Michigan Wolverines Spring Game Review

Michigan football fans, I much like the rest of you, have been eagerly awaiting the first game of the season. Unfortunately it was the first game of the year, since there was no post-January 1st bowl game. But, despite the hardship and the darkness that has been looming over our once illustrious program, a light began to shine through. Sure, the clouds and winter-like weather enveloped the field, but it gave a sense of that Michigan football season we are used to. The Michigan football season fans desire, the Michigan football team that wins, the Michigan football team that still remains the most prestigious football program in the nation finally began to show signs of its resurrection.

Questions needed to be answered going into the real work for the offseason and we received a few after a strong showing by the Maize and Blue.

Who is going to be the #1 QB?

The main question that the fans seem to always talk about is who will lead that offense. Even though there was not a straightforward answer from Rich Rod himself, I do believe there were some big hints so as to who gets that starting role. The man who claims “I don’t get nervous” should probably be the nervous one this off-season. Yes, Tate Forcier, the golden boy of last season, should look out. He came into the game after a Denard Robinson touchdown pass and did not impress. Forcier did make some better reads and showed a little more maturity by not throwing the ball for an interception under any sort of pressure. But, ultimately Robinson ran amazingly as usual, threw a 97 yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree along with two more passing touchdowns, and overall showed a lot of improvement and maturity. Could Robinson be the answer to the offense? I sure hope so since he is now getting some comparisons to a Pat White style of player. Also, the future looks bright. Devin Gardner, the esteemed quarterback recruit, may have fumbled his first snap, but he showed that he has a lot of potential and the ability to lead this team. Gardner has a strong arm and the ability to run which are both pluses in the spread offense.

Depth of the RB and WR Positions

How will the QB be able to generate offense? The running back and wide receiver position have a lot of depth this year, which is something we missed out on last year. With five RBs (Michael Cox, Stephen Hopkins, Michael Shaw, Vincent Smith, and Fitzgerald Toussaint), the running back position can show power, speed, and elusiveness assuming that the offensive line can make a push at the snap. These guys can run and with good blocking execution, the backfield may become very dangerous.

As for the wide receivers (Roy Roundtree, Junior Hemingway, Darryl Stonum, Je’Ron Stokes, Ricardo Miller, and Jeremy Jackson), they should provide some good targets for whoever steps in as quarterback. The two local boy freshmen from Ann Arbor, Miller and Jackson, give some height to an otherwise shorter corps of WRs. The passing should develop fairly well with some strong young talent at the position and Roundtree has already displayed his number one target role with that 97 yard TD reception.

Obi Ezeh and the Defense

The defense brings up the biggest concern for this team as teams routed them last season especially through the air. One man needs to command his troops, Obi Ezeh. He is the Iron Wolverine award winner (exceptional weight room work), the active leader in career tackles, and a leader for the team. His work ethic shows that he is a key factor on the defense and these young players around him need a Brandon Graham style of leadership. Ezeh can give that to them. Michigan has a young squad, but they will step up as the offseason progresses and they gain some in-game experience. Keep your eyes on Cam Gordon, a safety, who played smart and with good instincts in the spring game. Look out for J.T. Turner who will be needed desperately to boost that secondary and also the hard working Ryan Van Bergen who never gives up on anything. If the older players can work with the younger players and create a defensive chemistry, then the ghost of the defense of seasons past can finally be put well behind us.

Still Unanswered

The offseason is a long and tedious process and more concerns will continue to be answerered. Here are a few that we need to look out for. Demar Dorsey, the academically ineligible top recruit, is awaiting clearance to join the team. He has great potential and the loss of him to junior college, Fort Scott Community College. The secondary needs to be addressed and Dorsey will have the largest and most direct impact with his speed and athleticism on finally improving the biggest concern. Next, the offensive line has kinks that need to be worked out, too. Their blocking needs to improve over the offseason if Robinson or Forcier is expected to throw the ball and any running back to move the ball down the field. The line did not block very well in the spring game, but we will see them grow together as a full working unit. Finally, an under the radar concern has to be with special teams, especially the punting unit. As of the spring game, Forcier has the best boot with his pooch punt. The real punters only kicked the ball around twenty yards and out of bounds. Special teams is very important and if the defense is going to shut down other team’s offenses, the punting unit needs to have some good kicks and push the opponent’s starting position back.

The spring game brought some great displays of talent and fans I can proudly say I can see the light. This team truly means business, which is something I have not said without a hesitation in my voice in two years. The Wolverines have work to do, but they finally have the potential and talent. Be prepared to cheer them on. GO BLUE!

By: Lee Schechter
Big Ten Fans Michigan Wolverines Correspondent