Latest / In The Pocket / Ep. 3: ClockGate at Michigan Stadium, plus reacting to other Week 1 results

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Ep. 3: ClockGate at Michigan Stadium, plus reacting to other Week 1 results · In The Pocket

• Andrew Graham: Hello and welcome to yet another episode of In the Pocket, our first ever Monday morning weekend reaction pod. I'm Andrew Graham here joined once more by the Detroit News' Connor Irgend. Connor, how are you doing this fine Monday morning? Connor Earegood: Doing good, enjoying Labor Day by laboring a lot, but it's okay. It's it's a fun job. So yeah, what a weekend of football. Just gonna leave it at that. We're gonna leave it an understatement. Andrew Graham: We have college football to talk about. Yeah, no, that's that's the pod. What a weekend. Thank you for listening. Connor Earegood: Hehehe. Andrew Graham: but no, it was obviously quite a busy weekend around the state. Two games Friday, two games Saturday night. we're gonna get into all of it, and I think the obvious place to start is where I was Saturday night, where all of the attention of the college football world ended Saturday night. And frankly Early into Sunday morning, which is when I think everyone covering that game went to bed. We gotta start with the whole clot controversy. And because I was there and I was not like watching the T V copy at the end, it I was getting up to speed. I guess for you, Connor, I this just for like the listeners and for me, what w what was like I would assume watching on T V you were just getting the like, Well, there's no time left, what's going on? I'm kinda curious like Connor Earegood: I thought it was Ravs. Like as soon as that ball hit the deck, I was like, all right, out of bounds. That's that's game. This is kind of embarrassing for Michigan. But deserved the way they played that entire game. Like none of that was a shock. I I think the shock Andrew Graham: No, no. Connor Earegood: was that UVM pulled it out with maybe the assist of the Big Ten. at least in terms of timing and the official clock that everyone knows apparently is is out of sync with with stadium clocks and everything used in the broadcasts. So no, it was it was a shock and I'm sure a lot of, you know, listeners here were also in that state of shock and I just laughed at the end of it man. It was it was interesting. We'll put it that way. Conspiratorial, some people are talking. Andrew Graham: Hmm. Connor Earegood: but it was yeah. What a day. Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: What a weird, weird night. Andrew Graham: I'm very much on I I don't believe the fix was in in part because There there would have been better, more subtle ways for the Big Ten to gin up replay to be in its ad advantage that game on a couple like close, you know, line to game calls or whatever. And I think like it it's as it's been unpacked, and I there's a story on this from Sunday night on Mint and Football, if anyone cares to go and read it. Basically unpacking the the the two competing Party narratives here are basically the Big Ten, here's our replay synced clock, and NBC, here's our synced clock for the broadcast. Neither of those, those are both derived off a camera shot of the display clock, that little analog display on the bottom corners of the scoreboard at Michigan State. For anyone's been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about. There's like the digital part of the scoreboard, and then on the bottom corners of each one, one's like the game clock and one's the play clock, and those are like analog displays. And those are tied into the official game clock system, which is, I'm assuming, run by a timekeeper on a digital interface in the press box. That's like the clock. That is like the official, that is the 60 minutes that God gave us for that football game to be played in, or whatever. The refs don't even have control of that. That's why they'll have to get on the mic and go, you know, time, you know, add may set the game clock to two twelve or whatever they say. And so the replay clock is a TV camera trained on that little thing that they link in, they just plaster it side by side with other shots. And NBC's basically doing that's what they did on their like shot where they showed, you know, the clocks at zero. So it's one of those clocks is wrong. Technically both of them could be, although I do not believe that to be the case. That would be a frankly much, much, much bigger problem. and so it's it's the Big Ten basically went, This was our clock, and and more tacitly like this is the clock that we went with. This is what we deemed to be like the official one, which I'm not surprised that the Big Ten went like our official clock being kept in the replay system of the officials adjudicating the game is gonna be the one we go with and not NBC, and that's basically what NBC's statement said after the fact. And so, like it it's not that this like is on this perfect up and up, but I don't think it's it's like the people wanting to be like all conspiratorial of like the the the Tony Petiti hit the Buffalo Wild Wigs button or made the call. Like, Connor Earegood: Yeah, I Andrew Graham: that's not what happened. That's that's Yeah. absolutely. Connor Earegood: I mean it's a r it's become a rivalry thing though. That's the reason. Like it's it's become rivalry fodder, Michigan cheated, 'cause it's a it's a hated brand, especially, you know, since Andrew Graham: yeah. yeah. Connor Earegood: since twenty three and the stallion stuff. Like I'm not even Andrew Graham: yeah. Connor Earegood: gonna say the natty, pre natty. Like when they had a shot at being a competitive Andrew Graham: yeah. yeah. Connor Earegood: team and everyone comes out of the woodwork and and you know, finds what to pick at and the stallion stuff was legit to be able to to gripe about and you know, obviously has had some some conversation. controversy with their coaches and whatnot in in recent recent runs. But yeah, it's it's I don't know. I it's it's it's transcended just being about the end of the game and become more political, I feel like. Which is where you could get Zapruders and people that are like, No, actually it it skimmed off the end post or no actually like his hand touched it and there was, you know, tenths on the second and we need to change the way all clocks are done in college football. That's never been a frickin' problem until now. But we need tenths now. Like, yeah. Come on. Andrew Graham: Yeah. Yeah, and I I I think to me the thought here and I think and th th the fascinating bit about this was, you know, by the time we get into the postgame presser room and Lance Taylor is like sitting in front of us talking, I think