Tag: Steve Brown

Michigan Combine participation and Draft position since 1999

Marquise Walker

2012 (3): DT Mike Martin (TBD), WR Junior Hemingway (TBD), David Molk (TBD)

Review of 2006 Recruiting: The Defensive Backs

Taylor Mays (#2) could have been a Michigan Wolverine

THE ROSTER

Jamar Adams, S (Jr.)
Willis Barringer, S (5th)
Anton Campbell, S (Sr.)
Brandent Englemon, S (Sr.)
Leon Hall, CB (Sr.)
Brandon Harrison, S (So.)
Darnell Hood, CB (5th)
Ryan Mundy, S (Sr.)
Chris Richards, CB (So.)
Charles Stewart, CB (Jr.)
Morgan Trent, CB (Jr.)

THE RECRUITS

Steve Brown
High school: East High School in Columbus, IN
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #7 safety; Scout 4-star, #10 CB
Other notable offers: Illinois, Nebraska, Notre Dame
College: Michigan
Scoop: Brown contributed immediately at safety and special teams, picking up 14 total tackles as a true freshman in 2006.  In 2007 he started one game (Appalachian State) before being relegated to backup duty.  He made 28 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 pass breakups on the year.  Brown started all twelve games at free safety in 2008, posting 64 tackles, 1 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 5 pass breakups.  Despite those decent numbers, he was considered a liability and switched positions in 2009 to become more of an outside linebacker.  He was named team captain and led the team in tackles with 80; he also had 1 sack, 8 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 4 pass breakups.  Brown was drafted in the 7th round (#251) by the Oakland Raiders in the 2010 NFL Draft.  He played in fifteen games and made 25 tackles as a rookie.  Cut before the 2011 season, he moved on to the Indianapolis Colts, where he has made 5 tackles so far this season.

Asher Allen
High school: Tucker High School in Tucker, GA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #9 CB; Scout 4-star, #22 CB
Other notable offers: Auburn, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame
College: Georgia
Scoop: Allen played in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2006, making 24 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.  As an eleven-game starter in 2007, Allen had 64 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 5 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery.  He held onto the starting job in 2008 and ended the year with 53 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 7 pass breakups.  After his junior year, Allen entered the 2009 NFL Draft and was picked in the 3rd round (#86 overall) by the Minnesota Vikings.  As a part-time starter through 27 games of his career, Allen has 95 tackles, 9 pass breakups, 4 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble.

Franchot “Boogie” Allen
High school: New Berlin Academy in New Berlin, NY
Ratings: Rivals 3-star safety; Scout 2-star safety
Other notable offers: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State
College: West Virginia
Scoop: Allen had a less than stellar career in Morgantown.  He managed 2 tackles as a true freshman in 2006 and had 14 tackles and 1 interception in his sophomore season.  As a junior in 2008, Allen had a career-high 49 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.  But in his senior season of 2009, he fell off to 22 tackles and 3 tackles for loss.  He went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft and his career appears to be finished.

Jai Eugene
High school: Destrehan High School in Destrehan, LA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #12 CB; Scout 5-star, #1 CB
Other notable offers: Florida, Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC
College: LSU
Scoop: Eugene redshirted as a freshman in 2006.  In 2007 he was a backup cornerback and made 8 tackles and 1 pass breakup.  He started nine games in 2008, making 35 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup.  Eugene started just two games in 2009 and finished the season with 26 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup.  As a fifth year senior in 2010, he made 24 tackles and 1/2 a tackle for loss.  Eugene finished his college career with 93 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 5 pass breakups, and 1 interception.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft and was not signed as an undrafted free agent.

