Bleacher Report - Articles by LudaChristian at Victors Valiant

Michigan Vs. Miami (Ohio) Preview

LudaChristian at Victors Valiant — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:18:13 -0400

Miami & U of Michigan will face each other on the gridiron for the fifth time at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, with all four of the previous games also being played at the Big House.

The Wolverines are 4-0 against the RedHawks, who lost their season opener to Vanderbilt. Expect a better effort out of the Wolverines, who didn’t look so hot in the first half of Rodriguez’s maiden voyage against Utah.

The defense must dominate and the offensive line has to protect better—the running game averaged just 1.4 yards per carry and both quarterbacks looked rushed at times, leading to poor decisions. If both of those things occur, Michigan should escape to .500.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

QB Steven Threet — Seems to have made fewer mistakes than Nick Sheridan and has therefore earned a starting role, at least temporarily. Threet also threw better against Utah, IMO. We’ll need to make somebody believe we can throw the ball.

RB Brandon Minor — He'll be forced to split carries with the two freshmen, Sam McGuffie and Michael Shaw (Grady returns this week, too), but Minor's experience and leadership might be enough to keep him on the field the majority of the time.

LB Obi Ezeh — He’s not on the award lists, but the dude racked up 15 tackles against the Utes. Our linebacker play needs to continue to improve, and Ezeh will be a big part of that.

INJURY REPORT:

RB Carlos Brown injured his shoulder against Utah and is questionable.

WR Greg Matthews (ankle) and DE Ryan Van Bergen (ankle) are day-to-day.

WR Junior Hemingway is still bothered by a shoulder injury, but made two catches against Utah and should play against Miami.

SCOUTING THE O: Michigan totaled just 203 yards against Utah, including a gaunt 36 on the ground. Rich Rodriguez called the offensive line's play "below average" and blamed the line for part of the running game's troubles.

Rodriguez says the competition at tailback between Brandon Minor, Michael Shaw and Sam McGuffie is too close to call. Expect all three to play again vs. the RedHawks.

SCOUTING THE D: This was supposed to be the team's strength, but the defense was smacked in the mouth for over 300 yards in the first half against Utah. While the D brought the pain in the 2nd half, they absolutely need to put both halves together every game for Michigan to have a chance this season. The veteran D-line & secondary need to step up.

MIAMI TIES:

Legendary Coach Bo Schembechler was hired away from Miami Ohio back in 1968 to coach the Wolverines.

Long-time U of M equipment manager Jon Falk earned a phys. ed. degree from Miami in 1971 and was an assistant equipment manager there before taking the head manager job at U of M in 1974.

Current Miami athletic director Brad Bates is a U of M alum (1981) and was a defensive back for the Wolverines from 1977-81. He was on three Big Ten Championship squads and played in three Rose Bowls and a Gator Bowl.

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I hate to make excuses for last week's showing, but we are inexperienced at some key positions, we are running a brand new offense, and Utah is a good, experienced team. Look for some of the kinks to be worked out this week, going up against some lesser competition. Valiant Prediction: U of M 24-Miami 10.

Michigan Wolverines: A Look at Rich Rodriguez's Florida Recruiting

LudaChristian at Victors Valiant — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:48:37 -0400

Sam Webb from the Detroit News takes a look at Michigan's recruiting trail, where things are heating up in the Sunshine State:

