Great News!!! Looks like we will be running all over Sparty Saturday:

Hoke said fullback Stephen Hopkins, who has been out four games with a hamstring injury, will be back, and tailback Vincent Smith (hamstring), who missed last Saturday's Illinois game, also will be available Saturday.

Hopkins, Rawls, Fitz, Smith, Hayes...pound the rock!!! Limits Denard's throwing problems and eats the clock!!!

We'll see. I think Sparty will sell out against the run. Start worrying if we keep getting in 3rd and longs.

I just don't get Vncent Smith....Fitz, meh..

I'm thinking that small passes out to the flat, 5 yard screens, and maybe short crossing routes will be big in this game. With sparty effectively squashing our run game, and let's be honest Denard doesn't consistently hit down-field passes, we'll need to exploit their over-emphasis on the run.

It kind of scares me to think about Vincent Smith throwing the ball but something like that, to go along with a double-pass involving Devin seems appropriate. That's just my opinion...

I'm never excited to see Vincent Smith play. And unfortunately, Fitz has looked very Vincent Smith-like this year.

You know what else bugs me? The fact that all our running backs are so small. I know RichRod needed small players to run his offense but I miss having a Tyrone Wheatley, Anthony Thomas or a Tim Biakabutuka who had speed and size. A back that was so huge and powerful that it sometimes took 3 defenders just to haul him to the ground.

I like Smith's attitude and work ethic, but he isn't a B1G level player.

Smith has always been a fabulous blocker.

WolverineHistorian wrote:

I'm never excited to see Vincent Smith play. And unfortunately, Fitz has looked very Vincent Smith-like this year.

You know what else bugs me? The fact that all our running backs are so small. I know RichRod needed small players to run his offense but I miss having a Tyrone Wheatley, Anthony Thomas or a Tim Biakabutuka who had speed and size. A back that was so huge and powerful that it sometimes took 3 defenders just to haul him to the ground.

Devin Smith is your answer, my friend.

And, if we're lucky enough, so too will Derrick Green. Speaking of Green, he'll be on site this Saturday. We've GOT to put together a big performance. The other schools we're battling with for him are struggling (Tenn, Auburn, UVA). If we can put together a big win on Saturday, and carry it forward to a Rose Bowl birth, I think Derrick Green is blue.

Admin wrote:

If we can put together a big win on Saturday, and carry it forward to a Rose Bowl birth,

While I'm all for a big win over Moo-U Saturday, what about the other part? Did the g/f and you get, ahem,
careless last April Fools' Day (by my math)?

michmike wrote:

Admin wrote:

If we can put together a big win on Saturday, and carry it forward to a Rose Bowl birth,

While I'm all for a big win over Moo-U Saturday, what about the other part? Did the g/f and you get, ahem,
careless last April Fools' Day (by my math)?

Hey, cut him some slack. He was a journalism student at IU...

I agree with Willie I think Sparty will sell out against the run, gimmick defense and run blitzing everywhere. They will to presure DR into throwing and capitalize on his errors, like ND did. I hope that we tackle well and hit that big SOB low and drop him for short gains.

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

Hey, cut him some slack. He was a journalism student at IU...

Yes, and as he would be the first to point out, you would be the one to put the blame there...!!

michmike wrote:

Yes, and as he would be the first to point out, you would be the one to put the blame there...!!

I would not have though if you didn't actually call him out on birth/berth. mike, you're just as much to blame on this one as I am...