In-game updates: It's Michigan at Michigan State
Denard Robinson, limited to 81 total yards of offense and 3-of-11 passing in the first half, takes off for a run at Spartan Stadium Saturday.
Jeff Sainlar I AnnArbor.com
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FINAL SCORE: Michigan State 28, Michigan 14
FOURTH QUARTER
Run out the clock: Michigan stopped on its ensuing possession (Devin Gardner sacked on a 4th-and-22 play -- Michigan State's seventh sack of the game) and the Spartans are driving with the clock winding down.
Robinson injured: Denard Robinson left the field under his own power after being attended to by Michigan trainers. Michigan State was called for its fifth personal foul penalty of the game on the play.
Michigan State 28, Michigan 14: The Spartans' Isaiah Lewis picks off a Denard Robinson pass on first down and returns it 35 yards for a touchdown. A Dan Conroy PAT makes it 28-14 with 4:31 left. Robinson is now 9-of-24 passing.
Three-and-out: Michigan will get another shot. Defense forces a 3-and-out, Wolverines ball at their own 35-yard-line with 4:40 remaining.
Stopped! Fourth-and-inches from the Spartans' 9-yard-line and Denard Robinson is sacked by Johnny Adams for a 10-yard loss. Michigan State ball with 6:16 left.
Whoa, Nellie! We have a ballgame: Michigan State's Keyshawn Martin fumbles on an end-around. Jordan Kovacs recovers on the MSU 32 with 9:44 remaining.
Michigan State 21, Michigan 14: A Denard Robinson-to-Roy Roundtree touchdown pass covering 34 yards pulls the Wolverines within one score with 9:49 remaining. After forcing a three-and-out, Jeremy Gallon returned an MSU punt 18 yards to the 34. Robinson hit Roundtree on a slant route on the first play.
Another missed opportunity: Michigan starts the fourth quarter in Michigan State territory ... and punts. The Wolverines were 1st-and-10 at the Spartans' 23-yard-line but two sacks and an incompletion later, Michigan punted from the 32.
THIRD QUARTER
Michigan State 21, Michigan 7: Keyshawn Martin catches his second touchdown pass of the game and the Spartans take a 21-7 lead in the final minute of the third quarter. MSU has now scored 14 unanswered points against a Michigan defense that allowed just 21 second-half points all season.
First turnover: The first turnover of the game comes when Edwin Baker broke free for a long run. Michigan recovered the ball on the MSU 41, but didn't capitalize. The Wolverines went went backwards from there and punted the ball away from near midfield.
Mid-third quarter: That first-possession success ends. After getting a continuation when MSU picked up its third personal foul penalty of the game on a third-down stop, the Wolverines couldn't convert its next third-and-long. MSU ball at its own 20, up 14-7 with 6:17 left in the third quarter.
Michigan State 14, Michigan 7: First-possession success continues. The Spartans march 54 yards for a touchdown on their first drive of the second half to make it 14-7. Kirk Cousins hit Keshawn Martin for a 10-yard score after Edwin Baker did most of the work (4 carries, 44 yards) on the nine-play drive. Baker now has 115 yards on 15 carries.
Here we go: Second half has started. MSU gets first possession.
HALFTIME STATS
Rushing: UM 31-138, MSU 30-162 Passing: UM 4-14-43-0, MSU 8-13-62-0 First downs: UM 10, MSU 8 Time of possession: UM 14:54, MSU 15:06 Turnovers: UM 0, MSU 0 Penalties: UM 2-10, MSU 8-67
Michigan passing: Robinson 3-11-39, Gardner 1-3-4; Michigan State passing: Cousins 8-13-62.
Michigan rushing: Robinson 7-42 (1 TD), Smith 6-33, Gallon 1-8, Toussaint 1-4, Dileo 1-3; Michigan State rushing: Baker 11-71 (1 TD), Bell 3-17, Martin 1-6, Fowler 1-6.
Michigan receiving: Hemingway 2-38, Koger 1-4, Gallon 1-1; Michigan State receiving: Nichol 2-20, Cunningham 2-19, Martin 1-8, Linthicum 1-7, Bell 1-5, Caper 1-3.
SECOND QUARTER
Halftime: We're going to the break, still tied 7-7.
