Michigan State 14, Michigan 10
The final play. [Bryan Fuller]
Death by a thousand self-inflicted cuts.
Michigan State's offense didn't look like it belonged in the same league as Michigan's defense, which forced eight three-and-outs, added a turnover on downs, and didn't allow a point after the 8:07 mark of the second quarter. By those numbers, you'd think the Wolverines would've won this game in a blowout.
But the offense, well, it all went wrong with the offense. They turned the ball over five times: a Ty Isaac fumble that killed any momentum from a promising start, a Sean McKeon fumble when they were driving at the end of the first half, and three John O'Korn interceptions. O'Korn's picks came on consecutive second-half possessions as rain fell from the sky in sheets; the coaches continued to call passes despite O'Korn's struggling and the receivers having a tough time hanging onto the ball.
That was it, really. State needed only one long touchdown drive and another on a short field to get the win while Michigan found new and demoralizing ways to shoot themselves in the foot.
After the game, the quarterback dismissed concerns about the playcalling and the weather, instead putting the loss on his own shoulders.
"I take full ownership for this loss," said John O'Korn. "You can't turn the ball over and expect to win and you can't give them great field position all game and expect to win."
"You've got to execute the plays that are called regardless of the conditions and we didn't do that tonight."
His head coach had a different take.
"Yeah, you can criticize that," Jim Harbaugh said about the playcalling. "We were trying to run the ball. We were trying to piece drives together."
It was a depressingly familiar script. Michigan State had the better, more cohesive gameplan, highlighted by their second touchdown, a gorgeous slip screen off a fake end-around that caught the entire defense on the wrong side of the field. Michigan's pass protection repeatedly broke down; Juwann Bushell-Beatty replaced Nolan Ulizio at right tackle midway through the game with little positive effect. The late-game plays didn't break the right way; MSU all but iced the game when Brian Lewerke dropped a third-down snap, frantically scrambled, and somehow rolled over two players to get the first down before touching the ground.
Another familiar sight—stupid Michigan State penalties—gave Michigan a final shot late, first when a holding call stopped the clock on MSU's final drive, then when senior linebacker Chris Frey committed an obvious late hit on Karan Higdon. Yet again, Michigan committed an unforced error. O'Korn found Eddie McDoom wide open around the MSU 30, only for the ball to clang off McDoom's hands. A couple plays later, O'Korn's Hail Mary heave hit the rain-soaked turf.
The bitter taste from this one is going to linger. Michigan could—should—be 3-0 against MSU under Harbaugh. Instead, they're 1-2. This time around, it was the struggling offense finally costing the team a game this season. Even if we knew that was coming this year, it won't sit well that it happened against the Spartans, especially given the preceding bye week and questionable playcalling.
It's going to be a long week for a lot of people.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:55 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 8:01 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:48 AM ^
hang it up to one of your bouncy 6'4" or 6'5" (or 6'7") athletes, not your shortest receiver (McDoom, for example).
I don't get it.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:36 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:40 AM ^
Still waiting . . .
October 8th, 2017 at 12:47 AM ^
this was a huge recruiting weekend for us too. Im sure the palyers we had from California and Georgia loved seeing us lay an egg in shitty weather. Oh and we havent really had many recruits on campus this year and our next big weekend will be OSU. things are swell
October 8th, 2017 at 12:37 AM ^
It pains me to say it, but I just can't continue with this any more. I can't continue being embarrassed on an annual basis. I loved this university with all of my heart and the coaches only stomped all over it. I thought Ann Arbor would be my forever home. Not any more. My health is too bad to let the stress and heartbreak because millionaire coaches can't get their players ready make it worse. I shouldn't care more about a win against a rival than our players, yet that's exactly what happened. Embarrassed on national tv against a piss-poor State team that went 3-9 last year. I have absolutely no more words to say beyond that besides I need to make a life change. Good luck to the rest of you and I hope Michigan can make you happy.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:32 AM ^
October 24th, 2017 at 3:03 PM ^
Like, man, I'll try. I want the players to be successful. I care about the university/the team a lot. But it's just not worth it if the offense is going to stay as pathetic as it has been since the Iowa game. If Harbaugh isn't willing to do what it takes to turn the offense around, then why bother paying attention?
October 8th, 2017 at 1:32 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:57 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:38 AM ^
well, how do you pass in this weather? They are the luckiest weather team in the last 5 years. Not that our O has been any good, but maybe the rain dampened the best way to beat them. Just a little bit, no? Remember, they beat OSU (was it 2 or 3 years ago) in horrible weather while Meyer/his OC thought letting Barrett throw was a great idea and Elliot just sat and watched.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:57 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:38 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:38 AM ^
Mother of God, what happens when our offense has to go up against our defense in practice?
