M @ Minny - In Game, Post Game Discussion

[froot loops]

The acting head coach was a defensive coordinator, he's probably not used to it. I thought the commentators were onto something when they said they thought the Minnesota coaching staff may have thought the clock was stopped out of the review.

[hack]

The acting head coach was a defensive coordinator

Exactly.

[The Oracle]

Very exciting and entertaining game. Kudos to Hoke for bringing in Speight who was good. It's amazing how much this game reminded me of the old days with Hoke. Harbaugh is doing a great job with Hoke's players.

The Minnesota game last year was the end for Hoke. Harbaugh system proves just enough better to get the win. It was basically a coin flip this year, and our backup QB did the job. This offense is not gonna do much if the pass is not an option, and that was case when Speight initially took the field.

YES. Phew, THANK GOD!!!

[Rocky Bleier]

The DC did a good job when he stepped in for Kill a couple of years ago.

[lineygoblue]

Coaches need to know the clock rules as well as, or even better than the game officials. Its an important factor in their job.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Karma ..... I guess.

Or

Combination of dumb fucking luck and the gopher's coaching staff giving the game away. That was classic Hoke clock management and decision making. Nice to see it happen to the opponent.

Certainly not worth dissecting this game as a fan. I'll skip all of that next week. Leave it to M's staff to somehow make sense out of what went down in this game defensively and why M cannot run the ball consistently.

That may have been the luckiest Michgan win I have ever witnessed.

Nothing more. Carry on.

[lineygoblue]

Kudos to Hoke for bringing in Speight who was good.

If Speight was not available, Morris would have played.And I still say Harbaugh is doing Morris a favor by red shirting him. There can be no other reason. I refuse to believe that Speight is a better QB than Morris.

[The Oracle]

Well, there's not much evidence on either side. Although Speight has already done more in a game than Morris ever has.

[JRB]

I don't know that their coaching staff didn't realize the clock was running. I thought it was possible Leidner didn't know-- he was certainly checking at the line as if he thought he had more time. Given how well he'd played to that point, the Minnesota staff's mistake might have been simply trusting him to pull it out there.

[froot loops]

Coaches need to know the clock rules as well as, or even better than the game officials. Its an important factor in their job.

It is rare you'll find that. Coaches in general are awful at end of game situations.

[lineygoblue]

That may have been the luckiest Michgan win I have ever witnessed.

I remember one against Illinois back in the 80's that unfolded about the same way. I think it was Tony Eason who had absolutely shredded Michigan's defense all game long, and got the Illini down to Michigan's 2 yard line, for the "final play". For some reason, (was it Mike White?) the Illini coach put in 2 TE's and tried to RUN the ball in. Michigan stuffed them, and won the game.

Its a "W", and it makes them bowl-eligible.

Onward.

[Detroit Dan]

Our defense is very good, but there's nothing to be done when the offense is perfect, as were the Gophers on key plays on that last drive. Still, we held on to win.

LESSON: We better have Speight and Morris ready to go. We almost lost the game because we didn't trust Speight when he came in. See Ohio State 2014.

[froot loops]

Like I said at halftime, just win the game. You don't need style points, just the win.

[JRB]

When it comes to lucky Michigan wins, this one goes up there with Wisconsin 2001, when the Badgers were outplaying Michigan for most of the second half and Michigan's offense had all but died. That one looked as though it was going to overtime in Camp Randall, and the Badgers would have had the momentum, but in the last two minutes or so, they muffed a punt inside their own 15 yard line, and Michigan kicked a field goal to win 20-17.

[Detroit Dan]

If Speight was not available, Morris would have played.And I still say Harbaugh is doing Morris a favor by red shirting him. There can be no other reason. I refuse to believe that Speight is a better QB than Morris.

So you think Harbaugh was willing to sacrifice this game in order to give Morris an extra year? Isn't it more likely that Harbaugh knows that Speight gave them a better chance to win this game? Would you have held Morris back knowing that he is the better QB?