Stripped To The Metal, We Root For The Abstract Comment Count

Brian

11/10/2012 – Michigan 38, Northwestern 31 (OT) – 7-3, 5-1 Big Ten

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Maize and Blue Nation

College sports are a rich-get-richer kind of operation. American pro sports reward their best teams with crappy draft picks and salary caps that make it hard to keep successful operations together. Yes, successful operations can keep their heads above water for periods, and the Lions can be awful for 50 years. A relentless gravity still pulls everyone towards .500.

In college, success adds to success. You can tell recruits they'll go to the Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl instead of, like, Nashville or wherever. Your pile of money is larger than someone else's pile of money and you can put up buildings where every brick is an XBox. You can point to some guy making millions in the NFL and promise recruit X will as well. You can tell recruits that you're not going to be fired and replaced by some guy from the Sun Belt, unlike every other school recruiting Derrick Green. The more you win, the higher your draft picks are.

Gravity has no place in college sports, just entropy. Entropy: the tendency of things to move from ordered states to disordered ones. Entropy: the gradual decline and fall of the Carr era. Entropy: Greg Robinson. Entropy: Northwestern football. With 18 seconds left there's a fifty-yard pass on the way, and things are about to get disordered.

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I mean, what can you say when your glorious victory is so clearly a gift from the cosmic random number generator? I have seen many things in my time as a sports fan. None of them have been an opposing safety taking a pass that is about to sail into the turf 10, 20 yards further downfield and flailing at it in such a way as to send it into the arms of the Michigan receiver he'd battered to the ground, gently. Feather-like. After all of that… easy.

Meanwhile, that event had been immediately preceded by a Northwestern fourth-and-one conversion on which the ref had to make sure every chain was ramrod straight and get his nose down to the field level before awarding the Wildcats a first down they probably didn't get but could not be overturned from above. Fitzgerald Toussaint's only decent run of the day ended with a bizarre pop-up fumble. Trevor Siemian came in and tore Michigan's secondary to shreds.

I like it better when the randomness is under a nice ol' narrative. When it's in your face so spectacularly, it's like the gods of math are taunting you for daring to care about anything they have their fickle fingers in. Go home, get a pen, and root for Fibonacci psuedo-randomness, they are saying. What you are doing is the equivalent of rooting for 3, they say. The number. The literal number. Woo 3. Go 3. You are so much more prime than 4. That's so 3! Oh god those people who like 4 are just animals. They poop in coolers, you know, and drive trucks. They're so… divisible.

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Stripped of the narrative bit the mind goes back to a game of partial information, high stress, and plain evidence that worshipping the gods of math gets you nowhere. Big stacks matter in tournament poker, too. With many chips you can lean on people, play with the numbers on your side, and force people to decisions for all their chips. You get to be the gorilla. You get the good recruits.

Back in the day when laws were unclear and jerks hadn't yet banned online poker by attaching a rider to a bill about port security, I played a lot. I was pretty good. I played online satellites until I'd gotten a buy-in to the World Series of Poker, and went. I made the second day in rough shape, and started repairing my busted stack by chopping off preflop raisers. While I'd risk more, I'd be in fewer hands, give off a tight image and get 5-6 blinds instead of 1.5. I would have no illusions about whether I should GTFO if someone played back at me. It was working, and I caught a couple hands. I was on my way to day three.

I'd done this to the guy to my right two or three times already, and his frustration was evident the last go-round. He raised preflop again, and I looked at kings. Long story short, we ended up all-in, he turned over aces instead of anything else, and I did not suck out. Short-stacked after, it was a matter of time.

Brady Hoke hasn't had kings, but he has sucked out, and sucked out, and sucked out.

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Maize and Blue Nation

With 11-2 and a BCS win in the rear view, Michigan picked up the kind of momentum that saw them lock down a top-five class by March. Getting there took a series of desperate heaves to Junior Hemingway. This year the heaves have been a little less desperate but twice Michigan has had 18 seconds and needed big chunks of yards to set up do-or-die field goals and got them. They're not getting every break—see refs in all Nebraska games—but with a combination of skill and fortune Hoke is building quite a stack for himself.

The latest chip is a 2013 starting quarterback out of nowhere, a guy who had looked basically awful in any extended playing time before Denard's elbow injury forced Devin Gardner into the Minnesota game. And even if Saturday was too transparently chaotic to go down as an all-timer, it's another step through this rough patch as Michigan waits for the large, mean cavalry to arrive.

In the meantime let's all just stay here on the floor breathing heavily and slathering narrative over the terrifying randomness of the universe.

Media

Football looks hurty sometimes, and by sometimes I mean all the time.

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Upchurch

Also, here's Gardner chucking that TD to Funchess:

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Upchurch

Brad at Maize and Blue Nation had a day with his shots. He's the guy who grabbed the shots that lead the post and then this is pretty great too:

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Also, nightmare fuel!

