Nebraska 17, Michigan 13
Drive Recap: Michigan 13 - Nebraska 10 // 4Q: 8:08 pic.twitter.com/o4rwtV0sjL
— Michigan Football (@umichfootball) November 9, 2013
This was the high point, both from a football and comedic standpoint.
If this isn't rock bottom, it's damn close. Michigan faced a Nebraska rush defense that's done this...
Opponent | Att | Yds | TD | YPC |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wyoming | 30 | 219 | 1 | 7.3 |
UCLA | 50 | 216 | 2 | 4.3 |
South Dakota State | 33 | 271 | 2 | 8.2 |
Illinois | 45 | 211 | 2 | 4.7 |
Purdue | 20 | 82 | 0 | 4.1 |
Minnesota | 53 | 272 | 3 | 5.1 |
Northwestern | 43 | 283 | 3 | 6.6 |
...and, with sacks removed, rushed for 22 yards on 29 attempts. Oh, and a combination of poor play-calling, poor line play, poor blitz pickup, and one understandably skittish quarterback allowed seven sacks that knocked the offense back 49 yards.
Brady Hoke's home winning streak is dead; that's not really the story. It wasn't hard to see this coming, not after the narrow escape against Akron, and certainly not after last week's debacle. When Drew Dileo dropped a fourth-down pass on Michigan's last-gasp drive, it felt depressingly fitting—of course the sure-handed receiver would let one slip through his grasp at precisely the wrong time, because that's just how this season has gone.
Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog
When Michigan attained a first down for the first time in the game, only three plays before the end of the first quarter, the Big House crowd erupted with the loudest Bronx cheer I've ever heard in this building. The sarcastic cheers turned to boos by the end of the first half, at which time the Wolverines, down 10-3, had 60 yards of offense on 29 plays.
Those boos only grew louder by the end of the game. Al Borges orchestrated a great drive to open the second half, featuring a big play for Fitz Toussaint on a slip screen, a slick pop-pass to Jake Butt against a heavy blitz, and a touchdown to a wide-open Devin Funchess on a post-curl-corner route combination.
Thus ended the offensive renaissance. That ten-play, 75-yard drive represented 43% of Michigan's total output on the afternoon, and Michigan resumed slamming their heads against stacked fronts and allowing wave after wave of pressure to hit home.
The defense did what they could, holding the Huskers to 273 yards—75 of which came on their game-winning drive—on just 4.1 yards per play despite two new starters at safety: Courtney Avery and Josh Furman, who replaced Jarrod Wilson and Thomas Gordon.* When Frank Clark lost contain and James Ross was late getting out on an option pitch (of sorts, since it went forwards) to Ameer Abdullah, who waltzed five yards into the end zone, there wasn't anger in Michigan Stadium—instead, apathy reigned, and a healthy number of fans streamed for the exits despite the Wolverines being down four with two minutes left and all their timeouts. Five plays later, those fans were proven—at least for today—to be justified in their actions.
"Well, we just didn't execute," said Brady Hoke after the game. That is 2013 Michigan Football's epitaph, and at some point it isn't going to be enough to save everyone's job.
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*According to Hoke in the post-game presser, Gordon had an unspecified ankle injury, while Wilson's absense from the lineup was an attempt to shake things up.
November 9th, 2013 at 7:19 PM ^
This is the first time in my lifelong Michigan fandom I'm beginning to feel apathetic about the team. What's the point when the staff is such a clusterf*ck.
November 9th, 2013 at 9:21 PM ^
November 9th, 2013 at 9:40 PM ^
I like the phrase "economically uncomfortable." It's a nice way of telling Brandon they pay teachers shit and are always squeezing them, yet despite that, you still scrape together enough coins to support the program like a worker bee supports the hive. Well played.
November 9th, 2013 at 9:53 PM ^
November 9th, 2013 at 11:48 PM ^
was absolutely the right call. Little Caesar's is unarguably the worst pizza out there, and Dominoes would've been alienating the audience he is clearly trying to persuade. I thought bringing up pizza indirectly was a nice call, though, because it was an implicit jab, although reaching beneath Dominoes.
November 10th, 2013 at 12:46 AM ^
one day on my way home from work, I decided to grab one of those $8 "ready to eat" deep dish pepperoni pizzas from Little Caesar's, just for shitz and giggles. I have to tell you, I thought it was pretty damn good for 8 dolla.
November 10th, 2013 at 1:50 AM ^
Let me know how that 8 dolla feels in the morning when it comes out the other end.
November 10th, 2013 at 7:47 AM ^
do you really want a notification when this occurs? let me tell you, it's not gonna be pretty.
November 9th, 2013 at 11:17 PM ^
But I'm reading your letter while Alabama disassembles LSU by running the Power I. We had a HC that brought a new fangled offense to Ann Arbor and promptly failed. Now we have Hoke trying to return to pre-2008, and is failing. Maybe it isn't the offensive system, maybe it really is execution. And by execution I mean performance from the Head Coach on down through the depth chart.
November 9th, 2013 at 11:22 PM ^
Me thinks you don't know what the Power I is.
November 10th, 2013 at 7:49 AM ^
this so misses the point. if you think Hoke and his staff can in ANY WAY be compared to Saban and Alabama, you are a bit off in the head (no offense).
Saban is one of the most sought after coaches in the entire world; even Belichick would call him to get advice on football.
