Vincent Smith, #2

Vincent Smith (#2) had his best career game as a true freshman against Delaware State

HIGH SCHOOL
Smith went to Pahokee (FL) Pahokee, a football talent factory that has also sent Richard Ash and Brandin Hawthorne to Michigan.  Smith committed to Michigan on August 29, 2008, over offers from Minnesota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, among others.  He was a 3-star to both major sites, the #36 RB to Rivals, and the #102 RB to Scout.  For his high school career, he ran for 4,677 yards and 58 touchdowns, including 2,000+ yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior.

COLLEGE
Smith enrolled early in January 2009, along with several other freshmen.  He started earning some buzz in spring practices as a potential contributor.  As a true freshman, Smith had 48 carries for 276 yards and 1 touchdown, along with 10 receptions for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns; 166 of those rushing yards came in the dismantling of Delaware State, which would be his best statistical performance throughout his career.  He became a starter in his 2010 sophomore campaign, when he rushed 136 times for 601 yards and 5 touchdowns; he also caught 15 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Smith tore his ACL against Ohio State at the end of the season, but he recovered in time for the following season and avoided a medical redshirt year.  Displaced as a junior by Fitzgerald Toussaint, Smith became a third-down back.  He ran 50 times for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns, also catching 11 passes for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns.  As a senior in 2012, Smith continued his role as a backup; he rushed 32 times for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns and caught 9 passes for 65 yards and 1 touchdown.

CAREER STATS
266 carries, 1263 yards, 4.7 yards/carry, 10 touchdowns; 45 receptions, 426 yards, 9.5 yards/catch, 7 touchdowns; 8 kickoff returns, 141 yards, 17.6 yards/return; 1/3 passing, 17 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception; 7 tackles

AWARDS
None.

SUMMARY
Smith was a four-year contributor at Michigan, who had an impact in many ways.  Perhaps the best part of his game was his pass protection from the running back position, despite being just 5'6" and around 175 lbs.  He stoned many defenders, perhaps all of whom were bigger than him, and was a key reason that quarterback Denard Robinson put up such jaw-dropping statistics as a runner.  There was a short time in 2009 where I thought Smith might develop into Rich Rodriguez's next impact running back, but that didn't last long.  He never developed the ability to break tackles, and his vision and elusiveness were just okay.  He was quick enough to make people miss in one-on-one situations, but struggled when asked to run inside.

I'LL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . his 21-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass against Notre Dame in 2011, which helped Michigan come back for a 35-31 victory.

PROJECTION
Many people have compared Smith to Darren Sproles throughout his career, but Sproles was faster, stronger, and more elusive.  Due to a lack of production and a lack of size, I do not expect Smith to get drafted or latch on with an NFL team beyond perhaps a training camp invitation.

Running Backs Preview: Michigan vs. South Carolina

Denard Robinson should start at tailback for Michigan

MICHIGAN
Starter: Redshirt junior Fitzgerald Toussaint, a two-year starter, broke his leg against Iowa and will miss the bowl game.  The person who should start at the running back is senior Denard Robinson (6'0", 197 lbs.), even if he is able to throw the ball a little.  Robinson has run the ball 154 times for 1,166 yards this season (7.6 yards/carry) and scored 7 touchdowns.  In the two games since returning from his elbow injury, he has played a good deal of running back and totaled 220 yards on 23 carries (9.6 yards/carry) and 1 touchdown.  Redshirt freshman Joe Kerridge (6'0", 244 lbs.) starts at fullback but rarely touches the ball, notching just 1 reception for 12 yards on the season.
Backups: Sophomore Thomas Rawls (5'10", 218 lbs.) has been the main backup to Toussaint throughout the year.  He carried the ball 57 times for 242 yards (4.2 yards/carry) and 4 touchdowns.  He lacks some speed and vision, and he doesn't run as physically as one would expect from a back with his heft.  Senior Vincent Smith (5'6", 175 lbs.) has been forced into action in situations that don't fit his skills; he has carried the ball 32 times for 88 yards (2.8 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns.  His biggest strength is as a receiver out of the backfield, where he has caught 9 passes for 65 yards and 1 touchdown.  Little used redshirt freshman Justice Hayes (5'10", 183 lbs.) amassed 83 yards on 16 carries (5.2 yards/carry) and 1 touchdown in blowout wins over Illinois and UMass.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Starter: Much like Michigan, South Carolina will be missing its starting tailback (junior Marcus Lattimore, who has decided to leave early for the NFL Draft) due to a leg injury.  I have always thought Lattimore was overrated as a college running back, but he was the best the Gamecocks had.  His absence leaves the job to fifth year senior Kenny Miles (5'9", 193 lbs.), who ran the ball 99 times for 358 yards (3.6 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns.  He also has 16 receptions for 168 yards (10.5 yards/reception), so he's a threat out of the backfield, too.
Backups: Freshman Mike Davis (5'9", 216 lbs.) has been very effective for a third-stringer with 52 carries for 275 yards (5.3 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns.  No other player has notched more than 5 carries this season.

THE TAKEAWAY
The true running backs on these two teams are not very impressive.  Nobody on Michigan's team seems to have much of a chance to turn into a star, and the best prospect on either squad appears to be Gamecocks freshman Davis.  However, the most dynamic player is converted quarterback Robinson, who has the ability to break a big run at any given time.
Advantage: Michigan

Michigan vs. Ohio State Awards

Denard Robinson broke these tackles in his way to a 67-yard touchdown

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Denard Robinson.  Robinson carried the ball just 4 times in the second half.  If the coaches aren't going to trust him to throw the ball at all, then he needs to run it.  Michigan has no runners who are capable of being dynamic except Robinson.  I would like to see Robinson make a full-time switch to running back for the bowl game, because Fitzgerald Toussaint has a broken leg and the other guys just can't do the job.  Robinson won't play quarterback in the NFL, so it's not like he needs the stage of the bowl game to show off his skills.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Vincent Smith.  This goes hand in hand with the usage of Robinson, but Smith can't be an every-down back.  The Michigan coaches should have learned that by now.  Al Borges tried to slam him up the middle with a weak interior line, and Smith went nowhere.  Throw him some screens and run the inverted veer with him, but don't line him up in the "I" and expect to gain yards on the ground.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Frank Clark.  Clark was in the doghouse during the offseason, and he's not the most disciplined player on the field.  But Clark is superior to Brennen Beyer in almost every other way.  The kid bats down passes, puts pressure on the quarterback, and makes plays.  Unless the coaches are still working out the issues of Clark's off-season troubles, Clark needs to be the starting weakside end.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Joe Bolden.  I've said it before, but Bolden's just not ready for these big-time games.  He took a couple bad angles on Saturday and missed some tackles.  I do believe that he'll be a solid player in the future, but the game's just moving too fast for him right now.  He's a perfect example of why freshman linebackers should redshirt.

