Bleacher Report - Articles by Alex Whang

Michigan Wolverines Football: Alex Whang Q & A

Alex Whang — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:26:52 -0400

Alex Whang answers some questions posed by the Bleacher Report faithful about the upcoming 2008 Michigan Wolverine football season.

Q: You have said Steven Threet will be starting at QB. How do you see Rich Rodriguez using him this year, and will freshman Justin Feagin earn much playing time?

A: Though nothing is set in stone, after Michigan’s spring game this past April, it is certain that Threet has distanced himself from both walk-on Nick Sheridan and redshirt sophomore David Cone. That being said, Threet’s play was far from spectacular.

If he is indeed the starter come Aug. 30, look for Rodriguez to ease his redshirt freshman quarterback into the college game by utilizing screens, quick flares and basically any throw that allows Threet to get the ball out of his hands and into those of his playmakers as quickly as possible.

Because Rodriguez’s spread attack functions best with a running threat at the quarterback position, when considering that Threet is not the most fleet of foot, look for true freshman Justin Feagin to receive significant playing time next season running draws and option plays, to provide the inexperienced Michigan offense a different look from when Threet is under center.

Q: Michigan signed four-star quarterbacks Kevin Newsome and Shavodrick Beaver in the '09 class. Do you think either of them will have a chance to start right away next year? Are either of them capable of producing the way the Pat White has?

A: Whether Newsome or Beaver receive immediate playing time will depend very much on the success of both Threet and Feagin this season. As we have witnessed high-profile recruits like Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Clausen, and Ryan Mallett all struggle their freshman seasons, plugging Newsome or Beaver into the line-up may not be the best course of action.

However, if Threet and Feagin struggle mightily throughout the year and Michigan finishes under .500, all bets are off. With rumblings that both quarterbacks are leaning towards early enrollment, the quarterback competition could be wide open come spring, leaving the distinct possibility that either Newsome or Beaver could enter the 2009 season starting under center.

Though Pat White is one of the most electrifying players in college football, both Beaver and Newsome have the potential to match, if not exceed his level of productivity. Though neither may be quite the same threat on the ground as the Mountaineer QB, they both appear to be more polished passers at the same stage of their careers.

At West Virginia, Rodriguez was never surrounded by the level of talent that he has at Michigan, and if either Newsome or Beaver are able to provide an above-average passing attack while remaining a threat to defenses on the ground, in two or three years, this Michigan offense could be scary.

Q: How successful do you think Rich Rodriguez's spread offense will fare against Big 10 defenses? How does his version of the spread differ from those run by Ohio State, Illinois, Minnesota, and Northwestern?

A: Although Rodriguez’s acclaimed spread attack will undoubtedly struggle next season, with Rodriguez continuing to recruit his style of athlete, the future of the Michigan offense certainly is promising.

As we have seen in previous contests, Rodriguez’s offense has been able to put up big numbers against talented defenses, posting 38 points versus Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl, and 48 points in last year’s Fiesta Bowl.

With that in mind, once Rodriguez is able to put an offense out on the field adept at running all aspects of his spread attack, there is no doubt that Rodriguez will be able to find tremendous success against Big Ten defenses.

At West Virginia, Rodriguez’s spread most resembled the variation now employed by Illinois. With “Juice” Williams and Rashard Mendenhall mirroring the likes of Pat White and Steve Slaton, both offenses ran variations off the zone read while limiting the number of passes thrown per game.

The spread offenses run by Ohio State, Northwestern, and Minnesota, however, all employed significantly more balanced attacks. With Michigan in transition, look for the offense to be more balanced than Rodriguez has displayed in the past three seasons, relying less on the zone read while Threet is under center, reserving that more for when Feagin is on the field.

Who do you see emerging at the starting RB? Will it be Running Back by committee and will we get a chance to see highlight reel hero Sam McGuffie?

Out of the spring, it appears that Brandon Minor will receive the bulk of the carries next fall. However, do not count out Junior Carlos Brown, who will be Michigan’s most explosive player out of the backfield. All spring, Rodriguez had been tinkering with the offense in order to get the most talent on the field, that being said, do not be surprised to see multiple two-back sets with bruiser Kevin Grady lined up in-front of or opposite either Minor or Brown.