Jamar Hornsby
High school: Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, FL
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #13 ATH; Scout 5-star, #3 safety
Other notable offers: Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, South Carolina, USC
College: Florida
Scoop: Hornsby redshirted as a true freshman in 2006.  As a redshirt freshman in 2007, he played in 8 games, mostly on special teams, and notched 5 tackles and a blocked punt; the 5 games he missed were due to a suspension for selling his complementary tickets to Florida games.  Prior to the 2008 season, Hornsby got in trouble for using the credit card of his teammate’s girlfriend.  That sounds bad enough, but what’s worse is that both his teammate and that girlfriend died the previous day in a motorcycle accident.  He played the 2008 season at East Mississippi Junior College and earned All-America status for the National Junior College Athletic Association, then signed with Mississippi as part of the 2009 recruiting class.  However, further legal trouble caused him to be released from his scholarship to Mississippi, and he served 90 days in jail earlier this year.

Reshad Jones
High school: Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, GA
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #1 safety; Scout 4-star, #13 safety
Other notable offers: Auburn, Florida, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma
College: Auburn, Florida, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma,
Scoop: Jones redshirted as a true freshman in 2006.  When he began earning playing time in 2007, he started only two games but played in all thirteen.  He finished as the team’s third leading tackler with 57 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and 3 pass breakups.  Jones increased that production to rank second on the team in tackles with 76, as well as notching 2.5 tackles for loss, 5 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery.  He once again was the second best tackler in the team as a redshirt junior in 2009, making 73 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 7 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.  Jones was selected in the 5th round (#163 overall) by the Miami Dolphins in the 2010 NFL Draft.  As a rookie for the Dolphins in 2010, Jones made 21 tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass breakup.  He is currently their starting free safety.

Taylor Mays
High school: O’Dea High School in Seattle, WA
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #2 ATH; Scout 5-star, #2 safety
Other notable offers: Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, UCLA, Washington
College: USC
Scoop: Mays took over the starting free safety job once the starter got injured in the opener, and Mays started the final twelve games of his 2006 freshman season.  He finished that year with 62 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 3 pass breakups; for that production he was rewarded with Second Team All-American status.  He started all thirteen games as a sophomore in 2007, finishing with 65 tackles, 1 interception, 6 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery; he was named a First Team All-American.  Opposing teams avoided him even more in 2008, when Mays had 52 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 9 pass breakups; he was once again named a First Team All-American.  Mays became even more of a force as a senior in 2009, tallying a whopping 96 tackles to go along with 1 interception, 7 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery; he was rewarded with a Second Team All-American team placement.  Mays was taken in the 2nd round (#49 overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.  As a rookie he made 38 total tackles, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.  Mays was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals in August 2011 and has 1 total tackle so far this season.

Antwine Perez
High school: Wilson High School in Camden, NJ
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #2 safety; Scout 5-star, #5 safety
Other notable offers: Oklahoma
College: USC Maryland
Scoop: Perez attend USC as a freshman and played in seven games, finishing with 3 tackles.  He transferred to Maryland after the season and sat out the 2007 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules.  In 2008 he started two games at safety and finished with 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.  He was once again a key backup in 2009, when he made 45 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 2 pass breakups.  Perez became a full-time starter in 2010 and ended the season with 74 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 8 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Myron Rolle
High school: The Hun School in Princeton, NJ
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #1 ATH; Scout 5-star, #1 safety
Other notable offers: Florida, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas
College: Florida State
Scoop: Rolle started ten games as a true freshman in Tallahassee and earned Freshman All-American and ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors; he finished the 2006 season with 77 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 5 pass breakups, and 1 interception.  In 2007 he had 67 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 3 pass breakups.  As a junior he ended the season with 62 tackles, 1/2 a tackle for loss, and 5 pass breakups.  Rolle earned a Rhodes scholarship and spent the 2009 season studying abroad.  He returned to the United States afterward and was selected in the 6th round (#207 overall) by the Tennessee Titans in the 2010 NFL Draft.  He did not play in a game during the 2010 season and was cut by the Titans prior to the beginning of 2011.

Ken Tinney
High school: Milford Academy in New Berlin, NY
Ratings: Rivals 4-star CB; Scout 3-star, #44 CB
Other notable offers: Florida, Maryland, Syracuse
College: Michigan State
Scoop: Tinney ran into problems almost as soon as he arrived on campus at Michigan State in 2006.  By the time the season rolled around, he had been kicked off the team for undisclosed reasons.  As far as I know, he never surfaced elsewhere and his football career ended.

