One Frame At A Time: Michigan State
If I were simply hoping to sum up the game in GIF form, the above would suffice. But y'all had requests. So, so many requests. I appreciated each and every one of them.
Before I get to those, though, I have to acknowledge one reader who went above and beyond this week. The MGoStaff will all have physical copies of Monday's peak self-burn State News thanks to user TitaniumTim, who responded to my call yesterday and confirmed today that a shipment is headed our way. We cannot thank him enough.
And now, there are 70 more GIFs to post.
[Hit THE JUMP for a single-game record number of MGoGIFs.]
As always, click the links/stills to open each GIF in a lightbox, and don't forget to vote for your favorite at the end of the post.
People have asked how to save these: simply right-click on the link or still of the GIF you want to save, then click "save link as" and you're all set.
HONORABLE MENTION
This isn't included in the countdown since it's a decade old, but I'm forever indebted to ESPN for providing the caption and HD-quality clip of this:
One more note: before anyone asks, the Devin Bush hit on Chris Frey isn't in the countdown because it's a clear missed targeting that, despite him reentering the game one play later, almost certainly resulted in a concussion for Frey. There are enough big, legal hits from this game to satisfy your bloodlust. The Vine is in the game column, anyway.
The rest:
Butt catch, pylon cam.
Speight throw to Buttzone.
Speight eludes sack, bombs it to Darboh.
Speight first down signal.
Speight, uh, juke.
Speight dig to Darboh.
Speight finds Chesson.
Glasgow destroys jet sweep.
Damion Terry sandwich.
Did you catch it? Good.
Clap for points.
McDoom jet.
Smith romp.
Perplexed State student.
Geiger miss, Peppers celebration.
Harbaugh signals no good.
Harbaugh celebration 1.
Harbaugh celebration 2.
Harbaugh wants a hold.
Harbaugh, incredulous.
Delano Hill kills speed option.
Sit down, Dad.
Trombone "The Victors" loop.
Unsportsmanlike conduct, or MSU football in a GIF.
20. BUTTTRAIN
Nice to know the Train is also unstoppable outside the red zone.
19. Pressure, Pick
Not pictured: Mark Dantonio throwing Tyler O'Connor under the bus at halftime.
18. Stretch
Pylon cam had itself a day. Chris Frey, getting planted here by Kyle Kalis, not so much.
17. Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and Tackle, Part I
If your plan involves blocking Jabrill Peppers with a third-string tight end, you should probably rethink that plan.
16. Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and Tackle, Part II
That said, "blocking" Peppers with a third-string tight end is a call of Belichickian brilliance compared to leaving him unblocked on a fourth-and-short run.
Peppers's ensuing celebration.
15. Closing Speed
That's less "deer in the headlights" than "deer gets thrown in the path of a bullet train."
Also, best wishes for a speedy recovery, Brian Lewerke.
14. Play Seven
Jourdan Lewis awards you no points.
13. Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and Dodge
Look at that still and marvel at the fact that the defender directly to Peppers's right barely even grazes him.
12. Citizen Dang Only Needs One Hand
Missed calls don't matter when you make them not matter.
11. Sideline Sprint
I'm not sure anyone at Michigan, Harbaugh included, is better at their job than Kordi the Cord Guy.
10. Surprise McDoom
As you can see in the still, this fooled everyone, and also featured some beautiful downfield blocking, most notably from Kekoa Crawford.
McDoom's tongue-wag celebration:
He's pretty fun.
9. First Down
While Malik McDowell got the better of Mason Cole on Saturday, Cole gave an ever-so-subtle reminder that the team result is what's most important.
8. Incoming
That pylon cam died a hero.
7. No, Sparty
Getting bumped because you're too busy reacting to the play instead of getting the hell out of the way doesn't merit a penalty, you moron.
Also of note: the dog behind Sparty is way too cool for this game, and I have the utmost respect for that.
6. This Game In GIF Form
This is one of those instances when the still may be even better than the GIF.
5. Dudes
I'm not sure what makes me happier: Don Brown flying in for the bump or Jabrill Peppers looking overjoyed at the privilege.
Another tender Peppers/Brown moment.
4. The Fall
It came.
There's a lot more where those came from.
3. The Exclamation Point
Decent athlete, that guy.
2. Locked In The Woodshed
Throw away the key. Thanks to Mark the Nomad for the wonderful Crying MJ edit:
@AceAnbender pic.twitter.com/WdolGQ4rnN
— Mark (@MarktheNomad) October 31, 2016
Please don't ask how many times I've watched this.
