 |
| Devin Gardner was highly effective throughout Saturday's victory (image via Bleacher Report) |
Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Jerald Robinson. I know former players keep picking him to break out each year, but he has done very little in his opportunities. Maybe he's just one of those guys who's an all-star in practice but can't get it done in games. That happens sometimes.
Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Kenny Demens. Yeah, I know he's a starter. He was pulled out of the game for long stretches of the game, though, and Joe Bolden was inserted. Bolden isn't ready to play in these Big Ten games. I like him and I think he'll be good, but he's just not there yet. Demens played almost every snap last year and seemed to do fine, so in these tight games, I'd like to see the senior playing as much as possible.
Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Kain Colter. Yeesh, that guy scared me.
Play of the game . . . Devin Gardner to Roy Roundtree. That pass at the end of regulation, which was tipped by the defender and caught by Roundtree as he fell to the ground, set up the game-tying field goal by Brendan Gibbons. It wasn't the game-winning touchdown by Gardner or the game-sealing tackle by Kenny Demens, but those plays don't happen without that highlight-reel catch by Roundtree.
MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner. I almost picked Roundtree, but Gardner accounted for four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing) and made a ton of huge plays in that game. He scrambled for first downs, chucked the ball at Fitzgerald Toussaint to prevent a safety, threw the pass to Roundtree, and scored the winning touchdown. He finished the game 16/29 for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception; he also rushed 9 times for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Remember when you were thirteen and they were trying to teach you tackling?
ReplyDeleteHit, Lift and Carry, Hit, Lift and Carry, Hit, Lift and Carry.
Demens' last hit was about as textbook as it gets.
I still can't believe they left him unblocked ..... grateful though.
Stating the obvious time: I already miss Denard, but I'm very excited at the prospect of Devin Gardner at quarterback- especially next year. It always seemed like DG had the tools, but in his limited opportunities he tried hitting home runs to showcase his talents, rather than letting plays develop. At any rate, the QB position suddenly looks brighter for next year.
ReplyDelete-WillyWill9
Agree wholeheartedly with getting Jerald Robinson fewer snaps, but I was really expecting the "let's see less of this guy on defense" was going to be Brennan Beyer. I thought he played particularly poorly against NW.
ReplyDeleteI thought about Beyer, but much like the offensive line and JT Floyd, there's nobody else to put there. Clark is already playing a significant number of snaps (and not playing great), and Ojemudia has been injured.
DeleteYou're probably right about Demens, but the coaches seem to trust Bolden against run-dominated attacks. And hey, they still won the game and Bolden got a little more experience. It'll be nice to have Bolden and Ross both competing for a starting spot next year with a little bit of playing time under their belts.
ReplyDeleteIt looked like there was a ton of substituting going on in the front 7 in general. It payed off late in the game as NW's defense was clearly more gassed after subbing much less. I like the philosophy. UM is going to have excellent front 7 depth going forward, even if they have to endure some sub-par play from back-ups now and then.
DeleteMaybe I am missing something on Bolden, but he appears to have a ways to go. Of course that is normal for LB's because things move so fast. But maybe he was a little over-hyped in the spring. Expect he will at least be a nice back-up to Morgan next year at MLB. Think Ross is a shue-in at Will next year.
I don't think Bolden would be playing if he had that far to go. Obviously, he'll get better, but he's already a guy that can play ahead of decent players like Hawthorne and his PT has been roughly equal to Ross, who looks very good. I'll trust the coaches on this one.
DeleteFreshman who play without screwing up majorly generally end up being really good player. Pipkins, Ojemudia, Ross, Bolden, Wilson -- these guys are going to be much better next year and will end as all-conference players by the time they're through.
Is there a reason why we are not seeing Amara Darboh? I know he's a true freshman but he plays a position that many say is the easiest to come in and play right away. They already burned his RS so why not see what he can do over Jerald Robinson.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there is a reason (lack of experience, dropsies, etc.), but I don't know what it is.
DeleteNeed to hear from someone who knows. Gardner's throwing motion/mechanics seem...odd. Not quite at Taylor Martinez levels of shot-putting every throw, but not exactly textbook either. How much, if at all, does a motion like that affect his deep balls? He seemed to consistently underthrow. Is it the motion, his ability to place the ball, or a combination of the two?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it affects his deep balls very much. In fact, I think it's more of an issue on his short throws. The "underthrowing" problem is more a function of him trying to put touch on the ball, I think. He seems to be a guy who's still trying to figure out just how fast the college game goes.
DeleteIt also looks to me like the ball comes out low. He has way more passes batted down at the line than I would expect for a quarterback of his height.
DeleteI don't think that's really a problem, Matt. I think the bigger issue is that he sometimes telegraphs his passes and he's not that experienced, so he doesn't find the best throwing alleys. I think the batted passes are better explained by inexperience/pocket presence than delivery. His delivery isn't perfect, but it's not a major concern to me. He does have pretty good pocket awareness, though, and I think that's an issue that will get fixed over time.
DeleteI personally don't think his throwing motion messes with his deep balls, I think he under throws bc his timing is off he's not hitting open receivers early enough.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see less of Jeremy Jackson on offense. It still blows my mind how he's getting so much playing time, especially on third and long when he's pretty much useless.
ReplyDeleteJackson at least seems to catch the balls that are thrown to him. Robinson has more drops than receptions, I think.
DeleteTo me, it looks as though he's simply trying really hard to not over throw or mess up the pass to a wide open guy who's only 6 or so yards away.
ReplyDeleteWillyWill9
Need to see more Dileo. We keep trotting out guys like Robinson and Jackson and Reynalds, but Dileo is the best option right now. Maybe he isn't a good blocker or something?
ReplyDelete