back next year. Regardless of what happens from now until the end of the season – this is going to be a very unified team entering the 2011 season.

[Photo credit: Det. News.]

Michigan loses another Big Ten contest. Michigan loses again at the Big House. It was almost predictable, and definitely so as the game progressed – but I can never see it coming. I’m a guy that allows the game to dictate the general enjoyment or lack there of of a great fall Saturday – and convince myself as the game draws near that this is the day Michigan garnishes that W column with another notch.

I thought that this Michigan team could play well enough to win. I thought last week was the anomaly – and the self-inflicted mistakes wouldn’t happen again. I mean, with an electrifying quarterback that just had a bad day against Michigan State, you figured he would come back with a big game against Iowa. Regardless of the accomplished opposing defense with NFL talent, I expected Michigan to find success and score some points (not in desperation mode).

Penalties, turnovers, defensive ineptitude on third down, missed tackles, another blocked field goal, unable to kickoff the ball inbounds, two straight ugly home losses – so isn’t it time to freak out a little bit if you are a Michigan fan? The quick answer is no. And the long-winded answer is also, no.

Last week against Michigan State, there were a handful of plays you could point to that were mistakes, missed opportunities, or points left on the field by Michigan. This week, you can say the same thing. Taylor Lewan killed two drives early when Michigan could have expanded a 7 point lead. Later in the game, just past the midpoint of the third quarter, Michigan is down 14 and driving until Vincent Smith fumbles. Before that Tate threw an interception on his first drive. I guess when you move the ball all day long, as Michigan seemed to do against both Michigan State and Iowa

Michigan is 5 and 2. Optimism? Well, Michigan has lost two games to teams that have a collective record of 13-1. Both are ranked in the top 11 or 12 – depending on what poll you are looking at. I still maintain that this is a better team with more resolve than last year.

The five remaining games are as such: a night game at Penn State, home against Illinois, at Purdue, home against Wisconsin, and at Ohio State. So, at best, the ridiculous fan in me sees that Michigan has only two losses. Should Michigan string together a few wins – surely it’s possible – they could be sitting at 8 and 2. Hence, a happy me because an eight win season equals marked improvement over last year. This is definitely a team that is better than a year ago…below from Jim Brandstetter’s blog about this Michigan team…

Look, this team after seven games is much improved from a year ago. The answer to their troubles is simple. Turnovers, penalties, kicking game snafu’s, and defensive missed assignments and tackling have cost them. If they eliminate these things and play a complete game, they’ll win. They will be very hard to handle. These things are all correctable. They are not regressing. They are very close. When they get it all right…they will win some of these games, and we won’t have to be as frustrated as we are now.

Michigan will be fine. I’ll smile if there’s an 8 in the win column when it’s all said and done. Anyway, on to the game…

On Offense…

Again, Michigan moved the ball Saturday for a total of 522 yards! You’d think you’d have a better shot at winning when you amass that many yards against a good defense. Box score standouts shall we? We shall…

• 29 first downs (Iowa had 21)
• 86 plays on offense – 26 more than Iowa
• 187 yards rushing – before Saturday, Iowa allowed 63 yards per game – 2nd best in the country
• 8 penalties for 66 yards – most were drive-crippling penalties
• 4 turnovers

Denard uncomfortable in the pocket

Denard Robinson…[13-18 for 96 yards, 1TD 1 INT, 105 yards rushing]
Denard made one huge mistake in throwing a terrible deep ball that was reminiscent of his errant throw last week against MSU and his desperation toss last season at the tail end of the Iowa game. Other than that, Denard didn’t play poorly. Although, I gotta say something about Denard in the pocket. When Denard has too much time in the pocket and he can’t decide on who to throw to – it’s like he doesn’t know what to do and appears to panic a bit. That is a legitimate knock or a gap in his game right now. He just needs to be more decisive after he’s finished his progressions – instead of freezing back there – he needs to bring his eyes down to the defenders in front of him and take the hell off.

Tate Forcier…[17-26 for 239 yards, 1 TD 2 INT, 1 rush TD]
Tate played well again and definitely brings the pent up enthusiasm out when things go well on the field for him. It’s been said before, and it’s true, Michigan has the best second string quarterback in the land. Tate is extremely accurate when he makes a decisive throw, but too often pulls a terrible play out of his ass in wild panic freak out scramble mode. His first pick of the game on 3rd and five is a coachable moment – one that resulted in a significant field position shift in Iowa’s favor. Iowa then walked down the field and put Michigan’s deficit at 21.

Junior Hemingway…[9 rec. for 134 yards, 1 TD]
Love what Junior is bringing to the table right now. Not only is be becoming more and more reliable, he seems to be turning into the teams best deep threat. Expect Denard and or Tate to continue to throw deep balls and jump balls in Junior’s direction. His frame is tough for a smaller DB to contend with, so as Junior said in the postgame presser, he can pretty much box out the defender and get in position to make the catch.

Other noteworthy items of note…

• Darryl Stonum also put in a big performance once Tate got in the game – pulling down 9 for 97 yards
• When Denard is in the game, I’d like to see a couple early bubble screens set up the fake for a Denard run up the middle. I haven’t rewatched the game, but I recall most of his called runs were more of the iso model rather than a pass fake and jet
• Rocko Khoury stepped in for David Molk and did a decent job. It’s clear that Denard has a much greater comfort level with Molk – as the next several plays after Molk went down were from under center – not in the shotgun
• More Stephen Hopkins. More Stephen Hopkins. More Stephen Hopkins. Vincent Smith – ball security man

Gergged up

On Defense…

Well, I think Kenny Demens played a lot better than Obi Ezeh. Therefore, maybe there is an ounce of hope for the linebacker play to improve as Michigan hits this season’s home stretch. Michigan didn’t allow the big one on the ground like they did twice against Michigan State. J.T. Floyd got smoked when he was on an island in man coverage. James Rogers lacked in coverage as well on Iowa’s second touchdown – the corner route that was bobbled and ultimately ruled a touchdown. To the boxscore…

• Allowed 383 total yards – they’ve been much worse, but Iowa wasn’t pushing either. They didn’t need to.
• Zero forced turnovers. Tough to beat a team, a good team specifically, when you go -4 in the battle of turnovers
• Iowa converted on 7 of 13 third down plays – with a late conversion putting the kibosh on Michigan’s comeback efforts
• Iowa’s 5 trips to the redzone resulted in 4 TD’s and 1 field goal. That’s 5 for 5 – scoring 100% of the time! Dammit

J.T. Floyd…[11 tackles - led team]
It’s probably not a good thing when this guy is your team’s leading tackler. J.T. is decent now and certainly has a bright future in front of him at Michigan, but he’s got a long way to go. And here’s what I don’t understand, when he’s playing man coverage, why is he so willingly giving the inside up so easily? On Iowa’s last touchdown, I could have ran that slant with all that room he gave. I don’t know if that’s a coaching issue or if that’s on J.T., but you gotta close off the inside and force your man to the sideline if you are playing man coverage. J.T. looks small out there.

