For a team like Michigan, that is historically strong but had a very weak year in 2008, the preview for the 2009 team is going to be tough. Key to that preview is the offensive line of the Wolverines. Most people who follow the Michigan program expect the offensive line to be a relative strength in 2009, while those who follow other programs don’t have the same optimism (or fear, as it were). So why do Michigan fans think a lot more of their 2009 OL than, say Notre Dame fans?

Returning experience has been brought up as an indicator of possible team success, and Michigan is among the teams with the highest number of returning starts along the offensive line (as is Notre Dame). However, most non-Michigan fans that I’ve seen looking at Michigan so far this off-season have said something along the lines of “They might be a better OL next year, but they sucked in 2008, so how much better can they be?” That may be the case, but it’s certainly worth exploring the assumption that the Wolverine offensive line was crap in 2008.

Improvement over the Year

The Michigan offensive line may have indeed started out poorly in 2008. They rushed for fewer yards than the opponents’ average allowed in 5 of the first 8 games, even though they were playing teams with relatively easy schedules like Utah, Miami, and Wisconsin (against whom Michigan would have had an awful rushing day if not for a surprise 65-yarder by Steven Threet). However, there’s certainly evidence that, after a rough couple games to start out the year, the rushing game started to click for Michigan.

Rushing
Opponent	Opp. Rush Rank	Opp. Avg Allowed	Mich Rush Yards	Delta	% Delta
Utah	11	99.15	36	-63.15	-63.69
Miami	106	208.33	178	-30.33	-14.56
Notre Dame	45	134.15	159	+24.85	+18.52
Wisconsin	44	133.31	172	+38.69	+29.02
Illinois	77	152.92	69	-83.92	-54.88
Toledo	96	178.33	170	-8.33	-4.67
Penn State	8	93.23	202	+108.77	+116.67
Michigan State	67	142.46	84	-58.46	-41.04
Purdue	93	174.83	177	+2.17	+1.24
Minnesota	68	143.31	232	+88.69	+61.89
Northwestern	34	126.38	181	+54.62	+43.22
Ohio State	18	110.23	111	+0.77	+0.70

That chart can be displayed in graphical form below. Note that more of the good rush defenses they faced were towards the back end of the schedule – and they still managed to beat the average for each of those teams. Save the MSU game, the Wolverines beat the opponent’s average in each game over the second half of the season.

With many players who weren’t expected to ever contribute in meaningful gametime (Bryant Nowicki), or at least not in 2008 (David Molk), the offensive line still managed to be better than average, with strength of opponents’ defenses taken into account.

More Competition

Of course, there’s a reason that some of those players who were forced into action in 2008 were not expected to ever contribute in starting roles for the Wolverines. Add in a class of freshmen that redshirted in 2008 because they weren’t physically ready to play, despite good guru rankings (4* OG RIcky Barnum) or performance in practice (2* OT Patrick Omameh). Add in those players, and even if they don’t contribute on the field, their presence in practice pushes other players to work harder to keep their starting spots. The best player between Mark Ortman and nobody is definitely Mark Ortman. The best player between Mark Ortman and Patrick Omameh might still be the same Mark Ortman, but that’s the minimum. It’s more likely to be a better Mark Ortman from being pushed in practice, or even Omameh.

When you take into account that the Michigan offensive line faced a number of injuries last year, having more players certainly helps in this respect as well. Using the example above, if Mark Ortman goes down and there’s no backup, the team has to play someone who really has no place being a contributor. If Mark Ortman goes down and Patrick Omameh is nipping his heels on the depth chart, the dropoff is going to be much less noticeable.

Improved QB Play

The offensive line is one unit on an offensive machine that must all work in concert to achieve the maximum result. If other parts of the machine are faulty, the offensive line won’t look as good, simply because the offense isn’t producing. Quarterback play in 2008 was, to put it quite bluntly, a liability for Michigan. Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan each had moments of brilliance (games against Penn State and Minnesota, respectively), but did at least their fair share of contributing to the offensive struggles in 2008.

The quarterbacks couldn’t throw particularly well, which allowed opposing safeties to come into the box to play the run. If Michigan had been able to stretch the field deep with the pass, there would have been more open running lanes. Coupled with that idea is the fact that Michigan’s scheme requires the quarterback to be able to run. Since neither Threet nor Sheridan was particularly mobile, defenses were able to key on the running back exclusively. This contributed to poor results for Michigan.

Of course, this section of the argument centers on the idea (belief? hope?) that Michigan’s quarterback play in 2009 will be better than it was in 2008. That hope falls on the shoulders of one Robert Tate Forcier. While he may not be The Savior of Michigan Football, his high school play and rankings, along with his performance in the spring game have given Michigan fans hope.

Better in ’09?

Outside sources whose job it is to cover the Big Ten (albeit poorly) think that the Michigan OL should be improved this year. So, as I’ve hopefully demonstrated, not only was the Michigan offensive line not the huge liability over the entire course of 2008  that it’s often made out to be (despite some of the players forced into service), but it should continue to improve in the offseason as the players who will contribute in 2009 will have a year of experience under their belts, a lot more competition in practice, and a more complete offensive picture around them. Don’t expect greatness from the offensive line in 2009, but they should certainly help the offense get back on track.

Posted under Analysis, Football

Posted under Football

A softball preview? I’ve seriously gone off the deep end.

The Alabama Crimson Tide obviously is (are?) a good softball team. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be in the Women’s College World Series, obviously. But what exactly should we know about the Tide before tonight’s game (7PM EDT on ESPN)? For starters, they finished the year second in both the SEC and the nation to the Florida Gators in terms of win percentage, and are the #4 overall seed in the tournament. Their head coach, in his 11th season (and 11th consecutive NCAA tournament berth), is Patrick Murphy.

Pitching
Alabama’s ace, who I assume the Wolverines are likely to see tonight, is sophomore Kelsi Dunne. She is tied for 16th in the nation (with the Wolverines’ Nikki Nemitz and 3 others) with 27 wins. However, Michigan might not see her for the entire game, as she’s one of 2 players in the top 30 nationally in wins with fewer than 200 innings pitched, clocking in at 194 2/3. The Tide’s other main pitcher is junior Charlotte Morgan (we’ll learn more about her momentarily, as well), who has thrown around 140 innings. Dunne is 20th in the nation in ERA, allowing 1.37 runs per 7 innings, and 27th in the country with 8.6 strikeouts per game. Morgan is not nationally ranked in any of these categories.

