I'm glad that Michigan won

[hungry]

but come on, people. It was just Western Michigan. Proclamations of "we're back!!" and "isn't it great to see the d able to make adjustments" are just a little over the top. Its great to be excited about Michigan football and that they won and did some good things. They, also, did a lot of weird things. The D was scuffling. THe O was scuffling. It looked like they had put some things together and/or that Western was getting ready to lay down and then they called the game.

That pick6 was very fortunate. These fortunate things sometimes happen in a football game. I'm not saying that Michigan would have lost if it doesn't happen just that way, but that is sometimes the way a football bounces and the team definitely wasn't looked that good up until that play and then after. If that ball deflects harmlessly to the ground, this might've been a very different football game.

I'm optimistic about the future and hopeful that Hoke is the guy, but I'm going to hold out a few more games before I get too excited.

ps I am so sick of hearing about that other guy

 

[michlady77]

agree with you Hungry

remember i am the naysayer and i have been saying the coaches were very cagey and we can see why

i too didn't expect miracle turnaround - even nebraska took a few years.

i still say 7-5 would be good with what we have seen so and waht i would have said 2 weeks ago if asked

 

[Guest]

Agree all around. The D was lost at times and though WMU was running an up tempo O, there were guys not sure where to line up. That said, Mattison called a great D and you don't get ...earn that INT or fumble recovery without being better football players and I'm encouraged the staff is making these guys better.

Offensively, absolutely what I expected to see-- more 'spread' than most people asserted would be tthe case ..."Well, Brady Hoke brings that Pro Style and that's going to be problematic for them!"- ESPN expert -- and great use of Fitz, Vinny & Shaw. I see a lot of 2nd half blowouts the old fashioned way ...wear them down and then hit them with the lightning strike!

 

[biggunsbob]

+3 in turnover margin is a very nice thing to see... Not many of those type of games that last three seasons. But now we need to build on that and keep it going.

 

[erg57]

I think Western is a damn good team folks. Don't discount them because they are a "compass" school. I don't buy "it's just Western" at all. MAC schools are not the same as a generation ago. Western may be the best team in that conference--time will tell. UM had good competition compared to MSU and OSU this weekend and this is good. The state boards are salivating over UM thinking they looked horrible. Glass houses, sparty

 

[bdtay71]

When the 1st half ended I told my father that we look like the same team without the hurry up offense, to which he agreed. The 2nd half was very encouraging defensively because it appeared the coaching staff made some nice adjustments. I also thought Denard played fairly well when forced to stay in the pocket. I am very encouraged but I agree that 7 wins is the realistic scenario.

 

[uofm06marine]

I don't get how you can say not to be happy about the adjustments U of M made. The fact they made adjustments is what makes me happy. It tells me the coachs are actually paying attention.

Lasts year's team would have let the QB stay back in the pocket and just pick the secondary apart (see Indiana). They put a stop to that in the second half. The interception for a TD was all of the D. It wasn't a random fluke of the ball bouncing off of a helmet, it was result of the D getting pressure on the QB and affecting his throw.

Yes, were there issues? Certainly, (especially with ST's) but the team looked like a balanced team yesterday. I for one am encouraged with what I saw. Will we dominate the B1G. Hell no, but at least we won't loose to Toledo.

 

[tinselwolverine]

I picked Michigan to win 35-13 on McGeezer's thread; I think one person was closer.

So it was about what I expected.

Tune in to see how I predict the next game going.

 

[rayhowland3]

Here are a few of my thoughts about the WMU game:

1. Mattison should be given the game ball. His adjustments after the first lightning delay proved to be the difference. The blitzes he had the defense run confused the living shit out of Western, and their QB looked very flustered, and his protection couldn't figure out who to block. Some of the blitz looks appeared EERILY similar to stuff we saw in 1997.

2. I think for one, brief moment in the 3rd quarter we got to see how VERY DANGEROUS this team could be this season. A very aggressive defense that creates turnovers WITH a high octane offense is lethal. Yes, it's just WMU, but it was nice to see what this team COULD be like full time as the year goes on.

3. I gained extra respect for Borges and Hoke on Saturday. For Borges, I was please he kept an abundant of spread formations and plays from RR's playbook. The power football formations worked well in short yardage and near the goal line. One reason I think the power game looked better than at any point in the last 3 seasons is Michigan pulls it's guards on those inside ISO's. RR never really did, I couldn't figure out why.

As far as Hoke, he doubled my respect for him when after Michigan scored in 2 plays to make it 34-10, the TV camera showed him talking to 2 O-linemen about how they were blocking. Some coaches may not have given a shit, they're up 24 points. But Hoke is about details, and that's what's going to help these guys through the season.

4. My only bitch: kickoff was awful. Way to many yards were given up, and Western got some nice field position. That will catch-up with Michigan at some point, so that is a must fix.

Overall, just glad to see Michigan won, looked half-way decent, and also DRob stayed healthy. Now I hope the Wolverines can lay the smack down on the Leprechauns next Saturday.

