Western Michigan Football

     It was a wonderful warm late summer day today at the Big House as the Michigan Wolverines took on a state rival Western Michigan in the season opener. Great speculation from the media over "all-to-do-about-nothing" gained more attention in the headlines than the usual pre-season Wolverine Football news.

     Concerns by some that last years 3-9 won-lost season, and the lack Coach Rich Rod's lack of  concern over his players, the lack of a typical Wolverine family atmosphere were for the moment set aside as the team took the field and took care of business.

     I went into this game favoring the Wolverines despite some expert sports radio commentators giving Western Michigan a 7 point edge to win. Oh well who am I? Just a former defensive ball player who remembers what it was like to spend a winter waiting for a chance to vindicate the previous miserable season. 

     I had a feeling the Wolverines would come off the ball dominating W. Michigan on defense and they did. Players, Obi Ezeh, Jonas Mouton, Brandon Herron, Craig Roh, Brandon Graham, Darren Warren, and Boubacar Cissoko went on to limit W. Michigan's offense to 79 yards (-2 running) by the end of the first half. 

     Despite W. Michigan's improved offensive play in the second half they were still only able to muster one touchdown (7) and a total offense of less than 230 yards. Michigan's defense can also add two fumble recoveries, and a interception by Cissoko to their stats.

     Like the defenses immediate and powerful presence from the start of the game the Wolverine offense led by freshman QB Tate Forcier got on the board quickly. Forcier wound up throwing 3 TD's and had over 289 yards in total offense by the half. He got help from a great run from scrimmage by backup QB Denard Robinson's blazing speed.

     Robinson's run of 43 yards led to the Wolverines second TD before the first half was done. The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage in for the pass and run. This made it possible for other Michigan offensive players like Junior Hemingway (WR), who caught the first TD pass from Forcier, to have a balanced attack using the Spread  offense.

     While the score of 31-7 doesn't reflect any concerns the Wolverines may have in practice this week as they await the arrival of another winner today in Notre Dame, these are a few things I think Coach Rich Rod and his staff will be working on from the outset:

     (1) Michigan's offensive total probably wound up at about 450 yards for the game.  But they barely racked up 100 yards for the full 3rd quarter. However they made up for it in the 4th quarter to close out the game. Against a more balanced team Michigan will need to keep their momentum up to ensure they win against better teams.

     (2) 7 penalties for 65 yards by the end of the 3rd quarter cannot be good. I beleive most of those penalty calls were on the defense too.  And an interception by Nick Sheridan after he ran for what would have been their 4 TD before it was called back seemed to stifle the teams dominance.

     (3) Hiller's only touchdown throw was against a freshman CB who was in to replace the regular CB Cissoko who needed to rest from what may be a mild injury. He was beat on a 29 yard pass throw.  I know what it means to be out there in the defensive backfield for the first time against an arm like Hiller's.  Everything happens much faster in a game than it does in practice. If that freshman has to play against Clauson next week he'll need to work on his nerves and his focus against those ND receivers before next Saturday because the Irish will be looking for him.

     (4) With Denard's speed at QB one can only speculate on the type of weapon he will become when he begins throwing the ball.  With him and Forcier running and throwing well it gives opposing defenses little rest.

      Other than that the team did a beautiful job and it was great to here the cheers and fight song by the student fans from the NW corner of the stadium at the end of the game. Go Blue!

     Adversity sometimes occurs again and again to a person, a family, a group, a team. This is a natural fact of life.  The Chinese Taoist had a saying that goes something like: "When big problems occur take care all the little things to avoid having the problem get bigger; when there are little problems take care of the big things to ensure the little problems don't worsen."

     Issues raised by sports talk show host and their fans can create and sustain an adversarial atmosphere for a team. Like the one which exist right now suggesting that "if the Wolverines lose to Western Michigan the coach is toast."

     Meaning that Coach Rodriguez's reputation will be so poor that the program will continue a tailspin downward and never regain its prestige. That sort of sound bite is dramatic and no doubt continues to draw listeners and advertisers the radio program.