Hitting
Though she’s not the Tide’s best pitcher, Morgan is certainly their best hitter. Last year, she was an All-American on the basis of her prowess at the plate. This year, she’s 33rd in the nation with a .414 batting average, and is 22nd in the country with just barely under 1 RBI per game. She’s the Tide’s main hitting weapon, as they don’t have anyone else nationally ranked (top 30) in either category. Of course, for comparison’s sake, Michigan doesn’t even have a single player ranked by those metrics – the Wolverines get it done with pitching. On top of Morgan’s hitting ability, the Crimson Tide really hurt teams with lots of stolen bases. Senior outfielder Brittany Rogers, the team’s second-best hitter, is tied for third in the country with 0.84 steals per game, and her freshman teammate Jennifer Fenton is #30 with 0.52 stolen bases in each contest. Fenton is third on the team in batting average, so being on-base more frequently allows for more stealing opportunities: it seems like Murphy really likes to get his players moving whenever they’re on the basepaths (the Tide are 1st nationally in SBs with nearly 5 per game). Put all that offense together, and you have the 5th-most prolific scoring team in the USA.

Fielding
Going back to defense, the Tide are a good fielding team as well. Their fielding percentage is .975, good for 10th in the country. They’ve committed only 40 errors on the year, so getting cheap bases will probably not happen. If you’re looking for chinks in the armor, infielders Whitney Larsen and Kelli Eubanks are the only regular starters with fielding percentages below .950 – and they also happen to be the team’s weakest hitters. Another weak fielder is extraordinarily-named Jazlyn Lunceford, who is not a starter, but has seen time in 50 of ‘Bama’s 61 games.

So, what have we learned about the Tide? They’re very strong on offense. And defense. They are very strong on offense and defense. Whereas Michigan gets it done mostly through pitching and defense (3rd in the nation in ERA, 16th in fielding percentage), Alabama gets it going on both ends, generating offense through not only hitting, but also stealing bases, all while relying on very good fielding and pitching to keep the score low for the opponents. Based on those two aspects, I would be surprised if they were anywhere other than 2nd nationally in scoring margin, though the NCAA doesn’t keep stats on that. They’re certainly a formidable first test in the WCWS, and Michigan will absolutely need to be on their game to pull out a ‘W’ tonight.

Posted under Other Sports

More than any other 2009 opponent, Eastern Michigan might be super-difficult to preview. This is due to a variety of reasons: a new coaching staff, poor resources about the Eagles, various position switches in the past couple years. As always, this super-early preview is to give a first glimpse of Eastern, but also for readers to help me get the correct information for more in-depth previews later this year. If you know anything about EMU’s team this upcoming year, please comment and help me out! Highlighted players return in ’09.

Eastern Michigan Offense

Quarterbacks

Andy Schmitt seems like he’s been around forever, probably because he’ll be entering his 4th year as a starter for the Eagles (he split with Tyler Jones his first couple years, though Jones was a wideout last year). Kyle McMahon will be Schmitt’s main backup. Williams was granted a medical redshirt last year, though he played in 3 games.

Eastern Michigan QBs Passing 2008
Name	Comp	Att	%	Yds	TD	Int	Yds/Att
Andy Schmitt	261	417	62.59	2644	15	8	6.34
Kyle McMahon	45	73	61.64	574	2	4	7.86
Jason Williams	1	3	33.33	4	0	1	1.33

Eastern Michigan QBs Rushing 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Andy Schmitt	57	171	5	3.00
Kyle McMahon	32	138	0	4.31
Jason Williams	4	23	1	5.75

Analysis

Despite his vast experience, Schmitt isn’t particularly successful at the QB position. He’ll probably retain his position by virtue of that experience, but it seems that, as McMahon and Williams gain some experience, they might be better QBs in the future for the Eagles. Early in 2009, however, it’ll probably be Schmitt once more.

Running Backs

Terrence Blevins returns to Eastern Michigan for his senior season, and he brings all of his backups from last year with him. Priest and Welch will probably get slightly fewer carries than they did last year, as Dominique Sherer, who missed all but the first game last year with an injury, returns to the crowded EMU backfield.

Eastern Michigan RBs 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Terrence Blevins	133	575	12	4.32
Dwayne Priest	99	474	5	4.79
Corey Welch	25	154	0	6.16
Dominique Sherer	3	6	0	2.00

Eastern Michigan RBs Receiving 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	Yds/Rec
Dwayne Priest	14	125	1	8.93
Terrence Blevins	13	76	0	5.85
Corey Welch	2	3	0	1.50

Analysis

Blevins is something of a bruiser, running 6-1+ and more than 240 pounds. Priest and Welch are more of scatback-types, around 5-9 and 180 pounds each. The coaching staff will probably figure out ways to utilize their differing talents, and Blevins will get the majority of the up-the-middle beating. Of course, Michigan’s DL amnd LBs are somewhat raw, so there may be yards available in the middle of the field.

Receivers

Finally, we find a position at which the Eagles lost seom talent from 2008. Jacory Stone, the team’s leading receiver, is back, but the next two receiving options, converted QB Tyler Jones and TE Jeff DeLuc, are both gone. Marvon Sanders will continue to play a slot role for the Eagles, and Dontayo Gage will man the other outside starting position in his senior year.

Eastern Michigan Receiving 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	Yds/Rec
Jacory Stone	88	943	3	10.72
Tyler Jones	75	760	6	10.13
Jeff DeLuc (TE)	32	446	4	13.94
Marvon Sanders	28	253	1	9.04
Dontayo Gage	22	211	1	9.59
DeAnthony White (DB)	15	156	1	10.40
Ben Thayer (TE)	6	113	0	18.83
John Bonner (TE)	7	109	0	15.57
Tyrone Burke	4	31	0	7.75
Reggie Brown	1	6	0	6.00
Spenser Smith (DB)	1	4	0	4.00

Eastern Michigan Receivers Rushing 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	YPC
Tyler Jones	34	145	0	4.26
Marvon Sanders	10	80	0	8.00
DeAnthony White (DB)	4	53	0	13.25
Tyrone Burke	1	5	0	5.00
Ryan Downard (DB)	1	3	0	3.00
Donatyo Gage	4	0	0	0.00
John Bonner (TE)	1	-3	0	-3.00

Analysis

The Eagles aren’t particularly deep at the wide receiver position, as they lost 2 of their top 3 performers from last year. However, there is plenty of room for new contributors to step up. Lots of players got at least a bit of playing time last year, and they’ll play bigger roles in ’09. The Eagles don’t have prototypical size on the outside (Stone and Gage are under 6-0), and so they probably will focus more on getting players in space than trying to go deep.

Offensive Line

Lineup

TJ Lang was the only important starter to graduate, though fellow seniors Chris Larkins and Ross Peterson also got a bit of playing time. Peterson will be back for his 5th year, and hopes to move into a more prominent role after playing in only one game last year. Sophomores Bridger Bouche and Derek Gotham are returning starters as juniors, and now-senior Eric Davis will be a returning starter as well. Darrell Davis-Budanauro and Dan DeMaster will also try to move into the starting rotation.

