Punted to Submission

Never in my life would I predict that I'd lead off my blog highlighting the statistic of a punter. I feel slimy just writing that. But what we witnessed in Saturday's game between Michigan and Wisconsin was monumental, well, at least from a punters perspective.

Punter, Ken DeBauche from Wisconsin is probably treating a rash as we speak due to excessive upper right thigh rubbing to the, well, you know what region. DeBauche punted the ball an astounding 11 times for 514 yards on Saturday afternoon, which ranks 10th best in conference history.

I didn't see many analysts predict that stat.

So from there, we can kind of guess how this game was won. Can you say defense, again? This front four is getting more and more special after each week. Here's a good example, Wisconsin had 15 possessions and scored on three of them - 1 TD and 2 FG's. In Wisconsin's 12 other possessions they accumulated a whopping 46 yards!! Wow, that's nearly 4 yards per drive, not play, per drive.

Wisconsin racked up 104 of its 248 total yards in the last 5:21 of the game. It also gained 60 yards on its first drive that took 2:44 off the clock. Which means, in the other 51:55 of the game, Wisconsin moved the ball for 88 yards.

Did I say this defense was good?

Keys to the defensive performance:

1. 4 sacks (17 on the season)
2. 11 of 70 plays of no gain or negative yards (44 of 248 for the season, 17.7%)
3. 12 net rushing yards (74 for the season, which ranks #1)

Offensively, once the engine was jump started, a healthy does of Henne to Manningham for two more perfect strikes put this game away with Hart finishing off any hopes the Badgers had when he slipped into the end zone from 5 yards out on a nice, patient, run up the middle.

Rivas and Breaston once again shined on special teams - Breaston in putting Michigan in good field position and Rivas with finishing off scoring drives.

And what happened to our kick and punt return coverage? The first two weeks of the season were simply painful to watch. Now our opposition is lucky to get to the 20 yard line on kick-offs and more importantly, returners are just thankful when they are forcefully shown the turf and still possess the ball. That's two forced special team turnovers in two weeks, folks.

The offense looked sluggish at times, but we must give Wisconsin's defense some credit. I mean, they did finish off the 2005 season by spanking a Top 10 Auburn team. It was only natural that Michigan would struggle to move the ball against them at times; however, 3rd down conversions were a chore to watch. Need to work on this guys.

On the flipside of Michigan's 3rd down troubles is the fact that for two straight weeks, the Wolverines have turned a 3rd and 4 into long TD passes to Manningham. This shows they are not afraid to go for the jugular during crucial moments of the game. A nice change for the Michigan faithful.

So, Michigan punched Wisconsin in the mouth and has now assured itself an unbeaten September for this first time in years. Off to Minnesota to play in the poor excuse for any type of sports venue the garbage bag, I mean Metrodome. If Michigan is able to take care of business against the Gophers, which I suspect they will do, handily, it's off to the toughest stretch of the year - MSU, @PSU, Iowa.

My Key to 2006 Success Update - Red Zone Efficiency

Offense

1. Four trips in the Red Zone resulting in 1 TD & 2 FG's for 13 of 28 possible points (80 of a possible 119 points for the season - 67.2%).

Defense

1. One trip for the opposition in the Red Zone resulting in 1 FG for 3 of 7 possible points (27 of a possible 42 points scored for the season - 64.3%).
   

Offensively, Michigan needs to pick its Red Zone efficiency up. Although they've scored in 15 of 17 total trips for the season, they are relying heavily on the FG.

Quick Slant

My Week 1 Big Ten predictions were perfect, but the games were not that difficult to pick. It will be more interesting next week when the Buckeyes travel to Iowa. I took Iowa in this one.