FRAMES OF THE GAME: MESSAGE SENT
Tyler O'Connor and Gerald Holmes knew a chase would only end one way, so they didn't even try.
The finish line:
Overrated, though.
VOTE
November 1st, 2016 at 5:28 PM ^
November 2nd, 2016 at 8:13 AM ^
Given the disparity in vertical leaping ability, it was more like a chest-navel bump.
November 1st, 2016 at 5:28 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 1st, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 5:42 PM ^
In a quick montage, ESPN showed a replay angle in which it sure looked to me like Bush led with his helmet. Intricacies of the rule aside, though, it was at best a borderline hit, and I'm not big on celebrating those, especially if they result in injury—and even though MSU didn't run a full test, it was pretty apparent that Frey was concussed from the hit.
November 1st, 2016 at 5:52 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 6:29 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 5:54 PM ^
I agree with that if you are in the opinion he used the crown of the helmet. I think that's what you mean by led with the helmet. I do not have that opinion, he didn't lower his head enough to be the crown. This of course is pretty loose on what everyone thinks the crown of the helmet is.
It's pretty hard to run into blocking someone without having your helmet contact the player, often in his helmet, since frequently the height of your heads match.
My feeling is that everyone is confused on the "defenseless" part of the rule, which is a different situation than the plain "spearing" as I remember it from high school football. And spearing with the crown has always been against the rule at many levels of football.
My memory of the ESPN broadcast was that one of the announcers tried to describe Frey as the defenseless player. I realize this is pretty open in the rule, but I take the spirit of the rule to mean a defenseless player has to be occupied in throwing or catching the football, not just existing on the field, or running after someone to tackle them.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:39 PM ^
My favorite was three defense lineman converging at the g.p.s location of Damion Terry. That's the hit that made me stand up and say..."day-yum"...softly to myself.
November 1st, 2016 at 7:20 PM ^
If it was pretty obvious he was concussed, why do you suppose the medical staff in East Lansing continues to insist Frey was not concussed?
From MLive: "Linebacker Chris Frey has a sore neck, but has no concussion symptoms and went through the proper protocols before returning to play against Michigan, according to Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio."
Are you saying Mark Dantonio is lying? Dantonio is a lot of things, but do people seriously believe he cares so little about the health and safety of his players that he'd risk their lives?
November 2nd, 2016 at 11:50 AM ^
November 2nd, 2016 at 9:29 AM ^
if it was then the hit that knocked Chris Evans out of the prior game was also a targeting that wasn't called.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:36 PM ^
a hard clean hit, shoulder to shoulder. i guess all the players heads must now be removed before making a tackle. he didnt lead with the crown of his helmet and there was no direct helmet to helmet contact. they tried to call wormley for targeting and that shouldn`t have been a penalty at all.
November 1st, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
Every angle shows Devin Bush's left shoulder slamming Frey's right chest/shoulder area. That was the initial hit, subsequently Bush's momentum carried his head/helmet in front of Frey, and Frey's momentum caused his face mask to hit the side of Bush's helmet.
People need to put their big boy pants on and understand that football is being played but if they are really truly concerned about "targeting", then there was targeting on that play but it wasn't between Bush and Frey. The targeting was in fact #5 Andrew Dowell leading with his helmet and hitting Jabrill Peppers in the facemask.
November 1st, 2016 at 9:38 PM ^
November 2nd, 2016 at 12:01 AM ^
100% Bush hit him too hard I guess so it's targeting? Dantonio spoke with the B1G about it, he told reporters he would leave it to them to say what their response was. I think they told him it was not targeting, just like they told a bunch of angry MSU fans who have been blowing up the conference office phones trying to get Bush suspended.
November 2nd, 2016 at 12:48 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
The exclamation point! Peppers is put on offense to end the game just because and proceeds to casually show off his insane athleticism.
The 2-point return was an incredible moment, but the pure joy of the flip gets my vote.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:39 PM ^
Agreed, but that wasnt unique. He's always in on victory formation.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:48 PM ^
Troy Polamalu used to line up as the deep safety on the Steelers' kneeldown plays. After you think about it for a second, it becomes obvious -- the only reason to play a deep safety there is as a final line of defense in case things go completely sideways... so you may as well put your most versatile tackler there. Now, I don't know that I've ever seen that guy have to make a play (e.g., on a bad snap), but it makes sense to have Peppers be that guy.
November 1st, 2016 at 5:36 PM ^
I vote for all of them.
