Jay Harbaugh says they expect Chris Evans to be back vs. Wisconsin
October 10th, 2018 at 2:16 PM ^
Excellent news. We need his shiftiness. Wisconsin is going to sell out to make us throw. Hope we have some well designed throws for Evans
October 10th, 2018 at 2:21 PM ^
With the state of Wisconsin's secondary, I would welcome that challenge.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:22 PM ^
Great to hear that he'll be back - very good news. Tru Wilson is filling in nicely with Evans is out. And a case could be made that he should remain the #2 since he brings a similar running style and seems to be a better blocker than Evans (albeit with a smaller sample size).
October 10th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^
The only sample I needed was that video of him destroying two D-Linemen and then getting up to find someone else to hit. That was impressive.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:45 PM ^
Fortunately we have copious evidence that he's a good blocker even if that play had never happened. Tru's blocking is Truth.
October 10th, 2018 at 3:06 PM ^
Google maps are the best. Double Tru
October 10th, 2018 at 4:23 PM ^
Mr. Pibb and red vines equals crazy delicious.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^
Are their running styles that similar? I know Wilson's on the smaller side, but I don't think of him as a shifty big-play threat like I think of Evans as being. I guess I've kind of thought of Wilson as more Higdon-lite.
Regardless, I do kind of feel like Wilson needs plenty of snaps this weekend, as he does seem to be the best be pass protection out of any of the RBs.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:34 PM ^
My take as well. Wilson is a great blocker, but he's less than Higdon through the line, and two steps behind Evans in the open field. I almost expect Wilson to be caught from behind, unlike the other two. I don't mean that in a bad way - he's a really good RB. Just not as good as Higdon or Evans - especially open field Evans.
And yeah, he needs plenty of snaps. You know, honestly, I think the team would fare well if both Higdon and Evans were out, because more snaps for both Wilson and Mason. The current RB group is quite talented!
October 10th, 2018 at 2:35 PM ^
Agreed. Wilson is definitely more like Higdon in their ability to get north south quickly and fight for extra yards. But we do need Evans this game because I can see short passes to the RB to work really well against a depleted Wisconsin secondary. With his elusiveness, Evans can do some real damage against them
October 10th, 2018 at 2:41 PM ^
It feels like we are handing off to a shifty WR moreso than a RB when Evans gets the ball, at least to me. I've been hoping for a while now that they make him a bigger part in the passing game.
October 10th, 2018 at 3:07 PM ^
I realize the sample size is very small but watching Tru run makes me think of Mike Hart. He runs angry.
October 10th, 2018 at 3:11 PM ^
My mind goes to Vincent Smith more than Hart (probably because I have such fond memories of Smith's blitz pickups), but yeah, he's definitely in that mold.
October 10th, 2018 at 4:09 PM ^
Tru is Sm-art, half Smith and half Hart.
October 10th, 2018 at 7:06 PM ^
Every time I remember Smith's pickups the blitz is coming from the outside. Seems like all of Wilson's are A gap.
October 11th, 2018 at 8:59 AM ^
Does he need plenty of snaps this weekend tho? Wisconsin is something around 115th in sack rate if I recall — I would think this is a week to not weight the pass-blocking abilities of a running back all that high.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:30 PM ^
Higdon is already quite a good blocker. Wilson does not have a similar running style to Evans at all. Evans is not blazing fast, but he's very elusive, and in the open field he is incredibly dangerous.
When Evans is on the field Michigan doesn't have good blocking from his position, but he basically demands the attention of a linebacker or defensive back when he leaks out of the backfield. What he provides is different from what Wilson provides, and to some extent different from what Higdon provides as well. He's the second guy.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
Getting Evans back is very good news.
Getting Gary & Dwumfour back would be GREAT news. Let's strive for greatness.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:30 PM ^
I could have sworn I read something this morning that said Gary was likely for Saturday, and Dwumfour not so much, but I can't find it again. Can't even remember what site I saw it on.
EDIT: Found it, In this article about Chase, Balas states that Gary is expected back, but Dwumfour is banged up, I read that as he's not likely.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:35 PM ^
I think Gary, Kemp will play, Solomon probably 50/50, Dwumfour's a no. If you could pick 3 of the 4 to play this week, Dwumfour's the one you would leave out anyways.
October 10th, 2018 at 3:02 PM ^
Correct. Gary, Kemp, Evans are back. Solomon is questionable, but not guaranteed. Dwumfour is out. Black Nov 3.
October 10th, 2018 at 3:08 PM ^
Black back November 3?
Get through October, man. Get through October and the pistons will be firing.
Good news on Gary, Kemp, and Solomon. Nobody has said anything official on what Dwumfour's injury is. Perhaps it's not the disaster we had feared, but it's not just a tweak either.
October 10th, 2018 at 7:58 PM ^
....wait Dwayne Casey just got the job!
October 10th, 2018 at 3:09 PM ^
Nice! Thanks for making (the football-related aspects of) my day, umbig11.
October 10th, 2018 at 3:12 PM ^
Time to gameplan the crap out of PSU and win that one. Make Black the secret weapon.