DP

Good Night and Good Luck, Chicago

Mark the date, September 24th, 2006. For today is the day the streak has officially ended. Let's recap what has transpired since the painstaking streak began:

1. The Detroit Pistons have won 3 NBA Championships
2. The Detroit Red Wings added 3 more Stanley Cups
3. Both the University of Michigan football and basketball teams won a National Championship
4. The Michigan State Spartans hoisted a basketball National Championship

All these classic moments have been soaked in by Detroit area sports fans since that wondrous fall day, back in 1987, when Frank Tannana pitched a 1-0 shut-out gem on the final game of the year against Toronto to complete an improbable late season comeback and playoff berth for the 1987 Tigers. That was the last time this city has sniffed playoff baseball.

And now, today, it is back.

This piece is not to rip the White Sox or its fans. In fact, it's quite the opposite.

To the Sox we'd like to say thank you and bid you good luck with your post season ambitions from today forward because it no longer impacts the October plans of the Detroit Tigers.

Thanks to the Sox for showing the baseball world last season that hard work, sound pitching, and a bunch of regular Joe's working as one, can accomplish great feats. No longer does a team need high priced free agents to taste post season glory. No, the 2005 White Sox taught us believing in a common goal can overtake talent, at times.

The 2005 Sox also taught us not to get distraught when watching a huge Division lead get whittled away in the last month of the season. Instead of a complete collapse, composure and confidence were key attributes of the 2005 White Sox team, which is now evident in our Tigers who have clawed themselves out of a disasterous ending - instilling 2 nails into the White Sox playoff coffin just a couple of weeks ago.

The baseball world was watching Chicago and the Detroit Tigers learned a thing or two from it. In fact, the Tiger's season has vast similarities to the 2005 White Sox, hopefully it can have the same ending.

And as we head into the final week of the season, we don't know if the Chicago White Sox will be around next Monday to defend their throne; however, we do know that for the first time since 1987, Detroit Tigers baseball is back and playoff bound.

These improbable overacheivers shocked the baseball world this year, only 3 years removed from the 2nd worst season in baseball history. The 2006 Tigers are one of the greatest turnaround stories in all of sports.

Let's hope there is a couple of more chapters to their story.

From here until this wonderful ride ends, cherish it, because 19 years is longer than you think.

DP

Shell Shocked

We finally get a break. No more, fire Lloyd Carr cries. No more, the offense is too vanilla. No more, Henne cannot produce in big games. No more, the defense cannot stop a big time QB. Last but not least, no more, Michigan cannot win its road opener.

On Saturday afternoon, each of these myths fell one by one to the turf of Notre Dame Stadium. The Michigan team we have so eagerly awaited for the past two seasons unleased itself in vicious fashion, handing Notre Dame one its most lopsided home losses in school history.



To say Michigan was prepared on Saturday is an understatement. The performance they displayed was nothing short of being on a mission to seek and destroy. They dominated Notre Dame physically, mentally, and emotionally in their own backyard. The great Charlie Weis and his offensive prowess were dismantled by young DC, Ron English. The brilliant Irish offensive game schemer could only muster up the number of Super Bowl rings he owns in rushing yards, 4, against English's raging defense.

You cannot help but feel that this could be a special year for the men in Blue.

The vanilla offense that was much maligned in Week's 1 & 2 for its lack of depth, assaulted the Notre Dame defense with a quick strike aerial attack. Before ND knew what slapped them upside the head, McFly style, it was already 34-7. Henne was able to shred ND's defense with a mere 13 completions that went for an astounding 220 yards and 3 TD's.

Mike Hart was also instrumental in pounding the Irish defense into submission with a huge day controlling the clock with the run game. What made the day even more impressive was that Michigan was able to will its way to time of possession dominance by nearly 8 minutes, which included 2 scores from the defense and another setting up shop at the Notre Dame 4 yard line. The 8 minute disparity provided no justice to just how stingy Michigan was in dictating the flow of the game.

What does this victory mean for the 2006? Well, as long as Notre Dame is not vastly overrated, it should mean that Michigan will be favored in every game this season leading up to their annual slugfest with the Buckeyes. While the schedule has its trip-ups, there is reason to believe that this Michigan team, I mean the one that took the field on Saturday, has the talent, skill, and passion to run the table.

