Iowa 24, Michigan 21 Comment Count

Ace

I started writing this post at Heiko's apartment before my laptop battery mercifully bailed out, giving me a few minutes to think on the drive home. Time heals all wounds, they say; this wasn't nearly enough time.

Michigan got an early gift when Jake Ryan's crushing hit on Iowa QB Jake Rudock on a play-action rollout—sound familiar?—led to a fluttering pass that Brennen Beyer intercepted and took back seven yards for a touchdown. The defense came away with two other interceptions in the game; Blake Countess baiting Rudock for his second pick led directly to the second Wolverine touchdown, a two-yard pass to A.J. Williams that Iowa had completely dead to rights until Devin Gardner comically stiff-armed Tanner Miller to the ground in the backfield.

Left to its own devices, the Michigan offense could muster just one more score in the game, a nine-yard pass to Jeremy Gallon to give them a 21-7 halftime lead.

The Wolverines finished with 158 yards on 57 plays (2.8 ypp); the Greg Davis-coached Iowa offense managed to tally 407 yards (5.5 ypp) despite freezing temperatures and a howling wind. At one point in the second half, Al Borges called for back-to-back reverses—the first one worked; the second predictably failed miserably. Iowa adjusted to Michigan's fake-bubble-based run game and that was all she wrote; the defense, down both starting linebackers by the end of the game, couldn't stop the inevitable comeback.



Eight three-and-outs. Eight.

Gardner fumbled on a draw play on Michigan's final offensive possession, their first turnover of the game; it was unfortunate, to be sure, but at this point it's pretty tough to blame the guy:

I watch him play and feel no anger, just sadness. Michigan is left with no reasonable option but to put him out there despite the fact that he's obviously not close to the same player he was last year or at the start of this season, clearly hurt, and being put in a position in which few—if any—quarterbacks could succeed. Gardner gives this team the best chance to win; he's also battered, skittish, and quite possibly flat-out injured.

Crazy things happen in football, which is why we keep watching. It'll take something beyond any reasonable expectation of crazy for Michigan to even stay competitive in The Game on Saturday.

Comments

mgoblue98

November 24th, 2013 at 11:58 PM ^

So in summary; Mary Sue Coleman, Dave Brandon, Brady Hoke, Al Borges, Funk and Jackson all need to be fired. Then they should hire John Harbaugh, who will keep Mattison, and a really awesome unnamed offensive coordinator who may or may not exist and then watch Michigan win the national championship next year. Magical rainbow farting unicorns are real, too.

ccarna

November 25th, 2013 at 12:36 AM ^

From; The Huntsville Times

Note the bolded portion

Borges is out as Auburn offensive coordinator

Posted by Phillip Marshall, The Huntsville Times December 11, 2007 12:26 AM

Categories: Football



Two seasons of offensive struggles have cost Al Borges his job as Auburn's offensive coordinator.



Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville told Borges last week of his decision to make a change. Borges has already left the Auburn staff and will not coach against Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31. There has been no official announcement from Auburn, but that will come soon. It is uncertain when Tuberville will name a replacement or who will coordinate the offense in the bowl game.



In going 8-4 in the regular season, Auburn scored two or fewer touchdowns in six of eight Southeastern Conference games and finished 101st out of 119 Division I-A teams with an average of 298.3 yards per game.

 

MaizeJacket

November 25th, 2013 at 11:21 AM ^

Michigan is starting 13 true freshmen, which is unheard of for a power program.  It's damn near impossible to win 10-11 games with that.

 

Devin has taken a beating this year, but it just amuses me to see people still wanting to blame Al Borges for everything, when in the first quarter we saw a quick example of just how amusing it is that everyone thinks that.  On 1st and 10, Gardner threw down the right sideline for Funchess, who ran a simple fly route.  Funchess flat out drops the ball.  On 2nd and 10, Michigan ran what looked like a screen (which for some reason people think here is the problem-solver) and Gardner one-hopped it.  On 3rd and 10, the call is a screen, which is a reasonable call on 3rd and long.  The back Toussaint is obliterated as he catches the ball because no linemen are willing to look around to, you know, block someone.  Please explain to me how that series was Al's fault.

 

I've seen pretty much nothing about anyone complaining about the defense.  The powers that run this blog have tried to brainwash us that Iowa is average/not good.  They were definitely not good last season, but if I recall, haven't they beaten our ass 4 out of the past 5 seasons? Talk about not respecting your opponent.  On Saturday they picked up 21 first downs.  Twenty-one first downs.  That's on Al Borges, right?  407 total offensive yards, 19-30 passing for a whopping 8 yards per pass.  That's on Al Borges.  44 rushing attempts for 168 yards, which is 3.8 yards a clip, which is above average yards per carry to get a first down every 3 carries.  I know, I know, that's on Al Borges.

 

I know why the offense is easier to critique.  The camera follows the ball, so when there's an incomplete pass, or a sack, or run for loss, everyone can freely exclaim "WHY DID WE RUN THAT, THAT DIDN'T WORK DERRPP".  But when the D gives up 400, it's not as infuriating, since far fewer viewers will watch which way the coverage rolls or the man-to-man matchups.

 

I know everybody's nice and pissed off and clearly didn't exercise the 24-hour rule, and put on Arizona-Oregon to see Rich Rodriguez match Michigan's record at 7-4, and then imitate the Israelites by saying we were better and improving under Rich Rod.  Sure, record-wise, he was improving.  But he alienated key people from the beginning, and sucked on top of that.  There was no way he could NOT improve.  Also bringing in guys like Ray Vinopal to play safety would just about keep Michigan at 7-5 forever.  This is the worst season under Brady Hoke, and at worst it could finish 7-6.  That's the best RR ever got to.

 

So let's just calm down.  I think the HC, OC, and DC stay intact for one more season.  I could see some position coaches go (that happens every year everywhere pretty much anyway, though), and see what 2014 brings.  If it's 7-5 again and a whitewashing from Ohio, then yeah, let's revisit this.