Nebraska 17, Michigan 13
Drive Recap: Michigan 13 - Nebraska 10 // 4Q: 8:08 pic.twitter.com/o4rwtV0sjL
— Michigan Football (@umichfootball) November 9, 2013
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.
November 10th, 2013 at 11:21 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 9:03 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 12:04 PM ^
it was only a dream, nappa. To me, the 1990s were a nightmare. Although I have since forgiven J. Cooper. I think the man is a good dude. Although unfortunately, that is not what you want in a coach. You want a bad-ass mother f#^*er. Like Saban or Urban Meyer. Or Pete Carroll. Or....Les Miles? Scratch that. Nice guys finish last, most times it seems.
November 10th, 2013 at 9:22 AM ^
1.) Fire Borges now! This must happen or we will lose recruites. It actually possible to play call around a struggling OL.....(ie;Indiana) I truely think that this could be a great team with good O play calling and teaching, but not under some cockey jerk who blames the players.
2.) Fire Funk now! He obviously doesn't know what he is doing. Other teams have freshman and walkon's who can play the OL just fine
3.) Fire Welman now! How can all of the lines be so week. WIth both the D and O lines doing so poorly there must be a stregth and cond. issue.
4.) Hire a QB coach both Denard and Devin never reached their potential due 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 these deficiancies than he needs to go. And my god the clock management is abysmal!!!
November 10th, 2013 at 9:47 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 9:31 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 9:39 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 9:48 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 10:02 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 10:03 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 10:07 AM ^
Hoke sucks.
Borges really sucks.
M football is a trainwreck.
There...
I wish I could say I felt better.
November 10th, 2013 at 10:20 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 10:31 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 11:45 AM ^
Why were my posts deleted? They were absolutely by the rules of the site. Can one not express freely their feelings by the site rules? Even Scout allows that.
November 10th, 2013 at 12:00 PM ^
As a Husker fan I think alot of you are overreacting or that you are misplacing your frustration.
It seems to me that your team has good players at the skill positions. Your team has a solid defense. The deficiency in your team in on the offensive line. Nothing on offense works when the offensive line play is not up to par.
By all accounts Hoke is recruiting very well. Offensive line is probably the slowest position group to develop, particularly when attempting to change from a spread system to pro-style.
It seems to me that Michigan really needs another year of development or perhaps a new offensive line coach or strength coach.
November 10th, 2013 at 1:10 PM ^
Fire Fitz and gardner - the glamor positions are failing. Watch fitz as he ALWAYS goes at the wrong holes - this drive offensive linman crazy. Fitz would not have 100+ yards (on a reg basis) under the 70's Steelers.
November 10th, 2013 at 2:50 PM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 3:23 PM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 3:41 PM ^
Should we also just assume that Ohio State "could have not" won the MNC in 2002, in what went down as the most SVF-laden season in history?
November 10th, 2013 at 2:53 PM ^
Brian, just copy and paste everything from last weeks UFR's and remake the podcast editing the word Spartans or State for the word Nebraska. Then with your extra time please FIX THE +/- system. The board is straight PATHETIC these days.
November 10th, 2013 at 4:28 PM ^
The O-line really wasn't all that bad. Borges didn't give Garner a chance. We ran Max protect, sending two recievers out wayyyy to many times. When the routes were covered up, Devin had nowhere to go.
We all knew the blitz was coming and instead of taking the offensive and maybe running some short routes, slants, screens, we played right into their hands. I put this squarly on Borges and his lack of making adjustments.
November 10th, 2013 at 4:41 PM ^
I agree.
I think seeing this same thing happen over and over again, now in the 9th game of his 3 season as OC, that Borges has failed and should be let go.
Assuming Dave Brandon is willing to open the checkbook for Hoke to hire anyone in the country he wants (who is willing to come).
Do you think Hoke will fire Borges?
What should Dave Brandon do if Hoke says no?
November 11th, 2013 at 11:39 AM ^
The Michigan name brand that we've been leaning on the past 20 years is on a 20 year decline. Every single year we disappoint expectation. Something needs to change. Soon.
November 11th, 2013 at 1:04 PM ^
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