News & Views: Cutting Down On Turnovers, QB Depth With McCaffrey & Milton
Michigan Wolverines football quarterbacks coach Ben McDaniels addressed the media this week to discuss some pressing topics heading into tomorrow's showdown with MSU.
He talked about the way the Maize and Blue have cleaned up their turnover problems, while also providing an update on the quarterbacks residing behind senior Shea Patterson on the depth chart.
We analyze McDaniels' comments below.
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NEWS: Michigan was a turnover machine early in the season, giving the ball away nine times through its first three games and 13 times through its first six.
The lack of ball security was arguably the most disturbing trend on the entire team, but has been cleaned up in a big way ever since, with the Wolverines only committing one in their last three outings.
MCDANIELS: “We’ve put a focus on it. We’ve emphasized protecting the ball as runners and carrying it properly.
"Players are responsible for the ball, so all credit goes to them when they’ve had it and the way they’ve taken care of it, including the quarterbacks.”
VIEWS: Fumbles were the primary issue early in the year, as both senior quarterback Shea Patterson and the team's stable of running backs had trouble holding onto the ball consistently.
Whatever changes the coaches made in the last few weeks have worked, as the disturbing trend finally seems to have come to an end.
Turnovers oftentimes serve as the great equalizer on the field and can help lesser teams take down more talented ones, and that's nearly what happened in Michigan's double-overtime victory over a bad Army squad on Sept. 7, when it gave the ball away three times.
U-M was one of the best teams in the nation at holding onto the ball last year (just 12 giveaways all season), which is what made the high number of turnovers in September so baffling.
Both the coaches and players deserved plenty of blame for the carelessness, and in like manner, deserve credit for the way it has been shored up.
NEWS: Though U-M's quarterback group hasn't shined the way many expected it would this season (thanks in large part to Patterson's inconsistency), the position still appears to be in phenomenal shape moving forward.
Redshirt sophomore Dylan McCaffrey and redshirt freshman Joe Milton will be expected to be the top contenders at the spot next season following Patterson's graduation, though freshman Cade McNamara will be in the mix as well.
MCDANIELS: “They’re right where they’re supposed to be. They’re better right now than they were at the start of the year, both mentally and physically.
"That’s about as good as I could possibly ask for, and it’s as good as we could hope for. I’m happy with where they’re at.
"The decisions on who plays, when and how much are factored in as a staff, and I always leave it up to Coach [Jim] Harbaugh.
"Cade is progressing and doing well, so when and if he plays, his abilities to compete are just like everybody else's in the building.”
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