Michigan State 14, Michigan 10
The final play. [Bryan Fuller]
Death by a thousand self-inflicted cuts.
Michigan State's offense didn't look like it belonged in the same league as Michigan's defense, which forced eight three-and-outs, added a turnover on downs, and didn't allow a point after the 8:07 mark of the second quarter. By those numbers, you'd think the Wolverines would've won this game in a blowout.
But the offense, well, it all went wrong with the offense. They turned the ball over five times: a Ty Isaac fumble that killed any momentum from a promising start, a Sean McKeon fumble when they were driving at the end of the first half, and three John O'Korn interceptions. O'Korn's picks came on consecutive second-half possessions as rain fell from the sky in sheets; the coaches continued to call passes despite O'Korn's struggling and the receivers having a tough time hanging onto the ball.
That was it, really. State needed only one long touchdown drive and another on a short field to get the win while Michigan found new and demoralizing ways to shoot themselves in the foot.
After the game, the quarterback dismissed concerns about the playcalling and the weather, instead putting the loss on his own shoulders.
"I take full ownership for this loss," said John O'Korn. "You can't turn the ball over and expect to win and you can't give them great field position all game and expect to win."
"You've got to execute the plays that are called regardless of the conditions and we didn't do that tonight."
His head coach had a different take.
"Yeah, you can criticize that," Jim Harbaugh said about the playcalling. "We were trying to run the ball. We were trying to piece drives together."
It was a depressingly familiar script. Michigan State had the better, more cohesive gameplan, highlighted by their second touchdown, a gorgeous slip screen off a fake end-around that caught the entire defense on the wrong side of the field. Michigan's pass protection repeatedly broke down; Juwann Bushell-Beatty replaced Nolan Ulizio at right tackle midway through the game with little positive effect. The late-game plays didn't break the right way; MSU all but iced the game when Brian Lewerke dropped a third-down snap, frantically scrambled, and somehow rolled over two players to get the first down before touching the ground.
Another familiar sight—stupid Michigan State penalties—gave Michigan a final shot late, first when a holding call stopped the clock on MSU's final drive, then when senior linebacker Chris Frey committed an obvious late hit on Karan Higdon. Yet again, Michigan committed an unforced error. O'Korn found Eddie McDoom wide open around the MSU 30, only for the ball to clang off McDoom's hands. A couple plays later, O'Korn's Hail Mary heave hit the rain-soaked turf.
The bitter taste from this one is going to linger. Michigan could—should—be 3-0 against MSU under Harbaugh. Instead, they're 1-2. This time around, it was the struggling offense finally costing the team a game this season. Even if we knew that was coming this year, it won't sit well that it happened against the Spartans, especially given the preceding bye week and questionable playcalling.
It's going to be a long week for a lot of people.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:04 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:09 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:23 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:32 AM ^
It was rain. We lost because of rain. Okay--It never rains when we play OSU...We've got this.
Making excuses is why we are comfortable with losing to our rivals. It rained. We're okay with losing that one.
October 8th, 2017 at 4:43 AM ^
Did you see that offense. We cannot score. That is what the game is about. Michigan has three to five more losses coming. I have accepted it. We have half a team. Great defense and a complete joke of an offense. How many times did Michigan turn the ball over. The offense has talent but it flat out is not being coached. Anyone who accepts what we have seen through five games is a big ten offense well you are delusional. They are given a huge advantage with our defense and they can't even get out of there own way. I am probably to angry for my health. This is the most dissappointed I have ever been with a Michigan team and staff except for the defense. They sure deserve better. Maybe I will try again next fall. I just can't accept that performance on offense. Well really all year. It is just such a struggle. I can't really blame the kids. It looks like they don't even practice on offense. Can't stand watching a Michigan o-line getting pushed around. I just want to puke. I'm sorry but I am done for this year. Harbaugh just got run up in by Dantonio. Franklin will be bending him over next. He will get fucked in Wisconsin and to top off a stellar year another embarrassing butt fuckin by Meyer and osu. Enjoy!!. MSU on national t.v. ..........FUCK YOU HARBAUGH!!!!. OH ya you still get your nine million.
October 8th, 2017 at 6:31 AM ^
...would up-vote this 1000 times!
October 8th, 2017 at 8:37 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:19 AM ^
with hoke are dumb. hoke is clearly mediocre at best, and his worse and worse output each year was proof. harbs is clearly very good - but, perhaps, may not be great. we'll see.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:25 AM ^
because he somehow only had one home game in four tries. Harbaugh is only 1-2 with two home games.
Not comparing in any other way than to point out results in this series.