I knew and I would hope I'm like most rational observers know it's like there's not like the the this isn't F one. There's not gonna be some like lawyer Lee Stewards inquiry that res gets the result changed. Like Michigan is Connor Earegood: F I A. Andrew Graham: gonna get the win in the rule book record book rather. And that's just how that's gonna go. And I don't think Westerns like they're not sitting here like that should be a win for us. Like, I think it's more You know, we're we we got handed this circumstance and the way they responded was more Hey, what happened Saturday night was messed up. Not in a like we think the outcome is ultimately tainted way, but like everyone deserves better than what happened. Mostly like the fans and like people watching and just like pe and that's kind of been an interesting thing of Western's president Russ Calvahuna, who is sort of taking on the role that an athletic director would fill because Western currently has an intro because Dan Bartholomew's in East Lancing. so it was an Connor Earegood: MSU. Andrew Graham: interesting time for Western not to have an AD, but he he did, I think, a pretty good job of taking up the reins and you know, not being sour grapes about it, but still kind of pressing directly that like that process and the discrepancy in the clocks. is shoddy and needs to be better and is like frankly and he didn't say this but it's like the Big Ten is Big Ten football is a literal billion dollar industry at this point. It makes a billion dollars a year off of TV alone. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: Your billion dollar industry has to be run better than that. You cannot have Connor Earegood: yeah. Andrew Graham: one of your TV partners who shows that billion dollar product to the most people, millions of people. That's how most people consume your product. Connor Earegood: Majority, the majority. Andrew Graham: It like by far has to be better about communicating the actual facts of the game in a way that doesn't create confusion and in this case the appearance of impropriety for several Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: hours until the Big Ten rushed out their own replay. So that's a problem. And the Big Ten could have solved the problem by just doing what the ACC does and letting us look into the replay center, what they do the replays. Because if everyone had seen that Connor Earegood: Yeah. Which they're doing on Friday night games. Andrew Graham: if Everyone had seen that shot live that they released at one AM, it would have just immediately been like, NBC's clock's off. That sucks for Western. That's tough. Connor Earegood: And I feel like too, like the other there's two sides of this as well. Number one I'm gonna touch on is is betting. There are so many people that have money on games now, you cannot have any illusion of impropriety. Because it it just spoils Andrew Graham: No at all. Connor Earegood: it. And there are like livelihoods at stake. They shouldn't be, Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: but they are. We know they are, we've legalized that they are. We know this is an issue. there has to be better organization. The other thing, and this is a bit philosophical, was this outcome in terms of staying power in history? Obviously a win over a ranked team on the road would have been a big deal for Western Michigan. However, does this have more staying power historically for Western Michigan now? 'Cause everyone's gonna remember in history this game is being Western got hosed, Michigan should have lost that game. Like, does it does it take on a cannon of its own? Like this is something there'll be a probably a thirty for thirty for. I would think. Andrew Graham: It w I I don't know if it's thirty thirty level, but not quite. Connor Earegood: You don't think it's thirty for thirty? I think it I think it's at least gonna get it some sort of documentary. I that's a huge issue. Andrew Graham: The I think it it would be a interesting like starting point for a broader issue of like a 30 for 30 about how the billion dollar industries of college football in the NFL are adjudicated by a group of adults trying their hardest to do it by sight, and that's actually ridiculous when you say it that way. not saying there's like an absolutely better system out there, but like I think about that from time to time. It's kinda nuts. I think too, like what I come back to is like It's kind of been overlooked is like Michigan. Like I kind of appreciate how everyone's just like, Yeah, Michigan's like right to like, hey, we won. Because like the that like they were given the play that I any team will take that play. I'd like if it had been reversed, and I know people a lot of people said the second would not be added on if it was reversed, but say Western did get one additional second and could like kick a game winning field goal against, you know, Michigan or some situation. They would be unapologetic about getting that opportunity. So like, I don't think like the the football teams here, I think, have handled themselves pretty well as you'd expect. Like Michigan was basically like, wow, we got lucky to escape that one. And Western has been incredibly like c classy and gracious in a moment where I think everyone would understand if they weren't. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: I do think this would have been bigger as a win though for Western. I I mean I It would have been I and I would without having done any like deep research, th I would have to say that would be the the biggest win in school history. Because they've never beaten Michigan. They did it Connor Earegood: it would have been. I I d I don't think they've had it ranked Yeah. Andrew Graham: in Michigan Stadium. I think it would have been their second ever win against an AP ranks team, something like that. Connor Earegood: Yeah. First on the road, I think. Andrew Graham: Yeah. And so it was just like It was literally the maybe the greatest night in the history of Western Michigan football right up until it wasn't. And I think that deserves be pointing out in the context of why, especially like People at Western Michigan are like really gonna be upset about this rightly for a while. Connor Earegood: Yeah, I mean this is a it's a team that wants to make the college football playoff. Like they they laid out Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: the aspirations and they know that they're unrealistic, but they still have a chance. And it's the Andrew Graham: The path is there and beating Michigan was like the quickest thing to supercharge it and they almost had it. Connor Earegood: Yeah. I mean you could probably lose a game in the Mac and have that