Filed under FWIW – my possession by possession notes from the game
First quarter:
- MSU – Cook had to make a great throw to get a first down. Stopped, bad punt
- Michigan – 2 stuffs and a sack – awesome punt – 80 yards.
- MSU – Beautiful pass from Cook to Burbridge to get out of trouble. 12 men on the field for a first down. Nice passes by Cook. Chop block penalty. Then defensive holding for autmatic first down. Loooongg drive. Pass batted down by Wormley – big play. Pressure – but they picked it up – but Cook threw it out of bounds. Michigan will get the ball back. Drive basically consumed the whole first quarter. (1:59 left) Big drive for State though – they moved the ball, flipped the field position.
- Michigan – Can they answer back? Something? Huge play – Houma up the gut for 27. Screen sniffed out by Steve, run up the middle stuffed – 3rd down – great screen pass to AJ Williams.
End of First Quarter – I’d call that a draw. Michigan edge in Special teams. State edge on defense.
2nd quarter –
- Michigan (continued) Nice waggle? Play action to Chesson. Two nice runs – good scheme. MSU offense is impressive. Nice TD run (Houma?)
- MSU – Starts at 30 after a nice KO return. Cook in shotgun, 7 yard tough run (he was hit at the line of scrimmage). 3 and out – smoke
- Michigan – basically 3 and out. Punt was a line drive, lost 15 ish yards touched an M player. State starts in M territory
- MSU – Bold kicked out for targeting! Looked BS on TV but they reviewed it and accepted the penalty. Ouch – gave MSU ball on 24. Screen to Burbridge – first trip in red zone forever. LJ Scott touchdown 2 plays after the targeting. 7-7
- Michigan – HUGE KOR by Peppers, 49 yards to punch back, put it in Spartan territory. Followed by beautiful toss to Chesson down to the 25. Pressured on 2 and 5, incomplete. 3 and 5: PBU by MSU (to Butt), Allen – 38 yd – GOOD. 10-7. 5:34 left. Felt like they missed an opportunity there but can’t complain to get points. M winning special teams.
- MSU – Decent return (to 30). Cook – nice pass to Kings for 1st down. 3 downs and out – big sack on Cook on third down.
- Michigan – Bad punt (low, right to Peppers) returned about 34 yards to MSU 40 – huge block on return. 2 short plays set up big third down with under 2 minutes to go. Peppers comes in on 3rd down, MSU calls 2 timeouts – play fizzles, GREAT punt by O’Neill puts ball on 6 – MSU runs it.
- MSU tries a couple plays but basically runs out the half. Score is about right –> 10-7 Michigan – slight edge overall to Michigan.
3rd Quarter –
- Michigan – Pep took short kick to 24. Stuffed on dive first down. State’s d line winning today so far. big run by Smith on 2nd, short dive on 3rd – an inch short! Nice punt by O’Neill. (41 yards)
- MSU (MSU29 13:05) – run, + incomplete screen (peppers below up) set up 3rd and 8. Cook beautiful pass to – could have been caught by Burbridge. Fake punt! Stopped short. Huge. <—the MSU punter had 4 blockers against 1 Michigan guy – should have had it).
- Michigan (M39 – 12ish) – Big run by Smith for 8 on 1st. Got the first down, but then offsides makes it 1st and 15. Peppers on next play – shuffle pass to Peppy Pep to the 2. Damn that guy is an athlete. Smith scored – but close .( overturned it – fine call by me). Scored again (reviewed again!) – Jesus. Overturned again. Finally Houma scores, it’s reviewed again(!) – and confirmed. They never blew a whistle and you couldn’t see what happened. Either way, 17-7. Michigan – big drive.
- MSU (MSU25, 9:17). Great kickoff for touchback. Big series for field position. Short run then great pass/catch (tight coverage) to Burbridge for first down. Great sideline catch (it was overturned – fine) by MSU +27 yards, puts it on M32. Kings broke free down far sideline, great pass from Cook for the TD.. 17-14. 7:07 to go. Huge drive there for MSU.