     If that is the case then the fans of Wolverines football are the most spoiled in the country. Some of those same fans pay yearly to see the Lions continue to fail as a franchise ever since Barry Sanders left.  Give me break. The only way their dismay and disbelief will affect the teams play is if the Wolverines are a bunch of quitters. Guys who make it to this level of play are the ones who didn't quit. They took the work, the pain, the anguish, and the joy because they have goals.

     Once I and the entire junior varsity were fired. We lost our first game by beating ourselves. The JV coach was vexed. After we showered and dressed he called a meeting and fired the whole team. Not even the coaches pet could stay.  As Monday rolled around two guys showed up for practice. A running back and myself. 

     The JV coach met us outside at the locker room entrance and wouldn't let us in. "What do you losers want," he yelled?   We told him we wanted to practice. He told us he didn't coach losers and we should go home. My buddy asked what we should do since we had to leave. Call me a persistent brick head if you want, but I said, "we go back tomorrow." 

     We did. No other players joined us, however, and the coach turned us away again. By mid-week the RB and I were the only two who showed up. The coach allowed us to come in get dressed and practice with the Varsity. The JV team was called back to practice by Thursday and we played Friday and won. As the starting safety I had one fumble recovery, and about five open field tackles for short gains.

    Most important I was kept on the Varsity 3rd team for development my freshman year. The JV team won all of its remaining games too, which by the way it had done for three years in a row!  I would eventually get playing time in JV and Varsity games, and by the end of the season was offered a leadership role for next season.

     The Varsity had also won their division for several years in row with no more than one loss each season. But that season we lost 3 games.  It was a tougher year for us. The fans would stand out waiting for the team bus to arrive screaming and shouting like crazed animals when we loss.

    These were the same fans who loved us, gave their first born daughters, and offered us future jobs when we graduate. We were their boys when we won. And now they were ready to pelt us with beer cans and rocks? 

     If you are a player you understand my point here. Gossip, innuendo, its all good theater for the armchair players. Rumors are mere distractions for a real players. Players and coaches flick their fingers at gossip and rumors like stallions flick their tails at flies; inside the game those things mean nothing.

     Finally, the Naval Seals have a day during their physical training program that is appropriately called "hell day".  After days and days of the most difficult work outs the armed forces can throw at them they come to hell day with one agenda in mind. That agenda is to make recruits quit. Many do. The ones that don't are the types of guys playing Wolverine football tomorrow.

     I favor the Wolverines tomorrow because I think their defense wants to make a statement and get a good start early in the season. Michigan will have to depend on defense to play well all season and should even if the offense comes out fire all eight cylinders.

Former Western Michigan Broncos football great Louis Delmas will suit up and start for the Detroit Lions tonight against the Cleveland Browns. It's the Lions second preseason game out of four and the first for Delmas.

The rookie safety has been held out of most of the practices during training camp and preseason because of a nagging left knee injury that he aggravated in just his first practice in full pads.

Lions head coach Jim Schwartz doesn't have any reservations on whether the second round pick is ready to contribute in the defensive backfield.

"There's not much that's too big for him when you step up—whether it's stepping up with the rookies, stepping up with the vets, stepping up in a training camp practice," he said. "I would seriously doubt if it's going to be too big for him in a preseason game."

Schwartz has also said that while Delmas has missed a lot of precious time on the field, he's been a student of the game off of it and that probably contributed to Delmas receiving the starting nod at Cleveland tonight.

As for Delmas, he just can't wait to get onto the field to see if he can contribute for the Lions.

"The speed of the game is the biggest thing for me," Delmas said. "It was an eye-opener coming into [off-season workouts], coming into training camp, the speed of the game in practice. So I'm anxious to see what it's going to be like in the game."

Delmas is expected to start next to free safety Kalvin Pearson in a game that will also feature Matthew Stafford—the No. 1 overall selection in this year's draft—starting for the Lions ahead of veteran Daunte Culpepper.

Game time is set for 8 p.m. and is televised in the Detroit area.

