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 5:17 AM ^
...am so sick and tired of reading this crap about how young Mchigan is. The offensive coaching staff sucks. Lineman miss too many assignments, runningbacks miss too many holes (they seem to have regressed under Jay Harbaugh's coaching), QB's make too many stupid mistakes, receivers can't get open.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:13 AM ^
All week, I kept thinking, "Just don't turn it over and give Sparty short fields, and we should be OK." Ugh.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:18 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:01 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:30 AM ^
I'm new, so down vote me. But let's just stop pretending we are still a peer of OSU, MSU, hell even Iowa and PSU now in football. We aren't. We are much more akin to Duke, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt. That's the truth. But you know what? Those latter universities are the very best in the world. I know we all have a lot of pride in the history of M Athletics, but that was 20 years ago. Things have changed. OSU, MSU, PSU, Iowa...etc... they don't pretend to be a peer of the Northwestern's, and Vanderbilt's, and Duke's academically--- and we should stop embarrassing ourselves by pretending to be a football peer to them. It's almost impossible to be both academically superior and fabulous on the gridiron. I know-- Stanford, right? EVERYONE wants to be Stanford. But nobody has that amount of money (they'll pass Harvard and the other 2 very soon---watch and see). I love Michigan---and its athletics. But we just aren't going to be able to get the kids that Alabama, OSU, FSU--- and now even some of what we thought were the lesser Big 10 schools. We aren't in "that league." We might be public and large, but our profile is with the private schools and the Ivy league schools. Not a bad place to be; so let's stop pretending otherwise.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:58 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 6:46 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:38 PM ^
Ask this question again on the 22nd and the answer will be yesterday.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:19 AM ^
We lost a starting QB and put in the backup in a rainstorm and he sucked--I get it.
It is a tough loss--I get that,too. But for gawd's sake grow up! The team has an insanely good defense recruited by Harbaugh. I hate to lose to State. But I remember the RR days and guess what? Things happen.
But your definition of "peer" is whacked out. Calm down and watch the recruiting continue to ramp up. We'll do fine.
October 8th, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^
That rainstorm came in the 2nd half, dissapated near the middle of the 4th quarter.
What about that awwesome display in the 1st half with a two week bye?
October 8th, 2017 at 1:31 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:31 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:56 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:31 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:39 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:41 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:55 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:56 AM ^
Blame Harbaugh, blame the OL, blame whoever else you want. Yeah, they all share in the blame and it is fair to start questioning Harbaugh's coaching abilities. But having been at the game, I can't believe the positive comments about O'Korn. That was, simply, one of the worst quarterback performances I can remember seeing. The three INTs stand out, but there were also multiple times where he threw to the wrong receiver. As for the weather, I remember similar excuses being made for him when he looked equally terrible in the Indiana game last year.
Fact of the matter is, this should end any and all discussion of this team being better off without Speight. The offense wasn't good before, but it likely would have been able to do enough to win this game with Speight under center. Now, it is a steaming pile of dog crap. This season is a wash at this point anyway, so unless Brandon Peters is unimaginably bad, it might be time for him to get an opportunity. O'Korn isn't part of the future here anyway.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:36 AM ^
Yes he was terrible, but to think Speight would have saved the day seems like a stretch at best.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
Fair enough about Speight getting sacked more. But, I also believe he has the poise to avoid throwing so many picks, esp. in the moments O'Korn threw them. At the end of the day, I guess it doesn't matter all that much because O'Korn did play and we did lose. Now, this team has to regroup for a couple of tough games coming up. We'll learn a lot about the team's grit and Harbaugh's coaching ability the next couple of weeks.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:40 AM ^
get the fuck out of here. They both suck, can we agree on that? To be honest, O'Korn's play was acceptable until it started raining, then the wheels fell off the entire fucking offense.
October 8th, 2017 at 12:45 PM ^
Yeah, we can agree on that much (that they both suck). Agree to disagree on O'Korn, I wasn't happy with his play at any point after the first drive.
October 8th, 2017 at 8:08 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
That's a fair point. But can we expect improvement from O'Korn? At this point he is what he is... a fifth year senior who's a backup for a reason. I'm just really frustrated right now, as I am sure everyone else on this board is too.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:17 AM ^
I do not care what was written up to this point...fuck all of this. The End.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:22 AM ^
1. If this game had been played in a dome, MSU still wins. They were better. Not more talented by a long shot, but better prepared to come out get something accomplished in the first half.
