Category: Football

Saturday the Wolverines welcomed the University of Maryland’s Terrapin Football team to Michigan Stadium, as a Big Ten member for the first time ever, for another evening game. For Michigan’s 12 seniors this was their last game in Michigan Stadium, and it turned out to be a memorable disappointment.

It was also Fan Appreciation day, with access to the field after the game, granted to fans. There was also half price hot dogs availability for qualified season ticket holders.

Whether or not half price hotdog and such were truly appreciated by season ticket holders who paid what some consider a seat “tax” seems a little iffy, but the idea is right on target, even if the weather and the game wasn’t. Fans ought to be remembered.

They showed amazing loyalty showing up to the tune of over a reported 100,000 on a gray, cold, rainy, and ever so dreary day. Many have had a special loyalty to the Wolverines that spans generations, and that is a real part of why Michigan in general and M Football is still an obsession for so many.

Having been skewered by B1G newcomer Rutgers earlier this season, and being only a three point favorite at home for this game, beating Maryland was serious business for the Wolverines, for all the reasons you have heard repeated time and time again. But as it has too often been the case this season, the Wolverines found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Wolverines dominated some statistics, but not the scoreboard. They outgained UMD 398-yards to 312-yards of net offense. M rushed for 292 net yards to 147 for UMD.

OPENING SERIES INNOVATIVE, AT LEAST FOR ONE PLAY:
On M’s opening series, Joe Kerridge carried a fake punt 52-yards to the Terp eight yard line. The offensive innovation stopped right there as the Wolverines faltered and settled for a 22-yard Wile FG. Then he hit from 33 and 26-yards. Again, the Wolverines could not score a TD for an entire half.

The great Terp FG kicker, Brad Craddock, matched all three and the score at the half was 9 to 9.

THE SECOND HALF ALSO OPENED GREAT, COURTESY OF DEVIN GARDNER: The wolverines produced a 10-play, 66-yard TD drive to open the second half, Gardner had a 22-yard run and then a 15-yard jaunt for pay dirt. This made it 16-9. On the other side of the ledger, he threw an interception, and fumbled once, recovering the ball. He threw one pass away, but he missed on some other passes. Devin Gardner was 13 of 24 for 106-yards passing, an interception and a rushing TD. As he departed M Stadium for the last time as a player, Devin Gardner had not attained a season to remember so far this year. It seems he will be a success in life with his master’s degree and he has grown as a great person, if not a great quarterback.

SPECIAL TEAMS AND COACHING ERRORS TURNED THE GAME AROUND:
Dennis Norfleet received a punt, looked trapped, broke out and sprinted to the end zone from 69-yards out. It looked like it was 22-9, but there was a bit of yellow on the field. A Wolverine was cited for a block in the back, so a fine run came back. It appeared that this was a very close call.

The Wolverines special team woes continued as a Michigan player ran into Maryland field goal kicker Brad Craddock, which substituted a first down at the Wolverine 8- yard line for the made field goal. Terp QB C.J. Brown ran it in for a TD. M 16, Terps 16.

Then Matt Wile missed a 39-yard field goal that would have given the Blue the lead.

This Michigan team could not play over its mistakes. Those mistakes included coaching mistakes such as poor usage of time outs, and a critical fourth and six gamble with the same old play that failed.

DEFENSE WAS GOOD, BUT COULDN’T PREVENT LATE TERP WINNING TD:
In what had been happening too often this year, at the end of a half or end of a game, the defense again succumbed to a hurry up offense as the Terps put it away 16 to 23.

Jake Ryan and Joe Bolden played good games as each had 14 tackles.

Not only were the Wolverines wanting to go to a bowl this season, they were wanting to salvage any semblance of a respectable season, and wanting to tone down the constant cacophony of derogatory publicity that has surrounded the team for weeks.

This game did none of that and likely sealed the Wolverines bowl fate, and that of the coaching staff. OSU will be a formidable challenge for this below average Big Ten team.