Though YouTube sensation Sam McGuffie will arrive in Ann Arbor with much acclaim, I am not as sold on him as so many others. Watching his performance against Cy-Falls on ESPN2 last season, though, McGuffie did show his ability in space, and a burst that would allow him to thrive in this offense.

Too many times, I saw him take plays off, failing to carry out fakes or even making an effort in pass protection. With a log-jam at running back next fall, and red-shirt freshman Avery Horn displaying the ability to be a true home run threat out of the backfield this spring, it wouldn’t surprise me to see McGuffie redshirt his freshman season.

However, as Rodriguez seems hell-bent on putting as much speed out on to the field as possible and having expressed on numerous occasions that several freshman will see playing time, expect McGuffie to begin the year on special teams (possibly returning kicks) and receiving three or four carries a game.

Q: What do you think of Rodriguez's decision to let Ron English go? How do you think new DC Scott Shafer compares to English?

A: Though some Michigan fans were up in arms due to the release of so many Michigan assistants, English included, I had no issue with Rodriguez’s decision. I was never sold on English’s “Bend but Don’t Break” philosophy on defense, and I believe that it contributed directly to a sort of lackadaisical play that has cost Michigan a number of victories during the past few seasons.

The differences between Shafer and English will be apparent from day one, with Shafer opting to do his play calling from the press box, whereas English called plays from the sidelines to allow him more interaction with his players.

It has been said that the Michigan defense played the percentages in the past, relying on the same defensive sets that were determined by where the offense was on the field.

However, Shafer’s defensive philosophy is to be “Attack-oriented, attack and react…always putting pressure and forcing the hand of the offense…a penetrating defense.”

Though we have seemingly heard this same shtick from every defensive coordinator in history, Shafer’s numbers at Western Michigan and Stanford seem to support his declaration, as his defenses were always better against the run and put up a large number of sacks throughout the course of the season.

Shafer’s defense may give up more big plays than English’s defenses did this season, however, this Michigan defense under Shafer will make more big plays of their own as well.

Q: Some West Virginia fans have criticized Rodriguez for recruiting low character players. Do you see that as being a problem at tradition rich Michigan?

A: I believe that is an unfair stigma attached to Rodriguez’s recruiting record. Yes he did recruit the likes of Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, however, several other high profile coaches have signed “low character” players and seemingly received much less scrutiny than Rodriguez (For example: Marc Richt/Odell Thurman, Jim Tressell/Maurice Clarett, Les Miles/Ryan Perilloux, Mack Brown/Cedric Benson).

Because Jones and Henry have been at the center of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s current campaign to clean up the league, their situations and association with Rodriguez have thusly been more publicized of late.

Regarding the recruitment of “low character” players at Michigan? Let’s not kid ourselves, though Lloyd Carr was one of the gentlemen of college football his teams did not consist entirely of choirboys.

Former Michigan player Chris Richards was thrown off the team 2 seasons ago for assaulting another student on St. Patrick’s Day. Defensive tackle Larry Harrison was arrested for exposing himself to a group of coeds.

Mario Manningham’s draft stock plummeted because of character concerns and a failed drug test. Current wide receiver Laterryal Savoy was accused of exposing himself to a female trainer, though eventually acquitted due to lack of evidence.

These are all incidents that have occurred in only the past four seasons under Carr’s watch. So in short, most everyone in today’s game recruits one or two bad seeds, but those few players should not necessarily be indicative of a coach’s recruiting.

As for Rodriguez's recruiting at tradition-rich Michigan, Carr had just as many “low character” players on his squad as Rodriguez, the only differences being that their faces weren’t shown on SportsCenter every night.

Q: What's your prediction on Michigan's 2008 record? Worst case scenario? Best case scenario?

A: If the offensive line gels early, Threet is able to keep defenses honest through the air, Feagin displays maturity beyond his years, the defense is dominant and the team faces no significant injury all season long? Then the absolute BEST CASE scenario is 10-2.

