With the return of the highlight comes the return of the shitty music! Enjoy.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS0F8y1RT84]

Posted under Analysis, Video

1. Ohio State (8)
2. Oregon (1)
3. LSU
4. Oklahoma
5. West Virginia
6. Mizzou
7. Kansas
8. Michigan
9. Boston College
10. Arizona State

I’m not in love with it, but hey, I only have one vote.

Posted under BlogPoll

Halftime stats:
Hart 13-99
Henne 7-14 2TD 1INT
Manningham 3-14 1TD
Butler 2-16 1TD
Ezeh 3 tackles (2TFL), 1 sack

Ringer 6-21 (3.5 ypc)
Hoyer 8-21 1INT

Brown takes the KO at the 15, and gets it out to the 31.

Michigan runs towards the strong side, the weak I-set FB is not a factor. Minor runs it, Hart not in. Henne in the gun on 2nd and 10. Inside draw to Minor, who takes it 7 yards. Someone gets his ankles, but he manages to keep his feet for another yard or two.

State brings the heat, but Henne has plenty of time. Probably because there’s a holing call on the way. Yup. It’s on Butler, but they decline due to the lack of completion on third. Butler should
have gone to State for all the discipline he has.

Ringer has a big hole on 2nd and 8, Ezeh meets him a couple yards downfield, and is driven backwards. 3rd and short. Caulcrick gets the first. Ringer dances behind good push from his linemen. He is brought down after gaining 6.

Do we cover TEs at all? Davis wide open for a 21 yard gain. Next play, Ringer manages to keep his balance for a gain of 9. Caulcrick barrels forward for the first. Where is the stereotypical MSU drive-killing penalty?

1st and ten MSU, Caulcrick runs up the middle for 8ish yards, where he is upended. He appears to fumble, but he was definitely down by contact. After a long TV timeout, Ringer goes up the middle and gets less than a yard, but is given a fairly generous spot. 3rd down msu. Caulcrick hit in the backfield by CGraham, who shows why peopel are always frustrated with him by missing the tackle. Brandon is there to make the stop, but it’s after the first.

1st and Goal MSU, lined up in a goal line set. Michigan has only 10 men on the field. Caulcrick breaks through the line and gets down to the 1. On the next play, he punches it in.

14-10 Michigan 6:32 3rd Quarter. This game suddenly got interesting. Is it just Michigan’s tendency to give up a sustained drive at the beginning of the game reappearing after halftime? After the first MSU drive, Michigan dominated the rest of the half. Now that MSU has managed to get on the scoreboard again, the Wolverines don’t look nearly so dominant.

On plays that are reviewed, I wish the refs would be more specific. They typically say “After review, the ruling on the field stands (/is overturned). It would be so much more enlightening to say “There is no indisputable visual evidence to overturn” or “there is indisputable visual evidence confirming the call.” Either way, MSU gets the TD, and as the shadows finally overtake the whole field, they’ll kick off to a Michigan offense that gained 23 yards after their TD early in the second quarter, and didn’t manage to garner a first down on their first drive of the half.

Carlos Brown returns the kick, and doesn’t go down on first contact like has been accused in the past. He is becoming a field position weapon on kick returns. Why haven’t we seen him in the punt game?

Mike Hart returns to the field, and Manningham is barely overthrown on a bomb by Henne. A dive probably would have gotten him enough to the ball to catch it. Hart draws up the middle on second for one yard. The fans are really getting into the game. Can the Spartans throttle the emotion and play smart?

Timeout Michigan to avoid a delay penalty. This game definitely feels like it is turning the way of MSU. Michigan needs a big conversion (especially after spending a timeout) to stop the momentum shift.

Mathews left, butler TE left, Henne in the gun with Hart to his left. Henne goes down. He had a month to throw but nobody came open. This is bad. A ref is down on the field. I put the sack on Mitchell actually, as Schilling was expecting help inside and Mitchell didn’t provide it because he was busy blocking… nobody.

