Wisconsin 35, Michigan 14
That felt like a game of a bygone era, and not the one Jim Harbaugh constantly evokes. Michigan lost to Wisconsin in a start-to-finish debacle that'll shake even the most steadfast optimist's confidence in the program, at the very least until they can play on a big stage without getting stunted on.
Nothing went right. For the third straight game, Michigan lost a fumble on their opening drive, this time Ben Mason deep in Badger territory. There was no running game. Dylan McCaffrey replaced an ineffective Shea Patterson at quarterback until getting knocked out of the game by a dirty hit to the head. Wisconsin back Jonathan Taylor hit the century mark before the first quarter ended. Their quarterback, Jack Coan, completed 13 of his 16 pass attempts.
I’m gonna cry after the halftime show #BigNoonKickoff
— Charles Woodson (@CharlesWoodson) September 21, 2019
The rumored walking wounded, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Zach Charbonnet, suited up but made little impact until well into garbage time. Even on the shutout-breaking touchdown, Sean McKeon appeared to hurt his knee after landing in the end zone. A desperation Wolverine touchdown was overturned just before yet another lost fumble.
This was coming off a bye week.
— Ace Anbender (@AceAnbender) September 21, 2019
Okay, I slightly overstated things. The onside kick was lovely, even if it failed to provide the final score with an unearned veneer of respectability. Patterson's pitch to Jon Runyan Jr. provided a much-needed moment of levity. The late eff-it bombs to Nico Collins and Tarik Black provided a blueprint for what this offense should have been doing all along, for the love of all things sacred and holy.
Sorry.
203 yards on 23 carries. [Bryan Fuller]
A disaster of this magnitude brings with it major questions, the most pressing of which is: where is the offense we were promised in the offseason? And there are so many others. How do we distribute the blame for the offense's performance? When (if?) both quarterbacks are healthy, who starts? What the hell happened to the offensive line? What defensive alignment can be effective with this set of personnel? What the hell happened to those guys, too?
When does this stop? If it doesn't, when do we ask The Big Question that it's still too soon to ask no matter what's said on sports talk radio this week?
I certainly don't have the answers. Jim Harbaugh, Josh Gattis, and Don Brown are going to need to come up with some.
[Hit THE JUMP for the box score.]
September 21st, 2019 at 7:34 PM ^
This is why Urban Meyer keeps saying UM has the talent. It’s his not so subtle way of telling us all the issues are with the coaching staff, starting with Jim. Urban’s smirk says it all. He knows this program doesn’t have it anymore and he can’t help but express that joy. Must be nice
September 22nd, 2019 at 9:29 AM ^
Your last sentence hits the nail on the head; attendance dropping off. Seems destined after this Wisc debacle. This will really be noticed if and when Michigan losses to IA on Oct 5th, Homecoming.
I dread to think how many Ohio State fans will invade Michigan Stadium again. I may have to just leave town and not see this replay again. I can only hope not.
September 21st, 2019 at 10:22 PM ^
It’s very obvious Patterson is not the answer or QB everyone hoped he would be. If Harbaugh doesn’t start Dylan then he will go down with this ship by years end and this program will drop into disarray. There is too much talent on this team to play this poorly. I’m also tired of hearing how great Don Brown is our defense is not very good and good teams just shred it
September 21st, 2019 at 4:48 PM ^
Why do we get THROTTLED when we are overmatched?
It's never a close loss. Not lately, anyways.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:49 PM ^
They have an identity...Clueless.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:23 PM ^
Hey now
the lions are 1-0-1 and they have a functional QB
September 21st, 2019 at 8:21 PM ^
Disagree completely. They do not at all look entitled. They look unconfident and poorly coached. Stupid mistakes and non-cohesive game plans. I want Harbaugh to be the guy, but am sad to say I feel like it isn’t going to happen.
September 21st, 2019 at 10:51 PM ^
I see this exactly. We look tentative and skittish on offense. The game plans fall flat and we look unprepared.
I guess all we can hope for is a turnaround, but I certainly don’t expect it.
September 23rd, 2019 at 9:41 AM ^
Uh, they are not playing like the Lions. The Lions are winning.
September 21st, 2019 at 3:59 PM ^
They cannot make their current identity work. We heard all offseason what the coaches want.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:07 PM ^
Yeah, they have the personnel to have the exact identity they wanted. But they hired the wrong coach to do it. Total whiff. Not surprising either. 35-year-old WR coach that rode other guys coattails. Why would we think that's a good idea? It could have worked out, but had a very good chance of not working out so it's a totally unnecessary risk, given the amount of money we have to throw at people.
I don't get why it's so hard. Hire a guy that is in charge of an offense (or an entire team but who was recently in charge of an offense), punching above his weight/talent class and putting up video game like numbers at a lower level. There are guys out there that are far lower risk.
