Preview: Michigan vs. Michigan State

Tag: Michigan State


19Oct 2012
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Preview: Michigan vs. Michigan State


Rush Offense vs. MSU Rush Defense

Michigan is #17 in rushing offense with 233 yards/game.  As you probably could have guess, Denard Robinson leads the team in rushing; he gets 134 yards/game himself and is the nation’s fourth-best rusher.  Running back Fitzgerald Toussaint (46 yards/game) is feeling a push from backup Thomas Rawls, who has gained 174 yards and score 2 touchdowns on just 25 carries, albeit mostly in mop-up duty.  Meanwhile, the Spartans are #8 in the country against the run and give up just 91 yards/game.  There’s a bit of turmoil on their defense, though, because starting linebacker and captain Chris Norman was benched last week in favor of Taiwan Jones, and Kurtis Drummond was promoted to the starting role at safety, because of underperformance on their parts.  Linebacker Max Bullough leads the team with 58 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss.  Defensive ends Marcus Rush and William Gholston are both somewhat disruptive forces at defensive end, but the defensive tackles are mediocre.
Advantage: Michigan


Pass Offense vs. MSU Pass Defense
The Spartans have the #12 pass efficiency defense and the #17 pass defense, giving up just over 178 yards/game.  Clearly, this is not because teams are having so much success in the running game that they don’t have to pass.  The Spartans are legitimately good.  In the last couple games, Michigan has really committed to its running game and essentially given up on hoping that Denard Robinson’s passing can win games for them.  The Wolverines will use play action passes and get guys like Jeremy Gallon and Devin Funchess open that way.  The Spartans have a couple solid corners, and their front seven will get some pressure if Michigan is forced into obvious passing situations, so Michigan will have to stay on schedule by running the ball.  No MSU player has more than one interception, but Johnny Adams is considered by some to be the conference’s best corner.
Advantage: Michigan State


Rush Defense vs. MSU Rush Offense
The Wolverines are #55 in rush defense and give up 148 yards/game, but a huge chunk of those yards were piled up by Alabama and Air Force in the first couple weeks.  In the last three games, Michigan has given up 94, 56, and 105 yards on the ground.  The linebackers are rounding into form, and nose tackle Quinton Washington has started to assert himself as a bit of a space eater up the middle.  The Spartans are surprisingly 84th in the nation running the ball as a team; they get 144 yards/game, but workhorse tailback Le’veon Bell gets 130 of those each week.  Michigan State’s offensive line has been battered and wasn’t great to begin with, and that’s beginning to show.  Bell will gain some yards because he breaks tackles, but this likely won’t be one of his better rushing days.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Defense vs. MSU Pass Offense
The Spartans have thrown for 236 yards/game so far this season, but leading receiver Dion Sims might miss the game due to injury; he averages 4 receptions and 52 yards/game.  Keith Mumphery and Aaron Burbridge have both stepped up in recent weeks, and those are a couple guys who can run after the catch.  Michigan’s performance last week against Illinois jumped them all the way up to #3 nationally in passing yards allowed per game (139), but the Wolverines are #95 in sacks and don’t have great cover guys on the outside; however, they put pressure on quarterbacks by slanting linemen and sending guys from the back seven.  Quarterbacks can get rid of the ball, but they’re often in a hurry to do so.
Advantage: Michigan


Roster Notes

  • Michigan recruited WR De’Anthony Arnett, WR Aaron Burbridge, RB Larry Caper, LB Ed Davis, S Kurtis Drummond, DE William Gholston, DT Tyler Hoover, WR Monty Madaris, LB Chris Norman, DE Marcus Rush, TE Dion Sims, and DE Lawrence Thomas.
  • LS Taybor Pepper was once committed to Michigan as a preferred walk-on, but then signed with MSU after they offered a him a scholarship.
Predictions
  • Michigan plays their most emotional game of the year.
  • Denard Robinson reverses his trend of playing poorly against Michigan State, but still throws a pick.
  • Aaron Burbridge burns Michigan once or twice for big plays.
  • Le’veon Bell has a forgettable game.
  • Michigan 24, Michigan State 17
A Look Back . . . 
11Feb 2012
Uncategorized 11 comments

