Slightly Less Immediate Reactions
The refs were truly brutal in this game. I certainly won't blame them for the end result, but they definitely had a hand in getting the game there. Awful PI calls on Warren, a somewhat questionable one on Trent, and a catch by Mathews gave the Irish about a 15 point swing, and when playing from behind, players are more likely to take risks to make a big play. Also, the Grady fumble should have been called dead for forward progress. That was a hell of a missed call. Again, the players are ultimately responsible for the result, but this is a young team that didn't really deserve the help in beating itself.
The defensive line was kinda crappy. Though they ultimately allowed ND to get only 3.3 yards for each carry, they gave up some critical yards in the third and fourth quarters. Still, when the defense only gives up 1 or 2 scoring drives (one ND TD "drive" started at the Michigan 11, one at the Michigan 14, two were composed almost entirely of a long pass to Golden Tate, and the final TD was scored on defense), it's hard to find a ton of fault on that side of the ball.
Steven Threet, as predicted by many, has settled down the more game reps he has gotten. He finally calmed down enough to execute the throws that he was floating before. Then Sheridan came in a reminded Michigan fans why they should want Threet to succeed.
Sam McGuffie looks like the real deal. The offensive line was still sub-optimal against the Irish, and McGuffie had some impressive runs (and of course the screen pass). It was so kind of Perry Dorrestein to slam into McGuffie from behind on the touchdown screen.
Going forward, this game should probably give a little more hope to Michigan fans, though they are still disappointed for what could have been. I guess that's what Michigan gets for RUNNING THE SPREAD OPTION IN HURRICANE KATRINA.
The defensive line was kinda crappy. Though they ultimately allowed ND to get only 3.3 yards for each carry, they gave up some critical yards in the third and fourth quarters. Still, when the defense only gives up 1 or 2 scoring drives (one ND TD "drive" started at the Michigan 11, one at the Michigan 14, two were composed almost entirely of a long pass to Golden Tate, and the final TD was scored on defense), it's hard to find a ton of fault on that side of the ball.
Steven Threet, as predicted by many, has settled down the more game reps he has gotten. He finally calmed down enough to execute the throws that he was floating before. Then Sheridan came in a reminded Michigan fans why they should want Threet to succeed.
Sam McGuffie looks like the real deal. The offensive line was still sub-optimal against the Irish, and McGuffie had some impressive runs (and of course the screen pass). It was so kind of Perry Dorrestein to slam into McGuffie from behind on the touchdown screen.
Going forward, this game should probably give a little more hope to Michigan fans, though they are still disappointed for what could have been. I guess that's what Michigan gets for RUNNING THE SPREAD OPTION IN HURRICANE KATRINA.
Labels: football, notre dame hate, postview
This entry was posted by Tim, on
Sunday, September 14, 2008.
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9/14/2008 10:58:00 AM
i actually disagree on the grady play. He previously carried a ND linebacker on his back for 5 yards into the end zone...
9/14/2008 11:14:00 AM
That has exactly 0 relevance to a play on which his forward progress had been stopped for over a second when the ball was stripped.
9/14/2008 12:15:00 PM
I completely agree...The one thing looking forward in this game is I truly believe that this team can beat anybody in the remainder of the schedule including ohio state. We just need to execute and not commit unforced turnovers. We're just as talented as anyone but Ohio State. The offense really got going and coughed the ball up. We really have promising players for the future. In the mean time go USC!
9/14/2008 12:27:00 PM
Us giving away all those fumbles was real bad.....worst case scenario played out with respect to freshmen/first road game/rain..whatever.
What was disappointing was our inability to at least limit ND to FGs on any of those three goal line opportunities ..i mean rain/wet field/bad ND kicker might have at least made things interesting instead of 21 points!!!
D line did not dominate the ND oline, we thought it would....i mean if Emu was under immediate duress on any of those red zone passes (like Tebow was on a couple of occasions in the bowl game) those TDs or PIs would not have occurred.
Trent blew that Tate TD, Warren and Stevie combined to give 60+ to Tate.
