What I saw tonight, and why it made me love this team even more
I apologize if this is too cliche, but I can't sleep and would like to get this out there.
I know a lot of people are disappointed over the outcome tonight, and the next week will inevitably be filled with bitching about Coach Rod putting Shoelace in, and that is sad. That is not the story from this game. What I saw tonight was not a failure, it was just another step in the reformation of Michigan football.
On this night, under the lights at Kinnick stadium, our Michigan Wolverines showed the most resolve I have ever seen from a team. They where facing an opponent who was bigger than them on both lines, but they refused to give ground. They made mental errors, but many were a result of flying around the field, or digging in for that extra yard. Their precocious star Qb couldn't get it going, and the backup came on and was one bad read away from winning this game. Not much seemed to go there way, and they had every opportunity to fold, and give in, but they still gave everything they had every snap.
The defense didn't look tentative, they went out there to make plays. They were going 110 Mph every snap, even if they screwed up, they came right back out and played balls to the wall football. Instead of getting down because of a turnover or blown assignment, they came out playing harder, trying to pick up their teammates. Even after the INT, an O-lineman came over to Denard, because he knew how awful he must have felt. This is not just a football team, it is a family, and it shows. You can tell just by watching them they would run through a brick wall for each other without a second thought.
In a few years this loss will be a footnote, nothing special to most people, but I will always remember it. Ill remember it as the day Michigan made a stand, they refused to take the easy way out. They were taking shot after shot and refused to back down. For the first time in a long time, I'm happy with their performance in a loss. Not necessarily the execution, but the pride and sheer force of will they displayed. That, more than any one player, more than the victors, even more than the wings on their helmets, is why I love this team.
October 11th, 2009 at 3:09 AM ^
Word
Enough said. Except that as it stands now this is shaping up as the second most fun and satisfying season in the last 5 years. Without even scartching the surface of the program's potential under Rodriguez, we've already come a long way this season.
We'll have eight wins headed into Wisconsin. I am sure of that, moreso than I was two weeks ago. Only one season will have been better than that during their careers so fat for any of the players currently on the roster.
October 11th, 2009 at 9:17 AM ^
There were a number of things for Michigan to be proud of. Despite the tight end debacles, there were very positive signs on defense. Linebackers were better, like Wolfolk at corner, the safeties...... uh, the safeties. (If you don't have anything nice to say...) Regarding shoe lace for Tate, the only problem I have with the move is that it did not come sooner. While I love Tate's "highlight trows" on the run and threading it through traffic from time to time. Let's be honest, Tate looked pretty bad tonight. I think the team could benefit from Denard getting some pretty extended time against Del. State. My guess is that Mr. Forcier has enjoyed some extended female companionship the last few weeks and needs to get back to business. Penn State will be a big game for this team.
October 11th, 2009 at 3:16 AM ^
agree w/ most of the post. nevertheless, it makes this loss that much more frustrating. i can honestly say that i feel we lost to a worst team today... and that in no way should be acceptable. i couldn't sleep so i studied the game for a second time. we simply gave them the game. we were the faster, more talented team that simply gave the ball over too many times to win. i don't see our team as the "undersized over-achievers" anymore, and neither should anyone else. there are no excuses. turnovers killed us... we would beat an overrated iowa 9 out of 10 times. they are NOT an elite team. i admire our team's fight... but, for god's sake, giving them the ball to them drive after drive???
October 11th, 2009 at 3:40 AM ^
It's easy to say that the worse team won tonight seeing as how they we handed them the ball *5* times and we were still fighting at the very end. It is less easy is admitting that many of those times were the result of our own poor play (which, as far as I can tell, detracts from our skill as a team). I am not at necessarily saying that we had no business being in that game, or that we were the worse team on the field - I'm not sure right now - but to say that it's not acceptable to lose to Iowa in this game and to say that it's even more frustrating that we lost because you feel they're overrated or worse than us or whatever... well, it sounds to me like you have forgotten 2008.
Yes it is frustrating. Frustrating that we couldn't pull it out - not frustrating that we lost. At least, that's my take on it.
October 11th, 2009 at 8:53 AM ^
and I don't think that you were trying to be negative, it was really frustrating to me that we played so well on defense and on the o-line and rb, yet we lost. Stanzi made a couple of beautiful throws in the first half to get some td's, but the defense outstanding. It was tough to see us lose a game that we deserved to win because of all of the dumb mistakes.
October 11th, 2009 at 3:25 AM ^
the better team won tonight.
October 11th, 2009 at 3:51 AM ^
That just about sums it up. I to am proud of our boys representing Meeechigan.
October 11th, 2009 at 5:16 AM ^
- Michigan showed it could hang in there with good teams. Iowa proved to be the best team we have faced yet, and Michigan was up to the challenge, mostly.
- We did get outgained, in addition to the 4-1 t.o. margin, which usually spells disaster. The difference was, again, in M's awesome red zone defense (including a goal line stop) and found yardage in the Space Emperor's mega-punts.
- Subtext on that: in the podcast this week, Black Heart Gold Pants guy suggested his punter was better. He probably meant Iowa's punter was better than most American, normal-named homo sapiens, not Romanian Space Emperors Who Ride Around on Exploding Moon Bears.
