Hoke: If game was today, Shane would start; Gibbons era officially over

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

Welp, looks like it's time for Shane. Hope he's ready.

My interpretations of Hokespeak tell me that "if game was played today" is usually code for this player will be the starter.

 

 

Hoke at BWW welcome presser says Gardner saw doctor Friday. If had to play today...Shane Morris the starter

— angelique (@chengelis) December 23, 2013

EDIT:

angelique ‏@chengelis 1m

Hoke also said Gibbons will not make the trip and has a family issue at home in Florida

Thank you for all you did for this program, Brendan. A BCS bowl win and being THE THREAT. Brunette girls forever.

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michfan6060returns

December 23rd, 2013 at 2:59 PM ^

I don't think he plays. If anything Hoke is usually more optimistic about players playing. He isn't bluffing.

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imMaizeNBlu

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:08 PM ^

Be a bluff to make K State prep for both QBs when the film on Shane is slim to nil to game plan against ? All I see is that Devin is still not at 100% and IF the BWW Bowl started today Shane is the starter. That's it.

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Raoul

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:09 PM ^

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ChalmersE

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:19 PM ^

This is not all that bad for Hoke (and Borges and Michigan). If Shane starts and Michigan loses, there's a built-in excuse. Does it really make a huge difference if you finish 8-5 or 7-6?  It also gets Morris some needed experience in a real game. And, it avoids the possibility of Gardner suffering an even more severe injury while trying to play at less than 100%.

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newtopos

December 23rd, 2013 at 5:54 PM ^

I don't think it's controversial to say that Borges must have had a hot seat at points during this year (e.g., when we were breaking 40 year records of offensiveness ineptitude).  Given that he always points to "execution" as the problem and never admits that any of the problems can be attributed to him (e.g., never says something like "I called a bad game -- I shouldn't have run Fitz that 27th time when we were averaging 1 yard a carry"), it is not implausible to think that it will cross Borges' mind that a poor offensive showing this weekend could be blamed on a true freshman QB in his first start.  Frankly, it's a much better excuse than blaming OL recruiting from 3-4 years ago, or the youth at OL in a late season game when everyone has starts under their belts.

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ama11

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:34 PM ^

Isn't turf toe usually a recovery time of 3-4 weeks? I think Gardner plays, but this boot and crutches thing is to keep him off it. I know turf toe is really about staying off and resting it to keep inflammation down. As long as he is rehabbing, I think he plays. It's good strategy to keep the other team on its toes.

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IPFW_Wolverines

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:41 PM ^

Has Gardner had any bowl practice at all? I can't imagine he has considering the crutches and boot. I would think Morris is the starter for this bowl game regardless of what the doctors say at this point.

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snarling wolverine

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:55 PM ^

Well, the B1G's representative in the Rose Bowl this year (MSU) played in this exact bowl last year.  Think it was a meaningless experience for them?

You don't win the B1G without understanding that you've got to play your ass off every week of the season.  If we approach this game as a meaningless exhibition we won't have learned that lesson.

 

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PasadenaFan

December 23rd, 2013 at 4:11 PM ^

Meaningless my ass! this is the superbowl for MICH Win and hold on to your recruits Please tighten up the jock straps and win. No effing excuses. Tired of losing, and more tired of talking about losing before it happen WIN EVERY FUCKING GAME Already. Beat OHIO not lose b one. Fuck that, people need to get their ass in gear. Rose bowl. Go to the fucking rose bowl already

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aiglick

December 23rd, 2013 at 8:36 PM ^

To me it is somewhere in the middle regarding the importance of this game. Obviously to different people its importance varies. Shane probably thinks this is hugely important since this is a great opportunity to show what he's been working on for the past year. If he doesn't do well oh true freshman wtvr. If he does do well then at least we know we have two quarterbacks who can get it done. 8-5 is marginally better than 7-6 and is a nice way to end the season and turn the page but we will still be below most reasonable expectations. Also this is basically like playing Iowa again except at a neutral site. What I mean by that is that KSU is a solid team but not exactly elite either and plays in a conference that is probably on par with the Big Ten. Anyway obviously you want to win but you don't want to put Gardner out there unless he is fully healthy IMO.

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detrocks

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^

So if Devin is out, that means that Shane is #1 and I assume that Cleary moves up to #2.   Who is the #3 guy?   Is it Bellomy or Alex Swieca?    Ordinarily, I would assume it would be Bellomy (given that he already used up his RS year as a FR), but given that he hasn't played at all this year and that he might have a chance for medical redshirt for a sixth year, would they keep him on the shelf and use Swieca?   Might it even be Jeremy Gallon? 