Analysis

The Eagles lose only one important contributor in TJ Lang, though he was a 4th-round pick (something that is very rare for a program like Eastern). The rest of the linemen return, except for spot contributor Larkins and another player who didn’t get any playing time. The Eagles had middle-of-the-pack rushing offense and sacks allowed last year, though each of those might take a small step back without the rare NFL draftee on the line in Ypsilanti.

Offensive Analysis

The Eagles are pretty experienced on offense, returning the entire backfield from last year, and some important contributors on the line and in the receiving corps. Considering that Eastern was actually in the top-25 in the nation in total offense last year, they should be able to continue improving this year. Of course, that ranking last year was achieved playing a MAC schedule, along with nearly 650 yards against 1-AA Indiana State. Still, the Eagle offense is nothing to sleep on, especially with most offensive linemen returning.

Eastern Michigan Defense

Defensive Line

Brad Ohrman was the star of the Eastern Michigan defensive line last year as a redshirt freshman, and will look to continue rushing the passer in his sophomore season. Javon Reese, the other defensive end for Eastern,  had some success last year and will likely keep his starting job. Redshirt Sophomore Brandon Slater will continue his starting role as a defensive tackle, and Ryan Kuhlman may step into the other starting spot, if Tyler Palsrok can’t do it.

Eastern Michigan Defensive Line 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack
Brad Ohrman	42	11	6
Josh Hunt	33	5	1
Javon Reese	14	1.5	1
Brandon Slater	11	2	0
Ryan Kuhlman	10	0	0
Tyler Palsrok	4	1	1
Drew Serruto	3	0	0
Riley	2	2	0

Analysis

The Eagles have a decent amount of experience on defensive line, despite losing starter Josh Hunt. The one thing that they don’t have is size. If you’re starting a 6-5, 265-pound defensive tackle, and defensive ends who are probably better suited to be linebackers, you might have trouble stopping the run. Fortunately for the Wolverines, with an experienced offensive line and Brandon Minor, there is reason to expect to good power running game . The lighter D-Ends may be better at chasing down Tate Forcier on the QB keepers that he’s likely to run, but pounding up the middle with Minor should be a fairly effective gameplan.

Linebackers

4-year-starter and star Daniel Holtzclaw, who was the heart of the EMU defense for what seem like forever, is gone. Fortunately for Eastern, they return just about everyone else of note, and will have players slide over to cover the gap he leaves. Senior Andre Hatchett will be the anchor of the unit, and he’ll be joined by fellow senior Brandon Downs (unless his spring move to defensive end is permanent) and one of Tim Fort and Herb Waits. If Downs is now a defensive lineman, expect both of those two to start.

Eastern Michigan Linebackers 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int	Fum
Daniel Holtzclaw	107	4.5	1	1	0
Andre Hatchett	51	2.5	0	0	1
Brandon Downs	30	2.5	0	0	0
Tim Fort	22	0.5	0	0	0
Herb Waits	18	0	0	0	0
Steve Brown	3	0	0	0	0
Marcus English	3	0.5	0	0	0
Josh Williams	1	0	0	0	0

Analysis

The loss of Holtzclaw is big, but the fact that the Eagles return everyone of note, and perhaps are strong enough at linebacker to be moving players down to the defensive line, means that this unit shouldn’t be hurting too badly. Fort is a little-ish linebacker, with more of safety size. Of course, that means Waits, at 5-10 and 180 pounds, is more like corner-sized. Like DL, this unit should be susceptible to Michigan’s power run game.

Defensive Backs

The Eagles lose 3 of their top 4 defensive backs, so they’ll be filling some major needs here with unproven players. Taking into account that the lone returning starter, Jermaine Jenkins, may be moving to linebacker, and Eastern is likely looking at a pretty tough year in the defensive secondary. Ryan Downard will man one safety spot, and Kevin Long will probably be the other. Nate Wilson will probably be a starting corner, along with senior Chris May.

Eastern Michigan Defensive Backs 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int
Jacob Wyatt	88	2	0	0
Jermaine Jenkins	64	7	2	2
Dwayne Harrison	57	1	0	1
Spenser Smith	31	8	2	0
Ryan Downard	28	0	0	2
Nate Wilson	26	0	0	0
Kevin Long	25	0	0	1
Chris May	25	3	0	0
Arrington Hicks	17	0	0	1
Lyle Garrison	16	1	0	0
Brandon Pratt	5	0	0	0
Mark Mitchell	2	0	0	0
Keith Dixon	2	0	0	0
Tyrone Burke (WR)	1	0	0	0
Sonny Paluch (TE)	1	0	0	0

Analysis

As Mentioned above, the Eagles have few proven players, and should struggle in the secondary this year. The one thing they have going is that most of their interceptions from last year came from returning players. Of course, interceptions are somewhat random, but there is a playmaking aspect to the secondary.

Defensive Analysis

The EMU defense wasn’t good last year (this should be obvious, considering the top-25 offense and 3-9 season). They were bad against the rush and awful against the pass. Considering the personnel uncertainties at this point in the year, they should be in for another tough year. Michigan should mostly grind this one out on the ground, but take advantage of opportunities through the air and in the short passing game.

Special Teams

Placekicker Joe Carithers, a JuCo transfer last year, will return to kick in ’09. Zach Johnson and Patrick Treppa split punting duties last year. Johnson will be back for his 5th year, and Treppa will be a junior this fall. Lots of kicking options for the Eagles.

Eastern Michigan Kicking 2008
Name	XPM	XPA	%	FGM	FGA	Long	%
Joe Carithers	38	38	100.00	10	14	48	71.43
Zach Johnson	1	1	100.00	0	0	–	–

Eastern Michigan Punting 2008
Name	Punt	Yds	Yds/Punt
Zach Johnson	24	868	36.17
Patrick Treppa	23	774	33.65
Joe Carithers	7	260	37.14

Analysis

The kicking game and punting game were both around average last year, with the punts not being quite as good. Returning all three kicking specialists, the Eagles should be able to improve in all respects this year.

Overall Analysis

Eastern was pretty good on offense last year, and awful on defense. That trend should continue this year, as they return most key offensive contributors, and lose some important pieces on defense. Eastern should be one of the weaker oponents all around that Michigan plays this fall.

Posted under Analysis, Football

More extensive previews coming as the season approaches, and this preview is a way to get a first look at the team, and also be corrected on anything I might have wrong. Highlighted players in the charts below are returning for 2009. Notre Dame’s website is poorly designed, plus they’re too good to “redshirt” they “grant 5th-year eligibility” which is the exact same thing under a more pretentious name.

