Michigan football coaches trying to narrow down competition at running back and wide receiver
There's not enough depth on the offensive and defensive lines for the Michigan football team to conduct a full scrimmage at Saturday's spring game, but first-year coach Brady Hoke and his coaching staff find themselves looking to pare down the competitors at well-stocked positions like running back and wide receiver.
Appearing on the Inside Michigan Football Radio Show on the Michigan Sports Network on Monday night, Hoke spoke briefly about position groups on each side of the ball. Some highlights:
Defensive line: The four-man front the Wolverines will employ on defense is something Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison “both really believe in.” Will Campbell - who bounced between offense and defense under former coach Rich Rodriguez - has settled on the defensive side of the ball. “You look at Will’s body and he has the perfect body to be a 3-technique (defensive lineman),” Hoke said. Craig Roh, who saw time at linebacker last season, will be a rush defensive end.
Linebackers: Cam Gordon has moved from safety to linebacker, something Hoke said is “going to be a really good move. ... We’re excited about him.” He also said Mike Jones “looks great” and said of Brandon Herron: “We really like what he’s doing.”
Secondary: Troy Woolfolk, who missed last season with a foot injury, has participated in some drills and been held out of others. “We’ll ask a lot of him with his leadership,” Hoke said. Hoke dismissed rumors that Woolfolk would move to safety, saying his “tremendous makeup speed” makes him a cornerback.
Running backs: Hoke mentioned (in order) Fitzgerald Toussaint, Stephen Hopkins, Vincent Smith and Michael Cox by name, but added: “We’d like to settle on who the lead back will be, but we’re not at that point yet.” He said Hopkins has played in the fullback position in both I-formation and the split backfield and that he’s “really happy with” John McColgan, the only true fullback on the roster.
Offensive line: Starting center David Molk has missed most of spring with a hamstring injury followed by a case of strep throat and tackle Taylor Lewan participated in four practices before dislocating an elboy. That’s meant lots of extra snaps for Rocko Khoury, Mark Huyge and Michael Schofield.
Receiver: With 14 receivers on the roster, Hoke said the “toughest job is you have to settle into an eight or nine-guy rotation. He mentioned Junior Hemingway, Roy Roundtree, Darryl Stonum, Martavious Odoms and Jeremy Gallon have all played well this spring.
SPRING GAME
A lack of depth at the offensive and defensive line positions will keep Michigan from conducting a full scrimmage during its annual spring game on Saturday, but Hoke said there will be plenty of game simulation.
He said the first-string offense will go head-to-head with the first-string defense and the second-string units would line up against each other, too.
COMING TOGETHER
Up to 300 former Michigan players will meet on Friday night before Saturday’s alumni game that is expected to draw 85 past Wolverines to the field. Show host Jim Brandstatter said it was a sign of Hoke “bringing the family back together” after the much-discussed rift that existed with football alumni during Rodriguez’s tenure.
“There’s too many legacies out there … too many good things that go on at this university, and in Schembechler Hall, for us not to be united,” Hoke said.
Comments
Blu n Tpa
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 : 1:58 p.m.
Someone stated that balance isn't needed, effectiveness is the key. OK, how effective was last years special teams and their coaching? How would you rate the Defense vs everybody last season? Effectiveness of the Offense vs the better teams in the conference last year OK with some of you? Balance is the biggest struggle for the coaching staff. Getting the talent you have into the positions that make the team competitive on both sides of the ball, plus special teams is essential. And, do that without overusing or risking your best players. Coaches ignore balance at their own peril. For those who vow to throw a fit if the offense isn't what they want, go ahead. I did it after most of the games last year because of the "D" and special teams. Doesn't do any good, but feel free. A better balanced team will play better and win more games. That's the goal. TiM Go Blue!
Blu n Tpa
Fri, Apr 15, 2011 : 7:20 p.m.
Try this again. I didn't quote you. No where in my post are there these "..." I also didn't site you as the source. You need to do that to be held accountable for what you attribute to anybody else. Yes, if effectiveness is important this year, why not last year? Balance isn't just coachspeak. Without it you make it easier for the other team to stop you. OK. How would you rate the execution of last years special teams and defense? Words, by themselves, wont sate anybody around here. The WCiMFH taught us that lesson.
Dusty
Fri, Apr 15, 2011 : 10:07 a.m.
Want an example? The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl without a running game. So much for needing balance to win.
Dusty
Fri, Apr 15, 2011 : 9:32 a.m.