Hit the Don Brown hire. Missed on this one.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:49 PM ^
Problem is as many other have pointed out that Harbaugh is not willing to give up having a hand in the offense. We may see after this season that he goes for an actual OC with experience but it might be too late.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:01 PM ^
Every head coach has a hand in the offense and defense. Do you think they just hire two coordinators then sit in their office staring into space?
September 21st, 2019 at 8:27 PM ^
Hit the Don Brown hire.
Uh...did you see what Don Brown’s defense did today? They were as pathetic as the offense. He’s a bad DC. Any offense with a pulse shreds his defense.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:11 PM ^
TUOS says hi.
September 22nd, 2019 at 3:53 AM ^
It's possible that OCs are hesitant to come in as an OC w/ Harbaugh, he may have a reputation as not really giving control.
I mean, a former college QB, NFL QB, NFL HC, I'm not sure how many up-and-coming ambitious OC"s are going to feel like they'll have the freedom/respect/creativity that they could possibly get elsewhere.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:53 PM ^
I'd say we're an identity without a program.
September 21st, 2019 at 3:57 PM ^
I have defended him at every turn, but this is the kind of game that tips the scales the wrong way. Probably the beginning of the end for JH, even if it takes 2 years to get there.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:11 PM ^
I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves after this season if it ends like 2017 (which is looking highly likely barring a PSU 2016 like turn around).
September 21st, 2019 at 4:17 PM ^
If things go bad from here (and it certainly feels like it's pointing that way) this week's terrible performance with cut-ins from sad Charles and giddy Urban will feel like the tipping point.
Could this be rock bottom they crawl out of? Sure, maybe, but I'm not confident in that at all.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:15 PM ^
First three games do not inspire much confidence in the offense and Gattis. Seems like Gattis isn't a polished play caller like I was hoping for at the start of the season. That kind of effort after a bye week is depressing. I'm holding on to hold he gets the hang of the job over the next three weeks and the second half of season we see a top 20 caliber team.
September 21st, 2019 at 5:50 PM ^
Well, given that Gattis has never called plays, it was obvious he wasnt going to be polished. I did not think he would be abysmal.
September 21st, 2019 at 8:48 PM ^
I really don't know about the play-calling, but the constant mistakes are ridiculous. Everything from missed assignments to tripping over each other. It could be that the play-calls are terrible, but the actual play is so bad, how can you tell? I got nothing on this one. It looks like a team that doesn't practice very well. From the 10 or so minutes of game I actually watched, they looked down right confused at times. The other two games, too. This is a terrible bunch of coaching we're witnessing, here. It's reminiscent of Threet-Sheridan. And what in the hell is Don Brown doing?
September 21st, 2019 at 9:03 PM ^
Agreed - especially with an offensive minded coach and a former OC coaching the OL.
September 21st, 2019 at 6:01 PM ^
Wtf? Why would you expect someone who has never been a play caller to be “polished” in his first year?
September 21st, 2019 at 6:06 PM ^
I have a serious question for you. I love Michigan everything and I’ve been at a lot of games bla bla bla. But do you think that Gattis called a defensive end over to the offensive side call a timeout after inserting him and then handing it off to him in the redzone? If you do I have some land I want to sell you in my backyard with a guarantee of striking GOLD. Sorry my friend Gattis is NOT calling plays.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:13 PM ^
Gattis is clearly calling plays.
The most naive thing is to think Gattis is actually a savant who will save this if only Jim gets out of his way. The problems are much bigger than that and likely include Gattis.
September 21st, 2019 at 7:57 PM ^
Gattis did not insert a FB into his offense. He told us, point blank, that there was no FB in his offense. Putting Mason at FB, in the middle of the season, was all Harbaugh in response to failed 4th downs against Army.
Harbaugh is driving a lot of the offense. Mason proves it.
Gattis isn't a savant, but the offense we see is a weird hybrid Harbaugh power and some spread passing stuff. Were there any zone reads today? RPO's? This offense is as out of sync as it ever was last year.
September 21st, 2019 at 8:20 PM ^
They still haven’t had a fullback on the field. Mason lined up as a single back in the gun.
Harbaugh’s run games have always, at the least, made sense. Too many runs and too many runs into stacked boxes, but he was quick to toss plays that didn’t work and always had run game counters. The run game design this year is absolute nonsense.
It all falls on Harbaugh anyway but I don’t know how anyone watches these games and thinks “that offense looks like Harbaugh” in any way other than being mad at it.
September 21st, 2019 at 9:09 PM ^
But...everyone on MGOBLOG called for a FB on short yardage situations after Army. They obliged and look what we got. However, I wouldn't think 2nd and goal from the 7 is Ben Mason time.