Play of the game . . . Denard Robinson's 67-yard touchdown run.  While the Wolverines trotted out Robinson at quarterback with a minute and some change left, it seemed as though Michigan was going to be happy with the status quo going into halftime.  He couldn't beat Ohio State with his arm and everyone knew it.  He took the snap, went left, and gained a chunk of yards.  On the next play, he took the snap, faked a handoff, and then gave three blockers time to get out in front of him to the right.  He burst past his blockers, withstood two Buckeye tacklers who tried to crunch him between themselves, stumbled, and then outran everyone for a 67-yard touchdown that put Michigan up by 7 points.  Of course, Ohio State drove down and kicked a field goal before the half, but that was still a four-point swing in the right direction for Michigan.

MVP of the game . . . Jake Ryan.  Ryan didn't score any touchdowns, but he filled up the stat sheet on the defensive side of the ball and did a good job of mostly hemming in OSU quarterback Braxton Miller.  Ryan finished the day with 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 2 forced fumbles.  Michigan still had a chance to win the game because the defense kept them in it, and Ryan was the best defensive player on the field.

Ohio State 26, Michigan 21

Here's some Kate Upton to make you feel better.

I told you so but I wish I didn't.  Last week I railed against the usage of Denard Robinson, saying that using Denard so much last week a) set him up to get injured, b) might limit his effectiveness against OSU, and c) took away the element of surprise of using him in the backfield and at receiver.  People responded by saying that they were glad Michigan used him because it would give Urban Meyer trouble preparing for this week's game.  How did that go for you?  Denard tweaked his elbow injury last week and didn't throw even once this game.  Michigan also ran very few plays with Robinson and Devin Gardner on the field, running a very vanilla and predictable offense.  I guess all that stuff last week was just for fun.

WTF.  There's really no excuse for the play calling in the second half, and that falls on both Brady Hoke and Al Borges.  People want to fire Al Borges, but the head coach has to step in and call shenanigans on the crappy play calling.  Now I'm not suggesting that either one get fired, but you can't separate the two entities. As the head guy, Hoke is responsible for the calls that are made by his coordinators.  Michigan tried running the ball up the middle with Vincent Smith - which has been a terrible idea for years - and generally went into a shell on offense.  There was no element of surprise, and all the plays and counter plays that were opened up last week by Robinson's utility were apparently erased from this week's playbook.

Derrick Green, come on down.  Outside of Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michigan's running backs are terrible.  Thomas Rawls has no vision, lacks speed, and isn't as powerful as a short yardage back should be.  Vincent Smith is gone anyway, and while I always liked him as a third down-type back, plugging him in for short-yardage plays against OSU was a poor decision.  You simply cannot expect him to gain yardage when Michigan's interior offensive line is this bad.  He did okay running outside on the inverted veer plays, but good grief, Borges has to put him in a position to be successful.  Even fullback Stephen Hopkins comes in for some criticism here, because he missed two key blocks and generally looked like he didn't understand his job.  Michigan needs running backs in a bad way, and I don't see game-breaking ability in either DeVeon Smith or Wyatt Shallman.  The coaches need to bring in a bunch of backs and let them improve through competition.

Play action bulls***. Here's the part that perhaps irked me most about the play calling in the second half.  Borges kept calling play action passes when there was clearly no threat of running the ball.  That doesn't work against teams who aren't stupid, and the Buckeyes are a lot of things - cheaters, ugly, arrogant, etc. - but their defense is always well coached.  When Devin Gardner turns around to give play action fakes, he's diverting his attention from the coverage and sometimes he's limiting himself to throwing to half the field.  The linebackers and safeties weren't biting on play action fakes to Vincent Smith because Smith gets tackled by a stiff breeze, so there's no tactical advantage.  But again and again, Gardner wasted time by running around with his back to the defense and pretending like the Buckeyes gave a s*** about the 5'7", 175 lb. running back.  Just drop Gardner straight back or roll him out.

Carlos Hyde played well.  I actually thought Michigan's interior defense would hold Hyde down pretty well, but Michigan's defensive ends and play calls seemed so concerned with Braxton Miller that they unclogged the middle a little bit.  Hyde got downhill and broke a few tackles, but there were several occasions where he got to the second and third levels without being touched.  Greg Mattison seemed to call more 4-3 Over defensive fronts than normal.

Freshman frustration.  I do not like seeing guys like James Ross and Joe Bolden out there in games like this.  It was somewhat inevitable, I guess, because of a lack of depth, but today is an example of why you need depth at linebacker.  Bolden in particular got out of position a couple times and allowed some key gains, and Ross got caught inside on a Braxton Miller run.  Both of those guys have high upsides, but freshmen are freshmen.  Next year the Wolverines should be able to go two-deep with experienced guys at every linebacker position, so we should see even more improvement in the linebacker group.

Mike Jones and Brandin Hawthorne exist in bad ways.  I was not a fan when Rich Rodriguez recruited Jones and Hawthorne, and they have worked their ways down the depth chart.  Jones incurred a 15-yard penalty for a late hit in this game, and Hawthorne has made similarly poor plays this season on special teams.  It's not a coincidence that Ross and Bolden passed those guys for playing time.  Hawthorne will graduate after this season, and I would not be surprised to see redshirt junior Jones depart with a year of eligibility remaining.

This was Gardner's worst game.  Gardner was visibly frustrated at a couple points, and it showed in his play.  Especially in the second half, it looked like he was trying to throw pinpoint passes instead if letting it fly.  He's always had a slightly awkward throwing motion, but he just didn't seem to be following through with his normal verve.  That's somewhat understandable for a kid playing quarterback in such a big game for the first time, which is why it would have been helpful to have Robinson ready to throw the ball.  Robinson had his best quarterbacking performance against these Buckeyes last season, so limiting him to 10 touches seems like a bad idea.  Gardner finished 11/20 for 171 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, and he took 4 sacks despite the absence of John Simon, OSU's best defensive lineman.  There was nobody to take the pressure off of Gardner - Robinson out of the backfield, Toussaint, Borges - and thus it was left on his shoulders to try to make plays when there none to make.

The better team won.  I argued with people all week who said that Michigan was the better team but that the Wolverines played a tougher schedule.  The bottom line is that any of us would rather be 11-0 than 8-3 coming into the game, regardless of who was on the schedule.  The Buckeyes ran the ball well, threw the ball well, and played pretty solid defense except for a couple huge plays (Robinson's 67-yard touchdown, Roundtree's 75-yard TD reception).  The bottom line is that Michigan replaced David Molk, Mike Martin, and Ryan Van Bergen with Elliott Mealer, Quinton Washington, and Craig Roh, respectively, all of which are steps backward.  I fully believe that an influx of talent is coming with Hoke's recruiting classes, but right now Michigan has a deficit that will take some time to fix.