Michigan win go ten and two Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: and you're you're being looked at. You've hung with a big dog and if Michigan goes Andrew Graham: yeah. Connor Earegood: five and four in Big Ten play because they paid for, you know, twenty, thirty million dollar roster, you look pretty frickin' good. Like and and Andrew Graham: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Connor Earegood: Lance Taylor too, like how many years is he gonna be in Kalamazoo? What does the future look like for that football program? That you know what I mean? Andrew Graham: not not too many more based on how well he's handled this all, I think. Connor Earegood: Like the way timing happens, like imagine if like the twelve and western season, right? And they go lose a bowl, Andrew Graham: yeah. Connor Earegood: but when they were twelve and or thirteen and 'cause they won a Mac championship as well. imagine if PJ Flack had had had a win like this and then you're actually like in the convo as as one of the four. It doesn't take Cincinnati to finally Andrew Graham: Row the boat right on out of Ann Arbor. Connor Earegood: break through, playing, you know, kinda quasi, you know, a pretty darn tough schedule. Like I I I don't know, it's it's it's interesting for the state. to be put under the microscope like this. And look, no one's gonna give Michigan the benefit of the doubt in this, because it's the evil empire. It's like the Yankees. It's it's the it's, you know, Cowboys football. Yeah. Andrew Graham: No. Nope. They are the evil they are the evil empire one way or another, yes. Connor Earegood: So it's like I I don't know. And it just for a lovable underdog like Western, I don't think anyone I can't think of anyone besides Central fans who are usually Michigan fans anyway that has a problem with Western. Like it Yeah like Andrew Graham: I think even some Central fans might have been feeling bad for Western on Saturday night. Maybe. I that's a stretch, but Connor Earegood: I I well that and I think that speaks to how like messy of a result it is, right? Where the whole world's like, dude, like we'll leave it at that though. Andrew Graham: Yeah. we should talk about the actual like game on the field, most specifically the fact that Western weight roomed Michigan. Like Connor Earegood: absolutely. Jordan Marshall had forty four yards as as this almost preseason all American or at least all big ten caliber Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: of running back. They bottled him. And granted he only touched the ball maybe ten times. But Andrew Graham: Well and it's basically because very quickly after the scripted drive, Western Michigan figured out that they weren't afraid of Bryce Underwood dropping back and throwing it. That's not like the Connor Earegood: Yeah. They shouldn't be. Andrew Graham: the defense they called did not demonstrate any concern about Bryce Underwood drop backs hurting them. They were playing a lot of single covers, they were playing a lot of aggressive coverage, they were being aggressive with different blitzes, different pressures. Greer Martini I I tweeted this out and it's sort of the lead of one of the things I wrote this weekend, but like I saw him coming up the tunnel after the game and I mean I like I know we have a certain level of like professional journalistic ethics, but just on a human to human level, I was like, that dude needs a hug because he had just called a fantastic game and coached up this unit that everyone had pl rightly plenty of unanswered questions about to this unbelievable performance in this debut against a team that is, you know, on paper more talented than them. And then just to have that ripped away at the end. Like I just I do I like genuinely felt on a human level just like that has to be a horrible like roller coaster to be riding. but like the Western defense, if they're gonna play like that all season, this team it's easily your Mac favorite. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Absolutely. I mean the exciting whites you wrote about were killing it out at safety. That was Andrew Graham: Hey and and that Connor Earegood: the the Pope interception almost. Like imagine the turning point of that game. Like Western had chances to win this game and were clearly in charge. They had two interceptions called back. Like there were a few other plays where it's dicey, like Andrew Graham: yeah. If Dyl If Dylan Moore can tightrope the sideline on that pick pick right Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: before half Western wins this game. Period. Like peri like Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: that it's not even a question. if they can punch it into the end zone once or twice, and I and that's I'll give some credit, like Michigan's defense was good in this game, not in it like Connor Earegood: The defensive line was good. Dom Nichols was good. Like Andrew Graham: Yeah, it and I think I think the secondary was solid, but that's also just because like Western receivers aren't really like scary in that way. Connor Earegood: Sure, sure. Andrew Graham: but like the defense was good in that like they didn't give up any touchdowns, but they didn't like if you're Michigan and playing a Mac team you would like to be like, Yeah, they barely crossed the fifty or something like that. and then it's actually like in the second half Western started to run the ball and like run it at Michigan. And I think Connor Earegood: Bogley, yeah. Andrew Graham: to me what's surprising is like the flip side of that of to your George Marshall point, like Michigan never really concertedly tried to run the ball at Mi Western Michigan. Like at them. it was a lot of sort of getting perimeter runs and and some between the tackle stuff that like got gummed up and I don't know if that like got them away from it. But there was just some element of me that was like, You're still bigger and stronger, Michigan. Like, why aren't you trying to establish that a little bit? Like it might not you might not make hay right away, but like the degree to which they just didn't go at A spot where I think over the course of a game you can make an advantage for yourself that could like win you the game like though like how many times have we seen Michigan win one of those stupid close games where they should probably lose because they can just grind out a drive at the end, score a touchdown and win? I can think I can think of like four games in the last ten years off the top of my head where they've done that. Yeah, like there's there's there's a lot of them. