0 0 0 Set e 2,00 Football Saturday - September 26, 2009 411149- MICHIGAN DEPTH CHART VS. INDIANA BREAKDOWN From page 2B season to let this one slip up. The biggest issue will be which Michigan defensive backs will step in if Indiana uses three wideouts in its pistol offense. With safety Mike Williams doubtful with an ankle injury, the backfield Saturday could be tight. EDGE: MICHIGAN SPECIAL TEAMS Special teams have been steady for Michigan, which is more than it could say three games into last sea- son. The Wolverines have been able to catch the ball and tally decent yardage on kick returns (25.2 average yards per return). Punter Zoltan Mesko always gives Michigan an edge on special teams - his punts are flying an average of 42 yards and he is one of the team's most consistent players. Indiana's punting is solid, but it has made only five of seven field goals attempted this year. EDGE: MICHIGAN INTANGIBLES The last time Michigan lost to Indiana at home, Bo Schem- bechler was an assistant under legendary Buckeye coach Woody Hayes. That was 1958 and the Wol- verines lost 8-6. It's been a while since the Hoosiers could get things done at Michigan Stadium, and it doesn't look like that will change Satur- day. Sure, the Hoosiers are 3-0, but that's the beauty of padding a non-conference schedule. The Wolverines have the opportunity to sur- pass last season's win total, and that should carry a lot of weight. EDGE: MICHIGAN PREDICTION: 31-10 Indiana unveils pistol offense in Big House OFFENSE QB 1. ForcierTate Freshman 2. Robinson,Denard Freshman 1. Minor, Brandon RB Senior 2. Brown, Carlos Senior 1. Moundros, Marl tB edshirt junior 2. Grady, Kevin Fifth-year senior 1. Mathews, Greg W R Senior W 2.Stonum arryl Sophomore 1. Hemingway, Junior W R Redshirt sophomore 2 Savoy, LaTerryal Redshirt sophomore 1.Odoms, Martavious S LOTSophomore Redshirt sophomore 1. Koger, Kevin Sophomore 2. Webb,Martel ounion 1 Ortmann, Mark Li Fifth-year senior 2. Dorrestein, Perry Redshirt junior 1. Schilling, Steve G Redshirt junior 2. Mealer,Elliot Redshirt freshman 1. Moosman, David Redshirt freshman 2. Khoury,Rocko Redshirt freshman 1. FerraraJohn PG Redshirt jnior 2. Barnum, Ricky Redshirt freshman 1. uyge,Mark RT Redshirt sophomore 2.Omameh, Patrick Sophomore DEFENSE 1. GrahamBrandon D E Senior 2. Heininger,Will Redshirt sophomore 1.Van Bergen, Ryan DT Redshirt sophomore I 2. Banks, Greg Junior 1. Martin, Mike T Sophomore S2. Sagesse, Renaldo Junior 1. Roh,Craig 0 LB Freshman LJ 2. Herron, Brandon Redshirt sophomore 1. Ezeh, Obi M LB Redshirt junior B 2. Ftzgerald, J.B. Sophomore 1. Mouton, Jonas W !LB Redshirt junior LB 2.eack, Kevin Redshirt sophomore 1. Brown,Stevie LB Senior 2. Simmons, Floyd Redshirt freshman 1. Warren, Donovan LC Junior 2. Turner, J.T. Freshman 1.Woolfolk, Troy Junior 2. Van Slyke, Jared Redshirt sophomore 1.Williams,Mike FS Redshirt sophomore 2. Kovacs, Jordan Redshirt freshman 1. CissokoBoubacar RC Sophomore 2. Floyd,J.T. Redshirt freshman SYRACUSE From page 5B crossed. He wasn't leaving any stone unturned. He always, always had great game plans." Salgado said Robinson excelled at teaching his players how techniques relate across schemes and in tying the play- book together in their minds. Watching the manner in which Robinson did his job made Salgado realize who he was coaching alongside. "When I came in the room with him and we started prepar- ing for what we were going to do, I knew I was with somebody," Salgado said. "I thought this guy, this guy is agood coach. This guy is a hell of a football coach." Perhaps itwasjust an instance of a talented football mind struggling with his first head- coaching job. Robinson's players were known for always playing hard for him, even when he was fired with two weeks left in the season. Notre Dame was next on the schedule. The Orange upset the Irish in South Bend that Saturday, 24-23, with the last hopes of turning a program around. "I don't think we were far away," Salgado said. "I really don't." After the season, Robinson, 58, looked back on the lessons of a children's book at his final Syracuse press conference. "I'm going to read a little story," he told the assembled media, still looking determined. "This is a story that Iheard when I was young. And I suspect there might be a few of you that have heard this story. It's called, 'The Little Engine That Could.' " He drew out the main points of the story, explaining each, and emphasized its famous line: "I think I can. I think I can." "Well you know what, I still think I can. I do." By ANDY REID Daily SportsEditor Michigan football fans are still trying to get used to the spread-option after Bo Schem- bechler-induced, three-yards-and- a-cloud-of-dust offensive philoso- phy dominated Indiana at the Big House for Michigan 40 years. On Saturday, Matchup: Indiana is going Miana 3-0 to introduce M them to an even When: Satur- more innovative day, 12 p.m. scheme, one that Where: Michi- was invented in gan Stadium 2004 in Reno, TV:ESPN2 Nev. and has Live Blog: recently spread michigandaily. across football in com/the game high school, col- lege, the Cana- michdaets: dian Football lysports League and the NFL. The Hoo- siers jumped on the bandwagon this season to open up some offen- sive possibilities. What is it? Well, that's a pretty tough question. "I have no idea," cornerback Donovan Warren said on Monday. "I'm about to go break it down right now. I can definitely let you know sometime this week." It's called the pistol, a hybrid between a traditional I-formation and the spread package that Michi- gan coach Rich Rodriguez helped create, and it just might be the next big thing in offensive evolution. In the pistol, the quarterback lines up four yards behind the center - three fewer than in the spread - and the running back is three yards directly behind the quarterback, which opens up sev- eral options in power-runs and play-action passes. When run well, the pistol has proven tobe anightmarefor oppos- ing defenses. But Rodriguez isn't going to approach it any differently than he would when preparing for any other offensive scheme. "The pistol gets popularized because it's kind of new," Rodri- guez said. "It's like the wildcat thing, but people that use the wild- cat maybe only use it 10 or 12 times a game, but that's all they talk about. It's really just defending an offense and the answers and things they do scheme-wise." Nevada coach Chris Ault invent- ed the pistol before the 2004 sea- son, and, as with any new idea, the initial reaction to the quirky for- Football Monthly. "When you have traditional I-back teams where the back is at seven yards, it's a lot easier for those linebackers to key him." The Hoosiers traded in their spread package from last season in order to bolster the run game, which ranked 49th in the coun- try last year, and take advantage of another plus-side of the pistol - a dangerous play-action passing game. Since the pistol takes the best of both worlds from the I-formation and the spread, Indiana should, in theory, be able to run the ball and spread the defense out with the pass much more effectively than in years past. Indiana has yet to fully grasp the offense - it has run for a measly 146 yards per game this year and is ranked ninth in the Big Ten in scor- ing offense - but once the team does, it could be dangerous. "Putting in more of a power running game definitely has been our No. 1 goal," Indiana coach Bill Lynch told the Evansville Courier- Journal before the season. "Last year, in the spread, the quarterback was back there alone a lot of the time and there weren't the oppor- tunities to run the ball downhill or run play-action. "We think this formation gives us a chance to do both of those, and at this point it's so far, so good." But Rodriguez is not too wor- ried about defending the pistol, as opposed to the other schemes the Wolverines will see this season. "I think the schemes are over- rated," Rodriguez said. "I think you just need to have a system that has answers to problems you'll face in various schemes and personnel. ... Most offenses have a variety of things. It's not just one particular scheme or formation you have to defend." AP PHOTO Indiana coach Bill Lynch decided to implement the pistol offense this year in order to bolster the Hoosiers' run and play-action pass packages. The pistol offense was invented in 2004 by Nevada coach Chris Ault. Q i a I mation wasn't exactly positive. "When I first introduced it to my staff, they thought I was nuts," Ault told American Football Monthly in 2007. But the results are undeniable. Since 2005, the Wolfpack have ranked 33rd or better nationally in rushing offense every year. Last season, Nevada utilized the system and dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick's skills perfectly, rack- ingup more than 275 rushingyards per game, good for fourth in the country. The pistol often spreads the defense with three receivers and looks like a passing formation. But it's obviously the run game that's boosted by it, especially the zone- read, one of the most popular run- ning plays in football right now. The zone-read is what Michigan ran during Mike Hart's career. It allows running backs to find cut- backs and other holes in the defense easier, and in the pistol, ball-carri- ers can see the lanes open up with even more clarity. Because the quarterback and running back are just three yards apart before the play - as opposed to seven yards apart in a traditional I-formation-therunningbackgets the ball much quicker and has more time and space to find cutbacks. And, as opposed to the spread, the running back is already running downhill when he receives the ball, so he can hit the hole faster. "The beauty of the offense is that if you're an I-formation team like we were before we converted, it fits into the same schemes that you were running," Ault told American Football Monthly. "You just get the ball to the back sooner." Ault also uses misdirection and counter plays to confuse the defense. Even though these plays can be used from a traditional I-formation set, the running back's position makes misdirection even more effective. "The back is hidden; he's com- pletely concealed by our quar- terback," Ault said to American with IU quarterback Ben Cha; BEN CHAPPELL K 1. Olesnavage, Jason Fifth-year senior 2. Gibbons, Brendan Freshman SPECIAL TEAMS P 1. Mesko, Zoltan Fifth-year senior 2.Wright, Bryan Redshirt junior Most embarrassing moment - Northwestern game, probably no one really knows this besides the guys on the team - I almost tripped taking a knee at the end of the game and almost blew my knee out. Favorite non-sports item - TV KR Favorite TV show - 24 m, Darryl Pre-game meal/ritual -We always ore have some sort of pasta, and actually us, Martavious ore eat that for breakfast. S. Three words to describe your ppell'' PHOTO cOURTESY OF MIKE DIcKBERND/IU Athletics coach- He's a player's coach, he's honest, and he's hardworking. Favorite sports rivalry- Indiana vs. Purdue Playing vs. Michigan- It's gonna be a special game for us. First Big ten game, on the road, it's going to be a big game for us, a nice test to see where we're at. Obviously Michigan's a great football program. They have a lot of tradition (and) the Big House. I've never actually been there. But I'm really excited to go up there and see what it's about. 1. Stonu Sophom 2.Odon Sophom ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIE GHAMAN/Daily Note: Depth chart as predicted by Daily football writer The pistol offense utilizes the advantages of both the traditional 1-formation and spread offense.