The big question near this turkey day remains …

WHEN  WILL THE AXE FALL?
The resignation of the former athletic director stirred the speculation pot into a maelstrom regarding a possible Hoke dismissal. The uncertainly of his retention and the retention of the entire current coaching staff has been transferred to future recruiting classes. Prime running back recruit Webb decomitted during the game.

An effective interim Athletic director has been appointed, but his possible replacement stirs the pot of uncertainty too.

Now the extended hiring time which would have been afforded the interim AD Hackett, courtesy of a bowl invite, is gone with this loss.

Unless of course they can beat OSU, which doesn’t seem to be a possibility, or a probability, the die of coaching change seems cast, and a bowl game still waits for another season.

Meanwhile, Coach Hoke and his charges are still wanting for wins while wanting to win. The effort was there Saturday, but a win wasn’t.

A LITTLE ABOUT MARYLAND:
When both Maryland and Rutgers entered the B1G this year, I thought they were not a significant addition to Big Ten football. Rutgers beating the Wolverines earlier this season cured me of that misconception. And now Maryland has added to our malaise.

As with Northwestern in the last game, the two clubs Saturday had much in common. Both have had quirky OLs. Both had QBs more comfortable running than passing. Both were experienced, but prone to errors.

The Terp’s C.J. Brown is a sixth year GB. Saturday he hit 13 of 24, for 165-yards passing and 85-yards rushing.

Two significant differences were Maryland’s success in away games (now 7 wins in their last 8 games), and special teams effectiveness. The Terrapins Likely had returns over 50-yards prior to Saturday, and was effective again the Wolverines.

Their FG kicker was 14 of 14 this season prior to Saturday, and had nailed all his extra points. Their best playmaker, WR Stefon Diggs was a no show at game time because of an injured kidney. Likely made some nice returns.

UMD’s hurry up offense affected M’s defensive substitution patterns. The Wolverines managed 292-yards rushing. Drake Johnson carried 14 times for 94-yards.

Maryland football was among the reasons I became a Wolverine back in the dark ages of the 1950s. I grew up in Lansing, Michigan, amongst the Spartan horde. Though still in High School, in the early 1950s, I was a summer short order cook at the Spartan’s Student Union so I was then infused with Spartan enthusiasm.  It is hard to admit, but true enough.

Football tickets to games at Macklin Field were relatively cheap. So when Maryland played there in 1950, I was there.

But I quietly metamorphosed from my Green and White cocoon to an appreciation of Maize and Blue helmets that afternoon. Having recently clubbed the Spartans 55-0, the Wolverines and their helmets had got my attention, and the debacle at Macklin Field sealed my deal with the Wolverines.

The Spartans were embarrassed by the Terrapins after I had plunked down my very scarce dollars to watch them lose in a game no fun to watch. Goodbye Spartans! Hello, Wolverines! The Terps embarrassed our team again Saturday, but now nothing can change my Wolverine fanaticism.

THE FRANK CLARK DISMISSAL AND LAKE EFFECT CHILLED M FAN’S BYE WEEK, WHILE LOSS TO MARYLAND FURTHER CHILLS COACH’S FUTURES.
Recently Michigan had been making more headlines again for all the wrong reasons. They have too often been beating themselves on and off the field.

The cold and chilly bye week hiatus was sliding along in relative silence, when Frank Clark jumped into the spotlight, causing an additional major splash that chilled the football program, not only causing icicles to hang on Frank Clark’s Wolverines football hopes, but on Coach Hoke’s, and Team 135’s hopes as well.

Hoke had no alternative but to dismiss Clark from the team because of a prior infraction. Clark was allegedly seen as the center of a nasty domestic dispute, involving his girlfriend. He was subsequently arrested in Ohio.

There is no question that Clark earned and deserved this dismissal, and that Hoke took appropriate action.