Darrin Walls
High school: Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh, PA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #3 CB; Scout 4-star, #7 CB
Other notable offers: Florida, Penn State, West Virginia
College: Notre Dame
Scoop: Walls played in eight games as a true freshman in 2006, picking up 4 total tackles and returning 5 kickoffs for 84 yards.  He earned the starting cornerback job in 2007 and finished with 32 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 9 pass breakups, and 2 forced fumbles.  Walls missed the 2008 season due to personal reasons but returned to the team in 2009, when he was a part-time starter and ended the season with 27 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, and 6 pass breakups.  He was a starter once again as a redshirt senior in 2010, having a career-best season with 41 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 4 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery.  Walls went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft but signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent, where he has yet to record any statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

Biggest miss: Taylor Mays.  Michigan was in Mays’s final four (along with Cal, Washington, and USC) and received a visit a couple weeks before he made his decision.  Mays turned into a four-year starter and All-American at free safety during a time when the Wolverines really could have used a solid free safety.  He hasn’t had a great pro career so far, but none of Michigan’s offerees have made much of an impact on the NFL yet.

Biggest bust: Jamar Hornsby.  Hornsby barely played at all in college before doings lots of stupid, illegal stuff.  He was a 5-star safety to Scout and matched his star rating with 5 career tackles.

Best in class: Vontae Davis, I guess.  Davis went to Illinois and was the 1st round pick (#25 overall) by the Miami Dolphins.  In 2+ seasons for the Dolphins, he has 125 tackles, 5 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 23 passes defensed.  In three years at Illinois, he had 211 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles. 

2006 Offer Board

QUARTERBACK (9)
David Cone – Statesboro, GA (Michigan)
Mitch Mustain – Sprindale, AR (Arkansas)
Neil Caudle – Hoover, AL (Auburn)
Tim Tebow – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Florida)
Matthew Stafford – Dallas, TX (Georgia)
Pat Devlin – Exton, PA (Penn State)
Dexter Davidson – Coconut Creek, FL (Pittsburgh)
Nick Stephens – Flower Mound, TX (Tennessee)
Taylor Potts – Abilene, TX (Texas Tech)

RUNNING BACK (6)
Carlos Brown – Franklin, GA (Michigan)
Brandon Minor – Richmond, VA (Michigan)
Cameron Smith – Snellville, GA
Knowshon Moreno – Middletown, NJ (Georgia)
Aaron Gant – Orchard Lake, MI (Ohio State)
Chris Wells – Akron, OH (Ohio State)

WIDE RECEIVER (9)
Greg Mathews – Orlando, FL (Michigan)
Damian Williams – Springdale, AR (Arkansas)
Chris Slaughter – Fort Valley, GA (Auburn)
Percy Harvin – Virginia Beach, VA (Florida)
Tony Wilson – Daytona Beach, FL (Georgia)
Derrell Johnson – Youngstown, OH (Iowa)
Robby Parris – Cleveland, OH (Notre Dame)
Chris Bell – Norfolk, VA (Penn State)
David Ausberry – Lemoore, CA (USC)

TIGHT END (6)
Dedrick Epps – Richmond, VA (Miami)
Will Yeatman – San Diego, CA (Notre Dame)
Jake Ballard – Springboro, OH (Ohio State)
Andrew Quarless – Uniondale, NY (Penn State)
Nate Byham – Polk, PA (Pittsburgh)
Dorin Dickerson – Imperial, PA (Pittsburgh)

OFFENSIVE TACKLE (9)
Perry Dorrestein – Plainfield, IL (Michigan)
Stephen Schilling – Bellevue, WA (Michigan)
Alex Stadler – Bealeton, VA (Alabama)
Jim Barrie – Tampa, FL (Florida)
Marcus Gilbert – Fort Lauderdale, FL (Florida)
Daron Rose – Tampa, FL (Florida State)
Bartley Webb – Springdale, AR (Notre Dame)
Connor Smith – Cincinnati, OH (Ohio State)
Sam Young – Fort Lauderdale, FL (USC)

