September 14th, 2013 at 3:41 PM ^
Anyone I hear say "a win is a win" or "good teams find a way to win" or anything similar in the next three weeks or so wil be punched. by me
September 14th, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 4:29 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 11:10 PM ^
Anything similar.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:41 PM ^
but boy, I don't think we can snicker at other B10 schools (sparty) who don't perform well against lower level teams. Congrats, though, to Akron...they played their hearts out. I give them a hell of a lot of credit.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:41 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:42 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:44 PM ^
I said it in a thread that got deleted but never ever again should anyone on here talk down about an opponent. We are the team that experienced The Horror and we almost witnessed version 2.0 today.
Too much content this week was here's a YouTube video of Akron trying to play defense! Ha! Or....well this would concern me but it's Akron so nope we're good. Never again.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:47 PM ^
I believe they thought too highly of themselves. Maybe the coaches too relaxed after the ND win. This was too damn close for comfort. This upcoming week should be the most intense yet.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:45 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:54 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 4:05 PM ^
Hoke better make that team's lives a living hell in practice this week.
Film time won't be a fun time for them, either.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:47 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^
Yeah, it's becoming apparent that the running game just may not get it going this year. Again our offense has too much reliance on the QB who at this point is prone to mistakes.
The defense may not be very good and I'm struggling to figure out why. And yes I can't see why they are doing simple things on that side of the ball.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:48 PM ^
My snowflake is more yellow snow...
I have no idea what was going on with the O-Line, but it sure seemed on tv like there were holes at times and nothing on other runs.
This was probably good for Devin, so he doesn't try to play hero-ball against the better defenses left on the schedule. I was shuddering to think about him running with his back to the line of scrimmage against Michigan State or Ohio (or even PSU). Still, it sucked for this game.
I have a feeling that the starters all assumed they were going to work for a quarter or two and sit...and played like they were just trying to get to their break.
I guess except for the O-Line and D-Line (I don't know what was wrong), most of the attitude/approach issues are correctable, and I think the staff can do it. But man, that was closer and more nail-biting than Notre Dame.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^
I'll tell you what's going on with the OLine. Funk is a crappy position coach. The guy has had bad lines almost his entire career. Look up the stats. They're putrid. Other than loyalty, I honestly have no idea why Hoke brought him to Michigan given his track record.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:49 PM ^
I hope this gets forgotten quickly. Thank goodness for a W, thats all I'm saying.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:49 PM ^
An ugly game to be sure, but the turnovers are the reason it was so close. 4 (to 2 from Akron), one of which was housed. Another when we were in the red zone. That could be a 14-21 point swing right there. Losing all that seals the game against all but the worst of teams.
The offense had to bring us from behind in the 4th, and the defense had to make a stand as time ran out. The pressure not to lose to Akron - Akron of all teams, Akron, the lowest of the low - must have been insane. I'm grateful they were able to step up. It feels like some of us would've rather seen our team commit hara-kiri and take the loss.
It was horrible, it was nerve-wracking, it was unexpected, it shouldn't have been so close. We saw quite a few weaknesses exposed, and we can't expect to win many games playing like this. We shouldn't just sweep the game under the rug as an aberration, the coaches should tear into it.
But I'm not ready to hang myself over a game we won, and I haven't forgotten the team we saw last week. I hope our team and our coaches haven't forgotten either.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:49 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:50 PM ^
When we are on defense and they spread us out...I can understand why we play a soft coverage against ND because they have a few burners at WR, but Akron? When we blitzed we couldn't get to the QB. When we didn't blitz we gave up a ton of yards and couldn't stop completions. So here's my qeustion....if they line up like that all we have to do is win one-on-one battles. Why can't we win one-one-one battles against MAC teams? Our defensive lineman should be able to beat one-on-one blocks and get to the QB, right? And, our DBs should be able to run with MAC recievers, right? Why aren't we winning those individual battles? If Akron does this to us what's gonna happen when NW, Neb, & OSU run this against us?
