Some of us (
@Fritzie) may have been waiting on this chance to see UM's practice almost like waiting for a game (lol)....so here is the blow-by-blow for anyone that didn't see the BTN tour practice stop last night...sorry 4 any typos....
-Normally BTN has a crew of 3 analysts on B1G team practice visits....but for this visit, BTN had a whopping 6 analysts (everybody including the kitchen sink) including our own Jake Butt to see your defending Natty Champs
-They showed a graph of UM having the fewest (5 including Rod Moore) remaining starters of a defending champ in CFP era...5 returning tied with LSU....Ashley Adamson didn't include Rod Moore so she said we'd have 18 new starters or 4 returning
-Jake Booty explained that while the entire OLine is new, they all got reps last yr in many blowout wins
-UM practiced in just helmets (shells) and so no full contact-so they while UM is probably obligated to let BTN view their practice, UM probably didn't show any secrets.....submarine mindset is still in effect!
-1st interview of UM by newby Ashley Adamson and Howard G, was of my guy Big Kenny G and Mason the Mauler.....they called them "peanut butter and jelly" and asked which was peanut and which was jelly...lol.....Mason doesn't like that name.....on who is stepping up, Big KG said Enow Etta moved inside & was stepping up, Trey Pierce, and Ike Iwunnah have all been stepping up....Mason the Mauler told Howard G that there hasn't been any drop off in the new Online...KG said music is only difference and that Mason has a high football IQ
-2nd interview by new guy Yogi and Dinardo was of OC Kirk Campbell---listening to him, you come away impressed and that he turns over every stone in preparation.....he said UM wants to be the most prepared unit in country.......every snap of the QBs are evaluated in camp on things like footwork, ball handling, accuracy, and outside the field stuff like S&C and leadership......Campbell told Dinardo his 3 top QB things are: 1. Leadership (on & off field),, 2. Overall execution of the position-are we moving the football whether it be via legs or arms, and 3. Finishing drives & putting it in the paint....they showed a 3-yr graph that we ranked 9th in FBS in PPG at 37.3, ranked 12th in Rush yards at 206.5 per game, and #1 in rush TDs at 120 last 3 yrs.....Dinardo shared the story that Sherrone caught Campbell in the office breaking down film and shouting at WRs right after UM had won the Natty and stunned he was there, & Sherrone asked Campbell to please to go home....Campbell told Dinardo being prepared for all game situations is the most challenging thing as a play caller...Campbell was impressive....
-3rd interview by Dave Revsine & Ashley of Coach Moore---Sherrone humbly told them he just didn't to mess it up last year when he was forced to replace Harbaugh during the suspension, and that others (Minter, Jay H, etc.) deserved credit and not just him.....on what's his different stamp on UM, she said, after winning a Natty, you don't wanna change much and the formula and culture is in place is good.....On putting together a staff----he said he wanted caring coaches and those who can coach, and Sherrone added that every coach on defense has been a coordinator before....on QBs, #1 thing is taking care of football, can the QB handle pressure situations, can he keep the team together during adversity, and certainly is he a playmaker....on OLine--the OLine has been awesome and even in past has taken time to jell in previous years, but in this fall camp, the OLine has to "buck up" or get hit in mouth by the talented defense.....Sherrone on what needs to be done before game 1, he said crossing all T's and dotting all I's.....in what are the adjectives associated with a Sherrone Moore led team, he said together, physical, tough, love, taking care of each other, and doing it for The Team, The Team, The Team and always will do that
-4th interview, Howard Griffith interviewed Dono Edwards and this was a different but great interview....on what's his UM journey been like, Dono said its been great and everything happens for a reason and his ups and downs have turned him into a man and he's more levelheaded and credits Mike Hart, Fred Jackson, and one more coach I couldn't make out....Dono said he's a regular guy outside of football--walking his dog, reading his Bible, and uplifting people is his goal....he thanked Howard for asking that non-football question and emphatically told the camera crew to keep that question & answer in the final cut and that Howard was the man!....Howard asked Dono about his struggles, and Dono said adversity defines you and you can either ride or hide in the dark and he always wants the sun shining on him and he's "about that life".....Howard asked about Dono wanting to help folks in need and build affordable housing--Dono smiled and was pleasantly surprised Howard knew this, and said helping people was his calling and doing community service and doing cancer research since his mom died of cancer and helping school teachers who often have to pay for school supplies out of their own pocket were some things he was passionate about........regarding on the field stuff and being patient about finally being the #1 back, Dono said he's more humble now and wants all the RBs to shine and he doesn't have the mindset that he wants all the carries now....he said new RB coach Tony A is a "detail machine" and he has taken the RB room to a new level and you have to dominate in pass-pro and just winning the block is not good enough....& RB Coach TA has been a joy....Finally Dono pointed at the BTN camera crew and said "Howard needs a raise" and told someone in the background "No, put your hand down" who apparently didn't want that comment to be said....Lol.....this was a different and much more "spiritually" based interview overall, & with Dono rocking the dreadlocks, I was thinking a little bit of Ricky Williams 30 for 30 documentary where Ricky was living in a tent in India somewhere reading his Bible and searching for the true meanings of life😁......different but great interview
-They put up a graph on all 3 UM QBs and said they have 214 total passes together....Orji's graph showed 1 pass attempt, 0 TDs & 0 INTs with a 5.86 yards per carry average, Tuttle's graph had 199 pass attempts, 6TDs & 6 INTs with 2.17 yards per carry, and Warren had 14 pass attempts, 0 TDs & 1 INT with 5.20 yards per carry