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Illinois, Maryland. OSU the the fourth time. Like, pretty big moments, like Andrew Graham: and they just didn't didn't get to that, never looked like they were interested in that. and I don't I don't I don't know why. and I think that's a bit of a credit to Western's defensive line. And and I think the interesting dynamic to me is like when when a school like Western is bringing in all these transfers, and there are some younger guys in there, like Austin Alexander was a younger guy, they brought in from North Carolina, a few others, but like most of these dudes are grown ass men. Like Scoop Gardner is a grown ass man coming from L.I.U. DeWan Eccles is a senior. Like, and not that Michigan's like super youthful on the line or anything like that. They're young, but they're not like, look at these three freshmen they're playing or something like that. But yeah. Connor Earegood: They're also four and five stars. Like Andrew Graham: but there is just something of like you get like a grown dude going against a impressive physical athlete, but still a guy who's like twenty. You can you can see some success there for Western. so that's I'm I just like very impressed by that defensive showing for Western. Connor Earegood: The the other thing I'll say too, like, with Bryce Underwood's drop backs, like a hundred twenty seven of his a hundred seventy yards went to Buchanan, who I'm pretty sure was bracketed at times and and they were pretty like I don't know. They I i it was pretty easy to see who was gonna get the ball. Like Andrew Marsh last year was Bryce's quote unquote like favorite receiver, got the ball twice. Like the the the creativity in the passing attack was nowhere. And I feel like if you're gonna tout having this like Andrew Graham: Ha! Connor Earegood: quarterback that's like well what was the the Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: one of the fan blogs wrote like he's making NFL level throws and it's like well clearly like no, no he wasn't but if you have that guy, you have to have some more creativity in in your passing game. And also the the reads too. Like Bryce put himself in so many pickles with crappy pre snap reads and and pre snap adjustments. Like a lot of those sort of blitzes and things were pretty easy to recognize, I thought, what was gonna happen. I can see from the armchair, I've never played a lick of quarterback in my life, and it's easy for me to say, and I'll hedge that. But also the fact that Andrew Graham: Mm-hmm. Connor Earegood: I can see that you are a a fifteen million dollar quarterback or however much they're paying him. Who knows what the real numbers are? It's probably more. You have to be able to recognize that. You have to be able to set yourself up. Like say what you will about a game manager. Say what you will about Alessio Milovoyovic at Michigan State, who we're gonna talk to talk about in a minute here. Not talk to. I would love to get him as a guest in the show. He's great. but if you look at what he does, he's not a guy that's that's nuking throws here. I mean he dotted up a few pretty good balls, but you know, he's able to do the bare minimum to avoid putting himself in a bad position. And sometimes you're gonna get sacks. Sometimes shoot, it was a bad play call. They read it, whatever. But you at least be have to be able to adjust on the fly. That is ninety five percent of being a quarterback at any level once you get to where everyone is athletically, you know, as gifted as you are. and you're not beating and punching down on people. this was not a game Michigan was punching down. They were more matched than Andrew Graham: No. Connor Earegood: I think they expected. And I think Kyle Whittingham, part of the reason he's rubbing his eyes and and got caught on Maine like that, is is because I'd I I won't say that he took the opponent lightly, but I think some of his players did. and that's why they were in pads yesterday on a Sunday. smiling in the photos, but there were not a lot Andrew Graham: Mm-hmm. Connor Earegood: of smiles during that practice. I'm pr I'm pretty sure of that one. Andrew Graham: No. And I yeah, just my I guess my final thought is like through what is it, fourteen fourteen college games now, Bryce Underwood has just sort of like hi the early problem with him is he's just kind of constitutionally incapable of taking what the defense gives him, which is just making his life infinitely harder than it needs to be when it should be about like I've never seen a guy who would benefit from just stacking three competent games together more than him. Because like the good is still it's not gone. Like like he he can make thr like impressive plays and throws and like the athlete of course, but it's just like just play sixty minutes of football where you do ninety percent good things, even if they're not exceptionally good, and then do that again and again, and just like build that foundation of good solid football before you're trying to be an all big ten player. Like that just feels that just feels Connor Earegood: JJ McCarthy, tenth overall pick doing that. Andrew Graham: Yeah, like good like 19 for 24 for 210 yards and a touchdown in a game where you win 35 to 10 is awesome. And it just like they they they're just like Michigan just seems like allergic to that sort of quarterback performance with Bryce Underwood under center for whatever reason. But we've talked enough about this game. We should get on to the Friday night action from East Lansing, which was Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: also In the fourth quarter, a close game between a Mac team and Michigan State, where Toledo had a what was it, twenty to nineteen lead. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: Briefly in the fourth quarter, MSU pretty immediately responded. Touchdown drive. Rod Bullard with the octopus Connor Earegood: Took a lot of risk though. Andrew Graham: Rod Bullard with the octopus, the the touchdown and the two point to give MSU the twenty seven twenty lead that proved to be the the decider for a late field goal. I am just kinda g I the Rod Bullard of it all is an interesting place to start in that because like This is literally a guy who got cleared halfway through camp, I believe. Connor Earegood: Ten days before the game. Andrew Graham: yeah, and so like not someone that MSU he's been practicing, he's been around, they've been sort of loosely planning on him being able to play this year, but it was not a certain, like it was very possible he was not going to be available for this game. The NCAA finally relents on being the NCAA and he's eligible. And then he comes up with to go ahead touchdown and a really nice catch and a two point and I know you wrote about it a little bit after the game. Of just like that experience