Bad/mediocre punt by Zoltan, bad coverage, though it actually only ended up being a 1 yard return. Could have had him for a big loss.

SUPER late flag on the play. Wasn’t a good call either. Ball was uncatchable either way. It seems like the field judge threw it just to spite Warren for thinking he had good coverage. Bad officiating there. Michigan is hurtin’ for an MSU turnover.

77,009 in attendance today.

Crable and Slocum stop Ringer for a loss on a pitch play on second down. Michigan has to get a third down stop. Hoyer completes to Curry even though he was getting drilled as he threw. Short of the first down.

Englemon hasn’t come back after getting hurt on the MSU TD drive. Stevie Brown has been at FS. State calls a timeout after lining up to go for it on fourth and 2. They come back out with a punter. Michigan is skeptical, keeping 3 LBers in.

The MSU player was standing in the endzone as he got hit by the punt. That should be a touchback. I expect a review. Hmm, replay shows that he may not have been in. I wish we had him on Michigan instead of Charles Stewart.

Hart gains one yard then has a slight limp as he goes off. Play action deep to Mario. The defender was being pretty physical with him, but he managed to make the catch. On replay, it might have been a PI on Henderson if Manningham isn’t able to make the catch.

Next play, to Mario the other way, Henne overthrows him by one step again. If he had just put a little less under some of his passes, this game would be out of reach already. Henne is destroyed as he throws on third down. No protection from Minor on that one. Another area (other than “all of them”) where Hart is a big upgrade from the backups. Punty.

Flare to Devin Thomas. Well covered by Trent, who makes the play despite being held by the other WR. Ringer reverses field on the next play and takes it almost all the way before getting dragged down form behind by Crable(!). Great play by him to stay with MSU’s “lightning” player.

End of 3rd. 14-10 Michigan. 1st and Goal MSU, 5 yard line.
Stats:
State
31-152 rushing
11-24 1 int
7penalties 51 yds

Michigan
23-102 rushing
8-19 1 int 2 td
3 penalties 35 ys.

MSU play action to a wide open Davis. It didn’t seem like UM had good coverage on a single Spartan. Davis was Crable’s man. Crable stayed with the run fake too long.

17-14 MSU 14:55 4th.

Brandon Harrison returns to the 25. Anton Campbell getting a bit chippy with some Spartans after the play.

Another Michigan 3 and out. Henne had enough time to get rid of it, but he didn’t. He took a painful-looking sack. Hope his knees are ok after that one. Another shitty Zoltan punt. Fortunately, good coverage.

It is interesting to notice the difference in fan behavior at State. Even the alums in box seats stand up and cheer on third down, and sometimes other key plays.

Defense looks like it is getting tired. Caulcrick blows through about 4 Michigan defenders for a 7 yard gain. After a State first down, they are called for an illegal shift, negating a 4 yard gain. Is this the penalty that Michigan has been looking for all half to slow down the Spartans? At this point, it seems like Michigan State is going to have to beat itself.

Caulcrick bounces outside for a big gain. This is a Michigan loss just waiting to happen.

1-10 MSU on UM 22.

State has decided to just run the ball straight at Michigan, and it is workign with a great degree of success. Crable comes off the edge on second down and levels Caulcrick after a one yard gain to bring a 3rd down and 4.

State tries the Colorado “pretend like you fumbled it” fake, but Michigan does not bite. Doesn’t matter, as he still completes it to Thomas over Trent’s head. Morgan needs to get his head around on that. Other than the occasional pass, MSU has contented themselves with running a whole hell of a lot.

Like
for a Caulcrick TD.

17-4 Run-pass ratio in third quarter, not sure of exact stats but it isn’t far off for the fourth.

24-14 MSU 7:40 4th Quarter.

After a lackluster kick return by Carlos Brown, Henne finds a wide open Arrington, whose momentum carries him out of bounds shortly after he makes the first down. Mallett comes in at QB. This is bad. Henne’s knee looks hurt.

