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| Thomas Rawls (#34, image via NW Herald) |
Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown caught 5 passes for 84 yards and 1 touchdown in Oregon's 42-30 victory over UCLA. That's a season high in receptions and yards, and it's his third touchdown reception of the season.
Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford made 4 tackles in Miami's 55-34 win over Cincinnati.
Former S Josh Furman: Furman made 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and the game-clinching interception (returned for 35 yards) in Oklahoma State's 27-20 victory over Kansas.
Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart carried the ball 23 times for 90 yards and 1 touchdown in Colorado State's 31-24 win over Nevada.
Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls had a second straight 200-yard game on Saturday when Central Michigan beat Northern Illinois by a score of 34-17. Rawls carried the ball 40 times for 275 yards (6.75 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns. On the season he has 153 carries for 842 yards (5.5 yards/carry) and 9 touchdowns.
Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona ascended to #10 in the rankings before getting knocked off by USC by a score of 28-26 on Saturday night. The team managed just 77 yards on 29 carries, so Rodriguez resorted to calling 72 passes. Quarterback Anu Solomon was 43/72 for 395 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Kicker Casey Skowron was just 2/5 on field goals. Arizona is now 5-1.
Wow, we really screwed up with Furman. Granted, he's having success in a certain system, but the numbers he's putting up aren't accidental.
ReplyDeleteHe's playing outside linebacker, which is where I always saw him fitting best. I don't know how many times I stated on here that we shouldn't have moved him back in the defense (from high school OLB to college FS).
DeleteFurman might be doing OK in the Big 12, but that's a p***y conference. He wouldn't be able to do that in the Big Ten. HE'S TOO SMALL!!!
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Seriously, you pretty much know that's how Brady (human-factor plusses aside) thinks sometimes.
Not just Furman....Look at Rawls. If there was ever any doubt before (which there shouldn't have been given our track record) Fred Jackson is a terrible RB coach. Cox did it with UMASS and now Rawls is doing it with Central. I hope none of the current backs are taking notice of what others are doing elsewhere or they may follow suit.
ReplyDeleteRawls is also playing at CMU. There's a difference. He wouldn't be gaining 200+ yards at Michigan.
DeleteThunder,
DeleteWhat do you think of Dymonte Thomas or even Jeremy Clark moving to OLB?
It depends on what kind of defense you're running. I think both of them are too thin right now, even for a SS/OLB hybrid type of position, although they're not far off. I just think they would need an off-season to pack on 10-15 pounds. Both of them seem like strong safety types who should be playing a little closer to the line of scrimmage. I don't think Clark fits as a free safety. He shouldn't be roaming the middle of the field, and neither should Thomas.
DeleteCox started at UMass, but wasn't good.
DeleteRawls looked significantly worse than our other backs here, but what he's doing in the MAC is pretty impressive still.
Most of the issues are centered around the OL and the scheme, so I don't think you can blame Jackson here. I like Jackson, but his time has probably passed. I was disappointed in how Toussaint failed to develop. Jackson's strengths were always in developing pass-blocking and teaching kids to avoid fumbling. The fumbling still seems pretty good from our RBs, but pass-blocking takes time.
Cox did it at UMASS? Lmao! Seriously UMASS....
ReplyDeleteAhh...What Cox did at UMASS got him in the NFL. Is there anything you saw from him at UM that lead you to think that was even a remote possibility? Seriously, tell me because if you say you did you are lying.
DeleteCox and Rawls are only two examples of a long list of RB's who have come to UM and failed to develop. The last back I can remember that got better as he progressed through the program was Chris Perry. People will talk about Mike Hart, but he was at his ceiling when he came in and didn't show any meaningful improvement through the course of his career. I mean, he didn't regress so I guess there's that.
Thunder, any thoughts on the sparty signee? T Thompson, wasn't his father a former wolverine? And forgive me if u had a write up on him.. Not sure if Michigan recruited him?
ReplyDeleteYeah, his dad was former Michigan safety Tyriq Thompson. I am not a huge fan of Thompson. Of course, he's bound to turn into a star since that's what MSU seems to do. I did write up a scouting report on him this past winter:
Deletehttp://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2014/01/scouting-report-tyriq-thompson.html
His dad was Clarence, a solid DB for us.
DeleteThanks! I was wondering and your prolly right.. He will turn into a stud.. :(
DeleteIt seems like you use especially negative wording for Rodriguez each weak. "managed just" "resorted to" etc. Even when they beat Oregon it was pretty negative, mentioning that they "failed to intercept Mariota" (even though nobody ever does) and "allowed" him to catch a pass.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to think you don't like this guy...
I think you're reaching for criticisms. Arizona usually runs the ball well, so I think "managed" is an accurate term for them when they had 29 carries for 77 yards (about 2.5 yards/carry). The notes about Mariota were more to point out that Mariota is having a really, really good season.
DeleteAnyway. Stop reaching.
