Did we play well on offense? No. Did we play well on defense? Not really (what happened on 3rd and 4th downs?). Did we play well on special teams? Hell yeah!
Gibbons is the obvious hero, making three vital field goals including the game winner which sent me into a cheering frenzy that has probably woken my neighbors at 5:00 am. Honorable mentions to Junior Hemingway who made two huge TD grabs, and also delivered an emotional speech afterwards.
Virginia Tech will moan about the catch that apparently never was; personally I wasn't sure it was a catch, but I did think that was harsh to overturn once ruled a catch. Even Hoke said he thought it was a catch. The Hokies played well on both sides of the ball, especially with their passing attack. Logan Thomas looked really good all game; even that interception he through was unlucky - it was an outrageous play by the true freshman, Frank Clark. On defense, they stifled Michigan's running game and forced UM into 3rd and long situations. So hats off to VT,
A year ago we got spanked by Mississippi State, so to now be crowned Sugar Bowl champions is incredible. Michigan will finish as a top 10 team with a BCS bowl win....don't cry Sparty, although apparently your tears taste like sugar!
What a great way for the senior class to go out, beating Ohio and then winning the Sugar Bowl. Incredible.
Extra: The Allstate president being a UM alumni was quite funny, isn't he meant to act neutral in those situations? Still, just shows you where a UM degree can take you...
Nice to see that the refs did not JOB MICHIGAN like they normally do!
ReplyDeleteM GO BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!
Again, best sign of the season, with due respect to Sparty:
SPARTY TEARS TASTE LIKE SUGAR
CONGRATS TEAM #132
Yeaaaaahhhh go blue now finish with recruiting!
ReplyDeletebenji - The Frank Clark int was awesome. Just before the play, I told my son that M was going to intercept it, but I thought it would be 15 - 20 yds down field.
ReplyDeleteAs a football fan, Beamer needs to be kicked in the ass. I told my son that he needs to kick the FG right before half time. That would have made it 9 - 0
What happens, M stuffs him of 4th and short, gets the Punter rough, the massive 50 yd TD, nearly picked, and then the fumble recovery on the ensuing kick, the lineman catch and another FG.
Ugly win? Yes sir. But a win is a win win is a win by 1 point or 100 points.
M GO BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Benji, come on man! There's no way in hell that was a catch, it hit the ground and even if you don't think so, he didn't secure the catch (supposed) till he slid out of bounds, take that to the bank my friend.
ReplyDeleteOver turning that call was a no-brainer!
Now as far as the performance is concerned, we got friggin' lucky to win that game, terrible game plan and play calling by Borges, I was irate with that. The Team, especially Offensively played flat footed all game, but hey we won and I will take it.
Having been a fan for 40 years now and seeing us play so great and so pretty in so many games and still lose, well I'll take an ugly victory any old day!!
BTW, Denard picked a really bad game to play as average as he did but a win is a win.
the OT td catch was definitely not a catch. The ball touched the ground, plain and simple, it was exactly why VT didn't get the INT earlier in the game.
ReplyDeleteVery ugly win, but I'll take it.
Didn't I say we'd win with special teams?
Now time to wrap up recruiting
All Hail Hoke indeed! At the start of this season I pretty much expected Matt Wile to take the kicking job away from B Gibbons. That did not happen and I was proven thankfully wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe key plays in this game were all a reflection of the tremendous improvement that Hoke has made to the team. The defense at some times made key stops. And our kicking game - that couldn't make a consistent field goal last year - was the major reason we won. Team effort indeed.
I would like to thank everyone who believed in UM this year. The talent was there most definitely! I also would like to thank Benji and this website for staying current and up to date, it will be a season to remember to coach Hoke, Mattison, Borges, and the rest of the coaching staff! Thank u so much from one of many UM's bihgest fans.. Go Blue Forever!!!!!! Thank you Lord
ReplyDelete@ Benji agree I couldn't have overturned that call on the td catch in ot either and props for admitting it also. @ those that say the ball hit the ground, doesn't matter if he has it under control and it could've been argued that he did for sure ***argued not proven so spare the arguments otherwise guys not looking to argue with fellow Blue. I know it can be argued other way too, but the call on field usually stands in that case. the one earlier in the game was clearly moving so had to be overturned :)*** But BOY oh BOY am I glad it was ruled incomplete and turned out the way it did!! playing bad and winning is something that points to a good future as all are underclassmen now have this experience and it's of winning in a bcs game. That can pay dividends in the future with big games. This year was great more then anyone could or at least should have imagined and it's only going to get better.
ReplyDeleteJust imagine...This is Hoke's first year and UM went 11-2(still taking me a while to get used to the sound of that after the last 3 years!!!)...when he has his first full class as upperclassmen...I have a feeling that under Hoke, we can expect a couple more 11 win( hopefully 14) win teams! I can't wait to see how Bama plays in the NC game...BTW do yall think Bama's big time jr.s are goin pro?
ReplyDeleteP.S. How do yall think tonights win effects recruiting with these last few elite guys looking at going blue?
