Why is our star receiver even returning punts?
September 4th, 2021 at 1:38 PM ^
Because that is a very important part of the team. DPJ and Peppers - Woodson and Desmond Howard did it
September 4th, 2021 at 1:43 PM ^
And without Woodson returning kicks we don't beat OSU and win a national championship in 97.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:49 PM ^
I have no problem with using your best players to return kicks, but I'm pretty sure Woodson hadn't returned punts the entire season until they broke him out for that OSU game.
EDIT: just looked it up. I'm wrong. He returned a total of 33 over the course of the 13-game season for an average of 8.6 per return. So about 28% of his total return yds that season were on the one iconic TD return.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:51 PM ^
He had 33 punt returns in 97.
OSU must have punted a lot in that game.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:58 PM ^
Actually they did. There were 21 punts total in the game, 11 by UM and 10 by OSU.
September 4th, 2021 at 2:12 PM ^
10 isn't 33
September 4th, 2021 at 3:16 PM ^
Brilliant.
September 4th, 2021 at 6:16 PM ^
Why thank you.
September 4th, 2021 at 4:37 PM ^
That year was the Charles Woodson show.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:43 PM ^
We're playing Western Michigan. We don't need our best players playing too many plays
September 4th, 2021 at 1:45 PM ^
Way to justify your stupid argument.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:51 PM ^
I understand that you are as sad as all of us are regarding Bell, but it’s football. Strength on strength. Best players get the ball.
September 5th, 2021 at 9:57 AM ^
You're like the guy who stubs his toe and kicks his cat. Don't be that guy.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:46 PM ^
Well, to be fairt, those teams were had way, way more depth at all positions. If Howard was our only proven WR or Woodson our only good DB I doubt they would've been the PR guy.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:48 PM ^
WR is pretty deep this year too. Everyone does this, to not have Bell returning punts would be inexcusable
September 4th, 2021 at 1:51 PM ^
WR is deep? You and most of this board are fucking clowns. There isn't a single proven wide receiver on this roster. Except the one we just lost on a fucking punt.
September 4th, 2021 at 5:30 PM ^
Multiplicity is an underrated movie. Love Michael Keaton.
September 4th, 2021 at 2:06 PM ^
Feel free to leave and start your own message board. Jackass.
September 4th, 2021 at 2:41 PM ^
Check back on this at the end of the season.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:32 PM ^
that’s dumb, and you’re stupid.
September 4th, 2021 at 5:52 PM ^
Found Brian’s burner MGOBLOG account
September 4th, 2021 at 3:05 PM ^
Charles Woodson was irreplaceable. C'mon.
Ronnie Bell was returning punts because he's smart, was track and catch the ball, and is a threat to break a big run.
It sucks he got hurt - heartbreaking. But it was not a bad decision to have him returning punts.
September 4th, 2021 at 4:05 PM ^
I’m bummed he got hurt but PR is important position. Smart players can make smart decisions to save a lot of yards in field position. Peppers didn’t end up breaking a lot of long runs but caught a lot of balls to keep from losing 10-15 yard shifts.
How he got hurt looks like something he could get hurt on a crossing route too. Just a bummer to lose him. He was such a solid good consistent receiver. Hopefully he gets a quick return.
September 4th, 2021 at 4:21 PM ^
That's it ^^^^. There's no better analysis than that. I hope he has a quick recovery.
September 4th, 2021 at 6:06 PM ^
"A threat to break a big run"
Exactly. He had just broken a big one when he got hurt. You put your best players in the positions you need filled. If he had not gotten hurt, we'd be celebrating his next 10 big punt returns on the day..
September 4th, 2021 at 6:09 PM ^
Yeah, losing Woodson wouldn't have been that big of a deal.....
September 4th, 2021 at 1:48 PM ^
Add Steve Breaston who was one of the best ever and a very solid slot WR.
September 4th, 2021 at 7:59 PM ^
September 4th, 2021 at 1:39 PM ^
What?!? This is football, and you play your best players.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:39 PM ^
Dont even start...
DPJ...Peppers all returned punts...Woodson...Howard
September 4th, 2021 at 3:28 PM ^
And they have a total of 0 conference championships. We’re thin there and you’re playing a MAC school up 20. Olave doesn’t return punts for a reason. People down vote what hurts them.
Edit: peppers and DPJ 0 conference champs.September 4th, 2021 at 4:41 PM ^
Your argument would make sense if having someone other than Peppers of DPJ returns would magically allowed us to win a conference championship but that is pure nonsense
September 4th, 2021 at 5:02 PM ^
Lol what? You’re playing into my own argument my friend… Thank you for commenting.
September 4th, 2021 at 6:04 PM ^
Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
September 4th, 2021 at 6:56 PM ^
Cherrypicking that fact does not translate to anything dude. Desmond , Anthony Carter and Breaston have a few championships and they think your opinion is asinine.
September 4th, 2021 at 7:08 PM ^
Wait, I am cherry picking?
September 4th, 2021 at 7:32 PM ^
Olave doesn’t return punts....their even more highly regarded wide receiver Garrett Wilson does.
September 4th, 2021 at 8:00 PM ^
Did Devonta Smith win a conference championship? Because he definitely returned punts despite being the greatest wr in all of college football last year.
September 4th, 2021 at 11:22 PM ^
How deep was their WR room? People quit justifying this. Wilson is not as good as Olave. This isn’t hard.
September 5th, 2021 at 8:35 AM ^
I downvoted because it was a really dumb comment that deserves to be devalued. Hurt us? Only our brains trying to wrestle with someone who is only making an argument after the fact of an injury that would not have been made of there were not the injury.
Like: why run Denard when you just know having the ball in his hands can get him injured. And then he gets hurt and you say, see!?!
You play the game to win. Punt returns can win games, just as much can a QB read option.
You’re letting emotion overrule the reality of football, which is that any team’s best play could get injured on any given play—or during non-pad walk throughs.
Unless you have some kind of statistics that support PR in inherently more dangerous than the rest of the game of football with regard to knee injuries, then all you have is your anger and stubbornness to not want to be wrong.
You aren’t changing anyone’s mind, so you should just move on in silence with your very disagreeable bad take. That’s what downvotes are for.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:40 PM ^
Two of the most iconic plays in program history are punt returns from the best players on the team at that time.
September 4th, 2021 at 3:38 PM ^
What worked over 25 years ago isn’t working for us now.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:40 PM ^
Why did Howard and Woodson play on special teams?!?! Seroiusly.
/not seriously
September 4th, 2021 at 1:41 PM ^
Because he is the best at returning punts…
Woodson returned punts.
Desmond Howard famously returned punts.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:41 PM ^
You can get hurt anytime you step foot on the field. He has great hands and clearly showed on the punt return solid vision and explosiveness. It’s the right play. Just sucks he got hurt. It’s sports, especially football in a contact sport.
Hopefully no structural damage and out roughly a month and not all year. Time to see who will step up in WR room.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:52 PM ^
Football is technically a collision sport, but yes.
September 4th, 2021 at 1:41 PM ^
Bolivia is in play ??