Those Who Stayed Comment Count

Brian

10/1/2011 – Michigan 58, Minnesota 0 – 5-0, 1-0 Big Ten

seniors-jug

via Mike Martin and Marissa McClain of the Daily

In the depths of Michigan's worst season ever (if you can't divide) or in a damn long time (if you can) they travelled to the Metrodome to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Michigan was 2-7 and without the services of their starting quarterback. Minnesota was 7-2 and in possession of a functional offense. I was posting pictures of Death because Nick Sheridan was going to play the entire game. We were going to hit rock bottom when the Gophers picked up the jug they see once a decade, if that. "Henry Kissinger" was amongst the things projected to be more fun than the Jug game.

Because football is strange, Michigan waltzed into Minneapolis and annihilated the Gophers. The final score was 29-6; total yardage was 435-188. Nick Sheridan completed 60% of his passes and almost eclipsed 7 YPA. Justin Feagin averaged 7 yards a carry.

It was a crazy exception to the nigh-unrelenting misery of 2008. Yeah, they fluked their way into a win over Wisconsin despite getting outgained by 100 yards. Minnesota was different. If you had no knowledge of the context you would have thought it was a year like any other, a Michigan team like any other. Michigan did what they do to Minnesota: beat them without a second thought.

This week multiple newspaper folk took the time to tell people the Jug doesn't matter, but when that awful Michigan team locked arms and walked over to Jon Falk to lift up the only thing they'd held onto, it mattered. Paul Bunyan, the bowl streak, most people's sanity, all of the street cred, and huge chunks of the dignity were gone. The Jug remained.

-------------------------

Martin, Koger, Molk, and Van Bergen were freshmen on that team. Molk started. Koger, Van Bergen, and Martin played but didn't acquire stats. Recruited by Carr, they stuck it out under Rodriguez. Many of their teammates didn't.

As a reward the four above started down a path towards the least rewarding Michigan careers in decades, through little or no fault of their own. You can win Big Ten championships with those four guys as prominent starters. You have to have other people to play football around them, though, and maybe a coach or two who can tell the difference between a stuffed beaver and a 4-3 under. Michigan didn't.

In 2008 they had little on the field and even less off it. According to John Bacon's Three and Out, Lloyd Carr signed off on Justin Boren's transfer to Ohio State and upstanding citizen Jim Tressel. Morgan Trent half-assed his way through the season and tossed bombs at Rodriguez afterwards. Toney Clemons and Greg Mathews would act as sources for the Free Press jihad shortly after the season. Given the result of that investigation it's clear they did so entirely out of spite. Brandon Minor would rail on about how leadership was going to happen in 2009 as people whispered that he was a major source of its lack in 2008. There's probably never been a more dysfunctional Michigan team, and it started from the top.

Freshmen learn from seniors. This is the way of the world. Usually they learn how to be, how to maintain the standards of the program they walked into. The four guys above did it a different way: they learned what not to do. When it came time to meet for the first time in the Hoke era, they decided not to repeat the recent past. Mike Martin:

"‘What are we going to do as a team? Where are we now? We can either not be all in and do what we need to do, or we can work hard together and make sure we’re successful.’ ”

Hoke was also in the room. He remembered Robinson being upset at the media speculating his departure. He remembered fifth-year senior center David Molk getting up in that same meeting and telling everybody the team was going to stick together. …

“When (Robinson) came to us, he was addressing that we as a group — including him — need to make sure that none of the younger guys have doubtful thoughts or might want to stray away,” Martin said. “We didn't want there to be a repeat of last time there was a transfer of a coach.”

Meanwhile, Van Bergen called out the program alums who'd drifted away when times got tough. The message was clear: this is our program. We've been here for four years and gotten nothing but crap. We've paid more dues than anyone in the last 40 years of Michigan football, and now we'd like some payoff.

-------------------------------

That payoff was going to be an Alamo Bowl at best. But the seniors' effort, Greg Mattison's expertise, Denard Robinson's existence, the Big Ten's complete horribleness, and Brady Hoke's rectal horseshoe now tempt hope.

