Michigan Football: 3 Keys to smash the Bearcats
Speight and Gary need to step up
I love this coaching staff. I’ve never followed a team where I believed more in the coaching staff than I do this one. But I’m just not sure that playing Wilton Speight 95% of the snaps is going to help him fix all his problems. He did that all last year and he’s still got plenty of them. What problems you ask?
Well, aside from the two pick sixes – which were both thrown very high against zone defenses – there was also the ugly inaccuracy of out of bounds throws, especially the one he audibled into.
He got Crawford wide open with his great ability to read defenses and then blew an easy TD throw – yes aside from that there is one other I’d like you all who have access to a game tape to take one more look at: With 3:13 left in the first qtr. – yes the TD pass to Tarik Black. Take another look.
Was Speight a Javelin guy in HS? What in the world was that huge wind-up on that pass for? It took him into the DL that was closing on him, a move his ribs could very well be still thanking him for – and it gave the far safety time to close on the ball and almost make a play on it. I strongly suggest that this never would have happened with any sort of normal QB type release on the pass.
Michigan Wolverines Football
Then there’s Rashan Gary – we have what I’ll call an inertia problem here. Now, Rashan is a great player and a great leader. But I noticed something while watching many of the plays in slo-mo after watching the game several times, recording it from DVR to DVD and getting that good DVD slo-mo. He got too deep, too often; mostly out of frustration in wanting to make a big play, I think. He is very strong and very fast and that is a deadly combination. But when you get all that bone crunching muscle moving in one direction it may be hard to slow it down and redirect. And moving targets will often try to redirect you – for their own survival.
I noticed something similar with Jabrill in his second year. He was just a little too fast for the College game at times. He would overrun plays. He would get himself in position to make an unbelievable int. then the ball would go through his hands. From what I’ve heard Pep’s speed is working out much better in the NFL than it often did here, not surprising to me, like I said – I think his game may have often been a little too fast for the College game and I think Rashan may have a bit of that going on. Crazy right? I know, crazy.
I’ve never been a DL guru, never even played one on the internet – but I think Rashan may be playing a little bit too fast – I’m sure it will come together – he’s just to good for it not too. But it’d be nice to see it happen sooner, rather than later – hopefully before Oct. 21st.
Next: Top 10 Michigan Running Backs of All Time
So, bottom line – full game intensity, hard-nosed football and some improvement on some finer points on some of our key leaders and please, some playing time for the back-ups in garbage time this year more than last – and I, for one, will feel like Michigan football is getting on the right track – for what my two cents is worth.