Michigan football shell-shocked after collapse against Michigan State
Even through a computer screen, Hassan Haskins looked shell-shocked.
The Michigan football running back was sitting at a virtual podium, less than an hour after the Wolverines' stunning 27-24 loss to Michigan State — and Haskins had nothing to say.
“I can’t believe it right now," Haskins said dejectedly. "It doesn't feel real right now. I don’t know what to think right now, to be honest.”
U-M, favored by over three touchdowns, lost to its bitter in-state rival Saturday afternoon in what was the worst loss of the Jim Harbaugh era. For the third time in six seasons, the Wolverines were forced to watch on their home turf as the Spartans celebrate an improbable victory.
It wasn't the outcome anyone anticipated after last weekend, when U-M stomped Minnesota, while MSU turned the ball over seven times in a loss to Rutgers. Which explained Haskins' disbelief.
"We had confidence," Haskins said. "We knew we had the game. It’s just, lack of focus or something. I don’t know. We had it. We just — we beat ourselves.”
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After the game, quarterback Joe Milton said he had happy feet and left the pocket too often. When told of Milton's comments, Haskins disagreed, calling it a "team effort" and a "team loss."
And the running back's words were true. This was a comprehensive collapse, in all three phases of the game. The offense that looked so crisp against Minnesota last week could not stay out of its own way. The Wolverines ran the ball ineffectively and constantly faced second- and third-and-longs; their average to go distance on third downs was 8.9 yards.
As a result, Milton and the passing game were put in difficult situations, and Milton completed 32-of-51 passes for 300 yards. It didn't help that he bailed out of the pocket on numerous plays, tucking the ball to run instead of looking downfield.
“I was a lot more poised last week," Milton said. "I got more poised throughout this game. But I don’t know why my feet were busy — I think my mind was just roaming everywhere, but that’s totally on me."
Things weren't better on defense, where the Spartans attacked Michigan's press man coverage on the outside over and over again. Freshman receiver Ricky White caught eight passes for 196 yards and one touchdown, beating whomever who was in his way: Vincent Gray, Gemon Green and Jalen Perry, who replaced Gray, considered Michigan's No. 1 cornerback, in the second half. Things didn't get much better even when the Wolverines started playing two high safeties, and the death blow came when MSU scored on a 92-yard touchdown drive, which included a 31-yard pass from Rocky Lombardi (322 yards, three touchdowns) to White.
"Their getting behind our defense and getting the big play was a huge difference in the game," Harbaugh said. "We were making adjustments and they were — they got by us a couple times on a double move as well. So I think maybe five, five times, two in the first half, three in the second half or (vice versa).”
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The Wolverines' coaching staff was late to adjust to Michigan State's offensive game plan, even as Lombardi either connected with his receivers for big gains or drew penalties on Michigan's overmatched corners. And the Wolverines stuck to their guns on offense, continuing to pound the ball inside, with little success, even on their final drive — ostensibly a two-minute drill that ended up taking 4:34.
One crucial mistake: A missed touchdown on a pass from Haskins out of the wildcat formation in the second quarter, which cost the Wolverines four points. It was yet another example of the play-calling getting too cute at exactly the worst possible moment, a tendency this staff has exhibited time and time again.
In many ways, this loss looked like others from the Harbaugh tenure: An inefficient offense, a defense that got torched in man coverage repeatedly and a coaching staff that seemingly didn't put its players in the best positions to make plays.
And it also puts a harsh spotlight on Harbaugh, now in his sixth season in Ann Arbor. He is now a combined 3-8 against his two biggest rivals, Michigan State and Ohio State, with three excruciating losses to the Spartans, two of which one could legitimately argue he was out-coached in. After going 20-6 in his first two seasons with a bevy of veteran talent, he has compiled a 28-13 record. This season's team is stocked with players that Harbaugh and his staff recruited.
The Wolverines are sliding in the wrong direction — and not just in the games that count the most.
Where do Harbaugh and Michigan go from here? That's the difficult question — and one that no one could have anticipated asking before Saturday's game.
“(The) team is gonna own this," Harbaugh said. "Congratulations to Michigan State, but we gotta own the loss and come back and find out where we can improve. This is a high-character team, and I believe they’ll do just that. Each person looking at themselves, player, coach, all of us and strive to be a lot better. Try to find the places that we can make improvements.”
Contact Orion Sang at osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here's how you can gain access to our most exclusive Michigan Wolverines content.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football shell-shocked after collapses vs. Michigan State