Notre Dame Offense

QBs
It’s unclear whether Evan Sharpley will return for his redshirt senior year, since he’s bigger into the baseball than football, in my recollection. Fear not though, incoming freshman Dayne Crist is expected to be the new 5-year Heisman winner for the Irish, and he might end up being the backup over Sharpley.

Statistics

Notre Dame QBs Passing 2008
Name	Comp	Att	%	Yds	TD	Int	Yds/Att
Jimmy Clausen	268	440	60.91	3172	25	17	7.21
Evan Sharpley	3	5	60.00	18	0	0	3.60

Notre Dame QBs Rushing 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Evan Sharpley	4	1	0	0.25
Jimmy Clausen	54	-73	0	-1.35

Analysis
Clausen took a big leap forward last year (partially a product of a functional-ish offense), and if he continues that, he might finally live up to about a third of the hype he got coming out of high school. If he gets hurt, however, it’ll be either a true freshman (Crist) or a guy who has never participated in spring practice because he’s busy playing baseball (Sharpley) backing his up.

RBs
Like many positions on this team, the Irish return everyone of note at the running back position. Expect Gray to get a little more action this year, as he’ll no longer be a true freshman. Allen and Hughes will likely still carry the load, however.

Statistics

Notre Dame RBs Rushing 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Armando Allen	134	585	3	4.37
Robert Hughes	112	382	4	3.41
James Aldridge	91	357	3	3.92
Jonas Gray	21	90	0	4.23
Asaph Schwapp (FB)	1	2	0	2.00

Notore Dame RBs Receiving 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	Yds/Rec
Armando Allen	50	355	2	7.1
Robert Hughes	14	93	0	6.64
Asaph Schwapp	2	13	0	6.50
James Aldridge	3	1	0	0.33

Analysis
This is a definite position of strength for the Irish – at least as much as it can be, since they’ve run the ball pretty inconsistently ever since Weis has been around, and much more so in the past couple years. How much of that is offensive line play, and how much should be on the backs? We’ll see.

Receivers
Golden Tate was a star-in-the-making last year, and he’ll certainly start all of 2009. His best fit might be at the slot in 3-wide (or 4-wide) sets, giving other players a chance to step up on the outside as well. Floyd is a big reeiver in the Braylon mold, and Rudolph will try to bring some playmaking back to the tight end position, which the Irish haven’t had consistently since Anthony Fasano left.

Statistics

Notre Dame Receivers 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	Yds/Rec
Golden Tate	58	1080	10	18.62
Michael Floyd	48	719	7	14.98
David Grimes	35	321	3	9.17
Kyle Rudolph (TE)	29	340	2	11.72
Duval Kamara	20	206	1	10.30
Robby Parris	9	50	0	5.56
George West	1	6	0	6.00
Will Yeatman (TE)	2	6	0	3.00

Analysis
Tate is a great deep threat, as Michigan fans are all too aware. The other guys were good last year, but not particularly exciting. Caveat: This was a very young unit last year, and with another year of experience under their belts, they should be able to do more in the offense.

Offensive Line

Lineup
Paul Duncan, a fifth-year senior, is expected to start at left tackle, after taking an injury redshirt last year. He should be backed up by highly-touted and very-ugly junior Matt Romine. At left guard, 5th-year senior Eric Olsen will start, with redshirt sophomore Andrew Nuss behind him. At center, redshirt junior Dan Wenger will be backed up by Braxton Cave. Chris Stewart, a redshirt junior, will be right guard, with Mike & Mike spawn Mike GOlic Jr. moving from center to back him up. At right tackle, junior Sam Young, who has been awful in each of his previous campaigns, despite lofty #1-overall-recruit status, will be spelled by Lane Clelland.

Analysis
The Irish offensive line has been crap for the past couple years. They were slightly better last year, and Notre ame has canned the offensive line coach in an attempt to make things at least adequate. They return several starters, and there is no excuse (not that there was last year, and there was only a limited one the previous year) for yet another terrible performance. Paul Duncan struggled at LT before being replaced (an injury expedited this move) last year.

Offensive Analysis
The Notre Dame offense finally has some experience after the past couple years oscillating between terrible and mediocre. Still, you have to wonder exactly how shrewd Weis is, since he’s supposedly an offensive genius, and his teams have mostly been utter crap the past two years. Spare me the “Willingham’s last two classes sucked” mantra as well. Weis’s 3-8 year was with players from HIS recruiting classes that would have been juniors at the time. Sounds like his first 2-3 recruiting classes must not have been all that great either. For someone whose motto is “no excuses,” making excuses seems to be all that Weis does. If Clausen can make another step forward in ’09 (and, sadly, Weis’s track record implies that he will), the Irish offense should be able to move the ball fairly well.

Notre Dame Defense

Defensive Line
This all depends on whether the Irish make up their mind with regards to the 4-3 v. 3-4 debate. With Tenuta likely gaining clout within the staff (and with good reason – he’s a bigname coordinator), I would expect the 3-4. Pat Kuntz and Justin Brown are both gone, and Ethan Johnson will step up to fill one of the DE spots full-time. He’s put on a ton of weight (Michigan wanted him as a 4-3 DE coming out of high school , when he weighed around 240), and Irish fans are hoping he’ll be able to occupy a couple gaps. Ian Williams and Morrice Richardson should be the other starters. Behind them, there is scary little depth.

Statistics

Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int	Fum
Patrick Kuntz	42	8	3	1	1
Ian Williams	40	2	0	0	0
Justin Brown	24	4.5	0	0	0
Ethan Johnson	17	4	3.5	0	0
Morrice Richardson	11	0.5	0.5	0	0
Emeka Nwankwo	2	0	0	0	0

Analysis
If the starters can’t step up into full-time roles, the Irish DL could be in trouble. This is especially troubling in the 3-4 defense, where the DL is absolutely vital to keeping the playmaking linebackers unblocked. Still, the starters should be adequate, if not better. Johnson excelled at getting to the QB last year, so it’ll be interesting to see how he is utilized in ’09.

Linebackers
Maurice Crum is gone, but the Irish had plenty of linebackers get some experience and playing time last year. Brian Smith and Darius Fleming will play big roles for the defense, along with Kerry Neal. Toryan Smith and Steve Quinn should compete to be the 4th linebacker starting for the Irish. Incoming freshman Manti Te’o is the most exciting player (at least based on guru ratings), so expect him to play as well.