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Full gallery here.

The News got a great shot of Gardner:

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David Guralnick/Detnews

That's Bryant in the extremely large track jacket BTW.

More videos posted by Thorin on the board. UMGoBlog shots. Favorites from Mike DeSimone's page.

Awards!

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Brady Hoke Epic Double Point Of The Week. Roy Roundtree, come on down. Not only did you spawn a strange and likely short-lived meme when the Larrys, about whom more later, made a bizarre joke about how he would be better at catching the ball if his name was "Squaretree"—because square things are good at catching I guess—but you also put up 139 yards receiving, including the game-saving deep miracle. Also on 'Tree's docket: a beautiful corner route catch, getting run over on third and seventeen, and a critical hitch-and-run in OT.

Honorable Mention. Devin Gardner (at this rate will be Vince Young by next year, too bad about plateaus and such), Jeremy Gallon (hitch/bomb/punt return/let's ignore those other punt return opportunities), Kenny Demens (a close, close #2 with back to back OT TFLs).

Epic Double Point Standings.

3: Jake Ryan (ND, Purdue, Illinois) deytikerjerbs

2: Denard Robinson (Air Force, UMass)

1.3: Jeremy Gallon(Alabama, 1/3 Minnesota), Drew Dileo (Michigan State, 1/3 Minnesota), Roy Roundtree (1/3 Minnesota, Northwestern)

1: Craig Roh(Nebraska).

Brady Hoke Epic Double Fist-Pump Of The Week. NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW

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YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

This must be awarded to the play that spawned it, which is Demens decleating Northwestern to end the game. In the future awarded to the BOOM YES play of the week.

Honorable mention: Kenny Demens stones Northwestern on third and one too, Treezy to the rescue, Devin Gardner kind of balletically flings a ball way high except it's to Devin Funchess so it's on the money, Jibreel Black forces a Colter fumble, Jordan Kovacs implodes Colter's back.

Epic Double Fist-Pumps Past.

11/10/2012: Mattison baits Fitz, Kenny Demens decleats Northwestern, game over.

Offense!

Our hipster quarterback. WHICH ONE OF THESE DUDES IS DEVIN GARDNER

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you've probably never heard of me

Probably the one on the left. PROBABLY

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Upchurch

Open contempt. Northwestern fans were pretty hype on Nick Van Hoose as the cornerback who might rescue their secondary from its overwhelming Northwesternness; Van Hoose did not play. The Northwestern secondary was overwhelming in its Northwesternness.

This manifested on second down after second down when Michigan generally followed up a one yard run by going with a 2TE I-Form set and throwing a hitch in front of a helpless cornerback, or a corner at a helpless cornerback, or a hitch and go well past a helpless cornerback. I get pretty irritated when Michigan, which cannot run from under center even a tiny little bit, goes OOPS POW SURPRISE PLAY ACTION on obvious passing downs, but in this game it worked because every hitch route came with either a first down or some YAC baked in.

I have no idea why Northwestern didn't just bracket Michigan's single WR hard and dare Michigan to make them pay by getting to the second level—something it seemed they were four or five blocks from on every play. But they didn't. So, yeah.

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Upchurch

RUUUUUUUUUUUU—oh you are nevermind. IIRC, Michigan did not have any called runs for Gardner except the goal line rollout (and that did have a pass option). He got sacked once. That means his seven other rushing attempts were all scrambles. That's more than Denard has acquired in eight games. They were also effective—an average pickup of almost seven yards without any of those coming on fruitless third and longs.

Yeah, that is Vince Young-like. The combination of effective deep balls and a willingness to take off is potentially deadly. Covering four verts and containing Gardner seems hard, and add in dumpoffs to space players like Norfleet and Hayes, and that's a nice recipe. Hopefully Michigan explores that once they don't have to minimize QB impact at all costs.

[UPDATE: After checking out the Gardner errysnap video, Michigan did have another called QB run in a goal-to-go situation that went for five or six yards, so six scrambles.]

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not always pretty, but so far so good / Upchurch

Air check. We should erase the desperation bomb to Roundtree, which was a throw Gardner had to attempt, missed, and got a miracle deflection to complete it. That excised, Gardner was 15 of 28 for 8.3 YPA, two touchdowns, and a turrible interception. Add in the scrambles and that's good in a vacuum. Your context: Gardner was playing a poor defense minus its best cornerback and on an offense that can't run the ball even a little.

Those probably balance out, leaving Michigan with a good performance from a guy who'd been playing WR two weeks ago and has eligibility next year. That is huge.

Unlike last week, I can't remember anything particularly outlandish that happened to alter Gardner's stats since we've already set aside the desperation heave at the end of the game. Gardner actually lost a long completion to Jerald Robinson, and there was nothing on the order of Roundtree, Dileo, and Gallon going all circus for their QB in the Minnesota game. When Gardner missed, it wasn't by much. Minnesota was some good throws interspersed with a lot of shaky ones on which the receivers were great; Northwestern required a lot less heroism from the WRs.