October 10th, 2018 at 3:17 PM ^
That brings Black into the lineup in time for Penn State. Me likey.
October 10th, 2018 at 4:25 PM ^
Great news overall. I assume Solomon has been practicing? How’s he been looking?
October 10th, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^
Harbaugh said Solomon practiced twice last week.
Didn't mention in what capacity though.
October 10th, 2018 at 4:36 PM ^
He needs to practice without limitations in order to get back in the line up. If I had to guess, it would be for the MSU game, but he's closer to the field.
October 10th, 2018 at 4:39 PM ^
Sure would be nice to know what happened to Dwumfour. Injuries and lack of updates in CFB drive me nuts, especially in this case. Dwumfour looked like he was never touched on the play, yet had to be taken off on a cart on the field. I'm not sure what I think is an acceptable announcement of player injury, but just knowing that his career is or isn't in jeopardy should be an acceptable announcement. Non-contact injuries like that could have been anything to a blown out knee/achilles to a strained/sprained ankle. I guess my point is I'm not asking for details as much as knowing that his overall health and return are likely... Seems like not too much to ask for.
The other thing that is dumb is I watch probably every Monday presser from Harbaugh and the writers never ask, which seems like a simple question to me, "Is <injured player> practicing this week?". Wouldn't that be simple enough of a question for Harbaugh not to give his Brady Hoke-like answer of "he's working through something" and "I'm not a doctor" with his HurrDurr trollface. Every single football player that's went through camp and started/played significantly through 6 games is "working through something" but if they aren't practicing they aren't playing.
Drives me batty... but anyway /endrant
October 10th, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^
Kemp is the player I most want to know will be in the lineup Saturday. As good as Gary is, if he can't go we can count on Paye and Hutchinson. If Dwumfour is out but we have Kemp, then with him and Marshall we still have two solid 3Ts we can rotate.
But if Kemp is out then we are probably going to need Dwumfour to play on running downs, and I think Wisconsin could take advantage of that--especially if he's not 100%. A healthy Kemp enables us to play him and Marshall on standard downs and then bring in Dwumfour (if available) in passing situations.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:47 PM ^
Considering who the opponent is and with all the uncertainty on the DL, this might be the most important game of Bryan Mone's career.
October 10th, 2018 at 3:11 PM ^
True that. Great opportunity for him.
October 10th, 2018 at 5:46 PM ^
I think Mone will be very important for this game and having Kemp back will be big. Having Gary back is also huge. Maryland was able to double Chase so much because of Gary's absence. With Gary back, the rest of the line gets freed up too. Thanks for sharing the good news umbig11!
October 10th, 2018 at 3:11 PM ^
I don't know if they'll do it but they can also slide Gary inside to solidify the DT rotation. Paye, Hutchinson, and Uche have really solidified that DE depth.
October 10th, 2018 at 3:37 PM ^
Some truth to that. Having Kemp back to me is a critical place of need.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:26 PM ^
He's going to have to battle for playing time. Tru has been very impressive.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:58 PM ^
I love Tru. But Evans is a guy I saw rip through Florida State's defense a few times in the bowl game a few years ago. If that guy shows up, we gonna groove.
October 10th, 2018 at 3:53 PM ^
Isn't it nice to have options?
October 10th, 2018 at 2:29 PM ^
I'm really hoping for one of Kemp or Solomon too.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^
Kemp is more important for Wisconsin than Dwumfour. We want everyone healthy we can get, but Kemp is more of an every-down DL at this point, whereas Dwumfour is better in passing downs. Wisconsin will want to run the ball down our throats, and Kemp is a guy that can answer that.
Solomon would be huge, of course.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:38 PM ^
Kemp is less an every down player and more a run down player. The terrifying matchup here is Wisconsin's interior OL vs. our interior DL if we're beat up. Those guys need to keep Bush free and preferably get some penetration to slow down Taylor.
Evans is big in that Wisconsin is lost in pass defense.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:36 PM ^
I'd rather have Wilson anyways. He can pass block like a mfer. Evans not so much
October 10th, 2018 at 2:38 PM ^
Luckily you can play 11 players at a time and there will be dozens of offensive plays.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:38 PM ^
I would like to see Evans get some toss sweeps and quick flare passes to get him outside quickly. Let him use that elusiveness in space - while a LB tries to keep up and forcing the safeties to think a little more. He won't do much through the middle against Wisconsin's DL and LBs. But get him out in space? Yes, please...
October 10th, 2018 at 2:40 PM ^
I want us to run that RPO we ran against OSU last year with Evans in jet motion into the flat. Make Wisconsin's white, dairy farm boy OLBs defend that.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:44 PM ^
I hope we borrow a few of the plays Cincinnati ran against Mike McCray.
October 10th, 2018 at 4:35 PM ^
That screen we threw to Gentry, where he went the wrong way? I want that but to Evans.
October 10th, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^
Time for a well-timed wheel route! M ran a play against Notre Dame, beginning of 2nd half I believe, where Evans ran a wheel that was covered but Shea hit Nico on a post for a long gain. Like to see that again.