September 14th, 2013 at 3:57 PM ^
2 examples. Matt Godin and Keith Heitzman. Both are at Michigan but you can't say they are dominant, game changing players. They are just "guys". I've never seen either of them beat and offensive lineman for a sack or tackle for a loss
September 14th, 2013 at 4:47 PM ^
From 2008 until the current class our recruiting classes were #13, #10, #14, not sure for 2011, #7, and #6. That should encompass anyone on the team today. With classes of that rank there is no excuse for a lack of talented pass rushers. So, Heitzman & Godin can't be dominant because they aren't elite. Well, what about Charlton , Ojemudia, & Pipkins? They may be young but they are talented...why aren't they playing and/or producing? I mean if you go across the defense Washington, Pipkins, Charlton, Countess, Wilson, Bolden, Ross, Ojemidua...these are talented kids that should be producing. I get that Clark, Morgan, Gordon, and Taylor are not elite, but they are still better than MAC talent and they are on the field over younger more highly rated gusy like Charlton, RJS, Thomas, and Lewis. I get that it takes time to develop guys, but I just don't see other highly rated recruits taking this long. IDK maybe guys like Peppers, Mone, Marshall, Ferns, and Hand & McDowell if they come will be able to make impacts faster than the last two classes of guys.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:59 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:50 PM ^
2. We couldn't get to the QB with a four man rush if we were playing Pioneer. Our D-line has a LOOOOOOOOOONG way to go. I think they'll get there, but today illustrates why we need guys like Dashawn Hand so badly.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:50 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:53 PM ^
If we aren't close to perfection in that game I think it could shake more confidence about the season.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:52 PM ^
Win. Which means clever stuff on MGB rest of week, and some insight. Instead of doom and schadenfruede for our enemies.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:52 PM ^
Carr's team lost that game. Rich Rod's team lost that game. Hoke's team won it.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:53 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:56 PM ^
This is lame. Akron was ONE YARD away from winning. You think the fact that they couldn't get that yard makes Hoke any better than Lloyd was against App State?
September 14th, 2013 at 4:00 PM ^
Yes. Yes, I do.
Go ahead a beat yourself up and feel horrible and blame the team, Hoke and anyone else. Let me know how that goes for you.
The fact is, the team found a way to win when it had no right to win. The past two coaching regimes screwed the pooch in similar circumstances.
September 14th, 2013 at 4:09 PM ^
Okay sure. I'll give Hoke a ton of credit because Akron couldnt get a yard.
September 14th, 2013 at 7:05 PM ^
Not sure that is fair as this team is much more talented than any of the one's Rich Rod had. I wonder what our O would look like if we ran more of the Rich Rod era spread offense? I'm guessing it would be pretty explosive.
September 14th, 2013 at 5:00 PM ^
had missed two field goals and thrown an interception in the red zone, Carr and Rich Rod would have won those games too. These mistakes are outside of Hoke's control.
September 14th, 2013 at 8:08 PM ^
Actually, both of those teams missed FGs and threw picks against us. Our comeback against App State was aided by their miscues.
Also, Akron's two missed FGs were really long kicks. It wasn't a shock that they missed.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:54 PM ^
For a coaching staff that talks about the trenches SOO much the level of play has been a disaster on the Lines for a while now.
Now its bad even with 4-5* talent...
That is the most concerning thing.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:57 PM ^
Exactly right. The lines are pretty bad. Barely pass protecting, almost no effective runblocking, and zero pressure on the opposing QB.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:55 PM ^
Please, more arrogance about how badly Michigan will trounce Akron. More arrogance about how the third-string will be in by half-time. More arrogance about how Michigan barely needs to show up.
Gardner is not going pro, not till he's exhausted eligibility. Neither is Ryan. Mattison's crew can't rush the QB. Michigan's pass D just got run in circles.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:57 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:57 PM ^
the paramedics have left and my heart is working again. Now, on to the Manhattans.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:59 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:58 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 4:42 PM ^
Two great games? What are these games you speak of? Michigan failed to run block against a directional school and Notre Dame and has consistently produced no pressure against opposing teams' quarterbacks. This game wasn't a fluke, it was more of the same crappy line play.
September 14th, 2013 at 3:58 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 4:07 PM ^
September 14th, 2013 at 3:59 PM ^