September 21st, 2019 at 10:02 PM ^
I can't wrap my head around it either, I don't get it, then again I'm not a football mind... all I know is if he didn't fumble it then probably third and goal at worst.
September 21st, 2019 at 8:44 PM ^
Here is my serious answer. I think they realized Zach was limited, Tru was out BVS fumbled/ is in the dog house and wanted a big power back.
So, Mason probably played some RB during the last 2 weeks and was at least somewhat successful in practice against the D. Gattis or Harbaugh aren't giving a handoff to a dude who hasn't practiced in 9 months.
September 22nd, 2019 at 4:55 AM ^
Mason had no idea where to even line up. 2nd play of the game they call a time out just to get the proper formation set. Shea overthrows a touchdown on a Mason fake dive.
When the cameras zoomed in before the next play, it was just as disorganized in the backfield and Shea had to explain where Mason had to stand, probably telling him he is actually getting the ball this time.
I wasn’t surprised that Mason was getting the ball on the next play, and neither was Wisconsin. And, I wasn’t surprised he fumbled.
He should only have been on that field for 3rd or 4th and 1-2 yards and just to bull rush it to the goal line.
Doubtful thise plays were practiced with the actual personnel on the field.
Coaching.
September 22nd, 2019 at 1:29 AM ^
I’m not ready to give up on Gattis yet. We have seen glimpses of an offense that can be effective and move the ball.
our problem isn’t an offense that is being run perfectly but just failing, our problem is errors, turnovers, uninspiring and undisciplined play. This isn’t the first game we have seen it, hell it isn’t even the first season we have seen it. I see an uninspired shell of team without any confidence. Thats a ceo problem.
September 22nd, 2019 at 8:40 AM ^
was i the only one screaming at the tv for gattis to quickly call a play after the long r bell rac? the o line was begging for a play to be called while the mojo was there to strike. time out; wisconsin regroups and them we give a ball to a guy (who we like) but we’re told spent the past spring summer and fall camps playing defense. fumble number 7 and the whole team deflates. all because we don’t or can’t make a play call in 35 seconds? not the kids’ fault.
September 21st, 2019 at 3:57 PM ^
That was less than fun.
September 21st, 2019 at 3:57 PM ^
They will have no answers, because they never do, and never have.
September 21st, 2019 at 3:57 PM ^
Too bad we don't have another bye week to get back to basics.
September 22nd, 2019 at 12:14 PM ^
Well, Rutgers is next so we kind of do have another bye.
September 21st, 2019 at 3:58 PM ^
I can imagine Michigan cleaning up the fumbles, penalties, and passing miscues as the season goes on. But the OL and DL problems seem to be deeper than mere sloppiness. And Patterson is at best a good QB but not the type to pull a team up to a higher level.
I'll defend the defense a little bit here: it's very hard not to be demoralized when the offense is giving you so little. The first half time of possession was roughly 24:6. That's partly on the defense, but that's not much help from the offense!
September 21st, 2019 at 4:02 PM ^
You know he was the #1 ranked qb out of HS and had a record setting second year in the SEC. putting Brady on this team he would suck. Not saying Shea is great but without a team a pro bowler couldn’t do jack.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:15 PM ^
How long are we going to flog the past for more than it's worth?
His HS and Ole Miss stats aren't worth the pixels they're posted with, when his performance on the field tells a different story.
It's like the pre-game WINNINGEST PROGRAM IN HISTORY hype reel. That's great. But when's the last time they played like it?
September 21st, 2019 at 6:43 PM ^
They haven’t and I’m no fan of SP, however the way the team is playing no one would good at qb. Think Coan is Super Bowl caliber qb? He had a team playing making him look good. My point is the team is rotten to the core and it isn’t simply SP.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:16 PM ^
Yeah, not much a QB can do with non-stop pressure straight up the middle.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:24 PM ^
He had all day in the first half before Wisconsin could just pin their ears back. He missed reads and throws.
The game plan was rough though. Didn't bother to even run the ball (likely because Charbonnet was less than 100%), didn't bother to threaten QBs runs. So then Shea trying to pick apart a zone defense with no threat of a run? Ha, good luck.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:47 PM ^
Thank you. The OL was fine in the first half when the offense did fuck all nothing. Shea holds the goddamn ball forever. He’s never play in the NFL where 3 seconds is good pocket.
September 22nd, 2019 at 1:32 AM ^
But I hear he’s a good golfer.
September 21st, 2019 at 4:26 PM ^
I don't remember last year being non-stop pressure straight up the middle, and it was still a season rife with "Patterson... IN TROUBLE!"
September 21st, 2019 at 5:10 PM ^
Patterson passes much better than Mccaffrey, but he needs a loooong time to make a decision and wind up and throw it. He'll never get it with this OL.
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