Michigan 42, Iowa 17

Devin Gardner was responsible for 6 touchdowns on Saturday (image via AnnArbor.com)

Devin Gardner is awesome.  Prior to the game, I didn't realize how terrible Iowa's secondary is.  In the game preview, I predicted that Gardner would play his worst game as a quarterback.  That wasn't close to being true.  The Hawkeyes blew coverages repeatedly, and Gardner completed 18/23 passes for 314 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception; he also ran 9 times for 37 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He makes some questionable passes at times, and frankly, he has been lucky several times.  Both Northwestern and Iowa have had defensive backs misjudge passes that have allowed for long completions to receivers Jeremy Gallon and Roy Roundtree; better defensive backs pick off or knock down some of these passes, but I'll take it.

That Fitzgerald Toussaint injury hurts.  I didn't see it on the initial play, but the replay was nasty.  Toussaint is obviously done for the year and I would be surprised if he returns in time for spring ball.  There were rumors that he was considering leaving for the NFL after this season, but combined with his mediocre performance thus far, that seems like it won't be an option.  Hopefully he can return healthy next year, get back to his 2011 form, and raise his draft stock for 2014.  In the meantime, that hurts the Wolverines for the Ohio State game and beyond, because he was improving over the past couple weeks and the backup running backs are just so-so.

I do not like the usage of Denard Robinson.  Michigan could have won this game without playing Denard Robinson.  He's obviously not fully healthy, and he tweaked his elbow injury in the second quarter.  The coaches obviously don't trust him to throw the ball, and tweaking the injury probably means he won't be able to throw against Ohio State, either.  Yes, it was fun to watch and it gives Ohio State some other formations and plays for which to prepare, but it also potentially cost the team Robinson's throwing ability, however mediocre.  I don't understand the need to unleash those plays and formations on Iowa if Michigan could have surprised the Buckeyes with those things next week.

James Ross, welcome to the Big Ten.  Ross got his first career start at WILL in place of Desmond Morgan, and he did a pretty good job.  There were a couple issues in pass coverage and he got pushed around when offensive linemen were able to latch onto him, but the kid led the team with 12 tackles  That's a pretty good beginning, though he has played plenty throughout the year.  My expectation for next year is that Morgan will move to MIKE to make room for Ross to play WILL full-time.

Cover the tight end!  Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg didn't really try the outside, but he did repeatedly attack the middle of the field by hitting tight ends.  I don't blame him for attacking the middle of the field due to Ross's inexperience, but Iowa has decent receivers and Michigan has so-so cornerbacks.  Tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz had 8 catches for 99 yards, and Coble Krieger had 3 catches for 24 yards and 1 touchdown.  It was a good day for those guys, but it's tough to keep up a good scoring pace by dinking and dunking your way down the field with 5-yard passes to the tight ends.  Kevonte Martin-Manley was the only Iowa wideout to catch a pass, and he finished with 2 receptions for 7 yards.

Josh Furman isn't a safety.  Let me mention once again how out of place Furman is at safety.  Furman is a good special teams player, but playing safety just isn't his thing.  He entered the game late and failed to make a couple plays that were right there.  When he's not attacking downhill, he's lost.  The kid played rush linebacker in high school, and you just can't move guys back in a defense and expect them to be successful.  You can move a kid from corner to safety or safety to linebacker or linebacker to defensive end or defensive end to defensive tackle, but you can't go the other way.  If he can hold some additional weight, the coaches ought to bulk him up to play SAM.

Good for the seniors.  Twenty-three seniors played their final game at Michigan Stadium yesterday, and they were undefeated at home over the past two seasons.  It's a pretty amazing turnaround, because these fifth-year guys were the first Rich Rodriguez class from 2008 that saw Michigan lose on their home turf to Toledo.  A bunch of guys got in the stat book in their final home game, including Steve Wilson and Floyd Simmons.  Jack Kennedy took the final snap.  And Vincent Smith caught a screen pass for a touchdown for old time's sake.  Those who stay will be . . . undefeated at home.

Notre Dame 13, Michigan 6

This will not end well. (image via USA Today)

I wish I were wrong.  I pretty much had the lowest score prediction in the Michigan blogosphere, and even I didn't expect the sloppy snoozefest that occurred on Saturday night.  I was criticized on my game preview for picking a 24-20 score because the offenses were powerful and the defenses weren't.  Well . . . we saw what happened.  The defenses were okay, but the offenses aren't where they should be for either school.  Notre Dame should be more explosive for offensive genius Brian Kelly, and Michigan should be better with a senior quarterback.  Brian at MGoBlog sort of criticized my understatement that this would be Denard's worst game against Notre Dame, but I guess I wasn't clear enough; the pressure up front was bound to make Denard jumpy.  I just expected more breakdowns in the defensive backfield.

Denard Robinson is a terrible (passing) quarterback.  He was, is, and probably always will be.  I have been saying this for years.  He's capable of good games (Ohio State in 2011, for example), but that's not the norm when he faces decent teams.  Over the past two seasons, he has 26 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. Last night he was 13/24 for 138 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions; he also fumbled twice and got sacked 3 times.  There's no excuse for the poor decisions he makes, the poor footwork, the turnovers, and the inaccuracy.  Even his Hail Mary interception at the end of the first half was terrible because he overthrew every single dude on the team; you're not trying to beat the opponent deep in that situation - you're trying to complete the pass and get yards after the catch.  And all that stuff happened with Notre Dame missing starting safety Jamoris Slaughter and starting corner Lo Wood.

Vincent Smith and Al Borges d'oh.  Michigan was moving the ball really well at one point in the first quarter, and then Al Borges had to go ahead and call that play where Vincent Smith throws the ball to the other team.  That was a huge turning point in the game, because it seemed Michigan was on its way to scoring before that play.  Of course, Smith should know better than to throw it, but he's a running back.  Hell, Michigan's actual quarterback threw four picks of his own, so who's to say that Denard wouldn't have made the same poor decision?  I thought Borges called an okay game, but that was a huge, huge mistake.

Hooray for Jeremy Gallon.  I thought Gallon was pretty consistent throughout the night in all phases of the game.  He made good decisions on punt returns, ran well after the catch, and had a couple nice designed runs.

J.T. Floyd rabble rabble rabble.  He did not have a good game.  He is not good.  I take that back.  He isn't good at covering, he isn't good at supporting the run, and he isn't good at taking on blocks.  However, he does have a knack for tackling wide receivers when they catch the ball in front of him.  So there's that.

Freshman safety anger.  I hate hate hate playing freshman safeties.  I've mentioned this before.  All safeties should redshirt or be limited to special teams.  Jarrod Wilson got caught flat-footed in the second quarter and then had to grab onto Tyler Eifert to prevent a touchdown pass.  Pass interference, first down, then touchdown.  Wilson also picked up a holding penalty on the ensuing kickoff.  All that attrition in the defensive backfield over the past few years has really hurt the team.