Kenny Demens…[8 tackles]
I think you’ll see a lot more of him this year as long as he is healthy. In his first major action, Kenny played relatively well. He seems to play downhill and is in an attack mode – something Obi Ezeh lacks. There was a noticeable difference with he was in the game as opposed to Obi. Also, Kenny is a big dude.

Other noteworthy items of note…

• Michigan’s front seven over-pursues like a mug. And, the backside defensive end isn’t compensating for the linebackers who have over pursued and are hence out of the play. Greg Banks seems to get locked up pretty quick and struggles to get off blocks.
• Courtney Avery’s missed tackle on 3rd and 16 broke the camel’s back. Avery makes that tackle and Michigan gets the ball back in Forcier’s hands down only 7. So for as many mistakes and bad plays as Michigan had throughout the game – they were one tackle away from an opportunity to tie up the game

Unhappy people...

[Top and bottom pics are courtesy of Michiganexposures.]

We do know that Michigan has, by most accounts, the Heisman front runner in Denard Robinson. After the conclusion of week two, the entire world of college football outside of Ann Arbor had completely exhausted all things Denard. Everywhere you turned, it was more Denard and talk of his mind-blowing production over the first two weeks. Can he maintain? Who the hell knows. It is, however, extremely fun for Michigan fans. Fun, for once, to have the light of positivity shine on this program that has been beaten like a piñata that wouldn’t break for two-plus years. Fun to laugh when fans of other teams obviously would like to have the most exciting player in college football on their team.

Now, Michigan is 4-0. Just like 2009. Even though this is 2010, and Michigan is being led by a much more productive, level-headed quarterback – the naysayers, people of the state that Lebron peed on and beyond are making the obvious points.

…Michigan: Version Denard 2010 is up to this point no different than Michigan: Version Tate 2009.
…The defense, again, can’t stop anybody and is god-awful.
…And most of all, have you even watched the first four games? Denard can’t possibly stay healthy, especially through the big, bad rough and tough Big Ten schedule!

So, needless to say, after four weeks of football this Michigan team has to prove to the world that they are in fact a decent football team.

Is this a better 4-0 team than that of 2009? Absolutely. Of course it is. How much better? Well, who the hell knows. Peoples of the worldwide leader and mainstream media, who usually can’t get it right in first place, don’t take the time to look at this roster and grasp the fact that through sheer experience alone it is a better team. This isn’t going from year six in a program to year seven. It’s year two to year three – with youth spattered across the field at nearly every position and most definitely in every position group. There are simply too many guys on this team that are now in their third year of Rich Rodriguez’s system, third year of development – to think that the 2010 season is going to mirror that of a year’s past.

How much better is this team? Check the title – because seriously, who the…you get the point. Can Denard stay healthy all year – who the…right. I do know that one Denard Robinson has started four games this season and come this Saturday, will have started five games this season. So far, Denard has started 100% of Michigan’s games this season. The oft noted moments where Denard had to take plays off during both the UConn and Notre Dame games are meaningless because he missed a grand total of three plays. After coming out in both games, he came back in the game and proceeded to kick more ass. Now, my argument that most of the contact Denard absorbs is that of a second level guy, or him going down to save himself – doesn’t look very meaningful after seeing him get hurt by way of the ground against BGSU.

This is a better team. Will it truly show in Michigan’s final season record? Remains to be seen. Tough to know before conference play starts. Michigan folded hard last season and just couldnt’ get it done. You can look at stats and compare last year’s to this year’s, but honestly I don’t think that truly is indicative of the caliber of this team, or any team for that matter. An offensive explosion against Bowling Green has put Michigan in many top offensive categories. I like to go by an extremely reliable test – the eye test.

At this time last year, the world of Michigan football spoke to the incredible playmaking ability of Tate Forcier after a play has broken down. And Tate did make some great plays navigating through and out of the pocket. But now there’s a new sample to further judge the play of Tate last year against – and it’s Denard of this year. Denard is making huge plays and is wildly productive within the frame of the offense the way it is drawn up. Denard’s ability to run opens up the passing game of Rich Rod’s spread offense. Tate’s inability to run like Denard, lets defenses play to his greater ability to throw, hence forcing Tate to take his eyes through his progressions from the first receiver to the second, third and so forth.

The Big Ten season is upon us. How Michigan fares remains to be seen. My guess? At least more than two wins better than 2009. Michigan fans are impatient and anxious because of the unknowns. Because of the storms of negativity surrounding the Rich Rod era, and the light that shines so bright when the most likable player in college football has the ball in his hands.

Rich Rodriguez…

…On injuries / housekeeping stuff

• Denard only knee bruise, should practice; fitz has shoulder; carvin/herron could play; shaw (knee) day to day; Tate (quad) fine.
• Mike williams has had multiple concussions. Very concerned about that.
• Herron might play this week. Mike Williams still out with concussion. Mike Shaw sprained his knee, is day-to-day.
• On Denard: Bruised knee. Limited today in practice. Said he hopes DR will do everything in practice Tuesday. Said DR will play Saturday
• Toussaint “did something” to his shoulder. Trying to figure out what. Hoping Carvin Johnson “Will be able to do more.”
• RR said Courtney Avery will switch to No. 5 “there’s no controversy with that” he said joking. He was No. 9, got called for penalty.
• RR: wish denard would’ve stepped out of bounds.
• RR said both Forcier and Gardner are No. 2 QB: “We’ll see how they are practicing this week.”
• On QBs/offense: “Other guys can run the offense. Denard is special.”
• RR said it’s tough to work on tackling during the season, only Tuesdays are physical practice. Thought Sat. “we tackled better.”