for him and MSU, like clearly there's a reason MSU wanted him. he's a good player, just just the the sort of the rod bullard of it all for MSU. Connor Earegood: Yeah. So so I was I was surprised because Alessio Milavoivic in camp had said he was a game changer and talked about how good of a receiver he was. And I thought that was a teammate being nice to a teammate that's going through a tough time. We want this guy to play. We're gonna make it sound like he's he's the truth. Andrew Graham: You know I gotcha buddy, kinda, yeah. Connor Earegood: Yeah, 'cause you do that for your teammates, right? Like that's that's part of the deal. He Andrew Graham: absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Connor Earegood: played every bit like a game changer for that offense. He was I believe the most targets out of anyone, eleven of And that goes back to those two Andrew Graham: Sounds right. Connor Earegood: being on the twos last year. Like, you think of the the year over year you're gonna have roster turnover and things that make guys look better than they were the year prior, but the fact that Alessio Milovoyovic and Rodney Bullard had the games they did and were backups last year until late What Brian Lindgren, what were you doing? And I think Michigan State fans asked that Andrew Graham: Ha ha. Connor Earegood: themselves so many times during this season, and I think in retrospect it's looking worse. but I I'll I'll I'll relent on that point. What I will say about Rodney Bullard is is he's just a good dude when you talk to him. Like he is one of those athletes you talked about the you know, Grim Martini, like how he serves the journalism professionalism, but like on a human level you connect. Like he wants to be an athletic director. Like he's done four years, he did early College and and had an associate's degree at 17. Like he he's the the like most calm good teammate dude you'll ever see and just wanted to play his fourth year of college football. His fourth year. He had a red Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: shirt. That was because he was a part time student. His fourth year. He's in master's classes. He goes to freaking class. Who's going to class? Like, yeah. Andrew Graham: And like played baseball or something? Like yeah. Yeah, no. He I was saying, like Rod Bullard like wants a degree that like means something out of this. Like he's not just like Yeah, he's not just Connor Earegood: He wants to be an A D and in today and he he's already had to almost get an injunction against the NCAA. I mean that's work study at that point. You know what I mean? And he has the game he does ninety yards, sev Andrew Graham: Now it is. Practical real world applications. Connor Earegood: six catch seven catches, one of the two. something Andrew Graham: Something like that, yeah. Connor Earegood: like that. But he he just I he d the way he went up for that ball and Armorian Smith, a Michigan State safety for past couple of years, who has his own story in in East Lansing I caught up with before the game, i it kinda gets dunked on a little bit by by Bullard and and maybe that happened with the ones and twos last year in practice. Who knows? But Bullard was not scared of the moment and I think for Michigan State that's something you wanted to see from a receiver. Who's gonna be the guy? Who's gonna be able to go up and and make a play? You don't have a Nick Marsh. You don't have a guy making a back shoulder catch and you know, I Indiana's using him to block, which boy, I would have never guessed. but, you know, with with Bullard, like being able to command it, being able to just rise in that moment, I think is a pretty big deal. from Michigan State to have him. Andrew Graham: I I do have to say I I like was watching Nick Marsh in Indiana and I like, this guy would really tie the room together and he's land sing. I was like Yeah, but Yeah. No. And like Notre Connor Earegood: Yeah. Well they don't have the money. That's the thing. They d they don't have the money to pass. Like Andrew Graham: like Indiana and Notre Dame got in a bidding war for him. So like you you were like Connor Earegood: Yeah. Yeah. Andrew Graham: unless you were willing to pay a lot of money for him, we're not gonna keep him. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: but that that's that's my little digression. i we got to Alessio there. He was excellent in the opener. I think My my takeaway from kind of watching him, and I don't I I promise this is not like a a slight, but it seemed like the offensive plan that MSU had did not like they were not asking Alessio to drop back and make complex reads or a bunch of challenge throws or or do anything like that you would consider maybe like difficult. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: like they they very much gave him a like Hey, let's go out and go three for four with three singles. And he went four for four with four singles from the look of it. just a very clean, crisp, decisive game. He had a couple throws that like against maybe Big Ten defense might actually get intercepted. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: but like I I'm okay like with your quarterback trying some stuff and trying to see what he can can and can't do a little bit. but he just looked very in control, decisive. On time in rhythm. I'm just kinda curious what you thought of his opening performance. Connor Earegood: Yeah, there were a few plays that I thought he missed. The pass to Rodney Bullard in the end zone for that first field goal, I I thought was was one he probably should have had. and and that's okay, you're gonna have misses like that. But I it might have been more on Bullard to make that catch. who knows where where they can identify that, but that's something you work out in the next few weeks. I I will say with there were a few passes I think he he missed guys who were open. a couple of times he forced into double coverage. kind of little big things that that are probably gonna have to get worked out in the film room. but it's a first start of his first year as a full-time starter. Like it's easy to go in for a team that doesn't have a pulse. And you know, you you can can kind of jump on and and and you're not gonna ruin anything, right? you know, it's it's like walking into the mud room of a house versus walking into the parlor of a mansion. Like, you gotta keep the house clean, you gotta keep things looking good, you gotta keep more one and all every week. and against Toledo, Michigan State's obviously a ten and a half point favorite. They just miss covering as a ten point win. so they're that's rough for some people. But you know Toledo has looked like a good team. They'll probably be