OFFENSIVE GUARD (3)
Justin Boren – Pickerington, OH (Michigan)
Justin Anderson – Ocilla, GA (Georgia)
Joe Thomas – Parma, OH (Pittsburgh)

CENTER (0)

DEFENSIVE END (8)
Greg Banks – Denver, CO (Michigan)
Brandon Graham – Detroit, MI (Michigan)
Adam Patterson – Columbia, SC (Michigan)
Quintin Woods – Flint, MI (Michigan)
John Paul – Immokalee, FL
Micah Johnson – Fort Campbell, KY (Kentucky)
McKenzie Matthews – Syracuse, NY (Pittsburgh)
Jason Adjepong – Carteret, NJ (Virginia Tech)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (8)
John Ferrara – Staten Island, NY (Michigan)
Jason Kates – Harrisburg, PA (Michigan)
Marques Slocum – New Berlin, NY (Michigan)
Corey Peters – Louisville, KY (Kentucky)
Dexter Larimore – Merrillville, IN (Ohio State)
Jason Pinkston – Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh)
Butch Lewis – Aurora, CO (USC)
Neil A’asa – Big Rapids, MI (Utah)

LINEBACKER (9)
Obi Ezeh – Grand Rapids, MI (Michigan)
Cobrani Mixon – Cincinnati, OH (Michigan)
Jonas Mouton – Venice, CA (Michigan)
Quintin Patilla – Flint, MI (Michigan)
Akeem Hebron – Gaithersburg, MD (Georgia)
Toryan Smith – Rome, GA (Notre Dame)
Thaddeus Gibson – Euclid, OH (Ohio State)
Michael Morgan – Dallas, TX (USC)
Joshua Tatum – Oakland, CA (USC)

CORNERBACK (3)
Jai Eugene – Destrehan, LA (LSU)
Ken Tinney – New Berlin, NY (Michigan State)
Darrin Walls – Pittsburgh, PA (Notre Dame)

SAFETY (8)
Steve Brown – Columbus, IN (Michigan)
Jamar Hornsby – Jacksonville, FL (Florida)
Myron Rolle – Princeton, NJ (Florida State)
Asher Allen – Tucker, GA (Georgia)
Reshad Jones – Atlanta, GA (Georgia)
Taylor Mays – Seattle, WA (USC)
Antwine Perez – Camden, NJ (USC)
Franchot Allen – New Berlin, NY (West Virginia)

KICKER (1)
Bryan Wright – Salem, OH (Michigan)

2010 NFL Draft Preview

Brandon Graham attempting to kill Tim Hiller

Brandon Graham – DE/OLB
Graham is certain to be Michigan’s highest drafted player, projected by most “experts” as a mid-1st to early-2nd round pick. At 6’1″ and 268 lbs., he’s likely too short to play defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. There are very few 4-3 teams who like to play undersized ends like Graham. He’s more likely to be drafted to play outside linebacker by a team that runs a 3-4 scheme. Luckily for him, there has been a recent uptick in the number of teams who run base 3-4 fronts. He has excellent straight-line speed and benches 495 lbs., according to Michigan strength coach Mike Barwis. He suffered from a lack of conditioning and discipline early in his career at Michigan, but the last two years have seen Graham turn into a leader on and off the field. The effort level is there now in a way that it wasn’t when he was a freshman and sophomore.
Projection and potential destinations: 1st round between picks 12-29 (Miami, Seattle, New England, Green Bay, Arizona, New York Jets)

