Praise for Gibbons
Last year, I had to leave the room when Michigan was set to kick a field goal. It was a near guarantee that the Michigan kicker was going to miss the attempt. I'd even have to hold my breath during extra points. Gibbons, the heralded recruit, made 1 field goal out of 5 attempts.
After last year, I wrote Gibbons off. I celebrated the commitment of Matt Wile and thought that Gibbons would never be on the field again.
However, Gibbons has been a very reliable kicker this year. He went 10/14 on field goals and didn't miss a single extra point. When Gibbons went up to kick the 43 yarder at the end of The Game, I didn't cringe or close my eyes. I watched confidently as the kick went through the uprights. It's amazing what a turn around our kicking game has been this year. Gibbons, in my opinion is the most improved player on this team and deserves a lot of credit for this team's success.
November 27th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
I had to leave the room as soon as the announcer said "Gibbons will be attempting a career long"
November 27th, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^
I was scared shitless. But he came through in the clutch. That bodes well for the future.
November 27th, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^
I was there and when he lined up the kick my wife turned to me and said "are you going to be able to watch this?" When the game was over and everybody was jumping up and down I kept thinking "damn...Gibbons made a God Damn 43 yard kick!"
And i loved Hoke's comments in the presser when asked if had any second thoughts regarding sending him out: "never a doubt".
Awesome. And congrats Gibbons!
November 27th, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^
There is no doubt Gibbons has improved TREMENDOUSLY. Having him kick in real game situations at practice has helped that.
But I don't know if he wins most improved right away. I might give that award to Fitzgerald "The Toose is Loose" Toussaint.
November 27th, 2011 at 12:10 PM ^
November 27th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^
I agree, kind of. He was splitting carries with Smith and really had to emerge as the #1 tailback. That 50 yarder vs bowling green (I think it was a 60 yarder? But I could be wrong) he was caught from behind, where this year I don't feel that would have happened.
And who knows.... maybe Gibbons would've made his next 9 kicks last year and had been 10/14 too!
/s
November 27th, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^
November 27th, 2011 at 12:07 PM ^
Like many of you, I thought “oh crap this isn’t going to end well”, but the kid pulled it out. He really progressed this year under his new coaches…
November 27th, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^
I was there so I couldn't leave the room but I sat down, putears, and looked at the ground unto I heard the crowd roar.
November 27th, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^
when you have a coach that encourages you (Hoke) instead of yells at you (RR) when you make a mistake. Not everyone responds to yelling.
November 27th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
Agreed. I'm a big fan of RR but this is one area where he did really poorly and it's one of the biggest notable differences between him and Hoke. When Gibbons struggled last year, RR went up in several press conferences and basically said: "We're having tryouts for student walk-ons, we could really use a kicker." When Gibbons struggled a bit at the beginning of this year, a reporter asked Hoke what he thought of his kicker and his response was (paraphrasing): "I love him. I have confidence in him."
Some players need to be yelled and screamed at when they do something wrong, and others need to have their confidence built up with constructive criticism. Hoke will never be an X's and O's genius like RR, but he is light years ahead when it comes to individual player management, PR, and just getting every coach and player on the same page and moving in the right direction.
November 27th, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^
GIBBONS, YOU DID PUT IT THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS!!!
November 27th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^
Glad you did...took the words right out of my mouth. That fg was the most clutch hes ever been, and it couldnt have come against a better opponent. And he was flawless with extra points, which is nothing to write off. It got lost in a sea of events at the game yesterday, but he was spectacullar. And that FG was really important...having to go for 6 in a 2 min drill is very different than going for 3 to tie and i think had a huge role in how the game ended with the good guys getting the W.
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<br>Damn what a TEAM. Far from perfect, but every phase of the game was crucial in getting that win.
November 27th, 2011 at 1:18 PM ^
It can not be understated how important that field goal was. Having to go the length of the field for a TD versus just getting into field goal range completely changed the Ohio State playcalling and clock management. If he misses it, I thnk they tie it up.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:03 PM ^
Not only that, but a miss would have meant OSU starts from around the 35ish and has 2 minutes to get at least 3 points, and they have a pretty decent kicker too
November 27th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
I had to close my eyes every time. I even yelled for RR not to kick the FGs. Especially during the Illinois game, what a debacle. I was sitting directly behind the goal post in row 5. You talk about nervous. I closed my eyes every time.
The year I had more confidence in Hoke's ability to coach him up. And wha-la. A kicker is born. It took me only 2 games to gain my confidence back. The ND game did it for me.
I didnt question Hoke's decision to kick the FG instead of going for it. Yesterday from my view point, it didnt look like it went through. I am glad the speed of light is 186,000 fps because I saw the fans cheer before I heard them. If I closed my eyes, the delay of about .87 seconds would have been enough to cause me to stroke out.
Congrats to Gibbons for staying with us and working hard to become a Michigan Kicker.
November 27th, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
When the 43-yard attempt went through, I jumped up and shouted, "GIBBONS! HE PUT IT THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS!"
It was a moment of overdue relief, to be able to say that.
November 27th, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
was a beauty, He simply nailed it and he'll remember it forever.
November 27th, 2011 at 12:46 PM ^
Lord knows I've posted more than a few sarcastic comments about our FG team.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:03 PM ^
I will never praise Gibbons. The guy was so awful the last two years that your expectations of a D1 kicker, let alone a Michigan kicker, are completely corrupted. Good for him for nailing that 42 yarder (and yes he nailed it), but that doesn't mean he should be praised. Would you praise Roundtree if he consistently dropped pass after pass after pass, but then in the final game he catches a simple quick slant for a TD? Kicking a 42 yard field goal is Gibbon's job and for the first time in three years he finally did his job.
Don't get me wrong, Gibbons played well yesterday. But he doesn't deserve praise when it's something we should expect, not something for which we cross our fingers and close our eyes. MGoUsers have a tough time seeing the forest through the trees when it comes to current players and I think this is a perfect example.
edit: He had a much improved year this year, and he should be praised for it. But he certainly shouldn't be praised for being a good/consistent/reliable kicker.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^
for what the entire team has been through the last few years. To finally nail one in a situation and game like this: what a personal triumph.
November 27th, 2011 at 7:22 PM ^
Who thought we should revoke his scholarship, and was entirely wrong. I'll give you credit to have the balls to reveal the inanity of your stance here. If you can't praise a year where he performed "like a kicker should" after all the crap he took, then you really can't praise any player for just doing a good job. That's stupid. As was your post.
November 27th, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^
Bravo to the young man. Takes a lot of guts to stick with it and improve amid all the criticism, which must have done a number on his sense of self. I expect he'll keep improving.