- Also: the experiment on moving Woolfolk back to corner seemed to...work? I've never actually heard of a quarterback who "doesn't like passing to his left." It seems like a shortstop who only throws to third. Anyway, if you think the "only throws to his right" (yes, I know, cross-body is harder) thing is bollocks, then you have to imagine the balls were going Warren's way because Woolfolk's guys were covered. He had a spectacular PBU on the one play over his head -- Cissoko/Floyd doesn't make that play. However, that was against Iowa's white-guy receivers -- Penn State and Ohio State are going to probably feel a little more like Notre Dame's receiver skillset (actually, ND light)
- Subtext on that: Warren showed why you don't throw his way. He dominated. Sorry about the interruption, Donny, you can go back to reading Infinite Jest now (when you get to the Eschaton game, try not to have 2008 flashbacksS).
- OTOH, Kovacs at safety was meh at best, and Williams looked more exposed without THE MAD FORK back there with him. I think the two long TDs to tight ends were on Kovacs, as were some of those irksome 3rd down conversions. He's a walkon, though.
- I had a very bad feeling the moment Brian suggested he stop putting "HOLD ONTO THE DAMN BALL" for Special Teams. No, Brian, you can never ever take that away again.
- Iowa wouldn't have won except for two DO throws on that one TD drive. Both were under pressure on 3rd and long if I recall. Both were put in the only place they could have been, and caught with spectacular receptions. One I guess you could blame the slowness of Michael Williams a bit, but that was a perfectly thrown ball (and on the other Warren had perfect coverage so a layout-catch was the only option). Hats off to Iowa for a pair of excellent plays.
- Still, I am not going to be able to remember this game without wondering why with 1:20 to go in the game and needing a field goal, and while in possession of one of those guys in college football whose specialty is 4th quarter magic, it was the other guy I saw go in.
- I don't know who this is on, really. Maybe Tate was being extraordinarily stupid, and needed to be brought down a wrung. RR was Bo levels of pissed off on the sideline all game, though, and it's hard to imagine what Tate could have done to earn so much coaching ire that he wouldn't be given the ball in that situation. What's not hard to believe is that Tate's freshmany freshmanness made him do freshman-like things, and RR hates freshmanny, freshman and their freshmanness when they do freshman-like things.
October 11th, 2009 at 10:59 AM ^
This should be bumped to the front page.
October 11th, 2009 at 5:28 AM ^
We just about beat the #12 team in the country. With 5 turnovers. End of story.
October 11th, 2009 at 8:49 AM ^
And two freshman at QB.
October 11th, 2009 at 9:36 AM ^
And a pink locker room.
October 11th, 2009 at 11:14 AM ^
Edit: Still drunk from last night and the post was originally full of blatant douchebaggery.
October 11th, 2009 at 6:00 AM ^
They wil drive you crazy if you let them. They will show flashes of brilliance followed by flashes of WTF. Games like this one are just part of the growth pattern. They picked a bad night to become pastry chefs and give away turnovers, but they did stay in the game despite five of them.
As for RR's faith in DR at the end of the game, I'm OK with it. Like most decisions that get second-guessed, if it had worked, people would be calling RR a "genius" this morning, and the "Legend of Shoelace" would be the new "story du jour" in the sports world.
This team could turn around and run the table this season; you just never know. And if the unthinkable happens and Forcier is unavailable for any period of time, we may be thankful for the experienced he got playing the #12 team in the country on their field with the game on the line.
Unlike those who think UM is better than Iowa right now, I'm not convinced that Iowa isn't the best team in the conference at this point. By the end of the year, this loss might look very good in retrospect.
October 11th, 2009 at 8:23 AM ^
and that hug at the end after Drob threw that INT was a great symbol of the unity of the team.
October 11th, 2009 at 8:28 AM ^
and thought the same thing, good observation.
October 11th, 2009 at 8:29 AM ^
Pin it.
October 11th, 2009 at 9:33 AM ^
No, this is wrong. What you meant to say is:
"There is something wrong with this brew. The chemistry is not as strong as it should be and it is one of the reasons doubts are hovering over this program."
And:
"There are demons buried in this program, and we might see them again when Penn State rolls into Ann Arbor.
What's going on with Michigan's program?
I am not sure.
But something does not smell right."
Thanks, Terry Foster, for that Very Serious journalism!
Can't wait for all the goddamn mouthbreathing family values crowd's columns this week.
October 11th, 2009 at 11:26 AM ^
I'm totally on board with OP. I love the fight in this team, I love that they never give up. I loved that support the Oline player (who was it?) gave to Denard after the pick. Damn that made me proud of M.
My only worry right now is whether RR may be too hard on the freshman and younger kids. Man he just lights into them. But I trust him, and I know he's demanding they give nothing but the best they've got. I also know that I wouldn't be able to handle his demands, I couldn't live up to his standard. I'm just extremely impressed by these kids giving their hearts and souls for this team.
Time to circle the wagons again, it's the team against the world. Eff the local MSM (Foster, Rothstein) trying to build themselves up by breaking the team down.
Go boys, give it your all, MGoBlog supports you!
October 11th, 2009 at 11:32 AM ^
RR is slowly but surely building an awesome team and program. Maybe too slowly for the ass hats but when the skill sets and experience of the players grow to match the attitude the team has shown all year, then watch the hell out for the Wolverines.
October 11th, 2009 at 1:05 PM ^
With just a little bit better offensive production, we would have probably beat MSU.
Without 5 turnovers, we would have beat Iowa.
I like where this is trending. We're operating with 2 true freshman at QB. We're almost playing with house money with what we've got out of them so far.
October 11th, 2009 at 1:50 PM ^
remember enjoying a game that Michigan lost. Sure, I was all sorts of pissed for the first 20 minutes or say afterwards, but then it was easy to calm down. Much easier than any loss I ever remember. It's weird.