<p>I watched the game and have read several write-ups afterwards. I must say I disagree with the majority of the reports. MSU neither played better or harder. Both teams played ok, but neither dominated and in the end, Michigan failed to convert on a couple of opportunities (4th and inches at the MSU 20 with 6 minutes to play, Denard interception late in the 4th, Gardner's excellent pass past the line of scrimage). </p>
<p>Both teams struggled passing with the wind and neither team ran particularly well, although admittedly, MSU had the edge there. Both defenses contained the other team relatively well, although MSU clearly blitzes better.</p>
<p>What MSU did is play dirtier, much dirtier. Actually, dirtier would imply that Michigan played dirty when it did not. In fact, Michigan played as clean as it comes. I have seldom seen such dirty play in the Big 10. MSU committed 6 personal fouls, most of which were downright unaccetable, including one deliberate attacks on Denard, intended to end his season, if not his career. After the game, one of the MSU players admitted to playing dirty and said that the goal was to get into Denard's head. What he should have said is that the goal was to rip Denard's head of altogether. It obviously worked (a little), but if that's what it takes to win, you can have it! And frankly, I am suprised that the media did not comdemn MSU's antics. I expected to see more outrage.</p>
<p>This said, I am proud of Michigan and I think this team can still go on to have a special season. 9-3 is definitely achievable, although 8-4 is more realistic at this time.</p>
<p>They were better than we were especially up front. Their defensive line wouldn’t let us do anything against them all day and our defense struggled to keep them in check.</p>
<p>As for the dirty play, I would say the game was typical of what you see in East Lansing. I question whether the play was intentionally dirty; it is probably more the result of emotion and a lack of discipline. The penalties probably were what kept us in the game.</p>
<p>The losses to MSU result from being out-recruited in the state of Michigan during the RR years. Hoke clearly is set to turn this around and with this the ugly Paul Bunyan Trophy will find its way home.</p>
<p>Last I checked we still have won 6 of the last 10 against them.</p>
<p>[Denard's</a> Facemask Twisted by Gholston [Replay] | NEW 10.15.11 - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>[Michigan</a> State Defensive End William Gholston Punch - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>You CAN NOT watch these two clips and come to any other conclusion than William Gholston and Moo-U are thugs and were intentionally trying to harm our players. Always proud to be a Michigan Wolverine.</p>
<p>Alexandre, I knew you would make a post like this. Yes MSU was playing dirty, but not to the point where that is why they won.“If that’s what it takes to win.” It didn’t take their dirty play to win, they were just a better team and we were out coached. </p>
<p>MSU outplayed us, plain and simple.</p>
<p>Al Borges needs to wake up. He seems to refuse to want to use Denard correctly. You have the most dynamic scrambling QB in the NCAA on your team, and you are forcing him to stay in the pocket, what? He needs to watch our offense from last year, learn from that. Maybe call up RRod, get him as an offensive consultant. I know you guys like to blame him for everything that went wrong for Mihigan during his tenure and probably everything that will go wrong the next couple of years, but our offense this year has the potential to be even better than last year, and we aren’t.</p>
<p>What does that have to do with thuggish play? Nobody is saying Michigan lost because they were the better team and gotted jobbed. State deserved to win the game.</p>
<p>Is Comedy one of those random degrees MSU is better at then Michigan because we don’t bother having it?</p>
<p>StanfordKid, you play football. You should understand more about what is going on as far as out offense goes. Denard made some bad throws, yes, but Al Borges is trying to make hime something he is not. Tom Brady would suck if you made him an option QB. Denard sucks when you try to make him Tom Brady.</p>
<p>res ipsa, if you read my posts on Michigan losses in the past, you would know I am not one for excuses. I fully acknowledge that in the DL vs OL battle, MSU beat Michigan. But overall, neither team dominated. This game was played by two solid teams, neither one of which is going to be a factor in the NC race. </p>
<p>I am not attributing our loss purely to the “thuggery” of MSU’s defense. Admittedly, Denard did not have a great day passing and his receivers did not do a great job catching. Part of it had to do with the win, part of it with MSU’s excellent defense, but part of it was due to Denard having to look over his shoulder. He was obviously shaken. </p>
