Borges Conference Video Up

Submitted by Gameboy on

If you can watch this without yelling and screaming at the screen the entire time, you are a better man than I.

http://www.mgoblue.com/allaccess/?media=411577

What is amazing is that he talks about how you need to go away from the power game when it is not working. THEN WHY THE HECK DID YOU KEEP RUNNING IT IN OT!!!????

 

In reply to by somewittyname

Asquaredroot

October 16th, 2013 at 2:50 AM ^

Did anyone think it was Schafer who was at fault?  I never did so maybe my memory is hazy.  I was seriously impressed with our defense that year.  Worst scoring defense in a long time that year, but the D was on the field for 60-70% of the plays each game!

Schafer's firing was always a scapegoat move in my opinion after that 3-9 hell, but maybe that's my revisionist brain at work.

Trebor

October 16th, 2013 at 9:58 AM ^

I actually think Shafer was a good coach. Our D seemed to start games real well, but by the 5th or 6th time the offense went 3-and-out, they began to wear down. There was nothing anyone could do to make that defense anything other than statistically terrible.

Blue since birth

October 15th, 2013 at 11:28 PM ^

Absolutely.

Just a gut feeling...

But I think Al might be our best hope of convincing Hoke (behind closed doors) that things have to change. He's certainly the one taking the heat. I think this might be why he was trying to dig through his chest in the video... Rather than my first impression that he was just on the defensive and feeling the pressure. After further reflection I'm not so sure Al is the problem.

denardogasm

October 15th, 2013 at 11:49 PM ^

Are we really going to do Sparty's job for them and start making fun of our own coaches?? Seriously get a fuckin grip everybody.  Question the play calling all you want but name calling and pictures of Uncle Fester have no place here.  

gustave ferbert

October 15th, 2013 at 10:48 PM ^

but is it normal for him to constantly be plucking at his manscaping like that?  Or is that a tell that he doesn't want to be there, and somewhat guilty that he is to blame for what went on Saturday?

LSAClassOf2000

October 15th, 2013 at 11:06 PM ^

Not that anyone cares, but I know that at least for me, I do have my own nervous habits which would communicate clearly that I am agitated and really don't want to be where I am. That's sort of how I read it. 

In any case, it is true that - by the numbers - Devin's performance was a significant uptick, so even despite the turnovers, there was that. I have to say that the tone and level of detail in the presser was not exactly shocking. 

Gameboy

October 15th, 2013 at 11:46 PM ^

I used to think that the limitations in passing was Denard's fault, but now I am thinking that it really was Borges failing to develop it. Devin is regressing. And the major part of that is due to the fact that Borges is not making it easier for him. Devin is constantly facing third and long and he knows it. When he does pass, it is so obvious that the defense is blitzing and putting a lot of pressure. This is not an environment where quaterback can relax and succeed. Borges needs to simplify things and let the QB take easy yard when they are there. Without that base, they end up forcing things which lead to turnovers. This is just going to get worse with Shane as he won't have the legs to give him an out when in trouble.

denardogasm

October 15th, 2013 at 11:52 PM ^

What about all the times we've seen where receivers have been open and Devin either didn't see them or threw it late?  That's not on Borges.  Devin got over confident and lackadaisical against Akron, and as a result he lost his confidence and is now trying to get it back.  He looked very good on a lot of throws on Saturday, so we'll see what happens from here.  

Magnum P.I.

October 16th, 2013 at 12:19 AM ^

Damaged confidence. He can make the throws, there's just a second of doubt now. Devin is a great player, he's just pressing too much and being put in suboptimal positions. It makes me really sad for him that his potential is being squandered. It kills me to think that kids would have been better of going to another school besides Michigan. But I truly think Devin would be a first or second round draft pick in a competent offense. 

taistreetsmyhero

October 16th, 2013 at 12:38 AM ^

If you put any merit into Brian's picture pages, teams are stacking the box because we telegraph our run plays to the point of insanity, with no hope of checking out of them. So it's not that defenses disrespect devins passing abilities, it's that our offense makes it clear that we are running and has no built in check downs.

maineandblue

October 16th, 2013 at 1:53 AM ^

Really? Do you genuinely believe Brian has a personal vendetta against those guys? Does he just hate Brandon's hair, and Borges' lack of hair? Why would this be Brian's goal in life? 

I think it's pretty clear that Brian dislikes stupid corporate money-making intrusions into our tradition rich program, and he dislikes stubborness and the inability to adapt and play smart football. Much of the fanbase agrees, which is why this blog became so popular. Feel free to disagree with Brian in a rational way, but you have no evidence to suggest Brian wants to disparage these guys because it's simply his goal in life. 

BILG

October 16th, 2013 at 2:25 PM ^

I would agree with you as Brian has had a hard on for spread offense since the days of Lloyd, and to this day will bring up RR as offensively successful, despite the fact that it was often yards without points and against shit defenses. Because of Lloyd/Debord doing less with more for a decade, and seeing us get shit on by the likes of northwestern, appy state, Oregon, Donovan mcnabb, spread option mobile qb's etc, Brian like many of us fans were psychologically damaged and tired of run left strategy.