WTF on Notre Dame's touchdown?  Notre Dame lined up in pro left with trips to the right on the 2-yard line..  Michigan put four guys down with Jake Ryan as the middle linebacker and safety Jordan Kovacs about 7 or 8 yards off the ball.  This is problematic because a) Notre Dame has six blockers to block five guys and b) Jake Ryan isn't a middle linebacker.  Ryan's read step took him to Notre Dame's left (presumably because that's where the uncovered gaps were), but he was also moving backward on the snap.  Quarterback Tommy Rees simply took the shotgun snap and ran right behind his center and right guard, who were double-teaming Quinton Washington.  Washington didn't do a bad job of holding up, but that's just setting up your defense to fail.  Put Desmond Morgan or James Ross in there, and maybe your MIKE has a chance of making the right read.

Jake Ryan's role needs to be re-evaluated.  I think the coaching staff is asking too much of him.  Sometimes he's a SAM linebacker, sometimes he's an inside linebacker, and sometimes they put him at defensive end, even in running situations.  He can't hold up at defensive end against the run.  Leave him on the edge and then move him around in obvious passing situations to get after the quarterback.  He's a quality player in some aspects, but he's not a freak athlete that can be moved around at will.

Where is Michigan now? Out of the top 25.  And that's probably where they deserve to be.  They were overrated to begin the year, and now they're probably in the range where they deserve to be.  The loss of Junior Hemingway has hurt because Denard doesn't have a go-to guy, and the lack of playmakers on the defensive line has turned this into a mediocre defense.  The linebackers and safeties are fine, but the defensive line and cornerbacks are weaknesses right now.

Video: Hoke, Denard, Smith, Campbell, Gordon, Omameh, Dileo postgame

Michigan 63, UMass 13

Jerald Robinson almost made two one-handed catches. Unfortunately, he dropped both.
(image via Boston.com)

We've seen this before. This game felt eerily similar to Michigan's 63-6 beatdown of Delaware State back in 2009.  The only difference was the interception that Denard Robinson threw, which was returned for a touchdown.

We didn't learn much from this game. I didn't really see anyone stand out in this game and make an unexpected impact. There weren't any big plays on special teams, Michigan struggled to get much pressure on the quarterback, none of the second-teamers stepped up to have a great game, etc. A few players saw their first action (Graham Glasgow, Curt Graman, Justice Hayes, Joe Kerridge, Kristian Mateus, Jordan Paskorz, Steve Wilson) and a couple guys record their first statistics (Justice Hayes had 3 carries for 19 yards and 1 touchdown; Mike Kwiatkowski had 1 catch for 16 yards), but this team still has some problems that aren't quite fixed.

Turnovers, please? Michigan is one of 11 teams in the FBS to have zero interceptions. Michigan had a chance in this game, but cornerback J.T. Floyd misplayed a long ball and let it sail harmlessly overhead. Paul Gyarmati did recover a muffed punt, though, so at least we've got that going for us. I'm looking forward to when Michigan gets some good cover corners on the field.

Vincent Smith is Spider-man. That 19-yard reception along the left sideline was ridiculous. He caught the ball, got hit immediately, spun like Kristi Yamaguchi, and kept running. I've never been a huge fan of Smith as a feature back type of player, but I'm going to miss his multi-purpose skills after this season.

Oh by the way, f*** you guys. UMass running back Michael Cox, who played for Michigan from 2008-2011, had a pretty solid game for the Minutemen.  He ended with 18 carries for 76 yards (4.2 yards per carry) behind a bad offensive line with not much of an aerial attack.  There were a couple plays where he ran east-and-west when there was no hole, losing a chunk of yards.  But he had some impressive runs against a Michigan defense that should have been able to clamp down on the running game.  I never really thought Cox was a superstar, but I did think that he deserved a shot to play when the aforementioned Smith was being used as a feature back.  The knocks on him were always fumbling (he never fumbled at Michigan, though there was a botched exchange in this game), learning the playbook (I didn't see any missed assignments in this game), and running east-west too much (perhaps a fair criticism).  The kid is a decent running back.  Also, he looked huge.

I'm scared for Michigan's offensive line. The coaches are clearly aiming to redshirt all the true freshman offensive linemen, which will only work if all the starters stay healthy.  Joey Burzynski got quite a bit of playing time at right guard and did an okay job, but the backup tackles (walk-ons Erik Gunderson and Kristian Mateus) were like revolving doors.  I still wasn't impressed with Michael Schofield at right tackle, either.  I thought he played better as a guard last season.

Devin Funchess and Devin Gardner look like studs.  Funchess (2 catches, 34 yards, 1 touchdown) outran a safety for a touchdown and caught a low pass in traffic.  Gardner (2 catches, 48 yards, 1 touchdown) grabbed a crossing route, outran a safety, tiptoed down the sideline, and launched himself across the pylon for his score. Gardner could have had two more long gainers, too, but he was badly overthrown by Denard Robinson.

Speaking of Robinson . . . I'm probably just a Debbie Downer, because the guy accounted for 397 yards and 4 touchdowns.  But he also threw a pick-six, fumbled on the goal line, and missed several open receivers.  I don't understand how he can have such poor throwing mechanics after four years of playing quarterback for a major college program.  He steps way to the left of his target, lets his arm drop, and throws off his back foot too much.  Even the Devin Funchess touchdown pass showed terrible mechanics.  Obviously, that play worked out okay, but he did the same thing on the pick-six and it cost the team a touchdown.  The kid completed 67% of his passes, threw for 3 scores, and ran for 106 yards.  He was the most dominant player in the game.  Obviously.  But good grief, he's frustrating to watch sometimes.

Frank Clark looked like a stud.  UMass didn't run much option, so Clark didn't have much of a chance to look confused and lose outside contain.  But he has a knack for knocking down passes at the line of scrimmage and ended up with 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 pass breakups.  I predicted in the game preview that he would notch his first two career sacks, and while that didn't happen, he abused the opposing tackles and was clearly the most disruptive pass rusher on the field.  If he can mature as a player and stay out of trouble off the field, he could be a solid NFL prospect in a year or two. I also liked what I saw from freshman linebackers Joe Bolden and James Ross.

2012 Season Countdown: #23 Vincent Smith

Vincent Smith

Name: Vincent Smith
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 175 lbs.
High school: Pahokee (FL) Pahokee
Position: Running back
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I ranked Smith #43 and said he would be a backup running back and third down specialist.  He rushed 50 times for 298 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and 2 touchdowns.  He also completed 1/2 passes for 17 yards and 1 touchdown, along with catching 11 passes for 149 yards (13.5 yards per catch) and 2 touchdowns, and returning 7 kickoffs for 129 yards (18.4 yards per return).

Hooray!  After two years of railing against the suboptimal deployment of Vincent Smith, Brady Hoke and Al Borges finally recognized the proper way to use a back like Smith.  He had his most productive rushing average (up from 4.4 in 2010) and his best receiving average (up from 8.7 in 2010).  When you think of a third down back, someone like Smith comes to mind.  He had an exhilarating catch-and-run against Notre Dame off a screen pass to help win the game, and he continued to be a superb blocker for Denard Robinson.

