Sunday, September 22, 2024

20 + 0 = 27

Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com

Sometimes it takes one player's will not to lose that changes your season.  Michigan played its best game of the year on Saturday but backed up near its own goal line with 4 minutes in the game, Michigan's effort looked to be for naught, as a poor 2nd half offensive effort was going to lose the game for the Wolverines. 

Then #20 decided he had enough and declined to be tackled while rambling for 63 yards into the red zone.   The Wolverines who just seconds prior were on life support now had a chance.  Mullins decided to finish off the drive with a two yard power run on 4th down to give Michigan a 3 point lead with 39 seconds left in the game.  

On the other side of the ball #0 decided he could not be blocked the entire game.  Josaiah Stewart played one of best games a DE has played since Hutch roamed the sidelines.  No matter who USC threw at him or where he lined up he would not be blocked and continually hit Moss.  The USC QB was so banged up at the end of the game he looked relieved he didn't have to get hit anymore on the last day of summer. 

Cheers:
  • Mullins with another 150+ yards and 2 TD's 
  • Offensive line played better
  • Stewart was unblockable with 2 sacks
  • Defense had 4 sacks 
  • Sugar Hill had 6 tackles and 4 solos 
  • Will with another pick 6 helped keep Michigan in the game 
  • Double G's - Mason Graham and Ken Grant played well 
  • Edwards with a long 41 yard TD run
  • Tommy Doman had his best game of the season averaging nearly 50 yards 
Jeers:
  • The offense for most of the 2nd half 
  • Wink's 3 man rush on a USC TD pass 
  • Unlucky 7's, Edwards fumbles and Paige was late for a TD a couple plays later
  • Paige had a tough game all around 
  • 32 yards passing 
  • Will's injury
  • CBS was struggling on its coverage early
  • Ken Grant's fumble return 
  • Blocked extra point 
  • Barham moves fast but needs to move smarter
  • A CB blitz with no coverage that lead to an easy USC TD pass

Let's celebrate this win but we know this is not sustainable.  Michigan is not going to be able to beat Oregon and Ohio State with zero passing game.  The Michigan coaches are going to have to find a way to open that door.   The offensive line played much better but good teams will be able to shut down a one dimensional team.  USC did for most of the 2nd half after they made adjustments in the locker room.  

Wink is going to drive me to drink.  His plan was solid for this game and Michigan put a ton of pressure on USC's QB.  His unit had the best game of his short career in Ann Arbor.  He also made some terrible decisions.   That 3 man rush on a TD pass, not having Graham in the game during USC's longest run of the game, cb blitz with no coverage, and not having Stewart in the game at key moments all drove me crazy.   I know Paige is a captain but we might need another option at his safety position. 

This game had everything: big plays in the run game, a decent lead, a comeback, pick 6, 4th down with the game on the line, and a funny fumble return that didn't turn out well.  Michigan had a very nice win over a good ranked opponent today but still has fundamental problems.  Which means there is plenty to work on Sunday - Friday.  Time to turn the focus to the Little Brown Jug. 


8 comments:

Goblu said...

Glad to be wrong on the outcome, but for goodness sake - that was more a damning of USC than us being better. 30ish yards of passing? That’s a peewee stat - this isn’t the same as PSU last year. Given a couple winnable games coming up, they should start Jayden Davis at qb.

MichiganMan said...

Bob, please when you write your letter next time to the coach please add in not to put number 20 in the game as a cornerback. J. Hill.... He looks so confused and dazed he has no business playing Michigan football

MichiganMan said...

Great win for wolverine Nation. Great win. Keep fighting. Let's get to 10 win even though I gave them eigh8t but we'll see long season still... They could put a passing game together with Orji.... I think Michigan can be dangerous

MichiganMan said...

Go blue. I'm with you but the only way AC Dave is getting in if they are out of playoff contention

Blue said...

With vanilla play calling where SC new all 5 UM offensive plays, the tougher team on both sides of the ball won the day. Goals are still alive only with continued improvement needed, especially in moving the football.

ScottyDoggs said...

BoyI was wrong on this one, but I get a free pass because I know nothing only Brady2017 does.... this game was a watershed event, not quite like the 69 victory over Ohio State, but just underneath it. Who left the cupboard bare with no servable quarterback. I lay that on Harbaugh, Harbaugh should be forced back to Ann Arbor, and wear an over-sized prison garb, with a 6 pointed yellow star on his outfit Should be then kept in a cage for a certain amount of time until he atones foo his sins!.

szanreno said...

Let's stop playing the blame everything on Harbaugh game. All the coaches that went with him were grown men and they made their own deals and left, he didn't hold a gun to any of their heads. All the players that left, good for them, they were due to leave and should have left. Sharron Moore has been the coach of Michigan Football since January 26th, 9 months ago. He knew the state of things and should have fixed it. If this was a business the boss would be tired of hearing this Harbaugh excuse by now and you'd be gone. The problems are now within, not in San Diego.

Cormac said...

I am partially with ScottyDoggs with blaming Harbaugh. In the end, he was in charge of recruiting. It was his QB coach, Matt Weiss, who I heard and read, he did NOT like recruiting. That was one reason Michigan missed out on Bryce Underwood and Dante Moore. I also read that the timing of Jimmy's dalliance with the NFL and the timing of JJ's decision to declare for the draft contributed to Michigan not having a serviceable QB for this year. By the time that JH and JJ had left, most of the good portal QBs were gone.