Coaches Corner: Twelve Questions / Keys to 2009 Season — Part 2
Coaches Corner: Twelve Questions / Keys to 2009 Season — Part 2
8) How fast does Michigan pick up Coach Robinson’s schemes and techniques? Breaking old habits can be challenging at best, and it has the potential to be a nightmare short term. Still this needed to be done in our opinion. Could be very scary and trying early in season. Hopefully by start of Big Ten season we will see the fruits of this labor.
9) Does S. Brown finally have the type of season he teases us with every spring?
This is twofold:
#1 — He was the vocal leader of the defense all spring, he was the guy keeping every one up and having fun. Now he needs to back that up on the game field. Your leader having a bad season can have a horrible effect on the team.
#2 — As stated on spinner / quick question the hybrids need to be stars on this defense. Brown needs to be a player for this team to hit the top end of the record. Not trying to jinx him, but just have this gut feeling S. Brown is going to get it done and shut all his critics up. Or maybe it is just that we are hoping he does.
10) Can this team maintain the positive attitude and keep having the fun it had this spring? It is easy to laugh and be upbeat without any pressure and when you are beating up on your second team group.
When things get tight and the lights and cameras go on, that is where you separate the men from the boys. This game is 90% attitude; you can overcome a ton if the players and staff stick together this year. All signs were positive this spring. But again that is the easy part / time for this to happen.
Getting off to good start will do wonders for teams attitude and psyche. Winning three out of first four games is a must in our opinion. And is very doable … again in our opinion!
11). Will Michigan’s work on special teams finally pay off? This actually might be #1 or probably should be in our opinion or close to the turnovers. Michigan is not dominating enough on either offense or defense to win games on the strength of those areas alone.
They need special teams to step up provide field position for the offense and the defense. Michigan must make the chip shot field goals and all extra points. We cannot have those annoying turnovers and break downs on special teams. Might not be ready for this to be a strength, but it can longer be a weakness either.
12) Need to find a deep threat. Cannot speak about Stokes, he was not at spring practice. His high school film showed some skills and ability to help with deep game. In our opinion though, speed is only part of the equation.
Split ends also need the strength to beat jams and rerouting, they also need to ability to separate and run good routes. If you do not have ability to do all four you will not be effective as vertical threat. And then you also have to be able to adjust to pass over your shoulder and catch the thing.
Breaston got open deep how many times and could not adjust to ball in the air and make the catch. With Stonum, in our opinion it is combination of two things, he does beat jams and rerouting very well, which makes it tough for him to get open deep, and the second thing which we have alluded to earlier reports is the mental / maturity. He did not show that confidence / swagger that makes a vertical threat deadly.
Getting Stonum, to step up and be a vertical threat would be a huge factor for this season.
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Written by CoachBt and ErocWolverine