Statistics

Notre Dame Linebackers 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int	Fum
Maurice Crum	65	5.5	3	0	0
Brian Smith	54	4	2	0	1
Darius Fleming	25	2.5	2.5	0	0
Kerry Neal	25	4	2	1	0
Toryan Smith	18	0	0	0	1
Steve Quinn	14	3	3	0	0
Scott Smith	12	1	1	0	0
John Ryan	7	0	0	0	0
Steve Filer	1	0	0	0	0
Kevin Washington	1	0	0	0	0

Analysis
Crum wasn’t so much a star as a guy put in position to make plays and making them. None of the replacement players are flashy either, but they should be able to step in and make the plays that Crum did. That said, they won’t do anything that makes you say “wow,” either. They’ll just be a group getting the job done. Te’o brings the flair some, and he may leave on a Mormon mission, so don’t be surprised if the Irish play him early, to get as much as they can out of the guy.

Defensive Backs
The Irish lose Davis Bruton, who was a pretty good player at one of the safety positions. Harrison Smith will replace him, and Kyle McCarthy will return at the other safety spot. Raeshon McNeil will return at one corner position, and Robert Blanton was a pseudo-starter at the other spot by the end of the year, so he’ll probably man the other position. Terrail Lambert, the player he is replacing, was oft-maligned by Irish fans, so I don’t think they’ll lament his departure, except in terms of depth.

Statistics

Notre Dame Defensive Backs 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int
Kyle McCarthy	110	3.5	0	2
David Bruton	97	1.5	0	4
Harrison Smith	57	8.5	3.5	0
Raeshon McNeil	41	0	0	2
Robert Blanton	33	3	0	2
Terrail Lambert	33	0	0	0
Sergio Brown	28	2	1	0
Mike Anello	23	0	0	0
Ray Herring	17	0	0	0
Gary Gray	15	0	0	2
Leonard Gordon	5	0	0	0
John Leonis	1	0	0	0

Analysis
McCarthy is a safety in the “hey look we have a white safety” Tom Zbikowski mold, and he’s similarly… adequate. Losing Bruton could be a pretty big hit for the Irish, as he was their best ballhawk, in addition to being the guy who made a lot of plays for the Irish. Harrison Smith was more of a designated blitzer than a true safty often last year (think Brandon Harrison), so he might struggle to make a transition to playing deep. The corners should be decent, but the depth there is not great.

Defensive Analysis
The 3-4, assuming the Irish plan to use it as their identity full-time now, really relies on defensive linemen to occupy the offensive line, leaving the linebackers free to make plays. In that light, losing 2 defensive linemen is a pretty huge question mark, especially when the leading tackler at linebacker is gone. Another interesting note is that the linebacking corps didn’t make a ton of plays behind the line of scrimmage, which is one thing that the 3-4 defense is designed to allow them to do. Is that a scheme matter or just a lack of good enough bodies? If they switch back the the 4-3 fulltime, they still are very weak along the defensive line, but the linebackers are less of an issue. The secondary should be pretty good, though without a ton of depth. It seems as though Michigan’s run-game strength should be able to run the ball fairly well against the Irish. Will it be enough?

Special Teams

Punter Eric Maust returns, as does kicker Brandon Walker.

Statistics

Notre Dame Kicking 2008
Name	XPM	XPA	%	FGM	FGA	Long	%
Brandon Walker	39	39	100.00	14	24	48	58.33

Notre Dame Punting 2008
Name	Punt	Yds	Yds/Punt
Ben Armer	50	2032	40.64

Analysis
Walker was money on extra points last year, but boy, is that field goal percentage scary. He doesn’t have a great excuse either, as it was his second year as the starter (he went 6/12 as a freshman). He has the leg, nailing a 48-yarder last year, he’s just frighteningly inconsistent. In fact, that led, in part, to the Irish’s demise against GERG last year, as he missed 3(!) of his 6(!) field goal attempts.

Overall Analysis

The Irish return enough talented players to take a huge leap forward in 2009 – though we were saying the same thing last year. This is a definite make-or-break year for Weis, and if he can’t win with this team, it just shows that he isn’t cut out to be a head coach at the college level. The Irish will be strong on offense, which should really drive this team. The question remains: which was the real Irish offense, the one we saw against BC or the one we saw against Hawaii? I’d lean more towards BC, since the Warriors had a pitiful defense last year.

Posted under Analysis, Football

Colorado Wrap

For the first time in the MCLA Tournament, Michigan’s offense didn’t allow the opposing team to get an early lead. Trevor Yealy got on board within a minute and a half of the game’s start, and Clark McIntyre added a tally of his own within another minute. The teams traded goals before Michigan finally got a little bit of space, taking an 8-4 lead into the halftime break. After the half, it was all Michigan. The Wolverines put 9 more goals on the board, while only allowing 3 more tallies by Colorado (2 of which came within a minute of the end of the game, when the outcome was no longer in question). In net, Mark Stone played the first half, while Andrew Fowler played a strong second half for the Wolverines. Though he didn’t tally a point for the Wolverines, David Reinhard was one of the most important pieces in the game, winning almost 70% of his faceoffs and helping the Wolverines keep possession as much as possible. Offensively, Riley Kearns led the way with 3 goals (one of which was quite the highlight: a jump shot from a very tight angle coming around the back of the net) and assists on goals by Jordan Kirshner and Svet Tintchev. David Rogers, Trevor Yealy, and Clark McIntyre also scored multiple goals for Michigan.

MFlowBlue Recap – Official Recap

Chapman Preview

Another round, another past opponent for the Wolverines. They’ll face Chapman at 7PM Mountain (9 Eastern) on the stadium field at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

At A Glance. Chapman enters the contest with a 16-2 record. The Panthers’ only losses on the year came at the hands of Michigan and BYU, so they’re attempting to work the revenge tour in reverse order during the MCLA tournament. They went 5-0 in the Southwest Lacrosse Conference, and won the conference tournament by downing Arizona and San Diego State by lopsided counts.

Common Opponents. Michigan and Chapman, on top of playing each other (more on that later), faced several of the same teams over the course of the year. The Wolverines and Panthers both played the University of Arizona at neutral site, and each came away with a lopsided win (Chapman won 17-3, Michigan won 14-3). Chapman beat Texas 14-4 at a neutral site in Southern California (Michigan beat the Longhorns 11-5 on Tuesday in Denver). The Panthers took down Colorado State 15-5 at home and 9-8 in Denver (Michigan took down the Rams 16-3 in Oosterbaan). Michigan’s rival BYU Cougars were the only other team to beat Chapman, winning 10-7 in Provo, but losing in the MCLA Tournament yesterday in a 10-9 overtime thriller (Michigan beat BYU 14-11 in their only meeting this year). Michigan and Chapman both beat UC-Santa Barbara by identical 7-5 scores.