Obviously, we are a ways from that happening, but the prospects are looking brighter by the moment.

Now for some statistics:

Keys to the defensive performance:

1. 5 forced turnovers (10 for the season and #1 turnover margin in the Nation)
2. 3 sacks (13 on the season)
3. 7 of 66 plays of no gain or negative yards (33 of 178 for the season, 18.5%)
4. 4 net rushing yards (62 for the season, which ranks #1)

My key area for 2006 success is Red Zone efficiency on both offense and defense. Here are the results from Game 2:

Offense

1. Four trips with plays starting inside the Red Zone resulting in 19 points (2 TD's, 2 FG's)

Defense

1. Two trips with plays starting inside the Red Zone resulting in 14 points (2 TD's).

For the year, Michigan is 12 for 13 offensively in the Red Zone, scoring 67 of a possible 91 points (73.6%). Defensively, they've held the opposition to 5 Red Zone trips while allowing 24 of a possible 35 points.

Again, this has been a major success for Michigan thus far in 2006.

Let's bring on Wisky and keep this mother brother train rolling......

DP

Game of a Lifetime

And here we are, a mere 48 hours away from the huge Michigan/Notre Dame showdown. But this game is not large in magnitude solely due to the history of these two football powers. Nor is it because this contest lines up the #2 and #11 ranked teams in the Nation. Although bragging right are significant in this series, the true identity of this game cannot be found there, either.

No, this game can be compared to one of those solar eclipses that come once every 20 years or so. I for one, cannot remember in all of my years of watching Michigan football a more important game on the schedule. I'm not referring to its importance from a record standpoint. Sure, the 1997 games vs. Penn State and Ohio State were undeniably big time. The 2003 & 2004 Rose Bowls vs. USC and Texas were also colossal match-ups.

But this game goes deeper. It's not so much about the record this time. For the 1st time since General Bo paced the sidelines in his 1st year, the Michigan football program is in question. Where is it heading and what will become of it?

Will it endure the painstaking streaks that many power houses have fell victim to over the last couple of decades, which includes: Oklahoma, Nebraska, Penn State, Notre Dame, Miami, USC etc.? All these programs hit bottom at one point or another in the last 20 years. In contrast, since Bo arrived in 1969, only 1 school has a better winning % than Michigan. Frankly, Michigan fans have been spoiled with Big Ten Championships, Rose Bowls, a bowl streak of 31 years, and a National Championship. Few of us have experienced the depths of irrelevancy when it comes to Michigan football.

Some may look at this and disagree that Saturday's game means so much, as it's only 1 game. But the program is at the precipice of hitting the crossroads. The question is what path will Michigan take?

A victory on Saturday could ignite the engine to this sleeping giant. A loss could bring Michigan one step closer to losing its grip on the college football landscape. It may bring them mere inches away to dark days so many reputable programs have faced.

In my eyes, I've yet to see a larger football game than what we'll witness on Saturday since Bo spoiled 'ole Woody's season some 37 years ago.


Now to some key points to the game:

Offense

Michigan's game plan needs to focus on limiting ND's possessions. Each minute the ND offense is on the sideline holds a better chance of success in winning this contest. Possession time, of course, is led by a sound and efficient running game that can churn out first downs. I'm not advocating going into a shell offensively, instead we need to pick our spots to unleash an aggressive aerial assault as well as trick plays. However, focus cannot be lost that this game will be won in the trenches and Michigan must dominate running the football.

A healthy dose of Mike Hart attacking off-tackle and on screens should keep the ND defense busy. I'd also like to see Grady and Minor get their fair share of carries between the tackles to wear down the defense with the physical running style they bring. I truly believe Minor could have a significant impact in this game if he is allowed to see the field, consistently.