…On Indiana & BGSU

• On Indiana’s receivers “Big guys, very athletic, they can run..” “it’s a concern for us”
• RR: we’ve got a starter – Denard – and two No. 2 guys. Who comes in when during a game depends on practice.
• RR: Pistol offense, if they execute it they can get some big plays.
• RR: similar indiana team to what michigan saw last year. Scores a lot of points
• RR: lewan played well but still fighting for a spot.
• Huge game for both team, both undefeated, crowd will be in to it
• Had some different nickel packages that allowed both Courtney Avery and Cullen Christian to get a lot of playing time
• Playing at Notre Dame was great road experience for the younger guys on the team.
• On taking the opening kickoff – “we usually defer”. On only a few rare occasions, because of weather or something, they’ve taken the opening kickoff. Prefers to get the ball after halftime.
• On Mike Martin – having a great season, is playing a lot of snaps, but he’s been dominant in both the run and pass.
• On D Line – got some pressure and were solid against the run. Greg Banks and Ryan Van Bergen have both been pretty solid.
• Overall defensively, played more aggressive against BGSU, but will be tested big time against Indiana
• In light of Big Ten season starting – everything gets cranked up a notch and the team understands that.
• RR: doesn’t remind his players about what happened last year. References Lion King…
• On playing Alabama in 2002 – nothing has been signed, just conversation at this point.
• Big Ten is stronger this year than it has been in years from top to bottom.
• The young DB’s have been a pleasant surprise on defense. Have played 13 true freshman through 4 games and most of them have been on defense.
• On having 3 guys back on punt returns – wanted to get guys back there to play the rollout punt that BGSU had shown in previous games.
• On not kicking the field goal on the last 4th and 3 – wanted to get Devin and those guys experience on getting the first down. Just wanted to run the offense.
• On linebacking play: Roh has been solid. Mouton played well in every game, but not UMass.
• Have high expectations for the LB’s – Mouton probably most explosive and Roh very versatile.

Kelvin Grady…

• On his TD called back: “It happens, I smiled, things happen”
• Feels very comfortable in this system. He’s played three different positions and has moved around – that has helped him get a full understanding of the offense.
• Any bad blood between UM and Indiana? – No, go into each game with the mindset that they will work hard, study film, study the opponent, and do their best.
• How is this year’s team different than the last two years? – Everybody understands what they need to do and guys have been stepping up. Denard, Stonum and other guys have really stepped up. The defensive secondary has really stepped up. Mike Martin is stepping up.
• “25% Shoelace is faster than other players…let alone him being 100%”
• It’s key to have Tate and Devin as backups, because they have experience and are skills. Tate is experienced and prepared, Devin has learned the system and is prepared as well.
• Is the 1-7 conference record motivation? – It fires up the team to have doubters. They know what they have and how hard they work. The don’t look back, but do use it as motivation.
• On how Denard handles all the accolades – “Denard is a really humble kid” They joke about how Denard doesn’t even realize how much the country is talking about him, he’s just so humble and is a great person. All positive. His humble nature has helped him become a leader as well as his work ethic.
• His brother, Kevin, is working back home. Working on himself right now.
• Feels extremely blessed to be playing for Michigan right now. Going to be graduating in December and will begin his masters. Just very happy to be part of this team.

Darryl Stonum…

• Walks in with tape on the middle of his now famous thick-rimmed glasses. Has a black tie on with his Michigan polo.
• On Kelvin Grady – he’s grown a lot, is a lot bigger. He’s blocking well, catching the ball well, doing everything he’s been asked to do. He’s more comfortable out there now.
• It’s a lot of fun to play in this offense. You never know who is going to step up. It’s a lot of fun because the ball could go to any guy.
• Going 1-7 last year in the Big Ten, it is motivation. References not swallowing the poison on any hype around being 4-0 again.
• On why the team is poised this year – more together as a team, it’s a family atmosphere, and having fun on the field.
• On Troy Woolfolk – always happy on the morphine (joke). But just wants to get back out on the field, he should be walking soon. He’s always yelling and screaming. He’s always at practice and is hungry to get back on the field next year.
• No limits to the offense when it can execute.

Taylor Lewan…

• Goal as a RS freshman is to start – feels great and blessed to be out there playing.
• Had a helpless feeling when he couldn’t play last year – so it’s great to be on the field with the ability to change the game.
• Working with Barwis has been great – helped with strength, speed, etc.
• On being #77. Didn’t realize it was Jake Long’s number, had the number in high school.
• Says that him and Craig Roh try and help get guys from back in Arizona to commit.
• His favorite thing about Ann Arbor is the interesting people.
• Again, the question about using 1-7 as motivation – echoed what Stonum said.
• He’ll block just as hard for Tate and Devin as he will for Denard – hangs out with all of them.
• Tries to play as mean as possible.

J.T. Floyd…

• Indiana’s receivers are a talented bunch. They were last year.
• The definitely remembers what it was like being 4-0 last year – and keep in mind what happened.
• Stresses the importance of every game, no team will be overlooked.
• The D was more focused this past week. Need to improve tackling, but had better focus and energy.

Ryan Van Bergen…

• This year’s team is more mature than last year. A hungrier team this year going into the Big Ten schedule.
• IU’s QB is playmaker and the Indiana line makes it tough to get back there.
• On D – the play of Thomas Gordon has been huge in stepping in for Carvin Johnson.
• On going against Taylor Lewan in practice – he’s a really physical guy. Told Taylor he’d never be a tackle at Michigan when he showed up as a freshman weighing 260. He’s done great and brings a lot to the table.
• Taylor has good athleticism and the ceiling for him is really high.
• On going against Denard in practice “you’re never going to see another Denard Robinson when you go against another team” Good for pursuit angles, but the D understands they won’t be playing against a guy like Denard.
• It’s a common misconception that, as a defense, that if you play your assignments against Denard you can stop him. Defenses have to “cage him in like a rabbit”.
• On Mike Martin – he’s so fast he usually beats the double team before it even gets to him. Has great ability to get off blocks and is unreal as a player.

