game recaps
al borges i don't even know
2013 nebraska
poor damn michigan defense

Nebraska 17, Michigan 13 Comment Count

Ace

This was the high point, both from a football and comedic standpoint.

If this isn't rock bottom, it's damn close. Michigan faced a Nebraska rush defense that's done this...

Opponent Att Yds TD YPC
Wyoming 30 219 1 7.3
UCLA 50 216 2 4.3
South Dakota State 33 271 2 8.2
Illinois 45 211 2 4.7
Purdue 20 82 0 4.1
Minnesota 53 272 3 5.1
Northwestern 43 283 3 6.6

...and, with sacks removed, rushed for 22 yards on 29 attempts. Oh, and a combination of poor play-calling, poor line play, poor blitz pickup, and one understandably skittish quarterback allowed seven sacks that knocked the offense back 49 yards.

Brady Hoke's home winning streak is dead; that's not really the story. It wasn't hard to see this coming, not after the narrow escape against Akron, and certainly not after last week's debacle. When Drew Dileo dropped a fourth-down pass on Michigan's last-gasp drive, it felt depressingly fitting—of course the sure-handed receiver would let one slip through his grasp at precisely the wrong time, because that's just how this season has gone.


Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog

When Michigan attained a first down for the first time in the game, only three plays before the end of the first quarter, the Big House crowd erupted with the loudest Bronx cheer I've ever heard in this building. The sarcastic cheers turned to boos by the end of the first half, at which time the Wolverines, down 10-3, had 60 yards of offense on 29 plays.

Those boos only grew louder by the end of the game. Al Borges orchestrated a great drive to open the second half, featuring a big play for Fitz Toussaint on a slip screen, a slick pop-pass to Jake Butt against a heavy blitz, and a touchdown to a wide-open Devin Funchess on a post-curl-corner route combination.

Thus ended the offensive renaissance. That ten-play, 75-yard drive represented 43% of Michigan's total output on the afternoon, and Michigan resumed slamming their heads against stacked fronts and allowing wave after wave of pressure to hit home.

The defense did what they could, holding the Huskers to 273 yards—75 of which came on their game-winning drive—on just 4.1 yards per play despite two new starters at safety: Courtney Avery and Josh Furman, who replaced Jarrod Wilson and Thomas Gordon.* When Frank Clark lost contain and James Ross was late getting out on an option pitch (of sorts, since it went forwards) to Ameer Abdullah, who waltzed five yards into the end zone, there wasn't anger in Michigan Stadium—instead, apathy reigned, and a healthy number of fans streamed for the exits despite the Wolverines being down four with two minutes left and all their timeouts. Five plays later, those fans were proven—at least for today—to be justified in their actions.

"Well, we just didn't execute," said Brady Hoke after the game. That is 2013 Michigan Football's epitaph, and at some point it isn't going to be enough to save everyone's job.

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*According to Hoke in the post-game presser, Gordon had an unspecified ankle injury, while Wilson's absense from the lineup was an attempt to shake things up.

Comments

Crime Reporter

November 9th, 2013 at 9:47 PM ^

This team has an identity crisis. They play scared. Their confidence hangs by a thread. And our coaches do their best impression of playing not to lose. The guys are fragile and that's why I think the wheels have fallen off.

Joined: 12/19/2008

MGoPoints: 21760

bleed_trueblue17

November 10th, 2013 at 3:29 AM ^

We didn't play confident till the bowl game... 05 I think it was two was a meltdown season. Even "the great Lloyd Carr" had issues. I was sick of him going 8-4 every year with a couple extra wins every now and then.

Joined: 09/25/2013

MGoPoints: 226

ISeeMediocrity

November 9th, 2013 at 9:20 PM ^

This is the WORST display of UM football I have ever seen.  Dave, sadly, OSU got the great coaching, we DID NOT!  What the heck is this "execute" word he throws around after getting killed two weeks in a row.  Hoke is a joke.  PUT A HEADSET ON.  TALK TO YOUR TEAM. Borgess is a joke.  Worst play calling in history.  Even Spielman was laughing at you for not picking up those blitz packages. 7  TIMES!  It's not even MAC football.  Dave, Save us, PLEASE.  You must hate the circus your seeing.  The BIG HOUSE is booing!  Its coming apart at the seams. This season is an embarrassment, let the kids play, and get a new coach and OC.  I'm sick of watching Devin "try not to get intercepted, so he gets sacked, and I'm sick of watching Fitz get 0 yards.   Thats the best we can put on the field, really?