You'd expect rapid improvement from a guy getting almost his first extended playing time and transitioning back to reps at QB from reps at WR; Gardner leapt even that high bar.

Y'all be jumpin'. Michigan has now pulled opponents offsides five times in two weeks with Gardner under center, with Northwestern threatening to go three or four more times.

That's a credit to Gardner's hard count and evidence of how much more comfortable Borges is with an offense that operates from under center. To run those freeze plays you have to be under center quickly enough to try it and then try something else if it doesn't work, something that has not often been the case for most of the year when Michigan was struggling just to get plays in. Against Northwestern, how often did you think "GET OUT OF THE HUDDLE" to yourself? For me, it was zero times. That's down a half-dozen from most games this year.

SIDE NOTE: I've seen a lot of credit going to Gardner for having the awareness to fling those fades when guys go offsides. That's a misunderstanding of what's going on. The way it works is this:

  1. Gardner huts his hut real hard, and then waits.
  2. Guy jumps or does not jump.
  3. If guy jumps, Mealer snaps it, free play.
  4. If guy does not jump, Michigan checks into something else.

So if Gardner gets the ball he knows someone is offsides and he has a free play and just throws the fade. He only gets the ball if he has a free play. The credit should go to Borges and Mealer.

SIDE SIDE NOTE: Yeah, Michigan did try to do similar things under RR from the gun. Bizarrely, what seemed to happen is that Michigan would get a guy to jump but he would get back before Michigan could snap the ball, leaving Michigan to burn a down on a low-percentage play.

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Upchurch

Hello, Fitz. Not that Fitz. Hey, three broken tackles en route to a touchdown on a nothing dumpoff: that is a play. I enjoy Fitzgerald Toussaint making plays. he also picked up a bunch of bonus yards on his 50-yard inverted veer give, and then fumbled. That's his first fumble, right? I guess he gets a pass for it. Even Mike Hart finally broke.

A tip, I say, a palpable tip. Did anyone else notice Michigan removing AJ Williams for Devin Funchess on the third and goal in OT, and think to themselves "rollout to Funchess's side"? Lo, it transpired, and Northwestern covered Funchess but had no one else on the edge once a playside LB tried to shoot inside Omameh and got walled off.

I require more Dileo. Michigan finally had enough of seeing punts hit the ground and put Dennis Norfleet back there in place of Gallon; Norfleet let the next punt hit the ground. Dileo fair-caught the next one. Meanwhile, balls are being tossed at the thus-far ineffective Jeremy Jackson and Jerald Robinson as Dileo watches from the sideline. I humbly request more targets for Dileo, who gets separation and catches passes, instead of larger receivers who do neither of these things

Defense!

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Maize and Blue Nation

Kenny Damn Demens. Remember when he was getting lined up two inches behind a nose tackle on a three man line and obliterated by guards releasing clean? Yeah. Demens isn't going to be a guy who makes every #25 in the future wear his name on the chest, but any time he walks into a bar for the rest of his life sporting that mustache of his someone is going to be like "CONSECUTIVE TFLS TO WIN 2012 NORTHWESTERN" and buy him a beer, and I love it when that happens. See also: Jerome Jackson, 2005 Iowa.

Demens did get beat by Northwestern's #1 WR on their last touchdown, but that's an RPS thing and a function of Michigan's LB slide plus Northwestern consistently gashing Michigan on the corners. Projected % of Michigan fans instantly reminded of Chris Graham against Anthony Gonzalez: 37%.

So sexy. Michigan came out with a a weird three man line featuring Jibreel Black as the NT that all but begged Northwestern to run up the middle on their fourth down, with the results noted above: Ryan gets cut off by the backside G, Black shoots playside of the tackle and forces a cutback on the handoff NW was baited into, BOOM.

That was exactly the plan:

“The last tackle there — number one, I like the call that (defensive coordinator Greg Mattison) made because it was one where it may have talked (Northwestern) into running the football because of some of the space inside,” said Michigan coach Brady Hoke. “And then Kenny just did a nice job of just working inside out to the ball, where maybe a little bit earlier he was maybe getting too far ahead of it.”

Michigan's defense finally got gashed, but man did they dial it up at the end.

Will it happen again? Ohio State is going to be checking out the Northwestern film quite a lot, but I'm not sure they have a Mark-like back to hit that edge. They've got a couple thumpers who will challenge tackling skills more than speed.

Linebacker switching. I didn't notice this live but a lot of people have said Desmond Morgan had a rough game, which seems logical since after a couple weeks of limited linebacker swapping we saw a lot of James Ross, including on the final two Northwestern drives. Ross was the guy who came an inch away from stuffing the Northwestern fourth and one. I'll get to the bottom of what went down in the UFR.

