Michigan Game Thread

[Leathernecks]

Let's run an option on 3rd and 1 when we're in 4 down territory when they have 17 guys in the box. That was the time to pound it straight ahead twice and just get the first.

[CTrojan88]

Absolutely ignorant play call.  We are running it down their throat and like always, try to get cute.....

[Leathernecks]

We should have kicked it out of bounds.

[rico]

Nice....SMH

[Leathernecks]

Hopefully a lot of this is precautionary and he's alright. Never like to see that happen.

[CTrojan88]

Honestly....I know the guy is hurt but how is that targeting or even a penalty?  It was a physical hit but 34 just lowered his shoulder because he was going to get laid out if not.....it’s football

[Leathernecks]

Wisconsin beats Purdue in triple overtime. Looks like the Bucket game will be for a bowl berth for the winner.

[rogue3542]

2 minutes ago, Leathernecks said:

Wisconsin beats Purdue in triple overtime. Looks like the Bucket game will be for a bowl berth for the winner.

Hey!  We haven't lost yet!

[Leathernecks]

4 minutes ago, rogue3542 said:

Hey!  We haven't lost yet!

I like the faith!

[rico]

Ball game.

[rogue3542]

As a head coach, these cramps would bother me to no end.  It's totally a lack of staying warm and hydration.

If cyclists can ride 21-120 mile, 6+ hour stages in a row in the Tour de France, you should be able to get through a football game without cramping up.

[rogue3542]

Time for a bold statement:  if Stepaniak doesn't commit that second late hit, IU wins this game.

[Jacarcio]

Man this one was winnable. Michigian doesn't feel like the num 4 team in the country 

[rico]

Another valiant effort.......but the scoreboard tells the outcome.

[hoopsta007]

6 minutes ago, rico said:

Another valiant effort.......but the scoreboard tells the outcome.

Typical IU fashion too...Do just enough to make us think there’s a chance

[mrflynn03]

Seriously, I know it was michigan, but not one game this season has the offense done ANYTHING in the second half. Debord needs to go.  

[Proud2BAHoosier]

1 hour ago, Jacarcio said:

Man this one was winnable. Michigian doesn't feel like the num 4 team in the country 

Me thinks they were looking ahead to next week.......

[rico]

27 minutes ago, Proud2BAHoosier said:

Me thinks they were looking ahead to next week.......

Bingo.

[Payday]

The hit on the kickoff coverage by the young player is a penalty and ejection every time and in any league. You have to be making a play on the ball carrier. What he did was damn near criminal and the only saving grace is that he is young and will learn. But the numerous hits by Step, what the hell were they thinking? He knows better, in a game like that, can’t be careless. But it doesn’t really matter, if we play that prevent offense we will never win. Yes, it is a prevent offense. As in, prevent losing by too much and maybe steal it if you can stay close. It sucks. It sucked last year, it sucks this year, and it will suck next year. Why the hell are we running a fast pace no huddle, running the legs off our own players, if that is the vanilla offense? Well boys and girls, we had a very favorable schedule this year and once again it comes down to the Purdue game. No idea on this next game, not a feel one way or the other. Ohio was a stunner but then look what Maryland did to Ohio today. Next weeks game might be the best matchup of the week.

[Leathernecks]

I'm actually really happy with where we will be next year IF DeBord goes.  He is a negative for the team.  We'd be better off with almost any other offensive coordinator.  If we had a good OC, we could easily have 7 or 8 wins by now.  Maybe throw in Hiller and Inge because those two areas have been a disaster, and I'd feel really good about next year.

We've had a good last couple weeks.  Beat a Maryland team that should have beat OSU, and hung tough with a team currently in the CFP.  Even if we lose next week, we won't have lost all momentum heading into the offseason.  If we don't make a bowl next year, I'll probably be on the bandwagon to put Allen on the hot seat, but I really like where we're headed as of now.  If we win next week, I'll be stoked about the future (all dependent on DeBord being gone next year).

[CauseThatsMyDJ]

11 hours ago, Payday said:

The hit on the kickoff coverage by the young player is a penalty and ejection every time and in any league. You have to be making a play on the ball carrier. What he did was damn near criminal and the only saving grace is that he is young and will learn. But the numerous hits by Step, what the hell were they thinking? He knows better, in a game like that, can’t be careless. But it doesn’t really matter, if we play that prevent offense we will never win. Yes, it is a prevent offense. As in, prevent losing by too much and maybe steal it if you can stay close. It sucks. It sucked last year, it sucks this year, and it will suck next year. Why the hell are we running a fast pace no huddle, running the legs off our own players, if that is the vanilla offense? Well boys and girls, we had a very favorable schedule this year and once again it comes down to the Purdue game. No idea on this next game, not a feel one way or the other. Ohio was a stunner but then look what Maryland did to Ohio today. Next weeks game might be the best matchup of the week.

 

[Payday]

1 hour ago, CauseThatsMyDJ said:

 

So he got pulled into a situation where the retaliatory is always caught. Anyone who has ever played the game knows you can’t do that. You get even by beating him on the field fair play, that is the best retaliation. But the kickoff hit was just flat out unacceptable. You can really hurt someone doing that. Not bruises, paralysis.