That was fun. Stressful as Michigan’s defense was once again exposed, but that was fun. After years of getting beat by the team with the fast, elusive quarterback that could also toss the rock – Michigan has one of their own. Denard is the guy that the college football world is talking about. “Most electrifying”, “…would win the Heisman if the season ended today”, “best player in college football”, etc., etc. It’s a lot of fun watching this Michigan team after two games. Michigan is only 2-0, and a year ago Michigan was ironically in almost the same situation. An unbelievable performance by their young QB beats Notre Dame in the waning seconds of the 4th quarter. There was Heisman talk for Tate, Michigan jumped in to the Top 25, message boards buzzed with talk of how nice of a record they could turn in at the end of the season. Then it crashed, slowly but surely it crashed. It’s only reasonable and rational to think that the same thing could happen to this team this year.

This is different. Michigan in 2010 is not going to win only 1 Big Ten game. This Michigan team is already different by stealing a win on the road, something only Rich Rod’s 2008 squad could accomplish in Minnesota. This Michigan team is full of guys that understand that they are playing every down, every possession and every game for – the team. To an outsider, how can you not appreciate the demeanor the Michigan players. Check what Craig Roh said after Saturday’s win…

“The character of this team is so great,” U-M defensive lineman/linebacker Craig Roh said after Michigan’s 28-24 win at Notre Dame. “We have this saying, ‘Hoka Hey.’ It means great day to die, a great day to die for the teammates. It’s every guy in this team would take a bullet for me. That’s how much I trust these guys. It just binds us closer together going through a game like that.”

Denard is great in interviews – he wants nothing to do with the credit and the media attention that he is getting and his teammates love him for it. Have you seen the David Molk MGoBlue interview? If not, I suggest you click this here link and check it out – it’s awesome. Those are the guys I want on my team. So far, it’s been a fun couple games to watch.

Rodriguez has to be thrilled with how these first two games have transpired. Are there problems? Of course – in all reality there are big problems with this team. Notre Dame exposed Michigan’s secondary. Michigan kicking game is barely breathing. Denard Robinson is a one man wrecking crew – and even though the two guys behind him are competent as far as we know – if Denard goes down there is reason for all to worry. So now it looks like Michigan’s first real test will be in 4 weeks when Michigan State comes to Ann Arbor. Pending a Notre Dame visit to East Lansing next week, there’s a good chance MSU and Michigan will go into that game ranked and undefeated. At the end of the day, Michigan has only won two games and are relatively fortunate to have beat ND. It’s been a hell of a ride and it just seems like Michigan can’t do anything, good or bad, flying under the radar. The whole country wants to talk about this Michigan team any way you slice it.

On Offense…

You can typically win a ball game when you do all of the following:

• Average 7 yards per carry on 41 rushing attempts with none of those attempts resulting in negative yardage.
• Commit zero turnovers.
• Your QB has a line that looks like this: Rushing – 28 times for 258 yards; Passing – 24 of 40 for 244 yards, one TD no INTs.

Not nearly as convincing as last week, but Robinson’s performance was one for the ages. After 2 games, Denard leads the nation in rushing by 41 yards and has 62 pass attempts under his belt without an interception.

Stonum, Roundtree, Odoms…
Mad props to these guys. With Denard experiencing so much success on the ground – I think the solid play of these guys is being overlooked. Not only are they converting and executing when they get opportunities with the ball, but they are blocking their asses off for primarily Denard, but Vincent Smith and Michael Shaw as well. All three guys played fabulous yesterday, Odoms makes the difficult catches time after time. Stonum is becoming a threat to get yards after the catch – he seems to wiggle his way out of the first tackler almost every time he touches the ball. Then there’s Roy Roundtree – something about the way this guy runs that makes him look extremely light on his feet and fast. His catch on the 2 yard line with less than a minute to go in the game might have been the best and biggest catch of the day.

Tate Forcier…
This is really not worth mentioning, but hey, I am still a fan of Tate Forcier. Bad attitude and summer indifference towards the team aside (the kid is what – 19 years old?) – I don’t want him to transfer and I think that his number is going to be called in a critical situation at some point this year. I think Rodriguez realizes that and so does the entire team. To see Tate hug Rodriguez before the game, fix someones shoulder pad as they rushed back onto the field, and root on Denard as he brought his team to victory – was awesome to see and a complete 180 from what was seen a week ago. Someone said the right words to Tate and he seems to be turning into a team player – at least he was for the entire game as he watched from the sidelines yesterday.

On Defense…

Yikes. Bend, don’t break. Michigan broke against Notre Dame. Notable statistics aren’t so much on the positive side for Greg Robinson’s boys…the bad…

• Gave up 535 yards of total offense.
• Gave up touchdowns of 95 and 53 yards.
• Zero sacks.

Michigan did manage to get three interceptions from ND, but two came against back-up QB’s that were clearly not ready to play on a big stage. Michigan continues to only rush three guys up front and at times, notably towards the end of the game, Dayne Crist had all the time he wanted to throw. Michigan is fortunate that he put the ball out of play on Notre Dame’s last play of the game.

Cam Gordon…
I like the physical nature of his play. Cam will smack a guy, and before this season is through, he is going to cause a couple fumbles or interceptions because he hits guys going full speed with some serious force. On the other hand, his pass coverage skills need some work and I think that will come with experience. He let guys behind him on two plays that resulted in Notre Dame touchdowns.

Jonas Mouton…
Jonas Mouton is quickly becoming a feared hitter and perhaps one of the best players on Michigan’s less than stellar defensive unit. Jonas straight stuck Armando Allen as he hit the hole on a play that I’ll later highlight with a video. Mouton seems to be quicker this season and has led the team in tackles for the first two games. He seems to have improved more than Obi Ezeh over the course of the offseason.