Michigan State can't run or stay within three scores of Notre Dame. Nebraska can't throw or keep a good running offense under 30 points. Iowa can't beat Iowa State. It may be a division race on par with one of those years Wake Forest won the ACC, but by God there is a tinny flimsy division championship there to be acquired. Even if it wouldn't be much—in all likelihood it would be a historical footnote after a curbstomping at the hands of Wisconsin—it would at least somewhat fulfill a promise Bo made when he arrived in 1969.

No one's deserved it more than the four guys above. It's relatively easy to be a "Michigan Man" when it's handed down to you. Koger, Martin, Molk, and Van Bergen had to figure it out on their own. They stayed, and figured it out when available evidence suggested being a Michigan Man was endorsing transfers to Free Tattoo University, telling recruits to go to Michigan State, and selling out your own program to a couple of hacks.

A few years ago on the eve of the Ohio State game that ended to that miserable 2008 season I wrote a thing about being an anchorless mid-20s person who is uncertain of where to go or who to be and is sad as a result. In that piece I envisioned Michigan's coaches telling their charges how to get out of this hole:

Some of you will stay. And you will go insane. You will work, and you will work, and we will build something here from nothing. Because, make no mistake, this is nothing. You will build something out of this. If you're a senior next year and you teach some freshman something, you will build something. If you're a freshman and you refuse to quit on your stupid decision, you will build something.

What you build will be yours. Few in the great history of his university have had that opportunity. Everything came based on what came before. They were part of a great chain, now broken.

Those of you who stay will forge a new one, starting today. When we are done we will fix the last link to the broken chain, and break the first link, and tell those who come after us to live up to it.

Whether or not Michigan manages a championship, flimsy or real, Michigan's seniors have done this. This Is Michigan again because they stayed.

Non-Bullets Of Domination

Photogallery. Via the Ann Arbor Observer and Eric Upchurch:


A favorite:

devin-denard-postgame

The two QB formation thing. So that was something. That and the double pass touchdown reminded me of that Indiana game prior to Football Armageddon (IIRC) when Michigan dumped out a zillion trick plays to force the opponent to prepare for extra stuff. I didn't like it then and hope that's not the case now, not least because after the first play the thing seemed pretty effective. Gardner implied that was not the case:

“It’s really, really dangerous. We’ve also got Fitzgerald Toussaint back there and Vincent Smith," he said. "You’re going to have to wait and see. It’s going to be pretty dangerous.”

Items:

What to call it? Hoke refused to answer a direct question about what we should call it, so it's up to us. Vincent Smith suggests "two," which is a little bland. Ace got a "diamond of doom" suggestion on Twitter; while that's catchy it's also long and jinxtastic. Naturally, Ace wants to extend it to "Denard and Devin's Diamond of Doom" because it abbreviates to DDDD and if there's one thing Ace likes it's repetitive hexadecimal numbers.

But that's long and a bit awkward. Since it's a goofy, misdirection-heavy everyone's-a-QB thing that reminds people of the Mad Magicians I propose calling it "Fritz." It's not exactly what Crisler used to do…

…but what "Fritz" lacks in outright accuracy it makes up for in Getting-Itness.

[BONUS extreme history nerd BONUS: This has set frequent correspondent John Kryk alight with references to not Crisler but Notre Dame's Frank Leahy, who deployed a T formation with a close resemblance to Fritz.

image

Michigan sort of ran the above. Kryk actually has a diagram in which the T looks identical to Fritz:

image

I'm pretty sure we'll all way too abuzz about a formation we'll see maybe a half-dozen times the rest of the season, but old-timey football is always cool to see in the flesh. It's why Georgia Tech games remain an abiding fascination.]

Why does the outside pitch not bother me so much in that formation? When we run the I-form fake-dive-to-pitch it's just asking the opposition to key on the running back flying out to the corner because Michigan never runs the dive, and even if they did defenses are like "BFD." When we ran it from Fritz it played off the earlier speed option.

Is it a tenable package against real opposition? If the wildcat can work I don't see why this can't.

