Unverified Voracity Jinxes Adrian Peterson Comment Count

Brian

Cover.

tate-forcier-si-cover

It's tiny and it's in the corner but it's something. (Via MVictors.)

ISO. I'm looking for an iPhone programmer for a startup project. Email me if you're interested.

WHOAH. Yes Forcier woo but hold on just a dang minute here:

It's only two games, but you would not be completely unreasonable to start worrying about Michigan as Penn State's main competition in the conference.

That's Black Shoe Diaries, and yes it would be completely unreasonable. A five three-point loss to USC does not destroy Ohio State's status as a team that doesn't run out walk-ons on defense. Let's keep the increased expectations at the Alamo/Outback level, plz, lest Michigan failing to hit the BCS this year is cause for another round of "I'm not saying Michigan should fire Rich Rodriguez, but did you know he uses babies as fuel for his Hummer?" stories. This team still has huge problems on defense and the offense is currently held together by Forcier's insane magic, something that's probably going to lose Michigan a game or two when the freshman in Forcier bites back.

Also from that post halol:

terrelle-pryor-defeat

If there's one thing Penn State and Michigan fans can get together on, it's Terrelle Pryor schadenfreude.

Quick kickin'. Tate Forcier's quick kick ended up downed at the four and it sounds like Michigan will be inclined to use it in similar situations in the future:

Forcier, Michigan's true freshman quarterback, doubled as a punter (and defensive back) for his high school team in California, and Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez said Forcier worked occasionally on the skill during fall camp.

"He's very good at it," Rodriguez said.

Later in that article Rodriguez points out he won't call that on third down, which uh thanks for that clarification. Shades of Brian Griese and a much better alternative than Carr's well-loved fake-FG punt that hardly worked and often saw teams put a returner back anyway. Michigan hurrying to the line and threatening to go for it means no one can get back lest a fake happen.

Rising. I always like it when the assessments I make in UFR are echoed by other people, as it makes me think I'm not totally bats in said assessments. So here's a rising guy for the NFL draft after two games:

Donovan Warren/CB/Michigan: Warren, the Wolverines well-sized cornerback, seems to have his game back on track after a disappointing sophomore campaign. He broke up three passes during the victory over Notre Dame and was forceful helping to stop the run. The junior's game comes with a great amount of upside potential and should Warren consistently play at a high level, he will eventually move into the draft's initial 45 selections.

That would be just about perfect: an excellent season, a mid-second round rating, and a reason to come back to school.

What in the hell? Deadspin's gone downhill ever since Leitch (mostly) left but I didn't know they'd turned into an LSU message board:

Have you ever been to Auburn? No? Well, I have, and IT SUCKS! Which is why, in order to "attract" recruits, the program has to dispatch its illiterate boosters to harass the nation's top prep talent into signing with them.

I have been to Auburn, and I can say confidently that it sucks far less than "The Cajun Boy" and his post. Don't they pay people to write there? I don't understand.

Point of clarification. The Only Colors took some exception to gentle—you might say brotherly—ribbing at the bottom of Monday's game column:

1. To me, this [the press box announcer stating that the MSU-CMU score was an exception to "no cheering in the press box"] is a hell of a lot less defensible than MSU fans cheering on the HORROR.  (That video, of course, being one which Michigan fans have alternately whined about and made fun of for two years now.)  Fans aren't supposed to maintain any pretense of objectivity …

First, this isn't about defensible or not. What we are talking about here is talking, and the worst of it rises to "ha you lost." This blog has always been wildly in favor of press conference trash-talking from anyone from the pope on down. The whole "moment of silence/little brother/Mike Hart is short/pride comes before the fall" sequence was awesome. It raised the stakes in the rivalry to the point that OSU fans entering a tailspin of self-doubt, regret, and pining for Tate Forcier was only my third favorite thing that happened over the weekend. In no way do I disapprove of Dantonio taunting Mike Hart. In that spirit, press box announcer trash-talk adds fuel to the fire. Fuel is good until Ned gets involved.

Second, I don't know what he's referring to about the fans. I've never seen Michigan fans suggest State fans shouldn't enjoy The Horror—maybe the occasional dig at brahs wearing App St gear around, which is sad. But "pride comes before the fall" and "should we have a moment of silence?" are direct quotes from the head man and definitely deserve comeuppance mocking.