Late second quarter: Michigan does nothing with its field position and Denard Robinson's passing troubles continue. He is 3-of-11 for 39 yards (and 29 of those yards came on one pass to Junior Hemingway.) Another Hagerup punt to the 5-yard-line gives the Spartans a lot of field in front of them with 2 minutes left before halftime.
Mid-way: Will Hagerup vying for Michigan MVP honors. His third punt of the game pins MSU at its own 5-yard-line. Three punts, two downed inside the 20. And the field position change helps. MSU goes 3-and-out and punts from its own end zone. Michigan ball near midfield. 4:00 left in the half.
Early second quarter: Punts by each team early in the quarter. Both defenses seem to have settled in after giving up touchdowns on their first possessions. Two punts for each team since.
FIRST QUARTER
End of first quarter: After exchanging punts, the first quarter ends with Michigan on its own 35-yard-line. First quarter stats:
Rushing: Michigan 63, MSU 69
Passing: Michigan 39, MSU 16
Time of possession: Michigan 8:23, MSU 6:37
Turnovers: Michigan 0, MSU 0
Penalties: Michigan 2-10, MSU 3-25
Michigan State 7, Michigan 7: The Spartans answer right back. Michigan State scores on its own first possession -- with Edwin Baker scoring from 1-yard out. Baker did most of the work on the 63-yard scoring drive, running 5 times for 49 yards. Dan Conroy's PAT ties it up with 5:08 left in the quarter.
Michigan 7, Michigan State 0: Michigan scores on its opening possession -- a drive kept alive on a Drew Dileo fake field goal from the MSU 22-yard-line -- when Denard Robinson escapes a sack, reverses field and dives into the corner of the end zone. Brendan Gibbons' PAT kick makes it 7-0. Vincent Smith ran 3 times for 38 yards on the 10-play, 80-yard drive.
PRE-GAME
Early reports from East Lansing are that it's very windy at Spartan Stadium. From AnnArbor.com's Nick Baumgardner: "It's bad. Wind is whipping all over the place, changing directions. It'll play a major factor."
With Michigan State in its Nike-designed Pro Combat Series uniforms for the game, the Wolverines have busted out their own special look. They warmed up in their regular road uniforms, but took the field before kickoff in a a road version of the legacy uniforms the Wolverines wore against Notre Dame.
A press release from the Michigan athletic department arrived at exactly 12 p.m. and says:
Michigan Unveils Legacy Road Uniform for MSU Game
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Prior to kickoff of the Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, the University of Michigan football team unveiled a legacy uniform designed by apparel provider adidas.
“Our players really enjoyed the uniforms from the night game with Notre Dame so we decided to surprise them and the country with a new-look design for the Michigan State game,” said head coach Brady Hoke. “This is such a great in-state rivalry that we decided to honor the former players that played in this game.”
The legacy jersey is a compilation of design elements from different eras of Michigan football. It features player numbers on the front and back of the jersey with a block M above the heart and repeating striped sleeves. The shirts under the uniform have “Victors” on the left bicep and “Valiant” on the right bicep.
The white pants are a throwback to the 1974 and 1975 seasons when the program wore all white on the road. In addition, the Wolverines wore two-tone socks with blue on top (calf) and white on the bottom.
Player numbers continued to appear on the famous winged helmet that first appeared in the late 1960s. After wearing them on the helmets for the Notre Dame game, head coach Brady Hoke decided to continue the tradition before the start of the conference season to pay homage to the former players that represented the program in the past.
Michigan warmed up in its traditional road uniforms but returned for the start of the game in the new legacy uniforms.
A pair of inflatable mascots appear to be getting along just fine at a pregame tailgate in East Lansing on Saturday.
Jeff Sainlar | AnnArbor.com
Comments
UMfan2001
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 8:06 p.m.
Let's face it. The way to win a rivalry game is to surprise your opponent with a unconventional game plan. Play Gardner as the QB and Denard as a wide receiver/QB or running back/QB. Gardner definitely throw better than Denard. How many agonising game we have to watch before the coaches realised this...
UMfan2001
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 8:02 p.m.
I agreed the new uniform looks like a clown, worst than MSU's new . I prefer the old uniform.
mookienation
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 8:01 p.m.
