January 1st, 2013 at 5:38 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:02 PM ^
What do you want the man to do? He's not some magical incarnation of Mithrandir.
Michigan had weak depth at the corner spot before our 2 best corners vanished into the ether.
Those big plays were all pretty much a direct result of Countess and Floyd not being on the field.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:02 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:10 PM ^
BTW if you look at the replay on the punt return, you will clearly see a block in the back that wasn't called and most likely was the reason for the TD.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:13 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 4:57 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:22 PM ^
Put down the drink, calm down. Turn off the laptop. The end.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:57 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 6:15 PM ^
Wait—our assistants are paid so poorly that they have to rent rooms from Hoke? Brandon needs to get on that right away.
January 1st, 2013 at 4:57 PM ^
Yes great ofensive game plan, terrible defense. The defense was almost there especially on the last drive. To bad i really thought we could have won this game.
Go Blue, hopefully next year a great ofense and defense!
January 1st, 2013 at 4:57 PM ^
This game will help recruiting. Offensive recruits will see that our offense is progressing nicely. DBs will see that they have an opportunity to play right away.
January 1st, 2013 at 4:58 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:00 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:00 PM ^
Too bad DG wasnt so wildly innacurate or else M would've won and Gallon would've had 200+ yds
January 1st, 2013 at 5:00 PM ^
i need a M basketball game right about now
January 1st, 2013 at 5:02 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:01 PM ^
Also, Lewan should stay for his senior season. Clowney is amazing, but Sk are most NFL linemen.
January 1st, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^
Are you implying that Lewan struggled with Clowney in this game? If you are, I suggest you go back and watch again.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:02 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:08 PM ^
We were a few missed plays from being 11-2 just one year removed from the spread. Are you seriously calling for Hoke's head?
January 1st, 2013 at 5:13 PM ^
Your lack of paragraphs is not acceptable.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:18 PM ^
I thought his poor and/or inflamatory analysis was unacceptable.
Hoke has had 2 classes of recruits and, despite the loss today, I feel a lot better about next season than I did last year after the Sugar Bowl win.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:39 PM ^
Typical kind of comment from a certain type of fan who just does not get it. It will require a few years of recruiting at a top 10 level to have the kind of talent and depth required to challenge for the B1G title and a top 4 playoff berth. It is obvious you have never led an organization or a team or a group to succes nor have you ever built a team either on a sports or business field.
The results are what they are, injuries exposed the lack of experienced talent and depth was apparent on the field all year long. Pride is not the issue, effort is not the issue, the rebuilding of Michigan as a football power is under way, construction may take a another year or two. Get over it.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:02 PM ^
Al Borges called an adequate gameplan. Toward the end it felt like he found a set of plays that the team was most comfortable with, and that was good. But people point out 4-5 plays that were "new" and say "look, he's getting better." Of course, he also lined up Denard and Vincent Smith in the I-form and ran them for minimal gain or a bone-crushing hits in most instances. The line blocked reasonably well on passing downs and that gave Gardner time, but I also think SC's defense is a bit overrated. He also called the same predictable plays with Denard; virtually every time it was a run, with little in the way of options or change in directions.
Borges didn't have a horrible game like he did against VT or OSU, but I wouldn't hold this up as a shiny example of the best offense Al Borges could produce.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:03 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:04 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:14 PM ^
You are a gentleman, sir, and I commend you for it.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:04 PM ^
Borges called an OK game. The lack of execution is what did them in.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:06 PM ^
We lost to the top three teams in the nation (two by a combined 7 points) and Nebraska using a guy who is now our 3rd, maybe 4th, string QB. And now we have lost to a top 10 team who, depending on how the rankings play out, may even be a top 5 team when all is said and done, on a hail mary play to our healthy, last resort corners.