One of the most obvious recruiting developments in the brief Rich Rodriguez era is the emphasis placed on Florida. The Wolverines have assigned assistants Greg Frey, Calvin Magee and Rod Smith to recruit the state. Only the state of Michigan, in which six coaches are assigned to recruit, has a greater representation. As a result, the number of Florida prospects with confirmed offers has spiked this spring, and it is still on the rise.
RB Jaamal Berry, Palmetto High (Miami), 5-11/184/4.31: Berry has been one of the hottest recruits in the country during April. Michigan threw its scholarship hat in the ring on Monday on the heels of an outstanding combine performance. He scorched the 40-yard dash at the Scout.com/Under Armour event a few weeks ago in Miami by running a blistering 4.31 and delivering a 38.5-inch vertical. Scout.com Florida analyst Mike Bakas was impressed by Berry's showing: "He's plenty big enough and will likely be a 200-plus pound kid in college. He looked like the big-time player we saw on film and continues making a strong case to become a five-star player." Berry has made it a point to chat with other Florida prospects about attending the same school, including Michigan targets Eugene Smith, Brandon McGee and Frankie Telfort.
CB Brandon McGee, Plantation High, 6-0/180/4.45: McGee is clearly one of the most electrifying prospects in the Sunshine State. He didn't play a down at the position he's being recruited for, but none of the programs pursuing him seem to mind. He's that good. "My season last year went pretty well," McGee said. "I played seven games and missed three due to a high ankle sprain. I actually played most of my season injured, but it still turned out pretty well. Colleges aren't recruiting McGee at quarterback, though. "They want me as a corner," he said. "Cornerback is the position that works to my advantage with my height, my speed, and my size. I'm working on perfecting my cover skills this summer. I'm getting with my trainer and my position coach and I'm trying to become a lockdown corner. I'm playing both ways this year."
DT Antwan Lowery, Christopher Columbus High (Miami), 6-3/336/5.31: Lowery is one of the more recent Michigan offer recipients. Noted for his agility, he will be even more effective once he trims down to his desired playing weight of 300. One of the major factors in Lowery's college decision will be academics. "Education is the most important thing in my life," Lowery told Scout.com. "I am looking for a school with a good student-to-teacher ratio and a place where the teachers can help the students."
WR Nu'Keese Richardson, Pahokee High, 5-9/155/4.50: Richardson was the wing man to incoming Michigan freshman Martavious Odoms last year at Pahokee. Now that "Tay" is on his way to Ann Arbor, Richardson is the main man for his squad. Last year he hauled in 26 receptions for 452 yards and six touchdowns. He also racked up 274 yards and four touchdowns passing. His cat-like quickness is tailor-made for the slot receiver position in Michigan's offense.
S Jonathan Scott, Seabreeze High (Daytona Beach), 6-4/195/4.60: The recruiting process is not a foreign experience to Scott. He is the younger brother of former Georgia Tech standout Kenny Scott and Ohio State sophomore corner James Scott. Now it is Jonathan's turn, and he is slowly but surely becoming a coveted prospect in his own right. He already has eight offers, the most recent from Michigan. "I'm a big guy that can drop his hips and get loose," Scott said. The Wolverines currently sit in Scott's top three with LSU and Florida State.
QB Eugene Smith, Miramar High, 6-3/180/4.60: Smith is just the kind dual-threat signal-caller Rich Rodriguez covets. He is a threat to go the distance whenever he scrambles, but is equally dangerous through the air. His passing accuracy and ability to read defenses distinguishes him from the stereotypical "running quarterback." As a junior he passed for 1,597 yards, completing 70-of-115, with 21 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He holds offers from all three Florida powers and a host of other big-time programs, but the Wolverines are definitely a factor in the race for his services.
RB Vincent Smith, Pahokee High, 5-8/165/4.60: Also a teammate of Martavious Odoms at Pahokee, Smith is scatback type with outstanding hands. Though not as fast as Nu'Keese Richardson, he too has the open-field ability that translates not only to tailback, but to slot receiver as well.
LB/S Frankie Telfort, Gulliver Prep (Miami), 5-11/197/4.41: Telfort displayed tremendous athleticism at a recent Scout.com/Under Armour combine in Miami, running a blazing 4.41 and turning in a 36-inch vertical. He doesn't have prototypical linebacker size, but he is a ferocious hitter and possesses the kind of inline quickness that allows him to stay with backs in space. "I have good speed, knowledge and explosiveness," Telfort told Scout.com. "A lot of people say I play like Ray Lewis and go crazy on the field sometimes. I'm also a good leader on the field." His Michigan recruitment is in its infancy, but he has definite interest.
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I like the speedy kids we're going after -- speed is, after all, one of the keys to Rodriguez's successful offenses. The fact that [current commit] Martavious Odoms has paved a way from Pahokee High to A2 for his other standout h.s. teammates is promising, too. Florida has proven to be one of the hotbeds for football talent, so I'm glad we're hitting it as hard as we are.

Michigan Wolverines: "Kind of on Track" After Spring Game

LudaChristian at Victors Valiant — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:47:00 -0400

Rich Rodriguez watched the Michigan offense score three touchdowns and kick three field goals during the public scrimmage at Saline High School Saturday, but said plenty of work lies ahead.

"We're kind of on track," Rodriguez said, "but our guys realize we've got to have a great summer. We've got to be faster. We still have a ways to go."

The offense alternated quarterbacks Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan most of the day and both led early scoring drives, Threet taking the first-string snaps and Sheridan taking reps with the second team. After a field goal on the opening possession, Brandon Minor scored on a short touchdown run. From there, the defense more than held its own.

The unit finished the day with five interceptions and a fumble recovery.

"After the field goal and touchdown, we wanted to make it tougher on them," said safety Stevie Brown, who picked off Threet late in the afternoon. "That’'s what (defensive coordinator Scott Shafer) is all about. He really pushes getting out there and getting turnovers."

Saturday's cold, windy and rainy conditions also hampered the Wolverines' passing game. Whatever the reason, Rodriguez said he expected the defense to be the stronger unit.

"The defense came along about how I expected," he said. "The defense should dominate. If they don't, we're going to have some issues."

Rodriguez admitted the coaching staff kept the plays relatively simple for the scrimmage in an attempt to throw off any potential spies in the stands.

"We were pretty generic," Rodriguez said. "I didn't let the defense do too many things. I didn't want the offense to do too many things.

"Why show your hand? There may be folks here you don't want to see."

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Overall, the attitude seems pretty positive going into the end of Spring practice, despite the players that left and the lack of depth at a couple key positions. I think we'll be in better shape than most people think. Apparently some of our enemies do, too.