Stars. Chapman’s attack is led by the SLC Offensive Player of the Year in Connor Martin, who notched 46 goals and 29 assists for the Panthers this year. He was joined on the All-SLC first team by fellow attack Marcus Wooden, who scored 34 goals and dished 16 assists. At midfield on the all-conference team, Derek Mills and Mike Clayton, who scored 41 and 27 points, respectively, represent the Panthers. Andrew Salcido represented the team on defense. David Reinhard should have quite the challenge at the “X,” as Chapman’s faceoff specialist, Chris Small, also landed on the first team. Neither of Chapman’s goalies, Daniel Kirkpatrick and Jason Kho, landed on the top 3 all-conference teams.

When Last We Met. In a game televised nationally on ESPNU (albeit on tape delay of a couple months), Michigan took down the Panthers at Chapman Stadium. The Wolverines trailed 8-4 minutes before halftime, but Riley Kearns brought the score within 3 just before the half expired. Michigan took over in the second half, outscoring Chapman 8-2. Faceoff specialist David Reinhard can be credited with helping the Wolverines maintain momentum, winning faceoff after faceoff in the second half, and giving his team a “make-it, take-it” advantage. Against SLC 1st-teamer Christopher Small, he won 62.5% of the time, an outstanding success rate. Trevor Yealy (5), Kevin Zorovich and Anthony Hrusovsky all notched hat tricks for Michigan in the game, with all of Hrusovsky’s goals coming in the second half. Marcus Wilson scored 5 goals and Connor Martin scored 2 for the Panthers.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, 7MDT/9EDT. The crowd at last night’s game was a little sparse, so I encourage any Michigan alumni or fans in the Denver area to head out and support the team tonight. If you can’t watch in person, the game will be televise once again on Fox College Sports Atlantic, or streaming on the FCS website. I plan to host another CoverItLive chat here.

Posted under Other Sports

As I’ve been posting about over the past couple days, the Michigan lacrosse team is not only participating in the MCLA National Tournament, but also excelling in Denver. They defeated Texas and Sonoma State over the first two rounds, and will face Colorado in the semifinal game. Before we start to look forward, let’s recap the past couple games.

Michigan 11-5 Texas
Has has been the case several times this season, the Wolverines got off to a slow offensive start when they faced the Longhorns. However, the defense was similarly slow-starting on this day, allowing Texas to take a 3-1 lead before the Michigan team started humming. Michigan scored the next 5 goals and never looked back. In the second half, Michigan got off to another slow start offensively, but they didn’t allow Texas to score and were able to work through the offensive slump, scoring 3 in the quarter. Though Trevor Yealy led the team (and the nation) in scoring this season, it was senior Peter Vasher who was the offensive star on this day, scoring 5 goals for Michigan. It’s a shame he was hurt for much of the year, because the Michigan offense could have benefitted from another bigtime scorer. Mark Stone played the first 3 quarters in net for Michigan, and Andrew Fowler played the fourth.

MFlowBlue recap – Official recap

Michigan 22-6 Sonoma State
Perhaps inspired by their own lackadaisical first half effort against Texas, Michigan was determined not to have a slow start in round 2 against the Seawolves of Sonoma State. As the sun set on Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Michigan led 3-1 just 5 minutes into the game, on their way to a stunning 17-4 lead… at halftime. Michigan’s defense was operating as efficiently as its offense, and to quote @UMichLacrosse “Eylachar: One man clearing machine.” Trevor Yealy scored 5 for the Wolverines, Riley Kearns and Wes McGowan each completed hat tricks, Kevin Zorovich had 4 points for Michigan, and 11 different Michigan players scored in all. Mark Stone and Andrew Fowler split time in net, with Stone getting the starting nod. Michigan scored their second-highest output of the year, trailing only their 33-8 pounding of Eastern Michigan on March 20th, by putting 22 goals on the Seawolves. Of course, they probably could have scored many more, given the uneven distribution of goals over the halves.

MFlowBlue recap – Official recap

Colorado
As we enter the third round of the tournament, Michigan will finally face an opponent that they’ve already seen before in the Colorado Buffaloes. The game will take place tomorrow night at 8PM Mountain time (10Pm Eastern) in the stadium at Dick’s Sporting Good Park.

Colorado finished the season 15-6, with a 5-0 record in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference, with a nailbiter 11-10 loss to BYU in the conference final. Their body of work over the season earned them an at-large bid to the MCLA Tournament, and the national #5 seed. An 11-3 decision over UCSB got them through the first round, and they took down #4 Minnesota-Duluth in round 2 for the right to face Michigan.

Michigan thrashed the then-#4 Buffs 13-4 in the home opener at Oosterbaan Fieldhouse. Michigan led 9-2 at halftime, adding a 4-2 second-half advantage as well. Trevor Yealy, Aaron Hodari, and Riley Kearns had 5, 3, and 2 goals for Michigan, respectively. 4 different Colorado players scored. In addition to facing each other earlier this year, Michigan and Colorado also had several opponents in common. CU lost 11-3 to Michigan State (Michigan pounded the Spartans 21-9), beat BYU 10-8 in Provo and lost 11-0 at a neutral site (Michigan prevailed 14-11 in Ann Arbor over the Cougs), lost a home game 8-7 to Sonoma State (Michigan beat them on a neutral field yesterday by a rather lopsided score – see above), and beat Colorado State 11-4 (Michigan won 16-3 against the Rams).

James Blackburn led Colorado in scoring on the year, notching 36 goals and 14 assists. Behind him were Darren Hulick and Joel Packer with 33 and 31 goals, respectively. Josh Albrecht and Tyler Snyder each had 23 point for Colorado. In net, senior Kevin Moriarty played the majority of the year, but 3 freshmen also saw duty for the Buffaloes. Against Michigan, Blackburn, Hulick, Snyder, and Michael Emerson each scored a goal. Moriarty played almost the entire game, before taking a penalty with just over a minute to go, and Will Brown was placed between the pipes.

Who’s Left?
One of the advantages of playing a tough schedule over the course of the year is that Michigan has already faced every team left in the bracket. Aside from Colorado, who they’ll play tomorrow, (2) BYU and (3) Chapman will square off in the other semifinal game. Michigan beat Chapman 13-10 in Orange, CA, and took down BYU 14-11 at Oosterbaan. Neither team will be a mystery to Michigan, nor are they a mystery to each other. They played in Provo at the end of the regular season, and Chapman walked away victims of a 10-7 defeat at the hands of the Cougars. BYU and Michigan are the only two teams Chapman lost to this year.

Posted under Other Sports

Michigan advances to the semifinals with a 22-6 victory over the SSU Seawolves. They’ll have a day off, then face Colorado, whom they beat 13-4 earlier this season.

More comprehensive recap (of each of the past 2 games), along with a Colorado preview, coming tomorrow.

Posted under Other Sports

First look, obviously. More extensive previews coming as the season approaches. Highlighted players return for 2009.

