Unranked Arizona (4-6) putting the hurt on #2 Oregon

[octopus]

I don't care who the QB is, a supposedly good football team (#2) should not have a defense that allows 31 points to a 4-6 opponent.

Nor should an allegedly #12 team give up 37 points to an unranked opponent missing two of its best offensive players.

(Nor should an allegedly #5 team give up 34 to a DI-AA team).

"Snowball effect," of losing your offensive momentum, when you lose the engine that drives everything. The defense has to stay on the field the whole game, and then bad things are bound to happen. Throw in a couple of fumbles and interceptions, and the points begin to pile up for the gleeful underdog. Plus, the favorite's defense has nothing left in the tank for crunch-time.

Btw, did you happen to see Dixon's long TD-run on the first Oregon drive, before he went down? There is no doubt in my mind, the Ducks would have ripped Arizona to shreds if Dixon had stayed healthy.

[stillsomeguy]

"Snowball effect," of losing your offensive momentum, when you lose the engine that drives everything. The defense has to stay on the field the whole game, and then bad things are bound to happen.

You mean like a few years ago when Drew Stanton got injured in the first half and all those high-class WWs started cheering the injury and UM was able pull out a squeaker?

Oh, wait.
Nevermind.
UM wasn't the underdog in that one.

[octopus]

"Snowball effect," of losing your offensive momentum, when you lose the engine that drives everything. The defense has to stay on the field the whole game, and then bad things are bound to happen.

You mean like a few years ago when Drew Stanton got injured in the first half and all those high-class WWs started cheering the injury and UM was able pull out a squeaker?

Oh, wait.
Nevermind.
UM wasn't the underdog in that one.

For the record, I stated at the time, that UM never would have had a chance in that game if Stanton had stayed in. They had no defensive-answer for him, in the first half.

Still...MSU was supposed to be so bad-ass that year. UM relying on a freshman QB, and running back. Quite a collapse, when you think about it. Dowdell should have played better.

[stillsomeguy]

Point is…you’ll never hear me say that the reason MSU lost that game was because Stanton was injured. Stanton was kicking major butt in the first half, but he had a rep for always trying to do too much on is own (which is why he got injured in that game, by the way).

He also had a rep for occasional poor decision-making and untimely picks and fumbles in big games (just like Chad Henne’s rep). So, for me to say MSU would have most certainly won that game had Stanton stayed healthy would be sour grapes excuse-making and blatant homerism.

That loss was on State’s defense and their inability to tackle and make plays in the second half (not just on Braylon Edwards), just as Michigan’s loss to Wisconsin this year was on M’s defense--477 yards of Wiscy total offense, including 105 yards rushing and two timely touchdowns by a third-string freshman RB.

By the way, is English back living in Lloyd’s house, or is he still out in the backyard tied to the clothesline pole?

[stillsomeguy]

Yeah, Mallet threw a couple of picks in the Wisconsin game. So what?

Listening to Michigan fans and Detroit media (but I repeat myself), one would think Henne has never in his career made a bad read, never made a poor decision with the ball, never thrown an interception, or fumbled, or overthrown a receiver by ten yards (as he often does). Or, if he has, he certainly wouldn’t have done it at Camp Randall last Saturday. No way. Henne is God’s son and the Wolvies would’ve won for sure had he played.

I just can’t figure out why God hates his boy so much considering the youngster’s record against OSU and in bowl games.

[stillsomeguy]

Where are all the other Michigan fans?

Must be a lot of one-year Bo Memorials I don’t know about.

[jaster]

This may be totally off-topic and relates more to a previous thread where ssg went berserk on me, but I wanted to throw this out there. I can't stand Chad Henne. Can't stand him. Poor leadership, highly inaccurate if throwing the ball over 12 yards, poor decision-making, etc. etc. etc. I liked John Navarre much better. I absolutely cannot stand the media and game announcers fawning over him and constantly reminding us that he will be the greatest QB in the history of football once he's in the NFL. I've griped about Henne since his freshman year when he was greatly benefitted by having Braylon Edwards and his 12-foot long arms gobble up every pass, no matter how inaccurate. Back then people looked at me like, "are you crazy, this guy is awesome, way better than Navarre!" My ass. I find it funny that now, 3 years later, more Michigan fans agree with me than not. That all said, Henne is still far, far better than Ryan Mallet right now. I mean, they are in two different universes as far as what they are capable of doing.