GBMW: Thoughts and Impressions from Week Two

GBMW: Thoughts and Impressions from Week Two

1) Tate Forcier did not play like true freshmen down the stretch. He made a few bad reads and passes earlier, but when needed the kid made plays.

1A) Props are given to Coach Rod and the staff for not pulling the reins in on T. Forcier. After a fumble, a pass interception, and an ugly pass to Kevin Koger, I was wondering if Coach Rod would limit (throw up the stop sign) on T. Forcier. To his credit Coach Rod let Tate do what he does best, ad lib and create!

2) Brandon Minor is a very good back. He makes excellent cuts and reads and gets north and south with his shoulders squared in a big hurry. His pad level is outstanding.

3) One of the big differences in the second half involved penalties. Notre Dame shot themselves in the foot multiple times with penalties. Michigan had a few in the first half, but cleaned up the problem in the second half. The fifteen-yard unsportsmanlike penalty after the late go ahead touchdown killed Notre Dame. The rest of the game was basically played in Notre Dame's end of the field.

4) Michigan committed only one turnover. Great Job! Last year the damage was six, what a difference a year can make.

5) The special teams have gone from a weakness to a strength in one season. Special teams play was a big reason for the win. T. Forcier's pooch punt was brilliant and executed perfectly!

6) The continued use of tight end K. Koger was great to see. He is a monster match up problem for defenses. I talked to his father after the game on Saturday and he is proud and rightfully so. Kevin is living a dream and his father could not be happier for or prouder of his son, especially since he has been a fan of Michigan for a very long time.

It is great to see him having a fast start this year. Kevin is doing whatever is asked of him for the team to win. It does not matter to Kevin if he gets one ball thrown to him as long as the team wins, but it is a good thing that Michigan is throwing the ball his way. I only wish just a few more balls come his way each game.

7) The situational use of Carlos Brown was outstanding. His ability to catch passes downfield, out of the backfield, was a major factor.

8) Let us give props to the team for never backing down or losing their swagger. When Notre Dame started rolling and things looked grim, last year’s team would have folded in my opinion.

9) The offensive Line played much better in the second half. For most part this group protected T. Forcier very well, and were especially good at picking up blitzes.

10) Coach Rod and staff never stopped coaching. This is impressive, and shows why the smallest details are emphasized heavily. Coach Robinson schooling JT Floyd after a special teams gaffe was a perfect example. And in my opinion this contributed to Michigan keeping its cool and focus.

11) In the last half of the fourth quarter, Michigan 's superior conditioning became evident. Michigan looked a step quicker than Notre Dame in the last six minutes. On the last drive it appeared Notre Dame’s defense could just not keep up.

12) This is the best game Darryl Stonum has played in a Michigan uniform. He is starting to look like the player we saw and raved about in the spring of 2008. Here is hoping his injury is minor. If he can supply Michigan with some speed on the outside and become a vertical threat, UM will get a great boost for the offense.

Needs Some Work:

1) The entire secondary other than Donovan Warren is vulnerable. Although we thought that the walk on, Kovacs, played okay, and did contribute. He made one nice hit. Too many wide receiver's getting behind our secondary makes every UM coach and fan very nervous. It is a good thing Notre Dame’s wide receiver's dropped two sure touchdown passes. This was a difference maker. But remember they are only touchdowns if the ball is caught.

2) The size on defense will be a concern all season. UM gave up well over 50 pounds on the defensive side of the ball. Teams with big strong offensive lines and power running games will certainly plan for and challenge Michigan.

3) Tate Forcier has a habit of running ten yards east and west. Why because in high school he could. He needs to get north and south, gain his yardage and get down. There were three or so instances where he gave up an extra 3 yards or so trying to win the edge. The tacklers had very good angles and did not allow this to happen. Running ten yards horizontally to gain little or no yardage is not how we saw him being coached.

4) The tackling still needs to improve. It was not bad against Notre Dame, but not sharp or crisp either.

5) Michigan must get better at defending screens. Teams will watch this game and find weakness to exploit, so Michigan knows it needs to improve or they will continue to see it on a weekly basis until they do improve.

6) Notre Dame tight ends hurt Michigan in both the running and passing game. Thank you Charlie for not going back to Rudolph, who happens to be one of the very best in the nation and a monster match up problem for anyone.

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Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine