Irish To The Core
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I refrained until now throwing my two cents in about the game because I was a little too emotional to trust my rationality. So I am starting a "cooler heads prevail" thread which I hope the moderators don't lump in with the other rant about the game threads.
1. We have a team which will claw and scratch until the gun goes (and then some). Never NEVER did I see any quit in this team and very little panic. That is a distinct positive to take away from a pretty bitter loss.
2. One has to hand it to coach Rodriguez, he certainly worked the clock effectively on that game winning drive. If there had been an extra 20 clicks on that clock this might have been a recovery day from a very long victory celebration.
3. We can dissect individual plays (the decision to go for the td...the flea flicker sent in for Rees to run, etc.) but then if we throw out every aggressive decision we never see a 260 lb super-TE sprinting 95 yards on a perfectly thrown long bomb out of our own end zone. This team is going to play aggressively and I can't complain about that.
4. Dennard Robinson is a collegiate phenom and will single-handedly make Michigan a potent offensive machine for the next 3 years. The only way he can be truly shutdown is injury. The gaudy numbers belie the fact that our defense held Michigan under 30 points even though we came up with zero turnovers.
5. Dayne Crist in the game = we win. Who would not have taken a one chance crack at a game winning td from the Mich 27 if you knew we would play almost a full half without Crist. Did he make that throw? No. If he had that comeback would be side by side with the Chicken Soup Cotton Bowl finish...actually it would have been better. The guy is the real deal and he looks better with every game.
6. I was disappointed again with Michael Floyd's performance...but I expect him to turn it around and have a great season. (hopefully not a great last season)
7. I am stunned by how well Carlo Calabrese plays the pass. He doesn't have the speed to run step for step with receivers, but he reads the play well and arrives with plenty of ill humor the moment the pass is caught. And he knows where the 1st down stripe is on 3rd down passes. For a kid who is supposed to be a 1 dimensional run stuffer, he looks pretty good to me in coverage.
8. In hindsight it would have been nice to have the corners playing tighter on that last drive. But the scheme had stifled the Mich. offense for the entire 2nd half and we were one play (3rd and 5) from forcing a longish fg from a kicker who wouldn't make it to regionals in punt pass and kick. Hindsight is 20/20.
9. Coach Kelly realizes he needs a simplified package for his backup(s) to run now, it will get done. And despite what some people say, Montana was not that bad. If he had a bit less to think about and could stick with a few familiar plays, he will do in a pinch. I didn't see enough of Rees to make a judgment.
1. We have a team which will claw and scratch until the gun goes (and then some). Never NEVER did I see any quit in this team and very little panic. That is a distinct positive to take away from a pretty bitter loss.
2. One has to hand it to coach Rodriguez, he certainly worked the clock effectively on that game winning drive. If there had been an extra 20 clicks on that clock this might have been a recovery day from a very long victory celebration.
3. We can dissect individual plays (the decision to go for the td...the flea flicker sent in for Rees to run, etc.) but then if we throw out every aggressive decision we never see a 260 lb super-TE sprinting 95 yards on a perfectly thrown long bomb out of our own end zone. This team is going to play aggressively and I can't complain about that.
4. Dennard Robinson is a collegiate phenom and will single-handedly make Michigan a potent offensive machine for the next 3 years. The only way he can be truly shutdown is injury. The gaudy numbers belie the fact that our defense held Michigan under 30 points even though we came up with zero turnovers.
5. Dayne Crist in the game = we win. Who would not have taken a one chance crack at a game winning td from the Mich 27 if you knew we would play almost a full half without Crist. Did he make that throw? No. If he had that comeback would be side by side with the Chicken Soup Cotton Bowl finish...actually it would have been better. The guy is the real deal and he looks better with every game.
6. I was disappointed again with Michael Floyd's performance...but I expect him to turn it around and have a great season. (hopefully not a great last season)
7. I am stunned by how well Carlo Calabrese plays the pass. He doesn't have the speed to run step for step with receivers, but he reads the play well and arrives with plenty of ill humor the moment the pass is caught. And he knows where the 1st down stripe is on 3rd down passes. For a kid who is supposed to be a 1 dimensional run stuffer, he looks pretty good to me in coverage.
8. In hindsight it would have been nice to have the corners playing tighter on that last drive. But the scheme had stifled the Mich. offense for the entire 2nd half and we were one play (3rd and 5) from forcing a longish fg from a kicker who wouldn't make it to regionals in punt pass and kick. Hindsight is 20/20.
9. Coach Kelly realizes he needs a simplified package for his backup(s) to run now, it will get done. And despite what some people say, Montana was not that bad. If he had a bit less to think about and could stick with a few familiar plays, he will do in a pinch. I didn't see enough of Rees to make a judgment.
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