On Special Teams…

Well, ouch. Brendan Gibbons goes 0-2 on field goals of 39 and 40 yards. If Rodriguez was put in a fourth down situation there on the final drive of the game – it wouldn’t have surprised me to see him opt not to give his kickers a shot to tie the game. GIbbons missed on both in the 3rd and 4th quarter – right when Notre Dame needed and thus got some momentum back on their side. Will Hagerup wasn’t bad punting, but my no means was Zoltan out there – he did punt 9 times for an average of just over 38 yards per.

EXTRAS: Dr. Saturday’s take on Denard / Michigan, AP votes for Michigan by voter, Really cool observations from Greg at MVictors.

To the game…

On Offense…

You are almost guaranteed to win a college football game when your offense does the following…

• 28 first downs
• 1 penalty
• 0 turnovers
• Nearly 37 minutes of possession
• 14-19 on 3rd down conversions
• 4-4 in the red zone, 3 touchdowns
• Drives of 14, 19, 11, and 15 plays

Do these things and you are winning that ball game every single time. The ability of Denard Robinson to throw the ball completely handcuffed UConn’s defensive unit, see every third down and 7+ that Denard converted on.

Thoughts on the QB Depth Chart
I don’t doubt that Denard can continue to play extremely well. I also still believe that, based on the comments from Tate Forcier’s father, that Rodriguez wasn’t done disciplining Tate. There’s no way Devin Gardner has passed up Tate on the depth chart. Michigan is going to be in games where Denard’s legs for one reason or another, can’t convert over 50% of third downs. Coach Rod knows that Denard’s 29 carries is probably too many – and the scare when Denard went down at the end of the 3rd quarter is what happens when you have a guy like Denard. Denard’s fearlessness is fantastic, but it may get him injured at some point. Bottom line, it’s my presumption that Tate’s influencers around him are echoing these same things and letting him know that he is going to be critical to this team’s success at some point this season.

Denard Robinson…
Because the Denard media binge and love-fest is already outta control – briefly…Denard has learned to read the defense and do what the coaches are teaching. In turn, defense exhibit A could not contain him and he effortlessly converted 2nd and long, 3rd and long and got 7+ yards time after time on first down. I’d be willing to bet that Denard is the only QB in the country accelerating through defenders as he does in the clip below. Now that he’s proven he can throw effectively, tiny running lanes are all Denard needs to convert.

Mike Shaw…
I thought Mike Shaw had a great game carrying the ball, despite any lacking in the box score. He seems stronger this year and he ran with authority on Saturday. More than once, he easily could have been tackled behind the line of scrimmage, but busted a move and managed to churn out something positive…like the below… On the touchdown, Mike showed that he can run with authority and hit the hole going full speed while keeping his balance. He showed that he’s going to be an asset out as a receiver out of the backfield as well. Was impressed with this guy on Saturday.

Vincent Smith…
I dig what Vincent Smith brings to the table. He’s a grinder and much more often than not he is pushing the defender back for an extra yard or three. He’s short, but powerful, and it can’t be easy for opposing defenders to find him as he is patiently picking his way through the zone blocking in front of him. On his first touchdown, Vincent got lost in the shuffle, was patient and broke a tackle to get in to the end zone.

The Offensive Line…
Ton of credit to these guys. They opened up holes for Shaw, Smith and Denard all day long. Definitely a scare when Molk went down, but he looked more tired than anything. He came back in almost immediately, much like Denard after he went down with an apparent injury in the 3rd quarter. If these guys can stay healthy, Michigan’s offense should continue to have lots of success on the ground and through the air all season long.

Receivers / Slots…
Give these guys a lot of credit as well. While most of the yards came on the ground, they converted when given the opportunity. Not all games will play out like this one – the passing game will be more prevalent as the season gets under way. Finally, Terrance Robinson got into the action on a beautiful bubble screen fake from Denard that forced the safety out of position – opening up the entire middle of the field. I thought Grady did okay with his opportunities, but I think he needs to show more if he wants to keep getting as many touches. Odoms and Stonum were both solid and these two guys look to be the most consistent, well-rounded of the bunch.

On Defense…

Defense came out and played well – holding UConn to 10 points was not expected by anyone. The consensus was a thirty something to thirty something ball game. Some stats worthy of noting…

• UConn completion rate held to 47%
• Forced 1 turnover
• UConn 4 – 15 on 3rd down conversions
• 1 blocked kick
• 10 POINTS

Obviously, only allowing 10 points is key. Forcing a turnover in the red zone and blocking a field goal – both extremely critical in Michigan’s general comfort level that grew as the game pushed on in the 3rd and 4th quarters. All in all, based on what happened last season, I don’t envision this defense getting full of themselves at any point this season. The degree of last season’s defensive collapse was so severe that there’s no way it escapes the minds of the coaches or returning players.

J.T. Floyd & James Rogers
Both these guys had solid games – and I was pleasantly surprised by the play of James Rogers. He was extremely active and seems to be a ball hawk. Makes me wonder where he’s been his whole career. J.T. was solid as well, especially in run D support and he may have had the biggest play of the entire day…below my friends…

Linebackers…
Obi Ezeh and James Mouton both lead the team in tackles with 9 and 8 respectively. Mouton laid the wood on some UConn guys on a few plays. Craig Roh lead the team with 2 tackles for loss. Based on the eye test, I would have to say that both Roh and Mouton outplayed Ezeh. I noticed Obi was out of position or seemed to over-pursue on a few plays. Overall speed was good and they were out to hit someone. Moundros looked good out there and definitely looks the part.

On Special Teams…

Michigan only punted one time for 51 yards – not bad for young Will Hagerup. The kicking game had some issues – it was to be expected in light of the youth and also the swirling winds. Gibbons missed from 43 yards out and made from 24. Gibbons also missed an extra point – and it sounds like Drew Dileo had some issues getting the ball down as the holder. A must fix before heading to South Bend this week. Kick coverages weren’t bad.

Some extra… Andy Staples CNNSI, Forcier – don’t be foolish stay at Michigan, Denard love @ Dr. Saturday, UConn happy it’s over.

In the tables below…St = Starts and App = Game Appearances.