Mallett gets killed from the edge, fumbling. Hart picks it up, and breaks a tackle after 7 yards. If he could have done that a little quicker, it was off to the endzone. Hart gets the first anyway. Henne back in. Deep out to Mario. Probably Henne’s best throw, and he delivers a good one. Mario picks up the first.

Short pass to Mathews, he only gains four, but is hit well after he was out of bounds. Thank You, Spartans. Kendell Davis-Clark with the free 15.

Henne is in a rhythm on the out pass. Arrington catches this one for 11. Ball on the 14 for Michigan. They take a timeout, leaving only one remaining in a game they trail late by two scores.

24-14 MSU 6:59 4Q 1-10 UM on MSU 14.

Henne begging for defensive holding from the ref on that one. No dice. Arrington stumbled, and Henne missed him in the endzone (not his fault). Replay shows blatant PI. Moot, as Greg Mathews gets behind the MSU defender (Kendell Davis-Clark) on the next play and catches it right in the bread basket. Davis just got turned around.

24-21 MSU 6:47 4th Quarter. Nice 48 second drive there. Time for a big stop. Navy over ND 46-44 in 3 overtimes, BTW.

Two run plays get State into a third and 2.5 on their own 33ish. Caulcrick is stuffed on a toss sweep and Michigan has life again. MSU punt bounces out at the 35, and the offense takes the field once more. Arrington makes a diving catch on a less-accurate out from Henne. He would have had a lot of room for YAC with a better throw.

There has been a shitload of uncalled PI in this game. Jim Carty, who is begging to be choked, informs all who will listen that it isn’t a bad call. He is wrong. Next play, Manningham goes out untouched after 9. He could have turned it up for a yard or two to get the first.

Minor runs for the first, but there is a flag on the play. Holding. Fuck. Butler again. Undisciplined play from him once more. Michigan takes their final timeout. Butler needs to get his head right.

Huge 3rd and 11 here. Manningham’s lack of stretch is really hurting the team now. Arrington saves the day, though, getting just more than enough for the first. Henne down the middle for Manningham. If he had hit Arrington, it could have meant a few more yards, but it turned out for the best. Henne is playing really well under pressure.

1 yard loss by Minor and a fall down by Manningham leads to another 3rd and 11. BOMB TO SUPER MARIO!!!!!!!!! And a HUUUUUUUUUge weight is lifted from my chest.

28-24 UM 2:28 4th Quarter.

Time for one more big stop. Thomas makes a huge individual effort to evade some guys and break a tackle or two before getting dragged down by Warren and Webb at about the 31.

The defense is slowly yielding yardage. I wouldn’t be upset if they could make the tackles short of the sticks and inbounds. After a reception by Davis (unfolding exactly as outlined last sentence), State takes their second timeout.

Big reception across the middle by Thomas. This is bad. Thomas is having a hell of a game. Then Crable and Ezeh destroy Hoyer, and State takes their last TO. 30 second.

28-24 Michigan 1:34 4th Quarter MSU 2-18 on UM 43 yard line.

HUGE PBU by Trent. 4th and 18 for State.

Probably pass interference by the Michigan DB, uncalled (as it hasn’t been all game, thanks Jim Carty), and the game is unofficially over.

A couple team rushes for loss and….. ballgame
State
43-191 rush
19/35 1 int 1 td
9 penalties 71 yds

Michigan
30-100
18-33 1 int 3 td
3 fum (no lost)
4-45 penalties

Posted under Analysis

Live from the pressbox at Spartan stadium, I’m going to try to do a UFR-style liveblog of the game. If it doesn’t work out through the first quarter or so, I’ll ditch it for a more standard liveblog.

