Denard had a strong day, especially in making things happen with his feet.. when plays bottled up, in improvising with his feet (surprise!)


Denard was also pretty crisp with his passes


Jeremy Gallon took a screen 50 yards for a TD


Running - Toussaint and Shaw both had a few nice runs ... Fitz also did well in running thru contact on one long run


Mark Huyge is still starting at RT


++++++++


The D won overall today


Kenny Demens was a menace on the blitz ... Jibreel Black had a good day at DE


JT Floyd laid 2 runningbacks out


Blake Countess had a pick-6


Brandin Hawthorne had an interception


Thomas Gordon starting at safety today, opposite Kovacs...


Troy at corner today, JT had a good day today at the other corner ... altho Avery was fine too, good battle going on there at that spot.


Kovacs is at one safety ... Thomas and Carvin still battling on the other


Kicking ... Wile IS impressive, at all of it .. .it's an ongoing battle


+++++++


No injuries that we heard

+++++++++++

Addition -- #2

Starters on DL: Brink at DE, MM and VanBergen at DT ... and Roh/Black battling at rush end ... both had good days today

Also Wyatt Shallman and Matt Godin were visitors

++++++++++

Addition -- #3

On the OL, folks saw Schofield and Huyge playing all over the place, as we'd told you was happening ... (even at the 2nd TE spot)

Also, LOL ... those with an "Offensive Eye" in the stands said the Offense Won ... lol ... our first reports above, that the D-won, was from a "Defensive Eye" ... however we'd say by preponderance of evidence that the D gets the nod.

++++++++++

Addition -- #4

Oops we just had another vote for the "O winning the Day" come in ... tightening up the 'vote' ... but immediately followed by "another vote for the D" ... still have to give it to the D by a nose ... especially compared to 'expectations'

++++++++++

Addition -- #5

Jeremy Jackson had a nice TD catch-and-run on a dig route

++++++++++

Addition -- #6

Even taking some snaps at center ... Omameh. And when we say Huyge and Schofield were both playing OG at times, and Schofield RT and LT at times ... we mean with the ones

1. Denard is not a worry in this new O...No one should worry about him ..He is going to be electric.... Remember what Troy Smith used to do to us out of pro sets??? Yeah well magnify that by 5 fold and you will have Denard in this O system... The similarities to Vick will begin after this season....

At this point in camp people are starting to think the O might not drop off much at all...It will be a bit different but still electric.

2. Fitz put himself firmly back in the RB hunt today.... Vincent Smith has secured his spot as the third down back because he can block and catch it. No question there will be some benefit to having him out there... The coaches were looking for Shaw to clinch it today and while he performed well at times consistency was an issue...The door is cracked now for Fitz..... Rawls has looked solid as a frosh but some blocking issues and picking up protections is holding him back (remember when Hart played as a frosh this is what allowed him to do so)

3. Junior Hemmingway is going to be all B10 Some of the catches he has made throughout camp have been rediculous.... He is a big Able Bodied guy...A more Beefy Arrington...He is going to explode this yr.

4. TE depth is scary thin beyond Koger... Some guys have not stepped up there and Barnett while coming on does not have the full trust of the staff yet... Expect more 3 wide stes than maybe the staff wants later in their tenure.... Odoms should play a lot as should Grady.

5. Demens = Real Deal as does Jake Ryan.... Both outstanding today.

6. I fully expect TWoolf to remain at corner he had a very good day... Floyd will rotate in as well at both corner spots as will Countess... he is earning his keep quickly and many think he is the next great Michigan cover corner...That being said Avery will start opposite TWoolf and he has earned the spot

7. O Line looks scary physical... In fact there were a few high temper nasty moment with both Lewan and Barnum and some of the D-Line ...This line is going be nasty this year.. and with an electric qb behind them it could be special....Top 3 O-Line in conference no question Just have to stay healthy...

8. As much as the o-Line looks promising...the D-Line looks well ehhh not as bad as last year but not quite average. It looks more and more like the front four will be Brink RVB Martin and Roh (he has been sick no question you can tell he is just a bit lethargic) and Black will play some too...I think he has the potential to be a very very good DE for us before he leaves .....remember he is only a soph...With that said RVB is just too light on the inside... Gets pushed around and it is allowing for Martin to be doubled.... Big Will has disappointed again... The coaches are trying everything to get him to produce but it is beginning to look like it is simply an aggression problem...He is a very soft Big Man on and off the field but just lacks that nasty streak needed at this point.....Q is being tried at the 3 technique after today..let's hope he steps up because it is a very big worry...The Linebackers look well above average but if the DL cannot keep people off of them then a problem exists....The good news...Brink looks like the real deal... Another great day today

9. Safety spot will be a battle well into next week imo...Neither guy looked bad but neither looked great...If I had to guess i would say Carvin he looked better in coverage from what I hear... Gordon will be the Nickel and will also sub for Carvin when its all said and done imo....Floyd may also play some nickel in longer passing situations.

10 POC (Player of Camp) Jordan Kovacs....The problem I have always had with him is that in the past he missed as many plays as he made... but he is tackling much better under this new staff... and is covered up a bit...but he is consistent and very very smart int he new GMAT defense.

Oh and Wile can bomb it fas a punter... and dont count out Gibbons yet...but Wile looks like the Michigan kicker for the long term...Kid just has a bomb

Brink sounds like an Elvis Dumervil sort of player ..

