First of all, I think Brinkhater should weigh in here, but I’ve already posted my thoughts over at AOL. Check it out if you dare/care/etc. If you’re too lazy or just don’t care, here’s a nutshell overview:
1) Our defense is pretty bad and we were no match for what Wisconsin had at the skill positions. They are loaded for a run in the Big Ten this year, no ifs, ands or buts about it. I wish we could have opened with a cupcake like Appalachian State (ouch for the Big Blue!).
2) I’m beside myself as to why we blitzed so much. Not so much that we blitzed, but early on it was clear that even sending 6 in on passing plays, we still couldn’t touch Donovan. So why make your young secondary be out on an island even more so by blitzing, and against skill position talent like that? It was suicide.
3) The fake punt call at the 46 when it was still just a two-score game?? Brutal. Throw another log on the “Bill Must Go” fire. Are you actually TRYING TO SAY THAT ON 4TH AND 2, THE RIGHT DECISION WAS TO HAVE YOUR PUNTER THROW THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD!?!? WTF WAS THAT!?!? (end caps lock).
4) I was pleasantly happy with the offense, particuarly the running game. That’s not Idaho or Stanford we were running against, that was Wisconsin, who only gave up 9 rushing TD’s all of last year. That was impressive to see Tardy nearly crack the 100-yard mark.
5) Good job in the rushing defense. Holding P.J. Hill to 84 yards is an accomplishment, and as Brinkhater pointed out, moving Ropati to DE against Wisconsin was a good idea for rushing defense purposes. But giving up 177 total on the ground is still a lot of yards. That Lance Smith is a good-looking backup and he might start for a lot of other teams.
6) Finally, Brink. Good game. Not great. But good. 170 yards isn’t much, but he didn’t make many mistakes, didn’t force things when they weren’t there, and to me he showed onions on that TD drive late in the 3rd to cut it to 7. Too often last year we might have gone completely in the toilet after being down 28-14, but Brink responded and I loved it. We’re going to score points this year.
Time to put this behind us, big-time, and focus on SD State, who didn’t even play today. They return a lot of starters on O plus an experienced QB, so we might be in some deep trouble next week. Hopefully the first-game jitters are out of the way of some of the young defense, but we can’t play like that again next week. They have to generate a pass rush, and they have to cover some people, or we are going to see yards and points rain down on us like we haven’t seen in a LONG, LONG, LONG time…..like, since 2005! 🙂
Speaking of the Big Blue, check out the #1 Michigan blog and what they think about today:
http://mgoblog.blogspot.com/
Technical difficulties I guess. But some are calling it already as the biggest upset of all-time. Personally I don’t think I’d go there, not in week one. I always believe the polls should be delayed a month, and the first real poll should be taken at the beginning of October, after the first month is in the books. But that’s just me.
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