4th quarter stats vs MSU last 2 seasons
Forgive me for bringing up anything that could be considered negative, but a rough 4th quarter had me just a tad nervous about another miracle finish. Now I realize the game was never in doubt, but I really would have liked to see us finish strong and complete the domination we showed through 3 quarters, especially since MSU all season has wore out late in games. The 4th Q stats are pretty surprising the past couple seasons.
2015: Through 3rd: UM 38 plays for 200 yds, 20 pts. MSU 54 plays for 249 yds, 14 pts.
4th quarter: UM 20 plays for 30 yds, 3 pts. MSU 18 plays for 137 yds, 13 pts
2016: Through 3rd: UM 54 plays for 395 yds, 27 pts. MSU 40 plays for 145 yds, 10 pts.
4th quarter: UM 13 plays for 41 yds, 5 pts. MSU 30 plays for 256 yds, 13 pts.
I know the game was in hand so I get the garbage time aspect of it, but I would still like to see us finish the game stronger and not give them any positive feelings. We have outplayed MSU for 6 of 8 quarters under Harbaugh and I guess I'm just greedy and want to win them all and crush their spirit a little more.
October 31st, 2016 at 10:51 AM ^
Last year, we were trying to move the ball and got stuffed. This year, the only thing that could beat us was a major disaster (like a pick 6), so we correctly turtled. The defense game up some chunk yards due to missed tackles, but you can't evaluate this year's 4th quarter stats in a vacuum.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:04 AM ^
The defense game up some chunk yards due to missed tackles
And blatant holding not called.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:48 AM ^
Some of the most obvious and unabashed holding you will ever see in your entire football-watching existence. It was a joke. I didn't recognize the officiating crew but I sure hope Michigan doesn't see them again this season.
October 31st, 2016 at 10:54 AM ^
Don't get injured. Profit. We went there to get the win, and we did so convincingly, despite Dantonio's "It's Not That Small" 4th quarter offensive desperation to pad the stats. All our goals are still ahead of us. They lost, and their potential future at QB is lost for the season.
Beat Maryland for the love of all things holy!
October 31st, 2016 at 10:57 AM ^
Hard to compare apples to oranges type of situation, IMO, from 2015 to 2016. Just be glad we won and move on?
On a side note...
I'm sitting here just being baffled by MSU's paper, The State News with front headline:
"Defeated with Dignity: MSU lost the Paul Bunyan Trophy but prevented a blowout against U-M"
So I guess they're handing out participation and feelsgood stickers at MSU these days.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:03 AM ^
That's beautiful (honestly). They just lost at home to Michigan in a game that was never really in doubt, sending Michigan to 8-0 and MSU to 2-6, and they're calling it a victory, all things considered. If you take a step back and consider that in the context of the past few years, it's about the clearest indication we've had that things have changed.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:03 AM ^
Things have changed so much in a year that we're talking about a moral victory for MSU. I suppose you could call last year a moral victory for Michigan given how things went the previous seven years. But to hell with that. I want a straight-up victory.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:20 AM ^
Page 7 following the MSU/UM game articles is another doosy:
"Hard drug cases trending upward at MSU, still down from 2013 stat"
Coping mechanism for the season/game... go big or go home?
October 31st, 2016 at 11:25 AM ^
I can see Mork in the locker room after the game.
"Guys, think about it. We only lost by two scores. We were 4 TD dogs but we have to feel really good about this loss. I mean, ignore the fact that we were losing by 20 entering the 4th, needed holding calls to go uncalled in order to move the ball and got our last points with 1 second on the clock and should feel great about this loss."
I love that they are having this 'moral victory' mindset. It really shows a lot about their character.
October 31st, 2016 at 10:57 AM ^
The situations in each 4th quarter were totally different though, as were the teams in essence, so this is a difficult comparison to make. In 2015, we were trying to create distance between us and MSU and couldn't do it on the ground, and of course a one-in-a-million play - something no one could have foreseen - made the difference. The game was well in hand in 2016 and would have required a spectacular effort from MSU to put us in any real danger of losing. They are totally different games situationally.
October 31st, 2016 at 10:57 AM ^
Beat Maryland.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:06 AM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 10:58 AM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 11:05 AM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 11:10 AM ^
With the exception of the last seconds of last year's game, MSU has been behind throughout two games now. That is its own ass kicking.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:21 AM ^
He is dreading dealing with us next year.
If you want to test him, ask him who his QB will be and watch the color drain from his face.
BTW, the only statement you need is numerical.
32-23
October 31st, 2016 at 11:18 AM ^
Just let him be giddy with the loss and a 2-6 season. Get your satisfaction from that.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:22 AM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 11:56 AM ^
Can't wait until next year? His team just lost by nine points at home, in a game that was 20 points of difference and easily could have been way worse. Next year MSU has to face Michigan in Ann Arbor with the same roster of shit QBs and clueless DBs. I don't know about you but I'm giddy just thinking about it.
October 31st, 2016 at 3:39 PM ^
Any Sparty not fearing multiple ass-kickings next year was watching fool's gold in the last half of the 4th Qtr in a blow out that fizzled. They're in Ann Arbor and Columbus next year and have IA, NW, PSU, @MN and even ND who could jump up to bite them.