Aren't you the guy who is a stickler for correct quoting? I didn't say "balance isn't needed." I said it shouldn't be the goal. And criticizing the idea of balance for the sake of balance doesn't go hand in hand with making excuses for last season's failures. Balance doesn't win games. Execution wins games. Balance is a nice word coaches throw around to sate the herd. It seems to work well around here, too.
Nic schweigert
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 : 3:48 a.m.
Tater, you ever think rr didn't get the old alum support because he brought the entire program down. Defense was nonexistent, something Michigan defense should never been. He obviously didn't care about the defense moving any stars over to offense and letting walk on safeties start. Did they do that in 97 when the won the championship? Don't think so. Supposedly the worst years were behind rr. Well they r behind Michigan now that your king has been banished
Daniel Schuetz
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 7:34 p.m.
Hey, guys, do you think Brady Hoke is really going to do it? I hear all the positive talk and I hope it's all true. What do you think's really going to happen?
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 : 3:33 p.m.
"And on defense, you can't have it both ways." Actually, I can. The gentleman and his staff who were responsible for the embarrassing collapse of the Michigan football program over the last three seasons inherited a defense with 8 returning starters that had been 24th in the nation in 2007. That defense fell to 67th in the nation in 2008, to 84th in 2009, and 110th in 2010. The defense now consists almost entirely of players recruited by that "staff" (5th-year seniors are the exception). The defense clearly lacks balance (not enough linemen to scrimmage) but many many defensive backs. Whether it lacks talent is yet to be seen. Were we 110th due to completely incompetent coaching, due to incompetent recruiting, or to a combination of both? I suspect option (c). Yes, I expect massive improvement on defense this year but, unlike the MCC, I do not expect a magical jump from 110th to Top 20 in defense. It will take time to repair the damage done by the recently departed "staff". Good Night and Good Luck
Dusty
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 : 4:50 a.m.
This is one of the more potent offenses Michigan has had in the last 30 years, includes the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (who broke Drew Brees Big Ten Total Offense record last season) and almost the entire unit is returning. And you're calling the cupboard bare? Are you insane? And on defense, you can't have it both ways. You didn't take RR's excuses about talent lacking on defense (much because of injury to about half a dozen starters), yet you're laying the groundwork for excuses if they don't perform well this season by saying they aren't working with much. Sometimes people decide what they believe, then they trim the "facts" to fit that belief instead of looking at the facts first. You and the other old men around here do that quite often.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 : 12:27 a.m.
Blu: I agree. Improvements--massive improvements--on defense and on special teams will be the measure for this year. Those who expect us to win 10 or 11 games are either deluded or are charter members of the MCC. Good Night and Good Luck
Blu n Tpa
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 11:42 p.m.
Ghost, realistic overview. But Michigan has a football coach and that's what he was hired to do. "No excuses" means just that. As I have already stated, if we see improvement in the defense and special teams and offense is productive, true fans will see it. The rest, who cares? "Sauce for the goose."
PortageLkBlu
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 10:02 p.m.
Dan, depends on how you look at that. Everything changes this year not just Mich. coach staff. There's a new bully on the block that ain't bad as of right now, your going to have a champ. ship game which will rev. up the 10, ohio state is always tough and I think they will rally around Tress if for no other reason than to spite Mich. RR did not leave the cub. bare as some are already trying to excuse any losses by Hoke. If Mich. has a half ss defense I think their going to be a challenge in t he 10. If Hoke can figure out how to beat Mich. state and Nebraska I think he'll have a good year no one really gives himl much chance against ohio state but I do. Dan, I like what I see talent wise, I'm not completely sold on Hoke yet but that's mostly cause he's only head coached nickel and dime. Hoke could be the second coming who knows ask me at the end of year 1 I'll have a little better idea by the end of year 2 we should know if we got our guy. He doesn't have to shake the house but we should be able to see what direction he's taking us and see what kind of kids he can recruit.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 7:59 p.m.