3:27, the clock shows five minute until gametime.
3:30 I have never seen a cornier presentation of the National Anthem than that by the MSU band, complete with ROTC members shaking a giant nylon flag to make it look like it’s rippling in the wind. Hart comes out as captain.
3:34 Michigan kickoff. Devin Thomas 26 yards to the 26.
1-10 M Defense 4-2-5 crable standup de ezeh and adams tackle ringer at 28 gain of 2
2-8 4-3 Reverse, Harrison whiffs, englemon tackles kellen davis on the 32 gain of long 4. Why is State running a reverse to the TE?
3-4 Hoyer’s pass tipped and caught by kellen davis. Tackle by Harrison 17 yd gain. ball on 50
1-10 4-3 caulcrick cuts back into filing linebackers for 3. ball on M 47.
2-7 4-2-5. Ringer swing lateral, gain of 8, first down MSU.
1-10 4-2-5, Crable lined up to blitz. He and Harrison do. Bad coverage by Trent gives Devin Thomas a lot of room to make the catch. 18 yd gain for MSU.
1-10 4-3 weakside shift Crable on LOS. Caulcrick up the middle for 3 yd gain.
2-7 4-3 lots on the line. Tim Jamison off the line and covers short flat. Shitty pass by Hoyer would have gotten Davis an easy wide open TD.
Delay of game MSU. Taken back. Dantonio called a TO on the sideline before the clock expired. Ref says TO Michigan, he means MSU. It is impossible to UFR at game speed, so I’m stopping after this drive.
3-7 Hoyer in shotgun nexct to ringer. 3-3-5 way overshifted to the strongside for M. Changes to 4-2-5 as Jamo puts his hand down. Brandent Englemon makes a bi hit to break up a pass to Thomas that wouldn’t have netted MSU a first down anyway.
4-7 Swenson barely makes a 36 yard FG inside the right upright to put State up 3-0. M played safe cover on the attempt.

Michigan gets that ball on the kickoff, Short one that Brown rturns to the 29. Fighting after the whistle.

10:35 1Q Hart gets the first carry on the drive for 8 yards, and the second, which doesn’t count as MSU had a player in the neutral zone. Free first down.
Diving catch by Arrington. Not a great throw by Chad, but way to haul it in for Adrian. Offsides again on State. Same Old Spartans. NO DISCIPLINE.
Hart’s ankle is getting taped. Manningham gets gifted a PI call that should have been on him.

Minor goes down in the backfield on a tackle he should have broken form Saint-Dic. Unsportsmanlike conduct coming up. Offsetting on Savoy and Eric Gordon from State.

9:18 1Q second and long Henne in the gun. Nice pass pro by Hart. Henne hits Manningham who may have actually lost yardage.
Third and long for the first time. State doesn’t rush a lot of people, and Henne has all day. Manningham’s guy falls down, and he is wide open. Henne overthrows him. Was Manningham grabbed as his cover fell?

8:15 1Q Michigan punt fielded at the 18, first and Ten State.

So far, M defense is playing bend but don’t break, and the offense needs to find a groove after Henne and Hart have been out (or limited) for a couple weeks.

2-10 MSU, own 23. Ringer stumbles up the middle for about five as Adams comes up to play the run. 3-5 Hoyer from the gun connects for 2 yards. Harrison on the tackle. MSU playcalling not impressive, but neither is M’s defensive play thus far. Not a whole lot of pressure on Hoyer.

Mathews drops the punt at the UM 38, but manages to cover it up before the coverage arrives.

Mallett is warming up on the sidelines, but Henne comes out to start the drive (as does Hart).

6:10 1Q. 1-10 Michigan from their own 38. Not bad field position. Twins left with Moundros on the right as a TE with Butler. Arrington Motions across for an Ace standard lok, and Henne hits Butler for an 11 yard gain.

On first and Ten, Hart gains 3 when his cut isn’t sharp enough to find daylight. I feel like a 100% healthy Hart makes that cut and gains 8-9 yards. A lineman is down on the field. 57. Kraus. Lots of shuffling on the OL.