November 1st, 2016 at 5:38 PM ^
I have watched "Locked in the Woodshed" 100 times. I will now proceed to watch it 100 more times.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:08 PM ^
That was my vote. So many good choices, but seeing Bullough get smoked by Smith just makes me so happy.
November 1st, 2016 at 5:42 PM ^
I can't help myself. I love that Harbaugh does it every single game. And I love his response to it every single time... A lesser coach would tear apart the cord guy. Harbaugh is never a lesser coach.
November 1st, 2016 at 5:42 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 1st, 2016 at 5:45 PM ^
More like a samosa.
November 1st, 2016 at 7:14 PM ^
Can I get some fries and a drink with my Terry Sandwich??
November 1st, 2016 at 7:32 PM ^
Fries with a samosa? Yuck.
November 2nd, 2016 at 3:27 AM ^
I voted for that one, too, mostly in memory of Devin Gardner and the abuse he took in this particular rivalry (damn near every other game, too). That, to me, put it slightly past the McDoom reverse in which the entire defense was fooled. Peppers as a decoy is often as fun to watch as Peppers the ball carrier.
November 1st, 2016 at 5:57 PM ^
I voted for the McDoom Reverse that had multiple excellent blocks including Butt, Smith, and obviously crawford.
November 1st, 2016 at 8:06 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 5:58 PM ^
I thought the dad in "Sit down, Dad" was Les Miles for a wild second and I was baffled as to his choice of gear. He looks a bit more like Kurt Russell than Miles, but someone tell me I'm not taking crazy pills.
November 1st, 2016 at 5:58 PM ^
#15 Closing Speed
Not only does Peppers take away the hot route over the middle, but he has the instincts to know that once that route is gone, the QB has nowhere to go but to scramble. His closing speed is unreal, and that poor freshman QB didn't see it coming.
That's an all-star play from an all-star player.
November 1st, 2016 at 5:58 PM ^
I was all set to vote for the Exclamation Point, but the pure resignation of Tyler O'Connor as he puts his head down in defeat in the MSU Give-Up is glorious. That's a young man suddenly awarded a most unwelcome sense of perspective.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:11 PM ^
but i have to go with message sent...it's just so fitting. i wish we could see morks face the moment it all goes so horribly wrong.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:13 PM ^
I totally overlooked "the rest", and missed two golden gifs:
Sit down, dad
Unsportsmanlike conduct, or MSU football in a gif
Wow. If you need to show what a typical Sparty behavior is, show either of these two. "Dad" is going bonkers over ?? with :27 on the clock, and the game is already over...
The other features a MSU player (their star player on defense) whining about a legit penalty, and Coach D showing off his signature grin.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:13 PM ^
Why is there no "Select All" option in the vote?
November 1st, 2016 at 7:22 PM ^
^^^This^^^
For the first time ever I legitimately love EVERY gif that Ace made. He's always good, he has a Talent. But today he reeeeeally brought his A game.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:19 PM ^
the gifs of Dantonio in pain over getting his ass kicked. The sigh is the best-not sure but I think he fought off some vomit there.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:20 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 1st, 2016 at 6:20 PM ^
November 1st, 2016 at 6:22 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 1st, 2016 at 6:34 PM ^
Jake Butt also had a "I'm having so much fun my tongue won't stay in my mouth" moment
November 1st, 2016 at 6:38 PM ^
Geeze, I had already forgotten about them. So rear view mirror with deeply embedded Wolverine tracks on their backsides. Citizen Dang, well, I prefer Don Brown's term of endearment "the Dudes." Although Citizen Dang does enjoy its connotations, so I guess I like that one too.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:45 PM ^
My second choice was 4. The Fall: It Came. That's the moment when he truly seemed to understand the length and depth of the shaft. Umm, so good.
Had to go with 6. This Game in GIF form. Peppers' sheer expression of joy there....well it just feels like magic.
November 1st, 2016 at 6:54 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 1st, 2016 at 6:59 PM ^
Blood lust; unsated.
November 1st, 2016 at 7:09 PM ^
Gotta go with Message sent (Full Return) because of that speed. It took him 8.5 seconds to go 85+ yards. I gotta agree with Harbaugh here I expected to hear a sonic BOOM and see parachutes pop out at the end. And while you don't quite get the same sense of f*ck it we don't have a chance you can see that O'Connor wants no part of that chase.
November 2nd, 2016 at 10:47 AM ^
I didn't remember him sliding at the end. I think I was responding to my wife scolding me for yelling at the TV.
Comments