good in in the Mac. I'd you know, I don't I forget who they play the rest of their non con, but it was more of a fight than Michigan State probably wanted to see because they largely went quiet in the second half. You go from five straight scoring drives, a whole lot of field goals. Liam Boyd was exceptional, the kicker, to sort of drying up the run game, disappearing. injuries certainly played a part in that. And you gotta think Michigan State played almost the entire second half without Jordan Hall. And when they did have him, other than maybe f eight plays, he was one armed because his right arm had a a sleeve on it and they were putting numb numbing cream all over it so he could be able to just be on the field. Like first off warrior but yeah Andrew Graham: Yeah, they They had him in like the big big bulky brace after like what twenty minutes of the game, something like that. Like, yeah. Connor Earegood: S and and then he d he subbed out permanently and was pissed and was bouncing his head off the ground. And I don't blame him because that's a guy that Michigan State needs and and he wants to play. so I we'll see the injury update. We're gonna get that today that we're filming on a Monday. we'll we'll get that update today. Ben Moroski also was gone with a knee injury that he was trying to work out, but then he did field goal unit at the end there, so Andrew Graham: I fear I fear Pat Fitz I fear Pat Fitz is gonna do the wait wait until we play Nebraska or whatever their big ten opener is on the injury stuff. Connor Earegood: Yeah, I those are two injuries though that are big enough that I think maybe get addressed if it's long term. 'Cause you don't want to piss people off. Andrew Graham: Maybe, yeah. Well, or like if you're not gonna see yeah. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Like if you know, alright. but but we'll see. And obviously there were some returns of players, like Edward Cam Edwards rolled an ankle and and was still able to to break off, I think, ten ten runs of of four plus yards. two of those being Andrew Graham: Something like that. Connor Earegood: ten plus. So it's he had a pretty darn good game and and the one touchdown he had probably would have gone for more. if he had space, but he had to go Wildcat and and kinda strain in 'cause everyone was on him. He looks like he's gonna be a big piece for this team. I mean, I know I Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: We kinda all expected it and wrote it, but to live up to it that early and have ninety eight yards and you know, largely in that first half, kinda well, they hand it to him eight times and a thirteen play drive at to start it, like Andrew Graham: On the first drive of the game he had he had eight carries. Yeah. Yeah. Connor Earegood: pretty clear what they're gonna do this season. and and we'll see with the the running back depth behind them. But it was a a a it was the result you wanna see as Michigan State. They always struggle week one because it's a Friday night and, you know, they're they're working out a lot of things. Andrew Graham: Yeah. They they they've just played a long line of sort of weird close Friday night games in seasons where they've Connor Earegood: Florida Atlantic. Andrew Graham: been good, in seasons where they've been bad, in seasons where they've been Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: mid. So this I like don't take anything away from like the ac yeah, yeah. Connor Earegood: It's not a barometer. It's not a barometer. But it's a win and there's no one second on the clock. That's a pretty Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: big deal. Like Michigan State spiritually won that Michigan game 'cause they can waive that until November seventh and be like, Yeah, you could have lost the Western. Truly, truly. Andrew Graham: Well well, and I think too, like the thing, like the sort of promising thing from this Michigan State game is the nature of other like Toledo made some plays, and like the defense has got some stuff to clean up in terms of big plays, especially. Ajate Dabbs looking like an all Mac receiver for Toledo. but like I think it was promising in the sense of You stayed on schedule, you you did the things you wanted to do, you did them well, you didn't have a ton of mistakes, you didn't have a ton of penalties, you were like it was a just very disciplined controlled put together on schedule football game and performance for Michigan State. And like I don't like I think we saw that like the reasonable upside for this team is not terribly high just because of like talent and where the roster's at, and that's here one The money's still getting sorted out behind the scenes, like structural forces of college football thing that was never gonna like be solved for this team anyways. but I think they ha it it's they know what they wanna do, they know what they can be, and they clearly demonstrated that they can get there against Toledo. Whether they do remains to be seen, but like I think they've got a good grasp on things for this year, N Slancing. Connor Earegood: And they had a pass rush. They had two sacks and and most importantly flushed the QB quite a bit. we'll we'll see how that's able to progress. But they had three edge rushers in their top five PFF grades and say what you will about the grades, 'cause sometimes Andrew Graham: That was not happening last year. Connor Earegood: that was not happening last year. Like i even if the grades and the numbers are kinda arbitrary, it it I feel like they do a generally good job of picking who's like the better players Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: for each team and and it was the case. Like, Keonis Thompson looked explosive and that's a guy who's who's playing like second to thirdish backups for for the edge rushing group. And he looks like a guy that could do something in big ten play. Like Anel Lafayela was stellar in in eighteen snaps. Isaac Smith got in minimally and that's sort of your you know, kinda run stopper, edge setter, kinda kinda D end. And you know, I I think that shows the best of what last year's roster had as a pass rusher. like was probably him and and it wasn't that great. I mean Jalen Thompson was in the mix but he wasn't really getting it you know to the quarterback 'cause he was getting keyed on. if you look at them, if you look at Kenny Soros, like the guys they have are a lot twitchier and we talked about that before the before the game I think in the last show. it'll be interesting Andrew Graham: Yeah. Connor Earegood: to see how against Big Ten groups and and probably more put together offensive lines, how that sorts of you know, that progresses, but that could be a really big deal