 

[uofm06marine]

4. My only bitch: kickoff was awful. Way to many yards were given up, and Western got some nice field position. That will catch-up with Michigan at some point, so that is a must fix.

You're absolutelt correct in this. There was only one kick off were coverage seemed good the rest of the time WMU started with great field position.

 

[rumseyhouse77]

I am most concerned about the kicking game. Seemed like the average starting field position for WMU was in the 40s. Not good, especially with the D still trying to pull things together. Better teams will make us pay for that. First drive by WMU was sickening. Looked like the D from last year with players not knowing where they were suppose to line up, especially on the first WMU TD. They seemed to pull it together after the interception. Probably due to the combination of demoralization of WMU and D adjustments. Michigan was clearly dominating when the game was stopped. Appeared that Carder was on his back most every play in the 3rd qt.

Hope they can build on the momentum and confidence established in this "incomplete" game. We will see next week. ND will either be demolarized after yesterday's game or out for blood. I think it will be the later. Next weeks game will be telling for both teams.

 

[hungry]

I think Western is a damn good team folks. Don't discount them because they are a "compass" school. I don't buy "it's just Western" at all. MAC schools are not the same as a generation ago. Western may be the best team in that conference--time will tell. UM had good competition compared to MSU and OSU this weekend and this is good. The state boards are salivating over UM thinking they looked horrible. Glass houses, sparty

2 years ago, they were just Western and now they are just Western. I'm not talking about some generational gap. Its just been 2 years since Michigan played WMU and blew them out.

 

[hungry]

I don't get how you can say not to be happy about the adjustments U of M made. The fact they made adjustments is what makes me happy. It tells me the coachs are actually paying attention.

Lasts year's team would have let the QB stay back in the pocket and just pick the secondary apart (see Indiana). They put a stop to that in the second half. The interception for a TD was all of the D. It wasn't a random fluke of the ball bouncing off of a helmet, it was result of the D getting pressure on the QB and affecting his throw.

Yes, were there issues? Certainly, (especially with ST's) but the team looked like a balanced team yesterday. I for one am encouraged with what I saw. Will we dominate the B1G. Hell no, but at least we won't loose to Toledo.

I've seen them make adjustments before. This isn't something totally new. It helps that Michigan got that pick6 and went up 20-10 at halftime. The opening drive of the 2nd half for Michigan looked like crap, then WMU fumbles for another td and basically quits. Then the game ends. After it was 27-10, WMU looked like crap, but then again, we all knew at that point, they had to pass, so Michigan just starting gunning for the QB. This was basic stuff and you could have seen this at any time the last 2 seasons.

Last year's team wouldn't have lost to Toledo nor would they have lost to Toledo 2 seasons ago. This game reminded me of the UMAss game except that Michigan was able to get 2 very fortunate turnovers for TD's. That was part Michigan and part luck. It was good to pressure the QB and cause the deflection, but its kind of lucky that it went where it did. The deflection is a result of pressure, the interception happened because the ball happened to go right toward Herron.

 

[hungry]

That all being said, it was the opening game. They might have been trying to hide quite a bit of stuff at first. It was just Western and the coaching that Hoke comes from like to hide stuff opening week. These players were getting their feet wet, too. A lot of times, teams come into opening week flat and take a quarter or 2 to wake up. Perhaps that is all that happened, yet another reason that I wanted to see a full game.

This could, also, be what happened in the ND game.

 

[uofm06marine]

Yeah, I am not sure if seeing a full game would have given us a better opinion of the team. I guess I just never saw the adjustments under the previous administration like I saw today.

My main point is Indiana. I think it is safe to say the two teams are similar (very solid QB who tear up your secondary if you let him). Michigan never made an adjustment last year on defense, instead they just put it on Denard's Shoulders and said, "Win the game." I think if Coach Rodriguez was still our coach it would have been a shoot out yesterday with Denard getting crazy numbers and the game being delayed until today.

 

[erg57]

I think Western is a damn good team folks. Don't discount them because they are a "compass" school. I don't buy "it's just Western" at all. MAC schools are not the same as a generation ago. Western may be the best team in that conference--time will tell. UM had good competition compared to MSU and OSU this weekend and this is good. The state boards are salivating over UM thinking they looked horrible. Glass houses, sparty

2 years ago, they were just Western and now they are just Western. I'm not talking about some generational gap. Its just been 2 years since Michigan played WMU and blew them out.

But Western is a better program than it was two years ago. I hope UM is too.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Who gives a fk. A win is a win is a win. I don't care who they played. You naysayers with your well it was Western, bad defense, bad kickoff coverage bs. Just enjoy the game and from the crap RR gave to the program, it was a big improvement.

 

[dannydiggler]

Who is saying we're going to the Rose Bowl? Take that weak ass shit somewhere else

 

[Guest]

We have a whole week of breaking down the 75% game vs WMU so get used to it.

 

[dubbsco]

Hey, I got laughed out of the boards when I said CMU would beat MSU. Carder is a beast. They'll probably win the MAC this year. But, I am happy to see the D making adjustments that RR's squad seemingly could not do.