It will be difficult for BH to do as well as we would like for his first couple years because he TRULY inherited an empty cupboard and what talent he has is in strange places. For example, he has 14 receivers on the roster but not enough offensive or defensive linemen to conduct a scrimmage. The latter is really problematic because, if you cannot simulate game conditions in practice, esp. in Spring ball and in the early practices in the fall, you are going to be behind your competitors. This won't get any better anytime soon. If no one leaves the program, the offensive line will have only 10 returning scholarship holders in the season of 2012. it will take a couple of recruiting seasons to put some balance back in the roster and a couple of more for those athletes to grow into their positions. And we won't even go into the fact that BH inherited the 110th ranked defense in the nation. Even granting that the team was very badly coached on the defensive side of the ball, that level of performance speaks to a lack of talent, as does the fact that Michigan's best (or second best, depending on your point of view) last year was a walk-on. Again, it will take at least a couple of years of recruiting before we see the talent level where it needs to be. So, where the lovers of the cheating incompetent who got run out of town are setting their bar high (see above--10 wins) so that they can then claim BH a failure, the true fans of this program understand that he inherited a program incomplete disarray (as the roster number above indicate) and that it will take at least a couple of years before we are once again truly competitive at a national level. Good Night and Good Luck
truebluefan
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 3:34 a.m.
Hoke will win big this year if he runs the shotgun formation and QB iso a bunch. It worries me that Hoke talks about being a power running football team. Michigan has been recruiting zone blocking type offensive linemen since 2006 so we don't have bonafide drive blockers. And I don't think the transition of the O line to a power, drive blocking style will happen in a few short months. Abandon the spread...and we are dead. That said, I like the stuff the new regime is doing on the defensive side of the ball. The four man D line is great, guys are swarming, finishing tackles, learning to play tight man to man coverage, emphasis on pressuring the QB and working in blitz packages. This is all good stuff. I wish this defensive staff was around when RR was here.
Dusty
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 : 4:45 a.m.
Balance shouldn't be the goal. Effectiveness should be the goal. If balance is how you achieve that, great. But the first game we lose because the offense can't move the ball and DRob isn't being utilized much, I for one will be throwing a fit. I really hope that doesn't happen, ever. Either because Borges uses Denard plenty or the offense is just clicking all season. I don't care how it comes about.
truebluefan
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 3:11 p.m.
My only point here is Hoke has been vocal about his hate for zone blocking (basketball on grass). Every single one of our O linemen were recruited as zone blockers and have been learned and developed in the zone blocking system at Michigan. I'll be very interested to see how the power running game looks in the spring game. And remember that it will be the 1st team offense against the 2nd team defense (from a defense that was almost dead last in the NCAA last year). The practice clips I've seen haven't gotten me real excited about the power game -- lots of stuffs at the LOS. I think we should run zone blocking and the read option spread as the primary offense this season and power as the change of pace.
Blu n Tpa
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 12:29 p.m.
If the old coach could head coach we wouldn't have a new head coach to talk about how to play defense but since the WCiMFH didn't, he isn't, so we have a new, complete head coach. (to an earlier reply above) And yet the 2007 team lost 14-3 to tsio, finished tied for 2nd in the Big Ten, won their bowl game vs UF, and finished being ranked 18th in the nation. The WCiMFH would still have a job if he did any of that. He doesn't! Just saying, more.
Blu n Tpa
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 12:08 p.m.
tbf No one is arguing that specific personnel don't/wont match up with the new coaches scheme. I think everybody from Coach Hoke down to Dusty know there will be a need for some tweaking. As far as the O-Line, since they were brought in to move and block, they are more agile. They are still good size and it's easier to get guys who are athletic to adjust than the other way around. There is a conflict within you, much like the Michigan football team, that is evident in your post. "Abandon the spread...and we are dead." "I like the stuff the new regime is doing on the defensive side of the ball." Last years offense was like a kids blanket. As long has it was there you felt you were safe. You were still in the game. To you, the offense gave you hope because the defense didn't. Why didn't Michigan have a good "D"? After axing the first DC and tying the hands of the second one, there wasn't a DC in the land worth his salt going to touch Michigan. That was all on the WCiMFH. He boxed himself in and then lost his "blanket" against better teams. He couldn't stop them and he couldn't outscore them. Here's the question for you. Is Michigan going to be a more balanced team this fall? I think so because Coach Hoke doesn't believe in silly blankets. TiM Go Blue!
Dusty
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 7:30 a.m.
But "a bunch" should probably be 10-12 times a game instead of 20-25. And not that it ever would have come together like it has, but if this defensive staff was around the last few years we wouldn't be talking about the new head coach.
heartbreakM
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 6:30 p.m.