QB

The Sitch: This is the magical unit in the Rodriguez spread style offense, but if you ask me, that’s an overused statement because it holds true in every offense. As the opener approaches, it’s becoming apparent that the coaching staff is feeling comfortable with the play of Denard, Tate and Devin. RR saying all three may play and that Devin will not be redshirting as he is mature enough both physically and mentally.

When I analyze these three guys, especially Tate and Denard, I have a hard time making judgments on what happens during spring and fall practice as opposed to what I’ve seen in games. The spring game is just too different from a game for me to fully put stock in the hype around Denard. No question, he needs to be on the field in some capacity. If you didn’t know, he’s kinda fast. If Denard is the starter and if he indeed does take the majority of the snaps, it’s because of the followings: he has a better grasp of the playbook, his accuracy / confidence throwing the ball is much better / higher, and his decision making is waaay improved as a product of knowing the playbook and having more confidence.

I live near Cincinnati, so I answer to a bunch of wannabe truck driver buckeye fans regarding why Denard is starting over Tate, Tate is transferring because it’s what they do in that family, etc. It doesn’t really matter, at all, who takes the first snap and first couple series against UConn. I agree with Angelique Chengelis that the Michigan fan base and college football world has made way too much of who gets the start.

What to Expect: Denard Robinson will be taking the first snaps against UConn – put that one in the bank. My best guess, after seeing all the interviews, press conferences, spring game, beanie bowl highlights, etc. is that Denard will get a 2-5 series leash before you will see Tate get in the ball game. From that point it’s a feel thing for Rich Rod – so whichever guy looks most promising up against UConn’s defense is the guy that is going to stay in the game. Expect to see Devin in the ball game if Michigan creates some separation on the scoreboard, but don’t put any coin on him seeing the field if this game is remotely close. RR will have to side with the guys that have more experience even if Devin is playing up to Tate and Denard’s level.

Running Back

The Sitch: Without a sure starter coming back, there’s a bit of speculation as to who is going to stand out and get the bulk of the carries when it counts. Both guys with some game experience will most likely get the first cracks at it, Mike Shaw and Vincent Smith. Smith is going to be used more between the tackles and Shaw on the outside. Smith has the shiftiness and some of that knack that Mike Hart had to always get a few more yards than you think he will. Shaw has really not lived up to his potential yet. He’s a guy with great speed, but lacks consistency and doesn’t have much power whatsoever.

The guy that a lot of people are ready to see is Mike Cox. Mike is a guy that has had good moments in clean up duty and is regarded as the best overall athlete of the group. Should Mike prove to be a gamer, he could add some real depth to this group and barring injuries, give RR a solid three to four guys to feel comfortable with in the backfield.

What to Expect: Vincent Smith is your starter against UConn, but Mike Shaw, Mike Cox and Stephen Hopkins are all very likely to see some carries. I look for Vincent Smith to emerge as the most consistent back on read option runs because of his ability to squirt through the big guys up front. Smith had no problem snagging 4 to 7 yards on first down for most of his touches against Ohio State last year – so more of the same is to be expected this season. Getting a 1,000 yard rusher out of this group would be great, but I don’t see it happening.

Wide Receiver

The Sitch: This is no doubt a talented group with a ton of game experience. One surprise that came out of camp was RR sticking Martavious Odoms on the outside. A move warranted by Odoms’ knowledge of the system and his physical nature. Stonum has had an outstanding fall camp and is primed for a breakout season (with a new vision thanks to some contacts).

Hemingway is a guy that has looked great at times, but can’t seem to stay healthy. It’s hard to expect a lot of him simply because he hasn’t really proven himself after two seasons being a starter going into the opener. I think he has the potential to be a solid contributor.

What to Expect: Stonum is going to have a big season on the outside as Michigan’s only real deep threat, not to mention his proven ability to return kickoffs. If Odoms can stay healthy, he’ll be a mainstay on the edge as his ability to block is critical for several plays going to the slot. If any of the young guys need to step up, expect Je’Ron Stokes and true freshman Jeremy Jackson to get their shot.

Slot Receiver

The Sitch: Roy Roundtree was straight up a receiving beast over the last four games in ’09. Roundtree is fully expected to top the group when it comes to both leadership and production. He’s a dude that is quickly becoming a favorite among both the local media and fans. Kelvin Grady looks positioned to also see more time on the field this season over last, but he is another guy that has yet to truly prove himself in a game situation. Perhaps, with a year under his belt of being fully committed to football he will be a better player and performer.

I think it’s fair to assume that Terrance Robinson might have a slight edge on Jeremy Gallon, but both guys have been highly touted and have a lot of talent. It will be interesting to see if one of these guys emerges and takes playing time away from Grady.

What to Expect: Homeboy Roundtree is going to have a great season. He’s shown great body control, ball control and route running ability and is a self-proclaimed hard worker and has said several times that he’s looking to play with that “Hard Edge”. Look for Grady to get his shot, with T. Rob and Gallon on his heels all season.

Tight End

The Sitch: As long as Koger and Webb stay healthy, this will be a strength for the Michigan offense. Koger has shown some flashes of brilliance, but has also been inconsistent. Assuming he’s matured as he is another guy that’s been in the system for three years now, Koger is a high-potential guy. While the tight ends aren’t used in the spread as much as in the pro-style offense, RR has said several times that tight ends are generally used in about 70% of plays. Martell Webb is a solid backup that brings some experience to the table and will see the field a lot this fall.

What to Expect: Kevin Koger to have a fantastic year, but he still won’t see more than two or three balls thrown his way per game. Michigan has so much talent on the outside and in the slot, not to mention the guys behind center, that the tight ends may get neglected a bit. Of course, the opposite may ring true, Koger and Webb might get more open if the slots and wide receivers are garnishing more attention from opposing defenses because of their success. Tight end is always a tough position to forecast from a reception productivity standpoint. Definitely a position of strength for Michigan this season.

Offensive Line

The Sitch: Finally, Michigan has an experienced offensive line under Rich Rodriguez. A lot of these guys have been in the program all three years and now have a boatload of game experience. Steve Schilling alone has started in 36 games out of 37 in his career at Michigan. David Molk might be the most important guy on this entire offense. Things really began to fall apart in 2009 after Molk went down once and then again in the Penn State game. You’ll find many people that feel Molk’s injury combined with Forcier’s shoulder injury were the difference of a few games last seasons.

