Michigan/MSU Postgame (actual thoughts) thread

Would have liked to see Rawls. I felt that both times in the red zone instead of the read option, which drives me nuts, but instead going I formation and letting the big man try to pound it in could have been more successful. Win is a win and the team never gave up.

Anyone follow Delvon Roe's stupid ass on twitter to see if he's eating crow? # shitty basketball players turned shitty actors

The playcalling was frustrating, but Sparty's D is good enough that whatever counterpunches we think of from our living room probably wouldn't have worked out much better than whatever we did try.  There were a few times we had the right play dialed up but our receivers not named Dileo flat out didn't make the play or the throw wasn't where it needed to be.

Bottom line is that re: Borges, he gets a free pass from me all season long because of his masterpiece vs. Ohio last year.  If all he does for the rest of his tenure is engineer works of art against those cretins, I'm honestly OK with that.

Have to give the refs some credit, not perfectly officiated, but I was expecting this game to get really nasty - may change my mind after some replays, but thought that they did a good job breaking things up before it was able to get out of hand.

About the clock management: even when the team needs to go into a 2 minute drill, it takes forever to get plays in.  Why is there not a set of plays to go to in that situation that doesn't require using up 20 seconds or more?

Anyone else think the block in the back call on Kovacs interceptioin was bogus? T Gordon did not block that guy in the back.

 Real men don't yell.

RCMB is on full melt down alert. TWIS is going to be sooooo much fun to read on Tuesday, I can hardly wait. 

Beyond that, I just don't know, man. We won, and I'm delighted. But day-um... We'll have to play better if we want to win in Nebraska next week. 

Denard got the last laugh against MSU...and they will never be able to change that.

Our defense.  Fantastic once again.  We haven't given up more than 13 points since the start of the ND game.

 

The offense.  Well, MSU still has a good defense.  I almost put my fist through the wall when Denard chucked it up into the endzone our second to last drive instead of taking advantage of  all that green space he had in front of him.  However, Dantonio I guess wanted us to win by throwing on second down, saving us a time out.

 

Glad to see Denard and the resto f the seniors win, knowing now they'll graduate by knocking off Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Ohio State all at least once.

The team played well enough to win so that obviously is the end goal, but the offense was again either (a) unprepared for MSU's defense, or (b) still the fever dream of Al Borges in which he has a road-grinding offensive line, a move-the-chains RB, and a rocket-arm statute at QB with multiple 6' 5" targets.  Because as we've seen, it's a 50/50 shot that the offense will be able to move the ball the past two years, but luckily the defense has improved to the point that it can keep the team in games. 

Congrats to the seniors on the win an going out in style against the Spartans.  Based on my reading of FB, it seems like most logical MSU fans feel that with the recruiting improvements the 4-year win streak may be the high point of Dantonio's reign at MSU.

My concern is that in these big games, Denard seems bound and determined to prove that He Can Be A Passer. It's maddening, frustratingly maddening, especially as, in this game, when there are wide-open swaths of open field for him to run through. It's what makes him Denard. I wish he didn't feel the need to hide that.

It was the first time since 1995 (the legendary 5-0 Purdue game) that M won without scoring a touchdown.

Burbridge is the real deal.  I do not look forward to playing him for 3 more years.

Can I say, though, for those of y'all who were in the live chat, how much I HATED the negative attitude our own fan base takes on? We were down one point with MINUTES to go and everyone bailed instantly on Borges, on Hoke, on the team, on the entire coaching staff. I find that troubling. It's a bigger discussion, but I just find it disheartening. Have faith, go blue.

He had a nice catch. We also had Taylor playing WAY too far off him in crucial situations. He is good, but he isn't game-changing good.

Denards skill set forces us to play the style we do.  We are not a proficient passing team, we turn the ball over way too much when we throw the ball.  MSU's defense is to pressure the run with 8 and 9 man fronts.  Our offense (this year) plays right into that.  That is why this game was destined to be close.  Teams that are able to force us to pass will give us trouble. 

I hope Shane Morris is truly as good as his rating.  If he is, then we will be very good in two years.  That is when we will see how good Borges really is or isn't .

I agree about clock management.

I will also say that I want to see someone else get some carries at RB.  I love V.Smith in certain situations, but I will literally pull my hair out if I watch Toussaint get pulled down by many more pussy arm tackles.  Just a few carries for Rawls, pleeeease.

Otherwise, Ryan was a beast, as per ushhhh.  I have little faith in Roh... I am sure he does some things that are good and I don't notice, but otherwise most times I see him shooting into places that open holes in our defense, or getting ridden out of a play.

My own personal performance I would rank as a C-.  I didn't put my jersey on until second half, which is a big no-no, plus I totally mentally jinxed us a couple times (particularly their fake punt and Hagerup's shank... Sorry guys).

Lastly, Gibbons has earned 72 brunettes in his afterlife, and also DILEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Called a conservative game again, we seem to have no answers for states defense, you'd think we would have been more prepared...all in all, Denard didn't pay great but unlike other years, he was able to make plays at the end of the game...first and goal we need to go more I formation and get Rawls some carries. Thought jt Floyd payed his best game today...did well in coverage and calked well. Gibbons loves his Brunutte girls, thank god. Defense did a nice job containing Bell.

To finally get the proverbial monkey (which felt more like an 800 lb. gorilla) off the back is absolutely huge.  We really needed to win this, and it should in how tightly the team played.  I am proud of this team.  Denard may not be accurate, but I always root for him and am thankful that he represents our team.  Hopefully, his and his teammates' efforts represent another significant step back towards everyone's expectations for the program.