khalid hill edge maestro

Previously: Krushed By Stauskas (Illinois 2014), Introducing #ChaosTeam (Indiana 2009), Revenge is Terrifying (Colorado 1996), Four Games In September I (Boston College 1991), Four Games In September II (Boston College 1994), Four Games In September III (Boston College 1995), Four Games In September IV (Boston College 1996), Pac Ten After Dark Parts One and Two (UCLA 1989), Harbaugh's Grand Return Parts One and Two (Notre Dame 1985), Deceptive Speed Parts One and Two (Purdue 1999)

Week One: 1993 Washington Part One, Part Two, 2002 Washington Twitch stream
Week Two: 2011 Notre Dame Part One, Part Two, Twitch stream

This Game: Full game, highlights, box score
MGoBlog Coverage: Preview, punt/counterpunt, recap, game column, GIFs, UFR offense, UFR defense

Part One: Click here

While Michigan is riding high after turning a 21-7 deficit into a 24-21 halftime lead, Colorado still has plenty of fight left in them. They need it, too.

On the second play from scrimmage, quarterback Sefo Liufau comes up with a limp after a keeper, and it looks like he may need to come off the field. He doesn't appear to consider it. Instead, while Matt Millen is suggesting Michigan's defense needs to sell out against the run that's obviously coming, Liufau takes the snap and looks deep.

Damn, dude. Liufau can barely walk but evidently he can put a 70-yard touchdown on a platter. As he returns to the sideline, redshirt freshman QB Steven Montez starts warming up. It looks like Liufau put everything he had into one final, heroic throw to put the Buffs back in the lead.

Jabrill Peppers fields the kickoff and hits turbo, zipping to midfield before Chidobe Awuzie shoves him out of bounds—and directly into the area of Colorado's sideline where Liufau is receiving medical attention. One CU staffer sees the incoming projective in time. Another picks it up way too late.

Phillip Lindsay should probably yell at Awuzie but that's not how this works. I eventually break down the details extensively in that week's One Frame at a Time.

The more you look at it, the more you realize it's a pantheon GIF. Here's the full version that includes Scottie Lindsey, the RB with the Bob Ross hair, saying things to Peppers you're not supposed to say on live television:

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There's so much happening here. The strength coach who sees Peppers coming, smirks, and then bails out before Matt Millen inexplicably draws an 'X' on him. The coach in sunglasses who starts out in the line of fire and completely exits the frame by the time Peppers arrives. Poor Damn Sefo Liufau. The offensive linemen who've once again failed to protect Poor Damn Sefo Liufau.

But let's hit the "enhance" button and focus on this poor, poor trainer:

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That is a man watching his life flash before his eyes. The helicoptering hat and the "#BTNStandout" hashtag on this version of the replay both add something special to the experience, too.

RIP That Guy's Hat.

[Hit THE JUMP for an arguably more exciting Peppers return.]

A series covering Michigan's 2010s. Previously: best blocks, the aughts.

Of course we would be the last to put out our all-2010s team. We meant to start with this episode but in the process of researching the OL a best blocks list was generated and had to be shared immediately.

Since it's a staff effort we decided these together and split the writeups. Then Brian got to 1200 words on Denard alone and we decided to split it into multiple posts. I'll note the author on each. On the methodology: instead of considering careers we will consider individual years, but the rule is we can only use a player once.

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FULLBACK

Khalid "Hammer Panda" Hill (2016)

–BiSB

We're told this inspired an entire Warcraft expansion

25 carries. 39 yards. 10 touchdowns. Simply glorious. The Hammering Panda was one of the most effective goal line and short yardage weapons Michigan has ever deployed. Virtually every Hill carry was a dive out of the I-formation. Everyone knew it was coming. And it was unstoppable. It was a simple matter of physics.

When he wasn’t vulturing touchdowns, he was a surprisingly nimble and sure-handed receiving option. He was also a plus blocker, especially in space—his +56/-10 UFR grade for the season has a lot of running in it, but it's also ten points higher than the next best total by a fullback this decade. His 13 touchdowns from scrimmage tied with Fitz Toussaint (2013) for the most scores in a season during the decade (non-Denard division)… on 41 touches.

Second Team: BEN MASON (2018)

If you were a running back for Michigan in 2018, your key was often pretty straightforward: follow Bench. Mason was a devastating lead blocker whose entire raison d'etre was to smash into things as hard as possible. As a ballcarrier, Mason accumulated a Panda-esque 33 carries for 80 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was occasionally deployed as a feature back in the red zone, a cruel decision that forced defenders to make some real choices about how they wanted to spend their afternoons.

Honorable Mention: 2017 Henry Poggi (+48/-20.5), 2015 Sione Houma (+46/-19.5), 2013 Joe Kerridge (+39/-14, person capable of pass blocking)

[After THE JUMP: Many names, few necks]

This is a decennial series covering Michigan's last ten years that were. We could have made an all-2010s team and published it when everyone else did, but how MGoBlog would that be? This time we're doing this as a staff since one guy could forget. Previously: The aughts: ESPN Images, Michigan's offense, Michigan's defense, Worst Plays of The Decade Part 1, Worst Plays Part 2, Best Plays Part I, Best Plays Part II.

We figured the best way to lead off Of the Decade 2020 is with the guys carving out a path. Ten is a nice round number so we'll go with top ten blocks thrown from 2010-2019. These are ranked by gut because the only number you can put on something like this is on the UFR scale. Points are arbitrarily awarded for:

• Defenders removed
• Meanness of block(s)
• General Splattitude
• Significance of moment
• Deservedness of recipient

Let us ruminate.

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10. EATING OUT

Dealer: Vincent Smith
Recipient: Troy Stoudermire
Scene of the Crime: First drive of 2012 Minnesota

We'll start with a shorty. Friend of the blog Vincent Smith was the best pass-blocking back at Michigan since Hart, and if we wanted to, this whole article could be #2 flipping blitzers. But then there was the time he got to split out wide and face a Minnesota cornerback. This is a thing spread teams do all the time to unbalance a defense and reveal their coverage, and usually means the back's job is done for the play.

Obviously Vincent was told his job is to bury the corner to clear space for a quick out to Kwiatkowski  He very much obliged:

CLONK-O-METER:

• Defenders removed: 1
• Impact: 0/5. There was no throw because—ah 2012—Mealer and Barnum screwed up a stunt, and had there been one it was going to be PI.
• Meanness: 4/5. That's a cornerback man.
• Splattitude: 3/5. I'm sure he remembers this. Probably felt it all game.
• Karma: 0/5. Stoudermire holds the Big Ten record for kickoff return yardage, which he achieved before he was granted a 6th year. He was the only Big Ten-caliber player in the Gophers' back seven, had an injury history, was one of my many inspired late Draftageddon picks, and seems to be a good dude. Planting him like that was a dick move. (Not sorry)

[After THE JUMP: Pads recommended.]