Triple option? May be on the way.

Records. Some happened. Smith's touchdown cycle had not been accomplished in the modern era:

It was the first time a player has ran, thrown and passed for a score in modern Michigan football history (post-World War II).

That seemed like a given. I'm waiting for MVictors to dig up the dude who managed it in 1923, because I know it's happened and I know he will.

helmets-numbers

via Eric Upchurch and the Ann Arbor Observer.

Our helmets have wings… and numbers! Let's avoid the inevitable Rodriguez tradition rehash. It's already been done. Personal opinion of them: whateva. On a scale from 10 to –10 where 10 is Denard, –10 is Pop Evil, and 0 is total indifference I'm a –0.1. I'd rather not have the uniforms futzed with but the numbers have some history to them, don't look terrible, and are a minor adjustment.

I think Hoke should say he'll yank 'em if they lose, though.

On-field takeaways. Minnesota is very not good—we were playing a pretend game where the Gophers got a touchdown every time they crossed midfield and a point every time they succesfully fielded a kickoff and they still lost by 30. So disclaimers apply.

That said: Denard throwing to his receivers—and getting the opportunity to hit some short, confidence-building throws—was encouraging, as was the almost total lack of I-form even deep into the third quarter. That seems like an abandonment. If they were still working on it they would have pulled it out just to practice it, no?

Short stuff. AnnArbor.com's Kyle Mienke notes that of Michigan's first 11 passes, eight were five yards or less. He categorizes that crazy seam to Hopkins as "another was over the top to a leaking fullback," which is a goofy thing to try to lump into easy passes for Denard confidence. That was pure DO.

Patrick Omameh. Some evidence he might be struggling in the new offense: he was left on the field much longer than any of the other starters save Schofield, who was forced into the starting lineup by the Barnum injury and was granted time at tackle late.

Possible liberation society addendum. I'm so over the rollouts. It seems like the only way to get Denard Robinson pressured is to roll him out into unblocked contain defenders, which Michigan does plenty. If you leave him in the pocket people are terrified to get out of their lanes and he usually has a lot of time. If you put him on the edge against defenses keying on him he doesn't get outside and he has to make rushed throws on the move that seem to be more inaccurate than his usual ones.

I guess the rollouts do open up the throwback stuff, which has been very successful. And they did insert a heavy dose of sprint draw (AKA That Goddamned Counter Draw), something I've been pleading for since Rodriguez's arrival. So they might be developing a package there. They've got to figure out how to block it.

FWIW, I wasn't a fan of showing the sprint draw against an incompetent opponent. I'd rather Michigan's future opponents not prepare for a potentially game-breaking play. But I've got no evidence behind that.

Field goals. We haz them?

Here

Hoke for tomorrow is getting a little ahead of itself:

It is not hard to see the qualities of Bo in Brady Hoke.  At first I cringed at his seeming overconfidence, at his seeming overuse of Bo-isms, and wondered if he was trying too hard to win Michigan fans' hearts with his bravado.  I don't doubt the man any longer. Brady Hoke has a Bo-like level of expectations for those he leads.  He has expectations of effort, execution, and yes "toughness" that no coach since Bo has required from both his players and his staff.  Hoke isn't making Michigan great again by being an innovator on either side of the ball; he is acquiring the best available parts, constructing a beast-machine, and driving the thing to eventual domination.

These feelings must be fought until the Michigan State game. ST3 goes inside the box score:

This is the section where I discuss turnovers and other momentum changing plays. There was one burst of impetus in this game. Minnesota kicked off to start the game. That's it. They were never in it. I bet that "adjusted winning percentage" diary shows us pegged at 100% for the duration.

Lloyd Brady is unstoppable.

Elsewhere

Media as in files. Melanie Maxwell's Ann Arbor.com gallery.

