Wow. What a hoot. I remember this game for Gilley’s and for the fact two guys who had been exiled from the team a couple of years prior returned and made some really nice plays. Ben Needham played a great game on defense and BJ Dickey got a chance to close out the game at QB. It was a happy moment when BJ, a great guy who got banged up and lost the starting job to John Wangler in ‘79, scored a late TD.
Could it be Michigan has dirt on OSU, Rutgers, Purdue, et al. - dirt that's dirtier than the dirt Stalions has soiled us with - and is saying OK, 3 games for the head coach sets the bar.
When you get a full read on what these other cats have been doing, their punishments must be commensurate.
Nothing like having two teenage boys. I give us until noon before a driveway basketball game or simple game of catch turns into heated competition, gamesmanship and something akin to Stark vs. Lannister. That's when MGoMom puts her foot down and the day changes to watching/talking U.S. Open, NBA Finals, and everything M.
I think your take is dead on. This wasn't a trap. It was all about football. One man figuring out the best way to evaluate the most prospects possible, so he could to find the players he needs to win. Remember he's "Yours in football."
What I don't understand is why any of the smaller conferences voted for the ban. They seemed to have an awful lot to gain by working camps at bigger schools.
If you'd like to get to know who Biff Poggi is and what he's all about, please read the book Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx. Highly recommended. As a youth coach, this was one of the most influential reads I ever came across. I'm sure you can find it on Amazon.
I offer no argument about Brad's accomplishments other than to say it's got to be easier to hire who you want when you're hiring for Michigan. My comfort with him comes from knowing the kind of person he is. We were teammates and have maintained occasional contact. When he received his scholarship, the entire team gave him a standing ovation. One of the coolest things that happened in my time at Michigan. Ranks up there with Bo being carried off the field after the '81 Rose Bowl, and being in the pile of humanity that smothered A.C. after that TD vs. Indiana in '79.
I have no doubt Brad could do great things here, but today, I'm very happy Warde will get the chance to. Great job by all involved to bring back the Michigan we all want. Messrs. Hackett and Schlissel and the Regents did exactly what we hoped they would. I couldn't be happier about who's in charge and where the program is headed. GO BLUE!
Love the choice. Also would've felt good with Brad Bates. Both qualified first, Michigan second. I met Warde maybe 15 years ago and was very impressed with his interest in finding out--and doing--what was best for Michigan. First Mr. Hackett, and now Mr. Manuel. We're fortunate to have such quality people ready to take the reins.
Great young man. This is one competitive dude with a ton of talent. Had the pleasure to help coach him at CYO level way back when. Look forward to seeing him on the squad. Congrats to Tyler and his family. Welcome and Go Blue!
In the moment, I was fine with the formation. After the fact, yes, max protect. Or, once you see you didn't pull a Spartan out wide, a shift to max protect might've been wiser. Great thing, hindsight, eh? Though given what happened, it may not have made a difference.
When I saw 11 up I thought for a moment about a pass to the left wide out, who was uncovered. But then I thought, all we have to do is kick the ball over the LOS and we've won. Doesn't matter if we're in spread or max protect, just catch the ball, kick it over the line and let it roll until the clock runs out. For me, it was only hindsight that said go max.
Also, I didn't recognize it live, but saw on replays O'Neill was lined up a yard deeper than normal (16 yds instead of 15 yds). That made a low snap ever so slightly lower. In a game of inches, could Blake have handled a snap a fraction of an inch higher that arrived a split second sooner?
Really sorry to see Coach Baxter go. Great teacher. Very good at breaking things down to simple tasks the players could easily master. Gave them great confidence and solid fundamentals.
I know this is just an excuse, but I thought some of the ST negatives, like the Rutgers punt return, were tied to personnel changes as much or maybe even more than the coaching. Chesson was pulled off punt coverage that week and his sub didn't make the play he should have.
Good luck to Coach Baxter. Really smart guy who will be missed.