Long-Cuilla-Boren-Mitchell-Schilling

This OL clearly works, as Hart hits a huge hole and fights off safeties (if only he were a little faster) to the MSU 11. 1-10 after the 37 yard gain.

A bit of unclean play as Hart gets forward progress for no gain, and a couple Spartans wrestle him after the whistle for 5 yards back in 10 laterally.

Easy TD on the fade to Mario. Hilariously bad coverage by #31 Ashton Henderson.

7-3 Michigan 3:54 1Q

Great kickoff by Wright lands 6 yards deep in the corner of the endzone.

A pass to Thomas and a false start result in a second and ten for State. No discipline.

Chris Graham destroys Ringer on a swing pass. Loss of 7 puts MSU in a long-distance 3rd down. Does English bring the heat? 4-3 with Crable a standup DE. Pass tipped at the line by Jamo. State in to punt. Thomas would not have caught the pass for 1st down yardage.

More good field position, as the MSU punt goes end-over-end and rolls dead at the UM 44. Michigan takes over with 1:44 in the first.

Hart slips in the backfield, but manages to keep his balance long enough to make it to the line, which is a yard behind the LOS. The horribly disciplined Spartan DT Justin Kershaw shoves the Michigan center for 5 free yards. This is laughable. An example of when trying to use emotion can work against a team.

Arrington drops a pass in his numbers. Very good D by Davis-Clark to force the INC.

Carson Butler hasn’t hit enough nerds yet this year, so he hits a State player after the incompletion for Manningham (Henne ends up on his back). Bad punt by Zoltan means State gets the ball on their own 41.

Hoyer horrifically underthrows Devin Thomas, who was fifteen yards behind Trent. It wasn’t his fault, he was pointing for safety help that never came. Ringer runs into the line to end the first.

End 1st quarter. Michigan leads 7-3.
Stats? Stats:
Hart 5-48
Henne 3-6 for 23

Ringer 4-8
Caulcrick 2-6
Hoyer 6-10 for 43

Hoyer puts in on Jamar Adams’s numbers. Returned to the State 42 (19 yds), where he goes out of bounds. Adams has stepped up his game statistics-wise this year, which is what he was definitely lacking in the past couple years.

Kraus center, Boren LG. Hart breaks tackles near the line to get down to the State 11.

More personal fouls on State. This team is a fucking joke. Davis-Clark hits Manningham for a PF, half the distance down to the 5.

Mitchell gets an early start to give back the yardage, but the free first down remains.

1-10 Michigan from MSU 10. Hart gets a hole at the line for 2-3, makes a push down to the 5.

3-G from the MSU 5. Henne to Butler near the left sideline right at the GL. K.C. Lopata kicks it through for a 14-3 lead.

12:46 2Q 14-3 Michigan.

Thomas returns the kickoff to the MSU 42.
Fullback dive loses 2 yards.

Adams breaks up a pass intended for Davis. Devin Thomas dives and almost catches it. 3rd and long. Michigan brings 6 (4 DL, CGraham, and Adams). Hoyer swarmed under by everyone, Taylor and B Graham get credit for the sack. Illegal formation (lol State penalties lol) declined, MSU punts from their own 32.

Mathews lets it go over his head, and State downs the punt at the 6. Greg had a chance to field it on the bounce near the 25, but didn’t do so. 67 yards on the punt.

11:24 1Q. 1-10 Michigan from the UM 6.

MSU hasn’t had a first down since their first drive, and had 56 yards on that drive, 1 since. ABC’s coverage is showing something about MSU basketball during the first play. Hart runs behind the FB shuffle right. Must be about the Spartans BBall losing to a DII team.

Hart runs a draw, he stands straight up once he’s 7 yards past the LOS, lucky he didn’t get completely pasted. Uncalled 5 yard facemask.

Henne in the gun, scrambles and drops it. Mitchell falls on the ball for a 3 yards gain. Michigan 4-1 forced to punt.

Another unimpressive one by Zoltan, as MSU will start the drive in Michigan territory.