2. For our purposes, I'll assume that Freep writers weren't among those cheering.  Still, how exactly does this square with the Michigan-fan meme/persecution complex that the lolmsm has effectively become an arm of the MSU athletic department?

I think that's restricted to the Free Press, FWIW. Also, the Michigan press box is full of your Ebling and (lol) Spartanmag equivalents too; every press box is divided between aloof observers and homers.

In summation: I can't complain about Michigan fans playing the comeuppins' card, especially when my team choked as badly as they did on Saturday.  But, playing that card also forfeits the high ground they've staked out for themselves, as Dex from WLA essentially admitted.  Welcome to the muck.

What high ground? We mock you for being dunderheaded nitwits who can't get into the country club, you accuse us of never getting laid. It's the circle of life. It's a circle.

Falcon punch? Jonas Mouton got a little pop on one of ND's offensive linemen on Saturday:

This is really weird. It looks like a punch, but on the complete tape Mouton just jogs away after it and in the second or two before the camera angle cuts the ND OL appears to get up like nothing happened. Contrast that to the reaction when Greg Mathews kicked an Oregon player. Slightly different. If there'd been any problems afterwards I'd think you'd suspend the guy—though Mathews didn't get a game for a far more blatant case of poor sportsmanship, nor did that Wisconsin punt scrub who twisted Breaston's knee—but no one seems to have a problem with it except Charlie Weis. I might sit Mouton down anyway. That's not likely if Robert Reynolds got all of a game for choking out Jim Sorgi.

Etc.: Old timers will remember unofficial MGoBlog editorial cartoonist Joel A Morgan; he's taken his stuff to Mustaches with Michigan. MfM wasn't just a one-off, by the way. They're around for the long haul. Michigan Monday is always more entertaining when we're not awful. LSUFreek tackles last weekend's game.

Comments

bigmc6000

September 16th, 2009 at 11:00 AM ^

That looks pretty damning to be honest. Took a quick uppercut to the chin. But, like Brian said, that's weird that there wasn't a bigger reaction if it really was what it looked like. That or the ND guy is the most passive person in all of football...

jblaze

September 16th, 2009 at 11:22 AM ^

In addition to anything iPhone, can you port/ program for Blackberry? I'm sure we have enough corporate guys who have Blackberrys that would appreciate it. Thanks.

03 Blue 07

September 16th, 2009 at 12:57 PM ^

I actually carry both- iphone and Blackberry (gotta keep the personal shit on the iPhone, big brother and all) and would download both the Blackberry app and an iPhone app. Although I do already have an icon on my home page on my iPhone for MGoBlog. You just hit the "+" button when on MGoBlog's homepage, and it will allow you to add a link to your homescreen. Granted, it still has to go through the internet, but it cuts out one of the steps, and you can browse the site in its full HTML capability, with sidebars and everything. I kinda dont see how an MGoBlog iPhone app could be better from a viewing standpoint, as it would still have to utilize data transfer over the iPhone's network or wireless network, and viewing the page in its normal format is most desireable, in my opinion. However, it could do things such as alert you when there's a new post, or give you easier access to things such as composing a diary, etc. All in all, though, the Safari/HTML version of the page is pretty darn good, so I don't know if they can improve on that all that much.

But yeah, I'd buy the app, just so I could show it off to my MGoFriends. Yes, I'm a dork like that.

Sven_Da_M

September 16th, 2009 at 12:47 PM ^

I was at a Tigers game the week after the HORROR. Some Sparty d-bag was at the Ellwood sporting an Appy State T-Shirt. I told him (a) if he was a grad I'd buy him a beer, and (b) if he WASN'T a Sparty grad, I'd buy a beer for everyone there.

His girlfriend laughed, and I didn't have to get out my wallet.

Karma's a bitch...

Dave

September 16th, 2009 at 11:25 AM ^

There is finally a readable, even enjoyable, MSU blog. Wowzas. My only color is shocked.

I don't know about this Mouton thing. I have more problems with Cissoko shoving Floyd back to the ground, in all honesty. That said, 1/2 game out wouldn't be out-of-line.

