There were scapegoats abound for the Michigan Wolveries’ stunning 43-40 overtime loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday night, but plenty of people continue to look in the wrong places.
Brendan Gibbons missed multiple field goals which could have won the game, while Devin Gardner turned the ball over too many times (again) and Brady Hoke and the coaching staff played what many lament was a conservative game late. Every one of those plays definetly mattered in the losing final score.
While all of those elements played a role in the Wolverines’ tough defeat, the inability of Michigan to have a consistent running game continues to quietly haunt the team. Gardner rushed for 121 yards mostly on scrambles, but when the Wolverines needed to play Michigan football by handing the ball off to milk the clock while pounding the line, they couldn’t get the job done.
On the fateful pooch punt drive late in the fourth quarter, Fitzgerald Tousssaint’s best run was for eight yards. After that, he and Derrick Green combined for an ugly output chalk full of negative yard runs and no gains. Michigan teams of the past would have simply outmuscled the competition on the ground and put the game away. Instead, the Wolverines’ failure to run out the clock gave Penn State a breath of life and put Hoke in the spot to make his unpopular decision.
At the end of the day, Michigan’s rushing stats from the running back position were comical. Toussaint carried the ball 27 times for 27 yards, while Green registered one yard on three carries. All in all, the Wolverines ran the ball 30 times for 28 yards. It’s safe to say Bo Schembechler would have been severely disappointed with that silly statistical output.
Lost in all the madness over coaching, turnovers and missed field goals was the return of Michigan’s repeated inability to have a running game in a game that counts. On the road winning by a touchdown is when the offensive line and running backs should put the game on themselves and act as football’s version of a baseball closer. The Nittany Lions had given up 150 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to Indiana running backs a week before. Why was Michigan not able to get the same output out of their tailbacks?
This problem has been discussed here before. It hurt the Wolverines at times in 2012. When Toussaint runs well, the entire offense benefits. That’s particularly true this season, given the struggles of Gardner in the pocket. Now, with Green in the fold, Michigan should have another hammer that they can plow into the line as well. There’s no excuses for not running the ball well, and perhaps the offensive line should be called into question, too, considering the repeated failures here.
As long as the Wolverines can’t run the ball without Gardner scrambling, every team on their schedule will have a chance to win, especially when Michigan goes on the road. As the Big Ten season starts to heat up, the Wolverines have to commit to a running game and improve in the trenches.
If they cannot, November could be a very long month.
Laugh Of The Week: The Michigan State Spartans got a fantastic performance out of Jeremy Langford during their big win on Saturday, as the young running back went for four scores against Indiana. With that performance, he harkened back memories of Ashton Leggett, a running back from 2009 who had the exact same output against Western Michigan, and was the last Spartan running back to find the end zone that many times. Leggett left Michigan State, but did leave his mark in the minds of all who remember innocuous players and their performances.
Local Big Ten This Week
Indiana at Michigan
Purdue at Michigan State
Players To Watch:
Michigan: Fitzgerald Toussaint, RB. Considering Michigan State rushed for 200 yards against Indiana, there are no excuses for Toussaint having a bad game this week. He badly needs to rebound from his ugly performance against Penn State. What’s more, the team needs him, as they will need to play ball control offense against a Hoosier offense capable of lighting up the scoreboard at will. If Toussaint doesn’t get going, Michigan could find themselves in another shootout on Saturday.
Michigan State: Aaron Burbridge, WR. Bennie Fowler got dinged up running for a long pass, and his availibility will be in question, meaning Burbridge will have his chance to step up for Connor Cook in 2013. Early in the season, Burbridge hasn’t enjoyed a solid season, and with Fowler, a senior hurting, it’s time for him to step up. That’s especially true when you consider the competition, and the fact that Purdue’s defense rates 117th nationally for points against. That shows a big opportunity.
Standings Update:
Michigan State 5-1 (2-0 Big Ten Legends)
Michigan 5-1 (1-1 Big Ten Legends)
Max DeMara is a senior editor at The Detroit Sports Site. You can find him on Twitter @SportsGuyTheMax