Portage: cracks me up that there are those out there who STILL are more loyal to former coach than to Michigan football. We just endured a 3 year run of the worst football performances in decades with no real hope on the horizon. The defense was incrementally worse each year during that run, and the offense did not perform consistently against the better competition (i.e. the top half of the B10, the bowl game). Sure, you can point out stats against Del State or UMass, but the real proof is that our alumni players were even more critical than the people on this board. And please, I did not wait until year 2 to be critical of former coach. I did not like him from day one and his results and behavior only underscored my suspicion. But it still gets me that people think only former coach could get it done. We are talking about direction of the program at this point, and I certainly feel a bunch better about it after 3 mos of Hoke than I did after 4-5 mos of former coach. It's night and day.
umgoblue47
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 3:29 p.m.
from what i have been reading and hearing, that school down south is moving more towards that gimmicky "offense". with a good defense watchout! GO BLUE. . .
heartbreakM
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 2:37 p.m.
Well, we can look at like this: The Lions drafted a bunch of receivers and ignored their lines and had the most futile decade in their futile history. New coach starts concentrating on the lines and all of a sudden, they won more games this past year than any in the last 10. Can we see parallels with Michigan? (Not to put Lions and Michigan in the same breath, but.....) I mean, 14 receivers? On a roster of 85??? Blocking, defensive positioning, knowing assignments--all of it is a breath of fresh air and immediately in 2008, those things were thrown out in place of some gimmicky "offense" which led the nation in 3 and outs (in 2008) and managed a touchdown or two against OSU in 3 years and ZERO wins against top teams in the B10. So I guess we are now seeing what an organized coaching staff with big ideas (defense, blocking) wants to do. And it should be good.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 : 11:30 p.m.
Bizarre. Losing both the first team All Big Ten QB and 2nd round NFL draft pick AND a second team All Big Ten RB and 6th round draft pick in the same game against the No.1 ranked defense in the nation . . . . apparently means nothing in the analysis of the chairman of the MCC. It requires the suspension of disbelief for one to accept that. Another critical character trait of the MCC. Good Night and Good Luck
Dusty
Thu, Apr 14, 2011 : 4:42 a.m.
Actually, Murrow, Tate performed very well when he came into games this year. In fact, he played better than DRob in a couple instances. And there was no excuse to only score 3 points against OSU in 2007. I don't care who wasn't at 100%, that offense was loaded. That offensive line was one of the best this decade and we couldn't put the ball in the endzone even once? Come on.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 7:49 p.m.
". . . your little girl comments don't bother me a bit" Wow. What am urbane and crushing comment. Good Night and Good Luck
Blu n Tpa
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 1:02 p.m.
Ghost, you are a "bad" man. Better be careful or "just saying" will tell you not to post replies about his comments. The '07 team also won 9 games and held tsio to 14 points, something the WCiMFH only dreamed one of his teams could do. TiM Go Blue!
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
"And for the sake of argument... the offense only scored 3 points against OSU in 2007 despite being loaded with NFL talent. Just saying." Yes, and having 14 receivers on the roster but not enough linemen to run a scrimmage will fix that problem. And, what you and the Carr haters always overlook about the losses to Wisky and OSU that year is the fact that Henne got hurt in the Illinois game and was gimpy in the last two games, and Hart was hurt and played little in the second half of OSU. Gee, imagine just how effective the Michigan offense would have been this year had DRob been hurt. Oh, wait. We did see that. Didn't work very well. Where is the next meeting of the MCC? Good Night and Good Luck
Dusty
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 2:31 a.m.
There are more than 85 players on the roster. And technically, I think we're actually a bit below 85 scholorships. And for the sake of argument... the offense only scored 3 points against OSU in 2007 despite being loaded with NFL talent. Just saying.
GoblueinNE_PA
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 2:18 a.m.
You hit it ERMG. PLB let the facade slip a little bit and his true feelings showed in that last paragraph. Honestly, at this point, I don't give a flyying flip about the dude we just fired. He's ancient history. Coach Hoke has a lot of work to do to try to get this group of young men some how turned into football players. He's started that work and things already look leaps and bounds better.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 1:41 a.m.
"If Brady can't win the 10 by year 2 then it's tar and feather." I have no doubt that you and the rest of the MCC will be leading the charge. Good Night and Good Luck
PortageLkBlu
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 4:33 p.m.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda we haven't played a game yet. Let's at least wait until Notre Dame before we start patting ourselves on the back and rattling our sabers. I'll tell ya what I think after one full season. Possibly a better measuring stick is season 2 that's 2012 for those that can't count. Some of you boys and girls quit on Rich Rodriguez after year one and some of you felt year 2 was the year to prove if Rich was the right fit so let's at least give Brady a chance say, year 2 to see it he is the right fit. If Brady can't win the 10 by year 2 then it's tar and feather.
Blu n Tpa
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 2:02 p.m.