Hoyer skips a pass a yard before it gets to Thomas. Run up the middle gets state in a third and medium. Hoyer with 2 backs in the gun. Both stay to block. He is flushed, then finds a TE for the first down. Best cure for MSU positive yardage? MSU penalties! Holding this time, and MSU will be in 3rd and long. Screen to Ringer nets them 2 yards, and state will have to punt again.

Punt downed at the UM 8, for some reason the ref decides to move back a yard before spotting it. Michigan will start the drive on their own 7 with 7:01 remaining in the first half.

Hart gains one on first down, then makes a cutback hard right on second to gain 6 yards. He is creating yardage by himself, the blocking has been decent but not great. Henne pressured from the gun on third, wings a dumpoff wide of Minor.

Zoltan with another bad punt. What is his deal today? Only 35 yards. State beings on the UM 49.

Ezeh has to make a tackle pretty far downfield. Why Ezeh was playing from in front 10 yards downfield I have no idea.

Devin Thomas goes deep for State. He puts his hand behind him to try to draw a PI call on Warren, but no avail. Just god handfighting by both guys, on a not very good pass by Hoyer. Touchback on the punt.

The offesne has been conservative of late, though a lot of that is probably just a product of bad field position. Still, on first down Carlos Brown runs up theback of his OL for no gain.

2nd and 10, Henne is hit as he throws, pass is low intended for Arrington. Maybe a bit of contact, but not bad enough to draw a flag. State’s defense tries to get the fans into it on thrid and ten. Lloyd takes a timeout from the sideline. It’s a short one.

Henne is pressured, and his pass intended for Mario is tipped and nearly intercepted by Henderson. Did the wind catch that one? Chad was throwing into it. Michigan will punt, and Zoltan finally boots one.

1-10 MSU own 28. 3:15 2Q.

Reverse to Thomas, Ezeh crushes him. 2 yard loss on the play.
Hoyer runs into a pulling guard at the snap on second down. Scramble drill and he takes the loss for a sack credited to Ezeh. 3rd and 18 MSU.

Michigan stops the clock to get the ball back with enough time for another score. This leads me to a coaching philosophy question. If Michigan forces the punt, MSU will expect a pass (because Michigan stopped the clock to allow time for them to score). Is this a god time to run a draw? I think so. You still have one timeout if it doesn’t turn out well.

Hoyer’s pass is high for Kellen Davis, he tips it up to himself and almost catches it, but is separated from it when he hits the ground.

Great punt return from Greg Mathews, although he demonstrated why he has never been described as a “burner.” That’s a new season long for him (29), it was 18.

Henne completes one to Mathews, who gets out of bounds. Then, Henne is nailed as he throws, and Arrington has to go to a knee to get it for a loss of one. Manningham open along the sideline, he tries to make something happen after the catch (such as a first down), but doesn’t do it. Tackled in bounds 3 yards short.

UM calls a timeout, and appears to be going for it one fourth from the MSU 34. Surprised they didn’t run it down a little more first, in case they didn’t get it. Michigan State sees the Michigan formation after the timeout, and calls one of their own.

4-3 Michigan from the MSU 34. :59 Second Quarter. Henne in the gun with Minor. Arrington and Manningham to the right, Mathews left. Butler off the line to the left.

Henne throws right for Mario, intercepted by Otis Wiley. MSU will have the ball on their own 30 with :54 to play in the half. Wiley’s pick netted the Spartans -4 yards.

On the first play, Hoyar finds Dell open between levels of coverage on the left sideline.

Incomplete pass on the first down, then MSU goes 5 wide with Davis in the slot. He is wide open in the middle of the field for 10 yards+lots of YAC, but his hands are one spot where Hoyer shouldn’t hit him. Curry gets another MSU drop, at least he got drilled as the ball arrived. State will punt it.

A decent punt lands at the 18, I expect Michigan to take a knee to run out the final :19.

Posted under Analysis