Update: Pritchard redshirted his (first) junior season in 2007. He has 1 year of eligibility remaining.

Western Michigan Offense

QBs
5th-year senior Tim Hiller returns to helm the Western Michigan offense for the third consecutive year. He also got spot time as a freshman, but redshirted his sophomore year after an injury caused him to miss the entire season. Backup Drew Burdi is a more mobile option at QB, but has received only limited playing time so far in his career with the Broncos. Robert Arnheim has 1 collegiate pass to his name.

Statistics

Western QBs Passing 2008
Name	Comp	Att	%	Yds	TD	Int	Yds/Att
Tim Hiller	339	522	64.94	3725	36	10	7.14
Drew Burdi	6	11	54.55	87	1	0	7.91
Robert Arnheim	0	1	0.00	0	0	0	0.00

Western Michigan QBs Rushing 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Drew Burdi	10	120	1	12.00
Tim Hiller	38	2	1	0.05

Analysis
At first glance, the Broncos seem to have two options that both strike fear into the hearts of Michigan fans: an experienced, 5th-year QB who is a 2-time returning starter; a scrambler with passing ability that can gash a team through the air or on the ground. In all honesty, Wolverine fans should be scared about the ability of Hiller, as well as Burdi’s complementary skill set as a backup.

RBs
Brandon West is another 2-year starter coming back for his third go-round in the Bronco backfield for his senior year. The primary backup will be sophomore Aaron Winchester, who did the majority of his work last year towards the end of the season when West was injured. Glenis Thompson is a senior who got a pair of starts last year, but didn’t register more than 7 carries in any game. DeShazor is a walkon who will likely only contribute in garbage time.

Statistics

Western Michigan RBs Rushing 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Brandon West	204	1026	8	5.03
Aaron Winchester	69	272	0	3.94
Kirk Elsworth	12	68	0	5.67
Glenis Thompson	14	47	0	3.36
Jaron DeShazor	1	1	0	1.00

Western Michigan RBs Receiving 2009
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	Yds/Rec
Brandon West	38	280	3	7.37
Aaron Winchester	9	96	0	10.67
Kirk Elsworth	10	61	3	6.10

Analysis
West is actually a very capable running back, averaging 4.6 yards per carry in 2007, and over 5 yards per carry last year. He is also the biggest of the Bronco stable (pun entirely intended), checking in at a mere 5-10, 188 lbs. The rest of Western’s backs fall primarily in the “speedy little bastard” category, though most of them don’t have particularly great speed of note. With several returning producers at RB, they may lean a little more on the running game this year – so we might see the depth of the RB group when they visit Michigan Stadium

Receivers
The top 2 players depart for Western, along with their top tight end. Juan Nunez is a 6-footer who actually averaged the best yards per catch out of any of the players with an appreciable sample size. He’ll have to make the transition from 3rd option to the man that the defense will key on. Will he be able to maintain that big play ability? Though the top TE departs, then next two returning players after Nunez are tight ends. Senior Matt Stevens and junior Anthony Williams might be a good security blanket for Hiller, who will be looking for new players to fill the roles vacated by the departing players. The Broncos will really need some unexpected players to step up on the edges. Sophomore Deshon Lawrence might be that guy, for lack of other options. Caleb Clark was only a junior last year, but is not listed on the 2009 Bronco roster.

Statistics

Western Michigan Receivers 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	Yds/Rec
Jamarko Simmons	104	1276	7	12.27
Schnieder Julien	59	712	6	12.07
Juan Nunez	57	701	7	12.30
Branden Ledbetter (TE)	45	464	6	10.31
Matt Stevens (TE)	6	93	2	15.50
Anthony Williams (TE)	2	28	0	14.00
Louis Delmas (DB)	1	19	0	19.00
Dervon Wallace (DB)	2	16	0	8.00
Caleb Clark	2	13	0	6.50
Deshon Lawrence	2	12	0	6.00
Austin Pritchard (LB)	2	2	2	1.00

Western Michigan Receivers Rushing 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Jamarko Simmons	1	1	0	1.00
Dervon Wallace (DB)	1	-2	0	-2.00

Analysis
The Broncos are seriously thin at receiver, which might prevent them from adequately taking advantage of their senior QB. With tight ends looking to be the strongest position, and a good running back group returning, play action passing might be a good option for the Broncos. They don’t have a big group of receivers to return to, so it seems as though teams may be able to key in on what few guys they do have in order to slow down the passing game.

Offensive Line
Lineup
The offensive line for the Broncos should be quite strong this year, with a number of returning starters. The tackle positions should be mostly locked down, with redshirt sophomore Anthony Parker, who started every game last year and was named all-MAC freshman, and Redshirt Junior Phillip Swanson, who made 13 starts last year, bookending the line. Redshirt senior Paul Wasikowski, redshirt junior Nick Clemens, and redshirt junior Nick Mitchell Manning the inside spots. The positions are a little flexible, obviously. Adding depth are redshirt sophomores Jonathan Jack and Lee Pathan. The only player the Broncos lost to graduation was Steve Ellingson.

Analysis
The OL should be strong for Western, with a lot of game and starting experience coming back. They may not be the biggest line Michigan will face, nor the most talented, but they certainly make up for it in experience. They should be able to run the ball well and protect the passer adequately.

Offensive Analysis
The Western offense returns some key pieces, mostly every important QB and almost every important RB. The receiving corps will be a serious question, and as mentioned above, I expect the tight ends to be some of the main receivers, especially early in the year before new wideouts are able to step up and prove themselves as playmakers. With a presumed strong running game and tight ends, play action is a likely bet for the Broncos scheme.

Western Michigan Defense

Defensive Line
Defensive end Zach Davidson and tackle Nick Varcadipane led the line in stops last year, but they’ll both be gone in 2009. Senior tackle Cody Cielinski will become the main man in the middle. He will likely accompanied by sophomore Drew Nowak or Chris Pyant, whoever os bigger. The other, who had previously been a tackle, may slide outside to take on a strongside responsibility, and junior Weston Peiffer, who had very limited playing time last year, will be expected to step up as a pass-rushing option.

Statistics

Western Michigan Defensive Line 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack
Zach Davidson	56	9.5	3.5
Nick Varcadipane	43	5.5	1.5
Cody Cielenski	36	10	4
Cory Flom	26	2	1
Greg Marshall	23	3.5	1.5
Drew Nowak	11	2	1
Chris Pyant	5	.5	.5
Grant Nemeth	2	0	0
Weston Peiffer	1	1	1

Analysis
This is a super-weak group, with almost no depth at (actually, no depth beyond the starters). They’ll rely on guys who haven’t played a down of college football yet to be the backups. With Michigan’s offensive strength looking to be the running game, with 5 returning offensive linemen and Brandon Minor, they should be able to exploit this group.