Pipkins comes on. Also receiving a lot more PT: Ondre Pipkins, who had a rough few plays against Minnesota before getting the hook. Again not sure why but probably based on Northwestern being one of those hurry-up outfits that puts a heavy demand on opposing defense's depth. Insert usual desire to be a team that puts that kind of pressure on the opponent.

Getting edged. Michigan's really got to do something about their option scheme, probably. I'll have to check it out to see if it was much different than what happened against Air Force.

Irrelevancies!

Oblig. Kovacs number switch bitching.

Me = Dude (obvs)

Car = Kovacs

Flame = #11

Nihilists = Brandon (obvs)

He's still JKovacs32 on twitter, at least.

“I’ve worn No. 32 for quite some time, I think I’ll always be No. 32,” Kovacs said

Yes. Dammit that needs to be the walk-on-who-plays number. Does no one understand how to make things? /wireseason2

Oblig. game theory bit. Big points to Pat Fitzgerald for going for it on fourth and short with around three minutes left. That is a spot in which it's easy to go NFL and derp your way to shrugging postgame coverage, but the obvious play is going. One yard and you've got the other team trying to complete a 50-yard miracle to tie. Punt and even Michigan's languorous two-minute drill still has time to ease down the field.

Northwestern got it by a few molecules thanks to what seemed like a favorable spot, albeit not one that is ever going to get overturned by the Big Ten's milquetoasty replay officials. (After the Penn State TD debacle they are now the Rod Gilmore Memorial Big Ten Replay Officials.)

Fitzgerald gives back about half of those points on the punt. You hate variance if you are Northwestern punting the ball back with 25 seconds left. NW…

  1. took a delay of game penalty instead of using a timeout
  2. ran out their rugby guy to bash a line drive into Gallon's chest
  3. got a net of 11 yards as a result

Rugby punts are generally effective but tend to be more unpredictable than regular stuff: shanks are easier, and if the returners are positioned correctly they get an opportunity like Gallon got. The play there was to take a timeout and hang one in the air to force a fair catch. The upside of that is about equal to the rugby punt and the downside is nil.

Michigan didn't really face any major decisions. They could have taken a shot at the endzone after the Roundtree completion but chose to kick. The difference between that decision and the end of last year's ND game was one second on the clock and a timeout, which they had against ND but not here. The Roundtree completion took six seconds, and it's easy to see that last one slip off the clock for any number of reasons.

FWIW, Michigan played their TOs right by taking all of them immediately once they were facing do-or-die time on defense. 

Git R Done, for values of R that equal racism. If you don't follow me on twitter you missed the saga of the Larry The Cable Guy clan in my immediate vicinity, a group of redneck yahoos that said a lot of things like "LEZ GO CUMONG" and "GIT EM CUMONG," which was annoying when they did that really loudly after a four yard run—now my hopes are all up and it's second and six—but mostly harmless.

That ceased on a Norfleet kickoff return on which one of them screamed "run like you stole it" and I was processing the I am somewhat uncomfortable with the racial overtones that statement displays thing when one of them almost certainly dropped the n-word. I looked at the MGoWife, and she looked at me to confirm, and then I just really hoped that it wouldn't come up again because if that happens a second time, well… words will be exchanged and I'm trying to panic myself to death at a football game thanks, please let's not get in a screaming match.

It did not come up again. Hurrah. There's no real lesson here except it's not very fun to be surrounded by Larry the Cable Guy.

BONUS BONUS BONUS: a Larry next to me left after the Gardner INT, which lol. I moved over because there was a tall guy in front of me… directly into the path of a woman with four pom-poms whose thought process in relation to those was:

I bet if I shake these really hard they're invisible.

If only, lady. If only.

Here

Inside The Box Score:

* NW ended up with 431 total offense yards. That's the same amount that Alabama, the greatest team ever assembled, a pretty good offense, had against us. I never would have guessed that Alabama and NW would be equivalent at anything. After the Alabama game, I wrote, "If we can hold everyone else under 431, I’ll be happy." NW didn't get more than 431, so I'm not unhappy, I'm just confused.

* Thomas Gordon led us in tackles with 11, not a good sign. Demens and Morgan were next with 9 apiece. Considering Mattison substituted freely with the LBs, that's a lot of tackles.

I bumped Best And Worst but in case you didn't click through:

…this week’s game definitely felt like the first one to showcase Al Borges’s “preferred offense.” It was a number of shorter passes, a dedication to running the ball with the RB, and play-calling that couldn’t fall back on a Dilithium-fueled QB if the first and second reads were not open.  Minnesota showed this a bit in the first quarter, but that game felt over at halftime and so I’m not sure what you could glean from it except that the offensive line still couldn’t get a push inside.

mGrowOld's kid meets Kovacs. MGoUsers of little faith.