for this defense. Andrew Graham: Yeah. anything else you want to hit on on this game? I think we kinda kinda covered it's it's Connor Earegood: I think we touched on it. We'll we'll get to get into more of it for the pre pre eastern Michigan. Andrew Graham: A lot ha i it feels like it happened years ago already. A lot has happened since Friday Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: night. we could briefly hit on Easter I guess start with Eastern Michigan on the smooth tran transition away from MSU since that's who Michigan State plays this week. Connor Earegood: Noah Cam reunion. Andrew Graham: It is the Noah Kim, it is the the first of the well just it three quarterbacks coming back. Yeah. Connor Earegood: Three of Yeah. Andrew Graham: so he he he begins that that That sampler platter from Michigan State this year. Eastern's coming off a loss to San Jose State. So it's twenty they loss twenty-seven-21 at home. It was a back-and-forth game. Eastern very much could have won. I think for me, having sort of watched that game on my laptop from the Spartan Stadium press box, Eastern's offensive line really kind of needs to take a little bit of a step forward after these first two weeks where they were solid against Sack State, pass pro. They weren't very good running the ball, and then they just weren't very good against San Jose State this past weekend. Not like, my God, we're, you know, dead in the water, but just not giving you the edge, the time and space you'd want, from your protection unit. And that's a little bit 'cause they're banged up and that's a little bit 'cause they're kind of shuffling some guys in and out with you know, like trying to find the best five with the injuries and some of the transfers. So I'm just kind of I'm not like nervous wouldn't be the right word, because you kinda are where you are and you just kinda gotta problem solve. But like I do wonder, especially like you know, you've got a couple games under your belt, you've got some tape, you've got some like, okay, this is what we do well, this is what we like, you know, y you you have a feel for it. But then like to try and actually make that like progression happen when you play a major jump up in competition could be kind of tough. And so I think that's like if if Eastern just kinda can't run the ball and is struggling to hold up in pass protection, like as good as Noah Kim can be and like they've got some good weapons, it's just not gonna matter. Connor Earegood: Yeah. The the past protection's interesting 'cause I feel like for Eastern, like one and one, you know, you're you're going into Spartan State, you wanna get the win, but you kinda know the the level of talent. But I the pass protecting is gonna be interesting 'cause Noah Kim and and you know, it kind of the passing game with what Michigan State showed last week against Toledo and you figure that's probably comparable. the the way that there were some explosives against a guy like Ch Chuck Brantley who I felt like Toledo attacked, and and you look at the way they played the run, you know, Michigan State, other than that seventy one yard run, gave up six yards on nineteen carries. Like not a whole lot of running. So I feel like if you're Noah Kim, you know like not only is this a reunion game for you, you got a ball out to make this thing a game. So I I I am you know, I you go from throwing forty three times in a game to you know, he's probably gonna be throwing just as many in in this one. you know, where he goes from here has a really good first game. Has a really good first game. I'm hearing Skittering. No, it's all good. Well that's probably what Noah Kim's Andrew Graham: Sorry, I'm I'm dealing I'm dealing with my my cousin's I'm dealing with my cousin's dogs here. They're just making all sorts of noise. Connor Earegood: gonna be doing on on Saturday, so no, I'll I'll I'll love but yeah I was I was surprised that they lost that game to San Jose State. Not that I know as much about San Jose State or anything like that, but just the way that he had looked in that previous game and and had played, I figured he'd be able to give them something. And and I keep saying it, mostly 'cause he's the guy I know the most about. I'll put a hand up on that one. that he's gonna be c key for this this group. But yeah, it's it's it's an interesting road ahead and it it's it probably Michigan State's game Saturday and un unless they're able to pull another directionally challenging, you know, max school That was directionally challenged was my pitch for the Daily Sports Monday. And then it ended up in a more controversial fashion. But I don't know what they're gonna cook up, but Andrew Graham: So Connor Earegood: yeah. I'm rambling here, but Andrew Graham: So yeah, and I think like Kim's kinda had a weirdly not great game against San Jose State. He was like twenty four or forty three or something like that. And they had to chuck it around a bunch on like a couple drives at the end, so that contributed to it. so it's definitely like I think teams can make like kind of get him off his game. I don't remember I don't know how many sacks. Yeah, he didn't get sacked, but he was just kinda having a a a not like great throwing the ball around game, even if he was seeing it Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: well. so I wan I do wonder if that's just kind of an aberration, but I am also kind of curious to see how Eastern's defence looks against MSU because they're gonna MSU's gonna want to run the ball at and I think MSU should be able to like do decently well running the ball at their front. And then it's just like is Eastern's kind of flying to the ball like hair on fire kind of way they're playing in the back end. Like, does that work and hold up and like they really wanna be pressing down on routes and and being competitive at the catch point and stuff like that. And that got burned at least once on like a double move on Friday night against San Jose State, so that's just something to watch for. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: shall we get on to the the I I Connor Earegood: The the finale. Andrew Graham: I zoomed in with Matt Drinkle, like we there was a little post game zoom call for reporters. I did it at like two AM from my car at like a mobile station in Ann Arbor. It was very like this is this is the glamour of sports writing. Connor Earegood: Cheese. Andrew Graham: but they got pretty plainly their ass handed to them by New Mexico. not really competitive from the jump. New Mexico wins 387. Central scores the late T D to make it look like it was better than it was. Matt Drinkle was pretty circumspect about it afterwards. I mean there's not like You got beat. You got beat pretty bad. You didn't play terribly well. and Connor Earegood: Probably knew you were gonna. Andrew Graham: I think I think they knew they might have been a little outmatched, maybe more than people Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: eat maybe even more than I expect a little bit. and I think like what I'm ultimately curio curious about are is like I think there's a solid chance that we're sitting here in November and New Mexico is one of the three or four teams you're talking about to make the playoff out of the group of six. