Brady Hoke, Who Made Bad Decisions, Questions Jim Harbaugh's Fourth-Down Decision

As if Michigan fans weren’t having a terrible week already, ex-Wolverines football coach Brady Hoke weighed in on the flubbed punt that gave Michigan State the win.

The same Brady Hoke who went 31-20 at Michigan, and claimed he didn’t make decisions about who plays when QB Shane Morris got hurt and stayed on the field, talked about making a decision on the final play of the game. On his SiriusXM radio show, Hoke said he wouldn’t have punted, like Jim Harbaugh did. Via the Detroit Free Press:

“There’s too many mechanical parts to [the punt],” he said. “The one gunner to the field should have been in a little bit more. If you are going to be in there’s ways to protect it a little bit better. Hold the guys, have the other guys come in a little bit. I, as a coach, you’ve got to play to your strength. And your strength is your defense. And if it’s a Hail Mary and that’s all it would have been…”

His co-host, Mark Packer, cut him off and asked about going for it on fourth down.

“Your playbook’s open now,” Hoke said. “If you throw the ball, the clock’s going to stop anyway, if you don’t make it, because of the fourth down. You have an ability to give (U-M tailback) De’Veon Smith the ball, challenge your offensive line or play-action pass because Michigan State’s going to be aggressive. You take some time off the clock, four or five seconds. A 60-yard field goal, (MSU’s Michael) Geiger before the game was 5 of 9 and it’s a 60 yard field goal.”

In this hypothetical world, Hoke would’ve run an offensive play on fourth down, the game would be over, and Michigan would improve its record to 2-5.

Photo: AP

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