I don't think Barnes was as insignificant as some are making him out to be. True, he's not one of the 9 official assistants, but he's one of those guys the players love and relate to. A "glue" guy, as some say. But change = opportunity. And I suspect Jim will find a way to use this opportunity to make the team better.
On the play before the Harry Oliver FG, ND's Tony Hunter caught a ball at the sideline in front of their bench. He had a foot out of bounds and it would take replay to tell if he'd stepped out before the catch, thus making the pass incomplete and turning the ball over on downs.
Few teams did it as well as the teams Bo led. That's because Bo always had the best assistant coaches in the business. Jerry Hanlon, Gary Moeller, Tirrel Burton, Paul Schudel, Jack Harbaugh, Dennis Brown, Bill McCartney, Elliot Uzelac, Milan Vooletich, Bob Thornbladh, Don Nehlen, Lloyd Carr, Ron Vanderlinden. These guys were incredible tacticians in addition to being great motivators. You came out for the second half an improved team because they prepared you.
Think about it. The chain of events would all make sense if Morris did not have a concussion.
Hoke meets with the training staff on Sunday. They don't tell him Morris has a concussion (because they've examined him and he doesn't). Hoke meets with the media and says what he says because he's being honest. His player was not concussed. (At least, no more than anyone else who played a majority of the snaps in the game.)
If Morris had a concussion, why didn't the hard-wrought press release simply say he had a concussion?
"Probable mild concussion" means they can't even say with certainty it's a mild concussion. That diagnosis could apply to most of the participants in the game, and some of the fans.
As the 3rd and 4th string QBs, Speight and Bellomy were charting plays on clipboards. They had headsets on and their helmets were on the bench.
The call for a QB went out and the managers grabbed 3rd-stringer Speight's helmet and handed it to him. He started out on the field before someone said "whoa, let's not burn his redshirt." They called him back.
Bellomy ran out and they handed him Speight's helmet. It didn't fit or he didn't want to wear it and they couldn't find his in time. Enter Morris.
You're right that when Morris was pulled and Gardner inserted, someone should've thought about who's next up, if needed. Perhaps they didn't because Morris had not been ruled out by the medical staff.
Did Shane Morris have a concussion or not? Perhaps I missed something, but from my vantage point at the game, I saw the trainers attending only to his lower leg.
I also thought the hit Morris took, while violent, was to the chest and not the head.
I lumped you in with a couple of people when I posted last night and didn’t mean to offend. You’d all made similar (and valid) observations about Carter being unproven. Without a doubt though, you’ve been more supportive than JDavis or pescadero. So my apologies if I made you feel bad.
Thanks to everyone who has come out so positively about young men like my son Carter and Austin Davis over the past day or so. I’m talking about people like BlueMichigan, MLaw06, MarcusBrooks, Blue in NC, Barndstorm, Danwillhor, hpikstein, and probably a good many others I’m overlooking. Your warm welcome is appreciated.
I don’t have the history many of you have here, but it also feels like a lot of other people are remembering the intent of the Hello posts (thank you EGD), and that seems like a good thing.
Don’t get me wrong, the Dunaways have no problem with everyone expressing their opinions. Comments like those from Ares may sting a little, but that’s because, as WolvinLA2 notes, criticism of the coach’s decision to offer is tantamount to criticism of the player receiving the offer.
That comes with the territory.
Bo taught us playing football for Michigan was like living under a microscope. (And this was long before social media.) I think that’s a big part of why the team was so important to him. The team knows your strengths and weaknesses. They’re the ones that have your back. The only ones you can count on to know what it’s like to do what you do.
Bo also warned us of the “interlopers” and the “hangers on” who wanted to take you down with them. They were the ones who wanted to see you fail, so you wouldn’t be thought of as better than them.
And like so much of what I learned from Bo, this applies not just to football but to life and work and family and even blogs.
So count me among those in favor of a more constructive approach, not just for Hello posts, but for all topics.
It's been quite an experience reading these comments.
