Rod Moore may have intercepted at the end even without Harrell's pressure
Watching this part of the highlights a few times (replay of the interception at the end of the game)
It looks to me that Moore was in position to make the pick even if Harrell doesn't hit the arm - he beats MHJ to the spot (Moore's even early, and stops to get low to get the pick), and looks to me like he woulda gotten there first even if the ball was a little faster. I don't think the ball was that off target left/right, but it was definitely short due to the pressure.
Possibly possibly the only knock on MHJ - not fighting for the ball enough on either pick. Whether its an effort issue or a "self preservation for the NFL" reaction I don't know.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:18 PM ^
Like a lot of things in the world, it sounds great when Gus Johnson says it, bad when anybody else says it.
November 26th, 2023 at 2:02 PM ^
It doesn't sound thay great when Gus says it either.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
Mitsubishi Marv.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:44 PM ^
Honda C-Marv-V
November 26th, 2023 at 12:34 PM ^
All flash, no substance.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:57 PM ^
Dunno which one of you did this, but looks like someone just added (last night maybe?) Maserati to his wikipedia page (I'm assuming this is factually inaccurate, but who knows)
November 26th, 2023 at 1:53 PM ^
dammit, i was hoping yesterday would be the last time i had to hear that dumbassed nickname. it’s just so very gus johnson, right up there with tommy two-thumbs and the lord of camelot, or whatever he called clifford.
November 26th, 2023 at 3:44 PM ^
And Honda McCord.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^
I'm just glad he caught it. I will let other surmise what would have happened. I was so nervous on the last drive.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
That fumble miraculously bouncing straight to the OSU player really did feel like one of those "fate is against us" moments.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:45 PM ^
You just know if a Michigan defender got the ball it would've been ruled an incomplete pass.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
Of course
November 26th, 2023 at 1:20 PM ^
That’s exactly what I told my friend when it happened but as was said in one of the articles this week on this blog: ball don’t lie
November 26th, 2023 at 1:29 PM ^
I didn't like it during the game, but given the turn of events it seemed like it gave ohio one of those 'here we go again' boosts. Had to have added to their depths of despair after the interception.
November 26th, 2023 at 2:32 PM ^
I felt like that was Dantonio's last ounce of soul when it bounced directly to the ONE guy surrounded by 3 of ours.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
I enjoyed the fact that Notre Dame had basically the same opportunity to pick McCord off on a similar pass to end their game, and they didn't make the play. Rod Moore made the catch that the Domer defender couldn't make.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^
There’s no way to know but OSU was moving the ball well. There is a universe they punch it in after Moore failed to make the play. Glad we’re in ours.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:08 PM ^
2018? Maybe 2017? One of those years we had a game winning interception dropped….
November 26th, 2023 at 2:32 PM ^
We play with 11 guys tho.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:38 PM ^
I'd say that that ball WAS a little wounded (disagree here) but that Moore had better position anyway (agree with you on the larger question). And that was the second time yesterday that MHJ didn't perform a major piece of his job, which scouts are gonna note and make him work on--breaking up those passes instead of pouting when they aren't perfect. If they end up in the D's hands, you haven't performed your job.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^
Scouts will note, but its not going to affect his draft position at all. Its like when Deion (supposedly?) said "they don't pay me to tackle" - it would be nice, but not enough to outweigh all the other amazingness.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:01 PM ^
You're correct, this schtick hilarious.
A lot of WRs are ticking time bombs, and now you have a guy with the same personality and work-ethic as a couple of the goats like Sr. and Rice. But after he balls out with barely any help in THE GAME he has NO PASSION because his QB threw two interceptions he had no chance on.
rofl
November 26th, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^
Marv is obviously a hugely skilled player. That said, I haven't seen him dominate a Michigan game in any of their 3 matchups. He really didn't dominate PSU either. Feels like he's been just a bit overhyped bc of his name. That Washington receiver has seemed far more dominant.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:56 PM ^
November 26th, 2023 at 1:09 PM ^
MHJ stats:
- 2023 Michigan: 118 / 1 TD
- 2023 PSU: 162 / 1
- 2022 UGA: 106 / 2
- 2022 Michigan: 120 / 1 TD
- 2022 PSU: 185 / 0
I think the expectations for MHJ's stats are just so immense that we don't call those "dominant" games, but for most other WRs those could be considered really really good numbers.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:13 PM ^
Yeah. And a lot of our perspective is colored by the fact that they lost those games to us.