Do they even allow it?
October 8th, 2017 at 12:47 AM ^
After 40 years of watching football it's clear that pro concepts are more challenging for the offensive line and QB than spread concepts, not only in terms of blocking and execution, but because with spread you frequently find your QB bailing out breakdowns with hit feet. Thus to make pro style work, you need incredible talent especially at QB and OL or Alabama level recruiting and years in the system.
Started learning this lesson back during the Horror when a team of high school level players beat our team with Hart, Henne, Long, Manningham, Harrington, etc.
Drevno is simply out of touch with whatever game plan he has in mind and the ability of these college players to execute it. Period. Might be great schemes, but clearly requires too high a level of execution for the level of talent we have.
ND could drop 38 on this team on the road with a first year QB but Drevno managed 10 at home with a 5th year senior QB.
As long as Drevno is our OC, every year will be another year we blame youth on all of the breakdowns on offense.
At least we can look at it as pain to gain. No way we will ever compete for the playoff or championships with this offensive coaching staff. If only Harbaugh can hire Don Brown's counterpoint on offense... I'd try to steal Clemson's or TCU's OC.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:01 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:17 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:43 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:52 AM ^
Might very well be true. Carr had an arrogance about him that shrugged off mediocrity as though the University should be happy to have him. "Scrappy" was not a word ever associated with him or his teams. Carr also had a fiece loyalty to his mediocre staff.
We'll see what JH is made of this offseason when he's staring at 1-5 against rivals. If he keeps it business as usual with Drevno, we can all just go ahead and recalibrate the long term expectation for this program to the last ten years of Carr, instead of Bo.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:55 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:05 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 3:47 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:13 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:47 AM ^
If you look at the losses from the first two years:
1) Utah, first game against tough team on the road
2) Act of God against MSU
3) Lost badly but were inferior team against OSU
4) Lost to Iowa on the road and missed every opportunity plus the bounces and breaks
5) Got shafted and didn't make enough plays late against OSU
6) Lost to FSU without Peppers after looking lethargic for a half, still should have won
The reason this one hurts is that Michigan has better talent. The overall gameplan offensively was horrible and MSU predictably broke tendency just enough. The O-line hasn't progressed and the play calling was incompetent. I don't know what this means for the future, but this isn't all on youth, and drawing conclusions about O'Korn when the coaches expected him to pass during that storm is unfair to him. Don Brown left Boston College and a staff full of "great offensive minds" has shit the bed for him in similar fashion. Embarrassing
October 8th, 2017 at 12:57 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 3:50 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:51 AM ^
Ty Isaac needs to get two hands on the ball in close proximity of defenders and on contact. He doesn't have the strength to have that arm and ball swinging all over on those running plays. It helps the play big time with your body control when it works but when it doesn't....well we all know the outcome. Problem fucking solved there. Now can someone relay that message to the fucking coaching staff please.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:52 AM ^
Also, regardless of the radio guys saying the backs just have to want to block better in pass protection, they suck so much it has to be partly because Jay Harbaugh is not capable.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:56 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:01 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:23 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:44 AM ^
but... yeah, kinda thinking the same thing here. When we brought him in, I thought a big part of his genius was his maniacal singlemindedness of purpose. But that hasn't been entirely true... it seems to be a good thing to promote the Michigan Football brand wherever possible when we're at a geographic disadvantage, but it does seem to come at some cost of attention to detail in coaching and gameplanning.
I'll say this for Dantonio. 365 days a year, the guy wakes up, goes to sleep, and does everything in between muttering "beat Michigan... beat Michigan... beat Michigan..." and it shows. The man is fucking Ahab. I hate how much I respect what he's consistently able to do with less talent and hype.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:52 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 7:13 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 9:33 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:57 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:09 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:59 AM ^
Michigan lost more starters than anyone else last year. And we were playing with a backup QB and without our best WR in a monsoon. Everyone needs to relax. Going into this season, we knew this was an 8-4 or 9-3 kind of year. They're still a few recruiting classes away from being a truly elite program. It's funny how Harbaugh went from being a God on this site to being completely trashed overnight.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:06 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:03 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:05 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:47 AM ^
I was born in 1990. I can remember exactly 1 meaningful win against OSU (2003) that I cared about. I was in fucking 7th grade. I was in 8th grade for the last Big Ten Championship in 2004.
October 8th, 2017 at 5:21 AM ^
...don't have kids, but I said the same thing to my wife after coming home from the game last night. Until Michigan football gets a competent coaching staff I am done investing my emotions...and money...into a team that is incompetently coached.
October 8th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 3:11 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:27 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:10 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:01 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:52 AM ^
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