Dumb Football

Holly Hart, AP

I don't understand why things are contagious in sports.  It really doesn't make any sense.  My son played travel baseball from the age 10-16, I've seen a few hundred youth baseball games and I can tell you that hitting is contagious at that age level.  If a couple guys get a hit, everyone hits.   It also works the opposite, if the top of the lineup is hitless, you have a great chance the middle and bottom of the order will not be hitting as well.

Michigan rolled into Memorial Stadium and for most of the first half it looked like a good High School team playing a Junior High.  Michigan was gaining 10 yards on every play and had a 28-0 lead.  I actually had this thought, "Michigan shouldn't attempt a pass and have 600 rushing yards."   Then the evil wizard that has huanted the Wolverines all season "Frank Fumble" showed up and the Wolverines started to backslide like Barney Gumble at an open bar.

Charbonnet fumbled which equaled a late 1st half TD, Christian Turner had one carry lost 4 yards and fumbled (which was over turned by replay), and Tru Wilson fumbled which led to a short field and another Illinois TD.   That junior high team from the first half, had scored 25 straight points and pulled within 3 points of Michigan.

Somehow talent no longer mattered, coaching no longer mattered, recruiting no longer mattered, traditional no longer matter and the Wolverines were looking at one of the most devastating road losses in the history of the program.

Then the embattled former 5 star QB took the field, dropped back, and starting picking apart the Illinois secondaty.  He used his talented WR's and took that 3 point lead to 10.   Somehow that contagious play traveled quickly to the defense and the pass rush that had be lost for a good part of two quarters was back and Illinois redshirt freshman reverted back to himself and gave Michigan two fumbles, another TD, and a win.

Cheers 

• Michigan would of had over 300 yards on the ground, not for Shea's two kneel downs at the end of the game 
• Michigan had two 100 yard rushers 
• Shea's TD to DPJ Drive was the best he has looked all season 
• Great blocked punt 
• Haskins is a beast and will be getting more carries
• Mike Dana is quietly playing some great football and has been huge with Paye out
• At times Hutchinson was un-blockable 
• McGrone again looked like a poor mans Devin Bush 
• Michigan won the game 

Jeers

• The evil wizard Frank Fumble 
• Christian Turner is so far in the dog house, he may never get back out
• Ben Mason was one of my favorite players last season, he has really struggled this year and needs to play much smarter football.
• MAKE FIELD GOALS
• Injuries are now getting serious: Nico didn't make the trip, Paye, Ross, and Hill also didn't play. 
• 3rd quarter defense, I believe Michigan should play some
• Shea has to keep the ball on the 2nd 4th down near the goal line

Let's start facing some difficult facts, Army has lost in back to back weeks to Tulane and Western Kentucky.   Don Brown thought they would run the table.  We are now facing games against two top ten teams in Penn State and ND in back to back weeks.  

This Wolverine team is showing some promise on defense at times, but the entire team seems to roll up in the fetial position anytime Frank shows up.  It even effects the defense.  Illinois shouldn't have been able to make the plays they did on Michigan's defense in the 3rd, the only reason I can come up with is they saw Frank and got scared.  This type of dumb football is going to get you beat and beat bad in the next two weeks.  

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2019/10/dumb-football.html