I thank those who've shared kind and welcoming words (YoOoBoLloBaugh, True Blue Grit, The Mad Hatter, et al.). And I appreciate those who acknowledge he still has two more years of high school to show more tangible merits (True Blue Grit, bronxblue).
I also like the comments from HateSparty. (Or maybe I just like typing HateSparty. HateSparty.)
I understand those who doubt and question an offer to unproven talent (Danwillhor, The J Davis 1, pescadero). I realize you only have the best interests of the program in mind.
To those who attribute Carter's offer to his legacy status (HarBooYa, Big Mike), I hope you realize that's just not the case. If that's all it took, brother Jack wouldn't be dipping into his 529 plan, as WolvinLA2 also points out.
And to those concerned about the dearth of offers, please understand if Carter didn't love Michigan so much, he would've looked around and collected who knows how many others. Instead, he's avoiding the strain of the recruiting process, staying close to home and going to school with his brother.
The truth is there aren't a whole lot of 6'6-1/2" 233# 16-year-old kids who can run and catch out there. And that happens to be exactly the type of kid Jim and Jay Harbaugh want playing TE.
Sure, Carter's lucky he's so big. He knows that. One of the first things he said after getting the offer is that it didn't seem fair he would be offered and his brother wouldn't, even after all Jack has accomplished.
He's lucky to have camped at Michigan, and had so much exposure to the program while his brother was being recruited. But he also knows that means he's got to work harder now than ever before. He's got a target on his back that opponents and even Michigan fans will see every time he takes the field. It will only make him better.
If you haven't met Carter or seen him play, I hope you get that chance soon. If not in the next 2 years, then in 2017 or 18, or whenever he gets to enjoy the privilege of playing for the greatest team in college football.
Go Blue Forever
P.S. ST3 - That's Doug James, who would later captain the '84 team (Team #105) next to Rich Strenger.
Recent Comments
Wow. What a hoot. I remember this game for Gilley’s and for the fact two guys who had been exiled from the team a couple of years prior returned and made some really nice plays. Ben Needham played a great game on defense and BJ Dickey got a chance to close out the game at QB. It was a happy moment when BJ, a great guy who got banged up and lost the starting job to John Wangler in ‘79, scored a late TD.
Great stat
Go Panthers
Hmmm. Maybe it wasn't a coincidence there was no running water in the team hotel in 1980 and '82.
Could…
Why cave so easily?
Could it be Michigan has dirt on OSU, Rutgers, Purdue, et al. - dirt that's dirtier than the dirt Stalions has soiled us with - and is saying OK, 3 games for the head coach sets the bar.
When you get a full read on what these other cats have been doing, their punishments must be commensurate.
James Franklin aside, there is some logic.
Some all-22 film uses the scoreboard to capture down and distance before each play.
Not to pick nits (because I love what you guys do) but it was the 1983 Rose Bowl. And thanks for the shout out to my boy Jack.
Nothing like having two teenage boys. I give us until noon before a driveway basketball game or simple game of catch turns into heated competition, gamesmanship and something akin to Stark vs. Lannister. That's when MGoMom puts her foot down and the day changes to watching/talking U.S. Open, NBA Finals, and everything M.
Wouldn't want it any other way.
I think your take is dead on. This wasn't a trap. It was all about football. One man figuring out the best way to evaluate the most prospects possible, so he could to find the players he needs to win. Remember he's "Yours in football."
What I don't understand is why any of the smaller conferences voted for the ban. They seemed to have an awful lot to gain by working camps at bigger schools.
C'mon people.
If you'd like to get to know who Biff Poggi is and what he's all about, please read the book Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx. Highly recommended. As a youth coach, this was one of the most influential reads I ever came across. I'm sure you can find it on Amazon.
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If one of your 105 is injured, he can be replaced.
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Matta still in the lead.
I offer no argument about Brad's accomplishments other than to say it's got to be easier to hire who you want when you're hiring for Michigan. My comfort with him comes from knowing the kind of person he is. We were teammates and have maintained occasional contact. When he received his scholarship, the entire team gave him a standing ovation. One of the coolest things that happened in my time at Michigan. Ranks up there with Bo being carried off the field after the '81 Rose Bowl, and being in the pile of humanity that smothered A.C. after that TD vs. Indiana in '79.
I have no doubt Brad could do great things here, but today, I'm very happy Warde will get the chance to. Great job by all involved to bring back the Michigan we all want. Messrs. Hackett and Schlissel and the Regents did exactly what we hoped they would. I couldn't be happier about who's in charge and where the program is headed. GO BLUE!
Also would've felt good with Brad Bates. Both qualified first, Michigan second. I met Warde maybe 15 years ago and was very impressed with his interest in finding out--and doing--what was best for Michigan. First Mr. Hackett, and now Mr. Manuel. We're fortunate to have such quality people ready to take the reins.
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Awesome news. Happy for you, Brian, and your growing family. Enjoy and Go Blue!
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Welcome and Go Blue
Classy statement by a young man from a quality family.
TJ played WR for Alabama back in the Ray Perkins-Bill Curry era.
Hey!
In the moment, I was fine with the formation. After the fact, yes, max protect. Or, once you see you didn't pull a Spartan out wide, a shift to max protect might've been wiser. Great thing, hindsight, eh? Though given what happened, it may not have made a difference.
When I saw 11 up I thought for a moment about a pass to the left wide out, who was uncovered. But then I thought, all we have to do is kick the ball over the LOS and we've won. Doesn't matter if we're in spread or max protect, just catch the ball, kick it over the line and let it roll until the clock runs out. For me, it was only hindsight that said go max.
Also, I didn't recognize it live, but saw on replays O'Neill was lined up a yard deeper than normal (16 yds instead of 15 yds). That made a low snap ever so slightly lower. In a game of inches, could Blake have handled a snap a fraction of an inch higher that arrived a split second sooner?
Really sorry to see Coach Baxter go. Great teacher. Very good at breaking things down to simple tasks the players could easily master. Gave them great confidence and solid fundamentals.
I know this is just an excuse, but I thought some of the ST negatives, like the Rutgers punt return, were tied to personnel changes as much or maybe even more than the coaching. Chesson was pulled off punt coverage that week and his sub didn't make the play he should have.
Good luck to Coach Baxter. Really smart guy who will be missed.
I don't think Barnes was as insignificant as some are making him out to be. True, he's not one of the 9 official assistants, but he's one of those guys the players love and relate to. A "glue" guy, as some say. But change = opportunity. And I suspect Jim will find a way to use this opportunity to make the team better.
+1. Hope you're right.
nevermind
Michigan 24 OSU 12
Michigan 24 OSU 12
Thank you, Seth, and thank you, Chad, for reminding me to make sure my two boys know how much I love them and what they mean to me.
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Only because 34-8 was already taken.
(I also want 24-12 next week.)
On the play before the Harry Oliver FG, ND's Tony Hunter caught a ball at the sideline in front of their bench. He had a foot out of bounds and it would take replay to tell if he'd stepped out before the catch, thus making the pass incomplete and turning the ball over on downs.
Thanks for sharing and fighting and for the reminder that, on fall Saturdays especially, we're all part of something pretty special.
Few teams did it as well as the teams Bo led. That's because Bo always had the best assistant coaches in the business. Jerry Hanlon, Gary Moeller, Tirrel Burton, Paul Schudel, Jack Harbaugh, Dennis Brown, Bill McCartney, Elliot Uzelac, Milan Vooletich, Bob Thornbladh, Don Nehlen, Lloyd Carr, Ron Vanderlinden. These guys were incredible tacticians in addition to being great motivators. You came out for the second half an improved team because they prepared you.
I love the whole idea of keeping any tidbit of information that could even remotely benefit a future opponent from seeing the light of day.
Lloyd was great at it, too.
Yes, we all want to know who's starting and who's injured. But how does that help Michigan?