Yes, I am rationilizing this. We are in year two of a polar transition and played 4 EXTREMELY TOUGH games this year and we were in strong position to win three of them in the final minutes. I would say, given the circumstances, that this year was a success and I have more hope and excitement for the future of Michigan football than ever.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:40 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:08 PM ^
Michigan had it's shots. Gardner could have hit some additional throws today, but think he had happy feet due to the rush. Michigan needs more speed in it's two deep which was obvious all year, Gordon and Kovacs give 100% just with no the same talent level to protect deep, and exposing Avery and Taylor to 1 on 1's is just not a winning combo.
Overall the dline played pretty well most of the year against the run, but need a few elite passrushers to develop so all of the blitzing is not necessary....or build speed in the secondary to handle the 1 on 1's.
It was pretty clear that Michigan was a younger and less physical team in many cases, which should get better with some additional weight room time and normal development, but I truly hope that the oline in waiting has more chops and ability for next year and that Kalis, Braden, Miller, etc make a big step forward. I am not overly confident that will be the case as I would hope someone that much better would already beat out the interior lineman. Gardner can throw when he gets set and unleashes, but the play action was a total waste as there was no concern for SC other than when Robinson was in.
I hope Green sees the early playing time to be had, and would be great if we could get Morris in Treadwell's ear about the true need for someone to step up and be a threat as we obviously have no fear about airing it out sometimes to a fault.
Also would like to know what the hell the thought process and who owned the block on the attempted murder play by Clowney.....why any scheme would NOT account for him on every play is absolutely behind me...especially a run going to his side of the field.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:09 PM ^
Yep, for all the abuse we have heaped on Borges since the Ohio game, we have to admit that he came out strong today. Very good game plan. We just got out-skill playered.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:09 PM ^
I have been frustrated but I will not be sad. The team did come out and give a valiant effort to be in a position to win the game. Considering the way the game started, I felt like we may have been out of it completely by the end of the third. Denard was used poorly but it is obvious by the one throw that he attempted that he can't throw the ball.
So many questions are raised by what we say though...
Where was Thomas Rawls? Why is Kovacs running to get deep to cover the post when he is lacking speed to pull that off? I love the kid but he is not a young Troy P of Pittsburgh! I have not seen the replay...but whoever was deep on the touchdown play that beat us was out of position.
Next year is why we should not be sad. I know that experience is what we will be lacking...but the athleticism is what we will gain at certain positions. I think that Mattison will have them coached up on defense and the offense will will be efficient enough to make some noise. Hats off to Jeremy Gallon for a great effort out there today!
January 1st, 2013 at 5:26 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:35 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:09 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:13 PM ^
He actually called a better game than I thought he would. Although, I think both 2-point conversions were absolute crap. I also thought that it would've been genius to have DRob throw a pass.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:15 PM ^
Denard did throw a pass.
Straight into the ground.
January 1st, 2013 at 6:29 PM ^
The first 2-point playcall got a man wide open in the endzone, but Gardner didn't see him until it was too late. That one you have to pin on Gardner.
I didn't like the second call that much - it was a telegraphed run, and Denard isn't good at running the speed option to begin with - but OTOH, if we'd executed the first one properly it wouldn't have been necessary.
In any event, we did enough to score 28 on a very good D, so I can't get too down on Borges, Gardner or anyone else.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:14 PM ^
This game was encouraging to see what Borges can do with a full offseason to get Gardner ready, and a full offseason for Gardner to practice with the 1s.
We lost, sure, but there were still a lot of positives to take from the game. The defense had two corners out there that should not have been, and we still came within 30 seconds of winning. Go Blue, and can't wait until next year.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:15 PM ^
he'll have a whole 9 months to.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:48 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:16 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:18 PM ^
where V. Smith got his head ripped off by #7 took longer to set up than concrete. That was the worst offensive play call of the game.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:19 PM ^
It might have worked [better] if any of the offensive linemen touched Clowney.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:23 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:29 PM ^
"let's run up the gut into an unblocked Clowney"?
To me it looked like a missed line call, but I'm sure Borges will accept the blame.
January 1st, 2013 at 5:36 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 8:02 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 5:17 PM ^