DR said:

10 POC (Player of Camp) Jordan Kovacs....The problem I have always had with him is that in the past he missed as many plays as he made... but he is tackling much better under this new staff... and is covered up a bit...but he is consistent and very very smart int he new GMAT defense.

Click to expand...

UH OH... who wrote this? M&B'09?

bigvic said:

Brink sounds like an Elvis Dumervil sort of player ..

Click to expand...

My boss was his workout partner for a while before he (elvis) was drafted. Absolute freak.

MichChamp02 said:

DR said:

10 POC (Player of Camp) Jordan Kovacs....The problem I have always had with him is that in the past he missed as many plays as he made... but he is tackling much better under this new staff... and is covered up a bit...but he is consistent and very very smart int he new GMAT defense.

Click to expand...

UH OH... who wrote this? M&B'09?

Click to expand...

Right? And the tackling bit. It's funny how differently people can view the same exact thing.

DR said:

MichChamp02 said:

UH OH... who wrote this? M&B'09?

Click to expand...

Right? And the tackling bit. It's funny how differently people can view the same exact thing.

Click to expand...

I have a personal grudge against Kovacs.

MAIZEandBLUE09 said:

DR said:

Right? And the tackling bit. It's funny how differently people can view the same exact thing.

Click to expand...

I have a personal grudge against Kovacs.

Click to expand...

Why, because he has more hair than you?

DR said:

MAIZEandBLUE09 said:

I have a personal grudge against Kovacs.

Click to expand...

Why, because he has more hair than you?

Click to expand...

Not originally, but now I think that just added to it.

OHHHH, BURN!!!! LOL...

Are you serious though? Why?

"Hand wringing" over Brink...pft! Why on earth do people flip out over walk ons and stars on a case-by-case basis? Stars matter in a probabilistic sense, but we're talking about kids making the jump from high school to college. You can have huge motivation swings and reinvent yourself in college. Outliers that beat the odds or fall short of expectations are common enough that we shouldn't be surprised by them.

MAIZEandBLUE09 said:

DR said:

Right? And the tackling bit. It's funny how differently people can view the same exact thing.

Click to expand...

I have a personal grudge against Kovacs.

Click to expand...

If you remember my persistant defense of Nick Sheridan, you should know how silly I think it is to have a grudge against Kovacs. Don't blame the player for being the best option we've got. Walk ons that earn a spot should be celebrated, even if you wish there was someone better in that position. Compare the walk on that works his butt off and becomes our best option to all the people that might be physically capable, but don't have the work ethic to be a walk on and get there. Kovacs is a freakin' hero.

Forget Rudy. Notre Dame sucks.

Red and Guilty said:

MAIZEandBLUE09 said:

I have a personal grudge against Kovacs.

Click to expand...

If you remember my persistant defense of Nick Sheridan, you should know how silly I think it is to have a grudge against Kovacs. Don't blame the player for being the best option we've got. Walk ons that earn a spot should be celebrated, even if you wish there was someone better in that position. Compare the walk on that works his butt off and becomes our best option to all the people that might be physically capable, but don't have the work ethic to be a walk on and get there. Kovacs is a freakin' hero.

Forget Rudy. Notre Dame sucks.

Click to expand...

I would rather watch a freshman make mistakes than a walk on getting out-athleted (yes I invested that word).

MAIZEandBLUE09 said:

Red and Guilty said:

If you remember my persistant defense of Nick Sheridan, you should know how silly I think it is to have a grudge against Kovacs. Don't blame the player for being the best option we've got. Walk ons that earn a spot should be celebrated, even if you wish there was someone better in that position. Compare the walk on that works his butt off and becomes our best option to all the people that might be physically capable, but don't have the work ethic to be a walk on and get there. Kovacs is a freakin' hero.

Forget Rudy. Notre Dame sucks.

Click to expand...

I would rather watch a freshman make mistakes than a walk on getting out-athleted (yes I invested that word).

Click to expand...

How much?

Jever4321 said:

MAIZEandBLUE09 said:

I would rather watch a freshman make mistakes than a walk on getting out-athleted (yes I invested that word).

Click to expand...

How much?

Click to expand...

a lot

MAIZEandBLUE09 said:

Red and Guilty said:

If you remember my persistant defense of Nick Sheridan, you should know how silly I think it is to have a grudge against Kovacs. Don't blame the player for being the best option we've got. Walk ons that earn a spot should be celebrated, even if you wish there was someone better in that position. Compare the walk on that works his butt off and becomes our best option to all the people that might be physically capable, but don't have the work ethic to be a walk on and get there. Kovacs is a freakin' hero.

Forget Rudy. Notre Dame sucks.

Click to expand...

I would rather watch a freshman make mistakes than a walk on getting out-athleted (yes I invested that word).

Click to expand...

That's fine, but holding a grudge against the walk on makes no sense. I might as well hold a grudge against you for not being athletic enough to win Kovac's spot on the team and prevent whatever plays he missed.

[quote="DR":6or9oe5e]What

Red and Guilty said:

MAIZEandBLUE09 said:

I would rather watch a freshman make mistakes than a walk on getting out-athleted (yes I invested that word).

Click to expand...

That's fine, but holding a grudge against the walk on makes no sense. I might as well hold a grudge against you for not being athletic enough to win Kovac's spot on the team and prevent whatever plays he missed.

Click to expand...

just let me have my grudge against Kovacs.