"Hey, it's (tater), (tater) loves us." "(tater) my man" (Ghost turns to NE PA and says) "We're the only (non-RR fans) in here! We are going to die!" A little spoof using 'Animal House' scene from the Dexter Lake Club, if memory serves. Why use the line from a movie over 30 years old here? Well tater is back with his mantra of "Carr-tel" and the rest and I felt some humor was needed to lighten the mood. This conspiracy theory is base on everything but the facts, and here's why. If, and that's really a big word here, if the WCiMFH has WON more games than he lost, he'd still have a closet full of free Michigan clothing. If he had hired better coaches instead of bringing the cult of personality hangers' on from WV, he still would get mail at Bo Hall. If he could have won one or two games a year vs the better teams in the Big Ten and had been competitive in his only bowl game appearance he wouldn't have a "for sale" sign in his front yard. tater, to continue to use your mournful refrain of "Carr-tel" and "they" were out to get him, three months after his leaving is as relative as a 30 year old movie. Entertaining as hell but what's the point? His name is Brady Hoke, he is the COACH for the University of Michigan football team. TiM Go Blue!
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 1:36 a.m.
The MCC just can't give it up, can they? Good Night and Good Luck
PortageLkBlu
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 2:34 p.m.
Tater set the hook and you bit Tp.
tater
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 1:33 p.m.
"Bringing the family back together?" If the Alumni were that much of a "family," they would have embraced RR instead of helping the Carr-tel run him out of town. I'm very happy to see all of them working to get Michigan back on top, but it WAS the Carr-tel and their followers who sabotaged the program in the first place. If those "disgruntled" alums had put the University of Michigan before their own petty, collective agenda, Michigan would have won more and RR would still be here. Basically, the Carr-tel and the alums who bought into their agenda sacrificed three years of Michigan football just to see their good ol' boy network regain power. The RR era is an embarassment, but not in the way RR's critics think. Has anyone bothered to wonder why so many coaches turned down chances to interview at Michigan after Harbaugh backed out of his secret deal with DB? Every competent football coach in the country now knows that the University of MIchigan football program is now run like a teenage clique: outsiders need not apply. Hopefully, Hoke's time outside of the "fold" and his apparent attitude and aptitude toward delegating authotity will allow the "boys' club" to bring in some outside coaching DNA. The last five years of Lloyd Carr's X's and O's won't cut it on either side of the ball, unless going 9-3 every year with a trip to Orlando or Tampa is the ultimate goal. For better or worse, the Carr-tel got its way. They behaved badly and were rewarded for it. And it's up to Brady Hoke to make sense of it all. Here's hoping that, even through all of the lies, deceit, petty power squabbles, and bumbling, the blind squirrel has found an acorn in Hoke.
PortageLkBlu
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 4:23 p.m.
Tp you gotta say the good with the bad or your just not worth your salt.
Blu n Tpa
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 3:22 p.m.
BnA2 Just what I said, only better, more concise. TiM Go Blue!
BornInA2
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 3:09 p.m.
Dude, the failure that is our former coach *fired* the entire family (staff) on his first full day on the job. So yes, there was a rift, but let's not forget that it was the coach who shall not be named that created the rift.
Meangoblue
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 1:32 p.m.
Good Morning Kids!!! Meangoblue coming to you live over the Meangoblue sports network! Let the countdown begin....we are less than 100 hours away to the kick off of the spring scrimmage and the beginning of the Hoke brand of MEEEEEEEANchigan football!! Offense, defense, special teams When your'e messing with the Hoke, You know what I MEAN, Last years team lost 52-14, but this is the year for New Orleans (site of national championship game 2012) MEEEEEEANchigan foot ball will return from the muck, If y'all don't believe this Good night and _______ __________ (fill in the blanks) TiM!! GO BLUE!!
Blu n Tpa
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 1:23 p.m.
Michigan has just under a million wide receivers and according to this story, the coaching staff would like to rotate, read spend most of their limited time, with 8 or 9 (of the 14.) The coaches have mentioned 6 by name this spring, the above 5 and Drew Dileo, so not counting the incoming freshmen, who's looking at a new position or a different address? This may be the most unfair change in the demographic from last year's offense and this year's. I know life's unfair but these young men signed up for Michigan, but some of them will have to make up their minds on what's best for them after the spring scrimmage this Saturday. This is not all on the current staff. The WCiMFH shares a lot of the blame for never having met a WR, no matter the size, that he didn't like. It's too bad he didn't feel the same about D-linemen and linebackers. Or even O-linemen and fullbacks. As the last 3 years have demostrated, this is not the Big East and no matter how good the S & C coach was/is you can't make the round peg fit into the Big Ten square hole. This Saturday expectations meet reality. A true learning experience. TiM Go Blue!