- Michigan (M36, 7:01) Low, rolling kick. Good return bby Chesson. First play screen blown up by MSU at line of scrimmage. Smith crushed on 2nd down. LOB pass to Darboh on 3rd down took it into MSU territory. Run stuffed on next play. Pass interference puts ball on 19. Chesson screen 9 yards – Bullough? caught him. Smith spins and gets the first down. Great drive. 1st down – pass complete but holding – makes it 1st and goal from the 18. Incomplete pass (looking for Butt). 2nd and 18. Pass batted down! Have Smith over the middle – looked like he had a lot of room!. Complete to Chesson, gets to the 3 – Allen makes kick. Good – 20-14.
- MSU (MSU25, 2mins) – Short run – catch by Kings (did it hit the ground)? MSU at midfield just like that. Cook putting the ball up for this receivers and they are getting it. 3rd down now after short run. 3rd and 2. STUFFED but PERSONAL FOUL CALL – ARGGhhh – Ball on M32 1st and 10. That’s a killer. End of the 3rd quarter. Michigan 20, MSU 14.
4th Quarter
- MSU (continued) M32 after the PF call. PBU first down (Lewis). Incomplete – big 4th and 10. Kings dropped it after a beautiful pass from Cook.
- M (M30 14:50) – First play, Rudock slightly underthrew Chesson –could have been picked. 3rd and 11 – lined up in trips . – great pass- exploited MSU weak CB.. Great play by Rudock (recognition that the CB turned around). MSU 44 – 2nd and 8, Rudock brought down by Calhoun. Big 3rd and 9. Looks like Butt caught the ball but they called it incomplete. Replay stands. 4th down – O’Neill in – great punt – inside the 10. But PF against M? No, wrong team – against MSU. Harbaugh overhead on ref’s mic “you just called it on us!”
- MSU (MSU7 12:05left). After PF, ball moved to M4). Big series again. Stuff first down. Basically coming down to if Cook can do something great – and he has. Short pass – 3 and 3 – HUGE. Almost picked off – stopped – crappy punt – but
- Michigan (MSU29 11mins left). Run by Chesson – 1 yard. Huge series. Rudock pass STUFF by MSU (he was in empty backfield). 3rd down now – looked like State jumped (or Michigan wiggled?) but they called Michigan for the timeout. Will be interesting to see what happens here. 10:10 left. Complete to Peppers but short – fourth and 2 at the 20. Allen in for the FG. From the right hash – drilled it. 23-14. 9:25 left.
- MSU (MSU25 – 9:30?) – Triple fake, ball fake by Cook – finds fullback? wide open for 75 yards and TD (naturally being reviewed). Looks like he’s in – or on the half yard line. Great play. Called down on 1/2 yard line. Next play TD – 23-21.
- M (M24, 8:49)– spazzed on the bouncing kickoff, almost lost it – State thought they had it- Chesson covered it. Jeeezzzz.. 1st down –Crushed – The air sucked has been completely sucked out of Michigan stadium. 2nd down, short throw to line of scrimmage. 3 and 9 – emply backfield. Hit Chesson – he jumped too early and dropped it. Punt. Decent punt, good coverage.
Not really getting to Cook.
- MSU (MSU33 7:15) – Cook pass to Burbridge, blanketed by Lewis +28 yards. On M40, incomplete. 2nd down – batted down by Jerrod Wilson on the blitz. 3rd and 10 – probably 2 downs for MSU. Great pass again – Kings couldn’t get it. 4th and 10. State going to kick? No a punt – drilled it out of the end zone –
- M (MSU20 6:41) – 1st down, looked like a hole – Hidgon ! Fell down – can’t do that. Overthrew Chesson on 2nd down (Rudock was scrambling, ran toward the line of scrimmage and overthrew). 3rd down, almost a pick – but MSU offsides. 3rd down again – empty backfield. – Threw it behind the WR. Almost looked like late hit on Rudock. Kind of fired the crowd up.
- MSU (MSU 28, 4:54). – M offsides. Cook sacked –10. 2nd down – Lewis all over Burbridge again – but he caught it. Cook then threw short pass, 3rd and 1. Run for first down 2:31.. Sack – big. MSU time out. Cook rushed, overthrew. 3rd and 19. Pass to Burbridge (Lewis didn’t turn around). 4th and 19. Guy was open but Cook was rushed – Michigan n
- M (MSU42 – 1:44) – De’Veon Smith once (TO), twice (3rd and 3 – Michigan runs clock to 1 for the timeout). OH GET THE FIRST DOWN! Run is short – O’Neill comes in
- HOLY S—-
