It's always fun to see what the opponent's fan baseand media is thinking about:

 

They are obsessed with Peppers, whose injury was serious enough to warrant wearing a protective boot.

 

One of the media asked Hoke how confident he was that their two running backs would give him 2,000 yards for the season. You know, because Appy State is such a good barometer of what they'll do the rest of the season.

 

They know nothing about Bryant or Folston and don't seem concerned about their talent, even though on "Rivals 2013 Top 100 Running Backs" Bryant was two positions below their RB Green - who they suspect may be able to run for 1,000 yards- and Folston was 23 spots ahead of Smith- the other back they think can run for 1,000 yards.

 

The fans don't know that ND is running a different defensive scheme.

 

They think ND was significantly hurt by the suspensions.

 

They don't think ND will be effective offensively because they don't believe we have a go to receiver. I suspect none of them have any clue to Fuller or Brown's speed, because they still equate us with being slow.

 

They think Golson is a slower version of Shoelaces.

 

Even though their secondary did not play well statistically last year, they think another year has made them profoundly better.

 

They are suspicious of their offensive line, but figure they beat us with worse last year and think our front 7 is worse. The only player they're concerned with is Day.

UM was ranked dead last in the country last year in tackles for loss for all D1 teams. We need to get consistent pressure on Michigan without blitzing too much at all. They seem to think Peppers is their savior as the kid was very highly rated. Will be a much better secondary than Rice.

They are clueless but that means nothing since they have won 3 of the last 4 vs Nd.. I bet they are confident, and they should be. This is the biggest game of the year IMO and it's not close

Honestly, I don't think this is just Michigan fans. Most fans are clueless about other teams because they don't do research or think everyone is overrated besides their own. If ND destroys them this week, UM fans will still come up with some bull crap.

 

Most of the stuff the stuff Frankus said was LOL

I seriously hope we stomp them and run up the score

I'm worried...due to recent history.

 

For whatever reason we have a hell of a time slowing Michigan down.

 

2012, with a great defense, was really the only time we shut them down and they were 8-5 that year.

 

BVG gets a chance to prove himself real early...no excuses...no it's early...no it's a new system...no suspension blah blah blah.

 

I'm excited to see it...but worried.

yeah i laughed when hoke didnt know who the running backs were or who notre dame played

 

Question to Hoke:

"You mentioned interior defense. Have you guys had a chance to look at Notre Dame’s running backs at all?"

 

Answer from Hoke:

“Yeah. We started that yesterday, yeah. I think that they rushed the ball pretty well against Utah State. I think that have two backs that are a little bit similar and one that’s a bigger bruiser guy and they ran the ball pretty well.”

 

looks like hoke was just a talking head though, because mattison was much more well versed. he basically knows golson is going to hit the deep man in the numbers if he is open. i still cant believe how accurate golson was on those deep balls.

 

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Went to the game last weekend. We need to shut down Funchess. He is big and good. Not sure they threw much to anyone else. The o-line was weak, but when they did open a hole, Green and Smith are a big and fast. If we don't bottle them up at the line of scrimmage, it could be a tough day. The defense looked improved from last year (ap state or not). Kicker has a good leg. Missed an easy one. Pepper showed a flash of what he can be on his (1?) punt return. Gardner was his usual self. No big runs, but didn't need to. Just hope he dosen't play all world again this year. It will be a close game unless there is a lopsided turnover margin.

I think the biggest question is whether to put Jaylon Smith on Funchess or Gardner. If the DL can contain Gardner, that would leave Smith available to shut down Funchess. I dont care who the TE is, Jaylon Smith will shut down anyone he is covering.

I think the biggest question is whether to put Jaylon Smith on Funchess or Gardner. If the DL can contain Gardner, that would leave Smith available to shut down Funchess. I dont care who the TE is, Jaylon Smith will shut down anyone he is covering.

 

This is what i'm thinking and hoping for, and maybe have Onwualu assigned to Gardner.

I think the biggest question is whether to put Jaylon Smith on Funchess or Gardner. If the DL can contain Gardner, that would leave Smith available to shut down Funchess. I dont care who the TE is, Jaylon Smith will shut down anyone he is covering.

 

IMHO, this would be a bad move. UM could simply run funchess out on an island and take our best defender out of the box every play. On those plays where the play breaks down, odds are Funchess gets open a few times and still gets his.