81wolverine
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 12:05 p.m.
Hoke and Mattison really have their work cut out with them trying to put together a good defensive line. But, Mike Martin and Craig Roh are a very good start. The key will be the development of Will Campbell and Quinton Washington, plus a few of the other young guys. The defensive backfield should be better, but will not yet be where they need to be. Just having a couple experienced guys (Floyd and Woolfolk) should help an awful lot. Linebacker will be a real unknown. Some experience, but a lot of questions. Offense will be pretty good though I think.
1st Down
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 8:50 a.m.
TEAM
GoblueinNE_PA
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 2:46 a.m.
Some thoughts ... As I predicted during the recent unpleasantness, Big Will Campbell is back on the defensive side of the ball, where he belongs. As many of us said during the dark times, not having this kid play a role on defense was border line criminal. Brandon Herron, what is he, 30 years old now? It seems like he's been on the team since the turn of the century. No talk of Michael Shaw, despite his appearance on one of the recent videos of the spring practices. I won't be surprised if he's now buried on the depth chart. It's telling that the O-line and the D-line are so thin they can't scrimmage but they have 14 receivers. Chinese checkers? PLB, we all know you don't like the new coach, but some of the comments are sort of bizarre. Other than Campbell switching, most of the other "changes" mentioned aren't even changes, they're carryovers from last season.
GoblueinNE_PA
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 2:09 a.m.
Like I said PLB, most of the switching and moving around of players and their positions happened before Coach Hoke got here. Keep on hatin' though, it's entertaining.
Dusty
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 2:03 a.m.
You don't think maybe, just maybe, the broken hand has anything to do with Michael Shaw seeing less time and not being mentioned in this particular article? He's wearing a full-on club-cast and has still managed to return get some degree of practice in.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 6:26 p.m.
Blu: It was, perhaps, an obtuse reference (but not nearly as obtuse as Chinese Checkers). From where I sat, Millen could never pass up a receiver in the draft. The incompetent cheater (or was he a cheating incompetent?) appears to have been afflicted with the same disease. Good Night and Good Luck
PortageLkBlu
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 2:31 p.m.
Okay, so you never played Chinese checkers, well your players (marbles) are all over the board until you reach your goal which is accomplished by strategically positioning players (moving them around) until you fill a pattern quickly which gives you, Victory. As far as me liking or disliking Brady as I've aforementioned, Brady sounds like a nice guy you know says all the right things and I will reserve my judgment of him as our coach untill after the season. I'm not a kid anymore than can pass quick judgment on an unproven person. Just like Rich Rodriguez a lot of folks think he is a fine coach but was a poor fit at Mich. Brady may or may not be a good coach elsewhere but what he can do for Mich. remains to be seen and I will reserve my judgment until after the season. Remember RR won his first 5 games 2 years in a row was it?
PortageLkBlu
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
Actually, you don't know what I think which is why I don't pay attention to your rhetoric. Now Tp is someone to pay attention to, he is a library of information and he will be the first to admit that I'm sure. Concerning Michael Shaw he will be rotated as the others until Brady is confident that he's found his go to back. Expect a game of Chinese checkers until Brady can determine what kind of talent and team he's got which will only be resolved after a couple of games.
Blu n Tpa
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 1:33 p.m.
ERM Ghost. You have to "wonder"? "Taking advice"? If it wasn't for the "cheating incompetent" comment I'd say you were getting soft about the WCiMFH. 14 Receivers, all Michigan young men, will bear the brunt of the change in offense. Hopefully it will work out to each of their's best interest. TiM Go Blue!
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 3:03 a.m.
14 Receivers. Makes me wonder if the cheating incompetent wasn't taking advice from Matt Millen. Good Night and Good Luck.
riverraisin
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 2:29 a.m.
Wow! This is refreshing! Not one player has been 'thrown under the bus'! I guess things really do go better with Hoke!
Dusty
Wed, Apr 13, 2011 : 2:25 a.m.
Who threw a player under the bus?
1bit
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 1:58 a.m.
Sorry to nitpick: "...before dislocating an elboy." Go Blue!
PortageLkBlu
Tue, Apr 12, 2011 : 1:21 a.m.
Sounds like a game of Chinese checkers sure hope it all works out for first year coach Brady Hoke I know the fans are ready for something good to happen.