100111_SPT_MICHIGAN_MINN_JNS_01_fullsize[1]

WHY DID YOU GIVE ME CANCER GOLDY
i… I was just trying to field a kickoff

MNB Nation gallery and some pregame shots. MVictors gets various field shots, including one of Will Hagerup's shoes:

purple2_thumb[1]

I think he may have altered that shot but will check. Greg also has a bunch of jug pictures. Troy Woolfolk posted this on his twitter:

x2_8942dfb[1]

The explanation: "My girl is always experimenting on me." I have no idea? I have no idea.

And finally, eagle-eyed mgouser M Fanfare caught an epic double point from Hoke:

brady-hoke-epic-double-point

In other Brady Hoke Points At Stuff news, Brady Hoke points at stuff.

Media, as in unwashed internet rabble. I have no idea what "Everybody pants now" means, but if you watch Parks and Rec you probably do. Amongst Adam Jacobi's things he learned in the conference this week:

So while it's easy to just say "But 2010" whenever someone mentions the fact that Michigan is still undefeated, there's one difference that's crucial to point out: the defense is showing up too. Last season, Michigan gave up over 25 points per game in its first five games. This year? 10.2. Yes, it's relevant that 31 points came against Notre Dame in a game the Wolverines had zero business winning and 20 came against tomato cans like Eastern Michigan and Minnesota, but consider that Michigan also spanked Western Michigan 34-10, and that's a Broncos team that came up just shy in a 23-20 loss at Illinois and just took a 38-31 win at Connecticut. So yes, given the context we've got, Michigan is not just pulling a 2010.

Jacobi's still not banking on Michigan "surviving" our "brutal November," but if not surviving means not winning the division instead of collapsing to 7-5 I don't think Michigan fans are going to be too peeved.

Touch the Banner:

Blake Countess is the next Leon Hall.  Yep, I said it.  Minnesota doesn't have the greatest talent in the world, but Countess has looked pretty darn good for two weeks in a row.  Courtney Avery had a nice 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown, but Avery has been getting beaten more regularly than any of Michigan's other corners this year.  He's still not bad, but it looks like Countess will grab a starting spot sooner rather than later.

The Hoover Street Rag notes it was appropriate that Michigan tried a transcontinental-type play on the same day they honored John Navarre, though in that case they were attempting a double pass, not a run. Was anyone else OUTRAGED that the Navarre highlight package didn't include the Buffalo Stampede? That's like having an Alan Branch highlight package without the Morelli elimination.

Holdin' the Rope:

That was an old school Michigan blowout, like the ones you'd watch on ESPN Plus (memory lane, you are there now) back in the day, where nothing was ever in doubt and The Law was that Michigan would average a billion yards a carry under a grumpy Michigan sky. It's always the ideal of overindulgence, and if anything it's a reminder of how far we've come since 2008 when beating Minnesota on the road was considered an upset.

Maize and Go Blue likes getting it. BWS hates RR for not getting it.

Media as in newspaper type things. Brian Bennett's take from the ESPN Big Ten blog:

f and when Minnesota can get back to being competitive in the Big Ten, the Gophers can use Saturday's game as a motivational tool.

Hopefully for them, they'll remember this as rock bottom. Because Michigan blew the doors off Jerry Kill's team in a 58-0 humiliation at the Big House. The Wolverines have dominated this Little Brown Jug series for the last 40 years, but Saturday's margin of victory was the largest in the long-running semi-rivalry. It was the fifth-largest win in Michigan history, and that's a lot of history there.

Are we seriously declaring a knee to end the game as a failed redzone opportunity, News?

For Michigan, this game was a chance to flex its muscles offensively and defensively, add a few wrinkles and give as many players as possible — in this case, 71 — an opportunity to play. Michigan was 8-of-9 in the red zone against the Gophers and is now 21-of-22 for the season (17 touchdowns and four field goals).

No, we are not.

Via the Daily, some facts that sum up last year's field goal kicking:

The three field goals were each career longs [for Gibbons] at the time, starting from 25 yards and going to 32 yards and to 38 yards. In five games this season he’s missed just one field goal — a 40-yard try against San Diego State.

Jennings on Vincent Smith's diverse day. Rothstein on Michigan's domination.