Elsewhere

Opponent stuff. The Northwestern blog POV includes an analysis of Northwestern's success on speed option pitches, misery, more misery, and misery. Lake The Posts:

Inches.

Does it need to be said much more than that? Inches decide ball games, particularly close ball games. Against Nebraska inches separated Northwestern from a clinching interception and a devastating blown lead and loss. Against Michigan, those inches mattered even more.

You can slake your schadenfreude needs if you're weird and hold some sort of grudge against Northwestern at the SoP postgame thread.

Blog stuff. The Ann Arbor Chronicle has a photoessay documenting everyone recording the football game. Meta.

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not actually photos of the Roundtree catch

Sap's Decals:

KENNY DEMENS – He didn’t play a perfect game but he did make the tackle of his life – TWICE! It’s a play and situation you dream of as a kid growing up playing Pop Warner Football. Demens not only made the big stop to win the game on 4th Down, but he also made the stop the play before on 3rd Down! OUTSTANDING!

BWS:

Michigan struggled on defense in this game for a number of different reasons. Jake Ryan and Frank Clark both lost contain frequently which gave Northwestern big gains on the ground. In addition, and I think Mattison figured this out before the fourth quarter, but Michigan was defending the speed option in an unsound manner. The playside linebacker was always playing the quarterback, forcing a pitch to the running back who had nothing but blockers in front of him. I think Mattison assumed his corners and safeties could get off of their blocks on the outside the help contain the rushing attack, but Michigan's corners aren't very good at doing this. By the fourth quarter, Michigan started forcing the runs back inside.

I cannot agree with Maize and Blue Nation about this:

The running game. It showed signs of life this week. I think the more pro-style offense that Gardner runs suits Michigan better on offense. We're still trained to run the spread-option, but I don't think it's working for Fitz. He's a downhill runner. I really like that Rawls can come in and compliment Fitz...although, it might be the other way around, actually. I thought the line blocked better this week. Hoke stayed with the same lineup he's had all year across the line, so it was encouraging to see the interior especially, play better.

Michigan got a 50-yard gain on an inverted veer give—blocking not relevant unless you're a WR—and 41 yards on six Gardner scrambles. They also lost six yards on a Hayes jet sweep that's now scouted by opponents. Their other 23 carries went for 49 yards. Death. If Michigan finds itself trailing against OSU there's going to be a point at which it'll be time to run the quarterback from the shotgun even if it's Gardner and the backup option is Jack Kennedy. Michigan just can't move the ball on the ground without the numerical advantage provided by using the QB.

MZone:

U-M Student Section Sucks

And I thought the key play nonsense was bad.

Ha!

The empty seats are past the point of ridiculous now.  Michigan has been reduced to having its football players make videos begging fans (read: students) to show up on time for the games.  WTF?!  This isn't Ball State.  Bo's probably rolling over in his grave.

I'm not sure what more can be done since the athletic department already instituted the points system.  But seeing all those empty seats up there after the game starts is a slap in the face to Hoke and the Michigan players.

That should be "30% of the student section sucks." 70% of them are there. The solution is to give out t-shirts.

FWIW, the key play thing has not been done in probably ten years.

HSR:

It wasn't a perfect day.  The Toussaint fumble was maddening, but a great play by the Wildcat defense. Special K remembered where "In The Big House" was on his hard drive.  There weren't enough holes in the offensive line to run through, things of this ilk.

But it was sunny, warmish for a November day.  Al Wistert got a tremendous ovation from the Michigan Stadium crowd, the MMB put on a funny show, Devin Gardner continued to look good, Roy Roundtree remembered that he's a heck of a receiver, Gibbons is still money, and in the end, Michigan was victorious,   Really, that's more than we should be able to ask for from the football gods.  After all, you need to stay humble.

Warmish? High standards over at the Hoover Street Rag.

Mud Bowl.

Recaps from Maize and Go Blue, TTB, MVictors, Holdin'  The Rope,

Mainstream stuff. Meinke on the division race. Wojo:

For Michigan, it's never over until the last pass is thrown, and tipped, and cradled, and caught. For Devin Gardner, same thing — it's not over even when others think it is.

Nothing is over for the Wolverines, and it's just getting started for Gardner. How many times can a game, or a season, or a young career twist? Gardner was a receiver a couple of weeks ago, hoping to be a quarterback again. Now he's directing a team contending for the Big Ten title.

The Daily on Brady Hoke's magic:

The last time Brady Hoke and Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald were at Michigan Stadium together was Oct. 7, 1995.

Hoke was a first-year defensive line coach on the home sideline. Fitzgerald was Northwestern’s burly junior middle linebacker, wearing a white No. 51 jersey and terrorizing Michigan quarterback Brian Griese.

With the Wildcats leading 19-13 and just 1:40 remaining on the clock, Griese and the Michigan offense were 41 yards from the end zone facing a third-and-15. Fitzgerald had ended the previous drive by tipping a pass out of harm’s way.

