***MINN-MICHIGAN POSTGAME THOUGHTS***

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I liked how they allowed Leidner to do more than usual. Offense wasn't really the problem. Defense certainly was though. And so was coaching. I'll be truthful... this Coaching staff just won't cut it in the B10. They're being out coached. They're too conservative, even when knowing they're down. It seems to me like there is no leadership on the team, especially from the Coaches. Maybe it's because of Kill's absence, which even if you don't want to admit it, it is an issue.
 

I didn't understand that lack of urgency in the 4th quarter when we had the ball down 15. We ran the ball on all the late drives and huddled every time. The coaches don't trust the kids to hurry up. There must be a reason why.
 

RolGnav said:
I liked how they allowed Leidner to do more than usual. Offense wasn't really the problem. Defense certainly was though. And so was coaching. I'll be truthful... this Coaching staff just won't cut it in the B10. They're being out coached. They're too conservative, even when knowing they're down. It seems to me like there is no leadership on the team, especially from the Coaches. Maybe it's because of Kill's absence, which even if you don't want to admit it, it is an issue.
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Are you serious that offense wasn't the problem? We scored 13 points. Albeit, the offense did look better than last week, still did not play anywhere near good enough.
 

Formo said:
Really? Did you even watch the game? Sweeping broad generalizations, while sound pretty good, are signs of laziness and ignorance.
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Oh boy, name-calling?

Yeah. I watched the game.

I saw our defensive line unable to put any pressure on a quarterback, OLB unable to contain the outside run, MLB unable to QB spy and prevent scrambles, and a secondary that broke up no passes. They also gave up 35 points. That's manhandled.

The Gophers got beat by a much better team. Your definition of manhandled seems to be that the Gophers didn't look that bad for being the Gophers, but if you had two people who knew nothing of Michigan and Minnesota watch this game, they'd say Michigan manhandled Minnesota, especially in the second half.
 



MZBKA said:
Oh boy, name-calling?
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Sensationalism?

MZBKA said:
Yeah. I watched the game.

I saw our defensive line unable to put any pressure on a quarterback, OLB unable to contain the outside run, MLB unable to QB spy and prevent scrambles, and a secondary that broke up no passes. They also gave up 35 points. That's manhandled.

The Gophers got beat by a much better team. Your definition of manhandled seems to be that the Gophers didn't look that bad for being the Gophers, but if you had two people who knew nothing of Michigan and Minnesota watch this game, they'd say Michigan manhandled Minnesota, especially in the second half.
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I'll give you in the 2nd half (mostly 4th quarter), they were manhandled. But not the entire game.

THEY WERE IN THE GAME IN THE 3RD QUARTER.
 

Spoofin said:
Penn State for sure. Indiana and MI State likely. Nebraska, NW, and WI maybe.
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Did you see how MI State destroyed Iowa today? The Iowa team against whom we were not competitive at all?

Wins against Nebraska, Northwestern, Michigan State, or Wisconsin would be major upsets. A win against Penn State would be an upset itself. It'll be hard for this team to make a bowl game.
 

GopherDieHardDyingHard said:
I'm sorry...but that sure sounds like a sugarcoating to me. Even if you throw out the pick 6 (which you shouldn't, because it happened..), it was still 35-13 against a team that struggled against Akron and UConn. This game wasn't close after halftime. I love my Gophers, but I call it like I see it.
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Oh, you were talking about the score. That's different. I was going by what you wrote, which included "all phases of the game."
 

Hates Monikers said:
Oh, you were talking about the score. That's different. I was going by what you wrote, which included "all phases of the game."
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Well, part of it has to do with score...which wasn't pretty. But it also has to do with our inability to get any pressure on the QB, get turnovers, and stop their offense with any consistency on Defense...and on Offense, the inability to get any sort of big plays going in the air or on the ground, too many 3-and-outs, and putting any sort of points on the scoreboard. Again, very frustrating to watch today...
 



1. The game was much closer than the final score. As with most games, turnovers were the story. We had 2, they had 0. Turn that around and we might have won.
2. Leidner played very well for freshman starting the first road game of his career outside of the two turnovers and missing Donovahn Jones deep.
3. The interior of our d-line played well, but the defensive ends got manhandled again. When Iowa and Michigan have 310 lbs. OTs run blocking against our 240-250 lbs. DEs, physics wins out. Given that our DEs are on the lighter side, we should hope that they could use their speed and generate a pass rush. It didn't happen, as Gardner had all day to throw most of the time. I think the recruiting philosophy with the first 1-2 classes was to get DEs who can rush the passer, and we took some kids that were really on the light side. Amaefula, Cockran, and Keith all are 250 or less. When Hank Ekpe, Salzwedel, and Stelter take over, they should all be in the 270 lb. range, which should help the run defense.
4. Maxx Williams is really good.
5. Michigan's TE Funchess is outstanding. We couldn't stop him all day.
6. The secondary played well except for Baltazar. Rough day for him, we probably start seeing more of Myrick.
7. Our O-line played better. Leidner consistently had time to throw the ball, and they created some space in the running game. We need a back that can turn a 4 yard gain into 7 yards, 7 yards into 10, etc, etc. Hopefully Edwards or Jeff Jones can be that guy.
8. Damien Wilson is the best MLB we've had in while at stopping the run, at least since Lee Campbell.
 


Sparlimb said:
I didn't understand that lack of urgency in the 4th quarter when we had the ball down 15. We ran the ball on all the late drives and huddled every time. The coaches don't trust the kids to hurry up. There must be a reason why.
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Leidner missed that throw to a wide open Donovahn Jones in 4th. We passed 3 times on those 3 plays. They make that play, it's 28-21 and gives the team a shot. After that point, there was no shot. They want to keep games close (which they haven't yet) against teams with far superior talent level.
Won't happen but maybe once / twice in the remaining games.
 