For that reason there is an innate fear of manball and getting the least possible out of our 4 and 5 star recruits. The hope was that hoke was modern manball man, taking the best of all systems and gambling when necessary, but always being tough and physical first. More Gary moeller than Lloyd Carr if you will. This last game was Lloyd 2.0 and validated some of the fan bases worst fears. Are we going to be "tough" at the expense of being productive.

It's not a personal vendetta he has, but he is definitely biased against old school football given Lloyd's under achievements and the general shifts in college football. He does, however, often gloss over RR's offense not doing shit against real defenses wen at Michigan. There is an ever present fear of 3 yards and a cloud of dust, and Saturday was 1 yard and a pile of shit. I think the anger and apprehension is justified.

Magnum P.I.

October 16th, 2013 at 1:35 AM ^

Yes, seriously. Teams are stacking the box because our coaches were too quick to give up on Devin, and unfortunately it's affecting his psychology. My opinion. These guys are affected by failure and lack of successes, believe it or not. The Minnesota gameplan was like a slap in the face to Devin, especially after all the work he put into being a passer in the offseason and the great success he had against ND (we would've been throttled by ND if it weren't for him, by the way). He hasn't responded well to failure, but you let him work through that, especially against Minnesota. 

Rage

October 16th, 2013 at 8:50 AM ^

I don't blame Gardner, I blame his O-line.  I'd be nervous as hell back there too.  Remember Joey Harrington and what happened to him behind the Lion's O-line.  He was conditioned to dump the ball within two seconds before he was punished.  There is no way Morris could be effective right now.  

03 Blue 07

October 16th, 2013 at 12:10 AM ^

BILG:

I'm bummed about your recent travails with points, but am glad you are commenting, as I remember you from the haloscan days. Bend it like Gingell. 

I don't want to think about Al Borges. 

WolverineLake

October 15th, 2013 at 10:49 PM ^

  Dude is going to rub a hole right through his chest.

 

  Mumble mumble mumble "we sprinkled in a little power here and there" mumble mumble mumble "and then we had some big plays" mumble mumble "then we lost" mumble mumble "we made adjustments."

 

  FUCK!  That game sucked.

1464

October 15th, 2013 at 10:50 PM ^

Borges looks like a man being questioned in a murder case.  He was definitely feeling the heat there.  Im sure he is under a lot of pressure, regardless of Hoke's vote of confidence.  That lends credence to the fact that Hoke had a different take behind closed doors.  The other thing I noticed is that they praised Gardner.  That tells me they are still trying to build him up, as a three turnover contest usually does not solicit praise.  His ego must still be reeling from the last month or so... As a side note, Saturday was my first away game I've ever attended.  I wish I would have been the one who got maced.

UMgradMSUdad

October 16th, 2013 at 9:45 PM ^

Your post lends credence to the fact that you're projecting.  Or not. It's kind of fun to play armchair QB (or coach, as the case may be) and this is a sports blog.  But I think it best to leave the armchair psychological analysis behind. Nothing Borges said or did lends credence to any of your assertions.

maizedandconfused

October 15th, 2013 at 10:54 PM ^

"The power game wasn't that good, but you can't just get away from it"

The fuck you can't. Thats exactly what a coordinator is supposed to do; stop doing the stupid shit that doesn't work especially when something else is.

Erik_in_Dayton

October 15th, 2013 at 11:34 PM ^

Rember when Coach Beilein said, "I am going to have my center shoot threes and run the 1-3-1 come hell or high water, because that's what I do"? And then remember when Michigan played for a national chamionship with Jordan Morgan nailing shots from deep and with the team running nothing but the 1-3-1, because Beilein willed this into being rather than adapting? That's what happened, right?

reshp1

October 16th, 2013 at 12:05 AM ^

You are delusional dude. Last time I checked big Al wasn't throwing picks to the other team left and right, he wasn't blowing assignments or getting destroyed on the OL. I also didn't hear too many complaints about the play calling against ND. 

I know he rubs some people the wrong way and his play calling sucks sometimes, but get serious, we're not a very good team with or without him. I don't care what sort of newfangled scheme you come up with, guys still need to reliable execute in the trenches and not turn the ball over. Maybe we pull out the PSU game without him, but we'd still look ugly doing it. 

MGoBlue24

October 15th, 2013 at 10:59 PM ^

1. At what point do we run out of combinations to try?

2. And does it even matter if we go into predictable run sets anyway? If I'm Indiana's defensive coaching staff, I still devote half of of my prep time this week against exactly what Michigan showed at Penn State. We were at the game. My wife, a complete football neophyte, kept asking me why Michigan kept playing "all bunched up."

flwolverine

October 15th, 2013 at 11:01 PM ^

How cowardly. Change the setting of the press conference and only upload 5 mins of something that's usually around 15mins. Wow