That is too bad for Frank, as it appeared that he was living up to his bargain with the Wolverines this season prior to this last, very serious, misstep. This season it appeared he had matured. He was articulate at many press conferences, had demonstrated a team first attitude, was a contributing team leader, and had played some great football.

Frank’s place on the field was ably taken against Maryland by Mario Ojemudia and Taco Charlton.

IT’S THE WIN AND LOSS RECORD:
If you and I are not happy with Coach Hoke’s coaching or his team’s performance this season, and who is, that is as it should be under the circumstances.  Among other things, the good practices we heard about often did not translate to game time. Player development seemed stunted.

The continuing bad publicity, whether deserved or not, results from the lack of being competitive on the field in the game of football, and that lack of competitiveness has to come to an end.  That will end the disrespect.

Uncomfortable publicity did not cause the problems, the win and loss record did. Respect has to be earned. Blood in the publicity waters naturally attracts publicity sharks. Saturday’s loss against a team M should have bested will tighten the noose on the Hoke era.

ONE LAST SHOT FOR TEAM 135 AND ITS COACHES:
With all the distractions Team 135 kept giving it the old college try. The team seemed focused Saturday in spite of all, but they did not maintain enough focus to win. The players have deserved better coaching leadership than they have received this season.

So it is on to future, and hopefully better football times for the Wolverines next season, but the sooner the better. If they can pin the tail on the OSU donkey next week, there will be an immediate improved outlook, but even then it is doubtful that Coach Hoke’s tenure will extend.

Rationally a competitive game against OSU does not seem probable or possible from here, but anything can happen.

In any event continue to stay tuned and more importantly ….

 

Go Blue!!

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DEJA VUE:
If this game gave you a feeling of déjà vu, it was not surprising, since the Wolverines made the same trek last year, traveling to Evanston, Illinois to battle the Northwestern Wildcats. M had won the past two years in overtime. Hopefully, this schedule oddity of two away games in a row will cease with this one.

It looked for a while that it would be another overtime win or loss. The Wolverines, thanks to a Frank Clark rush to exactly the right spot behind the line of scrimmage, caused NW QB Simeian to slip down, preventing a winning two point conversion.

This ended the threat of a tie and overtime with seconds left. NW had connected on a 3-yard pass with 3 seconds left to make it 10-9. Frank Clark lived up to his reputation and played an outstanding game. He knocked down passes, and was often in the NW back field.

BACKGROUND:
Again this year, the Wolverines were hoping to improve on their recent dismal road record while in Evanston, as they had last year, and they did.

This was not a win that will draw raves, but the kind of win that will raise eyebrows, and shake heads. Early in the third quarter the offense became a Wolverine offensive comedy of errors. Even so, a win is a win.The atmosphere surrounding M football would have reached an enhanced level of desperation with a loss.

There already was more than enough Wolverine desperation this year as a so-so season ticks out. The fate of the program still hangs in limbo this year. Lack of wins now could, should, and would guarantee major coaching changes after the season. Take your choice as to which of could, should, or would you think is applicable. Or are all of them are applicable?

That backs were to the wall could be said of any less than .500 team. It was now or never at Northwestern. It was winning now, or never go to a Bowl game this year. Likely a loss in this game would have put the salvaging of even a very mildly respectable season beyond their scope.

There still remains some slim hope of a bowl game. It appears that only winning out can save the coaches. That seems like a tall order for Team 135.  Good bowl or bad bowl, M needs those 15 practices a bowl affords.

M’s OFFENSE STRUGGLED MOST OF THE GAME AGAINST A PEDESTRIAN DEFENSE:
Michigan’s offense in this game was something to behold for mostly the wrong reasons. The first series of the second half was particularly remarkable for wrong reasons.  

It was an offensive comedy of errors. Funchess was in motion once and was hit by the center snap to Gardner in the spread. Gardner tripped over Smith in the backfield. What? Why? The football was grabbed from TE Jake Butt once for an interception. Thought Jake should have fought for the ball harder.

