Michigan going for 2 was the right call
I contend that it was the right call to go for 2 against Rutgers when up 27-0.
When kicking extra points, Rutgers was overloading our right side. They lined 7 up on our right, but would then pull an 8th man lined up on our left to try and create havoc and holes on our right. Additionally another player lined up on our left would swing way around the end.
In essence they were hitting our right with 8 men and only had 2 men to cover a large section just to the left of our center and their man swinging around our left flank.
Rutgers by overloading our right side to that extent had been inviting us to try an easy run. We had to do it, to keep them honest on special teams. We couldn't risk them blocking a kick.
Plus, they scheduled their New Jersey satellite camp the same day as ours with Ohio State.
October 9th, 2016 at 6:11 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 4:47 PM ^
Actually the try failed. It would have made it 52-14.
October 9th, 2016 at 6:12 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 8:08 PM ^
To be fair, when you see 50 points it's easy to assume it was seven TDs and one 2-pointer - and it seems like people assume they converted.
October 9th, 2016 at 4:34 PM ^
I'd like to think it was because they had it coming for pounding their chests and talking shit going into the tunnel down 35-17 at halftime. But maybe it was an X's and O's thing I missed.
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October 9th, 2016 at 4:47 PM ^
Peppers said Harbaugh went for 2 last year, because Rutgers players were talking trash in the tunnel going into halftime despite being down 19 and then he went "livid" in the lockerroom.
October 9th, 2016 at 5:05 PM ^
I say we go for 2 every year when we play Rutgers. Make it a new tradition.
October 9th, 2016 at 6:11 PM ^
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October 9th, 2016 at 4:38 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 4:39 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 4:41 PM ^
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October 9th, 2016 at 4:45 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 6:15 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 4:50 PM ^
I think it was necessary to send a message. Overloaded lines like that sometimes end up with 4 defenders crashing in on 1 blocker. We've had enough knee injuries this year.
October 9th, 2016 at 4:54 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 8:39 PM ^
Please note I did not say excuse. The reason is to practice the play in a real game so that down the road if that opportunity presents itself when it matters, the team has perfected the play.
Are you really that obtuse?
October 9th, 2016 at 8:20 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 4:54 PM ^
I would argue from a game standpoint, we needed to do it.
You would sit back as a head coach and let Rutgers slam 8 guys into 4 or 5 of our guys on right side of our line every time we kicked?!
With some of their guys getting through, our guys double teamed, on slippery grass where injuries can happen...and a possible blocked kick that could get returned.
All you had to do was run a trick play up the gut to keep them honest...but we shouldn't because of feelings and/or politeness?
If they are still playing to block kicks on the point afters, why shouldn't we keep playing on the point afters?
October 10th, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^
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October 9th, 2016 at 4:40 PM ^
I especially liked the design of the play. The left side featured a combination with a down block and a kick out underneath with the end man hard setting into protection. I'm assuming that this is something that can be called to either side and possibly even at the line, if Jim gives Moores that discretion.
October 9th, 2016 at 4:41 PM ^
in a game, not gamesmanship, but practice. Not gamesmanship, practice for that call in a situation that matters. Practice, not gamesmanship, The play was on for the first 4 scores, called off before the extra point was kicked on thei first 3, and then executed based on the defensive look the PAT got. Practice makes perfect. And puts something else on film for a team to prepare for every week.
October 9th, 2016 at 4:47 PM ^
We couldn't risk them blocking a kick.
*Snort*
October 9th, 2016 at 4:51 PM ^
This isn't Pop Warner and the players don't get orange slices fromt he team mom at half time - so who cares?
October 9th, 2016 at 4:52 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 4:54 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 4:56 PM ^
It's always good to break the garden's fence.
October 9th, 2016 at 4:58 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 5:01 PM ^
There are a ton of reasons to go for 2 at that point:
- You recognize something in the coverage and want to exploit it
- You have a 2-point play design you've been practicing and want to see it in live action
- You give future opponents more to game plan for / keep future opponents honest on XP attempts
The notion that he "ran the score up" is absurd on it's face. Our starters did not play the entire 2nd half. We threw 3 passes in that 2nd half, 2 on the first drive of the 2nd half. The alternative to handing the ball off and running, which we did, is starting to take knees in the 3rd quarter. No one does that, anywhere. It's pretty incredible that the 2nd and 3rd string won the 2nd half 35-0 doing basically nothing but running the ball, but they did.
October 9th, 2016 at 5:03 PM ^
^this is 100% correct.
October 10th, 2016 at 7:10 AM ^
I could not watch the game..but if we ran the ball almost 100% of the 2nd half, did Rutgers not stack the box??? ...and we were still able to run over them at will???
October 10th, 2016 at 11:19 AM ^
Yes...correct. Even Jansen made the observation that it was an audible and it was up to the holder's discretion to try it whenever he saw certain defensive alignments. According to him the kicking team works on it regularly.
I'm just curious as to whether the holder has the same discretion on field goal attempts or punts. Would seem, logically, that they would practice this as well.
October 10th, 2016 at 11:24 AM ^
More than that, Harbaugh's not one to take the gas off until there is virtually no chance of the opponent coming back. That early in the second quarter, it simply wouldn't have been smart football to assume a win was in the bag. Once the third quarter is underway without evidence of a dramatic halftime adjustment on the other side, that calculus changes.
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October 9th, 2016 at 5:02 PM ^
At one point last night the ol' lady goes "why don't they change the rules in the 2nd half like they did in that Clemson game?"
Clemson was playing South Carolina St of the MEAC. Michigan was on the road in the Big Ten.
October 9th, 2016 at 5:08 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 5:07 PM ^
I just hate that they didn't go for 2 twice more. 80 is a much rounder number than 78.
October 9th, 2016 at 5:07 PM ^
Kind of unrelated, but by all accounts this was a big recruiting weekend in terms of visitors for Rutgers. I believe Isaiah Wilson was visiting. Question, why would Rutgers schedule big time recruits for a game against Michigan? I get it's primetime, big time opponent, but I have to belive Ash knew they were going to get it. I'm thinking Wilson took his official to Rutgers this weekend more to see Michigan. I just don't understand the logic with Rutgers bringing in your prime targets to have them watch Michigan dismantle you.
October 9th, 2016 at 5:18 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 6:10 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 6:51 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 7:04 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 5:27 PM ^
Tom VanHaaren tweeted that Wilson was visiting and then listed the 5 schools he's taking OVs to at later dates, Rutgers wasn't one of them. So he obviously was there to see Michgan.
October 9th, 2016 at 6:58 PM ^
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October 9th, 2016 at 5:13 PM ^
Garrett Moores's Dad actually took out my wisdom teeth this May, so I was excited to see him convert that 2-point conversion.
October 9th, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 7:42 PM ^
October 9th, 2016 at 5:13 PM ^
I agree, but I think we made the wrong call 10 out of 11 times. Left 10 points on the field.
October 9th, 2016 at 5:17 PM ^
They were pretty much asking for it, and Jim gave it to them. I just hope he does it every time we score in East Lansing.
October 9th, 2016 at 5:17 PM ^
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October 9th, 2016 at 5:21 PM ^
Spare me your bullshit. If Meyer pulled that stunt it would've been all "we needed to practice the play in a live game" or "we saw a weakness in the formation and decided to take a chance." Everyone is in the wrong except for you, right?
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