brendan gibbons
drew dileo
drew dileo is the threat
2013 northwestern
this is not a game recap because i'm totally incapable of summing that up

Michigan 27, Northwestern 19 Comment Count

Ace


via @cjzero, obviously

I can't. I just... I can't. Thank you, Northwestern, for being Northwestern.

Consider this an open thread to celebrate(!) a victory(!!) featuring multiple touchdowns!!!

(Shhhhhhh, don't ruin it by mentioning the multiple overtimes part.)


Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog

Comments

M-Dog

November 17th, 2013 at 4:44 AM ^

It worked on me.  That's what caught my eye on TV.  I thought, oh shit missed it, until I saw the "real" refs calling it good.  Almost tripped me up again on the replay.

The man has a future as a ref.

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 256987

WolvinLA2

November 16th, 2013 at 8:11 PM ^

I wouldn't say his comment is that off base.  If we kick that FG, it's very possible we hold NW the same and have a shot to win at the end.  Obviously that's not guaranteed, but it's not that crazy either.  

Joined: 11/13/2009

MGoPoints: 58191

snarling wolverine

November 16th, 2013 at 8:22 PM ^

But NW is probably going to have a much more aggressive gameplan if it's tied.  As it was, they were content to bleed the clock.  

In any event, I liked the decision to go for it on 4th down.  You're inside the 5 - why not?  If you get a TD there, that's a dagger, whereas a FG just ties it up.  If you don't get it, you still pin them in the shadow of their goalpost.

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 97963

G. Gulo of the Dale

November 16th, 2013 at 9:52 PM ^

At least as it happened to turn out, we found our way into FG position only because--since we were losing--we had to convert on fourth down in our territory.  Had the game been tied, we would have punted and never would have been in position for the "game-winning FG."  Of course, none of us knows what would have happened, but there are multiple reasons to think that getting into position for a game-winning FG in regulation would have been harder than it was to be in the position for the tie.  None of this makes Hoke's fourth-down call the "right call."  Personally, I didn't mind it, but--if he knew it was four-down territory--the call on third and one should have been different. 

Joined: 04/01/2013

MGoPoints: 6758

TennBlue

November 16th, 2013 at 10:54 PM ^

why throw away three easy points and go for a very low percentage chance of the conversion?

 

Given that the offense was struggling, expecting them to be able to execute a 2-minute drill to get back into field goal range was also rather low percentage.  Against those odds, they pulled off the play with less than a second to spare.

 

Tying the game gets you to overtime, where your drives start from the 25 and thus scoring becomes much easier.

Joined: 10/12/2010

MGoPoints: 6445

umchicago

November 16th, 2013 at 11:19 PM ^

was the obvious play to tie; not going for it.  if hoke was going to be aggressive there, why the hell weren't they aggressive on any of the other possessions at the 10 yd line.  why kick the field goal to make it 9-6.  it makes zero sense.  they also threw just one pass in the endzone in all those trips in the reddzone.

Joined: 02/05/2009

MGoPoints: 33625

snarling wolverine

November 16th, 2013 at 11:40 PM ^

It was 4th and 2 (probably more like 4th and 1.5).  I don't think that's particularly a low-percentage situation.  Teams probably convert that a majority of the time.   And if you get a TD on that possession, your chances of winning are a lot better than they'd be if it's 9-9 with 5:00 to go and the other team has the ball.  Giving the other team the ball potentially last in a tie game is not a comfortable position to be in.

If Hoke kicks the FG there, I'm sure there'd be many, many people complaining about him playing not to lose, just as there were against PSU.  I guess the bottom line is that fans complain about whatever doesn't work.

 

 

 

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 97963

Leonhall

November 17th, 2013 at 8:44 AM ^

Have kicked it, you know damn well what would have happened, we've seen it a million times, NW would have went on a 4 minute plus drive, including 3-4 3rd down conversions, one would have been like 3rd and 18 or 19, probably would have been some penalties along the way, it wouldn't have ended well... Trust me, lol.

Joined: 06/14/2012

MGoPoints: 16430

TennBlue

November 16th, 2013 at 8:18 PM ^

Points were precious in that game.  Kicking the FG meant that if the offense could do no more, at least the score is tied.  We came very close to not having another chance, with that 4th down being the difference in the game.  A bad decision is still a bad decision even if you get away with it.

Joined: 10/12/2010

MGoPoints: 6445