At some point in his life, Mike Royko probably thought “Some things you wonder, some things you think, and some things you just know”, even though he never said it. But he definitely never thought “leaders and best” about anything originating from Ann Arbor.
Wolverine tears heal Chuck Norris.
Although I’ll spend some time during a given week linking their headlines, I usually make it a point not to read the articles in the opponents’ news outlets. My thought is they’re probably not going to have anything I’m going to care to read, and even if I do, they’re guaranteed to deliver it in a way that pisses me off. But I read all the articles today. Oh yes.
Brian Van Gorder looks like one of the truckers whose convoy Burt Reynolds and Sally Field used to hide from those Mississippi state troopers. But I’d play for this crazy fucker any day.
I’m still not completely sure we have a bead on this ND team. Golson continues to look good, and as I said last week, these are the games Heisman campaigns are made of. But the 54 total yards on the ground and the 1.7 APR should be giving Irish fans pause. When you can’t run out the clock to get a 31-0 win put to bed, that’s not a good thing.
This one’s got Excedrin written all over it.
Now that the Wolverine hullaballoo is over, I’m guessing we’re going to get resolution on the Academic Five. If history is our guide, something will pop Monday afternoon.
As much as part of me wanted to hear the Chicken Dance late in the game, I’m glad we were above that sort of thing. But speaking of songs, I must say, that was the loudest I’ve heard the Alma Mater sung after a game ever.
It’s good not to feel nervous about what could happen if your QB goes down. I continue to like what Malik Zaire is bringing to the table.
I know folks are tired of the piped-in music discussion, but that stuff still sucks, and if they’re going to keep it, they need to come up with something more original. And it seems Ken Dye’s obsession with fire extinguishers has extended to the team’s entrance. Oy vey.
When asked about future scheduled games against ND, Michigan AD Dave Brandon was quoted as saying, “I think for the foreseeable future, we’re going in two different directions.” Yes, Dave, from what I saw yesterday, they definitely are. But what do you expect from a guy who thinks Domino’s Pizza actually tastes good?
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
foxrocks says:
Mike,
Great observations, but….
Redfield’s hit on Gardner was based on sophomore exuberance, but in the end it was a blind side cheap shot, not something to be featured in a post game gif.
Mike Coffey says:
Well, I wouldn’t call it a cheap shot, especially considering he pretty much just shoved him with his hands, so….
GraceHallChapel86 says:
At first I thought it was a dumb cheap shot. But watching the video I think the refs made a mistake. Once the pass was intercepted and the run back began, and UM’s QB saw it and began to move defensively, he was no longer technically the “passer” but now a defender, and therefore it was legitimate to block him. That’s all that happened.
The TD should have counted, irrespective of how badly Gardner was clocked. Him lying there was the result of an entire game of being manhandled, not one hit.
Kevin McNamara says:
totally agree
J Peloquin says:
Cheap Shot????? Presumably you didn’t see Gardner obviously in pursuit of the ball carrier. I suppose you expected ND to let him run unimpeded after the ball carrier and make a tackle? Because that is exactly what Gardner would have tried to do if he’d not been blocked. Anyone who’s played the game at any level knows a hit like that is part of the game. Frankly Gardner decided to try and stop the play, and was denied the opportunity to do so in the traditional and appropriate gridiron technique called “blocking”. That was NOT a cheap shot. That was Gardner putting himself in harm’s way.
Mike Coffey says:
I think you’re replying to someone else — I don’t believe it was a cheap shot at all.
jdthom says:
It should not have been a flag. Gardner was running with the play and would have made a tackle if he was in position. Redfield did not spear him or use his helmet or go for his head. He made an effort to get to the front of Gardner. As Mayock said earlier in the game when Michigan got a very similar hard hit on ND’s #98 (Trumbetti), “That’s football.”
Kayo says:
If they must play canned music, there must be something on this playlist they can use – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL106261D8112AC0BB.
Felipe says:
I didn’t see anything wrong with Redfield’s block on Gardner. He led with his hands and made contact with the QB’s shoulder pads. And Gardner was just beginning to eye Shumate and start an angled run. Trumbetti getting blindsided in the 1st half was much more serious.
Terry Mehan says:
Van Gorder looks like Uncle Rico in Napolran Dynamite.
Don in LA says:
Field turf, piped in music, smoke machines…fans that actually care and cheer. If this is the road to ruin, sign me up. Get used to it.
Bquigz5 says:
Thank you.
Moe says:
Vangorder looks pretty intense I’m sure his players love him. That hit by Redfiekd was a cheap shot. It nullified a crushing final play and wound up injuring their QB — I’m sure redfiekd didn’t mean to injure him, but it was totally unnecessary.
Brian says:
Not a cheap shot. Really insignificant to the game outcome. My concern is the call being made at all. What if the game were a tight one and it was for the win. The refs made a call that was completely ouit of it’s element. This means the ref upstairs needed to be involved with this call. The only reason they let it go was because the game was over. The QB was effectively a defensive player at the time of the push with hands from Redfield,from the side (not the back). SO once the interception was made the officials and the player all have a different set of rules. They get to switch their mentality from O to D. Considering that Redfield and anyother ND player on the field would be blocking and on the O. The officials should have changed their stance also and did not. This allowed them to officiate from a stance they should not have been taking.
Kevin McNamara says:
Not a cheap shot at all. A very bad call and as previously mentioned, if that call had affected the game’s outcome, there would have been a huge controversy.
Patrick says:
Mayock’s explanation of why that hit was flagged falls into th “WTF?” category. He basically said unless the QB is going to make a tackle, he’s off limits. And when, exactly, is that determined? As he’s hitting said runner? In a split second, a player is supposed to know when that occurs? Also, Mayock needs to read up on CFB rules. There is no such thing as the tuck rule. Gardner’s fumble was cut and dried.
Great article, too.
Michael says:
Redfield got the flag because he left his feet. The block itself was legal, but leaving your feet while doing so is an automatic and easy flag.
-MW-
John says:
Redfield should have hit him harder. IMO
McCafferty says:
I wouldn’t label the hit a “cheap shot;” however, I do think it was a poor decision and that, were the situation reversed, we would be upset with the opposing team’s player. The replay that I watched showed Gardner beginning to brace for a hit from a Notre Dame player approaching from him from the front. I don’t think he was pursuing the Shumate. I wouldn’t expect a player to make an about face and run from the play, and I do not think that Gardner was giving any more than a token gesture of movement towards our guy. He was out of the play. I suppose an overhead view would demonstrate definitively whether this picture is accurate or not.
NDBonecrusher says:
Right on, Mike. It looks like BVG (besides being a crazy f***er as you correctly pointed out) is having the time of his life, as are his lads. Their evolution in just one week was remarkable, and they have set a high bar for the performance against Purdue.
The ND defense was the story Sat night, not the offense. With all the young talent, and leaders like Day and Smith, how good are they going to be? Where is that ceiling? What if they get Williams and Russell back?
I hope they keep working and growing. They will need the maximum level of improvement for the October gauntlet. Let’s have another shutout against Purdue!