You’ve got young guys like Taylor Lewan pushing older fellas like Perry Dorrestein and Mark Huyge. Patrick Omameh has looked great and performed relatively well when his number was called last season. The group as a whole is much bigger and stronger – they have been Barwis-ized so they have put on the muscle mass while maintaining their agility.

What to Expect: The O line will probably be Michigan’s deepest unit and it should be the key to an extremely productive offense. RR will be able to shuffle fresh legs in and out through the course of a game and should someone go down – there’s a quality, experienced back up that can step without the offense missing a beat. The collective starts of the entire unit from 2009 adds up to 37 – the experience gained, not to mention the strength and bulk gained in the offseason, all amounts to a group of guys that have had opportunities to grow and gel as a cohesive unit.

Shenanigans aside now – here’s my list of the guys that seem to have the best personalities, guys that seem very approachable, intelligent, get it done in practice and on the field, model players and teammates that any fan, student, alumni, or coach would want representing the University of Michigan.

1. Roy Roundtree.
   The dude just can’t not have a smile on his face and all indications are that he’s an extremely hard worker all the time. He speaks as if he’s taken a leadership role at least within his position group. Big things are expected out of Roundtree this fall.
   [Countdown to Kickoff Video - Media Day Video - BTN Interview]
2. Craig Roh.
   “Death Roh” as he is becoming known as among Michigan fans. As a true freshman he showed what he can do on the field. He’s added some 20+ pounds in the offseason and should be a great player for a few more years.
   [CBS Sports Interview - Countdown to Kickoff]
3. Troy Woolfolk.
   On the field or not, Troy is one of the defined leaders and all around great personalities on this team. Know for his split personality – with “TWoolf” being his on-field persona – he’s definitely a media, fan and player favorite.
4. David Molk.
   All indications are that his presence on the field means a ton to Michigan, but all you have to do is watch his media day interview to instantly like this guy. He says “the reason I like football, is because you get to hit people. I like to hit people really fuckin’ hard.” I’m 90% confident that he doesn’t say freakin’ there and goes for the expletive.
   [Media Day Interview]
5. Denard Robinson.
   Similar to Roundtree, Denard always has a smile on his face and seems to have a confidence and positive attitude that can’t be shaken. Should Denard become a true leader on this team, you can see that it will not be forced and he’ll be a natural leader. For whatever reason, people seem to gravitate to Denard and want to rally behind him. With all of the spring and fall camp hype around Denard – a different style of play is expected out of him starting September 4th.
   [Media Day Interview - Post-Spring Game Interview]
6. Mike Martin.
   This is a man I wouldn’t want pissed off at me. He’s a beast, a champion wrestler and an intense football player. Martin will anchor an experienced defensive line and brings a lot of personality and leadership to the team. Martin was fortunate enough to play alongside of Brandon Graham last season and it’d be great if Martin could pick up where BG left off. Martin made my list after he sacked Terrelle Pryor last season, lost his helmet, and got up like the crazy dude that he is (see video below).
   [Media Day Interview - BTN Interview - Countdown to Kickoff]

7. J.T. Floyd.
   Picked up some feedback from folks that went to Media Day and heard how great of a guy J.T. seemed to be. He definitely struggled on the field last year, but he’s been a guy that the coaches and players have talked about all spring and fall. With Woolfolk going down, J.T. becomes the default leader of the secondary on the field. While that is scary, after checking out J.T. in a couple interviews and Countdown to Kickoff – he seems like he’s got a good head on his shoulders and is up to the challenge.
   [Media Day Interview - Countdown to Kickoff]
8. Tate Forcier.
   While you may not agree with me – Tate is on my list. Lots of Michigan fans would disagree and consider Forcier, a guy who admittedly has slacked off in the offseason, as more of a cancer to this team and a guy that people generally dislike. Disagree my friend I must, Tate is a very talented, extremely accurate QB, that I think most people underestimate as a whole. Tate made A LOT of freshman mistakes last year, but if you put those aside, he showed a lot of promise and had several great plays even in the Ohio State game. Not to mention, the guy handled himself perfectly on media day, addressing some tough questions several times and admitting his mistakes, downfalls, etc. A polarizing guy like Tate, can have a big impact on the team by showing an extreme level of commitment after Woolfolk called him out.
   [Media Day Interview]
9. Mark Moundros.
   This guy is all about Michigan succeeding and he’ll do whatever it takes to help the team perform better on the field. In his final year, he decides to learn a new position and does such a good job throughout his transition – his teammates elected him to be a season-long captain. Talk from camp is that Moundros will definitely see the field, if not be a starter.
10. Cam Gordon.
    Cam is another guy that has been asked to hit up the opposite side of the ball to help his team. And at this point, all indications are that Cam is going to start in the defensive backfield. Cam is a hitter and looks like a natural safety. He can definitely lay the wood to people as evidenced in the video linked below. I don’t know much about the guy, but I like what I see and you can’t help but not like a guy that is a pure hitter in the secondary.
    [Spring Highlight of the Day - Spring Interview]

EDIT. Honorable Mention additions – this is a growing list by the day. Echoing some of the comments I’ve seen today around the message boards – Rich Rod is recruiting a lot of very well spoken players that seem to be all about winning for Michigan and playing for the team.

• Terrance Robinson – Countdown to Kickoff
• Vladimir Emilien
• Tayler Lewan – 2 Minute Drill
• Kelvin Grady – Countdown to Kickoff

she does what she wants

EDIT: Figured I’d add this to the top of the page – you’ll enjoy this link of the now known Melanie Collins.

Holy damn man it’s been one hell of a wild second week for Michigan fans and players at fall camp. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a message board meltdown quite like the couple that have so damningly went down this week. First, it’s the rumor and story that Troy Woolfolk is very hurt and went straight from the practice field to the hospital to be treated for a leg injury. FARFIGNOOTIN!! Or, something like that. But, damn that is one guy that Michigan probably couldn’t afford to lose. It’s not the end of the world, or end of the season as most message board frequenters seemed to place it. But, in the end it just leaves you shaking your head. Damn.