<p>Another reason for our loss was Borges’ call on 4th and inches with 6 minutes left on the clock. Instead of getting that first down at the MSU 8 yard line and potentially tying the game at 21-21, Borges made a strange call, particularly considering the fact that we were playing against one of the best DLs in the country. If Michigan had gotten the first down at the MSU 8 yard line and eventually scored a TD, the outcome of the game would have been different.</p>
<p>Finally, Denard’s sole interception of the day was a horrible pass. I have no idea what he was thinking. But the TD should not have counted and the ball should have returned to Michigan when the Isaiah Lewis taunted Michigan defore even reaching the end zone. The game was well officiated, but not in this instance.</p>
<p>At any rate, MSU did play better on that day and Michigan will learn from it.</p>
<p>any Alexandre and co. yo guys need to look at what Borges is calling. You are not putting enough blame on him. Not just for this loss, but for our offensive problems throughout the year. Not like we haven’t been able to score or anything, but this offense should be playing at the same level or better than it was last year, and Borges didn’t adjust his strategy untila few games in, and even then he is still making bad calls.</p>
<p>I agree regarding Borges PurpleDuckMan. He has done a good job so far, but he has made some bad calls too, including the one I mentioned in post #12.</p>
<p>That call was not the greatest, but I am more ticked off about the whole offensive set of calls for most of the year. I don’t understand how you don’t adjust your coaching style to compliment someone like Denard. And you don’t even have to chenge it completely, just make some ommon sense calls.</p>
<p>Freudian slip wishing you guys were like us in academics and football? </p>
<p>I watched parts of the game and thought Mich State was the better team. After seeing some of the youtube videos on plays I didn’t see, I definitely side with some of the Umich posters in thinking the game was extremely dirty. Some of the MSU players should be suspended. But really, I think your team was a little too hyped. The notre dame game should have been a loss (only won due to a complete and utter collapse by ND).</p>
<p>Football? Stanford has a couple of good seasons and all of a sudden, they think they are Michigan? Stanford has had 13 losing seasons since 1990, including a 1-11 season in 2008. </p>
<p>Even if Stanford goes undefeated this year, they will not climb into the top 2 spots of the BCS because with the exception of Oregon and Notre Dame, they do not play a single good team. </p>
<p>With the departure of Harbaugh last year and Luck this year, the future does not look bright for the Cardinal!</p>
<p>Stick to academics Blah, at least Stanford wins that battle. That’s not saying much though, as I believe Stanford is even better than Harvard. As far as I am concerned, it is the best university on Earth.</p>
<p>Unbridled arrogance from Michigan’s fans. What else is new? Hey remember when Harbaugh was going to leave Stanford for Umich? Remember when UMich last won a BCS, hell even significant, bowl? Oh well, I’m sure Brady Hoke is the equivalent of Harbaugh in the delusional world of Umich fans. Your team has faded into irrelevance like ND. Great traditions sure. But is Desmond Howard in his prime coming back to your team next year? Is the 1900s Rose Bowl Michigan teams coming back to finally beat Ohio State this year? Year after year after year, your season ends with completely overrated Ohio State and often before that. You guys finally needed an NCAA investigation to level the playing field against your rival (I’m still not convinced you guys will beat them this year. We’ll see how you guys react if Urban Meyer takes the tOSU job next year. 7 year redux and chaos in Ann Arbor will ensue, I’m sure.)</p>
<p>As for the Cardinal’s future, you obviously know nothing about our coaching staff or the recruits we are getting (several 5 stars this year, recruits over the past 4 seasons and this year Michigan wanted BADLY. Funny that most of Michigan’s football players wouldn’t qualify academically for Stanford (several of our starters major in engineering whereas your starters major in rigorous things like sociology and GENERAL STUDIES? (*** is that?). Now some of them wouldn’t even be among our top recruiting targets). And I guess USC, UWashington, and potentially whoever is in the pac-12 championship game are bad teams in Stanford’s remaining schedule as well. Oh wait, but only Oregon and ND count right?</p>
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haha</p>