Nesbitt FTW; great great angle there. Hadn't even thought about it. Also Estes on not saying sorry.

Gardner saying the right things:

Gardner on Denard Robinson : "This is Denard's team, and this is always going to be Denard's team. He's done way too much for two games to change that."

Meinke has like another column—indefatigable! And another! Baumgardner numbers. Game story.

Comments

NFG

November 12th, 2012 at 1:49 PM ^

Brian,

This is the best article you have written in the 3 years I've been following this blog. When my daughter is old enough, she will learn her writting skills from your posts on MGoBlog, rather than a Nun at some Irish-Catholic school who slaps your wrists when you mess up, like what I endured.

reshp1

November 12th, 2012 at 1:54 PM ^

an opposing safety taking a pass that is about to sail into the turf 10, 20 yards further downfield and flailing at it in such a way as to send it into the arms of the Michigan receiver he'd battered to the ground, gently.

I think you might be short changing Devin a bit on the Roundtree bomb. Given the coverage, leaving the pass a bit shorter would probably be better, but that pass was very much catchable. The only reason it goes over Roundtree's hands is because the defender is basically climbing up Roy's back (and badly mis-times his jump btw), preventing him from elevating to grab that ball. Also, give Tree credit for getting in a good position and boxing out the defender. If that ball was incomplete, I think you would have seen a PI flag. I know the announcers were saying the ref's wouldn't throw the flag in that situation, but that was pretty egregious and I think the only reason it didn't come out was the ref was trying to make sure he caught it first.  

MI Expat NY

November 12th, 2012 at 2:32 PM ^

10 to 20 yards is an exageration, but I think he's saying that if the defender jumped as he did and then lets the ball go sailing by, it lands well behind both of them.  FWIW, I don't think it would have been called pass interference either, the defender is allowed to jump and make a play on the ball ball even if it appears he's "climbing up the back" of the receiver.  

It's not much of a statement to say that Roundtree catches the pass if the safety isn't there.  Most hail marys would be caught if there wasn't a defender, it's about as hard as catching a punt.

Edit: on watching the replay again, the ball wouldn't have gone much further than the both of them.  The fact remains that if the defender misses the ball, there's no chance at the reception.

reshp1

November 12th, 2012 at 2:48 PM ^

I think the defender jumps way too early and is actually coming down as the ball gets there. As he's starting to come back down, he puts his other hand on Roy's back just as Roy is jumping up, and actually holds himself up in the air a second longer. This also slows Roy's jump, who is now barely getting off the ground. The ball still only barely goes over his fingertips, and into the defender's hand. Neither player were at their maximum height, the defender because he mis-timed his jump and Roy because he was held down. That's why I'm saying the ball wasn't overthrown. Also, it's pretty clear Roy's ability to catch the ball was impeded, which is text book PI. I know given the magnitude of the play the officials are a bit reluctanct to throw a flag, but there have been a lot of critcal PI's given for much less this year.http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8063/8176786129_b72b5ce431_o.gif

MI Expat NY

November 12th, 2012 at 2:58 PM ^

It's not textbook PI because the defender makes a bonafide play on the ball.  It's irrelevant that he mistimed his leap.  He jumped and attempted (successfully) to bat the ball.  Any contact was as a result of his play on the ball.  Maybe, maaaaaaaybe, you could get PI for the hand on the back as he starts his jump, but that's about as ticky-tacky as you can get.  If anyone thinks this is PI, they don't know the rules or are a hopeless homer.  

I don't think Brian's comment is meant to indicate that Gardner horribly overthough the receiver, it's that with the positioning of the two players, Roundtree has no hopes of making the catch without the Northwester defender knocking it up in the air for it to fall into a spot where Roundtree could catch it.  If the defender misses the ball, or it just grazes his hand, Roundtree doesn't make the catch.  

reshp1

November 12th, 2012 at 4:34 PM ^

Both players are making a play on the ball, but one (the defender) clearly uses the other (Tree) as a push off to get to the ball, gaining an unfair advantage. Roy has no chance at the ball because he can't jump with another guy holding himself up by the back of his collar. Look at the gif, the defender is clearly on his way down and Roy on his way up when miraculously the defender stops falling and actually momentarily rises while Roy is sent back down. Newton's third law don't lie man.

I agree with you that given Roy couldn't make a play on the ball because he was interfered with, that the ball would have sailed over both of them had the defender let it, but that's a pretty important element to the play.

 

MI Expat NY

November 12th, 2012 at 5:09 PM ^

You're seeing things that aren't there.  You sound like a Penn State fan.  

Watch the live shot from the sideline, none of what you describe actually happens.  The defender barely even touches Roundtree with his hand.  Roundtree does jump into the defender, giving the defender slightly more time in the air, but that can't be the basis for pass interference when the defender is jumping for a play on the ball and the offensive player initiates contact.

