I’m typing this on my phone in the backseat of a rental car on the Indiana toll road. The euphoric buzz of a victory over Michigan hasn’t come close to wearing off, and my energy hasn’t at all returned after a full day of drinking on pavement. I’ll just use this space to sort through the various shades of joy I’m feeling.
- Let’s start by appreciating Brandon Wimbush for a quick second. He didn’t need to catapult himself into the Heisman conversation for the Irish to win, but he did need to make good decisions and hit on a few big plays – mission accomplished. That run on 3rd and long was exhilarating and absolutely pivotal. His one turnover was less than ideal but not backbreaking. Kudos to Brandon for a well-deserved game ball.
- Khalid Kareem is who we hoped he would be. The D-line played well against a struggling Michigan front five, despite Shea Patterson’s shiftiness. Okwara’s tiptoe sideline pick was a rare feat of athleticism we don’t get to see from people that size very often. Insanely rad stuff.
- Speaking of people being who we hoped they would be, Alohi Gilman is gonna have a hell of a season. Having kickass safety play is nice and we should do it more often!
- Justin Yoon rules, and I love him. Can we uhhh please make him the regular kickoff specialist? Thanks.
- A little bit disappointed that the stadium noise level didn’t live up to Southern Cal last year, but what are you gonna do. The loudest it got (besides the fumble recovery) was after a Jumbotron video that inexplicably played during a tv timeout. Come on, gameday staff! Our crowd honestly needs all the help we can get.
- *clears throat* Jim Harblol.
- BK and his coaching staff flat out won the coaching battle with a far superior game plan. What the hell is Michigan’s offensive strategy? I know less about it today than I did on Friday. It felt like everything the louder factions of our fanbase (sometimes fairly, sometimes not) screams at Kelly for. Sports are funny.
- The running backs weren’t spectacular, but they were good, which is pretty much all you can hope for against a defense of this quality. Tony Jones showed that he’s an important part of the rotation, and Jafar Armstrong flashed star potential. Yeet.
- Chris Finke!! What!! In my mind that catch is without question the play of the game – could’ve easily been a pick, and instead we’ll be watching that highlight for years to come. Totally changed the game in the all-important early goings.
- They did it. They did the damn thing. Giving the Wolverines existential nightmares is pretty much an ideal way to start a season. There were a few injuries, most importantly my painfully hoarse throat and bloody shin, but we’re on to Ball State without a loss. In the immortal words of Jay Rock: “win win win win / fuck everything else / win win win win.”
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