My opinion of Michigan football didn't change after watching this game today. They're still a good team. Not a great team, but a good team. Being within a touchdown of a Top 25 team on the road in the 4th quarter isn't an easy thing to do in the Big Ten. It sucks to lose to a rival, especially for the fourth year in a row, but Michigan is still a Top 25 team. And although I think we'll see one or two more games similar to the one we saw this afternoon, they'll continue to improve. Did anyone else feel more comfortable when Gardner was in the game? I don't know why, but I did. I don't wish an injury on anybody, but if Denard happens to miss the next game I think we'll end up seeing some good things from Devin Gardner. He just needs to get some reps. I keep thinking of Ryan Mallett and how awful he looked when he came off the bench while at Michigan. I really think we should have Gardner at QB and Denard as a RB who could occasionally throw. Let's face it: Denard will never be a good passer. He's improved, but he's reached his ceiling. I think Gardner WILL BE a good (maybe really good) passer once he gets enough game time under his belt and gets his nerves in check. Also, Michigan State is the dirtiest team I've seen play in a long time. I hope you guys in East Lansing are proud of them!
mookienation
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 8:16 p.m.
I think Hoke would have been criticized HEAVILY if he had made Gardner the starting QB for any game up to this point. He had to promise Denard that he would continue to be their QB or else face the risk of him transferring to another school. But that all changes now. It seems to me like a lot of Michigan fans want to give Gardner a chance now. If he's gonna be our future QB, it's better to get him started sooner than later. And while he's working on becoming the next UM quarterback, Denard can continue to pile up rushing yards and help us win games.
edjasbord
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 8:08 p.m.
By the end of the 3rd quarter I was hoping Denard would get pulled so Devin would com in for a while. Let's face it - the coaches would be doing Denard a favor if they moved him. He will never be a QB in the NFL. But he might be a slot receiver. Move him - it is the best thing for UM and for his career (and life?).
UMfan2001
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:58 p.m.
The only bright spot is the defense team. They came up with two take away but I cannot say so for the Offense team. Apparently UM football still cannot throw and run; it depends too much on a quarterback and it cannot win over a more well-rounded team. I donot expect them to beat MSU at their home ground this time, not yet, but I never expect their offense to still play so badly. Brady Hoke better start reviewing his game plan and change his stratedy quickly before this team falls off the cliff again like last year.
10dz
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:53 p.m.
That game was over as soon as we took the field in those clown costumes. What happened to THIS IS MICHIGAN!! Isn't that what we've been hearing all year? Stop the clown and pony show. Put the players in position to make plays. This nonsense with the two QB's is cute against bad teams. But against good teams with strong defenses, the players deserved a better game plan. Hate to say Dantonio and his thugs out coached and out toughed us. I'll give mSU credit for the win, but those are some criminals playing football over there.
UMfan2001
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:49 p.m.
It is excusable not to be able to connect with the receiver as the wind was against you during the 3rd quarter but a the 4th quarter, with the wind at your favour, and you still unable to connect with your receiver is inexcusable. I sympathize with the senior players who are winless against MSU. Gartner was showing some promise by connecting a first down but was immediately taken out and replaced with the ineffective Denard. Is this a coaching error or what? It is so frustrating....four loses in a row.
James Ditzhazy
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:49 p.m.
What kind of clown recruits someone to play quarterback that can not throw a pass to save his life? Oh yea Rich Rod, Michigan's own Matt Millen Michigan C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT Robinson 9/24 123 5.1 1 1
edjasbord
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:48 p.m.
That was an atrocity. Two takeaways, numerous penalties, and we still can't win. That is one bad offense. I think Denard needs to go as qb. Devin looked way more natural out there. And guess what? If he actually got more playing time, he would most likely play even better. Experience matters. Borges stunk it up. UM was outplayed and out-coached.
Hawaiian Neal
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:45 p.m.