Comments

ken725

October 3rd, 2011 at 1:57 PM ^

That was some powerful stuff in the first segment.  I'm really glad that this team has guys like Martin, Koger, Molk and RVB. 

I thought that the team last year was really likeable.  Maybe it is the new coaching and the new product on the field, but it is easy to root for these guys that wear the winged helmet. 

CharlotteWolverine

October 3rd, 2011 at 2:07 PM ^

I've been reading mgoblog religiously for the last 2 years, and have never posted because I've never had anything insightful to add.  However, I felt the need to thank you Brian for all the work you do.  This was an excellent article.  

The quality content that shows up on this site each and every day is unparalled by most any other web site (not just sports sites).  

Thank you and Go Blue.

bryemye

October 3rd, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^

I cringed a bit at the child cancer joke. Other than that, good piece. I totally agree with the love for these seniors. No group has faced more adversity in a long, long time.

TSWC

October 3rd, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^

Not the worst thing on the internet, for sure, but a little cringe inducing. But, if that kid actually does have cancer, well then, Brian, you are going to hell (not really, but totally uncool).

Loved the opening segment. Genius. man, genius.

Brian: If you ever want to do me a favor, please stop adding -st to among. Are you English or something?

uniqenam

October 3rd, 2011 at 1:15 PM ^

The reason you're not supposed to is that they're both conditions of what you are, with no choice by the individual.  That goes doubly for kids. I don't think Brian would find it in good taste to show a picture of an MSU fan dressed in pink and write "FAGGOT FAGGOT GAY LOL".  I think it's just as offensive to make fun of a serious disease.  Just IMO.

UMich87

October 3rd, 2011 at 1:37 PM ^

Posters caution and correct each other on this board, but I don't see the same thing on other message boards.  Some let it go and others seem to prefer homosexual-themed insults as the "insult of choice."   A college football blogger linked here said that when he criticizes Alabama, 40% of the comments are "your gay."

http://outkickthecoverage.com/trent-richardsons-2011-yukon-with-nice-rims----nothing-to-see-here.php

 

NateVolk

October 3rd, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^

Good for these Seniors. Brian has me thinking that their contribution to the building back up of the program has significance on par with the Kentucky Basketball Seniors who stayed through scandal, probation, new coach and ultimate night of redemption losing to Duke in the 1992 East Regional on a buzzer beater.

Love to see those guys get the chance to play on the big stage in some form in Indy or someplace warm in January.

wolverine1987

October 3rd, 2011 at 3:49 PM ^

about Gay people as well. People can be made fun of, regardless of whether or not they are who they are by choice or genetics. That shouldn't be any kind of criteria. There are many ways of making fun of me both for my choices and who I inherently am, and all are acceptable. People need to chill.

MGoBender

October 3rd, 2011 at 7:27 PM ^

Good point.  One of the funnier jokes I've heard in a while was a gay joke by a 17-year old gay young man. As long as we know everyone is joking and no harm is intended, it's fine to laugh at our differences and even misfortunes in some other cases.  Where would the world be without self-deprecating humor?

Wave83

October 3rd, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^

"I'm waiting for MVictors to dig up the dude who managed it in 1923, because I know it's happened and I know he will."

I'll bet Harmon pulled off something like what Vincent Smith did on Saturday.  I was half-expecting Hoke to let Smith kick a field goal or maybe punt.

JeepinBen

October 3rd, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^

Something to look for during the UFR, but maybe he was working on something specifically? I know that on power plays to the left he hasn't always pulled quick enough... just a thought.

Also, awesome piece. I love the pride that the Seniors have in the program.

Also also - the packers run a similar formation and call it the "Bone" since it's kind of a variation on a wishbone. However the Packers run straight ahead almost exclusively and use 2 large blocking backs as the "wings"

UMAmaizinBlue

October 3rd, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^

I don't like the idea of 2008 being the worst seaon in Michigan football history because 1) I was a student then and that just sucks, and 2) it may be inaccurate.