ReplyDeleteRefs are a bit more strict when the catch is in the end-zone. We got the bad end of this in the Iowa game. Usually when the tip of the ball hits the ground in the end-zone, it's no TD. It was a close call, but not a cheap one. Nobody pointed out the hands-to-the-face penalty on the 4th & 11 play. It appeared the receiver blocking Kovacs grabbed his facemask and almost took his helmet off. The game doesn't even go to OT if that call is made, most likely.
ReplyDelete@ Jared
ReplyDeleteI think its going to help recruiting a lot not only for this year but for next years class too. I am already crossing my finger that Trent Richardson goes pro. I am also keeping my eye on the WR coming from Tennessee. I don't think its a huge deal that Michigan gets him as far as the WR we have. I just think its a bigger deal that MSU does not get him. MSU is losing their starting QB and their top 3 WR. This kid would be HUGE for MSU to pick up.
Everyone in my house (I'm currently overseas visiting my mother) was up by the final field goal, but my brother and I woke my mom after the first TD. She came out and asked if something good happened.
ReplyDeleteSo happy right now! I don't care how ugly that game was. A win is a win is a win!
Subpar execution on both sides of the ball and crappy video streaming overseas (currently visiting family in Ecuador) did not affect how sweet it is to get 11 wins.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to finishing up this recruiting class with a bang!
It is a mark of great teams to win despite playing so poorly. Great teams FIND ways to win and tonight Team 132 found a way. Yes, it was ugly and yes DR and the entire offense seemed lost at times but JR and an opportunistic defense and special teams prevailed. A football TEAM is 3 parts: offense, defense & special teams. Great TEAMS will raise their game when 1 of those gets shut down or plays poorly. DR isn't the first quarterback to have a bad game. 2012 Sugar Bowl Champions! GO BLUE! HAIL!
ReplyDeleteOk, I'm a lifelong wolverine fan, but what the heck is the team 132 thing?
ReplyDeleteA player that has not gotten special mention for his performance would be Jake Ryan. He played a great game. I'm very much looking forward to seeing him grow even better with more experience.
Very excited looking ahead to next year. Opening against Bama next year will be tough. Not to mention trips to Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Ohio St. Schedule will be tougher next year.
This was the 132nd football team at the University...... As for Jake Ryan, I completely agree. I'm really looking forward to the future. Ryan, Morgan(both freshman by the way), and the incoming LB's, how do we not go to a 3-4?
ReplyDeleteRyan is an absolute beast already...that beast mode tackle he had on the Va Tech running back on 1st or 2nd and goal all the way back at their 27 yard line was sick
ReplyDeleteThe refs were inconsistent with their definition of a catch throughout the game, but I'm glad it went our way in the end.
ReplyDelete1) Denard's 1st INT was clearly not a catch, but they ruled that the video evidence was not indisputable.
2) Denard's 2nd INT was clearly not a catch, and they got it right by overturning the call on the field.
3) The VT TD in overtime was the closest of the three, yet they overturned it.
Regardless, I'm glad it went our way. Go Blue!
BTW - I'm probably going to lose my Bowl Pool due to that stupid MSU win. Bah!
cincywolverine - Team #132 is another Brady Hoke-ism.
ReplyDeleteWhen he has a team meeting, he addresses them as Team #132 (Michigan's 132nd football)
M GO BLUE!!!
I think we played great on Defense! Yeah so what about total yardage and making all those 3rd and 4th down. When it really counted in the red zone they made the stops they needed to and held VTech to 4 field goals!!! Go Blue!!!!
ReplyDeleteHey is it me or is Denard's helmet really big? Like old school Steve Tasker big?
ReplyDeleteHis helmet is big. He has to fit his dreds in there. Thanks for the clarification on the team 132 question. I read on 247 that a Wisconsin o lineman commit is looking at the wolverines. Any info on this guy?
ReplyDeletecincywolverine, Someone mentioned the other day that Kyle Dodson may be reconsidering his committment to Wisconsin. It may be good for Michigan, however, he's from the state down south, and therefore it may be good for TSiO.
ReplyDeleteHopefully he goes BLUE, but I don't know if Hoke was after in the first place.
Ok so awesome time at the game... 5th row in the corner by the tunnel. We snuck a cowbell in and were the only ones wih it. Fans loved it, but at halftime it disappeared. Apparently some homie fans didn't like it. Right before it disappeared Kirk Herbstreit and David Pollack were at the sidelines and pointed to me to hit it. Was great! After vt missed the fg in OT, the wife of the gutless VT fan who took our cowbell, returned it as he was leaving the stadium. Other then that idiot it was fantastic. Sat by Adrian Arrington who was loving the cowbell as well.
ReplyDeleteGreat day.
Go Blue.
Went to the Gator Bowl last year, I cannot stand that friggin cow bell! I am an absolute Wolverine fan, love to talk and meet other MI fans. I would have taken that horrible bell too! I am scarred for life!
ReplyDeleteThats pretty lame sullie
ReplyDeleteyou are so right about that my friend, they do not have a good offense, their offense actually sucks, that is why I did not contact host pay per head services for that game in particular
ReplyDelete