However, if Threet struggles early, the offensive line becomes depleted, and the defense can’t adequately replace the play of both safeties and outside linebackers? Then a season mirroring that of last year’s Notre Dame team with a 3-9 record is not out the realm of possibility.

Look for somewhere between six to eight victories for the Wolverines next season. That number depends on how quickly the offense can develop throughout the course of the season.

Michigan Football: Game By Game Analysis of 2008 Schedule—Part 1 of 4

Alex Whang — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:37:02 -0400

Part One of Four of game by game analysis and projection of the 2008 Michigan Wolverines season.

August 30 – UTAH

The Utes are regarded as one of the top non-BCS teams in the nation and are favored to win their conference. Incumbent starter Brian Johnson has had an injury-filled career, but he appears to be fully recovered from the ACL and shoulder surgeries that have plagued him the past two seasons.

When healthy, Johnson constitutes a true dual-threat at QB, and as this squad also returns its leading rusher Darrell Mack and four starting offensive linemen, the offense has the potential to be very productive and the strength of this team.

However, the Utes did lose several starters on the defensive side, and are expected to play numerous young players at linebacker and on the defensive line.

With that, I believe Michigan’s offensive line will be able to dominate the line of scrimmage, racking up yardage on the ground and putting up points while taking pressure off whoever the QB will end up being.

Though the Ute offense will do its fair share of damage, the Michigan defense returns enough talent, experience, and size to eventually contain Johnson & co. and squeak out Rich Rodriguez’s first game as Michigan head coach. W (28-20)

September 6 – MIAMI (OH)

The Redhawks enter the 2008 season as a fairly experienced squad, returning 17 total starters, with eight on offense and nine on defense.

However, with incumbent starter Daniel Raudabaugh unable to separate himself from redshirt freshman Clay Belton after spring ball, questions still circle the quarterback position.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the offense, the Redhawks will look to the defense to carry them this season, and as reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year Clayton Mullins returns to lead this senior-laden unit, the Redhawks may find some success in slowing the Michigan running game.

But with the Redhawks' lack of playmakers on the offensive side, and lingering questions surrounding their quarterback situation, the Wolverine defense holds for the second straight week as the Michigan offense puts enough points on the board to win in week two. W (14-3)

September 13 – @ Notre Dame

This matchup between the two winningest programs in college football provides Michigan with its first road test of the young season, and will be a key determinant on how this Wolverine squad will finish—either helping build momentum and confidence, or acting as the start of a disappointing three months.

Notre Dame returns nine starters on offense, headlined by sophomore quarterback Jimmy Clausen. After last year’s 3-9 season, the Irish figure to be a much improved team in 2008, and it will be up to Clausen, receiver Duval Kamara, and running back Robert Hughes to carry this offense.

Following back-to-back blowouts at the hands of Michigan, Notre Dame will be out for blood. However, if the offensive line, led by sophomore right tackle Sam Young, fails to improve drastically from last year’s debacle, Notre Dame could be in for much of the same.

Because the offense was so putrid last year, many seemed to have glossed over the fact that this Irish defense remains nothing more than a very pedestrian unit. With defensive leaders Tom Zbikowski and Trevor Laws now playing on Sundays, younger players will be forced to step up and contribute on a consistent basis, and that is far from a certainty.

With Michigan still working out kinks of its own at this point of the season, and a highly inexperienced offensive unit entering a hostile environment for the first time, I foresee a low-scoring affair and a game determined by the play of both defenses.

The Wolverines will depend on the play of their talented front four of Brandon Graham, Terrance Taylor, Will Johnson, and Tim Jamison—a unit that sacked quarterback Clausen eight times in last year’s matchup—to once again give the Notre Dame offensive line fits and lead Michigan to a narrow victory in its first road contest of the season. W (13-7)

Stay tuned for my projections on the next three matchups: Wisconsin, Illinois, and Toledo.

Michigan Football: 2008 Preseason Preview

Alex Whang — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:45:13 -0400

What do you get when a program introduces a new coach, a new system, and loses not only their most prolific rusher and passer in school history, but the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft as well?

Ladies and gents, say hello to your 2008 Michigan Wolverines.

