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 6:06 AM ^
100%
Dabo was reguarly criticized as being a choke artist, for never being able to win "the big game", etc.
"Clemsoning"
And now he's building a monster down in South Carolina. Perenially competing with/beating Bama.
Those two teams are in another echelon. And neither look to descend any time soon.
These things take time.
I'm impatient too.
Harbaugh will absolutely have his way.
October 8th, 2017 at 9:41 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 9:58 AM ^
There is "Clemsoning" and then there is being utterly unprepared to compete. Michigan's offense has been unprepared to compete for the first five games of this season. That isn't choking, that is incompetent coaching.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:06 AM ^
You are of course right about Harbaugh being a great coach. We know that and remain extremely grateful that he is our coach. And the Clemson/Swinney point is on target. Yet, this did not reflect Harbaugh's ability. Something is wrong. It's one thing for youth to make mistakes. But the offense shows no fire and has no single striking competence. Where's the desperate passion with this team? Harbaugh needs to find it. Show me one guy on the offense who plays like Winovich? Yeah, this is just one bad day. But this offense -- and therefore team -- is in serious trouble.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:16 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:28 AM ^
On MSU's muffed punt some idiot Michigan player shoved the MSU guy instead of actually, you know, DIVING FOR THE FUCKING BALL LIKE HE WANTED IT. Ball proceeds to bounce into MSU player's hands as he's falling to the ground.
I don't think the play mattered but there's my example. U-M players have no fire at all.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:41 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 6:08 AM ^
That didn't betray any lack of "fire"
The "choice" on that play was just stupid.
He should have swiped his legs, or tackled him.
Bush, Hurst, Gary, Winovich, and the DBs regularly bring it.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:30 AM ^
- when the ILB sticks with a play to reach back and rip the ball out of of Issac's hands.
- when the DB runs his butt off to hit McKeon from behind to make a play.
- when the OL springs London for a 50 yarder.
- when the OL prevents us from recording a single sack.
This OL owned us despite a massive differential in talent. How else to explain it other than fire/passion? We sleep walk through this game, they play it like their Super Bowl and are that focused. We can make fun of that all we want, but maybe caring about a game helps?
October 8th, 2017 at 12:23 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:29 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:47 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:16 AM ^
Dude, quit drinking and go to bed. First of all, it's JEDD Fisch, not Jeff. Second, he was not our OC, he was the passing coordinator, the same as Pep Hamilton this year. If you can't bring anything to the table beyond whining, then quit it.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:25 AM ^
but Jeff Fisch is a hell of a coordinator.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:05 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:55 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:17 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:21 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:27 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:33 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:16 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:43 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:55 AM ^
with mediocre talent and guys getting arrested left and right. This wasn't a loss to Bama or Clemson which would have been acceptable. It's a loss to a team that was awful last year and lost a bunch of guys.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:25 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:00 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:13 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:19 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:59 AM ^
this is true. Not saying there isn't hope for the young guys. One of them will be good. But yes, in year three of Harbaugh, we have no good QBs.
Let that sink in.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:58 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:41 AM ^
You think Speight would have done any better this game?
October 8th, 2017 at 9:48 AM ^
Yes
Maybe not massively so, but he doesn't have a panic attack every time the pocket starts to collapse and probably doesn't make some of the terrible decisions JOK did. Still not sure we wouldve won with him since he looked only marginally better than how JOK looks right now
October 8th, 2017 at 12:00 AM ^
You are dead right about MSU's game plan being better -- and this coming off a bye week! At no point did you get the sense that Harbaugh had something to spring on them. And this was such an exploitable defense! Harbaugh is not coaching with the desperation that this team needs. I love Harbaugh as much as the next guy, but this game does not reflect his ability as a coach.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:09 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:15 AM ^
I agree that Harbaugh seems to have no confidence in O Korn or the offense. But that is not a winning leadership strategy. You've got to play to win, not to mitigate problems. And O' Korn has ability. If you're going to play him, you've got to at least pretend you have confidence in him. The opposite was the mess we saw tonight, and the lack of inspiration with this offense is part of it. And there are ways to scheme around O line problems for more than 10 points. But what scheme did we show tonight? I didn't see one.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:25 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:55 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 3:02 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 3:55 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:17 AM ^
our biggest problem is still the OL. Even Tom Brady is the QB, it won't help. WRs are also dropping ball. It turns out Black's injuries affect our passing game a lot.
And the rest of WRs are not good. Our entire Offensive coaching staff are not up to the standard. the one who were are gone (weatley and Jed Fisch), not a good sign.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:34 AM ^
Perry is fine and that is all. Everyone else is incompetent.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:40 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 10:48 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:17 AM ^
Most of the fist half was dink and dunk from what could be told. The lack of trying to hit anything deep between the numbers is absolutely confusing. All long passes appear to be designed to be thrown down the sidelines toward the sideline. Only a few passes all year long between the numbers and this seems to be a perfect game to target the 10-15 yd pass in the center of the field with the LBs crashing.
Instead, throw short flat crossing patterns in front of the LBs and Safties all first half.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:23 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 3:06 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:29 AM ^
"But I'm not sure what you do with JOK and the revolving door at RT right now"
I'm not sure what to do with the offense at this point. Lets not forget, this offense scored like 15 points against Air Force, and that was with Speight at the helm.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:12 AM ^
to throw deep down the middle, but yes, I would like to do that. If the protection is there, why not?
It's better than running into a pile. It's better than throwing a pick short. It's better than throwing your guy out of bounds.
Absolutely, if you can buy the time (which I don't think we can do), throw it deep down the middle. Worst case, it's a punt anyway.
October 8th, 2017 at 3:08 AM ^
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