Frankly, I am more embarrassed for UM than upset. I hope Mr. Hoke is through with playing dress-up with his players and will concentrate more on playing football. This was worse and sloppier than any defeat in the RR years. The offense was pathetic, the defense was pathetic and even the new uniforms were responsible for 3 or 4 tackles in the backfield (watch the films, you'll see it). Seriously, you say what everyone apparently everyone wants to hear about football and tradition at UM, but Bo, Mo, Lo, and Ro respected the uniform. In less than 1 season, we've changed uniforms twice and on top of that, followed (yes, FOLLOWED) something Sparty did. We (Michigan) has spent so much credibility that we are in danger of losing our identity now. I'm not calling for your or the AD's resignation yet, but if you two keep spending UM's traditions and credibility like drunken sailors with credit cards, I will be....I will be. ENOUGH PLAY DATE DRESS UP. We have a classic uniform, respect it (although you've made that a lot harder to do). You both owe the school more than that. Also, (AD) replace the art deco Michigan Stadium and quit putting your personal mark on things that belong to the University of Michigan. Totally unacceptable performance.
garrisondyer
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 8:07 p.m.
I have to start by acknowledging that I am disappointed by UM's ineptitude during the game today. I completely disagree with some of the statements you made, though. "This was worse and sloppier than any defeat in the RR years." Totally and completely false. I don't want to get into it, but a quick trip down memory lane through the last three years reminds me of countless embarrassing games where the program as a whole obviously had no direction/leadership. That was not evident at all today, despite the team's struggles. "...but Bo, Mo, Lo, and Ro respected the uniform." Again, false. Rodriguez's era brought with it those flashy new curvy lines down the side of the uniform, which looked horrible. Did I love the uniforms today? No. I think we agree here -- shoulda worn their normal away jerseys.
Jonny Spirit
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:42 p.m.
They are who we thought they were. BAD! Throw it again #16. WOW 4 in a row. Go Green!
UMfan2001
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:41 p.m.
Two take away and came up empty. Does not desire to be ranked 10..
Jonny Spirit
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:40 p.m.
Shhhhhhhhhh!
Tru2Blu76
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:38 p.m.
Michigan's offensive line: Massive Fail. I said yesterday that it would be the offensive line that determined the outcome of this game. No protection for Denard was their main sin here. This fail to protect kept Denard from finding his groove and led to repeatedly wasting some great breaks for the Wolverines. It's not enough to say Michigan beat themselves today, the offensive line beat the efforts of the entire team and all the Michigan coaches. What a disappointment. Beyond that, Michigan State players are a disgrace to themselves, their school and the entire state of Michigan. The repeated blatant (I don't care about the rules) personal fouls are the "proud heritage" brought to us by MSU Head Coach Mark Dantonio. Dantonio should resign and his despicable players should be subject to a multi-game ban this season. Regardless, I'm not giving up on Michigan this season: period. The terrible performance looked to be what will be called a blip on the forward progress of the Wolverines. I fully expect Brady Hoke to regroup and finish this season successfully - maybe due to the lessons learned in this loss. Go Blue! Go with Class! You won the Better Character Battle today.
Freight Train
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:45 p.m.
Did I really see the weasels punt from 20 yard line? (ok maybe it was the 30). Is our ability to kick a field goal really that sad? How could gaining an easy 3 points be a problem? IF the game came down to the wire that field goal could have clinched the win. Who thinks Denard can throw? That was pretty sad from a QB/Coaching perspective. Sheesh.
scott
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:37 p.m.
I don't see any way that Rich Rod loses this game, hope that the future is worth it but we still have the ND mentality as a fanbase that will probably hold us back despite Hoke doing terrific up to this point. That was an abortion of a coaching job today...
Candy
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:36 p.m.
I agree with uminks. MSU did indeed play dirty. No surprise there with their "thug" of a head coach. However, I'm getting sick of Denard constantly throwing interceptions, and thus blowing the game!
UMfan2001
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:35 p.m.
Denard cannot throw. I hate to say this but his unable to throw is affecting the whole team
uminks
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:33 p.m.
MSU is a dirty team! I will be rooting for WI to whip them!
Jonny Spirit
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 8:02 p.m.
Good, we don't want you to be rooting for us. Keep crying, 4, 5, 6 in a row. When does it end! HA HA HA HA HA
LaShon Day
Sat, Oct 15, 2011 : 7:28 p.m.
Typical Michigan football. Starting to get sick of this trend of early success and losing to Sparty. I had such high hopes with Hoke at the helm this year. To bad. I know he will do us well in the future. More disappointed than anything.