Donovan Warren – CB/S
After Graham, nobody is guaranteed to get drafted. Warren hurt himself with a couple slow 40 times, although his game speed was better than the reported 4.68 he ran at the NFL Combine. He’s run so slow, in fact, that some teams have suggested Warren might fit better as a safety in the NFL. Warren left Michigan after his junior season, but his production was less than one might expect from a “shutdown” Michigan corner. He’s a solid tackler with average ball skills. He offers no additional skills as a return man and, for the most part, doesn’t have the athleticism to be a big threat on interception returns. His upside is low, but he performed well enough on the field (although not necessarily in workouts) to warrant a late round pick. If he plays cornerback in the NFL, I think it has to be for a team that plays a good deal of Cover 2. Otherwise, he’s a free safety in the making.
Projection and potential destinations: 6th round (Tampa Bay, Chicago, Indianapolis, Green Bay, New England, Minnesota)

Zoltan Mesko – P
Mesko is generally considered to be the second-best punter in the draft. He gets excellent hangtime, which prevents him from outkicking his coverage. I always wondered if the rugby-style punts that Rich Rodriguez employs would hurt Mesko’s ability to be a straight dropback punter, and for whatever reason, his workouts for pro teams have reportedly been subpar. Those two things might not be related, but it’s interesting to consider. He was voted captain of Michigan’s team in 2009, so he’s likely not a Mike Vanderjagt-like bonehead of a specialist. His lack of kickoff experience might hurt him in the eyes of some general managers. On the plus side, he did 16 reps on the bench press at 225 lbs.
Projection and potential destinations: 7th round (Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Miami, Denver)

Brandon Minor – RB
You will find no bigger fan of Brandon Minor than me. I love the way he runs the ball, his power, and the way he finishes runs. He also has underrated speed. Unfortunately, he rarely stayed healthy at Michigan, which hurt his production and surely NFL personnel people have flagged him for his injuries. Minor averaged over 5.0 yards per carry in his final two college seasons and he’s an excellent pass blocker. I don’t think NFL teams will spend a draft pick on a guy who spent so much time on the sideline, but if he somehow stays healthy, Minor is the type of guy who I could see having a 10-year NFL career. He reminds me of former Tennessee Volunteer and Detroit Lion Shawn Bryson, although Bryson had better speed.
Projection: Undrafted

Stevie Brown – SS
Brown came to Michigan as a cornerback/free safety tweener. By his senior year in 2009, he was an undersized strongside linebacker because he couldn’t cover in open space. He’s too indecisive to play free safety in the NFL and too small to play linebacker, but he could be a special teams contributor and backup strong safety on an NFL roster. His ball skills are somewhat lacking, but he ran a 4.55 at Michigan’s pro day and he brings some kick coverage skills to the table. He is a solid tackler in limited space and he can be an effective blitzer, so I see him as an in-the-box safety type.
Projection and potential destinations: Undrafted (Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Carolina, Arizona, New York Jets, Baltimore)

Mark Ortmann – OT
Ortmann has excellent size at 6’6″ and 295 lbs. He was a solid but unspectacular starter at left guard and left tackle in his final two years. He has long arms and decent mobility, and I always thought Ortmann would turn out to be an above average player. However, he’s not the mauler that NFL general managers might be looking for. Even mediocre Michigan linemen have always been given a shot at the next level, so I expect Ortmann to get some looks. But ultimately he lacks the mobility and athleticism to play left tackle, and he lacks the strength and size to play right tackle. I could see him hanging around for a few years on practice squads or as a backup, but I don’t see him being an NFL starter at any point.
Projection: Undrafted

Carlos Brown – RB
Brown was one of the most hyped members of Michigan’s 2006 class due to his speed, but the production on the field never really matched the hype. While he has the speed to outrun even NFL players, Brown rarely makes it past the second level of defenders. In 20+ years of watching Michigan football, I can’t remember a running back that seemingly went down with as little contact. Brown stops his feet on contact and almost never gains yardage on second effort. He does have good hands and could be a third down back, but to me, he’s not a first- or second-string back. His ceiling seems to be as an end-of-the-bench, situational back who might be able to return an occasional kickoff.
Projection: Undrafted

David Moosman – OG
At 6’5″ and 292 lbs., Moosman is a little small to be an offensive guard in the NFL. He needs to pack on some weight to have a chance. Moosman started 23 of his last 24 games at Michigan and split time between guard and center. Unfortunately, the team’s struggles with him at center hint that a future snapping the ball might be out of the question. I think he’s strictly a guard prospect. Moosman is decently athletic and was rarely beaten at the guard position. He’s not someone who will wow you with his strength, but he has solid technique and he battles. To have a chance at sticking in the NFL, he needs to play for a zone running team like Indianapolis, Atlanta, or Washington.
Projection: Undrafted

Players are listed in order of their likelihood to be drafted, as determined by yours truly.