Joined: 11/09/2013

MGoPoints: 1

Sten Carlson

November 9th, 2013 at 9:51 PM ^

I don't buy this "Hoke is over his head" meme.  I think he's a completely capable coach, a great recruiter, and a great motivator.

However, if he ties himself to Al Borges, Big Al is going to sink Hoke.  I am beginning to sense that Hoke might be losing Team 134.  If he is, I don't think he's losing them because of anything that Hoke is doing, or not doing -- but because of the offensive play calling and its mind bogglingly stubborn futility.  The players aren't dumb.  They know that the plays Borges is calling aren't going to work.  You would think that in the huddle after getting the play call after the muffed punt recovery by Norfleet, Gardner would be like, "fuck that, I am going to call something else..." consequences be damned. 

I just hope that Hoke takes a cue from what the basketball team in changing up the assistant coaches.

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: -56

Gameboy

November 9th, 2013 at 9:58 PM ^

You know what I am really angry about? I am angry that I was not that surprised, and that my anger never reached the "danger" level. I am at a point where all this crapnesss just washes over me like a bad fart. The total ineptness of this coaching staff has reduced me to an emotionless blob, just sitting here, incapable of anger. I hate you Borges for turning me into this.

Joined: 11/28/2010

MGoPoints: 9656

BlueFordSoftTop

November 9th, 2013 at 9:58 PM ^

"Whoever questions our toughness, they can shove it," said Devin Gardner following the loss to Nebraska, "it’s growing pains, you know, we got young guys, and they’re fighting as hard as they can ... I can’t really ask for much else for them to give their all like I am and I feel like the rest of my teammates are."
 

Joined: 04/09/2011

MGoPoints: 665

Mgo-Bo

November 9th, 2013 at 10:05 PM ^

I was at the game. It was awful surely however, everytime a play was made that raised an eyebrow for it was a freshmen or sophomore. Next year will be a lot more fun. Please move dg back to WR and put Morris in.

Joined: 10/15/2013

MGoPoints: 240

Puget Sound Blue

November 9th, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^

Maybe that term doesn't fit, but it's the best one I could think of right now. Maybe what we're seeing now is an episode in a longer story of U-M's relative decline in football. Times have changed, the game has changed, and Michigan hasn't yet found a way to adapt. Programs rise and fall. There's a possibility Michigan's entering an epoch/period/era in which the only consistent characteristic is mediocrity with an occasional irruption of talent + coaching that produces a team that's competitive for a Big 10 championship/BCS bowl for a year or two and then returns to a baseline of mediocrity.

I really want to be wrong about this, but even our most beloved institutions are not immune to larger trends/forces coupled with key decisions that didn't go the right way.

Joined: 11/18/2008

MGoPoints: 2470

Paly33

November 9th, 2013 at 10:15 PM ^

This was my biggest fear when the Lloyd era ended. The wrong hire was made and from the looks of it the Hoke hire may turn out the same way. Here's to hoping Hoke gets it figured out on the field because from the looks of it he does a great job off of it. If not, let's the hope the next hire is the correct one. Eventually we will get it right, all of the big programs do.

Joined: 01/20/2010

MGoPoints: 2717

Mgo-Bo

November 9th, 2013 at 10:12 PM ^

They have legit talents & playmakers here & on the way. The upper class is basically Indiana & Purdue talent. M is well on the way back in. Patience is a virtue. These are just kids.

Joined: 10/15/2013

MGoPoints: 240

Mgo-Bo

November 9th, 2013 at 10:26 PM ^

They are changing the style of ball from RR years, it's not a lightswitch. We have a 3 yr recruiting gap to account for. We'll get there & Hoke is a good fit. He's already recruited inside the top 10 for 2 yrs. ps. Taco Charlton looked like a monster on that line today.