Going into his senior year, Smith looks destined to continue that same type of role.  Fitzgerald Toussaint has solidified his starting job (if he can avoid getting in too much trouble with the law), and Thomas Rawls looks the backup for the every-down position.  Smith should continue to be an all-around guy with his blocking, receiving, running, and occasional halfback passes.  He returned some kicks last season, and he could be a fill-in there, though he's not a game-changer back there due to mediocre top-end speed.  This is the type of role player that can make one or two key plays per game.  I would expect very similar production out of Smith in 2012.

Prediction: Third down back; occasional kick returner

AnnArbor.com: With Toussaint back, Hayes and other young backs are focus

Nicole Ciglar

The question with Justice Hayes has mostly been, Does he have the bulk and strength to play tailback in the Big Ten?  There's a fair amount of buzz about Hayes this spring, even though starter Fitzgerald Toussaint and primary backup Vincent Smith both return.  I guess the third- and fourth-string running backs are big stories during spring ball.

Highlights: 2011 Michigan Offense

Running Back Preview: Michigan vs. Virginia Tech

David Wilson

MICHIGAN
Starter: Redshirt sophomore Fitzgerald Toussaint began the season alternating with junior Vincent Smith, but Toussaint quickly took the lead in the race to be the lead back.  Toussaint finished the season with 174 carries for 1,011 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and 9 touchdowns.  Toussaint has the toughness to break tackles, the stop-and-go moves to make people miss, and enough speed to be a breakaway threat.  Sophomore fullback Stephen Hopkins has carried 11 times for 43 yards (3.9 yards per carry).
Backups: Smith is the third down and change-of-pace back.  He rushed the ball 49 times for 296 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and 2 touchdowns.  Despite being only 5'6" and 172 lbs., he's the superior blocker.  Smith has also caught 10 passes for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Senior Michael Shaw is the next guy in; he finished the regular season with 31 carries for 199 yards (6.4 yards per carry) and 3 touchdowns.

VIRGINIA TECH
Starter: Junior David Wilson has started all 13 games and finished the season with 266 carries for 1,627 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and 9 touchdowns.  Wilson has also caught 21 passes for 126 yards (6.0 yards per catch) and 1 touchdown.  Redshirt junior fullback Joey Phillips has 3 carries for 2 yards on the season with zero touchdowns; he has yet to catch a pass.
Backups: Fifth year senior Josh Oglesby has 90 carries for 336 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and 6 touchdowns.  Redshirt sophomore Tony Gregory has the next most carries with 16 for just 27 yards (1.7 yards per carry).

THE TAKEAWAY
Wilson is the more accomplished back.  He leads Toussaint in yardage and yards per carry.  Wilson has at least one explosive play (20+ yards) in 10 out of his 13 games, and his only sub-80-yard rushing effort of the season came against Clemson in the ACC Championship.  Toussaint is also less effective and almost non-existent in the passing game (5 catches, 14 yards, 1 touchdown) than Wilson.  Fortunately for Michigan the Wolverines have significantly more depth at the position with two backups who have starting experience and a fullback who can run a little bit, too.  If there's an injury to either running back, Michigan is more able to withstand the blow.

Running back play is largely dependent on the offensive line (which we'll discuss another day), but this is a near wash when both teams are at full strength.  Wilson is not only the First Team All-ACC running back, but has also been voted the conference's top overall player and was recently voted to the All-America team.  Toussaint would very likely have been All-Big Ten if not for the early-season platoon and missing one game due to injury.  With a superior fullback and experienced, potentially explosive backups, I have to give the advantage to . . .
Advantage: Michigan

Michigan vs. Minnesota Awards

Didn't you dummies watch the Notre Dame film?  What else is there to do in Minnesota but watch film?
(image via AnnArbor.com)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Thomas Rawls.  The freshman running back (10 carries, 73 yards) is yet another runner who looks better than Stephen Hopkins.  The lower Hopkins goes on the depth chart, the better off Michigan will be.  Fitzgerald Toussaint (11 carries, 108 yards, 1 touchdown) looks like the best back, Vincent Smith is a solid change-of-pace and third down back (5 carries, 27 yards; 3 total touchdowns), and Michael Shaw (8 carries, 60 yards) ran the ball well on Saturday, too.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Hopkins.  It was necessary for #33 to play almost the entire way because starting fullback John McColgan missed the game due to injury.  McColgan has developed into a better blocker this year than he had been previously, and I think he has some value when running out of the I-formation.  Hopkins made a nice catch out of the backfield for 28 yards, but I'm hoping McColgan can return when the schedule gets tougher.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Blake Countess.  The freshman cornerback looks to have surpassed sophomore Courtney Avery.  He's a decent enough tackler and has better coverage skills than Avery or redshirt junior J.T. Floyd.  Countess had 2 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble to go with his 5 tackles.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Troy Woolfolk.  For goodness' sake, let him have a week off.  For the fifth week in a row, Woolfolk left the game due to injury.  He's got a tweaked ankle.  I know he wants to play and I commend him for it, but everybody and their mother knew that Michigan didn't need Woolfolk to beat Minnesota handily.  The coaches had a chance to rest him against Minnesota so he would be available for the two tougher offenses coming up the next two weeks - Northwestern and Michigan State.  Now he's still injured, Northwestern looms as a snake in the grass that could rise up and bite the Wolverines, and Michigan State follows with its dangerous passing game.  There won't be another possible opportunity to rest him until possibly Purdue, three weeks from now.

Play of the game . . . The most exciting play of the game was Devin Gardner's scramble and run.  He bootlegged right into a defender, ran out of an arm tackle, reversed field, juked two defenders, gained about 4 yards up the sideline, and then churned his legs for another 2 or 3 yards after the defense caught up to him.

MVP of the game . . . It's a tough choice between Denard Robinson, Vincent Smith, and Fitzgerald Toussaint.  I'm going to go with Smith, who didn't have a monster day numbers-wise but had a hand in three offensive touchdowns.  His day included 5 carries for 27 yards and 1 touchdown; 1 pass reception for 28 yards and a touchdown; and 1 halfback pass for 17 yards and a touchdown to Drew Dileo.  On top of that, he made a heads up recovery of a Devin Gardner fumble late in the game.

Michigan 58, Minnesota 0

bludg·eon/ˈbləjən/

Verb: Beat (someone) repeatedly with a bludgeon or other heavy object

I bet Minnesota fans are yearning for Glen Mason.  I know Minnesota wasn't exactly a juggernaut under their former coach, but at least a winning season was within reach.  Today was downright embarrassing for the Gophers.  They managed only 177 yards to Michigan's 580, of which 363 came on the ground.  It's not just that they were overmatched physically - it's that they didn't look like they wanted to play.

