Football Spring Practice aka Thorn in the SEC Side

[lineygoblue]

Yeah, I forgot ...

The SEC is so tough and all ... maybe we ought to hope we never play an SEC team ...

[Jeff Buchanan]

The full spring game video is available at the link below. Couple of thoughts:

I've watched lot of spring games not including the ones that really were not scrimmages that showed anything so, I'll discount those. But I have memories of two of RR's spring games and one of Hoke's and the differences between those three and this one are huge.

All four units - two on offense and two on defense look prepared and like they understood the schemes/plays. That is particularly true of the offense which is surprising. I never felt like RR's or Hoke's teams were as well prepared as this one appears to be. Much farther along in terms of execution than anything I saw under any of the previous HCs ..... and Carr really didn't have spring games. The energy levels were very high. Looked like everyone was really into the game and the competition.

There is something about Jedd Fish's play calling that is very effective. With the Maze team in the red zone and Speight at QB, on first down, the ball goes to Kingston Davis with a run inside and over the RG's outside shoulder for a big gain. The next play is a play fake to Davis with Speight executing it perfectly and sprinting untouched to the weak side and into the endzone. The D had overcommitted to the play side.

Got a good glimpse at Don Brown's D. It's aggressive with the LBs right up in the gaps before the snap. It is effective against the run but I thought vulnerable to both the play fake and to a QB who's got wheels and can make something happen (O'Korn). This is the first spring game I've watched where the O looked better than the D and this D was pretty good.

A lot of multiple TE formations. Impressed with K. Hill and Wheatley. These are in your face kinds of football plays that look like they are hard to diagnose and defend for a defense. Impressive. The offense got a lot of run out of these plays and they compliment the kind of running game that Harbaugh seems to favor - mostly IZ/OZ stuff and none of it fancy. The backs either see the holes and hit them or they don't. Some nice big play runs happened with Isaac getting two of them and Kareem Walker another.

RB Kareem Walker is a stud. He is a freshman beyond ready to play physically at a high level.

Harbaugh has three QBs ready to play. Think about this situation in the past under RR and Hoke. All of them are different. O'Korn had the best field awareness, Speight seemed to know and execute the offense better, Morris is a bigger threat at WR than he is at QB. He's still wildly inaccurate with his throws but he could play in a situation where O'Korn or Speight were out and I don't think that is going to happen in this offense.

http://mgovideo.com/2016-michigan-spring-game/

[lineygoblue]

Good analysis, Jeff.

As spring games go, I thought this one was excellent. It was entertaining for the fans, and we got to see some guys play that we've all wanted to see.

Nothing was done that will help future opponents, but a lot was accomplished in determining the character of this team, and the resolve of the coaches. When it comes crunch time, this is going to be a solid team, from top to bottom.

[Hannibal]

First time since 2010 that the offensive line looked like it actually belonged on the field with the defense.

[Detroit Dan]

It looks like our QBs will do a lot of running. Therefore, injuries are likely and we'll need at least two ready to play at a high level.

[lineygoblue]

It looks like our QBs will do a lot of running. Therefore, injuries are likely and we'll need at least two ready to play at a high level.

I don't get that impression, Dan. I think the running game is going to be markedly improved.

I'm hoping that the QB doesn't have to be a Heisman candidate for the team to be successful.

[Jeff Buchanan]

It looks like our QBs will do a lot of running. Therefore, injuries are likely and we'll need at least two ready to play at a high level.

In maybe 20-25 reps, O'Korn looked like he had two planned runs. He had plenty of plays where a receiver wasn't open/he didn't want to try and fit in a tight spot where he took off.

That's where a I thought Speight did a better job of holding on, surveying the field for just long enough for a receiver to get open then making the throw. Better pocket presence.

Not dinging O'Korn at all. He had some nice runs when he thought the throw wasn't there and knows when to slide.

[Wellington_beefhouser]

In maybe 20-25 reps, O'Korn looked like he had two planned runs. He had plenty of plays where a receiver wasn't open/he didn't want to try and fit in a tight spot where he took off.

That's where a I thought Speight did a better job of holding on, surveying the field for just long enough for a receiver to get open then making the throw. Better pocket presence.

Not dinging O'Korn at all. He had some nice runs when he thought the throw wasn't there and knows when to slide.

Just watched the game. Thanks for posting link.

Okorn seemed like he had happy feet most of the game. Speight looked calm and poised. Hopefully JH can help slow the game down a bit for Okorn.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Speight looked calm and poised.

Agree with that. He has clearly been in the film room. I was impressed actually.

Way too early to tell but I wouldn't put my money on O'Korn to win the starting job.

Which is what I love about JH. He's managed to make two guys, one a throw away QB from Houston and the other a sort of goofy version of Big John Navarre, look damn good, albeit in the very early going, in different sorts of ways. Never mind taking also-ran QB transfer Jake Ruddock and developing him into a potential NFL draftee at that position. Awesome.

Competition.

Just think back over Hoke's wasted 4 years. The MOST important guy on the field wrt winning football games, the QB, was rendered unimportant with strikingly obvious results.

[lineygoblue]

Just think back over Hoke's wasted 4 years. The MOST important guy on the field wrt winning football games, the QB, was rendered unimportant with strikingly obvious results.

I know that its supposed to be a lighthearted thing, but that catch phrase "Who has it better than us? .. Nobody!" is becoming more of a reality all the time. When we look at where the program was headed under Hoke, it actually makes me shudder, compared to where the program is now.

Then when you consider ALL the things that had to take place, in proper order, to get Harbaugh back in Ann Arbor.... we are very, very fortunate.

[WM Wolverine]

Nice to have someone in charge that understands football, not just one aspect of it. Hoke and RR have made some of us miss Lloyd and Lloyd-ball.

[Jeff Buchanan]

...... Hoke and RR have made some of us miss Lloyd and Lloyd-ball.

mmmmm........not so much.

How quickly one forgets.

Mike Debord and off tackle left ...... run, run, pass, punt. As football changed, Lloyd and his incestuous hires didn't. The net result was the most God-awful Michigan football I had watched up until that time.

At least RR had Denard.

[hack]

I know that its supposed to be a lighthearted thing, but that catch phrase "Who has it better than us? .. Nobody!" is becoming more of a reality all the time. When we look at where the program was headed under Hoke, it actually makes me shudder, compared to where the program is now.

Then when you consider ALL the things that had to take place, in proper order, to get Harbaugh back in Ann Arbor.... we are very, very fortunate.

I'd like to win stuff first before that catch phrase is justified.

[Mike]

Well prepare for the phrase to be justified!

[lineygoblue]

Hack, I think Harbaugh has already coached his worst team. It only gets better from here on.