Defense

There is no question here that the defensive line holds the key to stopping Quinn and the ND offense. If the front four can apply consistent pressure on Quinn and rattle him, it will greatly improve Michigan's chance to leave South Bend victorious. However, English cannot solely rely on a four man rush to pressure Quinn as Penn State did. He must be willing to bring the heat from both the linebacker and safety positions. It is also imperative that he mix his packages up to create confusion during blitzes such as, dropping Woodley back into zone coverage to combat against the quick dump off to Walker underneath as well as receivers running quick slants.

English must, and I mean must, keep ND off balance with his scheming. Walker should be spied upon in the passing game as he will most likely be the weapon that Weis will use to open up the attack and spread Michigan's defense out. If Crable and or Burgess can limit his success of catching the ball out of the backfield, Weis will be forced to throw the ball downfield with Quinn being pressured, which could result in turnovers.

Special Teams

Let's just say, this area is simple. Michigan needs to convert FG's as well as open up some space for Breaston to make his mark. Conversely, the kicking/punting coverage teams need to avoid allowing big plays while putting the Michigan defense in good spots relative to field position.

All in all, Lloyd and his staff must bring it. Nothing should be left on the field unanswered. They've been waiting for this game for 8 months now. It's time to show us all what you've learned, changed, and taught.

Go Blue!


DP

Finally, ABC gets It

I had lost hope. I really did. The last couple of years of watching our media outlets churn out trash has led me to a path that provides little, in terms of a news medium that I can honestly trust. Nightly, the networks, led by CBS, along with cable news, led by CNN, repeatedly force liberal rubbish down my throat with topics such as: the failure of Iraq, Taliban prisoners/murderers not being treated fairly, the nerve of the government to tap phones to save lives, and illegals should have the right to enter the U.S. on the taxpayers dime.

I'm simply sick of the slant the media puts on every controversial topic in this country. Not too mention, the message most of the time takes the anti-American side. Of course, they'll rattle off that their view and opinions correlate to why America is so great (ahh the freedom) - even though its being burned from within by these same fire breathing hypocrites.

And then came along ABC and its much maligned mini-series, 'The Path to 9/11'. I haven't seen left wing lobbyists up in arms at this level in quite some time. Never mind the outright approval and support of Michael Moore's, 'Fahrenheit 911'.

Funny how things change when the shoe is put on the other foot.

And now we have to listen to the left wing propaganda of how Disney is selling out to its right-wing supporters. Let me get this straight. This is the same Disney that employs Rosie O'Donnell as lead talk show host. The same Disney who let's Oprah teach America about the horrors of the current minimum wage while she takes in tens of thousands per hour. Yes, the same Disney who broke the network television barriers in the 90's, with the skin revealing drama, 'NYPD Blue'.

Yup, I can clearly see how Disney leads the way on instilling values to Americans. So now all of a sudden, Disney has a conservative agenda? Give me a break.

But let me compliment the network for providing a gravitating, depiction of what led to 9/11. Any rational viewer acknowledges that a docudrama, does in fact, have dramatic parts. We don't need the liberals to tell us that. But please, save your rambling on how this presentation had fact less merit. Are we truly to believe that Disney producers scaled the 9/11 Commission reports with a fine comb only to produce pure fiction? Or are the scenes during the Democratic led government the only fictional portion of this piece?

In spirit, any objective American understands our government dropped the ball leading up to 9/11. Is there any one person to blame? No. If that's the message liberals took out of 'The Path to 9/11', then they simply were not watching.

No surprise there.

To relive the events that led to 9/11 with the sophistication and level of detail that went into the planning of that disaster, you are only fooling yourself if you believe this ALL falls post the 2000 election. With the uproar and stink the liberals have ignited over this film, that is exactly how they come across.

Again, kudos, finally, for a network to show a piece that doesn't have an agenda or boundaries as to how much the truth might hurt. We ALL lost that day as country. And it does not hurt us as a nation to reflect on why we lost. It can only make us stronger.

Now some advice for our Democratic leaders - save your anti 'Path to 9/11' energy and put it to beneficial use and secure our borders.

Let's not create a sequel to this docudrama.