The 2012 In-State Recruiting Battle

Mario Ojemudia is Michigan’s top prospect, according to
the Detroit News

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has claimed in recent years that he cares more about in-state recruiting than Michigan, and that might have been true in the years when Rich Rodriguez was the head man at Michigan.  But the arrival of Brady Hoke might have swayed the favor in-state toward Ann Arbor.  Let’s take a look at the top recruits in the state of Michigan, based on the Detroit News’ blue-chip list:

1. Mario Ojemudia – DE – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’3″, 225 lb. end – who also played a lot of defensive tackle – had 104 tackles and 14 sacks.  He considered Michigan State early, but committed to Michigan on May 7, 2011, and stuck with Michigan to the end.

2. Terry Richardson – CB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 5’9″, 160 lb. cornerback made 5 interceptions during his senior season.  He was a little later in committing than his in-state friends James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone, but he hopped on board on May 19, 2011.  He entertained taking visits to other schools, but mostly he was considering heading to SEC country rather than East Lansing.  However, Michigan’s coaches told him that if he visited elsewhere, they wouldn’t necessarily reserve a spot for him in the recruiting class.  He did not visit elsewhere and signed with Michigan.

3. James Ross – LB – Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’0″, 210 lb. linebacker made 173 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks as a senior.  He had committed to Michigan back on May 2, 2011, and remained committed throughout the process.

4. Royce Jenkins-Stone – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’2″, 215 lb. middle linebacker made 115 unassisted tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions as a senior.  He had committed to Michigan on April 16, 2011, and remained committed until National Signing Day.

5. Aaron Burbridge – WR – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’2″, 185 lb. wideout reportedly wanted to commit to Michigan along with teammates Ojemudia and Devin Funchess, but he didn’t have the grades to get into Michigan(that sentiment was confirmed by Michigan running backs coach Fred Jackson).  He committed to Michigan State on July 28, 2011, and signed with the Spartans on National Signing Day.

6. Matt Godin – DE – Novi (MI) Catholic Central
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’6″, 270 lb. defensive end/tackle made 70 tackles and 9 sacks as a senior.  He committed to Michigan on May 12, 2011, and signed with Michigan.

7. Devin Funchess – TE – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’4″, 215 lb. tight end committed to Michigan on April 22, 2011, and signed with Michigan in February.

8. Danny O’Brien – DT – Flint (MI) Powers Catholic
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’2″, 293 lb. defensive tackle considered both in-state schools heavily, but committed to Tennessee on October 6, 2011, and signed with the Volunteers in February.

9. Ron Thompson – TE – Southfield (MI) Southfield
Offered by: Michigan only
The 6’4″, 230 lb. tight end made 57 receptions for 729 yards and 9 touchdowns as a senior.  He was offered by Michigan early in the process but the Wolverines reportedly backed off due to some classroom issues.  He committed to Syracuse on November 7, 2011, and signed with the Orangemen in February.

10. Ben Braden – OT – Rockford (MI) Rockford
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6’7″, 320 lb. offensive tackle committed to Michigan on March 24, 2011.  He signed with the Wolverines in February.

11. Evan Winston – DE – Muskegon (MI) Muskegon
Offered by: Neither in-state school
The 6’4″, 255 lb. defensive end committed to Missouri on July 23, 2011, and signed with the Tigers in February.

12. Jamal Lyles – LB – Southfield (MI) Lathrup
Offered by: Michigan State only
The 6’3″, 215 lb. linebacker made 135 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 4 interceptions.  He committed to Michigan State on June 23, 2011, and signed with the Spartans in February.

13. Drake Johnson – RB – Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer
Offered by: Michigan only
The 6’1″, 215 lb. running back ran for 2,805 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior.  He committed to Michigan on November 10, 2011, almost immediately after receiving an offer, and signed with Michigan in February.

14. Dennis Norfleet – RB – Detroit (MI) King
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 5’6″, 180 lb. had 2,033 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior.  He was committed to Cincinnati for several months, but he switched his commitment to Michigan on the eve of National Signing Day.