B Ready

September 16th, 2009 at 11:41 AM ^

One thing to look for this year with regards to underclassmen is a lot more of them leaving with the uncapped 2010 NFL season and the potential rookie salary limit in 2011. If Warren is close to first round status, he may take a chance to cash in on the last opportunity that NFL rookies will have the capability to do so.

msoccer10

September 16th, 2009 at 1:35 PM ^

Newsome would be riding the bench behind Forcier, cause that kid was coming here no matter what. Then Denard wouldn't be here unfortunately, and Beaver would be converted to wide receiver. Funny, things worked out perfectly for us. The two we ended up getting are much better for us than the two we started with.

formerlyanonymous

September 16th, 2009 at 11:50 AM ^

From the Michigan Monday column:

If not for a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Darryl Stonum and a 50-yard quick kick by Tate Forcier that pinned Notre Dame at their own four-yard line, there would be nothing good to say about the special teams this week

I see what you did there. In his defense, there were quite a few lackluster plays on special teams as well.

StephenRKass

September 16th, 2009 at 11:51 AM ^

Seriously, if players are taking cheap shots, they need to sit or be disciplined in some significant. Michigan needs to play hard, but to play clean. Otherwise, what goes around comes around.

Erik_in_Dayton

September 16th, 2009 at 12:03 PM ^

I'm glad Brian mentioned expectations. I'm a little worried that the fan base is going to forget how happy most of us would have been if, two weeks ago, someone could have gauranteed that the team would go 7-5 during the regular season.

B Ready

September 16th, 2009 at 12:10 PM ^

I had 6-6 as our floor, with 9-3 as our ceiling. Split the difference and I had us at 7-5 or 8-4 depending on injuries, random variance/good luck or bad luck. I'm going to stick with 8-4 going forward. I thought we'd beat ND before the year so that game did not change my expectations much.

The key is going to be Tate's health/development, and limiting injuries on the defensive side of the ball.

wolverine1987

September 16th, 2009 at 12:54 PM ^

please. Brian's right, "yes it would be completely unreasonable. A five three-point loss to USC does not destroy Ohio State's status as a team that doesn't run out walk-ons on defense. Let's keep the increased expectations at the Alamo/Outback level, plz,"

Internalize this, all you "I'm just being optimistic" fans out there.

bronxblue

September 16th, 2009 at 1:15 PM ^

I hope that most rational fans stick with the 7-5, 8-4 that most posters on this blog were guessing at the beginning of the season. This team may well be the 3rd or 4th-best team in the conference at the end, and I think virtually everyone here would be happy with that finish.

Undefeated dre…

September 16th, 2009 at 12:22 PM ^

and sit out the first series.

The ND lineman made a pretty dirty football play -- dive blocking a guy who's already on the ground and folding his back over. Mouton made a dirty non-football play (I sound like Bilas!), taking a short swing. The proper in-game call would have been a 15-yard unsportsmanlike (I don't think it called for an ejection), and the equivalent would be to be benched for the first series of the game.

bronxblue

September 16th, 2009 at 1:23 PM ^

I'd be fine keeping Mouton out the first quarter or half. Not so much because I think the punch was particularly egregious, but because it was a dumb move that could have come back and hurt UM. I understand that players should not be pushed around, but taking a shot at a guy as he is getting off the turf will probably draw a flag 100/100 times if seen, and nobody benefits except the opposition.

Number 7

September 16th, 2009 at 2:57 PM ^

I've looked and looked and I just don't see a "punch." (Besides, wouldn't using a more-or-less bare fist to hit a man covered in, essentially, battle armor somewhere at the nexus of unwise, inefficient, and just plain stupid?) What I saw was a late block low by the ND guy (no huge deal), to which Mouton reacted by pushing the ND guy as he was starting to disengage (resulting in the ND guy falling backwards a bit) -- also no huge deal. It struck me as the kind of thing that goes on on the peripery of two-thirds of all plays anyways.

If the ND reacted strongly, it was probably more in the hopes that the refs would look into it than anything reaction to the violence of the moment. The idea of suspending Mouton over that seems ludicrous.

