The Michigan Wolverines nearly pulled off an upset win over the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers, but an inexplicable, head-scratching play call proved to be the difference between a signature win and yet another deflating loss.
Michigan trailed 6-0 at halftime following a scoreless first half, before the offense found a rhythm on the opening drive of the second half. Standing just one yard away, it appeared the Wolverines were going to score a go-ahead touchdown.
With 7:32 to go in the
third quarter, Michigan faced a third and goal at the one-yard line. It felt like an obvious run play was coming up as the Wolverines looked to take a 7-6 lead. However, offensive coordinator Jason Beck had another idea.
Michigan quarterback Tommy Carr took the snap, faked a handoff and was instantly sacked by Indiana’s pass rush for a loss of 13 yards before he could even blink. It wasn’t just that Michigan lost yardage, but the play call was incomprehensible.
“Everything falls on my shoulders,” head coach Kyle Whittingham said. “It just wasn’t a good call at that point in time. It was a very disappointing outcome and a call that I know Jason Beck wishes he had back because it was so damaging.”
It doesn’t make any sense to call a play-action, trick play that is supposed to result in a freshman quarterback throwing a pass to offensive lineman Manuel Beigel. In absolutely no world, does that play make any sense to call in that situation.
Sitting at the one-yard line following a scoreless first half and desperately needing a touchdown, paired with a true freshman quarterback making his first career start and a pass catcher that never caught a pass, how is that the play call?
“It was supposed to be a play action pass and the defense had the right call for it. The defensive end charged right at me and blew it up. It was just a good call by them,” Carr said. “At the end of the day, we have to execute at a higher level.”
Even an offense that performs at a high level and is accustomed to running those types of plays, it’s a difficult call to execute because of all the variables. Let alone trying to do it with one of the worst offenses in the nation. It’s simply baffling.
Not only did the inexplicable play call keep the Wolverines out of the end zone, but Michigan was forced to settle for a field goal and it was missed wide left. So Michigan went from being one yard away from taking a lead, to coming up empty.
“We have to get better. There’s no doubt about it. You look at the whole body of work, and we’ll be the first to tell you, it’s not good enough,” Whittingham said. “That’s my challenge and that’s Jason’s challenge. It’s squarely on our shoulders.”
Michigan’s offense has been horrible this year, for many reasons, but Beck’s play calling is at the forefront of the issue. The puzzling play call at the goal line against Indiana was just the latest of many mistakes that Beck has made this season.