#1 is obviously personal, but #2 may have some truth to it. Sure, 9 losses is the worse any UM team has suffered, but winning %-wise, there has been a worse team. The 1881 Michigan Wolverine team went 0-3 with losses to the Powerhouses of the East: Harvard, Yale and Princeton (Talk about a murderers row!). Information can be found here. Just sayin'.

FWIW, the schools in the east seemed impressed with our little start-up program from the west.

2plankr

October 3rd, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^

wow, game column from a throttling seems like a strange place to throw a bunch of former players and coaches under the bus based on hearsay, but i guess when youre a fan who feels like you own the program thats what happens

2plankr

October 3rd, 2011 at 12:50 PM ^

Lloyd has confirmed that he steered recruits to MSU?

I probably should have said "speculation and hearsay".  And i guess i just feel like minor earned a little more benefit of the doubt than this.  not that it shouldnt be mentioned, just a weird place and way IMO

BRCE

October 3rd, 2011 at 1:11 PM ^

Is this what it has come to? People not believing unpleasant things because the alleged purveyor of unpleasant actions is not talking?

Carr can't be convicted in the court of law for assisting a transfer to OSU, helping MSU in recruiting or selling out the program to the Freep. Whatever evidence there is will surely be shared in a few weeks if you buy a book that was written by a man who has never been seen as having an axe to grind and it's also a work that has been praised by some pretty credible people.

Meanwhile, I'll be in LA helping the cops find the real killers. O.J. never confirmed he did it, you know.

 

2plankr

October 3rd, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^

good analogy.  there was physical evidence in the OJ case.  do you have physical evidence to back up these claims?

yes i think lloyd also earned more deference/benefit of the doubt than he gets around here.  that ship has clearly sailed, which is fine, although it did result in an embarrassing retraction on this blog

its the minor thing that bothered me, as well as saying that its clear that an 18-20 y.o. kid clearly acted out of spite, when its just as possible that he simply didnt know what a countable hour was.  you dont need rock solid evidence to make these claims, but a column about a 58-0 win seems like the wrong place to me

Tha Quiet Storm

October 3rd, 2011 at 1:16 PM ^

"They stayed, and figured it out when available evidence suggested being a Michigan Man was endorsing transfers to Free Tattoo University, telling recruits to go to Michigan State, and selling out your own program to a couple of hacks."

I'm pretty sure those three points were intended to be separate,(1-Lloyd, 2-"Michigan Man" asshat, 3-Clemons and Mathews) but I can see how the first two can be read as being together.

Eye of the Tiger

October 3rd, 2011 at 2:17 PM ^

Lloyd denied the Boren accusations back in 2008.  Boren has never alleged them, nor has anyone from OSU.  Instead, it's people who were close to RR--but as far as I understand it, not RR himself--who made the allegations.

THAT is hearsay by every meaningful definition of the term.  We can say "there are rumors that Carr guided Boren's transfer," or "people close to Rodriguez told John Bacon that Carr was behind Boren's transfer," but we CANNOT say, as fact, that it happened.  

We DO NOT KNOW whether it has any basis in truth, or even if it does, whether it truly represents the situation.  TBH, I imagine it went something like this--basically how I imagine all transfer requests go unless you're Joe Paterno and refuse to grant one:

"Coach, I've decided to leave."

"There's nothing that can keep you here?"

"That's right.  I think I'm going to transfer to OSU."

"Well, it's a good program and I wish you the best of luck.  I won't stand in your way if that's the decision you've made."

Whether "coach" was Carr or Rodriguez would make no difference.  

Some of the other allegations--ex-players spitefully embellishing "violations" to the FREEP, Trent taking the year off, etc.--are built on more solid foundation.  

jblaze

October 3rd, 2011 at 3:21 PM ^

Brian, reading an early copy of JUB's book, who based it on "access" to RR and staff. We all know how reliable anonomyous sources are, especially when it comes to M football.

BTW, here's the link, although the original Freep link is dead.

"Detroit Free Press: Lloyd Carr on a Columbus Dispatch report that he helped offensive lineman Justin Boren in his transfer to Ohio State: "That's a lie."

http://thewizardofodds.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html