Vincent Smith yay.  Smith had a day that would make LaDainian Tomlinson jealous.  Smith carried the ball 5 times for 27 yards and 1 touchdown, caught 1 pass for 28 yards and a touchdown, and threw a halfback pass to Drew Dileo for a 17-yard touchdown.  The touchdown reception looked like the exact same play on which Smith scored against Notre Dame a few weeks ago.

Trick plays galore.  I think Al Borges ate a box of sparklers for breakfast this morning, because he was farting out fireworks.  Backup quarterback Devin Gardner took some snaps early in an effort to confuse the defense, which worked in a way, because he turned what looked like a triple pass into a gain of about five yards.  In the first quarter, with Gardner at quarterback and Denard Robinson at a wing position, Gardner pitched to Robinson who ran right, then threw back to Gardner on the left, and Gardner wanted to hit a wide receiver (Junior Hemingway?) streaking downfield.  But the receiver was well covered and Gardner just tucked it and ran.  Eat your heart out, Eastern Michigan.  Meanwhile, the halfback pass and other option plays with both Gardner and Robinson in the game made me think Brady Hoke has been sneaking into Chris Petersen's bedroom and reading his diary.

Blake Countess is the next Leon Hall.  Yep, I said it.  Minnesota doesn't have the greatest talent in the world, but Countess has looked pretty darn good for two weeks in a row.  Courtney Avery had a nice 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown, but Avery has been getting beaten more regularly than any of Michigan's other corners this year.  He's still not bad, but it looks like Countess will grab a starting spot sooner rather than later.

Fitzgerald Toussaint, please stay healthy.  Toussaint seems to have gained some confidence since the 2011 opener.  He's running more decisively and doing a better job of running with a purpose.  He had 11 carries for 108 yards, including his customary single-back dive over the top for a goal line touchdown.  What's the over/under on how many times he scores on that play this year?

FIRE JERRY KILL.  He grabbed a kid's facemask.  This madman must be stopped!

Shoelace, Jr.  Devin Gardner made some very Denard-esque plays, topped off by losing his shoe on one scramble.  Only two of his five throws were completed, but one was a downright drop by Roy Roundtree and another was a catchable ball that Jeremy Gallon probably should have had; the fifth should have been an interception, but Minnesota's defensive back wanted his belly button to get its first career pick.  I found it hilarious that the BTN's color analyst said he made "a great play on the ball"; if making a great play on the ball means jumping for a pass that hits you in the chest, then I used to coach some superstar middle schoolers.

William Campbell killed a guy with a trident.  Campbell literally ran over the center on one play and also crushed quarterback Max Shortell into the ground.  The switch is getting closer and closer to being flipped . . .

Biggest blowout in series history.  Michigan won this game with the biggest margin of victory in series history, beating the 1993 episode that saw the Wolverines beat the Gophers by a score of 58-7.

Michigan 28, San Diego State 7

Denard Robinson had 200 yards rushing in Saturday's 28-21 victory (image via LA Times)

What is this "defense" thing everyone keeps talking about?  Aside from the Notre Dame game, Michigan has allowed only 6.7 points per game.  Admittedly, those other three opponents have been mediocre - two MAC teams and a decent squad from the MWC - but this is still a somewhat impressive turnaround from last year.  The Wolverines held San Diego State's rushing attack to only 4.2 yards per carry and forced quarterback Ryan Lindley into completing fewer than 50% of his passes.

Weekly Denard Robinson blurb.  I'm not sure how I feel about Denard Robinson's play right now.  I love the kid for his heart and attitude - and considerable running skills - but something just isn't clicking.  He finished the game 8-for-17 passing with 93 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.  Those numbers are horrible, and that's the third week in a row that his completion percentage has been lower than 50%.  And while it would have been great for Kevin Koger to grab that pass that hit him right in the stomach, the bottom line is that Robinson is extremely inaccurate and making bad decisions.  He threw one pass into double coverage that had no business being thrown, and the other he threw the other pick to a blanketed receiver.  If Michigan keeps winning, then it doesn't really matter what his completion percentage is.  But if his inaccuracy bites the Wolverines in the butt at any point - and it probably will - then you can bet that some members of the Michigan fan base and the media will start wondering if Devin Gardner should get a shot at quarterback and if Robinson should move to running back.  On top of the scattershot arm, it seems to me that Robinson looks a bit slower this year than he did last season.  Perhaps he's worn down or defenses are faster this year; I know he had a 53-yard touchdown run and 200 yards rushing overall, but something seems different.

Craig Roh reads Touch the Banner.  Having been spurred on by my call for him to be relegated to a backup role a couple weeks ago, Roh has since responded with two solid games.  This week he had 2 tackles; one was a short yardage stuff of running back Ronnie Hillman, and the other was a sack of Lindley on which Roh forced a fumble.  It's slightly disappointing that Michigan could only manage one sack on 48 attempts, but it seemed like San Diego State started taking shorter drops and getting the ball out quicker as the game wore on.

Running back argh.  First, I would like to say that I thought Vincent Smith (9 carries, 49 yards, 1 TD) had his best day running the ball at Michigan - except for the fumble.  I know he's had better games statistically (118 yards vs. Eastern Michigan last week, 166 yards against Delaware State in 2009), but those were into gaping holes.  Smith actually took short gains and turned them into long gains or a touchdown this week.  Hooray for him.  Fitzgerald Toussaint had a solid day, too (13 carries, 67 yards).  But dammit, I'm going to start beating the Michael Cox drum again.  Stephen Hopkins is my new whipping boy.  Hopkins needs to sit his butt on the bench and not see the light of day unless he's a lead blocker or running down the field on special teams or something.  Not only is he slow, but he fumbles.  In six carries this season, he has fumbled twice; in 43 career carries, he has fumbled three times.  If you're going to be a fumbler, you should at least offer a little bit of reward for the risk; he's averaging 3.9 yards a carry in his career.  Fine, Toussaint and Smith are the top two backs, whatever.  But if you're going to give a third guy a carry, for God's sake let it be Cox (8.9 yards a carry) or Michael Shaw (5.2).

Jake Ryan is a dreamboat.  That dude is just a playmaker.  He's always around the ball and always making things happen.  Going back to the spring when he had a sack and an interception returned for a touchdown, Ryan has been a stud.  In four games this season, he has 13 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 fumble recoveries, and forced the interception that Brandon Herron returned 94 yards for a touchdown against Western Michigan; he almost had a third fumble recovery on Saturday, but Thomas Gordon beat him to it by a fraction of a second.  Ryan still does some fundamental things wrong, but this kid looks like a future star.  Also, he has pretty hair that the ladies surely love.