I read Trent and Brown's comments on that TD...it was basically a "i thought he had him" scenario...which means they were not aware of the coverage called...Gsimm called it cover 4 and said that the outside WR (no 1 wr) was the CB's responsibility..but hearing their comments its pretty clear they were not sure what to do..or that Trent bit hard on that little slant action that Tate threw in before he exploded upfield..point is this is week three and these things are still there.
Dunno how our DLine and LBs are going to look against power teams like Wiscy/Sparty/Nuty?? If they are average, then we are in trouble against both the run and the pass!!
9/14/2008 12:52:00 PM
Re: goal line defense, the refs did grant ND a questionable PI call on Trent and a horrendously bad PI call on Warren, or both would have been FGs instead of TDs.
About the Warren/Trent thing, that will probably be this week's inside the play feature.
9/14/2008 02:26:00 PM
looking at the big TD pass...it was a first and 10 play with Tate split wide left of the offensive formation...there was no right WR (flanker) or if he was present, was either motioned towards the formation or was close to the formation from the beginning (no DVR..just highlights). Warren was just looking on!!
So we were out of a 4-3 base look, trying to defend a 1-10 at midfield , after a turnover, with a run heavy formation with one fucking WR split wide.
If we were actually playing cover 4 (GSimm), all i want to know is...do you really need cover 4 in this situation...i mean i thought cover 4 was primarily for spread multiple WR sets...right??
Tate is a small guy...let Trent press the shit out of him (man or zone) and then have safety bracket him!!! why give him a free release.
This is reminiscent of the Ginn PA TD against ND where Wooden gave him a free release and let him run by while he was looking at the QB executing a play fake.
WTF, hope someone can answer..but that TD was a monumental screw up at a critical juncture!!
9/14/2008 07:27:00 PM
I was slightly baffled during the game because of the lack of play action calls RichRod called. McGuffie was so good that you think they could have really sold a fake and opened up the field for the recievers, yet most of the play actions were in the I formation or hand fakes by McGuffie who wasn't really near Threet. I thought it could have helped us, especially in the redzone.
9/14/2008 08:58:00 PM
if its a 2 read defense, like it looked like pre snap, then browns read is number 2. He is in the back feild, therefore his read is a non vertical threat, on the snap he comes forward, his eyes is on number 2 he is either a contian player on the run, or undernieth rob player on a pass, trent is saying, he went in so i didnt have him, im suppose to squeeze back over my zone, but he had no threat, he should have followed and gone vertical... it was a great call against a 2 read defense...
9/14/2008 11:05:00 PM
So you're saying Michigan played ND worse than San Diego State did...
9/15/2008 12:15:00 PM
Thank you for being the only news outlet that isn't putting all the blame on Brown for the 9-yard slant turned 60-yard pass. Warren gave up inside position, let the guy behind him, and missed a tackle. Brown missed a tackle 25-30 yards downfield (as did John Thompson, who doesn't get mentioned). The fault on that play was Warren's. Brown didn't help, obviously.
I thought LB's were straight up bad. Ezeh can't get off blocks, and they, as a unit, were routinely beaten to the edge over and over and over.
9/15/2008 12:15:00 PM
Sorry. "News Outlet".
9/15/2008 01:00:00 PM
Apart form the DB screw ups the Lb play on power runs was atrocious..they were oh so hesitant in getting to the holes and snuffing plays out. I don;t know if this is a function of playing against spread formations in practice and not enough power schemes or just lack of experience. But of three starting Lbs only Mouton could be said to be lacking experience, Ezeh and Thompson are veterans.
Plus the ends were also rushing up field a lot...look at the first TD run...Graham runs upfield, allows the blocker to just guide him further away form the play and hence concedes the edge through which Hughes rolls in.
Also if you look at the lbs, one slips ( he was taking a step to the left instead of playside which was to his right) while the other two sit and watch....maybe its a one game thing ..but that's what we thought last year after the State game about our run D against power teams...thought it was a one game aberration...but it turned out to be real bad with two 200 yard games!!
Hope history doesn't repeat itself..but these might be fundamental flaws which cannot be corrected in a couple of 2 hr limited contact practice sessions.