Ohio State 21, Michigan 10

Brandon Graham was the best player on the field.

• Brandon Graham had a great game. He is perhaps the player from the senior class that I will miss most. He dominated his side of the line repeatedly, ending the game with a sack amongst 4 or 5 tackles for loss.
• I really thought Brandon Minor would play, but he was in street clothes. His inside running was missed in this game, as the running game was forced to play the third- and fourth-string running backs (Michael Shaw and Vincent Smith) with Carlos Brown also limited.
• Vincent Smith might be Michigan’s running back of the future. He doesn’t have the speed to be a game-breaker, but he gains yards consistently, runs tough for his size, and makes decisive cuts. I was wrong about him being unready to play this year.
• The defense played extremely well in this game. For the most part, Michigan didn’t allow the big play. They did allow the 29-yard TD by Brandon Saine, but OSU picked on walk-on DE Will Heininger on that play.
• J.T. Floyd got picked on and was beaten a couple times. Fortunately, OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor was horribly inaccurate on the two deep balls he threw. I still maintain that Floyd’s future should be at safety, but I liked the move by the coaches to move Troy Woolfolk back to safety and re-insert Floyd at cornerback. It may not have helped Michigan significantly, but it certainly didn’t hurt.
• Speaking of Pryor, I’ve been thinking this all season but had no reason to mention OSU sooner – why does a 6’5″, 230 pound, speedy guy run like such a pansy? He runs through arm tackles, but anytime someone gets a chance to tackle him solidly, he wusses out. He either stops moving his feet and collapses into the fetal position, or he prances out of bounds. For example, when he scrambled early in the game and Steve Brown came up to pop him near the sideline, both players bounced off each other, Pryor gathered himself and had a chance to gain two more yards, and he . . . side-stepped out of bounds.
• Tate Forcier had a horrible game. Ohio State didn’t do anything too confusing defensively. Forcier just made bad reads and bad throws. And that fumble on the opening offensive series was inexcuseable. Not only did Forcier retreat into his own end zone, but then he didn’t tuck the ball away when he scrambled. He’s been lucky all year that his lack of ball security didn’t cost him more, but it showed up in the biggest game of the year.
• I liked the wrinkle where Denard Robinson started in the backfield, shifted to wide receiver, and ran a fly pattern. I did not like the facts that a) Forcier underthrew him and b) Denard was interfered with by the cornerback and it wasn’t called. Denard was clearly being pushed while the ball was in the air, and it wasn’t an instance where both players were jostling each other. That was a textbook interference call and the officials blew it.
• I did not like the modified pistol formation. Out of shotgun, Shaw lined up as the deep back with a fullback to either side of Forcier. It led the defense to the play each time, and Michigan didn’t show a play to complement it.
• Roy Roundtree looks like he might be the next Michigan wide receiver to wear the #1 jersey.
• For the love of all that is good, can Michigan please install the sprint counter draw? It worked against Michigan for the thousandth time over the last several years, where the shotgun QB takes the snap and rolls toward the running back, who pretends to block and then takes the handoff going in the opposite direction. Ohio State, Michigan State, Oregon, and Purdue have all torched Michigan with that play, and those are just the times I can think of off the top of my head. I have never seen Michigan run that play, but it works every time against us.
• I will miss Brandon Minor, Brandon Graham, Greg Mathews, Mark Ortmann, David Moosman, and Steve Brown. All of these players are good to great college players, and it’s disappointing that their careers coincided with such a huge reconstruction project for the program. They might have been here during a couple bad years, but they weren’t the reasons for these two losing seasons.
• Go Blue!