BBQ Platypus said:
They played not to get blown out, and guess what? They got blown out. Limegrover does not belong on a B1G coaching staff. He needs to go.
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His play calling is so predictable. And boring. Loved watching Indiana.
The stupid color man blamed the Gophers' delay of game penalty on the fact Kill wasn't there.
 



RolGnav said:
I liked how they allowed Leidner to do more than usual. Offense wasn't really the problem. Defense certainly was though. And so was coaching. I'll be truthful... this Coaching staff just won't cut it in the B10. They're being out coached. They're too conservative, even when knowing they're down. It seems to me like there is no leadership on the team, especially from the Coaches. Maybe it's because of Kill's absence, which even if you don't want to admit it, it is an issue.
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Agreed. Kill's gambles against Mich. last yr failed so now we won't try any fakes again.
 

John Galt said:
1. The game was much closer than the final score. As with most games, turnovers were the story. We had 2, they had 0. Turn that around and we might have won.
2. Leidner played very well for freshman starting the first road game of his career outside of the two turnovers and missing Donovahn Jones deep.
3. The interior of our d-line played well, but the defensive ends got manhandled again. When Iowa and Michigan have 310 lbs. OTs run blocking against our 240-250 lbs. DEs, physics wins out. Given that our DEs are on the lighter side, we should hope that they could use their speed and generate a pass rush. It didn't happen, as Gardner had all day to throw most of the time. I think the recruiting philosophy with the first 1-2 classes was to get DEs who can rush the passer, and we took some kids that were really on the light side. Amaefula, Cockran, and Keith all are 250 or less. When Hank Ekpe, Salzwedel, and Stelter take over, they should all be in the 270 lb. range, which should help the run defense.
4. Maxx Williams is really good.
5. Michigan's TE Funchess is outstanding. We couldn't stop him all day.
6. The secondary played well except for Baltazar. Rough day for him, we probably start seeing more of Myrick.
7. Our O-line played better. Leidner consistently had time to throw the ball, and they created some space in the running game. We need a back that can turn a 4 yard gain into 7 yards, 7 yards into 10, etc, etc. Hopefully Edwards or Jeff Jones can be that guy.
8. Damien Wilson is the best MLB we've had in while at stopping the run, at least since Lee Campbell.
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I agree with all of this. We probably won't see Jeff Jones for two years. They should redshirt him with the depth they have at HB now.
 

Leidner, Williams, O-line looked good.
RB's, defense were decent.
Play calling, clock management, WR's were awful.

Projected: 4-8
 

I think I'd like to kick Maturi in the nuts for hiring the incompetent Brewster.
 

For all the complaining on this board, one would think we just lost to South Dakota. The fact is, up until 5 minutes left in the game, it was one of the more competitive games we've played at Michigan in the last 40 years.
 

overall i am very pleased with the progress that was made from last week to this week, it was huge, how well Liedner played and how good he can be and also our offensive line actually was capable of moving defenders a little bit against a stout wolverine defense, the offensive progress that we made was HUGE
 

- Despite the fumble, and the late pick (meaningless), I feel so much better with Leidner playing QB. He's effective, and doesn't play scared.
- Our pass rush was virtually non-existent, again.
- Roland Johnson is our best d-lineman. Rasheed is incredibly overrated.
- Our pass protection was really good today (and Leidner showed really, really good poise)
- Three of our best offensive players today are freshmen - M. Williams, Leidner, and Wolitarsky
- We need to play Donovahn Jones more
- Mortell had a great punt.
- Hawthorne made two field goals, AND his Xtra point attempt(!)
- Kick coverage was again very good
- Rather than running the same 7 plays, we opened it up and ran the same 12
- We don't have the skill position athletes MI does
- Our D-backfield is not as good as I had hoped
- Murray is not as good as I had hoped
- Nobody on D made a play all day
- false starts and off-sides are just a lack of concentration and inexcusable
- Tight End is our best position
- I wish Wolitarsky and D. Jones had two more years of experience
- I think my hopes for the Big Ten championship are once again done for this year.
- Oh, and I'm worried about our long-term coaching situation.
 

If anyone watched the Iowa game and this game you had to see a ton of improvement. If you look at the score or the last half of the 4th qtr. you see a blowout, but they were vastly improved today. Still a long way to go, but a lot of young kids, and they will come. We were anything but manhandled. Out talented in places but not manhandled.
 

Spoofin said:
Penn State for sure. Indiana and MI State likely. Nebraska, NW, and WI maybe.
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I envy your optimism. How is it not beaten out of you yet? How old are you? I reached apathy two years ago. It's a sad place to be.
 

Did anyone else get frustrated by the insistence on only bringing a three man rush and dropping into a zone on at least three crucial third downs? Think they took some of those prevent style zones straight out of Mason's playbook. I am sorry but if you are dealing with a quarterback who has committed ten turnovers in four games you have to find a way to make him more uncomfortable. The one time they had to punt in the second half was merely because gardner threw too high to a completely open receiver when he had plenty of time.

For the record I thought Leidner was very good all things considered and should definitely be the starter going forward.
 


gopherskynet said:
Did anyone else get frustrated by the insistence on only bringing a three man rush and dropping into a zone on at least three crucial third downs? Think they took some of those prevent style zones straight out of Mason's playbook. I am sorry but if you are dealing with a quarterback who has committed ten turnovers in four games you have to find a way to make him more uncomfortable. The one time they had to punt in the second half was merely because gardner threw too high to a completely open receiver when he had plenty of time.

For the record I thought Leidner was very good all things considered and should definitely be the starter going forward.
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Yes. Three man rush should be illegal. I hate that.
 


Should have hired Mike Leach when they had the chance.
 




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