15. Ruben Lile – LB – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Neither in-state school
Lile committed to Iowa on August 27, 2011, and signed with the Hawkeyes in February.

NOT RANKED:
Riley Bullough – LB – Traverse City (MI) St. Francis
Offered by:
Michigan State only
Bullough committed to Michigan State on April 30, 2011.

Kodi Kieler – OT – Gibraltar (MI) Carlson
Offered by:
Michigan State only
Kieler committed to Michigan State on August 8, 2011.

SUMMARY
Ten players were offered by both Michigan and Michigan State.  Eight of them picked Michigan, including six of the top seven.  One picked Michigan State (although, as mentioned above, it sounded like Michigan wouldn’t accept his commitment so he went with Plan B).  The other picked Tennessee.

Michigan went after two players who were not offered by MSU.  One picked Michigan.  The other picked Syracuse.

Michigan State went after three players who were not offered by Michigan.  All three picked MSU.

I think it’s fair to say that Michigan kicked Michigan State’s tail when it comes to recruiting in the state.  Brady Hoke 8, Mark Dantonio 1.  I look forward to seeing what 2013 brings.  It’s already 1-0 in Michigan’s favor with Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris pledging to be a Wolverine.

22Jan 2012
Uncategorized 19 comments

Mark Dantonio is a dick

I refuse to post a picture of Mark Dantonio.

By now many of you have heard about Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio’s strange outburst during the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association clinic a couple days ago.  Michigan wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Jeff Hecklinski was in the middle of speaking about Michigan’s recruiting method when Dantonio interrupted with “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.  We’re going to get other people up here.  We’re going to talk about more than the University of Michigan.”  Later, he said, “How many guys got a guy who’s going to play in the Big Ten?  One, two – so the two guys can go back there in the corner and talk about that.  All of us right here, we’re going to talk about recruiting for everybody.  Let’s go.”

Numerous accounts have been shared regarding how it went down and it appears there is some confusion about what Hecklinski was there to do.  Some accounts have suggested that Hecklinski was supposed to be taking part in a panel discussion and, therefore, had overstepped his allotted amount of time in talking about Michigan.  Others have suggested that Dantonio had been given 15 minutes to talk and Hecklinski, who was filling in for head coach Brady Hoke due to Hoke’s attending the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award ceremony, was also supposed to have 15 minutes.  The latter scenario seems more reasonable, since I doubt the event planners would give one in-state Big Ten program 15 minutes to talk and the other in-state Big Ten program only 5 minutes.

What does not seem to be in question is the fact that Dantonio was out of line by interrupting Hecklinski.  Having attended several coaching clinics in several states, I have never  seen a presenter get interrupted by another presenter.  It’s the event coordinator’s job to make sure that the presenters are keeping on topic and finishing their presentations in a timely manner.  It’s not uncommon to hear “Two minutes, coach!” coming from the back or the side of the room or to see the event coordinator hold up five fingers or two fingers.

I also sincerely doubt Dantonio would have interrupted another head coach.  As a young-ish assistant coach (Hecklinski graduated college in 1997, meaning he’s probably about 37), the 55-year-old Dantonio probably thought he could bully Hecklinski.  And he did.  The news is already a fairly big deal (Google “Mark Dantonio” and the first hit is “Mark Dantonio cuts off Michigan assistant”), but imagine if he had interrupted Brady Hoke or Bret Bielema or Joe Paterno.  It’s tough to imagine, because it wouldn’t have happened.  Of course, Dantonio is no stranger to attempting to bully people who are younger than him.  How can any Michigan fan forget him making short jokes about Mike Hart?

Multiple accounts have confirmed that the exchange between Dantonio and Hecklinski was very awkward and that you could hear a pin drop in the room for several uncomfortable seconds.  Dantonio, who already seems to be falling behind Hoke in relationships with high school coaches, did not help himself and his program by putting on such a display.  Michigan fans generally seem to be offended by Dantonio’s comments, and Michigan State fans are likely saying “That’s awesome!”  Many high school coaches in Michigan probably lean one way or the other toward U of M or MSU, and some of those present might not have been swayed by the incident.  But anyone without a strong allegiance would likely be put off by Dantonio’s behavior.

