Tuesday, April 17, 2012

2012 Spring Game Aftermath Thoughts and E-pinions: Offense

The 2012 Spring Game was this last Saturday at the Big House. Along with others, I thought this spring game was blah. Nothing good, or bad for that matter, happened last Saturday. In my e-pinion, it was boring to watch on BTN (Big Ten Network) and slow. Maybe it was different at the Big House in person, but I doubt it. 
Below are my thoughts and e-pinions on what we saw this past weekend (and during spring practice in general). I also added a new tab with the unofficial 2-Deep for the Wolverines Football team. The 2-Deep is mostly based on what we witnessed during spring practice, as well as, what I believe the 2-Deep will be going into fall practice. 

  • Denard Robinson only played a handful of plays, but he did look a little crisper in his throwing motion. Throughout the spring practice videos that MGoBlue.com posted I noticed Denard stepping into his throws a little more. Time will tell if he has corrected this on a consistent basis and if not, then his interception rate could be high again this year. He did appear to be a little quicker when running the ball. Not necessarily faster, but quicker to pull down and shoot through the defense if his throwing options we not there. The biggest thing for Denard is his decision making. If he can progress through his reads and make the right decision on who to throw to, he will be much more successful this year. Being in year two of the Borges offense, we should see some decision making improvements. 
  • Devin Gardner split the remaining time at quarterback with Russell Bellomy during the Spring Game. Gardner looked excellent running the ball, but his throwing is still something of a concern. We didn't see hardly any long passes from the quarterbacks on Saturday, but the one that sticks in my mind is the one Gardner threw to Blake Countess (yes an interception). He was late on the throw and therefore Countess was able to step in front of the receiver (can't remember who) and pick it off. In my e-pinion Gardner should see some significant time at receiver this fall. He is too athletic to leave off of the field. This leads me to the next point...
  • Russell Bellomy looked pretty good on Saturday. He doesn't have the big arm that can throw a ball down the field, but he makes his reads pretty well and has enough athleticism to run away from a defender. Sometimes his throws seem to be slow getting to his receivers, but I think that may be correctable. Bellomy is a decent backup, but I still think that Gardner is the number two quarterback by a mile. If Gardner plays some receiver and Denard gets hurt, Gardner can still step in at quarterback and play. But Bellomy could be a good replacement at times also. 
  • Fitz Toussaint is the number one running back and there is no argument. He looks a little more quicker this year as well and his vision is increasing everyday. He also looks a little stronger in breaking tackles. Thomas Rawls is clearly the number two every down running back behind Toussaint. Rawls showed some power and vision bursting into open holes on Saturday. He will be a nice backup for Toussaint, giving him a few breathers here and there.
  • Vincent Smith is undoubtedly the third down back again this fall. He has great hands receiving the ball out of the backfield and can block just about anybody. He doesn't have the power to run through guys, but he is shifty and quick enough to evade them. Justice Hayes will probably get a few carries here and there as well since he appears to be Smith's backup.
  • Stephen Hopkins is the starting fullback going into the season and he is a pretty good. He blocks pretty well and carries the ball with authority. However, he is fumble prone, so hopefully we rely more on him for blocking than running the ball.
  • Wide receiver was not on display much on Saturday. Whether that be because the receivers couldn't get open or because the coverage was tremendous, it remains a major concern. Roundtree had only the one catch that I can remember from Denard right at the beginning. Jeremy Gallon caught a few balls showing that he can be a go to guy, but he is a bit on the short side to be a down field threat. Jeremy Jackson is big but not very fast and Jerald Robinson didn't get much thrown his way (neither did anyone else) to show us anything. Hopefully with Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson coming in in the fall we get some spark to the receiving corp.
  • Offensive line was solid for the most part with walk-on Joey Burzynski being the surprise starter at left guard. This may not mean much since Elliott Mealer and Chris Bryant had been talked about all spring as the front runners. But Mealer did get some time on the second team offensive line at right tackle; maybe just providing some depth at that position. It will be interesting to see where incoming freshman Kyle Kalis plays this fall. 
  • Ricky Barnum looked pretty good at center as well. There were a few dropped snaps, but I am not worried since Barnum just switched positions in the offseason. Jack Miller is clearly the backup there and looked decent but needs to add more weight before he will be a big contributor.
  • Brandon Moore and Ricardo Miller were the two tight ends that stuck out on Saturday. But that is because they were the only two I really noticed playing. Miller seems to be out of position and Moore isn't a great enough blocker in my e-pinion. Hopefully A.J. Williams and Devin Funchess bring some much needed talent and ability this fall.
The offense looked okay on Saturday. Wide receiver is the most concerning position along with tight end. If the guys at those positions can make an impact this season, the offense will be fun to watch. If not, then it could be scary having to rely heavily on the running game.

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