Devin Funchess’ game was off, especially earlier, as he muffed a couple of catches that he would normally make.  At times he seemed out of sorts, as did the offense as a whole. 

The offense was an unimpressive 1 of 12 on third down conversions, and 0 for 1 on 4th down conversions.

On the good side of the ledger, Funchess made a nice grab for an eighteen yard reception to set up Smiths 3-yard TD run  for the Wolverine’s only TD. Butt had a nice catch or two. Still the beginning of the third quarter was a display of remarkably poor offensive football.

Devin Gardner looked gimpy, slow afoot, seemed to have little burst, which could all be due to injury to a leg. As I have previously stated, his courage has to be admired, but his execution is sometimes lacking. He was again off target passing as proved by two interceptions that hurt the cause. Fortunately the Wildcats provided two in return.

On one of M’s interceptions, there was an open receiver on the sideline. In the first half the Wolverines were deep in Wildcat territory three times and engineered no points.

The offense made no notable scoring drives except for a single field goal drive.

Devin threw for 105-yards and hoisted his two interceptions. He had no TDs. With the Wolverines dominating much of the game on the ground, it is inexplicable that they were held to one TD.

Saturday evening this was not just a case of the Wolverine OL not showing up. Except for a few cases they played reasonably well.

RB De’Veon Smith took a while to warm up. Smith finally got going for a personal high of 121-yards which included the Wolverines only TD, via a three yard run mid-way into the third quarter.

Early in the game he missed the hole on an attempt by cutting outside once when he shouldn’t have, and then did not follow FB Joe Kerridge through the hole in a subsequent rush.

Later Smith produced some good runs. They were tough runs, hard runs, dragging people, especially helpful in crunch time, when the lead was still up for grabs. He toted 18 times for 133-yards, ran for a TD, and had a long of 34-yards.

M got its field goal as a result of a Wildcat miscue. Jehu Chesson captured the football at the NW 21.

Amara Darboh led the receivers with 4 catches for 41-yards with a long of 16, and he replaced the injured Norfleet at the punt return position.

At times, the offense seemed it was lost in a Purple Haze, if not a Purple Daze. They still did enough to win, but with zero style points. This win will not quell any anybody’s anxiety, or the clamor for change. This offense too often does not look well drilled or coached, and at times they look quite the opposite.  Most possessions Saturday secured no points. The Wolverines rushed for 168-yards, and passed for 109-yards.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE DEFENSE:
The Wolverine defense, especially the defensive line acquitted itself well for most of the game, but fell down late in the game allowing a field goal and a TD. For most of the game they were gangbusters against the run, but NW’s Trevor Siemien threw for 268-yards, and a TD. He also had two interceptions.Fortunately. Matt Godin grabbed one of those interceptions, soon after Devin had tossed one.

The defense often held NW to three and outs, sometimes stopped fourth and one, but faded some in the late stages of the game. Were they on the field too often and too long?  Late in the game NW produced their only TD of the game to provide the suspenseful finish. It was the defense that did the most to preserve this victory.

When an interception went 79-yards to the M 15, the defense raised their hackles. They made two plays for a loss, and then forced Siemien into an intentional grounding call, which removed the threat of a field goal.

Frank Clark and Jake Ryan led the defense. Jake again had 11 tackles. They held the Wildcats to 60-yards rushing, while they lost 69-yards for minus 9-yards gained. The Wolverines were credited with 5 sacks for 59-yards of loss.

Mario Ojemudia had 2 of them.

They also made 2 interceptions. Frank Clark was outstanding. His last hurry preserved the last minute victory. Jake Ryan had an outstanding game. The entire defensive line played well.

WILL HAGERUP MAKES SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIAL:
Will Hagerup made special teams special on this day. He punted 7 times for 268-yards. He dropped two punts around the NW one yard line, providing outstanding field position. Matt Wile had one FG attempt blocked, but split the posts with his next one.