Maybe because he didn't.
Think about it. The chain of events would all make sense if Morris did not have a concussion.
Hoke meets with the training staff on Sunday. They don't tell him Morris has a concussion (because they've examined him and he doesn't). Hoke meets with the media and says what he says because he's being honest. His player was not concussed. (At least, no more than anyone else who played a majority of the snaps in the game.)
If Morris had a concussion, why didn't the hard-wrought press release simply say he had a concussion?
"Probable mild concussion" means they can't even say with certainty it's a mild concussion. That diagnosis could apply to most of the participants in the game, and some of the fans.
As the 3rd and 4th string QBs, Speight and Bellomy were charting plays on clipboards. They had headsets on and their helmets were on the bench.
The call for a QB went out and the managers grabbed 3rd-stringer Speight's helmet and handed it to him. He started out on the field before someone said "whoa, let's not burn his redshirt." They called him back.
Bellomy ran out and they handed him Speight's helmet. It didn't fit or he didn't want to wear it and they couldn't find his in time. Enter Morris.
You're right that when Morris was pulled and Gardner inserted, someone should've thought about who's next up, if needed. Perhaps they didn't because Morris had not been ruled out by the medical staff.
Did Shane Morris have a concussion or not? Perhaps I missed something, but from my vantage point at the game, I saw the trainers attending only to his lower leg.
I also thought the hit Morris took, while violent, was to the chest and not the head.
I lumped you in with a couple of people when I posted last night and didn’t mean to offend. You’d all made similar (and valid) observations about Carter being unproven. Without a doubt though, you’ve been more supportive than JDavis or pescadero. So my apologies if I made you feel bad.
And thanks.
Thanks to everyone who has come out so positively about young men like my son Carter and Austin Davis over the past day or so. I’m talking about people like BlueMichigan, MLaw06, MarcusBrooks, Blue in NC, Barndstorm, Danwillhor, hpikstein, and probably a good many others I’m overlooking. Your warm welcome is appreciated.
I don’t have the history many of you have here, but it also feels like a lot of other people are remembering the intent of the Hello posts (thank you EGD), and that seems like a good thing.
Don’t get me wrong, the Dunaways have no problem with everyone expressing their opinions. Comments like those from Ares may sting a little, but that’s because, as WolvinLA2 notes, criticism of the coach’s decision to offer is tantamount to criticism of the player receiving the offer.
That comes with the territory.
Bo taught us playing football for Michigan was like living under a microscope. (And this was long before social media.) I think that’s a big part of why the team was so important to him. The team knows your strengths and weaknesses. They’re the ones that have your back. The only ones you can count on to know what it’s like to do what you do.
Bo also warned us of the “interlopers” and the “hangers on” who wanted to take you down with them. They were the ones who wanted to see you fail, so you wouldn’t be thought of as better than them.
And like so much of what I learned from Bo, this applies not just to football but to life and work and family and even blogs.
So count me among those in favor of a more constructive approach, not just for Hello posts, but for all topics.
It's been quite an experience reading these comments.
I thank those who've shared kind and welcoming words (YoOoBoLloBaugh, True Blue Grit, The Mad Hatter, et al.). And I appreciate those who acknowledge he still has two more years of high school to show more tangible merits (True Blue Grit, bronxblue).
I also like the comments from HateSparty. (Or maybe I just like typing HateSparty. HateSparty.)
I understand those who doubt and question an offer to unproven talent (Danwillhor, The J Davis 1, pescadero). I realize you only have the best interests of the program in mind.
To those who attribute Carter's offer to his legacy status (HarBooYa, Big Mike), I hope you realize that's just not the case. If that's all it took, brother Jack wouldn't be dipping into his 529 plan, as WolvinLA2 also points out.
And to those concerned about the dearth of offers, please understand if Carter didn't love Michigan so much, he would've looked around and collected who knows how many others. Instead, he's avoiding the strain of the recruiting process, staying close to home and going to school with his brother.