I will say that one of the few recruiting issues I've had with this staff is not picking up a QB in the 2012 class.   That's the main reason that Shane had to burn his RS this year and is also directly responsible for us having either two walk-ons backing him up this game or having one walk-on and another guy that just started practicing.  

Does anyone remember what happened with QB recruiting that year?   I was looking on Touch the Banner and it listed several guys with offers.  If I remember correctly, we finished second for Zeke Pike (which seems like a blessing now) and had somewhat of a shot with Gunnar Kiel (who seemed to cool on Michigan after Shane committed) and don't remember being close to getting any of the other guys.   Did the staff just stop going after guys after Shane committed and we lost out on Pike and Kiel?

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Magnus

December 24th, 2013 at 3:38 PM ^

I'm sure Gallon wouldn't be the guy. My guess is that it would be Alex Swieca as the #3 guy. We might have a chance with Shane Morris at quarterback, but if we have to go to Cleary, we're almost certainly doomed.

Michigan went after a couple guys in the 2012 class, but not very hard. When things appeared bleak with the coaches' top guys, they simply didn't go after anyone else. This despite the fact that Hoke said he would take a quarterback in every single class. Aside from the guys you mentioned, the coaches also went after Devin Fuller (who's playing WR for UCLA) and a couple other guys with questionable character (Jake Rodrigues, Bennie Coney). I think the coaches had Morris in line for the 2013 class and just didn't try very hard with the 2012 quarterback situation.

I was insistent that Michigan would take a QB in 2012, and I was sort of shocked when it played out differently. I still think it might have bit Michigan in the butt, if not in the bowl game, then at other points in the year when Michigan a) could have replaced Gardner to keep him healthy and b) could have redshirted Morris. In my opinion, that's one of Michigan's biggest recruiting failures in the Hoke era.

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corundum

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:50 PM ^

Tape the toe so its completely immobilized and let Gardner throw like a pocket-passer. He was really slow against OSU and did perfectly fine anyways.

 

I mean shit, Byron Leftwich threw for 208 yards with a broken leg.

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ish

December 23rd, 2013 at 4:27 PM ^

it's not that simple.  it isn't just about his mobility.  it's about his ability to plant his foot and throw in an accurate manner with a strong foundation.  gardner already struggled with his footwork this year.  playing without being able to plant would be a disaster.

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GRFS11

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:52 PM ^

Think about how much this blog would be freaking out right now if Morris hadn't already burned his redshirt.  So for the lack of freak out, I thank you Coach Hoke.

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Chork

December 23rd, 2013 at 3:56 PM ^

He has a checkered past and Hoke doesn't ever give any information.  Its just speculation, but I'm guessing something happened that Hoke wants to not deal with by him being gone.

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jdon

December 23rd, 2013 at 4:25 PM ^

I thought the same thing when I heard that...   but ultimately it doesn't matter.  Gibbons isn't playing...

 

 

On Gardner,  I have a hard time believing that he could play the OSU game and turn around and not play the bowl game.  This is an important game:  Win and the ship isn't exactly 'righted' but we look to have finished strong.  Lose and we have 11 loses the last two years and haven't won but two big games (ND this year and MSU last year) in the last two years...

 

I just have a hard time believing they would have surgury, or put on a cast, or anything if it would inhibit Gardner playing in the bowl game...  

but hey, what do I know?

jdon

 

 

ps.  put me in the he is going to play group.

 

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bronxblue

December 23rd, 2013 at 4:17 PM ^

It also bears repeating that a large section of the UM fanbase has the memory of a goldfish and the talent evaluation skills of a Real World producer.  I love this team and the fans generally, but there are large swaths that think Henne carried a bunch of misfits and JUGGs machines to a MNC as a freshman, instead of 9-3 with losses to ND, OSU, and Texas.  He had a very good freshman year, but the talent on that team was a couple deviations above what Morris would be stepping into.

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Perkis-Size Me

December 23rd, 2013 at 4:16 PM ^

Well, it sounds like everyone clamoring for Shane to come in for Gardner throughout the second half of the season are going to get what they want.

Let's just hope they want what they're going to get.

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WMU81

December 23rd, 2013 at 4:42 PM ^

Michigan d couldn't stop V Young... Lost on  last second FG. Also, Henne was good enough to start as a TRUE freshman.. Morris better show me someting, because hyped up recruits are killing me.

 

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