Let’s not ignore the fact that football coaches live in a testosterone-filled, male dominated world.  These coaches did not get to these points in their careers by being followers and pushovers.  Behind closed doors many coaches are different than their public personas suggest.  What’s disconcerting about Dantonio’s behavior is that he doesn’t seem to know when he’s in public and when he’s not.  In my experience, people aren’t rude in public and nice behind closed doors; it’s the other way around.  So if Dantonio is willing to be a jerk in front of several hundred high school coaches, those high school coaches ought to be able to figure out what he’ll be like if they send their players to Michigan State.

Overall, this event seems like a black eye for MSU and Dantonio and likely has little to no effect on Michigan and Hecklinski.  Nobody is going to look down on Hecklinski for the way he acted, even if he did go over his allotted time.  The only significant windfall that could come from this event is a bump in respect for Michigan’s coaches over MSU’s, as if that weren’t already the case.  Brady Hoke and his staff have earned rave reviews for their relationships with local coaches.  Rich Rodriguez was maligned for his failure to connect with local coaches, and Dantonio benefited from that, earning in-state respect almost by default.  But in comparison to Hoke and his staff, Dantonio was already falling behind . . . and this incident won’t help him.  In the 2012 recruiting class, Michigan already has the top four and six of the top seven prospects in the state, according to the Detroit News.

The last tidbit comes from a respected poster on a Rivals message board:

Wanna know why MD was so upset? He was upset before it ever started, because for the SECOND year in a row, the moment you walk in the building there is a huge table spread out with all of UM’s camp and clinic info, brochours, practice visit info, etc. A grand spread. And for the SECOND year in a row, MSU’s table is small and stuck off to the side in a corner. Buddy said the entire MSU staff was PISSSSSSED the moment they arrived yesterday, and they bolted out of there as soon as they were done today. The UM staff, meanwhile, is still there mingling with the HS coaches and putting on a very nice representation of the U of M. In fact my buddy got to sit with Funk all alone and shoot the shit about OL coaching for a half hour last night. 

After losing the Big Ten championship game, getting passed over by the Sugar Bowl for Michigan, and getting left behind while Brady Hoke gets invited to national coaching award ceremonies . . . it seems like Dantonio might be feeling a little bit inferior.

21Oct 2011
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MGoBlog: I Beg to Differ

Yesterday, Brian at MGoBlog made a “Picture Pages” post where he questioned the diagnosing skills by Michigan’s linebackers, based on a play from last week’s game against Michigan State.  I disagree with at least part of Brian’s conclusions.

First, here’s the play:

Michigan is in a standard 4-3 Under alignment, where the responsibilities are as follows:

Jake Ryan = outside contain
Ryan Van Bergen = C gap
Kenny Demens = B gap
Mike Martin = A gap
Brandin Hawthorne = A gap / flow to the ball
Will Heininger = B gap
Craig Roh = C gap / outside contain

Brian’s conclusion is this:

The DL cannot do much more than this. They got a two-for-one on the double that leaves a free hitter. On the frontside they drive into the backfield such that the tailback has one realistic option. Short of throwing offensive linemen into the RB, they have done all they can.

I completely disagree.  The defensive line can do much more.  First and foremost, Mike Martin can make the tackle.  The star defensive tackle that people seem afraid to criticize is the first person who makes a mistake here.  He’s responsible for the playside A gap but refuses to get off the center’s block.  If Martin gets off the block quicker and wraps up Edwin Baker, the play gets made for a loss or a minimal gain.

It’s true that middle linebacker Kenny Demens doesn’t do a great job on the play.  In my opinion, he should be attacking the offensive guard’s outside shoulder, thus maintaining B gap responsibility.  Instead, he takes the guard on head up and then gets stalemated.  If he takes on that guard with his inside shoulder, the WILL (Brandin Hawthorne) is screaming downhill and will tackle Baker for about a 1-yard gain.  (With the way Hawthorne reacts, it looks to me that he’s just flowing to the ball and that the free safety is responsible for supporting the weakside A gap.)