Linebackers
Like the line, the Bronco linebacking corps loses its top two tacklers. Senior Justin Braska will have to take a huge leap forward for the Broncos, becoming the cornerstone of the position group. Sophomore Mitch Zajac will be expected to contribute as a starter for Western, and there is NOTHING other than those guys, based on the current roster. Porter and Krasinski both had eligibility remaining after last year, but neither is listed on the current roster.

Statistics

Western Michigan Linebackers 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int
Austin Pritchard	86	12.5	2	0
Boston McCornell	72	3.5	1	1
Justin Braska	52	10.5	6.5	0
Dustin Duclo	35	3	0	0
Mitch Zajac	29	1.5	0	0
Harrison Porter	21	2.5	1	1
Dan Krasinski	3	0	0	0
Fernand Kashama	1	0	0	0

Analysis
Wow, unless they have a true sleeper stud that redshirted last year, or coming in for the 2009 recruiting class, the Broncos have next to nothing at the linebacker position. Braska is your classic big ‘backer, while Zajac is more of a speedster who can play in space. This thinness of this unit (a theme on the defense so far, no?) should add to Michigan’s ability to pound the ball.

Defensive Backs
Louis Delmas, an NFL second rounder, is gone. So is corner EJ Biggers, who was also drafted by the NFL. Let’s add insult to injury by removing CJ Wilson, who exhausted his eligibility without being selected by an NFL team. The starters are probably up in the air, because that’s a lot of replacing to do. Strong safety Mario Armstrong, the only returning starter, has his spot in the secondary locked down. Junior Jamail Berry will probably be the other safety, though he is also listed at strong. Josh Price, a sophomore, will man one of the corner positions, and senior Andy Dorcely might step up to be the other. The defensive backfield will probably have more quality depth than the other defensive areas, but quality of the starters themselves is in question.

Statistics

Western Michigan Defensive Backs 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int
Louis Delmas	111	4	0	4
CJ Wilson	70	1	0	3
Mario Armstrong	64	0	0	1
EJ Biggers	62	5	0	2
Londen Fryar	42	0	0	1
Desman Stephen	29	0	0	0
Josh Price	18	1	1	0
Jamail Berry	11	0	0	0
Andy Dorcely	4	0	0	0
Dervon Wallace	3	0	0	0
David Lewis	2	0	0	0
Scott Gajos	2	0	0	0
Ravelle Sadler	2	0	0	0
Keith Dixson	1	0	0	0

Analysis
Like all of the defensive positions, secondary will be a weak point for Western this year. Forgive me for making assumptions, but something tells me it’s not likely that the Broncos replace two NFL draftees with players of similar ability. If it was Ohio State, I might not make such an assumption, but Western is more geared towards hopefully getting lucky with a sleeper than recruiting can’t-miss prospects. The Broncos’ corners should be fairly weak, along with one of the safety positions.

Defensive Analysis
Wow. This is not going to be a good defense at any level. With Michigan’s presumed leaps forward on offense, they should be able to tear right through Western up and down the field. 5 returning starters on the OL should be able to pound the ball right through the weak DL and linebackers (though the Bronco DL should have good size, which is important to note as far as not being crushed off the ball). In the secondary, I assume Michigan will keep the throws fairly simple for Tate Forcier in his first live college action, probably with lots of play action and screens to keep the throws easy. He probably won’t be run all that much, either, just enough to get his feet wet, so to speak.

Western Michigan Special Teams

The Broncos return all their kicking specialists from last year. In the return game, they loses every punt returner of note, but RB Brandon West was their top kick returner.

Statistics

Western Michigan Kicking 2008
Name	XPM	XPA	%	FGM	FGA	Long	%
John Potter	41	43	95.35	11	16	45	68.75

Western Michigan Punting 2008
Name	Punt	Yds	Yds/Punt
Ben Armer	50	2032	40.64
Tim Balice	1	25	25.00

Analysis
Expect more of the same next year, with perhaps improvements from Potter, because he was a true freshman who improved over the course of last year.

Overall Analysis

Western should be a pretty darn good offensive team this year, though it remains to be seen how well they’ll respond to losing the most important pieces of their receiving corps. The run game should set up the pass with experienced backs and linemen, and Hiller will look to decrease usage some, but increase efficiency with easier passing situations. Defensively, however, the Broncos look like they might be a wreck, unless a miracle happens. I would expect this game to be something of a shootout, but with Michigan’s defense able to key on the run and the tight ends, and no proven threat on the boundaries for Western, they should be able to hold the Broncos.

Posted under Analysis, Football

After defeating the Texas Longhorns 11-5 tonight, the Michigan Wolverines have advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2009 MCLA National Championship, where they will face #9 seed Sonoma State, who beat Lindenwood 10-9. Tomorrow’s game takes place at 7PM MDT (9 Eastern) at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver.

I’ll post a more comprehensive recap of the Texas game (in addition to the Sonoma State game) on Thursday, which is either the day between the quarters and semis for the team, or the day after their season comes to a (most unexpected) conclusion. For now, though, a brief preview of Sonoma State.

The Sonoma State Seawolves hail from the West Coast Lacrosse League. Sonoma State, a Cal State University, is located in Sonoma, CA, north of San Fransisco. The Seawolves finished tied for fifth in the WCLL, and upset regular season champion Cal in the conference tournament 1st round before being upended by Cal Poly 17-9.

Freshman Attack Marcus Silva paced the team in scoring with 36 goals and 27 assists. After Silva, there is a cavernous gaping hole in terms of amount of production, then a group of three players all within 4 points of each other. Junior Midfielder Jordan Ambler scored the same number of goals as Silva, but finished with only 45 points because he only notched 9 assists on the year. Attacks Clatin Kuhns and Casey Wood, a senior and a sophomore, respectively, each tallied 41 points for the Seawolves. After that group of 4 players, nobody scored more than 18 goals for Sonoma State.

The Seawolves played 3 goalies over the course of the year, with senior Mike D’Angelo the main man between the pipes. He stopped 58.8% of the shots he faced on the year, and allowed 6.8 goals per game. The other options in net are freshmen David Massey and Michael Clothier.

Sonoma State played several of the same opponents as Michigan in 2009. SSU defeated UC-Santa Barbara 8-7 (Michigan prevailed 7-5 over the Gauchos), lost to Minnesota-Duluth 16-4 (Michigan beat the Bulldogs 18-10), beat Colorado State 9-8 (Michigan won a 16-3 contest over the Rams), and won against Colorado 8-7 (Michigan beat the Buffs 13-4). On the basis of that information, since club lacrosse stuff isn’t particularly easy to come by, they certainly should be a much tougher test than Texas was.

Posted under Other Sports