Drake Nugent Appreciation Thread
One team's center was talked about numerous times during the Rose Bowl.
The other team's center essentially remained anonymous all game because he was nearly flawless.
The silence (during yesterday's broadcast) about Drake Nugent was almost deafening. Sure was golden, wasn't it?!
January 2nd, 2024 at 10:36 AM ^
Perfect snaps by Drake all season - taken for granted until Alabama’s center looked like a point shaver! I hope their center bet heavily on Michigan, because he was a big help.
January 2nd, 2024 at 10:58 AM ^
That poor Bama bastard.
January 2nd, 2024 at 11:18 AM ^
To be fair, if I was dealing with Mason Graham nearly every snap I’d probably have a few bad snaps too…
January 2nd, 2024 at 10:36 AM ^
He will graduate with a degree in fine music and take over his father Ted's business.
January 2nd, 2024 at 10:42 AM ^
Drake's a helluva lot less terrible in so many ways.
January 2nd, 2024 at 10:45 AM ^
Weird Ted Nugent story. My stepfather was good friends with Ted's brother, who is a corporate type. I met him for the first time at my stepfather's funeral 20 years ago, and he looked like a clean cut Ted in a Brooks Brothers suit.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:41 PM ^
I went to a Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes concert when I was in eighth grade (73) at the Jackson Armory. A friend and I went and we saw a LOT of things we had never seen before. I can't believe my parents dropped us off at the front door and his Mom picked us up at a restaurant nearby. The highlight of the night was a glass ball (about the size of a soccer ball) placed on top of an amp. He kept edging higher and higher notes until the glass cracked. The crowed went wild... oh and then he faced an overdose/freakout (at least I think he was faking). Long time ago in a galaxy far away!
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:07 PM ^
Obligatory.
January 2nd, 2024 at 1:34 PM ^
Nice...just like the Stranglehold our D had on Millroe. 😉
January 2nd, 2024 at 10:54 AM ^
He'd be the first nugent to get that degree
January 2nd, 2024 at 10:43 AM ^
Stanford grad, too.
January 2nd, 2024 at 10:51 AM ^
How in the world does Bama get the players they do, year after year, and that is your best center?
On First Take this AM, Molly actually asked if this could be Saban's best coaching effort overall(this year) due to the general lack of talent(comparing to past years). Absolutely laughable such thing could be suggested.
January 2nd, 2024 at 10:59 AM ^
"Due to the general lack of talent".
Ok, I need some help here. What are Bama's expectations for talent? They have had the most talented roster for the past three seasons - and, for seven of the last nine. (The two years they weren't the most talented roster - they were ranked second.)
There's something going on - or not going on - in Columbus - and, perhaps there's a similar thing happening in Tuscaloosa. That's development. Some teams do it better than others.
IIRC, when Harbaugh first arrived in Ann Arbor as head coach - he began working with the offense on - the exchange.. the snap. That's how a play begins.
Go Blue!
January 2nd, 2024 at 11:12 AM ^
I think this is a weakness OSU’s and Bama’s five-star strategy. A 3-star 22 year old who has spent four years in Herbert’s S&C program and has four years of maturity and experience will beat a 19 year old with a higher athletic floor. Michael Barrett is a poster child for the success of Michigan’s recruiting strategy.
The five-stars (JJ being an obvious exception) care mainly about getting into the league and will transfer out (like McCord) if they don’t get their NIL money or a guaranteed starting role. Michigan is recruiting team-first guys and has much greater roster continuity than these other programs.
January 2nd, 2024 at 11:18 AM ^
Culture and character - effort - discipline - Team 144 exemplifies the good things about sports.
My perspective has always been - the experienced player - who might have been rated a bit lower - but, busts their behind with a great work effort - will contribute more than a higher rated player who doesn't put in as much work.