I also take issue with Brian’s assertion that MSU’s linebackers are better at reading plays just because they’re coming downhill as soon as Denard Robinson turns to hand off to Vincent Smith.  Well, of course  they are.  Denard Robinson doesn’t throw the ball very well, and their entire game plan revolved around stopping Denard Robinson and the running game.  Run the ball?  They’re going to sell out to stop it.  Play action?  They’re stopping the run and taking their chances with Denard dumping the ball over their heads.  That’s been the Spartans’ game plan for the past two years, and it worked both times.

Meanwhile, Kenny Demens and Brandin Hawthorne have to be concerned about the play action pass because MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins is someone who can actually complete a few throws downfield.  In fact, just before Demens impacts the releasing guard, you can see his head scan to the right.  I’m not certain that Demens is looking at Cousins, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he was checking to see whether Cousins had kept the ball and was rolling out for a pass.

17Oct 2011
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Michigan at Michigan State Awards

Devin Gardner (#7) scrambles, but to no avail.
(image via MGoBlue.com)



Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Devin Gardner.  I’m not saying more as in he should be the starter, but I do like what Al Borges is doing with Gardner.  I don’t typically like two-quarterback platoons, but Gardner is a more skilled passer than Denard Robinson.  He made some gaffes on Saturday (getting sacked on fourth down, making an illegal forward pass, etc.), but he also threw some nice balls and made some plays with his legs.  People keep saying that Robinson is a threat to go all the way on every play, but if opponents put eight or nine decently talented guys in the box, Robinson won’t have any running room.  And until he proves that he can beat a team with his arm, Michigan needs to work in a passing threat.  Personally, I’m enjoying the plays when Gardner is at quarterback and Robinson lines up in the backfield or at wide receiver.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . the second tight end, whether it’s Steve Watson or Brandon Moore.  If the offensive line isn’t going to get a push and if Michigan can’t run it out of the I-formation, then I think the Wolverines need to get their best eleven on the field.  Junior Hemingway, Roy Roundtree, and Jeremy Gallon are all playmakers, and Kevin Koger is valuable in a lot of ways with his speed, athleticism, blocking, and leadership.  Those four players plus some combination of Denard Robinson, Devin Gardner, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Vincent Smith, and Michael Shaw need to be on the field the vast majority of the time.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Cam Gordon.  Gordon returned to action this week after a nagging back injury caused him to miss the first six games of the season.  In his stead Jake Ryan has made a name for himself as a playmaker at SAM linebacker, but Ryan does have his flaws; he’s prone to both making and allowing big plays.  Ryan has to get quicker at reading offensive plays, maintaining the edge, and using his hands to disengage from blockers.  Gordon might not be an immediate upgrade, but perhaps he can help.  It was clear against MSU that Ryan’s other backups aren’t legitimate options in big-time games.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Brandin Hawthorne and J.T. Floyd (tie).  On one Keshawn Martin touchdown, Hawthorne made a half-assed attempt to tackle him at the pylon and tried to shoulder Martin out of bounds rather than wrap him up.  A good, fundamental tackle would almost certainly have stopped Martin at the 1-yard line, although a touchdown almost certainly would have been delayed rather than prevented altogether.  On the other Martin touchdown, J.T. Floyd made a half-assed attempt to stick with him and jogged behind the play, even though he clearly had Martin in man coverage.  Those weren’t cases of being beaten physically – they were examples of players not playing hard and giving 100% effort.

MVP of the game . . . Will Hagerup.  Nobody had a great game offensively or defensively for Michigan, but Hagerup did a solid job of punting on a very windy day.  He only averaged 31.9 yards on seven punts, but four of those pinned the Spartans inside their 20-yard line, and three of them put the green and white bronze at or inside their own 10.  Despite being unable to get any kind of offensive flow or defensive momentum, the Wolverines hung with MSU in the first half largely due to the field position battle.

Play of the game . . . Denard Robinson’s touchdown run.  After dropping back to pass, Robinson was almost sacked.  But he yanked himself away, tucked the ball, and scrambled to the left, picking up a nice block by Kevin Koger before squeezing inside the pylon.