DP

Michigan 41 Central Michigan 17 - Thunder Struck

Michigan's defense wasn't the only thing bringing the thunder on Saturday afternoon. For the first time in the history of Michigan football, the game was delayed for nearly an hour due to weather. This was an interesting way to watch a football game, if nothing else I was able to get a few more chores done before the restart of the game.



Now to the analysis:

Offensively Michigan continued pounding the football with an effective running game churning out 252 yards in the contest. Mike Hart led the way with 116 yards and 3 TD's, looking nimble as ever. The zone blocking scheme continues to open up lanes for the running backs with minimal plays that go for losses. It also appears that Henne is checking into running plays based on what the defense is giving Michigan.

It's only two games in, but if Michigan is able to continue its running success throughout the Big Ten season, they will be able to control games, which will allow them to limit the opposition's offensive possessions, as well as dictating the flow. Both bode well for Blue.

The passing game looks efficient at times, but lethargic at others. Receivers continue to drop the ball and we've yet to fully witness a downfield or over the middle attack. One has to ask whether Carr & Debord are not showing their hand going into the Notre Dame or if Michigan is simply having difficulty with the passing game and the harness has yet to be released?

Overall, the offense moved the ball at will against CMU and put up 34 points by the end of the 3rd quarter. They also possessed the ball for nearly 37 minutes while running the ball 50 times.

That's Michigan football at its best.

Defensively, the unit swarmed, once again, creating turnovers (3) and sacks (4). Michigan has now forced 5 turnovers and 10 sacks in its first two games, a vast improvement over 2005. There is still the 'big play' syndrome that plagues this defense, that gave up a 35 yard TD and nearly allowed a second, which ended up being dropped.

That said, LeFevour was being chased and harassed all day. CMU attempted 39 passes on the day, completing only 18 of them, thus achieving 4.8 yards per pass. The running defense was stellar and physical, allowing a dismal 16 yards (including sacks) on 21 attempts or 37 yards on 13 carries, excluding sacks. The effectiveness of this year's run defense starts with the chaos the defensive line is creating up front as it allows our speedy linebackers to attack and run down the perimeter running attack.

Keys to the defensive performance:

1. Three forced turnovers (5 for the season)
2. 4 sacks (10 on the season)
3. 13 of 60 plays of no gain or negative yards (26 of 112 for the season, 23%)

Overall, defensively, if fans need something to complain about, which many do, the big pass plays that have haunted them in the first two games are the only apparent Achilles heel at this juncture of the season. However, from what has been witnessed thus far, compared to 2005, we have to feel quite confident going into ND and the Big Ten season that the defense has the potential to carry this squad.

Special teams were erratic, again, on Saturday. While Rivas nailed his to FG attempts to go 4 for 5 on the season, the punting was average at best and the kick return coverage resembled swiss cheese. Special teams will have to improve significantly in the upcoming weeks before it costs Michigan a close game. We've yet to see Breaston really get loose on a return.

My key area for 2006 success is Red Zone efficiency on both offense and defense. Here are the results from Game 2:

Offense

1. Five trips with plays starting inside the Red Zone resulting in 31 points (4 TD's, FG)

Defense

1. Three trips with plays starting inside the Red Zone resulting in 10 points (TD, FG, fumble).

For the year, Michigan is 8 for 9 offesively in the Red Zone, scoring 48 of a possible 63 points. Defensively, they've held the opposition to 3 Red Zone trips while allowing 10 of a possible 21 points.

Two games in, Red Zone efficiency has been a major success.

All this being said, the majority of fans realize the real season begins on September 16. The question is whether Michigan can take the positives from the first two games and roll into South Bend with vengeance. I'm not sure there's a fan among us that really feels secure on what we should expect next Saturday.

One thing is assured, after the game, we'll know exactly where the Michigan football program stands.

Michigan 27 Vanderbilt 7 - What We Learned

According to most Michigan football forums, nothing has changed. It's still the same 'ole conservative game strategy executed with familiar mistakes. In fact, compliments and optimism about Saturday's game are few and far between. Most fans are in late season form with the fire Carr, another 3+ loss season, the offense is boring, etc, etc.