DelhiGoBlue

November 12th, 2012 at 8:23 PM ^

the safety is either wearing anti-gravity boots or he pushed off of Roundree.  It is quite possible that without the pushoff Roundree comes down with the ball clean without a deflection.  You might add that not only was Roundree's vertical progress impeeded, but doing so also stopped/slowed his forward progress.  Again, no pushoff and no deflection, Roundree continues upward and forward and makes the catch.

Butterfield

November 12th, 2012 at 2:24 PM ^

Agreed, at least from what I can remember. I'll have to wait until I get home and fire up the dvr to confirm, but when watching the play live not once did it cross my mind that the pass was overthrown by 10 to 20 yards... Roy and the defender were neck in neck from what I can remember, which would make the defensive back tacopants if he tipped a ball thrown that poorly.

ca_prophet

November 12th, 2012 at 5:01 PM ^

... the defender jumped early and sort of hung in the air.  He didn't climb Roundtree's back (although it still might have been PI - I just don't know anymore) but when he jumped, Roundtree took an extra step before jumping himself.  Roundtree's shoulder and back sort of slide up and push back the defender as he's peaking and coming down.

If the defender fails to pick up the ball and just keeps going, Roundtree would have had a leaping/diving catch attempt where he could get both hands on the ball.  Alternatively, if the defender keeps going the ball would hit him nearly in stride.  It's a pretty accurate pass for a Hail Mary delivered on the move.

That said, it's a good play by the defender, a fantastic play by Roundtree to stay focused and pick the ball out the air with one hand when his momentum's going the other way, and yes, a gift from the cosmic random number generator.  Whenever you're relying on the bounce of a football there's a huge degree of luck involved.

 

03 Blue 07

November 12th, 2012 at 2:01 PM ^

The "Happy Cop/Stoic Cop" thing going on in that Hoke double fist pump GIF should be its own meme as well. Guy on the right: Super stoic; concerned with his duties. Unaffected by the game's outcome. Guy on the left: Starts out trying to be that way, which lasts .01, and then is like "yeaaaah" when he looks at Hoke. Classic. 

Bluegriz

November 12th, 2012 at 2:16 PM ^

Fitz should be able to keep 75% of his big points earned from the 4th down, instead of giving half of them back on the punt.  Rugby punt is still the incorrect choice, but saving the timeout is not the incorrect choice.

Taking the delay of game penalty backs NU out to the Mich 49 yardline.  The NU long punt of the day was 53 yards and they already pinned Mich inside the 10 twice.   Moving the ball back to the 49 from the 44 is OK if it means you save your last timeout.  You've already blown several leads in B1G play this year, and you want that last timeout in case Michigan surprises you with a trick formation during the last 0:18.

I also think it was wise to NOT USE the timeout to ice the field goal kicker after the roundtree catch, because Michigan just had to scurry the length of the field to set up the 1st down spike and 2nd down FG.  Icing the kicker just gives M a chance to catch their breath.  (See 12-10 victory over MSU where The Threat has to be the FG holder moments after getting blasted, but Dantonio's timeout allows him to recover).  Fitz also possibly knew that Gibbons can't be iced

FreddieMercuryHayes

November 12th, 2012 at 2:21 PM ^

I'm a bit surprised about how much Brian thinks the bomb was luck.  Now, there's always a certain amount of luck in throwing such a deep last ditch pass, but considering how high over the coverage the DB was, I thought the pass was about as perfect as it can be for a throw 50 yards through the air.  The only real luck was that the DB didn't get a PI for pretty much running right through the back of Roundtree.  It seemed like Roy had perfet positioning to go up and get it before it was checked from behind.

MI Expat NY

November 12th, 2012 at 2:38 PM ^

You guys are crazy... from the rulebook:  It is not pass interference when two or more eligible players are making a simultaneous and bona fide attempt to reach, catch or bat the pass. Eligible players of either team have equal rights to the ball.  

The defender was in a poistion to make a play on the ball, did so, and only by doing so was Roundtree able to make the catch.  If that's not luck, I don't know what is.  Credit roundtree for having the wherewithal to keep his eyes on the ball after he got beaten to the spot, but make no mistake, that was as lucky as any hail mary that manages to find the receivers hands.  

FreddieMercuryHayes

November 12th, 2012 at 3:06 PM ^

That would apply only if, say, Roundtree and DB were standing next to each other going up for the ball.  In this case, Roundtree has the positioning and the DB goes through him.  Just like you can't run through someone to get a rebound who's boxed you out, the DB can't do that to Roundtree.  You can't see it from the endzone angle, but from the press box angle, Roy is running, and then, BAM, his momentum is stopped by the DB crashing into his back.  You cannot push someone from behind on a pass and just say it's your legitamate right to the ball.  It's kind of the reverse of that no-call offensive PI in the 98 Rose Bowl (you know which one).

