Do you mean a coach like him at the time? Mike Hart played against App State. He had nothing to do with the loss as he was great. 23 carries, 188 yards, 8.2 YPC, 3 TDs. The passing game and defense were atrocious that day.
I am talking about a leader who does not condone or encourage taking any opponent lightly. A RB who will hit the sled to help a lineman with their drill and then challenge them to do it more than the coach planned. A guy who checks on his teammates in the weight room.
He is a leader in ways that remind me of Stevie Y for the Wings.
If they had a leader like that, they would not have partied and taken App St so lightly, and likely won the game handily.
Yes Carr was retiring anyway, but a tone was set from that game, a stigma that still hangs over the program to this day due to all the dominoes that fell afterward.
The program was struggling before that game was played in no small part due to lack of leaders like I hope this kid will be.
We know how focused OSU is on beating UM every year, this kid could help match that. As a fan who desires UM beating OSU again, I see leadership as a massive deficit. This kid lead his high school over the hump to get their first championship, I am hoping he can bring that same intensity and inner strength to bear in defeating OSU.
And before anyone says that is too much to ask of a kid, he wants it...that fire is already in him. I am not placing anything upon him, he has willingly embraced that mindset on his own. Focused determination and leadership like his are rare. Be thankful he has it and hope it translates to a UM victory over OSU.