M CAN’T CALL THEM MILDCATS ANY MORE: Under Pat Fitzgerald, it can’t be safely presumed that the Wildcats can be labeled Mildcats, and that a confrontation with the Wildcats will find them a team that can’t compete with the Wolverines, thereby securing kudos for the Wolverines in easy victory. That hasn’t happened in several years. NW has been right there the last three years, but fortunately the Wolverines have prevailed by the slimmest of margins all three years.

Forget the fact that the Wolverines led the series 15-5-2 before last Saturday, or led at Ryan Field 19-7-0, also before Saturday. The ‘Cats had enough to handle the Wolverines this year unless the Wolverines played a great 60 or 60 plus + minutes. And they didn’t offensively. For the last few years it has taken a scramble to overtime and multiple OTs to beat them. That was avoided Saturday evening by only the narrowest of margins.

In 2013, it took the Wolverines three overtimes, with last minute heroics by Place Kicker Gibbons who hit a scrambling 44-yarder to tie in regulation, after a Gallon catch had taken the ball to MW’s 27. In the second OT, the teams traded field goals. In the third, Devin Gardner ran the ball in via an option on third and goal, and Devin ran in the two point conversion to put the game out of reach, for a final score of 27-19.

In 2012, with 18 ticks on the clock, Roy Roundtree caught a 53-yard gainer, and Gibbons again sent the game to OT with a 26-yard FG with just two seconds left. In OT, Gardner ran a one yard bootleg for a TD. The defense got tough and M had a 38-31 in a single OT victory.

THIS SEASON, THE ‘CATS HAVE HAD THEIR TROUBLES, AND WE HAVE HAD OURS. IN SOME WAYS EACH TEAM MIRRORED THE OTHER:
There were reasons that the Wildcats were only 2-3 in the Big Ten this season prior to Saturday, just as there were reasons for the Wolverines similar Big Ten record. The Cats have had significant injuries, more than the Wolverines. Both have fielded troubled Offensive Lines and porous pass protection. The Wildcats 4.4 yards per play, prior to last Saturday, was anemic. That placed them 123^rd of 128 FBS teams. They had only scored 7 points in their last three halves prior to Saturday. They faced the possibility of being without three of their best and speediest receivers. Buckley, Vault, and Shuler were dinged. They missed some practice Wednesday.

But more disturbing for them was that Iowa disaster last Saturday. The Hawks sledge hammered them 48-7 in Kinnock. Wildcat QB Trevor Simian has had inadequate passing time and has taken a beating. Sound familiar? Fitzgerald bemoans a lack of experienced depth. So does Hoke.

NW notes cited the fact that M has not had back to back wins this year as encouraging to their cause. True, but they have them now.

The series had been hyper competitive and with M’s sometime inconsistent offense this season it seemed it would be close again, and it was. Saturday Trevor did much better than Devin in the passing game, which I found surprising.

BRIEF SCORING RECAP:
Michigan drew first blood after Chesson recovered a NW fumble at the NW 21-yard line at 6:09 of the third quarter. An 18-yard pass to Devin Funchess put it at the three, and De’Veon Smith took it into the end zone. M-7, NW-0.

At 7:26 of the fourth quarter NW answered with a 21-yard FG preceded by a 95-yard drive. M’s Henry made a notable 11-yard sack to stop the drive. The FG made it 7 to 3.

At 3:10 M answered with a 37-yard FG after the offense’s only real drive of the day. Now it was 10 to three.

At 00.03 NW then produced a three yard TD pass, after a 14-play 74-yard drive during the defense’s worst lapse of the day. It was now 10 to 9 and NW opted to go for two with no result as Frank Clark lived up to billing in the best way. Final: M-10, NW- 9.

Now it’s a week off, and the last home game of the season against Maryland for the first time as a Big Ten team.

As usual, a desperate Michigan needs another win.

 

Go Blue!