The game was a classic. Someday they will realize that. Someday the Michigan Wolverines will understand they played Texas evenly, and that the only thing that separated the teams was the Longhorns’ last-second field goal.
Michigan proved a lot in its 38-37 Rose Bowl loss. But as afternoon turned to evening in the San Gabriel Mountains, it became clear that one team would feel like it had won a thriller for the ages–and the other would wonder what happened to its defense.
“There’s two ways to look at it,” Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. “You can choose either.”
Carr, like his players, will choose the more painful route. He bemoaned the missed tackles that wasted great performances from Steve Breaston and Braylon Edwards. For months, maybe years, the Wolverines will think about how awful they looked against Texas’ brilliant quarterback, Vince Young.
And defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann must ask himself why his teams struggle so much against running quarterbacks. For the second straight game, a running quarterback embarrassed the Wolverines. In late November, it was Ohio State’s Troy Smith. As defensive captain Marlin Jackson said, this was a problem “all season,” and really, it has been a problem for much longer.
Was Young very good? No–he was phenomenal. But nobody should run for 192 yards, four touchdowns and 9.1 yards per carry against a good defense.
Is Texas every bit as talented as Michigan? Absolutely. Maybe more talented. But seven teams held the Longhorns to fewer than 38 points this season, including Kansas, Missouri and Rice.
Three times in the final quarter, Michigan’s defense stepped on the field with a lead. And each time, Texas scored easily.
When Michigan led 31-21, Texas moved 50 yards on eight plays for a touchdown.
When Michigan led 34-28, Texas moved 69 yards on three plays for a touchdown.
And by the time Michigan led 37-35 with three minutes left, you knew what was coming. Texas moved 47 yards on 10 plays for the game-winning field goal. And if the Longhorns had needed a touchdown, they probably would have gotten it.
The Longhorns converted 12 of 17 third downs. Does that sound bad? Actually, it gets worse: Their average gain on third down was an astounding 9.8 yards.
And yet Michigan still almost won the game, thanks mostly to Breaston and Edwards. Breaston averaged an incredible 36.8 yards on kick returns and had 77 yards receiving, including a highlight-reel 50-yard touchdown. Edwards caught 10 passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns. It’s a miracle that Breaston and Edwards developed such phenomenal speed, considering their terrible handicap of living far away from the Southeastern Conference. Imagine that.
Carr made two tactical mistakes late in the game. The first was on Michigan’s final drive, when the Wolverines trailed 35-34. Michigan suddenly got conservative–two runs and a short pass. The way Edwards and Breaston were dominating, Michigan should have put the game in their hands. And the way the Michigan defense was playing, Carr should have made a better effort at getting a touchdown and two-point conversion, which would have given Michigan a seven-point lead.
The second mistake came in the final minute, when Carr inexplicably held on to his timeouts as Texas let the clock bleed down to two seconds. In doing so, Carr forfeited any chance at a last, desperate drive and put the outcome on the foot of Texas kicker Dusty Mangum.
Carr’s postgame explanation–that he was saving the timeouts for his team’s final drive–made so little sense that I assume he was simply avoiding the question.
At least with the first error, Carr was sticking with a strategy that has served him well over the years: grab a lead and let his defense win the game. But this defense was nowhere near up to the task.
LaMarr Woodley, one of the few Michigan defensive players who really played well, accepted the Defensive Player of the Game Award with tears in his eyes. And if the coaches don’t figure something out, Woodley and his mates will have more days like this.
“That’s something we have to address in the off-season,” Carr said.
At least when Carr wants to look at the problem, he can choose from plenty of game films.
