That first paragraph is all correct. Michigan was dominant throughout the game, although Biggs is right about how the uw was able hang around, but you never got the feeling that they were about to break out. ~450 yards to 300 yards of total offense. And in the uw's three scoring drives, their TD drive was aided by a MIchigan PI call and a FG drive was helped with a roughness call. The uw made a living this year converting 3rd and 4th down plays, but the pressure kept them off balance all day, going only 4 for 19 on 3rd and 4th downs. That's not a measure of success.
Update: it was the refs' fault
- Thread starter chipdouglas
- Start date
Yes, one score game with uw near midfield and a 3rd and 5 or so...penix perfect pass to their other RB who had plenty of room to run with a lead blocker. Drops the ball. If that is completed there's a great chance of uw eventually tying the game or making it 20-16. Changed everything. Michigan scores on their next possession, I believe. That's all I have to say about that.
I got the feeling they were gonna break out. And then they had a holding call lol. Awful timing.
The uw had a home run hitter in Penix and Rome. One swing of the bat and they’re in the game. Yes, Michigan was more physical. Yes, the uw can score from anywhere. Both can be true.
I didn't watch the game, but I saw the box score. When Michigan had 170+ yards rushing in the first quarter, it was 95% that UW would not win. That all by itself shows that the Michigan OL and backs had a big advantage. When you can run that effectively, it doesn't much matter whether the opponent can throw - you can keep their offense off the field if you have to.
That's the danger of just glancing at the box score. UW actually controlled the clock most of the game. When UW threw the pick that ended up icing the game, they had the ball for just under 30 minutes vs 25 minutes for Michigan. Some of that was Michigan getting huge chunk plays though.
I'm beyond late here but this is one of 2 key points:
- By game's end, a desperate UW had erstwhile hero Michael Penix clutching his ribs like he just went 10 with Tyson. That is not about "holding receivers," it's about Michigan getting home CONSTANTLY. The idea that this same guy whose stats all came from garbage time was milliseconds from lighting it up is pure cope
- I can't stress enough: Michigan's 0-0 game plan was control the LOS and limit possessions. They were always going to do this - and win doing it - when it was close. And they did it effortlessly until explosive plays tempted them into airing it out, which yielded little success in the 2Q & 3Q. When they got back to it in the 4Q, they sealed it. A good analogy would be MMA. Imagine a good wrestler having success with it early, so he toys with his opponent trying to land a highlight reel uppercut - but his opponent is a good boxer, so suddenly it seems like a draw again, and thus he goes back to wrestling to close it out in the 4th round... the boxer's camp thinks "almost had him" but that's the wrong conclusion. You boxed to a draw but the only thing that took off the table was the highlight reel KO - your opponent was never in jeopardy and could have submitted you at any time on the ground. I mean, the idea that it was close is undermined by the fact that UW trailed the entire game. Hard to argue it was back-and-forth as such.
When a ball control team plays an explosive team, it generally comes down to whether the ball control team can succeed by playing their game...run first, pass only if/when needed or a great opportunity presents itself. Michigan initially made that work. UW adjusted, putting more in the box and daring Michigan to throw. Michigan responded to UW's adjustments by throwing more, but that was not as successful for them. Michigan DB's held UW's WR's for the entire game (welcome to the B10; better get used to it), which degraded UW's effectiveness. They also mounted a good pass rush, which continually kept Penix from seeing open receivers (my biggest knock on Penix is his field vision), and resulted in Penix taking some body shots. Penix then got minimal help from his receivers. They made a few really nice catches, but also dropped the ball too often for that offense in that situation.
By the 4th quarter, UW's DL was worn down and Michigan was able to succeed with the original game plan. But as some have noted, a completion here or there (at least 3 times in the game) could have gone all the way for a score and/or altered the trajectory of the game. Had Michigan gotten behind, could they have caught up? We'll never know.
By the 4th quarter, UW's DL was worn down and Michigan was able to succeed with the original game plan. But as some have noted, a completion here or there (at least 3 times in the game) could have gone all the way for a score and/or altered the trajectory of the game. Had Michigan gotten behind, could they have caught up? We'll never know.