-Dave R, Dinardo, Howard F, and Jake Booty discussed the QBs...Dave said Tuttle was in his 7th yr is a little injured and won't be the QB at least early on....Dinardo said he saw 2 QBs with 2 different skill sets and that's the "major problem" as they have to get ready and set up an offense for Texas and USC in early games...Howard said he likes where Orji is and if UM wants to be a run dominated offense, having a mobile QB is ideal and Orji should stay on the field to continue to grow as a passer....Jake responding to Dinardo said it could be problem but UM had already thru a competition between QBs with different skill sets with Cade and JJ because JJ was known more as a runner when he was younger and first got on the field at UM and Cade was more of a drop back passer and he expects Warren & Orji will play and at a minimum Orji will have a package.....Jake added these 2 QBs must be mentally sharp and today he saw them "waiting" on situations to develop instead of "anticipating" situations and this is a problem and he pointed out that one of the QBs threw a pick-6 and said the mental part of QBing in this race would be a key....as soon as Jake finished, Dinardo kinda fired back at Jake on having QBs with 2 different skillsets that this year, is different from when JJ and Cade competed because they didn't have Texas and USC on the schedule early on like this year and Dinardo said when you have packages for different QBs, your tendencies become very clear to the defense....Dave said the UM offense was not the reason why UM won the Natty (it was good but not great) because in the last 6 games, the offense went over 400 yards only once and this was against Washington and his point was that with only 8 turnovers last year, the 2024 starter must take care of the football ball....Dave asked about the 5 new OLinemen, and Jake Booty responded and mentioned that the team was in shells today, but he watched practice the previous day and if you closed your eyes, you could hear "popping" on the field and the OLine was getting some push on the DLine and the DLine also won some battles....Howard said the OLine would be fine and that Tyler Morris is set to have a big year from the WR position....Dinardo said you could tell the OLinemen were athletic and they bend well at the knees and not at the waist...Finally, everyone raved about Colston Loveland's talent and athleticism and that he could break Jake's TE yardage record with about 750 yard receiving this year....Dinardo joked with Jake sweats a lot, and that Loveland wouldn't break Jake's sweat gland record and Jake said he sweats more than anyone.....lol
-5th interview of Wink Martindale by Yogi and Dinardo----They said it was Wink's 1st college gig since 2003 at Western KY.....Wink says college and NFL has never been closer to each with NIL and things coming down the pipe....on differences from college and pro, he said he was arguing with an official about a ball being uncatchable and learned that doesn't apply in college and he also thought OLinemen had to "report" like in the NFL.....Yogi asked about what he learned about the players when he walked into the building, and Wink said he's been fortunate to know the Harbaughs for many years and said he was with John in 1996 with U of Cincinnati and work for him 10 yrs with Ravens and said he was with Jack Harbaugh when they won the Natty at Western Ky and he knew The Team, The Team,The Team culture before coming into UM.......Wink said since every D-Coach has been a D-Coordinator, and it makes it easy on him and that the other coaches are elite recruiters that inspire him....he said coaching football was the most enjoyable thing about being back on campus....on Will Johnson, Wink said Will is a unicorn and he's a leader does other things like pilates at 6am and watches lots of film
-On the defense with Dave, Dinardo, Howard & Jake....Dave said they've lost a lot on defense & to act like they didn't or haven't would be foolish, but added that they seem to have a good foundation on defense.....Jake said maybe they have 3 top 15 draft picks on defense in Will J, and Mason the Mauler, and that my guy Big Kenny G is going to shock people because we saw glimpses last year..... And he said Zeke Berry replacing Mikey Sainristil would be a key piece.......Howard G. liked the depth and quickness of the DLine and their hand placement and said they will create problems....Dinardo said normally you don't get anything out of seeing a padless practice, but that was not the case with Michigan and mentioned their talent level was impressive and they are being coached at a high-level and he thinks we'll see more of Wink's pressure packages when compared to Minter and MacDonald.....Jake responded and said he asked Wink this same question at the spring game and Wink said if they get pressure with 3 or 4 players that there is no need to pressure all the time and Wink wasn't tied to pressure & would pressure to keep offenses honest and that it was a fluid situation with Wink.......Dinardo added that if UM's offense needed more time to rest in games instead of quick drives that Wink may not blitz as much...Howard said its a shame Will Johnson is forced to come back to college because he should be in NFL right now, and he liked what he saw with safety group......Dinardo said it was great Seeing stayed with same scheme.....Jake shouted-out the 2 LBs Jaishawn Barham and Ernest Hausmann and how UM is excited about the LBs after Junior Colson and Mike Barrett left....
-Final BTN Thoughts on schedule and UM: Yogi said the Texas game is the game he's looking forward to and that Orji reminded him of Milroe and similar to Bama, Texas visited Bama early last year and Milroe struggled early but was "balling out" by the end of the year and led Bama to the CFP and he couldn't wait to see that game......Howard said QB improvement as the 2024 season goes on will be key if Orji is the guy....Ashely said Sherrone said he couldn't believe how calm he is right now and that she felt UM players feel they are being undervalued.....Ashley said they've been picked 4th in B1G but players don't seem to care......Howard said the UM system is key and once Harbaugh found that system, and keeping this has been key for UM....Yogi says after teams win Natty's, they have a certain aura about them and the question is "Can they win it again?" but he said this UM team has more of a chip on its shoulder since they lost so many players and he likes that about UM and he likes that but added UM's defense will face some of the top QBs in nation this year in Quinn Ewers (Texas) and Miller Moss (USC).....Dave R ended and said this is an unusual year in that UM is Nat'l champ but people are saying "prove it"
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