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: Like I think that is like their upside. So No shame in losing that game, but if you're central, you would you would have liked to play much better than you did. Connor Earegood: Better. Andrew Graham: And I think Drinkle was kind of like, one, it's week one. If you play better in week two and week three, suddenly it's like, okay, we we got that out of our system, we cleaned up what we needed to clean up, it's it was a week one thing. And i it was kinda like the game script just got weird on them. They had a couple short drives early, they got in a hole, that makes it hard to play offense the way they want to play offense. and he was just talking about there was kind of a pretty big discrepancy in like the number of offensive plays where like New Mexico was able to just sit on the ball. And and Central's defense didn't play like bad per se, but it just like couldn't get off the field when it needed to. and and so that's how you end up losing thirty eight seven. and the Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: quarterbacks for Central, like I asked Drinkle about it of like how'd you feel about how the quarterbacks played? And it's like they didn't really get enough reps. to like have a full like they'll evaluate it and they'll have an opinion of it, I'm sure, but like the the number of actual reps each quarterback got in the game was like Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: small and not a like necessarily y useful or representative sample size. Yeah. And Connor Earegood: sixteen throws. You know, and there's option looks in there, but yeah. Andrew Graham: so like I I do think it's just kind of well, like we got our ass kicked. Let's learn what we can learn from it and not have that happen again. I don't think it's like you know, alarm bells are ringing. but I do think it was a it was a sort of smack in the mouth, wake up reality check, kind of whatever you want to call it for Central in that game. where they're not they're not like doom and gloom or anything, but they just they they they they know they played bad too. Let's put it that way. Like they're they're they're not fools. They know they did not play well in that game. That's not a secret to them. Connor Earegood: Jason Eck, Wisconsin. Write it. After the after last night's game, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, they fought early. Andrew Graham: I mean I I will say Wisconsin Wisconsin didn't look that bad. I just think Notre Dame's very good. I said early, I said early, they didn't look bad early. Connor Earegood: The second half Early Early emphasis. Everything was you know, when you're scripted early and you don't have halftime adjustments, they sure look like a Big Ten bottom feeder. Andrew Graham: Like the defense is the defense is good for Wisconsin. I think I think they have a good defense. And that is what I will say about Wisconsin. anything else you wanna you wanna get on before we we get on out of here? Connor Earegood: not that I'm putting a f you know, getting a pulse on. other than Big Ten, figure out your clocks. That's it. That's my parting message. Andrew Graham: Yeah, my yeah. Well just it is this is like I will it's the stump speech that I will give at the end of this here. The ACC is lapping the field on y'all MFers. And that's not just the Big Ten, that's the SEC, that's every other college football. The the NFL! The NFL is getting lapped on this. Because what the ACC does is when they do replays on the live broadcast, they cut in to a live feed with audio Of the ACC's replay command center in, I believe, Charlotte, where the ACC is headquartered, if I have that correct. I know they moved from Greensboro, Connor Earegood: That sounds right. Andrew Graham: but I don't know if their replay headquarters is also at their headquarters. Regardless, the ACC, it's been awesome. I think they introduced it last year, maybe two years ago. Certainly it was a thing last year. And it's been great. There's been no controversy because of it. No one's been like, look at how the replay review screwed. Screwed us in a credible way. That has not happened. It has been transparent. It has created less controversy. and it I can't imagine it costs the ACC all that much to add a camera and audio and an uplink to like its broadcasts. Like it costs money, but not that much, and not like what you're making back in terms of public trust, while not measured in dollars Connor Earegood: Big Andrew Graham: and cents, is probably worth it. Connor Earegood: Yeah. Andrew Graham: And I don't see any reason why the Big Ten and the SEC and the NFL for that matter and Big Twelve and whoever else wants to get on this boat to just do that and solve a really easily Connor Earegood: Make it easy on everybody. Andrew Graham: solvable problem and save everyone from the stupidity of what happened to Saturday night. Connor Earegood: Big Ten, you have a a marching order. Figure it out. Figure it Andrew Graham: My my like Connor Earegood: out. Andrew Graham: my really petty theory was Western should have offered their game check from that game to the Big Ten a seed money for it. Just hey. I think they want the money too, but that would Connor Earegood: I think they want the money. I think they want one point five million dollars. Andrew Graham: be a real like gangster like we're gonna force your hand. Like But I I don't think that will be happening. That is just my like wouldn't wouldn't this be amusing thought. But we that will get us out of here for this little Monday. We're not really overreacting. This was actually rather measured and nuanced, so we can't really call it an overreaction Monday or anything. That but like Connor Earegood: We say, we say. Andrew Graham: yeah, the the nuanced Monday reaction, but this'll this'll be the first episode this week will obviously be back later this week with kind of looking at week two, picking games, talking about whatever we hear from coaches over Monday, Tuesday through the week. but until then, thank you all for listening to this episode of In the Pocket. I'm Andrew Graham on behalf of Connery Irgood. Thanks for listening.