Joined: 10/15/2013

MGoPoints: 240

Paly33

November 9th, 2013 at 10:19 PM ^

It's just hard to keep drinking that kool-aid when were not seeing player progression during the season at the slightest. Funchess is the only player that has gotten better on a weekly basis. Kid is going to be a beast as an upperclassman!

Joined: 01/20/2010

MGoPoints: 2717

Mgo-Bo

November 9th, 2013 at 10:33 PM ^

The past we didn't have to worry about seeing Fresh & soph player progression because the upperclass was great & there was no gap in recruiting to account for. I seem to remember thinking Tom Brady sucked as a soph whenever he got a snap in a rare instance. We as M football fans are in an odd spot where we have no sea of great players waiting on the sidelines. Firing a coach will only set us back a few more years.

Joined: 10/15/2013

MGoPoints: 240

buddha

November 10th, 2013 at 5:52 PM ^

How have Funchess and Chesson developed? Funchess has freak intangibles and - if anything - should be used more. Moreover, he seems to have regressed in his blocking, which is his most acute deficiency.

And Chesson??? How has he developed? What do you see out of him to say the coaches have improved his game?

Joined: 10/08/2009

MGoPoints: 5033

pmarcil1

November 10th, 2013 at 5:02 PM ^

Is as I understand, with Coach Hoke on Sunday mornings going over game tapes and is on the sideline with the coach during the games so I wonder how much micromanagement really goes on. It can't be a common practice for AD's and their football coaches to do this. Not a good practice in my opinion.

Joined: 09/23/2010

MGoPoints: 18

ccarna

November 9th, 2013 at 10:25 PM ^

1.) Fire Borges now!  This must happen or we will lose recruites.

2.) Fire Funk now!  He obviously doesn't know what he is doing.

3.) Fire Welman now!  How can all of the lines be so week.  Other teams develop freshman and walkon's into better lineman than ours.

4.) Hire a QB coach  both Denard and Devin never reached their potential dud to not having a QB coach.  Borges not being able to work with other coaches is another reason to can him

 

Hoke is a good figure head and recruiter, but that's it so he needs the best assistants.  Michigan can hire the best.  If Hoke doesn't step up to thiese deficiancies than he needs to go.

Joined: 11/02/2008

MGoPoints: 23

dengoblue

November 10th, 2013 at 12:19 AM ^

What to do??...What to do??? Definitely the worst Michigan team I've seen even considering RR debacle. We simply aren't good! We do very little well! We're getting worse not better (watch ND highlights). I thought it was hilarious to see Hoke with a headset on. You know damn well he didn't use it! He played Green more, hmmm wonder why? All this meant to me is that the talk is affecting him and he's desperate. "THIS IS MICHIGAN FOR GOD SAKES" I agree with needing better asst's and we cannot wait. Drop money on a quality OC and QB coach cuz Borges will never develop Morris!!!! I can't watch 3 more years of this BS!!!!

Joined: 02/28/2013

MGoPoints: 1

GoBlueTal

November 10th, 2013 at 7:14 AM ^

So wait, is this the lowest technological state in human history? Is this the worst economic year in US history? Is M the losingest team in FBS history?

Or are you just the stupidest troll on this site today?

Joined: 10/15/2011

MGoPoints: 962

Jimmyisgod

November 9th, 2013 at 10:33 PM ^

AS much as I detest Urban Meyer, think about this, Ohio went out and hired Urban Meyer, the next best thing to Nick Saban, we hired a guy with a losing record who doesn't wear a headset and says assinine things like , "I liked the play calling" after a debacle like that.

Joined: 01/24/2012

MGoPoints: 10342

Mgo-Bo

November 9th, 2013 at 10:41 PM ^

I like it. However, Meyer is from Ohio and always loved OSU so, it's not like they had to sell babies to get him. Plus, OSU was not a dumpster fire when he accepted like M was for Hoke so, kind of a diff story. Sure they had an off year but, only because Tressel was forced out. They didn't lose any players or recruits over that mess.

Joined: 10/15/2013

MGoPoints: 240