The expectations some followers put on this program could only be met with 50-0 type blowouts and yet, that still might bring about chatter of what went terribly wrong and why Carr should be shown his way to a seat next to Bo in the press box. Unfortunately for some, it's the darkside of Michigan football. Perfection is required, anything less is tolerated as the sky is falling type mind set. That being said, let's take a look at what we learned on Saturday.



Ask yourself, what were the two biggest things you wished for as a Michigan fan to change in 2006? Most of your answers included at least one, probably both, of the following:

1. A return to intense, hard hitting fundamental defense
2. Run the ball with effectiveness

Now ask yourself if Michigan accomplished theses tasks on Saturday? The answer should be a resounding YES.

Let's take a quick hit of the defense and three items that stood out:

1. Intensity, hitting, swarming, and fundamentals. How many tackles did the 'D' miss on Saturday? Not many, which is our first step to extraordinary change from years past.
2. The defensive line can be a machine at times. The pressure from the front four kept Vandy uneasy all game long. The spread offense that used to burn Michigan with QB keepers and shotgun misdirection plays was at a clear disadvantage on Saturday.
3. The unit looks fit and in shape with English not afraid to substitute at will, which wore down Vandy as the game progressed.

Here are some stats that should make every Michigan fan smile:

1. Six sacks (3 by Woodley) for -38 yards
2. Four TFL's for -9 yards
3. Three no gain plays
4. 2 forced turnovers
5. 13 of 52 total offensive plays for Vandy resulted in no gain or negative yards (25%)

Any knowledgeable fan cannot walk away from this game without taking notice that the defensive mind set of this team has changed and good things could be on the horizon. It's only one game, but it's incomparable to any game I watched in 2005.

Now let's flip to the offensive side of things where off-season wish #2 came to fruition. The offensive line and the new zone blocking scheme pummelled Vandy for 246 yards on the ground. A few things to provide us confidence that the run game will experience continued success:

1. Mike Hart looks quick and shifty as he's ever been
2. Kevin Grady is leaner and has better vision (if he can only hold on to the football)
3. Minor looks to be, yet another viable threat in the backfield

Now to the passing game, which was inconsistent at best. This had to be the most disappointing aspect of Saturday's game, but in no way should over shadow the running game and defense. Henne, when he wasn't flushed out of the pocket, was throwing high all day. When he wasn't throwing high, he had two key drops and a nice completion inside the 5 taken away by inept officiating. The scheme and the plays were there, the players just didn't finish. This can be corrected. Let's not jump off a cliff due to first game rustiness on offense, just yet. They were inches away from breaking the game open very early.

My key area for 2006 success is Red Zone efficiency on both offense and defense. Here are the results from Game 1:

Offense

1. Three trips with plays starting inside the Red Zone resulting in 17 points
2. One fumble inside the Red Zone (play started at 23 yd line)

Defense

1. No opposition trips into the Red Zone

We'll call this key area a major success against Vandy.

Three Plays to Make or Break (Game 1)

1. Pat Massey's apparent TD drop
2. Kevin Grady's nineteen yard TD run on 3rd and 4
3. Forced fumble, recovered by Hall, in 4th (led to Henne/Mannigham TD)

Overall, you have to be pleased with Saturday's performance despite the fact that Henne didn't throw for 500 yards and 4 TD's. The defense played with fire from start to finish and Michigan moved the ball well on the ground.

The schemes on both sides of the ball were quite vanilla, yet highly effective. A solid and efficient game against CMU next week should put this team at a competitive edge going into the ND game, especially with the Irish coming off two straight, hard fought physical battles.

The primary take away from the opener is that it could be much worse, as we experienced last year. Henne's throws will get better and the pass blocking will gel. It is apparent that attitude has changed and will pay huge dividends has the season progresses, even if they are not all shut out wins.

DP