Hoke and co., well, pretty sure Belichick won't be asking him about football any time soon.
November 10th, 2013 at 2:43 PM ^
Alabama is primarily a zone blocking team. We run some zone but I don't think I'm off base saying Hoke/Borges are in love with pulling lineman, man blocking, etc. To a fault. They haven't been able to run the power O against a decent defense in 3 years despite the fact that it's supposed to be our bread and butter. Think about that for a minute.
Even when Borges is forced to run plays from the gun or "spread" he tries very hard to run them with man blocking principles and pulling lineman.
November 10th, 2013 at 11:55 AM ^
I am with you, and wish a lot of the fan base would do the same. We need to be committed to winning and stop hiring retarded coaches. Hoke needs to be fired after this season and a proper coaching search should be conducted. Like interview multiple canadidate with proper resume. I would start by trying to get the albama def coordinator, and dont do that crap move and go talk to les knowing he will not come here, so fuck les and interview that are more intellegent than him and have a good footall resume. Even look in the NFL, even if it is coordinators but they have to be awesome at what they do
November 10th, 2013 at 5:03 PM ^
November 9th, 2013 at 11:55 PM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 12:17 AM ^
No way NE should drive down for a TD in the 4th QTR! Pathetic D IMO! Boo to this entire coaching staff, they should all be fired for going 6-6!
November 10th, 2013 at 3:59 AM ^
I thought I would enjoy myself more grocery shopping, so I went, and unfortunately it turns out I was right. I watched every Lions' game during their 0-16 campaign too. It's just soul flaying to watch this offense. The more I watch, the less hope I have for the program going forward. This sucks.
November 10th, 2013 at 10:14 AM ^
November 9th, 2013 at 7:18 PM ^
That will solve the problem.
Oh wait. I meant "Execute, everyone!"
November 9th, 2013 at 7:18 PM ^
Did Brady really say "Well, we just didn't execute" again? I lose a little more faith in him every time he says that. Man up and get rid of some staff
November 9th, 2013 at 7:31 PM ^
Hoke "I liked the play calling".
— angelique (@chengelis) November 10, 2013
November 9th, 2013 at 7:44 PM ^
November 9th, 2013 at 8:20 PM ^
I don't think he really approves of 13 points and negative rushing yards. He's just not going to publicly hang anyone out to dry.
November 9th, 2013 at 11:35 PM ^
He should grow a pair and call someone out, even if himself.
Because the constant refrain "we didn't execute." doesn't just hang someone out to dry - it throws his players under the damn bus.
November 9th, 2013 at 11:50 PM ^
If he can't even refrain from complimenting them, he'll never fire them.
November 10th, 2013 at 9:36 AM ^
He has fired assistant coaches before. He let several go at BSU.
November 10th, 2013 at 9:52 AM ^
People keep saying this but provide no details. Anyone have any extra information on how and when these staff changes took place?
November 9th, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
ignore
November 9th, 2013 at 8:21 PM ^
People! You need to understand Hoke approves of this massive failure.
November 9th, 2013 at 7:53 PM ^
I wonder if David Brandon liked it? I did not like it.
November 9th, 2013 at 9:28 PM ^
November 9th, 2013 at 8:09 PM ^
Do dee do. Everything's just dandy.
Where's the fire?? Where's the fucking sense of urgency??
November 9th, 2013 at 8:52 PM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 12:51 AM ^
@TremendousUM: "@swmckewonOWH: Gregory: "They had tendencies. Whatever formation they came out in, we knew what they were going to throw at us." #Huskers"
November 10th, 2013 at 4:14 AM ^
care to humor me?
November 10th, 2013 at 12:01 PM ^
Hoke will continue saying that until he get his ass fired. I hope at the end of this season. I cant watch hoke teams any more. He is a liar and slow and mis-manage games. I cant stand behind a team like this one. Before the game I know we are at disadvantage due to our coaching. That cant be good. Every coach in the b10 are thanking dave brandon for hiring this joke HOKE, they can eat his lunch all day
November 9th, 2013 at 7:33 PM ^
Saying we didn't execute is passing the blame onto the players, even when he says that he takes the blame.
November 9th, 2013 at 8:01 PM ^
November 9th, 2013 at 11:25 PM ^
November 9th, 2013 at 7:19 PM ^
Hoke is easily one of the worst BCS level coaches. Laughable performance.
November 10th, 2013 at 1:38 AM ^
November 9th, 2013 at 7:20 PM ^
So who are the best O coordinator replacement options come January?
November 9th, 2013 at 7:23 PM ^
Does it really matter? We just had negative yards rushing for the second motherfucking week in a row. People I would take over Borges: Luke Fickell, Saline HS's OC, Carl Pelini...
November 9th, 2013 at 7:29 PM ^
Stacy's mom (she's got it goin' on).
November 9th, 2013 at 8:07 PM ^
Scott Loeffler, check out VT-Miami right now.
November 9th, 2013 at 8:18 PM ^
I'd be in favor of just about anyone at this point, but VaTech's offence has looked shitty for much of the year.
November 10th, 2013 at 12:06 PM ^
for god's sake, dont hire another loser. I am not sure what is the oppsession of michigan hiring borken down coachs. FUCKING do you homework and HIRE a proper coach who can do something with this current roster.
November 9th, 2013 at 9:31 PM ^
A pair of dice would do much better in playcalling. At least it'd be unpredicatable. Probably do just as well with player development too.
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