To label this past offseason as tumultuous for this Michigan program would be a vast understatement. Starting with a chaotic coaching search garnering harsh criticism from a number of former players—including a certain Heisman Trophy winner—to a returning starter not only transferring to hated rival Ohio State, but bashing the program’s “family values” on his way out the door—Michigan fans have had a lot to digest in the past months.

However, these off-field events were not enough to distract fans from the questions surrounding the upcoming season’s on-field product. Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Jake Long? They’re all gone. Throw in Biletnikoff finalist Mario Manningham, Capital One Bowl human highlight Adrian Arrington, and oft-maligned Ryan “Got a Case of the Fumbles” Mallett to those three departures, and those highly publicized concerns about this offense—yeah, they’ve been validated.

As bleak as it seems, all is not lost. The fact remains, Michigan is still Michigan, and though the talent pool may take a dip this season, Lloyd Carr and his staff consistently put together top-10 recruiting classes year after year, so the cupboard is far from bare. Last season both Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown flashed the ability to be solid contributors at running back, and Greg Mathews has proven to be a reliable receiving threat.

Coupled with the likes of incoming skill position freshmen Terrence Robinson, Sam McGuffie, Martavious Odoms, Michael Shaw, and early enrollee Darryl Stonum, what this team lacks in experience, it has the ability to make up for in explosiveness, giving Michigan fans a certain style of playmaker that they have rarely been accustomed to seeing don the Maize and Blue.

The defense should be the ultimate strength of this team, returning seven starters from last year’s squad. Returning both Morgan Trent and Donovan Warren at the corner spot is certainly encouraging, but the biggest questions on defense remain in the secondary, primarily with the safety position. Since the days of Ernest Shazor obliterating Dorien Bryant, Michigan has had a startling lack of consistency at safety, a problem made increasingly evident by their recent inability to prevent long TD scores by Ohio State running backs.

However, the biggest and most publicized problems facing this Wolverine squad are at quarterback and offensive line. With Justin Boren headed south, Michigan returns only Steven Schilling at right tackle, and after watching the last Ohio State game, that could be seen as either a good or bad thing. As of now I project the O-line to look something like this: Mark Ortmann and Steven Schilling at tackle, Tim McAvoy and Corey Zirbel at guard, and David Moosman anchoring the line.

Perhaps a bigger concern than the lack of experience is the lack of depth on this unit. With the defections of Alex Mitchell and Jeremy Ciulla along with Boren, Michigan returns only nine scholarship players on the O-Line. If injuries were to hit the O-Line come fall—and they inevitably do—don’t be surprised to see true freshman Dan O’Neill step in and see some playing time.

Under center, the situation gets even murkier. Do the names Nick Sheridan, Steven Threet, or David Cone strike fear into the hearts of opposing defenses? Didn’t think so. Once again, these fears are not because none of these players have talent, but the fact that none of them has thrown a collegiate pass is a legitimate concern. Time and time again we have seen inexperienced quarterbacks struggle when handed the reins to their teams.

Matthew Stafford? Mitch Mustain? Jimmy Clausen? All were ranked as top QBs the year they were recruited, and all struggled mightily. Even this past season, Michigan fans were clamoring for Ryan Mallett—until they all realized he wasn't playing at Terxakana High School anymore.

Though incoming freshman Justin Feagin could step in and be the opening day starter, it is highly unlikely. Though he would constitute the only true dual-threat quarterback on the roster, moving from Florida to Michigan, transitioning to the college game, and mastering an entire playbook in a matter of three months is just too much to ask of an 18 year old. When August 31 rolls around, I believe Threet will be entrenched as the starter, with Feagin playing a Tim Tebow-like role his freshman year. However, if Threet struggles as the year progresses, do not be surprised if Rodriguez throws Feagin into the fire.

Though the question marks are there—and they are numerous—I believe this team will be better than what most the prognosticators have projected. Most rumblings have Michigan as either a six or seven-win team, some even stating that the streak of 33 consecutive bowl games is at risk.

While that situation is a distinct possibility, I envision a minimum of seven victories, and if everything goes Michigan’s way next fall, I see this team with the potential to win eight, maybe even nine games, and make a return trip to the Capital One Bowl come New Year's Day.