As the final horn sounded signaling the end of the Texas Bowl in Houston, Texas, late last December, it also signified the end of an era at Western Michigan University.

For four years, four "brothers" occupied their respective positions in the defensive backfield for the Broncos.

Safeties Louis Delmas and C.J. Wilson and corners E.J. Biggers and Londen Fryar had held down their respective spots with authority for close to four years. Some of them moved onto the NFL—Delmas and Biggers both were drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft—and all of them left Kalamazoo with a degree in hand.

While head coach Bill Cubit never had to worry about who was standing at the four secondary spots, that won't be the case in 2009.

In fact, he'll have to worry about all four spots.

Enter Mario Armstrong.

The junior strong safety will look to emulate former Bronco great and second-round pick of the Detroit Lions, Louis Delmas.

Armstrong is not a newcomer. He has heavy playing experience, playing the nickel role and often entering the game for Wilson last season. He even made six starts as WMU would sometimes start in five defensive back sets.

He was fifth on the team in tackles with 64 (35 solo).

Another player expected to step up this season is cornerback Andy Dorcely. Dorcely, a senior out of the same high school as Delmas (North Miami Beach), will look to step out of the shadows and rise in his final season for WMU.

He did play in 10 games for the Broncos last season, but only recorded four tackles. Don't think he won't be ready, though. Delmas, Biggers and all the other veteran defensive backfield mates made sure that they were teaching the youngsters in their time in Brown and Gold.

Doug Wiggins and Josh Price are two others who could make their presence known in 2009 for Western Michigan.

Price, a corner, plays like a linebacker and their have been inklings that he could be moved to the position in the future—maybe even this season. A jarring hitter, Price made several huge special teams plays last season and the sophomore could see an increased role in the defense this year. He recorded a safety and had two forced fumbles for the Broncos in 2008.

He was even considered by Delmas to be the hardest hitter on the team last year.

Wiggins is another player of the North Miami Beach mould and plays the safety position just like Delmas. It remains to be seen what kind of potential he could provide on the field for the Broncos, but hopefully some of Delmas' attitude rubbed off on the sophomore.

Sophomores Deshon Lawrence and Keith Dixson also could be in the mix at the cornerback spot, while junior safety Jamail Berry should also receive time and may even start at the other spot next to Armstrong.

Berry is the most experienced out of the three, playing in 10 games last season for WMU.

It should be an interesting season for the WMU defense.

Losing most of it's starters definitely is a set-back, but with players like linebackers Austin Pritchard and Mitch Zajac and defensive lineman Cody Cielenski and Weston Peiffer among those holding down the front seven, the defensive backfield could do better than most expect.

With big games right away against Michigan and Indiana, the secondary should find out real fast what kind of season it'll be.

Hopefully, for Bronco fans, it'll be one similar to last season.

If anyone thought the road to redemption would be easy for the University of Michigan football team this season, you had better take another look at the schedule.

And start with the first game.

The Wolverines will face the Western Michigan University Broncos on Sept. 5 on its home turf, however, the non-conference tussle and first game of the season against the Mid-American Conference opponent should prove to be a tough one.

The Broncos are coming off one of its best seasons in recent memory.

Western Michigan rode quarterback Tim Hiller and a high octane offense to a 9-4 record and a trip to the Texas Bowl in 2008.

Led by Hiller and the Bronco offense, WMU finished No. 11 in the nation in passing offense and No. 28 in offense overall.

While the squad is missing several top performers from the 2008 squad—including record-breaking wide receiver Jamarko Simmons, wideout Schneider Julian and tight end Branden Ledbetter—the team has some key components returning.

Running back Brandon West is returning for his senior season—already having broken the school record for all-purpose yards—and will start at tailback and likely return kicks in a dual role he thrived in last season.

Returning is junior wide receiver Juan Nunez, who came into his own last year as Hiller's deep play threat. Nunez caught a career-high 57 passes for 701 yards and seven touchdowns in 2008 and should be the top target for Hiller in the upcoming season.

The biggest player returning is the leader of the offense, however.