It's a nitpick, to be sure, but still legitimate comment IMO.
DeleteArizona was down to their third string rb if I recall correctly. USC got lucky in the first half. Zona had their FG blocked. They had a TD called back b/c the WR tip toed out of bounds. Their RB fumbled within the 5 yard line. 2nd half was all zona.
DeleteStarting to? They wanted him fired last year. He's all washed up 'cause Bama didn't win a 3rd consecutive BCS championship.
ReplyDeleteAnd what was worse, Bama lost to Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
College football fans are not the most rationale people.
College fans are about as out of touch as "Thunder" is. Thunder you are the epitome of the word "hater!" You may be an authority on Michigan of old. But we are in the 21rst century. Majority of your comments are pretty much negative on all the players that leave and do well at other programs. I wonder if this current Michigan team can hang with Zona? Didn't they get there a$$es kick by a B12 team in a bowl last year? It would be easy to pick on this team 135, and tell you all the things that they are not doing well. Believe me the list is long and exhausting. Thunder with all the talk about who can't or couldn't play at Michigan, tell what is so great about playing for them at this point? Thunder do yourself a favor and stick to ripping your current players, who are not producing at MICHIGAN! Show some class and applaud the kids that are finally living and fulfilling their dreams. Just really tired of reading your negativity about who couldn't do whatever at Michigan. When the kids at Michigan now, don't look like the Michigan of old. You really ought to chill on your asinine comments(in my Goober voice...."they couldn't do it at Michigan") You can't blame these kids on RR they're Brady's 115 sons. Save your negative words on them, and wonder why they are not producing being 10-20-30lbs bigger! Who is this Thunder guy anyway...the son of Don Rickles?
ReplyDeletea) Who did I say anything negative about? I said Thomas Rawls wouldn't be running for 200+ yards at Michigan. Which is true. Would you like to argue that he could?
Deleteb) I didn't say this Michigan team would beat Arizona. What are you even talking about?
c) "Just really tired of reading your negativity about who couldn't do whatever at Michigan." Then don't visit my blog.
d) When did I "blame these kids on RR"?
I'm guessing you were drunk late at night, which is probably the reason for the meandering post. But if you don't like my commentary, I'm presuming nobody is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to type in my URL.
Thunder let first apologize for being so aggressive on my opinion of your critiques. Secondly I want to commend you on actually putting up my comment. Yes, I was a litte fed up with you at that time. I feel maybe it was a result of everyone coming down on these kids. Those that are actively playing at Michigan and those that have left. It was just an accumalation of 5 years of reading all the sites negative opinions, evaluations, and armchair analysis of the kids that bust their humps to entertain us. These kids did not stop being 4-5 star athletes just because they attended Michigan. The most obvious reason none of these kids are getting it done at Michigan, is flat out coaching! I a blind man can see that! Football is about size and speed. But that is not to say that there will not be an occasional Zach Thomas, Doug Flutie, Wes Welker, or even a Russell Wilson. These athletes are not like coaches that can leave at anytime. Maybe if they were allowed to go where they are good fits, we would see much better football? The NCAA has made a prisnor of these 18 year old kids signing the next 5 years of their life, into amulti-million dollar business. None of the kids or parents have high powered lawyers advising them about the contract they are about to sign. So these kids are at the mercy of the adminstration, coaching, and the NCAA. So when you are implying that Rawls couldn't do it at Michigan. I read it to mean that you were saying he is not good enough to do it at Michigan? My bad! To be honest Toussaunt, Cox, Smith, Rawls, Robinson etc... did not doing it at Michigan. I see your point now. Under these conditions no one is doing it under this regime. Personally I think Denard left one maybe 2 Heisman's on the field when they decided to go back to the Michigan of old. But then again winning National Championships is not the goal for these good ole boys! Again except my apolgy for my rant. I enjoy your work.
ReplyDeleteI agree that coaching is in question. I think that's a common thrust of my posts. When I talk about Michael Cox - an NFL player - not getting much playing time, that's an indictment of the coaching staffs (both Hoke's and Rodriguez's). When I said up near the top of this comment thread that I always wanted Furman to be an OLB and not a safety, that's an indictment of the coaching staff.
DeleteI think we're sort of on the same page, except obviously I do criticize the players at times. There are bound to be a number of players who can't hack it at the Big Ten level, just like there are kids who sign with a MAC team who can't hack it there. There are also some who just don't fit in with the team they sign to play for. I'll make delineations where I see fit. It's no secret that I think Cox could have had success at Michigan; Kaleb Ringer, on the other hand, is someone who I don't think was good enough.
As for Rawls himself, he's similar to De'Veon Smith. Not a lot of speed, able to break some tackles, etc. Not terrible players, but they're not stars at the Big Ten level, in my opinion.
By the way, thanks for the apology. And I don't know why you're surprised that I posted your comment. I post all non-spam comments unless they're filled with ad hominem attacks or insults.
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