Section 1

September 16th, 2009 at 12:35 PM ^

On that play, Cissoko saw that the guy had late-hit Mouton on the ground, and he gave the guy a bit of a "Hey get off him" shove. I'd have done the same as Cissoko, and I wish that Mouton had done (merely) the same.

I don't like the clenched-fist-to-the-jaw reaction of Mouton, but RE-action it was.

If Charlie Weis wants to make a big deal out of a Michigan player's reaction to taking a late hit from a Domer, well, be my guest, Charlie. We don't care what Charlie Weis thinks.

I just don't want to see Mouton start to get scrutinized like Crable (or Larry Foote?), and cost us big penalty yards. So I'm all for re-educating Jonas. Whatever that requires. But the rest of it is a yawner.

Sven_Da_M

September 16th, 2009 at 12:59 PM ^

You tend to forget the level of national interest in Michigan football, until you live through the last few weeks.

It was a bad story when the Freep threw a turd in the punchbowl; it is obviously a great story now. There will certainly be a few twists and turns yet this season.

That's why I think the latest recruiting class rankings show Michigan in the Top 10 even after a 3-9 season. Elite players want to be at elite programs. Any recruits at the ND game realize the Big House is like no other.

I expect RichRod's next few classes to be Top 5, maybe Top 3.

I fervently hope that Michigan and Florida can face off in a BCS championship a few years down the road.

Can you imagine RichRod versus Urban? A spread option speedfest for the ages!

DesHow21

September 16th, 2009 at 1:03 PM ^

I protest the indiscriminate use of the term "unverified voracity". That term should only be used to refer to "lolinternets" NOT "lolmsm". SI is certainly not in the category of "lolinternets". Their shoddy writing (they hired Rosencunt after all) puts them right in the category of "lolmsm" right on par with TWWLISE.

nuck

September 16th, 2009 at 1:05 PM ^

Saw the punch from the student section - the ND player got up pretty upset after the camera panned away. If I remember correctly some of the other ND players were like WTF as well.

It clearly looked like a deliberate punch to me 100 yards away FWIW.

MI Expat NY

September 16th, 2009 at 1:23 PM ^

It was definitely a cheap shot by Mouton and he needs to keep his head. He deserves to be punished in some way (whether it's stairs, a series, a quarter, or a half is up to the coaching staff). But this sort of thing happens at least once a game no matter who is playing. Football is a tough, physical game and somebody always does something dirty or loses his cool. Frankly, punching a guy in the chin strap is more likely to hurt your hand than the other guys chin.

The only reason this is a big deal is because Weis is a whiner. Most coaches would handle this privately, but not the big, fat baby.

maizenbluenc

September 16th, 2009 at 1:40 PM ^

OK -- so I watched the video clip on the ND fan site. They didn't slow-mo and point it out, but the Irish player grabbed Jonas and threw him down, and then hit Jonas while he was down on the ground as the whistle blew. Not sure if the latter is legal, but the former is certainly holding. Then Jonas does the sneaky little hit on his way up. Neither resulted in a penalty.

This was with 8 minutes left in the half, and Notre Dame was about to score and go up 17-14.

So even though the punch should not have been thrown, I guess I am not seeing how it effected the outcome of the game.

Spilt milk. The Irish fans need to get over it and move on: we won.

As for Jonas: turn him over to Barwis for a little "voluntary" one on one time.

M-Dog

September 16th, 2009 at 1:40 PM ^

doubled as a punter (and defensive back) for his high school team in California".

Woah there . . . back it up!

Did you say defensive back?

We desperately need more of those and he's a quick twitchy little bugger.

Get his lazy ass out there and make him play both ways. He can rest during the 14th hour of film study on Sunday's.

Token_sparty

September 16th, 2009 at 2:09 PM ^

People have to get all riled up about something someone said. Rivalries are supposed to be full of smack-talk! Some MSU fans (I don't) have their panties in a bunch about Michigan savoring the Central loss. And yes, I laughed my ass off when UM lost to App State and Toledo. There's a way to fix all this; as Adrian said to Rocky, "Win."

Fans in general need to quit their bitching about the joy their rivals take in their team's loss. The bitching is just as joyful as the loss- it's sweet nectar, as you all know.