Hiller, who has already shattered and rewrote numerous records in the WMU record book is back for a highly anticipated senior season. He is considered by many as one of the top quarterbacks for next seasons NFL Draft and many believe he could join MAC successes like Ben Roethlisberger and Chad Pennington as the next great NFL quarterback.

The fifth year senior started all 13 games for the Broncos in 2008 and his wealth of experience playing for WMU should lead the team to several more victories in 2009. Perhaps the biggest thing Hiller has going for him is that he led his squad over Big Ten foe Illinois at Ford Field just last season.

He has the experience and ability to lead his team in big games on a big stage.

Granted, Ford Field doesn't come close to the electrifying atmosphere of the Big House and 110,000 fans, however, if anyone will be ready for the environment and swagger that U-M holds it has to be Hiller.

While Michigan is struggling to find a quarterback and questions surround what kind of production the position will get this season, WMU doesn't have any question marks surrounding it's player under center.

This could prove to be unsettling to Michigan fans in the very first game.

While the Michigan defense has the talent to stop Hiller, it'll be hard to keep him down all game. Plus, Michigan lost to a Toledo team last season that was considered by many in the MAC to be one of the worst.

Western Michigan is in the top echelon of teams in the MAC and should be right up there again in 2009 (if not at the top).

One area where the Michigan Wolverines might be able to exploit WMU is with it's offense. Western Michigan loses several key starters on defense from last season—including NFL draft picks Louis Delmas and E.J. Biggers—and even with several talented players, the team struggled on defense in 2008.

Besides defensive back Mario Armstrong, linebackers Austin Pritchard and Mitch Zajac, defensive end Justin Braska, and a few others, the team is relatively young and inexperienced. This should play against Western Michigan all season and should produce several shoot-outs as well.

Even with a young defense on its side, Western Michigan won't be waiting around to see what Michigan's got. The squad will blitz and throw around different packages all afternoon and their athletic ability could pose problems for the Wolverines.

There is no doubt that Michigan is ready to seize the 2009 season like they were unable to in 2008. Months of practice and anticipation will unfold on the playing field in Ann Arbor in the early days of September.

However, don't mark up win No. 1 right away.

Western Michigan shocked Illinois a year ago and will be looking to do so again this year. They have three games against Big Ten opponents and they'll be looking to take out all three.

Michigan can't take this game lightly.

Or else they'll be 0-1 and Ann Arbor will be in a state of panic once again that has become all too familiar.

First up for Michigan Football this year is the Walter Camp Player of the Year and Davey O'Brien Award hopeful, Tim Hiller, quarterback of the Western Michigan University Broncos.

Hiller is a 228lb, 6' 5" senior from Orville High School/Orville, OH.  He brings to the field his record breaking arm from 2008.  He compiled 36 touchdown, 3,700+ yards, and passed for a completion percentage of 64.9. 

For his career, Hiller has surpassed 8,000 yards and has thrown for 76 touchdowns.  

Tim Hiller is not only a QB, he is also a man on a mission.  On April 30, as reported on wmubroncos.com, Hiller left for Trinidad and Tobago on a ministry mission.  He wasn't alone on his trip, he left with 22 others.  

The trip would end on May 8.  During the trip, Hiller would lend his thoughts on the church to the people of T&T, in hopes to create one there.  

When Hiller steps away from his community service projects, he takes to the football field as one of the best QBs to play college football this year. 

The WMU offense has lost 19 touchdowns from last year. WRs Jamarko Simmons, Schneider Julien, and TE Branden Ledbetter have graduated, and that leaves Juan Nunez and his 6 touchdowns and 701 yards to shine on the field.  

Hiller will need to use Doak Walker watch list RB Brandon West (Camden County High School/Brunswick, GA), and WR Juan Nunez (Miami Carol City High School/Miami, FL) as primary weapons if he wants to continue to see his star status rise.  

Brandon West rushed for over 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns last year.  

What Michigan can do against Hiller?

Michigan will need defensive coordinator Greg Robinson to come up with a game plan to halt the balance attack that WMU will bring into the Big House.

