The everyone sucks group needs to look at both sides of this game. There were some positives and some negatives but this was not the end of the world by any means.
Positives:
1.) One of the youngest teams in college football stayed with one of the most mature teams in the NCAA until late in the 4th quarter. We were down 5 points with plenty of time left in the game. Give Michigan credit they made plays when they needed to. By the way they are a legit top 10-15 team in the country and we are not yet.
2.) Youth was the difference in this game. On the first Michigan touchdown drive there were two main plays that showed that. On the long pass play to I believe Chessom it should have been an interception. Our true Sophomore safety should have attacked the ball and he would have picked it off. Instead he waited on the ball and the WR undercut him and made the catch. On the touchdown pass to Butts we had a relacement safety that stepped down and let the TE get two steps on him on the Scissors route. An experienced safety would have been careful not to let a receiver behind him. On the fumbled punt we had a redshirt freshman returner who was fair catching take his eyes off the ball and fumble. Those are youth and inexperience plays and will not always be the case.
3.) We had the ball twice in the redzone with a chance to put 7 on the board on one of the best defenses in the country. Not being able to control or even hold our own at the line of scrimmage cost us both opportunities to score 7. In a year or two that will not be the case.
4.) Kids played with heart all game long, really proud of that.
Negatives:
1.) With momentum in the 4th quarter our placekicker kicks the ball in the middle of the field instead of to the right sideline where the coverage was heading allowing a big return that deflated the team and on the next play they give up a pass down to the 20 yard line - game over. Too many times this year when we have momentum Julius has either missed an extra point, kicked the ball out of bounds or made a mistake in placement turning the momentum back to the other team. Football is such a game of momentum at this level that this can't happen. With his leg he should put the ball out of the endzone every kick instead of this directional kicking.
2.) Offensive playcalling is random. They don't try to establish anything.
3.) Offensive line can not hold their own and is not playing as a unit. Too much penetration all game long especially in the red zone.
I hate when we lose but all in all this was not the unmitigated disaster some of you seem to think. Just two years ago I thought this year would be a 2 or 3 win season because of the sanctions. This will be a team to be reckoned with in the next 2-3 years.
Positives:
1.) One of the youngest teams in college football stayed with one of the most mature teams in the NCAA until late in the 4th quarter. We were down 5 points with plenty of time left in the game. Give Michigan credit they made plays when they needed to. By the way they are a legit top 10-15 team in the country and we are not yet.
2.) Youth was the difference in this game. On the first Michigan touchdown drive there were two main plays that showed that. On the long pass play to I believe Chessom it should have been an interception. Our true Sophomore safety should have attacked the ball and he would have picked it off. Instead he waited on the ball and the WR undercut him and made the catch. On the touchdown pass to Butts we had a relacement safety that stepped down and let the TE get two steps on him on the Scissors route. An experienced safety would have been careful not to let a receiver behind him. On the fumbled punt we had a redshirt freshman returner who was fair catching take his eyes off the ball and fumble. Those are youth and inexperience plays and will not always be the case.
3.) We had the ball twice in the redzone with a chance to put 7 on the board on one of the best defenses in the country. Not being able to control or even hold our own at the line of scrimmage cost us both opportunities to score 7. In a year or two that will not be the case.
4.) Kids played with heart all game long, really proud of that.
Negatives:
1.) With momentum in the 4th quarter our placekicker kicks the ball in the middle of the field instead of to the right sideline where the coverage was heading allowing a big return that deflated the team and on the next play they give up a pass down to the 20 yard line - game over. Too many times this year when we have momentum Julius has either missed an extra point, kicked the ball out of bounds or made a mistake in placement turning the momentum back to the other team. Football is such a game of momentum at this level that this can't happen. With his leg he should put the ball out of the endzone every kick instead of this directional kicking.
2.) Offensive playcalling is random. They don't try to establish anything.
3.) Offensive line can not hold their own and is not playing as a unit. Too much penetration all game long especially in the red zone.
I hate when we lose but all in all this was not the unmitigated disaster some of you seem to think. Just two years ago I thought this year would be a 2 or 3 win season because of the sanctions. This will be a team to be reckoned with in the next 2-3 years.