I'll admit that he scared the crap out of me whenever they threw it his way, more than any other OSU receiver I can remember (and they've had some good ones).
November 26th, 2023 at 1:32 PM ^
The simple fact is that he has the ability to turn a game on any given play. All the other discussion is secondary to that.
November 27th, 2023 at 12:05 AM ^
Exactly. If you had told me before the game that any other skill player would have 120 yards and a TD vs us, I would be like "Oh ffffffff" But if you told me it was MHJ, I would be like "well, I can live with that"
November 26th, 2023 at 1:11 PM ^
He caught 11 for 162 and a TD against PSU and 5 for 118 and a TD against Michigan. I’m not sure how you define dominate, but he was the difference in the PSU game and without him, yesterday’s game wouldn’t have come down to the final play. He’s properly hyped.
November 26th, 2023 at 4:40 PM ^
Let's say he didn't turn in clutch performances when needed. He had greet stats though.
November 26th, 2023 at 2:34 PM ^
I am still in awe of 2021 when they had 3 WRs of this ilk and a better WR room than any NFL team not named the Bengals. And we still won.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:48 PM ^
I just can't focus on this in this crucial moment... shouldn't we all be checking on our favorite third baseman, Deacon Blues?
November 26th, 2023 at 12:53 PM ^
What if snowflake.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:54 PM ^
Pretty big only knock on the kid. And I had the same takeaway.
But Rod’s was better.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
All I know was that damn replay took forever. Everyone kept celebrating and Klatt and Gus just kept saying that was the game and I’m repeating over and over, “hurry the f up”. I was just waiting on that to be ruled an incomplete pass.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:07 PM ^
Heh! Me, too. "Come on replay." Then when I finally saw it, was clear as Day that it was a solid interception, thankfully.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:25 PM ^
Also, if just for my sanity, can someone tell the kids to stop taking their helmets off on the field following a turnover? I saw flag on the play and about lost it thinking they were going to overturn the INT somehow - two weeks in a row that penalty has happened.
November 26th, 2023 at 3:48 PM ^
Yes they need to stop doing that. No reason to risk a bad outcome.
If the int gets overturned that’s a brutal penalty and has them knocking on the door.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:01 PM ^
That was a bad pass attempt by McCord. He should have put that in the dirt or thrown away! He threw into triple coverage, weak side arm throw eve if he didn’t get hit… likely the pass is easier pick for Moore!
November 26th, 2023 at 1:16 PM ^
harrison is a badass. no grounds to question his effort or suggest he was saving anything for the nfl.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:20 PM ^
There's no need to do it, but it seems there is grounds to do so. Whatever the reason, its quite clear he didn't do anything on the first pick, when he definitely could have. Its like 20th on the list of things you might want to see on a WR, but its there.
November 26th, 2023 at 2:31 PM ^
MHJ is a great player but he got beat "to a spot" twice.
Roman Wilson called him out after the game "watching the film". Soft.
November 26th, 2023 at 4:36 PM ^
This is what Roman was talking about when he said they weren't tough
November 26th, 2023 at 6:11 PM ^
That is what it looked like to me as well, unless McCord was just trying to bomb it down the field out of everybodies reach to live another down.
November 26th, 2023 at 8:52 PM ^
Didn't Moore bait MSU into a very similar game-clinching INT over the middle in 2022?
It looked like he had eyes on MHJ all the way, pretended to track Egbuka for a moment, and immediately broke on MHJ's route as McCord tried to step into the throw.
Next level safety play in my mind, but just seems like that's what Rod Moore does...