Non-calls, if not more,most of which went their way. The Willie Henry penalty that should not have been a penalty might have been the worst. Also Higdon was mugged on a 3rd down flat pass that ended a drive with a FG instead of 1st down inside MSU 20.
MSU outplayed UM but there had to be 10 calls or
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none of which would have prevented a botched snap and punt fumble.
I remember when MSU had to whine about the calls. Now MSU just wins.
From Hawkeye land, The call and ejection of Bolden was totally crap!!!
Funny that the first message I read about this game is a UM fan making excuses about the refs. I didn't see the game (I was too busy watching IUs meltdown) but image that UM got their fair share of calls in the big house.
The Henry penalty resulted in a TD instead of punt or FG attrmpt. The non call when Higdon was interfered with resulted in s FG instead of first down inside 20. We scored a FG that drive.
State outplayed us on plays not involving bad penalties . And I'm sure we benefited from a couple BUT the imbalance of awful and close calls was just that, s large imbalance.
Overall it was a sloppy game, the officiating was not very good for either team. They went to the monitor way to much.
Our goal line TD really wasn't/shouldn't have been a TD. Really should ave only gotten 3 points after being stuffed 3 times. We got the benefit of the refs not calling his forward progress stopped after 12 seconds.....
MSU had over 325 passing, their receivers made some really nice catches too. We played good enough to win, but this offense is the weak link compared to the Def and Special Teams......
Just a horrible way to lose a game though........
Our goal line TD really wasn't/shouldn't have been a TD. Really should ave only gotten 3 points after being stuffed 3 times. We got the benefit of the refs not calling his forward progress stopped after 12 seconds.....
MSU had over 325 passing, their receivers made some really nice catches too. We played good enough to win, but this offense is the weak link compared to the Def and Special Teams......
Just a horrible way to lose a game though........
Do not agree that MSU outplayed Michigan Wolverines in that game. Michigan was the more consistent team; MSU had a couple of big plays. MSU has the better QB; Michigan has the better defensive team. Michigan could not quite put the game away when leading 17-7 and 23-14 in the second half. Give Spartans credit for coming back when they had to. They kept themselves in the game. Then it was decided on that last improbable play.
more consistent? M generated 10 first downs all game and 230 yds of offense. MSU special team play or lack of one kept this game close. Bad penalty calls go both ways so no reason to claim the zebras hosed you. Lucky last play no doubt but Harbaugh had options and choose the wrong one. Why not go for it on 4 th down? I mean the worse case is a Hail Mary or a Geiger field goal attempt and our kicker has been weak this year.
I don't would not attack two true freshmen safetys. understand why Harbaugh
What did the refs do that was so bad? They missed a few calls both ways.
Henry did his best superman imitation after the play, I'm not sure how that's not a penalty when 300 lb big daddy comes flopping on top
Oh my god, I had a aneurysm when Bolden was ejected. Replay is stupid, they look at a play like that and still get the call spectacularly wrong. How is that possible? I don't understand it.
Michigan fans crying about bad calls in the Big House?? Hahaha.....I always remember an ND game about 6 or 7 years ago when Armando Allen caught a pass turned it up and went for a td. Was overturned cause they said he stepped outta bounds. UM fans even churched up a picture of the sideline to make it look like he stepped out. Then at the end of the game Allen looked to score the game wining TD and shushed the crowd and got an unsportsmanlike, nobody freaking calls that penalty. You guys got awesome field position and went on to "win". Was a pleasure watching MSU cut your hearts out yesterday......absolute pleasure......now stop whining and go watch the video of the play again!!!
And why not? Worse case MSU gets ball at mid field with 12 seconds and no time outs. I guess a better plan than punting.
Actually it was pretty one sided. They damn near played penalty free holding and all.
I think out ability to hit big plays against UMs defense was special.
UMs weakness as a team is stronger than our weakness...but our biggest strength is better than any of UMs biggest strengths.
UM doesn't have a QB that can consistently hit passes down the field and that is why you lost. 3/4 of our starting secondary was out and you still couldn't do much at all through the air.