Speaking of future stars.  Blake Countess got a lot of run on Saturday, and he looked more than capable.  San Diego State started picking on him, and Countess responded with 7 tackles and a pass breakup.  The true freshman cornerback was in good position most of the time, and when he was beaten, it was on pinpoint throws by a fifth year senior quarterback.  While I hope that starter Troy Woolfolk can return soon after aggravating his sprained ankle, it looks like Michigan has a capable backup if Woolfolk needs to sit out next week.

On SDSU's list of things to review this week: option responsibilities.  Seriously, three dudes jump the pitch man, and nobody accounts for the quarterback?

Congratulations to Brady Hoke.  I know it must be tough to coach against the kids he coached last year and the coaches he worked with last season, but it was classy all around - except for the words of former SDSU lineman Kyle Turley, who is a certified douche.  San Diego State's head coach Rocky Long had nothing but good things to say about Hoke.  I don't have any statistics to back this up, but I imagine it's pretty rare for a college head coach to take another head coaching job . . . and then play his old team the following year.

When I get old, I want to look like Greg Mattison.  He's still all barrel chested and stuff.  He must eat his spinach.  That dude still looks like he could wrestle a bear.  And my money's not on the bear.

Michigan 31, Eastern Michigan 3

Thomas Gordon makes a one-handed interception

A win is a win.  It's tough to complain about a 28-point victory.  I'll find a way, though.

Al Borges got Rich Rodriguez Syndrome.  Hopefully it's not an incurable disease, but there's no reason for Denard Robinson to be running the ball 26 times (for 198 yards and 1 touchdown) against Eastern Michigan in a 28-point blowout.  The guy who missed parts of ten games last season with various injuries - and who's reportedly suffering from a sore arm - needs a break once in awhile.  When the Wolverines started their second-to-last drive with approximately ten minutes left in the fourth quarter, I thought backup Devin Gardner should have entered the game.  It was 28-3.  But Michigan was close to its own end zone, and I understand not wanting to put in a young, raw backup in that spot on the field.  So what about when they crossed the 40?  When they crossed the 50?  Robinson was still running the ball up until the point that Brendan Gibbons kicked a short field goal.  The other running backs combined for 23 carries in the game.  We get it - Denard Robinson can run the ball, and that's okay if the game's outcome is in question, such as against Notre Dame.  But how about getting someone else in gear?

Denard Robinson has Steve Blass Disease.  For a second week in a row, Robinson's inaccuracy was on display.  He finished the game 7-for-18 (39%) for 95 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception after completing 46% of his passes against Notre Dame.  That's a two-game total of 43% passing and 4 interceptions.  This is not Al Borges's fault.  It's not Brady Hoke's fault.  There are wide open receivers that Robinson is flat-out missing.  Kudos to Rich Rodriguez for figuring out that hitches, bubble screens, and inside slants are the only passes Robinson can complete with any regularity.

The Big Ten Network's announcers don't get paid, do they?  I turned the volume down at various points, but those guys were clueless.  Thomas Rawls had a carry in the second quarter (no, he didn't), we have a starting defensive lineman named "Will Henninner" (no, we don't), and Eastern Michigan "abandoned the run game" (they threw a total of 6 passes).  Seeing Jon Jansen on the sideline was cool and all, but if the guys in the broadcast booth are going to be dumb, they could at least apologize to viewers by way of Melanie Collins or Ashley Russell (if they still work for the BTN).

Vincent Smith had a good game.  I don't know if it's just luck or if the offensive linemen block a little harder when #2 gets the call, but Smith had lots of wide open running lanes.  Despite getting only nine carries, the 5'6" running back had 118 yards.  Those yards came on runs of 38, 27, 5, 14, 5, 6, 0, 11, and 12.  Fitzgerald Toussaint had a solid day with 11 carries for 46 yards and 1 touchdown, but he and Michael Shaw keep running into traffic whereas Smith had gaping holes several times.  I noticed in the spring that Smith seems to have his quickness back now that he's nearly two years removed from tearing his ACL, but it still concerns me that he can't break tackles.

Craig Roh, welcome back!  In the first two games of the season, Roh did his best impression of Keyser Soze.  Zero tackles, zero sacks, zero pass breakups, nothing.  This week he broke out with 5 tackles and 1 sack.  Last week Greg Mattison said that Roh played very well in the Notre Dame game, so it wasn't too much of a surprise when Roh started once again over Jibreel Black.  Hopefully Roh continues to improve.

Bye bye, redshirts.  Several true freshmen have played so far this year, including a couple guys who played for the first time this week - Thomas Rawls and Raymon Taylor.  Other freshmen to see time this year include Desmond Morgan, Matt Wile, Blake Countess, Brennen Beyer, and Gregg Brown.  No freshmen have really stood out, although Frank Clark had a nice play and Taylor . . . got a 15-yard penalty for a late hit.  Otherwise, we haven't really seen any game changers from this freshman class, and I don't suspect we'll see any this year.

What happened to the jet sweeps?  Eastern Michigan was having oodles of success with the jet sweep in the first half, and then they just stopped.  I'm not sure if Michigan started scheming against it and taking it away, but it seemed to be in the best interest of EMU head coach Ron English to keep them coming.

This is Michigan's best safety combination since 2007.  Jordan Kovacs (8 tackles) and Thomas Gordon (6 tackles, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery) are playing better than any safety combo since Brandent Englemon and Jamar Adams.  Kovacs seems to have gained some speed since we first saw him in 2009, and Gordon is a solid tackler with decent ball skills.  Neither one will win many foot races, but so far they've helped to limit big plays.  Hopefully that continues into the Big Ten season.

Brendan Gibbons kicked the ball through the uprights.  That might have been the play of the day, if not for Thomas Gordon's one-handed pick on a double pass.

2011 Countdown: #43 Vincent Smith

Vincent Smith (#2)

Name: Vincent Smith

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Pahokee High School in Pahokee, FL
Position: Running back
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I ranked Smith #36 and said he'd be a backup running back.  He started 10 games, rushed for 601 yards on 136 carries with 5 touchdowns, and caught 15 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns.

I have no choice but to admit that I was wrong about Smith's role in 2010.  He received a plurality of the carries given to running backs (quarterback Denard Robinson ran the ball most often), and finished with 4.4 yards per carry.  My frustration with the way running backs were deployed by Rich Rodriguez has been well documented, not least because from a purely mathematical standpoint, Smith was Michigan's fourth-most explosive runner (behind Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michael Cox, and Michael Shaw).  Of the 21 players with over 100 carries in the Big Ten last season, Smith had the 17th-best yards per carry; he was #12 of the 16 Big Ten running backs.

Brady Hoke's offense will likely put more of an emphasis on running the ball with power, and finally someone seems to agree with me in regard to Smith's talents.  Hoke doesn't seem to think that Smith is a feature back, either, which was evidenced by the seeming use of Smith as a third down-type back in the spring.  And for the record, I have no problem with that.  Smith is a third down back in almost every stereotypical fashion (good hands, willing blocker, quick and elusive in open space, etc.).  He could be very integral to the offense this season, and I wouldn't mind seeing if he could help with punt returns.  Though he's not extremely fast, his size and talents lend themselves to perhaps being solid but unspectacular in the return game.