Perspective Be Good Man!
So, what’s done is done and it appears as though Michigan is not going to be taking the field with any player of proven caliber in the secondary. This could (umm, will) be a big problem on the field, but for what it’s worth, it’s probably a good idea to take what little positive you can out of the situation. Troy is one of those guys that will step his game up in times of adversity. He’ll be a great teammate and more like a coach on the sideline, at practice and in the locker room. You have to feel for the guy – apparently he was in the greatest shape of his career and was amped up to embark on a great senior season. Luckily for Michigan and for Troy, he didn’t redshirt his freshman year. So he will be able to snag a medical redshirt – assuming he is out for the entire season – and come back strong next year.

Message boards definitely got out of control upon word of Troy’s injury. It’s actually quite hilarious, but man you have to maintain some type of perspective to some degree. Troy is one guy – and one guy doesn’t make or break your team. While his absence will no doubt be felt, rest assured this 2010 team is one that nobody has ever seen take the field before. Michigan will field an offense that may be stronger than any other Michigan offense in a decade – with maybe the 2006 offense being an exception – Henne, Hart, Manningham, Long, etc. So yeah it sucks, and if you frequent MGoBlog, it apparently warranted a relentless amount of dong punches and crys of WHHYYYY?!?! to the Angry Hating Gods of Michigan Football. Nevertheless, my expectations for the 2010 Michigan football season do not change because Troy Woolfolk will have to sit out with his leg injury.

Little side note – I don’t believe they’ve announced what type of surgery or rehabilitation Troy will have to undergo to get back to full speed. It could be out there – but all indications from the Michigan twitterers and mgobloggers of the world is that of nothing so far.

Message Board Meltdown – Take II
So, and it’s well documented by now, smokin’ hot Melanie Collins tweeted the following at approximately 7 or 8ET lastnight.

Very reliable source telling me Tate Forcier requested a transfer from #Michigan this AM. NOT yet confirmed, will update as I know more.

I’m driving as I see the post over at Mgoblog about Tate possibly transferring. Let’s just say that it probably wasn’t too safe to be driving around me at that time – I was apparently more interested in the rumor than I was with preserving my own life. Fortunately, it wasn’t too long after that where Mike Forcier indirectly told the world that the rumor had no merit to it and he wouldn’t endorse the idea of Tate transferring.

The Days of Old.
I have to admit that, while I’ve always been a huge Michigan fan, I’m much more in tune and into the daily media binge while the team is at camp and preparing for the season. I think it’s that way for all fans – as great blogs have only been around for a handful of years. I can remember hearing about Drew Henson’s broken foot on ESPN. Or, in 2004 when Chad Henne and Mike Hart were two guys nobody really even knew about before the season got underway. I must say, I do enjoy seeing the press conferences with Coach Rodriguez and the players – and the snippets of practice that we get from the Countdown to Kickoff videos – but let’s face it – it’s stressful as hell! The days of old were when you found out your two-deep depth chart the week of the game and went to identify who was who during the pregame warm ups of the home opener no longer exist. Nowadays, more notably in 2009 and 2010, NO NEWS IS DAMN WELCOMED IF YOU ASK ME!

Smoke at the Peak of your Buzz.
You know, when you are finishing up your tailgate and/or heading towards the stadium – because the smoking ban goes into effect this year and you can no longer smoke anywhere in the stadium. WSJ Article.

CNNSI Article on Michigan football.

Quickly – On JT Turner…
I’ve gotta say – while a lot of fans felt as though JT Turner’s departure was that of grave significance to an already inexperienced secondary – I’m telling you right now it has virtually no impact on this year’s team. There’s a reason that the highly touted, #1 player to come out of Ohio in his recruiting class, didn’t see the field last season when Michigan’s secondary needed help badly. And they needed help in the worst way. It’s simply a case of a highly touted recruit not living up to the hype that was created amidst the duration of his recruiting phase. Here’s a decent article from Michael Spath at Rivals – who points out that the media and general fan perception of the player attrition during the Rich Rodriguez era has been largely blown out of the water. Snippet:

Since Rodriguez was named U-M’s head coach in December 2007 a total of 16 Wolverines to have set foot on this campus are no longer with the team – again either forcibly removed or having chosen to leave on their own accord. Of those 16, which include high-profile names such as quarterback Ryan Mallett, offensive guard Justin Boren, tailback Sam McGuffie and, most recently, Turner, only three count as Rodriguez recruits. The rest were originally offered scholarships by former coach Lloyd Carr for fits in his schemes.

And goes to say…

What does this all mean? Well, it should take ammunition out of the hands of those loading up on even more criticism of Michigan’s current boss. Certainly, his 2+ seasons at U-M should not go unscathed but be sure to know the facts before you start firing misinformed cannon balls. And in this instance, any such claims that he’s running off players or cannot keep players happy are misguided.

Friday’s Full Pads – See it if you must…
Pics from today’s practice.

Earning Your Wings? …
I haven’t really gotten the full scoop on this, but apparently some players have to “earn their wings”. You can see Tate in this picture on the right has an all blue helmet – no wings yet. Could be something interesting developing here…Click the picture if you want to see it larger. EDIT: 30 seconds of research yields indications that Tate’s helmet had wings all week – and the fact that he doesn’t today means absolutely nada. Neat.

From the Big Ten Crew…
This is from BTNBrentsBLogs Twitter page.

• Dave Brandon was at practice to observe this morning
• Devin Gardner can’t put a pass in the wrong place here early on. Rapid fire drill, he’s on the money with everything
• Vladimir Emilien just made a bone-crushing hit on a 1-on-1 drill. The entire defense celebrated the hit
• Gardner definitely looks like he could get snaps. He’s very impressive, but Denard has improved as a passer quite a bit
• One thing’s for sure Michigan coaches are very intense and vocal
• Denard Robinson looks like a completely different passer. Add the threat of pass to his running ability, and Michigan could give d’s fits
• Roundtree on how he’d define success this year: “Everybody playing for eachother.”
• Mike Martin on difference between this year’s defense: “I think we’re a lot closer.”