Once UM gets a Henne type of QB that can stretch defenses, you will win championships again. And also a difference maker at RB like you normally have. Pedestrian skill players right now at UM besides Butt. who didn't do much.
Michigan had a 226-yard edge on special teams (+126 in net punting, +100 in net kickoffs). When you start lots of possessions at midfield, you don't need to gain that many yards or first downs to get into scoring range. And yes, you can absolutely win with those stats - if you don't gift the other team a free touchdown on the last play of the game.
What is this "outplayed" nonsense? MSU never led this game. Every time they had the ball with a chance to take the lead we stopped them cold, until we literally handed them the ball to end the game.
Nope. UM was the better team overall. Your defense was better. Peppers was the best football player on the field. Both D lines were excellent. MSUs O line was terrific until the last series and your D got to Cook play after play. Burbridge was the best receiver on e field. I actually thought Hoyer or Cousins would have torched you way more than Cook did. I thought Cook has yet to play this year anywhere near as well as he did in 5-6 games last year. Just me.
Your Dbacks were terrific. Very sticky. They might have interfered a few times but they were close. The refs were overmatched. Bolden call was bad, but it still could have been unsportsmanlike conduct, but the rule didn't allow it to be down graded. I don't think he was pushed. He fell on him, but it was not targeting. Just the heat of the battle.
No team deserves to lose a game like that and no team is entitled to win one that way either. Unfortunately you can't fumble the ball on the last play of the game. In 30-40 yrs of watching every level of football, I've only seen a fumble on the last play a few times and it always ends up bad.
I don't fault Harbaugh or coaching. The kid just blinked. He messed up. Incredibly, unbelievably surprising.
I cannot believe how lucky MSU was. Not just fumbling.....but perfectly deflected into a guy who is practically already sprinting. Like a movie script. You couldn't make that up.
Even as it's Michigan, I still feel a little guilty about enjoying that win. Now I hope they can run the table. Wouldn't that be something. Unbelievable.
Your Dbacks were terrific. Very sticky. They might have interfered a few times but they were close. The refs were overmatched. Bolden call was bad, but it still could have been unsportsmanlike conduct, but the rule didn't allow it to be down graded. I don't think he was pushed. He fell on him, but it was not targeting. Just the heat of the battle.
No team deserves to lose a game like that and no team is entitled to win one that way either. Unfortunately you can't fumble the ball on the last play of the game. In 30-40 yrs of watching every level of football, I've only seen a fumble on the last play a few times and it always ends up bad.
I don't fault Harbaugh or coaching. The kid just blinked. He messed up. Incredibly, unbelievably surprising.
I cannot believe how lucky MSU was. Not just fumbling.....but perfectly deflected into a guy who is practically already sprinting. Like a movie script. You couldn't make that up.
Even as it's Michigan, I still feel a little guilty about enjoying that win. Now I hope they can run the table. Wouldn't that be something. Unbelievable.
Not sure how you outplay someone, yet don't lead the entire game. There is more to the game than yards.
Burbridge had to clear the NCAA clearinghouse to be eligible, same criteria as UM athletetes have to meet. Fact is, UM coaches didn't believe he would clear; MSU coaches took the chance he would, and he did.
How'd that work out of them? They clearly didn't get a better receiver by not waiting, as Burbridge clearly was the best receiver on the field yesterday.
Thanks Dr. Obvious, that's insightful, it would have been great to wait around, but if I recall they had other options and moved on. It's how recruiting works. State obviously could afford to take the flyer.
Now that's how you analyze a game, thanks for that thoughtful, evenhanded assessment, it was a classic one that fell into MSU's lap. I would add that I thought MSU's run defense was the key tipping point in the game. It forced Michigan out of what they wanted to do, saved the game by stopping their plans in the second half of running out the clock, etc.
This was a game we should have won, we were in perfect position and lost on a special team Hail Mary. This isn't a disaster, we took our in state rival to the brink, have lost to two top 7 teams by 11 total points and have a favorable schedule before OSU. We are definitely going in the right direction, I sat in the stands in horror in 1994 when UM lost on a 65 yard prayer that marked the beginning of a four year slide before 97. This is not that, we are improving overall and his coach and this staff will lead is back. I loved watching it, like a heavyweight battle that you know someone eventually is going to lose. Man, these next years are going to be GREAT for the in-state battle.
