Coaches Corner: The 2009 football season has officially started! — Negatives and keys
As we head into the 2009 football season thought this would be good time to look at good things and bad things coming out of off season. Because in our opinions, the 2009 football season has officially started!
Negatives and some keys to this year: There are still some things that need to be upgraded.
1) Third defensive scheme in three years: Three schemes and three different defensive coordinators. Has been discussed before, but finding a system and sticking to it is a must not only for your teams sake, but also for recruiting to get the top athletes and showing them your system will best utilize their talents.
Not doing this will hold back progress for Michigan football. Lets hope that Coach Robinson likes it here and decides Ann Arbor is great place to call home.
2) Lack of slots and split ends who fit Coach Rod’s system: Michigan had only two true slots this spring and slowed the offense. Shuffling split ends and tight ends into this position is not the answer.
Not saying split ends do not have some talent, because they do. Just that none are the explosive, fast twitch type receivers that Coach Rod needs and wants. The one problem is this group (split ends and slot receivers have a lot of “bodies” on the team come this fall.
3) Defense: Lacks depth and proper personnel to play Coach Robinson’s style of defense. Have a feeling this topic will be a hot topic most of this football season. In our opinion how the defense holds up will make or break this season. We cannot afford many injuries especially to the key players on defense.
4) We still expect some player defections, but only include this as negative because Michigan is light on numbers at some key positions. If player is not 100% with the program, long term it is better if they leave.
That said, short term it will probably cause some problems on depth chart especially on the defensive side of the ball if any leave. We could see some of the slot receivers after this season deciding on what they believe their future holds for them at Michigan. We keep on recruiting this position and obviously the coaches do not like the “bodies” they have and might weed some of them out.
5) Depth at quarterback: Tate Forcier was the only quarterback practicing second half of spring with a snowballs chance of playing meaning full minutes at Michigan.
Sheridan’s injury, Threet leaving, and D. Robinson not arriving until last week, with good reason no doubt, makes the most important position on the field a bit iffy. Goods news is, with D. Robinson arriving in Ann arbor now and Gardner showing up next spring, this might be last season this is problem.
Keys this year: In our opinion key to this year is for the defense to stay healthy. There is enough talent if healthy that the defense should be solid. The one problem is the coaches told us that they would like to play twenty-two players on both sides of the ball and this defense is no where near those numbers for quality depth at all positions.
We do not think there is enough talent to be a dominating defense. In our opinion again, the second key for the defense will be linebacker play. Ezeh and Mouton are basically third year starters or major contributors have to step up and play that way.
Third key is going to be safety play, Michigan cannot continue to give up all those big plays. The offense is still not explosive enough at this time to have shoot-outs and win very often. As for tackling, it should be improved, new tackling system should help out, and if offense improves and keeps them off field it would be big help as well.
From a defensive strategy stand point if we are defending Michigan this season. We would be pulling the safeties up and taking away the running game and short simple stuff to the slot receivers and tight ends.
This in our opinion again, opens up other things to the split ends. You cannot defend the entire field and if you take away something you open something else up.
Things can be as simple as taking split end and replacing outside linebacker or nickel with slant or other inside pass. It can be throwing a fade to the outside so split end has only chance to catch. But if you do not at least show some threat on the outside to make defense have to change what they want to do, and take advantage of what defenses gives you make defending your offense much easier.
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Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine
