Ed. Steve Sapardanis aka “Dr. Sap” is back with his decals. This week I added the Editor’s Pick & the Fan Award. Here are the picks from Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6 and Week 7 and Week 8 and Week 9 and Week 10. OFFENSE DEVIN GARDNER – Let me get this right: over 300 yards passing and SIX touchdowns? Dude looks like he’s been playing QB all season and not just 3 weeks. Hope DG saved some magic, and TDs, for next week! DEFENSE JAKE RYAN – Here’s why I think “manster” is such a big deal on defense: it’s not his forced fumbles or his tackles for loss. It’s the fact that offenses have to treat him much like defenses have to treat Denard – YOU MUST ACCOUNT FOR THE MANSTER! It’s that simple. When was the last time UM had a defender that the offenses had to account for? You got it, Charles Woodson. ‘Nuff said. SPECIAL TEAMS BRENDAN GIBBONS – Sure he scored 6 points, but the reason he gets the nod this week is his TACKLE on a 2nd quarter kickoff. And get this – it was not even his first tackle of the year! Gibby had a tackle earlier in the season. Now that’s my kind…
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Helmet Numbers 2.0
This should be the last time we see these in a while, but looks like Michigan slightly changed the style of the helmet number stickers (they are a bit more squared off) and the color – they now match the maize wings:
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Dr. Sap’s Decals–Illinois
Matt Wile: 5 decals – for 5 Non-Returnable (Aluminum Beer Can) Kickoffs!* Don’t kid yourself at the importance of these kicks – they forced Illinois to drive 80 yards almost all game and that made a HUGE difference! Fitzgerald Toussaint: 3 decals – 1st QTR 65-yard run, 25-yard run, and 4th QTR 27-yard TD run David Molk: 3 decals – seal blocks on Toussaint 65-yard and 25-yard runs in 1st QTR, seal block on Denard 2-yard TD run in 2nd Qtr J.T. Floyd: 4 decals – 1st QTR PBU, 4th QTR INT (would have given one more for a pick-six!), 4th QTR PBU, +1 editor’s choice, for transforming into Chuck Woodson for this game, wow. Ryan Van Bergen: 3 decals – 3rd QTR sack, and two 4th QTR sacks Denard Robinson: 2 decals – 5-yard TD run in 1st QTR, 2-yard TD run in 2nd QTR. Jake Ryan: 2 decals – 1st QTR TFL, 3rd QTR PASTING hit on QB during option-pitch – outstanding! Jordan Kovacs: 3 decals: 1 for forced fumble in 2nd QTR, 1 for TFL in 3rd QTR, and +1 editor’s choice for actually being Zack Novak and fooling us this whole time. Thomas Gordon: 2 decals for fumble recovery in 2nd QTR and PBU in 4th QTR Michael Schofield: 1 decal for seal block on…
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Dr. Sap’s Decals – Chicago Style, @ Northwestern
Plenty to dole out, take it away Sap: Adidas: 1 decal for bringing back the white socks on the road with a little block M on them a la Tom Harmon and the boys back in 1939! (Editor’s note: Might have to take this decal away. There’s obviously something wrong with the 2011 away jerseys, causing some of players to switch to last year’s model! Get that fixed, Beaverton) Dhani Jones: 1 decal for Rocking The Bowtie before, during and after the game! Hey, Dhani, how about a Bowtie with U-M helmet decals on it? Dr. Sap would make the switch to a bowtie if that were the case – GUARANTEED!! Greg Mattison: 1 decal for 2nd half shutout of Wildcats – Very Bill McCartney-esque! Denard Robinson: 5 decals – 9-yard TD pass to Watson in 1st QTR; 25-yard TD pass to Gallon in 2nd QTR; 2-yard TD run in 3rd QTR minus one shoe; 5-yard TD run in 4th QTR, +1 editor’s pick for running up to the crowd on the final score. Defense: 3 decals for each member of unit – 4th down stop in 2nd QTR; 4th down stop in 4th QTR; pitching a shutout in 2nd Half. Desmond Morgan: +1, editor’s choice, for flying over the NW offense line in an attempt to sack Persa. Jordan…
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Dr. Sap’s Decals – Minnesota
A lot of business to take care of but first, here’s a rundown of the original criteria for awarding the footballs via Dr. Sap: Bo Schembechler criteria announced on September 23, 1969 for determining how Wolverines would earn a helmet award sticker, according to a report the next day in the Ann Arbor News: ON OFFENSE: 1) An outstanding block, catch or run 2) TD pass or run over 25 yards 3) Outstanding second effort 4) Four crossfield blocks in one game 5) TD-saving tackle on punt return 6) Scoring TD with first down between the eight and 10-yard lines (all offensive players get one) 7) Making first down starting from inside our two-yard line 8 ) Scout player doing best job against defense ON DEFENSE: 1) Pass interception 2) Blocked kick 3) Key tackle inside 20-yard line 4) Causing fumble or interception 5) Recovering a fumble 6) Stopping opposing team inside the 10-yard line (all) 7) When defense scores a touchdown (all) 8 ) Outstanding second effort or great hit 9) Making following number of tackles, including assists — ends, tackles and backs, 9; middle guard and rover back, 12; and linebackers, 16 10) Scout player doing best job against offense We don’t use all those metrics of course (at least until they let us in practice). So here…
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When Bo Wavered on the Stickers
The recent Dr. Sap’s Decals post has sparked a bit of discussion on whether Hoke should bring them back. One of the arguments folks use against the practice is that individual awards like this take away from the team concept. But you have to reconcile that with the fact that Bo, who was mildly supportive of the team concept, started the tradition of issuing the decals. But there was a point when Bo wavered. Did you know that he actually took them off the helmets for a short stretch in the early 80s? I did, but only because Dr. Sap himself sent me an updated diagram a few weeks back. This week I got this email from a former U-M lineman who talked about when this happened and more: Not sure if you knew this but in 1983 and 1984 Bo did give us stickers but they were placed on a board in the Football Building. He just did not put them on our helmets. When Bo announced it, it was to show the importance of the team and not the individual as the gold footballs were individual awards. Initially It was like “that kind of sucks” and you never thought about it again. More because it was a change than anything else. It’s funny as an offensive lineman you…
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Dr. Sap’s Decals – Eastern Michigan
Hoke didn’t bring them back but I think a surprising number of Michigan fans would like to see them return. I’m talking about the helmet stickers or decals of course, Bo Schembechler’s 1965 invention (while at Miami, OH) that he brought to Ann Arbor. Wolverine gear guru Dr. Steve Sapardanis was one hoping they’d be back and he’s even suggested a 2011 version to grace the Schutts and Riddells on Saturdays: Although these won’t adorn the headgear this season, Dr. Sap thought he’d run down a his thoughts on who he’d honor each week. First, some context from Sap: In the past, Bo Schembechler had a list of achievements and criteria for each team (Offense, Defense and Special Teams) as well as individual accomplishments for awarding his helmet decals. Not being privy to film study or game performance grading, the process has been simplified to just touchdowns and big plays – and a few other "Awards of Distinction" as you will see below. Here’s Sap’s rundown for Eastern Michigan, including some influence from the editor of this site. Week #3 vs. Eastern Michigan ALL members of the Michigan Defense: for not allowing a point in the 1st quarter – first time all season! Jibreel Black: 1 decal for Forced Fumble in 1st quarter. Thomas Gordon: 2 decals – one for…