Hang-Your-Hat Positives
- No turnovers except for the disaster at the end
- UM's DL was outstanding throughout vs a first round draft pick QB and especially the DBs played outstanding overall except for losing the FB on the one long play
- Rudock played within himself and did not hurt us and even made a couple key downfield completions
- Jourdan Freakin Lewis
- Special teams minus ten seconds were outstanding and were the major reason their 350 yards only equated to 20 offensive points
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So you don't know really, what you are talking about, but just feel like talking.
How enlightening for all of us.
To your imagination of what went down, ummm...no. Not even close.
Go BLUE. Always.
So, uh, Ron, does that last unfortunate fourth down play go as a turnover or as loss on downs? Just wondering, I'm involved in this little internet thing...btw, you might have noticed, but a couple of your questions didn't take into account what happened if neither got more TOs, (for example).
Regarding this whole thread, especially to the "little brothers" on the board, you can disagree all you want. The officials bad calls were blatantly slanted against UM. I am not and would never say it was done on purpose. Just a matter of circumstance. We see this happen some times in games. Guess what? I am reasonable enough to say UM has benefited here and there from a share of bad calls. This game was one of if not the worst I have ever seen from the opening whistle to MSUs three penalties on the last play, one of which would have ended the game (correctly) in UMs favor.
Four worst calls of the 8 or more were easily these.
1) The Morgan/Bolden tackle was atrocious. Danny Kanell and others calling it the worst call they had seen all year. That directly led to a TD after the 15 yards and ejection that might have been a missed FG or 4th down failure eventually.
2) The Willie Henry penalty was atrocious, also commented on by ESPN. That penalty is NEVER called unless it is obvious the whislte was blown which it wasn't. The big house was too deafening to hear. Not to mention the runner was still running, Henry did what he was supposed to do. State scored right after that. That would have been 4th down. Would have kickeed a FG or missed one. Unreal turn of events.
3) The last play. Unfathomable as Harbaugh said about Bolden's penalty.
4) Karon Higdon being interfered with inside MSUs 20. We kicked a FG on that drive but could have had 1st down inside the 20 and maybe scored a TD.
1) I think the Bolden flag for 15 yards was right, but the targeting ejection was questionable this rule is very touchy.
2) Willie Henry play was a penalty. As a play is concluding and the pile has stopped. You can't come in from way out with the King Kong Bundy splash.
4) I don't remember the Higdon play.
2) Willie Henry play was a penalty. As a play is concluding and the pile has stopped. You can't come in from way out with the King Kong Bundy splash.
4) I don't remember the Higdon play.
"And why not? Worse case MSU gets ball at mid field with 12 seconds and no time outs. I guess a better plan than punting."
Not 12 seconds, there was only 10 prior to the snap, worse case was 4 or 5 seconds left 53 yards from the endzone. Also means the FG idea I read earlier was also laughably out of the question.
Henry stated he couldn't hear the whistle and that they were instructed to make sure their backs were down as Holmes was breaking tackles and running hard.
The worst call as far as game impact was the bowling over of the long snapper that became legal for one seminal play, followed by MSU lining up offsides, followed by the hold on Lyons starting at the 12. I can see why none were called, which is why I don't punt when I have to kill 27 seconds in 4 plays.
Not 12 seconds, there was only 10 prior to the snap, worse case was 4 or 5 seconds left 53 yards from the endzone. Also means the FG idea I read earlier was also laughably out of the question.
Henry stated he couldn't hear the whistle and that they were instructed to make sure their backs were down as Holmes was breaking tackles and running hard.
The worst call as far as game impact was the bowling over of the long snapper that became legal for one seminal play, followed by MSU lining up offsides, followed by the hold on Lyons starting at the 12. I can see why none were called, which is why I don't punt when I have to kill 27 seconds in 4 plays.
The officials were so bad, they were either on the take, or blind, or stupid, or any combination of these.
Worst officiated game I have seen in any sport, ever.
Total. Sh*t. Show.
Go Blue. Always.