2. Our offense doesn't seem to have a philosophy. What's it going for? It's more a collection of plays at this point rather than a connected series of bread-and-butter things we do well with an appropriate collection of constraints to punish Ds that don't play it honest.
3. Further to the above, Dantonio's staff manufactured points. That slip screen was a great example-- that was gorgeous. That creativity and ability to scheme up some points hasn't been there for Michigan after an offseason of hyping all the crazy cool stuff we gonna do with creating mismatches with DBs by splitting Chris Evans and other guys out.
4. Even as dominant as the D was in the second half, I don't quite get why Devin Bush was frequently (and even Mike McCray sometimes) covering the widest WR on the field.
5. I'd love to watch the tape, but watching live I thought Mo Hurst was the best player on the field all night. Too bad some a couple of his TFLs were wiped out by penalites on his teammates.
6. Speaking of let down by teammates, I felt for JOK. Yeah, he made some mistakes, but when we needed it most, the line wasn't giving him time, the receivers weren't getting open, and even when he put it in their hands, they were dropping it. JOK should get at least one decent-weather home game in a Michigan uniform to show what he can do. Maybe 10/28 vs Rutgers will be beautiful fall weather, but somehow I get the feeling it's going to be a locust invasion or sandstorm or wildfire tearing through the stadium.
After all that mess, it's almost shocking that if McDoom holds onto that ball at the 30 with no one around him, we have a very legit shot to win at the end.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:29 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:43 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 7:36 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:25 AM ^
All you nancies talking shit..Dantonio is a damn good caoch...so is Harbaugh. While we lost tonight, we will continue to be a great team under Harbaugh despite the loss tonight. Stop your bitching.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:37 AM ^
They are hardly even a good team. "Continue to be a great team" is incorrect. Who have they beaten in the last 3 years? Fuck, who have they beaten in the last 14 years?
October 8th, 2017 at 6:54 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:27 AM ^
It has been 30 years - I felt like I was reliving that game.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:29 AM ^
The Team, The Team, The Team.
They lost. I love Michigan Football and what it stands for. I will be rooting for them every Saturday for as long as I am around.
Stick it out!
October 8th, 2017 at 2:33 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:41 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:44 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 12:53 PM ^
Well... I'm new to this forum and not sure how to upvote your post but, you're right, if that's any consolation.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:50 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 3:06 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 3:07 AM ^
Agreed.
October 8th, 2017 at 3:07 AM ^
"Michigan State's offense didn't look like it belonged in the same league as Michigan's defense"
What a dumbass first sentence. Did you see MSU's D against Michigan's O?????
October 8th, 2017 at 3:14 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 7:13 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 10:24 AM ^
Well, their first scoring drive only covered about 35 yards, when the penalty is subtracted. And on the second, we were thisclose to picking off that deep ball. Sh*t happens sometimes.
October 8th, 2017 at 3:12 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 6:43 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 3:30 AM ^
I rewatched the game and didn't count them but there seemed to be a lot of drops. There where lots of plays to be made that weren't. You can't put that on the coaches. That's what happens when you have a young team. The young offensive skill players weren't ready for the spotlight.
The defense as always was up for the challange and faced with 5 sudden turnovers only gave up 14 points with some questionable officitiating. On the first td drive obvious late hit on Bush was not called, then he gets club in the head later in that drive and actually gets a penalty called on him. On the second td drive on the big 30 yard completiion it looks as if the receiver stepped out of bounds but was not called.
They had plenty of opportunities to win the game but failed to do so. The team that lost tonight was more talented but that doesn't matter in these games, you need to make the plays that are there to be made. Maybe i'll torture myself again and count all the drops and missed opportunites,
If we beat Psu, Wisconsin, and Osu we are still in the playoffs. I hope that with more experience these young men on offense get it sorted out. The talent is there, they just need to play up to it and not be scared of the moment.
October 8th, 2017 at 11:52 AM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:13 PM ^
Ask the question the other way: how many drops did Sparty have? If they'd held on to the ball, they would have CRUSHED us.
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