October 7th, 2017 at 11:58 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:07 AM ^
it was a busted play, scrample by JOK. Can't find solace in plays that didn't work as designed, our OL failed, and only by the scrambling of our QB were were able to find a guy...only to have it dropped.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:01 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:26 AM ^
Well.... in year 3 of his royal Harbaughness
we have terrible QB's (other teams seem to find great ones)
we have no offensive line push (Wisconsin pulls this off regularly)
we have stupid playcalling (hmmmm... who hired the OC?)
we have recievers that can't catch a ball even if it is coated in glue
we have running backs that just run into a pile and stay there
Who is the person in charge of hiring staff?
Who has the magical ability to identify talented HS QB recruits?
Who is a football wizard incapable of losing at home to a bunch of 3 start recuits?
Could it be be? Naw. He is not to be questioned!
On the positive side- now that the NC picture and Big 10 championship is less likely- this DOES free up Jim's time to:
do TV shows
commercials
engage in political battles
find Colin Kapernick a job
Now- can we just go back to wondering what cute things his royal Harbaughness did on his last vacation?
October 8th, 2017 at 12:34 AM ^
that can't hold onto the ball. All three of them now have inexcusable fumbles. That's even worse than running into a pile because the pile is more the OL fault.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:31 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 9:37 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:57 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:59 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:59 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 5:26 AM ^
This is a good vent we've got going here.
C'mon WHERE THE F**K is a serviceable running back???
Two 190-lbers and a 6'3" 230-lber that can't hold onto the football????
No running game, no passing game, and NO offensive line.
1st. We've been MASSIVELY over-achieving.
2nd. Everyone's been sitting here crediting our defense (who are lights out, no doubt), but didn't even realize that they looked "so good" because they've HAD TO, over and over and over and over again. Which means....the offense SUUUUUUUUUXXXX
October 8th, 2017 at 2:57 PM ^
two straight 3rd place finishes and what looks like a fourth place finish this year is over achieving to you?
Last season we should have been national champions with our defense. But Harbaugh's asinine play calling cost us the Iowa game and our pitiful OL and QB play cost us the OSU game.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:43 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:43 AM ^
October 7th, 2017 at 11:59 PM ^
We lost. We should move on. this lose doesn't affect the grand scheme. We still need to beat PSU, Wisky and OSU, we still in bigten championship game.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:00 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:22 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:28 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:48 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 5:36 AM ^
The future doesn't actually predict the past. It's a logical fallacy.
A turkey seems to have a pretty good life day-in, day-out, well-fed, well-cared for, until about day 300, then his ass is grass.
MSU lost to ND, then did what they just did tonight.
That's why you play.
Peters! Peters! Peters! Peters! Peters! Peters! Peters! Peters!
or
McCaffrey! McCaffrey! McCaffrey! McCaffrey! McCaffrey! McCaffrey!
or
Other-Guy! Other-Guy! Other-Guy! Other-Guy! Other-Guy! Other-Guy!
October 8th, 2017 at 12:02 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:07 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:57 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 9:45 AM ^
For the umpteenth year in a row, Dantonio came into that game seemingly more prepared and with a better gameplan than the Michigan coaches. Maybe it is because he treats it like their Super Bowl and preps for it all year, but I'd hope at some point Michigan would recognize that Dantonio's MSU is going to give you their best game of the season and you need to be prepared for it.
I'm so tired of MSU games going this way. We roll in with the same vanilla stuff just praying it'll work and MSU comes out well prepared and exploits our weaknesses
October 8th, 2017 at 12:15 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:22 AM ^
two top 10 team lost after a bye week this week. We face PSU after they have bye week. Just saying, we have a chance to upset.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:29 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:45 AM ^
while I didn't love the playcalling, we had two terrible fumbles (our fault, easily avoided) in the first half, marched down to score in the 2nd half before it started raining, and then the game was over when the weather arrived.
Our OL isn't good but our defense is good enough to keep us in any game so I'll hold out hope that things will go our way in the future.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:18 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:46 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:23 AM ^
and it is pretty easy. Other than PSU and OSU, maybe @NW is the only game they could lose? They would, of course, have to lose two more for us to win the division even if we won out.
Whatever our odds of winning at PSU, MSU's are probably as good at home.
October 8th, 2017 at 3:39 AM ^
MSU is not a good team. They could lose to any team in the B1G. They could lose to Rutgers with a few breaks going the other way. They will finish no higher than 4th in the East.
October 8th, 2017 at 6:23 AM ^
...Michigan, with all of its "talent", could not beat Sparty. Sickening.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:50 PM ^
October 10th, 2017 at 12:42 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 8th, 2017 at 3:24 PM ^
I'll predict it right now. MSU finishes 3rd, Michigan finishes 4th in the east. MSU looked pretty good in the first half and with the rain they seemed content to just run the football into the teeth of the Michigan defense and shorten the game, knowing that Michigan's mistake prone offense coupled with the rain would help them. Turned out to be a winning strategy.
October 7th, 2017 at 11:59 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:00 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:06 AM ^
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