Michigan @ Michigan State, Game Day - Post Game Discussion.

[WingsFan]

nearly every talking head is talking about Dantonio's multiple coaching gaffe's during the course of the game.

Everywhere Dantonio is getting ripped bad, sports radio, tv, twitter, FB

as far as going for 2 well ...


Dantonio - "2-point try was a mental message" .... lmfao

[The Oracle]

But he outcoached......

[WingsFan]

Heres your "mental message" Mike

[WingsFan]

Give Sparty props for playing hard, never quitting, and executing an excellent game plan. MSU was the 1st team to neutralize Michigans DTs, doubling them was a good strategy. Neutralizing the DTe exposed the DEs a bit. No excuse for Wormley and Taco to get handled mano a mano by a TE.

Kalis has developed into a very good OG. And Mags is excellent at pulling and leading. Braden is playing every bit as well Newsome at LT. He did a nice job on McDowell when MSU slid him out to DE.


Finally Dantonio - there was no reason on earth to not kick the extra point. The assumption here is that the decision to go for two was a psychological message by Dantonio to Michigan that the future starts on this play, and we are going to win this play. Not happening!

[edindetroit]

Give Sparty props for playing hard, never quitting, and executing an excellent game plan.

Would Spartan fans give M props ever?

[WingsFan]

No

[edindetroit]

Exactly.

[Pasadena Blue]

that's what makes us better by giving them props

[WM Wolverine]

Should've did the Heisman post instead of the backflip.

[edindetroit]

Should've did the Heisman pose instead of the backflip.

That was a great back flip though.

[WingsFan]

Braylan Edwards did the exact same thing (in victory formation), not sure if was the 02 MSU game (?)

[Jeff Buchanan]

Give Sparty props for playing hard, never quitting, and executing an excellent game plan. MSU was the 1st team to neutralize Michigans DTs, doubling them was a good strategy. Neutralizing the DTe exposed the DEs a bit. No excuse for Wormley and Taco to get handled mano a mano by a TE.

Interesting take. I think MSU's success in running the ball was a result of Brown's overall plan. Thinking MSU would be throwing to overcome M's excellent run D, it looked like he deployed a 3-4-4 scheme intended to try to confuse MSU's QBs and get some pics. I think he believed the match-ups with in a 3-4 front v. MSU's OL favored M's DL and LBs. I think he was wrong about that.

That first MSU drive for a TD, I'm thinking, was all about M's scheme v. MSU's O. Replayed a couple of successful MSU run plays for Scott where M was in a 3-4-4 with 2 hi Ss. In those 3-4 front looks, Scott did a great job of finding the gap where the run blitz was not coming from one of the Inside LBs. If he gets to the second level he's very shifty and both Hill and Thomas got schooled a bit there.

Brown adjusted quickly though when he realized Dantonio was going to run right at M and double, as you point out WingsFan the DTs. After that first drive, stringing plays together to sustain drives stopped for MSU when Brown deployed a 4-3 and brought a S up.

Also, I don't think it's correct to say that M didn't get a lot of pressure on MSU's QBs. Not only where they routinely hit - knocking all three of them out of the game at some point - there really was no credible passing threat from any of them. IOW, out of the gate the defensive staff gave too much credit to MSU's passing game instead of focusing on Scott, tying him up with more 4 and 5 man looks and forcing whoever it was back there to throw it.

Just my eyeball take which I'm sure will be shown to be wrong with the UFRs.

On taking the foot of the gas ...... I think the Speight INT was behind that with a three score lead. Harbaugh and Jedd Fishe know Speight better than any of us. That was a bad mistake on Speight's part. Maybe they thought he was trying too hard to make plays and he was vulnerable to doing that again.

While I wanted the big blow-out as much as anything and I'm pretty sure we could have had one. I don't think on the road in a rivalry game, Harbaugh was sold on trying to do that. First order of business was to win and to that you have to avoid game killing turnovers. I was fine with how he called the second half, green-lighted Speight who delivered some big time 3rd down conversions and long balls, but as has been pointed out, was a little conservative on first and second down after the INT with MSU selling out to stop the run.

[edindetroit]

Went to a Spartan board and read some posts. What a bunch of delusional twits. Jabril Peppers isn't as good as he thinks and has herpes... Someone is counting it as a Spartan victory... on and on...

[Detroit Dan]

Peppers was awesome. Twice he made tackles to thwart the Spartans on 4th down. He was the difference in the game, IMO.

[*JD*]

It wasn't quite the game many of us hoped for but it's good enough. Paul Bunyan came home and I expect he'll spend about 80% of his time in Ann Arbor over the time that Harbaugh is on the sidelines.