MI Expat NY

November 12th, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^

I would think you're way off base and should go watch it again if you hadn't explicitly said why it isn't pass interference in your post.  Roundtree is running down the field, his momentum is stopped by the DB who is jumping for the ball.  That's textbook defensive play, except for the whole tipping the ball in the air part.  Your point would be valid if Roundtree had in fact boxed out the defender, was stopped and the defender pushed him out of the way to get to the ball, or if the defender had just made the play on Roundtree and not the ball.  But that's not what happened, they were both running down the field and when the defender, who was in better position, determined where the ball would come down, he jumped to make a play.  Roundtree then crashed into him.  If you watch the replay, both players begin their jumps on either side of the 10 yard line and the contact with the ball is at the 9.  Any argument that the defender ran through Roundtree is laughable, as they were both still moving backwards as the ball came down, it's just that Roundtree was moving faster, creating the contact.

It's clear as day.  There was separation between the two players when they both jumped for the ball, the contact occurred when both were in mid-air, both players were going for the ball.   That's not pass interference.  

 

B-Nut-GoBlue

November 12th, 2012 at 9:04 PM ^

LandonC summed it up nicely, already, but that was not PI; not even close.  The defensive back didn't crash down onto anybody and as already mentioned Roundtree, if anything, ran into him while jumping up for the ball.  The DB was there first and had position.  PI rules/calls these days suck and it's been taking away from the game for years now.  No call was necessary in our game and I'd like to stress that it was such a no-call we shouldn't even be talking about it!

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

November 12th, 2012 at 2:26 PM ^

Only six scrambles?  Dang.  I kept an eye on the game while having the UVA game on my computer (and this was one of my luckier attempts to do this as I caught most every important part, including Roundtree's catch and Fitzgerald's post-penalty lunacy) and it seemed like Devin was scrambling all the fucking time.  I thought, damn, this guy is the anti-Denard in this respect.  It felt like twice that many.

Bombadil

November 12th, 2012 at 2:40 PM ^

Man those racist comments against Norfleet are upsetting. Norfleet is one of my favorite kids from this team. Larry the Cable Guys who yell that should get free tattoos of small male body parts across their forehead.

MCheerGirl

November 12th, 2012 at 2:50 PM ^

In the Fitz picture above you can see several well-heeled fans on the field loitering at the wall.  At Homecoming this year, I was chatting with one such bystander and wondered how she got her field pass.  She said it was a birthday gift.  I guess I'm behind the times because I'm not a season ticket holder, so maybe this is common knowledge, but I didn't realize field passes were "for sale?" 

Maybe I'm just eating a bitter sandwich because the alumni cheer field pass allowance was cut in half the past two years, but I thought passes were limited to recruits, press, honored guests, etc.  Even the non-revenue championship winning sports teams are generally escorted out after pre-game.  Not trying to start a Brandon bashing post, and the concourse level is an impressive venue for donors, but at the very least it seems like a liability to have more people on the sidelines.  

/end rant 

M-Wolverine

November 12th, 2012 at 3:49 PM ^

from a donor or honored guest? There are lots of people who are guests of others who can get passes to the Stadium. And unless one pays for one of them, there isn't always a lot of space to put them inside the boxes (though a LOT more than there used to be).  And families of the people you list.  And there aren't always seats for them. Sometimes it's even easier to get one for a road game than a home game.

You can hate the game, but it's been going on a lot longer than Brandon has been around.

Kilgore Trout

November 12th, 2012 at 2:58 PM ^

Morgan didn't have his helmet during NW's last drive. Not like he was holding it, he didn't even have it which made me think he had possibly gotten a boo-boo and someone took it from him so he couldn't sneak back in.

Yostal

November 12th, 2012 at 3:04 PM ^

"Warmish? High standards over at the Hoover Street Rag."

No, I dropped the ball.  I forgot the critical adjectival modifier "But it was sunny, wonderfully warmish for a November day."

It was obviously warm for a November day, but it was wonderfully warmish, meaning that I wasn't too hot, but not in Northwestern 2008 conditions either. :)

Ernis

November 12th, 2012 at 5:37 PM ^

"Slathering narrative all over the terrifying randomness of the universe."

Rarely is a sentence crafted that so concisely and accurately depicts the human condition. If ever i am elected to public office, i will be sworn in on a copy of the MGoBlog.

kevin holt

November 13th, 2012 at 12:47 AM ^

anyone else feel like, if you were qb and did a hard count and they barely flinched, you would say audibly "ohhh, you very good. very very good." in a low taunting rumble like a swordsman about to destroy his prey

kevin holt

November 13th, 2012 at 1:01 AM ^

1. holy shit, it's MGrowOld? that makes so much more sense.
2. I laughed at "run like ya stole it" and now feel like a bad person but white people steal too so it's okay but mostly it was picturing a redneck saying it in a jokey not racist world's-changed way