With huge questions at QB, few answers for losing McDowell and Clemons (and a bad 3rd starter) off a bad DL, no answers for losing 3 starting OL, their best playmaker in Shelton, two-deep at TE...and it goes on and on.
Any Sparty who thinks it can't get worse than this year better not look at next year's roster. It's possible. They'll be rebuilding with very few bright spots returning, and the schedule doesn't look friendly.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:26 AM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 11:47 AM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 12:34 PM ^
A lot of concern trolling in your posting history.
http://mgoblog.com/users/Real%20and%20Spectacular/recentcomments
October 31st, 2016 at 10:58 AM ^
Last year we went for the jugular on one of our last possessions - a fly pattern to Chesson - but Rudock just barely overthrew it.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:25 AM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 10:59 AM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 12:58 PM ^
Not sure why you were downvoted. It's all factual and your gripes are relevant. Being able to take a knee on offense to finish a game is the ultimate goal.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:02 AM ^
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October 31st, 2016 at 11:34 AM ^
Exactly. Big picture. The defense has played two bad quarters in this entire season, and the 4th quarter on Saturday just happened to be one of them. We still got out 8-0 and relatively healthy. The fact of the matter is that the team got a road win against a fiesty 2-6 team, on to bigger and better things.
I am actually quite optimistic considering where this team is right now, and knowing that they haven't reached their peak on offense or defense.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:02 AM ^
I think Dantonio would've traded those garbage scores for a healthy QB the rest of the season. Now they have to play the remainder of the season with two guys who will not be the starter next year.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:03 AM ^
The defense also gave up two chunk plays in the 4th quarter (the long 4th down pass and the long LJ Scott run) as a direct result of Taco and Dymonte being blatantly held. The 4th quarter was bullshit because of the referees' complete abdication of their responsibility. The game wasn't close until the refs made it close.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:06 AM ^
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October 31st, 2016 at 12:03 PM ^
OP is acting like this is NCAA Football '14 on JV setting. The dumb play would be to keep running a "normal" offense, firing passes downfield and risking the clock stopping.
Lastly, let's be quite honest here: Michigan was one yard away from putting this game to bed at 30-17. One yard.
October 31st, 2016 at 12:14 PM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 11:21 AM ^
We won. We turtled because it was over, but not enough of a blowout to just sit the starters in a laugher. The Speight pick scared the coaches in to just game managing a win.
I am usually not a proponent of Lloyd / Tressel ball (get a 2 score lead and go conservative), but given the fluke of last year, and having a 20 point lead in the 4th, it's hard to complain. This was not the usual Harbaugh pedal to the metal we are used to, but hard to complain when we win...in a game that was never within 1 score until the final 1 second.
Sorry...we all wanted our 30+ point win, and it probably would have happened if we scored on that opening drive in the 2nd half....but let's just take the win and be happy any fluke was avoided this year.
Oh, and any Sparty moral victory is just that - it means nothing towards the future that they managed some garbage time points. These two programs are headed in opposite directions. Michigan now has elite coaching and player development to match their top 5 classes. Sparty will out-perform their 2 and 3* recruiting classes because of disrespek and D'antorerezinio, but it won't be enough to keep pace with UM and OSU. Expect 38-0 type poundings in the coming years ala Bama vs MSU last year. They simply are not and never have been an elite program. Topped out last year as a "very good" team, but it's all downhill from here.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:30 AM ^
Isn't Lloyd ball part of the reason we ended up in the situation we were in last season against MSU?
October 31st, 2016 at 11:58 AM ^
We did not have a 20-point lead last year. Apples and oranges.
October 31st, 2016 at 12:03 PM ^
The "situation we were in last year" was a final play where we are 99.8% likley to win. I'll take that situation every time.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:17 AM ^
There was a lot of talk before hand about Michigan being favored by infinity, Harbaugh going for two and never letting up. Anything less than a Conan* victory would be disappointing. The missed tackles (even with holding) were disappointing, but we played smart and the game was never in question. D'antonio tried to be Harbaugh hard with the 2 points at the end and it was a fitting and satisfying result.
*To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.
October 31st, 2016 at 11:17 AM ^
October 31st, 2016 at 11:18 AM ^
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October 31st, 2016 at 11:45 AM ^
Championship game this week
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October 31st, 2016 at 12:12 PM ^
If MSU and/or Dantonia are satisfied with how this game went for them then it's a pretty clear indication of where our respective programs are heading. If they want to settle for moral victories for the remainder of the Harbaugh Era, fine with me.
October 31st, 2016 at 12:23 PM ^
Hey do you guys remember when OP wrote this 5 weeks ago?
"In the same regard everyone writing MSU off as a 5-7 team is probably fooling themselves."
Good times.
October 31st, 2016 at 2:48 PM ^
When's the last time a team went from Big Ten Champion to basement in one year?
Just asking.
October 31st, 2016 at 4:48 PM ^
For a friend?
November 1st, 2016 at 11:30 AM ^
just curious