Robinson, coming to Michigan from Syracuse, has to lose sleep at night knowing Hiller is the first QB this defense will face.  Brandon Graham (Crockett Technical/Detroit, MI) will have to live up to his star status, and be the driving force on the defensive side.  

The secondary will also have to step up.  Donovan Warren (Long Beach Polytechnical/Long Beach, CA) and Boubacar Cissoko (Cass Tech/Detroit, MI) will have to show there five-star status as top corners on the field.  

Hiller threw for 300 yards seven times last season.  He beat Illinois, and he is ready to shock the Big House.

Michigan will need to be prepared right off the bat if they want to prove they are not what you saw last year.  The defense is the primary concern for this game.  Michigan will score, it's just can they stop Hiller and Co. from doing the same.  

Can't wait to find out on September 5.

Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, and Colt McCoy. Two Heisman Trophy winners between the three and three names that come to mind when talking about top quarterbacks in the nation.

But two other names that fly under the radar are two quarterbacks playing in the state of Michigan and neither attend Michigan or Michigan State. Western Michigan's Tim Hiller and Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour are among the tops of quarterbacks in the country.

Last season, Hiller completed 64.9 percent of his passes and led the Mid-American Conference with 3,725 yards and 36 touchdown passes. Hiller led a Bronco offense that was ranked 11th in the nation in passing offense. 

Hiller has already broken or is close to breaking many Western Michigan passing records. Last season, he broke WMU's single-season record for pass attempts, completions, yards, and touchdown passes, while leading the Broncos to the Texas Bowl, their second bowl game in three seasons.

Hiller can impress NFL scouts with his 6'5" 230 pound frame and scouts love his arm strength and decision making and some are even saying if he has a season like 2008, Hiller could be the first quarterback taken in the 2010 NFL Draft. Some scouts say his arm strength is better than Bradford's and McCoy's.

As for LeFevour, scouts rave about him as he's everything you look for in a NFL quarterback. LeFevour stands at 6'3" and weighs 226 pounds and is mobile at times. LeFevour came into the scene as a freshman in 2007 and has failed to disappoint Chippewa nation. 

Since LeFevour has taken over, he's led CMU to two MAC Championships and three-straight Motor City Bowl appearances. LeFevour was the Motor City Bowl MVP in 2006 when CMU beat Middle Tennessee State 31-14. 

LeFevour completed 251 of 376 passes (67 percent) last season for 2,784 yards with 21 touchdowns and being picked off only six times and he only played in only 10 games due to injury. He missed games against rival Western Michigan and Indiana. He also become only the second quarterback to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in 2007.

Former Texas and current Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young was the first to accomplish that feat.

Both Hiller and LeFevour are ranked very high as Hiller is ranked No. 5 top senior quarterback by NFL.com and LeFevour is No. 3 on that same list. LeFevour is also ranked No. 2 on Mel Kiper's best quarterbacks, just behind Bradford and many have hinted him as a Heisman candidate.

Hiller and LeFevour will have an interesting 2009 as they'll both led their respective teams to fight for a MAC Championship. They also will see some great competition as WMU faces three Big Ten teams (Michigan, Michigan State, and Indiana) and CMU will face the likes of Arizona, Michigan State, and Boston College. Western Michigan and Central Michigan will do battle on Oct. 17 in Kalamazoo. 

Tebow, Bradford, and McCoy will be among the top quarterbacks this season, but some might want to look at two rival quarterbacks in Michigan as well.

With only 36 days left until the official start of the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football season, it's time to start talking about it again!  So here's a mixture of new and old stuff of what you've missed in the off-season.

What Michigan Really Needs to Do to Improve in 2009

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/227063-what-michigan-really-needs-to-do-to-improve-in-2009

Rivals.com Football Recruiting - Ask Jamie: What's left for the Wolverines?