Prediction: Backup running back; third down specialist

Poll Results: Who will be Michigan's leading receiver in 2011?

Roy Roundtree

Roy Roundtree: 48%

Junior Hemingway: 38%

Je'Ron Stokes: 4%

Martavious Odoms: 2%

Darryl Stonum: 2%

Drew Dileo: ~0%

Kevin Koger: ~0%

Jerald Robinson: ~0%

Vincent Smith: ~0%

Other: ~0%

Roundtree was the obvious choice here, since he's Michigan's reigning receiving champ.  He had 72 receptions for 935 yards and 7 touchdowns a year ago and made the media's All-Big Ten second team.  But this spring was a bit of an eye-opener, I think, because he wasn't the star of the show.  Roundtree was often running with the second team offense and, although nobody else caught more, he only had 1 catch (for 12 yards) in the spring game.

Hemingway was the obvious #2 choice here, too.  He was Michigan's third-leading receiver last season, grabbing 32 passes for 593 yards and 4 touchdowns.  While his number of receptions was well below those of the top two guys last year (72 for Roundtree, 49 for Stonum), he averaged over 18 yards a catch, compared to their combined 13 yards per reception.  Hemingway is the more prototypical wideout for Michigan (a big leaper with so-so speed), but he's missed time in each of the last three seasons due to injury.

Je'Ron Stokes was a bit of a surprise to finish third in the voting.  I would have expected Odoms or Stonum ahead of him.  Stokes only has 3 catches for 27 yards in his first two seasons.  The new coaching staff could bring with it a new pecking order, but I think Stokes is a bench player until the four senior receivers depart.

Odoms has progressively lost ground since his freshman year, going from 443 yards in 2008 to 272 yards in 2009 to 241 yards in 2010.  Part of that loss of production last season was due to missing six games because of injury.  He's small at only 5'8" and 175 lbs., but his willingness to block might propel him to a starting role.  As long as he stays healthy, I would guess he'll see an uptick in yardage this coming season.  But he hasn't led the team in receiving since his freshman year, and I doubt that's going to change.

Stonum is going to have a difficult time digging himself out of the hole that he created for himself.  He's been in trouble with the law on multiple occasions, and his Michigan career is in jeopardy because of it.  He's currently in limbo on "indefinite suspension" and should miss at least a couple games.  Punishing kids for breaking the law ought to come in the form of missed playing time during the year, not in the offseason.

Dileo, Koger, Robinson, and Smith probably aren't viable options.  I figured I would throw them up there just in case a good number of people expected something I didn't, but voters' thoughts seem to be mostly in line with mine.  Kudos to the one person who voted for Vincent Smith, though.  Dare to be different.

Poll Results: Starting running back in 2011?

Stephen Hopkins tries to break a tackle against Bowling Green State

Recently I asked the question: Who will be Michigan's starting running back in 2011?

The results:

29% - Stephen Hopkins
28% - Michael Cox
18% - Michael Shaw
10% - Thomas Rawls
6% - Fitzgerald Toussaint
4% - Justice Hayes
2% - Vincent Smith

Some of this voting seems a bit dubious.  First of all, if you're a frequent reader, you know that I'm a fan of Michael Cox's running ability.  You've heard reasons why he didn't play much the past couple seasons (couldn't learn the plays, fumbled in practice, etc.).  But you've also seen me make a case for why his in-game production (8.9 yards a carry, frequent big plays) warrants a longer look.  Cox supposedly had a class conflict with some afternoon practices this spring, which caused him to miss some practice time.  That has reportedly hurt him in the eyes of the coaches, which doesn't make any damn sense at all.  I guess student-athletes who get punished for missing classes (they have to push a 45-pound weight plate up and down the field 15 times) ought to . . . miss classes and become athlete-students if they want to get on the field.

I can see why Hopkins would be the leading vote-getter because, after all, he was able to attend every single one of the spring practices, and that made the coaches happy.  Yet he averaged 4.1 yards a carry in 2010 (the lowest average on the team) and I didn't see a single impressive run in spring practices or in the spring game.  Of course, all the Youtube clips and highlights don't encapsulate everything a kid accomplishes over 15 practices, but one would think that a starting running back would have at least a couple highlight-worthy runs.

Shaw is another guy who seems to have been knocked down a peg or two because he had a broken hand and wore a cast for most of the spring.  He's perpetually injured but when he plays, he looks good.

The other vote-getter I take issue with is Justice Hayes.  With all the options available, 4% of voters chose Hayes.  I don't see how a 182 lb. incoming freshman is going to unseat a bunch of bigger, faster, and (in my opinion) better backs.  But especially when one considers that he received double the amount of votes as last year's starter Vincent Smith, something's wrong here.  I guess a bunch of Justice's family members must have been visiting this website over the past week.

Overall, I don't see how one can justify playing Hopkins over two guys who put up good numbers last year (Cox averaged 9.3 yards a pop; Shaw averaged 5.4 and had 9 touchdowns), but it's a new coaching staff, a new offensive system, and I guess anything can happen.

2011 Spring Game Statistics

I haven't seen these posted anywhere and struggled to find them through a Google search, so here are the statistics from Michigan's spring game on April 16, as tallied by The Wolverine:

PASSING
Denard Robinson: 5/14, 71 yards
Devin Gardner: 5/10, 99 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Steve Wilson: 0/2
Jack Kennedy: 1/2, 10 yards

RUSHING
Michael Cox: 4 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD
Denard Robinson: 6 carries, 48 yards
Michael Shaw: 3 carries, 39 yards
Stephen Hopkins: 6 carries, 17 yards
Fitzgerald Toussaint: 7 carries, 14 yards
Jihad Rasheed: 3 carries, 10 yards
O'Neil Swanson: 3 carries, 5 yards
Steve Wilson: 1 carry, 1 yard
Vincent Smith: 1 carry, 0 yards
Jack Kennedy: 1 carry, -3 yards
Devin Gardner: 4 carries, -9 yards

RECEIVING
Jordan Barpal: 1 catch, 50 yards
Je'ron Stokes: 2 catches, 34 yards, 1 TD
Vincent Smith: 1 catch, 33 yards
Kelvin Grady: 1 catch, 10 yards
O'Neil Swanson: 1 catch, 10 yards
Kevin Koger: 1 catch, 7 yards

SACKS
Jake Ryan: 2
Carvin Johnson: 1
Craig Roh: 1

INTERCEPTIONS
Carvin Johnson: 2
Marell Evans: 1
Jake Ryan: 1 (returned for a TD)

FIELD GOALS
Seth Broekhuizen: 0/1 (missed from 30 yards)
Brendan Gibbons: 0/1 (missed from 48 yards)

PUNTING
Will Hagerup: 2 punts, 79 yards



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