[rogue3542]

3 hours ago, Payday said:

So he got pulled into a situation where the retaliatory is always caught. Anyone who has ever played the game knows you can’t do that. You get even by beating him on the field fair play, that is the best retaliation. But the kickoff hit was just flat out unacceptable. You can really hurt someone doing that. Not bruises, paralysis.

I think that play looks worse and makes Cam Jones look worse than it and he is, and it certainly didn't look "criminal."  If you go back and look at it, the ball carrier was right behind Edwards at the moment Jones launches, and it looks like Edwards is headed to block Jones.  I think Jones was looking to knock the blocker into the returner, but Higdon cuts at the same moment Jones goes for the blocker, and the blocker decides a split second too late to disengage from Jones.

What do you expect Jones to do? Not engage the blocker? Let Edwards level him? Not go after the returner? He was expecting to get blocked, and Edwards just never engaged the block despite looking at and heading for Jones, which made the whole thing look a hundred times worse than it actually was. 

It was just a really weird play.  If Edwards actually blocked Jones like he appeared to intend to, I think it's a shoulder to shoulder hit, and nothing bad happens.

It was absolutely targeting, and I think Cam Jones could have and should have approached that hit much better than he did (leading with your head is stupid), but I also don't think he was looking to injure anyone and was expecting Edwards to engage him, and, for some weird reason, Edwards just basically never lowered his shoulder or braced for impact even though he was literally headed right for Jones and looking right at him.

[BobSaccamanno]

Feel bad for the Michigan kid, apparently Braylon Edwards’ brother.  Tough hit to take.

Cam Jones has very, very high potential.  He was a nice recruit we pulled out of Memphis IIRC.  He’s been flashing all year.  Not his best moment, but these guys are taught to play physical football.  He didn’t hit the kid in the back, it was face to face.  I wouldn’t say he had bad intent.  He had aggressive, physical football intent.  He may have crossed the line according to the rules but it’s tough in the heat of the moment to calculate the exact line.  

I am not excusing Jones, but this was not a blind side cheap shot by any stretch.  That’s where real outrage is required.  Realistically, that little walkon was probably not physically equipped to play big ten football and he couldn’t take the hit even where he saw it the whole way. 

As for Jones, he needs to be smarter, sure.  But, I hope he tweaks that aspect and maintains his active, physical style.  The guy can be an impact player.  I don’t want him confused and pulled up like he’s neutered.  Keep it up, just don’t target.  

[Payday]

3 hours ago, rogue3542 said:

I think that play looks worse and makes Cam Jones look worse than it and he is, and it certainly didn't look "criminal."  If you go back and look at it, the ball carrier was right behind Edwards at the moment Jones launches, and it looks like Edwards is headed to block Jones.  I think Jones was looking to knock the blocker into the returner, but Higdon cuts at the same moment Jones goes for the blocker, and the blocker decides a split second too late to disengage from Jones.

What do you expect Jones to do? Not engage the blocker? Let Edwards level him? Not go after the returner? He was expecting to get blocked, and Edwards just never engaged the block despite looking at and heading for Jones, which made the whole thing look a hundred times worse than it actually was. 

It was just a really weird play.  If Edwards actually blocked Jones like he appeared to intend to, I think it's a shoulder to shoulder hit, and nothing bad happens.

It was absolutely targeting, and I think Cam Jones could have and should have approached that hit much better than he did (leading with your head is stupid), but I also don't think he was looking to injure anyone and was expecting Edwards to engage him, and, for some weird reason, Edwards just basically never lowered his shoulder or braced for impact even though he was literally headed right for Jones and looking right at him.

 

3 hours ago, BobSaccamanno said:

Feel bad for the Michigan kid, apparently Braylon Edwards’ brother.  Tough hit to take.

Cam Jones has very, very high potential.  He was a nice recruit we pulled out of Memphis IIRC.  He’s been flashing all year.  Not his best moment, but these guys are taught to play physical football.  He didn’t hit the kid in the back, it was face to face.  I wouldn’t say he had bad intent.  He had aggressive, physical football intent.  He may have crossed the line according to the rules but it’s tough in the heat of the moment to calculate the exact line.  

I am not excusing Jones, but this was not a blind side cheap shot by any stretch.  That’s where real outrage is required.  Realistically, that little walkon was probably not physically equipped to play big ten football and he couldn’t take the hit even where he saw it the whole way. 

As for Jones, he needs to be smarter, sure.  But, I hope he tweaks that aspect and maintains his active, physical style.  The guy can be an impact player.  I don’t want him confused and pulled up like he’s neutered.  Keep it up, just don’t target.  

He is required to be making an effort towards tackling the ball carrier. Under no circumstances do i think this kid is a bad egg, not at all. But you can dress it up anyway you want, he still clearly targeted this player for some reason, was not moving towards the ball carrier, and the penalty was justified. There is a reason different levels have toyed with the idea of doing away with kickoffs and similar plays. And the targeting rule idea was first surfaced due to this kind of hit on returns. I think at some point, and it would work against us today obviously, that if you get hit with targeting and the player you hit is out for a period of time, the player that put him out ought to have to sit out the same time plus a game. You could have it reviewed during the week, but these type hits are a big part of why youth participation is decreasing. Using your head is just stupid and it is scaring parents away from the sport. You can defend the hit all you want, but the fact is that he let the ball carrier go free to his right, where he could have stepped over and made a hit, and took a shot on a blocker behind the runner.