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=970220

Michigan reportedly will open 2010 vs. UConn

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/bigten/0-3-750/Michigan-reportedly-will-open-2010-vs--UConn.html

Michigan Wolverines Top Five Running Backs of All Time

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/227166-michigan-wolverins-top-5-running-backs-of-all-time

Justin Boren says he's not focusing on Michigan game

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090730/SPORTS0201/907300432/1265/SPORTS08/Justin-Boren-says-he-s-not-focusing-on-Michigan-game

- Faggot....

11W Sneak Peek: Michigan

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2009/07/11w-sneak-peek-michigan-2.html

Further 2010 Opener Deduction

http://mgoblog.com/content/further-2010-opener-deduction

Two future Wolverines stand out on first day at Army Bowl

http://www.freep.com/article/20081230/SPORTS06/81229065

Breaking News: Detroit Lions to Face Michigan Wolverines in GM/Ford Bowl Game!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/99562-breaking-news-detroit-lions-to-face-michigan-wolverines-in-gmford-bowl-game

- Hilarious...

Pickin' On the Big Ten Report Card, Part 1

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/08/pickin-on-the-big-ten-report-card-part-1/

MICHIGAN: F

It's hard to think of a single thing the Wolverines did well in 2008, other than punting. The offense was sick, and not in the good way. Wolverine quarterbacks completed less than half their passes, while the running attack wasn't even good for 150 yards per game. The defense played acceptably on occasion; in fact, they were flat-out brilliant against Minnesota. But if you lose to Toledo in a season where the Rockets wound up firing their coach, and you end the longest bowl streak in college football, you just can't get a passing grade.

Still, while Wolverine fans might feel as though they're stuck in Dante's Inferno, the rest of us know they're just spending an evening in Borgnine's Sauna. Rich Rodriguez's first year at West Virginia was identically bad. Things got better.

2009 prognosis: Cautiously optimistic. "Up" isn't the only direction the Wolverines can go next season, but they were a very young team exploring the possibilities of Creepy Ninja Football(tm) for the first time. RichRod's track record brings some hope, but be not afraid: Punter Zoltan Mesko still has one more season of eligibility!

Buckeye no match for mighty wolverine

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/recreation/2009/01/06/ddn010609sprob.html

It's official: Robinson new defensive coordinator at Michigan

http://blog.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2009/01/its_official_robinson_new_defe.html

Robinson Named Defensive Coordinator

http://www.mgoblue.com/football/article.aspx?id=162536

A Small Novel on an Old Man: The Greg Robinson Saga

http://www.thosewhostay.com/2009/01/15/a-small-novel-on-an-old-man-the-greg-robinson-saga/

Where Are Michigan Football Fans in Spring?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/111830-where-are-michigan-football-fans-in-spring

It is hard enough to get noticed as a great player as an offensive lineman. It is even more difficult when one plays on the offensive line in the Mid-American Conference.

Anthony Parker is doing his best to display that he is not only one of the best offensive linemen in the MAC but also in the FBS. Parker has the perfect mix of strength, power and aggressiveness wrapped into one package.

After red-shirting in 2007, Parker was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team in 2008 by Rivals.com. Parker started all 13 games for the Western Michigan Broncos last season.

Parker showed his versatility by performing well at both tackle positions during the season. The 6'5'', 305-pound lineman proved he was quick on his feet by succeeding at both run and pass blocking.

Not only was Parker durable enough to start in all the games for the Broncos, but also he participated in at least 70 snaps in a game eight times.

At North Miami Beach High School, Parker was named first-team All-Dade County and first-team All-State as a senior. Parker was also selected as his team's best two-way player in his final year of high school.

Parker provided further proof of his athletic ability by starting all four years on the basketball team.

For 2009, Phil Steele selected Parker first-team All-MAC in his magazine. Parker was the only sophomore to be bestowed such an honor.

Going into 2009, Parker is projected to be the starting left tackle for Western Michigan. Not only does Parker have to protect star quarterback Tim Hiller's blind side, but also he has the added pressure of knowing Hiller may need more time in the pocket while adjusting to three new starting receivers.

All signs point to Parker being up to the task. Parker is out to show football fans everywhere he is one of the best offensive tackles in the country.