I'm not implying that Bama's roster doesn't put in the effort. But, there's little doubt in my mind that Michigan is very good at maximizing the player's potential - which is built on a combination of ability, effort, S&C, teaching / technique, and desire.
Nugent's just another example - and, don't forget - Nugent was one of the players who was nicked up at the end of the regular season.
Go Blue!
January 2nd, 2024 at 11:42 AM ^
I have been impressed with the discipline Alabama players show. It's very similar to Michigan. There's something to be said against chasing all the 5 stars you can, but I don't think Bama is guilty of that. They recruit at such a high level that Saban can be selective about what 5 stars he takes. It's not just pure talent that has led to so much success. They have a strong culture in the program too.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:11 PM ^
Alabama is an extremely well coached team with a strong culture. Bama was a stop away from playing for the national title despite their youth at key spots and lack of development at others.
People have to realize that development is not guaranteed. You can do all you can to prepare a player, but ultimately it is up to them on gamedays. The example of this is Bama’s center. Bama didn’t forget to teach proper snap techniques. The player, for whatever reason, struggles with it on gamedays.
In college football inexplicable things happen. Michigan’s special teams put on a display of that yesterdays. UM was ultimately able to overcome their errors. Bama was not.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:41 PM ^
Sounds a lot like John Beilein's approach when he was at Michigan!
January 2nd, 2024 at 10:52 AM ^
Dollars to donuts Graham / Jenkins / Grant impacted the Bama center's snapping abilities. I know he had problems during the season, but those three likely compounded them.
January 2nd, 2024 at 11:34 AM ^
Karsen had a good game as well. No Zinter drop off. Here is Nugent's media day clip.
I hope he comes back but I think we are deep at center. I can't imagine we would have those types of exchange problems so late in the season. It would have been a different game without the mistakes on both sides, but exchange problems of that caliber would have had Crips or Anderson on the field in the 2nd half.
January 2nd, 2024 at 11:46 AM ^
Good thread. I admit that I did not think about Drake at all. Doing his job and doing it very well meant he did not get (negative) attention.
The entire O-Line did much better than expected with Zak out and Bama having 2 NFL-level EDGE rushers.
January 2nd, 2024 at 11:50 AM ^
was the issue the grass and players were used to turf? maybe bama's guy had the yips, but we had a busted xp and the field goal wasnt entirely smooth either.
Also, that view of the fg/xp for the rest of the game freaked me out. the holder stares at the kicker to tell him when he's ready.. but he only then looks at the snapper after that.. which ... ugh... makes me horrified that the snap will come and the holder won't be looking. Probably wouldnt have thought of it if the earlier mess hadn't happened.
January 2nd, 2024 at 12:31 PM ^
In fairness to Patrick Nugent, he isn't Michigan's long snapper. I believe it was #49 on both of those long snaps, but since I'm not 100% he was the long snapper on both those plays, I won't include his name here.
January 2nd, 2024 at 2:22 PM ^
I watched Drake Nugent's Rose Bowl presser (a short clip of it is embedded by someone else above) and it was immediately clear he's a really smart and personable kid. About what you'd expect from a Stanford/Michigan guy. Also a very good offensive lineman.
A bit of a threadjack here (I know I should just start up new feelingsball threads like everyone else, ha), but I was thinking UM's entire transfer class played their game of the season. Josiah Stewart was a huge, huge factor in the game with a sack, key tackles and pressure, some physical bullying of a much bigger Bama OT on that final play. Josh Wallace played a nice game with the fumble recovery, a nice open field tackle on 3rd down, not getting toasted, and holding up Burton at the 3-yard-line in OT long enough for Rod Moore to help him clean it up, forcing the now-legendary 4th down stop. Hinton didn't play much (if at all?), but LaDarius Henderson was solid all game at LT against the vaunted Bama edge guys. Barner not featured much on the stat sheet, but he played a lot and blocked a lot. Even Hausmann got in there a bit to spell Colson and seemed to create some pressure.