Tag: Kenny Demens

Michigan vs. Iowa Awards

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Tate Forcier.  I’m not advocating for Forcier to be the starter or take away Denard Robinson’s playing time.  Robinson has been excellent for the most part.  But this issue popped up in the Michigan State loss, and again this week against Iowa: Forcier is the better overall passer.  If and when Michigan is down by a few scores late, I think Forcier offers a better chance of leading a comeback via the pass.  He’s better at reading defenses and understands the passing concepts better.  And to be completely honest, he looks more comfortable dropping back to pass than Robinson.  Forcier is like a solid long reliever.  If the starter isn’t getting it done, #5 might be able to give you a few innings of good pitching and a chance to get back in it.  The Wolverines only had 7 points up until the point in the middle of the third quarter when Robinson got hurt.  In about 1.5 quarters, the Forcier-led Michigan squad put up 21 points (1 rushing TD by Stephen Hopkins, 1 passing TD from Forcier to Junior Hemingway, and 1 rushing TD by Forcier himself).

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Vincent Smith.  Please.  He averaged 3.9 yards a carry and had a key fumble on Iowa’s 14-yard line.  There are better options, and Smith can see some time in passing situations or at slot receiver.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Kenny Demens.  Demens seems to be an upgrade at the middle linebacker position, at least against a power running team like Iowa.  He plays downhill more than Ezeh and offers more pop.  At this point in the season, Michigan is #82 in scoring defense and #105 in total defense.  Any change at all just might be worth it.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Adam Patterson.  It’s not because I have anything against Patterson himself.  It’s just that Mike Martin, the starting nose tackle, is perhaps the most valuable player on the defense right now.  Michigan’s pass rush was virtually non-existent in the Iowa game, and the penetration up the middle that has at least slowed down running games this season was absent with Martin out of the game.  Hopefully the ankle injury caused by MSU’s illegal chop block will heal quickly, because Patterson isn’t a nose tackle.  I’m not quite sure why the coaches wouldn’t put Renaldo Sagesse at NT instead of Patterson, but regardless, a 275 lb. nose tackle is begging for trouble.

MVP of the Iowa game . . . Tate Forcier.  He gave Michigan a spark when they needed it most.  He still showed some of the poor ballhandling and decision-making immaturity that he had last year, but he still finished 17/26 for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns (1 rushing, 1 passing) and led another scoring drive.  He needs to tuck the ball away when scrambling and make better decisions throwing the ball, but 21 points in 1.5 quarters is pretty productive.

Michigan vs. Bowling Green Awards

Denard Robinson’s bruised knee ended his exciting day.

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Fitzgerald Toussaint.  Toussaint only carried the ball twice on Saturday.  One carry was a 61-yard gallop.  The other was a 5-yard touchdown.  He was caught from behind on the 61-yarder, but that can probably be attributed to the knee brace that was holding his sprained left knee in place.  I’m not going to hold that against him.  And if the biggest knock on a guy is that he got run down after gaining 61 yards, then I’m not too worried.  Unfortunately, he reportedly injured his shoulder, which is why he only got two carries.  Hopefully he can get healthy and stay healthy so we can see him on the field more in the coming weeks.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Kenny Demens.  He played pretty well on Saturday (5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss), and I think he’s a more viable backup than Mark Moundros.  And if all other things are equal, it’s better to get the younger guy reps.  Demens is only a redshirt sophomore, whereas Moundros is a fifth year senior and will be gone after 2010.  I know Moundros is a captain, but that shouldn’t necessarily figure into playing time.  (I also wish Moundros was still playing fullback, but that’s a separate discussion.)

MVP of the Bowling Green game . . . Denard Robinson.  Again.  He had 5 carries for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns, on top of going 4/4 passing for 60 yards.  He left with a bruise knee halfway through the first quarter, but he was on pace for approximately 800 total yards in the game.  He surely would have been pulled for a backup before he reached that level, but he could have easily hit 300 yards rushing by halftime.

You might notice that I didn’t give out any “Let’s see less of this guy . . . ” Awards.  That’s because all three units played fairly well on Saturday, and there weren’t any glaring weaknesses.  Plus I’ve already made clear my feelings on a few guys who get too much playing time, so there’s no need to revisit those quite yet.

2010 Countdown: #35 Kenny Demens

Name: Kenny Demens
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 244 lbs.
High school: Detroit Country Day School in Oak Park, MI
Position: Middle linebacker
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #25
Last year: I ranked Demens #47 and said he’d be the backup MIKE. He played sparingly on defense but contributed 7 special teams tackles.

Demens has received a lot of hype in the run-up to the 2010 season, largely due to the fact that Michigan’s inside linebackers – particularly Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton – have underachieved over the past two seasons and fans are looking for change. At 244 lbs. Demens is Michigan’s heaviest true linebacker, despite also being the team’s shortest at 6’1″. That size has led practice observers to call him a “thumper” and a real threat to opposing running backs.

I remain skeptical of Demens’s level of contribution in 2010. He’ll surely play, if only to prepare him for a larger role in 2011. But I think – and hope – that presumed starter Obi Ezeh will step up his play this fall as long as he’s fully recovered from last year’s back injury. Demens won’t earn a starting job in 2010, but chances remain high that Demens is the heir apparent in the middle. He will, however, make an impact on special teams and be ready to step in adequately should any injuries occur.

Prediction for 2010: Backup middle linebacker, special teams coverage; 25 tackles

2010 Countdown: #65 Isaiah Bell

Name: Isaiah Bell
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 237 lbs.
High school: Liberty High School in Youngstown, OH
Position: Middle linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #26
Last year: I ranked him #75 and said he would redshirt. Bell redshirted.

Bell is in his second year of the program and making an adjustment from playing high school safety to playing college inside linebacker. Up to this point, he hasn’t really made his mark on the team. Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton are the presumed starters at the inside linebacker positions, and J.B. Fitzgerald, Kenny Demens, and Mike Jones are scheduled to be the first ones off the bench.

I’m a little surprised that Bell was bumped to inside linebacker rather than Steve Brown’s hybrid role, but at 237 lbs., Bell has put on enough weight that the hybrid position would no longer be an option. In the pictures I have seen, Bell still looks a little bit soft, so I think he’s still got some work to do with his conditioning and nutrition habits. But I stand by my assessment from last year that Bell will be a good player in college – it just won’t be this year. Bell could be a contributor on special teams this year, and we might also see him at linebacker against teams like UMass or Bowling Green. Otherwise, I don’t expect to see #26 on the field much this year.

Prediction for 2010: Special teams action; limited linebacker reps

2010 Countdown: #80 Jake Ryan

Name: Jake Ryan
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: St. Ignatius High School in Westlake, OH
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Prediction for 2010: Redshirt

Ryan was a late, under-the-radar addition to Michigan’s class. While he reported being recruited to play Craig Roh’s outside linebacker position, I feel that he would contribute best to the team at middle linebacker. Not only does Michigan have a shortage of inside linebackers, but I think Ryan does a good job of playing downhill and has the requisite speed for the position. I also think he looks like a WVU middle linebacker, which is where this defense seems to be heading.

Whichever linebacker position he ends up playing, he’s probably due for a redshirt. He’s a little bit light to play at the college level just yet, and the middle linebacker position can be filled by some combination of Obi Ezeh, JB Fitzgerald, or Kenny Demens. But I do think Ryan has a bright future ahead of him.