 

It's better to have smith close to the line where he can affect as much of UM's gameplan as possible. Sometimes it could be good to have him on Funchess depending on circumstances and to keep UM off their feet ... but, you wouldn't want that to be the bulk of what he does.

 

We can know what smith will do because the staff has already said ... he will do all kinds of things rather than any one thing. the idea being that it won't allow offenses to key in on him, his skill set allows him to do everything well so we should remain flexible to that and it will make everyone around him better if offenses need to read what he's doing every play.

IMHO, this would be a bad move. UM could simply run funchess out on an island and take our best defender out of the box every play. On those plays where the play breaks down, odds are Funchess gets open a few times and still gets his.

 

It's better to have smith close to the line where he can affect as much of UM's gameplan as possible. Sometimes it could be good to have him on Funchess depending on circumstances and to keep UM off their feet ... but, you wouldn't want that to be the bulk of what he does.

 

We can know what smith will do because the staff has already said ... he will do all kinds of things rather than any one thing. the idea being that it won't allow offenses to key in on him, his skill set allows him to do everything well so we should remain flexible to that and it will make everyone around him better if offenses need to read what he's doing every play.

 

As a follow on, i'll make two other points. I don't think funchess is Calvin Johnson and we did pretty good against him when Gtech had a mobile QB (admittedly far worse than Gardner, but i think the point's still solid). I really think you put your best CB on him and spend a generous amount of snaps bracketing him. Personally, i feel if you could bracket him with Shumate, you kill two birds with one stone. You take away shumate's ability to read so you know he'll be where you want him and you get one of our taller, better athletes on d over the top of funchess. but, my opinion is likely to be wrong. What matters is that they simply do a good job of bracketing him until we can give gardner happy feet.

Went to the game last weekend. We need to shut down Funchess. He is big and good. Not sure they threw much to anyone else. The o-line was weak, but when they did open a hole, Green and Smith are a big and fast. If we don't bottle them up at the line of scrimmage, it could be a tough day. The defense looked improved from last year (ap state or not). Kicker has a good leg. Missed an easy one. Pepper showed a flash of what he can be on his (1?) punt return. Gardner was his usual self. No big runs, but didn't need to. Just hope he dosen't play all world again this year. It will be a close game unless there is a lopsided turnover margin.

 

Safe to assume the aa in your name stands for Ann Arbor?

is a WR, not a TE.

is a WR' date=' not a TE.[/quote']

 

right...but he started as a TE

 

I actually think it's a disservice to him and the team to have him just slotted as a reciever

 

as a TE, he could help block, and probably be a HUGE asset in the play-action game going over the middle

 

but as a receiver, better teams can just key in on him and take him out of the game...IMO, he's not that fast, and a although tall, a rangy DB can wreak havoc on him as a receiving threat

Safe to assume the aa in your name stands for Ann Arbor?

 

Yes. Live about 1 mile from the stadium. Son is a UM fan. Grew up here and went to lots of sporting events, so not much I could do. We have a friendly rivalry.

is a WR' date=' not a TE.[/quote']

 

Koyack is not a TE either then

I think I heard on PH that UM doesn't have a true TE. The one guy who qualifies is injured. Like people have said, Funchess does a little (a lot) of everything and TE is one of his skills. It'll take a village to defend him.

Funchess is listed as and plays as a WR. Unless they change their scheme drastically from last week, he does not play TE.

 

He's closer to Corey Robinson than he is to Koyack.

Funchess is listed as and plays as a WR. Unless they change their scheme drastically from last week, he does not play TE.

 

He's closer to Corey Robinson than he is to Koyack.

 

And Ben Koyak is closer to Gary Gray

right...but he started as a TE

 

I actually think it's a disservice to him and the team to have him just slotted as a reciever

 

as a TE, he could help block, and probably be a HUGE asset in the play-action game going over the middle

 

but as a receiver, better teams can just key in on him and take him out of the game...IMO, he's not that fast, and a although tall, a rangy DB can wreak havoc on him as a receiving threat

 

The problem with him was, as a TE he had no interest in blocking. Now he is a just a huge receiver. Now he put up pretty good stats last year and in their first game against App State, but I'm pretty confident in our cornerback's ability to to keep him from making the huge play. He may have 6 catches for 70 yards, but we can't give him the 3 TDs that he got week 1.