College Football

FSU Football: Michigan Fans Blame FSU Loss On Injuries

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:22 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Kelvin Hunt/FanSided via Chop Chat

Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; A Michigan Wolverines cheerleader looks on in the game against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

FSU football played Michigan without a lot of key players. However, Michigan fans blame their loss on injuries to two players.

FSU football fans knew it would happen. As soon as it was announced Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers would miss the Orange Bowl game with an injury, they had a built-in excuse in case they lost.

FSU defeated Michigan 33-32 as a seven point underdog. However, the game should have never been that close as FSU football dominated Michigan on both sides of the ball.

The media built up the Michigan defense like they were the ’85 Chicago Bears, despite the FSU offense being the best they would have faced all year.

FSU got the ball first and went right down the field and scored a touchdown, punching them right in the mouth.

A punting miscue by Nyqwan Murray gave Michigan the ball on the half yard line, and they couldn’t punch it in which became a common theme throughout the game.

Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles players celebrate after defeating the Michigan Wolverines 33-32 at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan Fan Excuses

Say What?Oh, the old they aren’t motivated because the game doesn’t mean anything crutch. If the game didn’t mean anything, then why did Michigan players fight tooth and nail to get back into the game in the second half?This tweet below is solid gold by the way:UM fans: “Peppers isnt even our best defender!”FSU: “Who is?”UM fans: “2-time All-American CB Jourdan Lewis!”FSU: https://t.co/DMANSa63wJ— Stuart R. Owens (@StuartROwens) December 31, 2016Hahahaha!! There were some rational Michigan fans, but this thread was hilarious.Next: FSU Dominated Michigan Oct 8, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive end DeMarcus Walker (right) celebrates with Seminoles linebacker Jacob Pugh (left) after sacking Miami Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya (not pictured) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports FSU Dominated MichiganIf you’re a Michigan fan reading this and don’t believe it, here are the stats to prove it.FSU held Michigan to 3.4 YPP 😂😂….FSU averaged right at 6 YPP against the “vaunted” Michigan defense…— ChopChat.com (@ChopChat_) December 31, 2016Another stat for yall FSU D held Michigan’s offense to 43% less YPP than their season average..they held FSU to 7.8% less than their average— ChopChat.com (@ChopChat_) December 31, 2016Here’s a stat for yall…..yall ready? FSU’s YPP against Michigan was 47% higher than Michigan’s defensive average this season..— ChopChat.com (@ChopChat_) December 31, 2016FSU would have blown them out if DF was more accurate… https://t.co/AisNDywgVH— ChopChat.com (@ChopChat_) December 31, 2016The latter was the biggest part that kept Michigan in the game. Deondre Francois consistently missed easy throws on first down that put the offense behind the sticks which allowed Michigan to pin their ears back while rushing.Some of it was FSU football battling poor field position for a good part of the game, and Jimbo Fisher looking to avoid what happened late in the third quarter with Michigan’s interception return for a touchdown.Next: FSU Had Injuries Too Nov 11, 2016; Tallahassee, Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Auden Tate (18) makes a first quarter catch against Boston College Eagles defensive back Lukas Denis (21) at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports FSU Had Injuries TooPlease, tell me more about ALL the injuries Michigan had to deal with #FSU pic.twitter.com/7y69aPUoMx— Vinny B. (@hockeynole) December 31, 2016That was before the game. FSU also lost a significant player in wide receiver Auden Tate early in the game. Tate is second on the team with six receiving touchdowns, who also leads the team in yards per catch on the season.FSU also lost Ermon Lane on defense due to injury about two weeks ago. Yes, it’s not last-minute like Peppers, but it wasn’t a lot of time to prepare since FSU spend most of their time at the beach riding jet ski’s(sarcasm).Next: Conclusion Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Deondre Francois (12) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports ConclusionMake no mistake about it, FSU should have blown Michigan out, so credit for Michigan for not laying down after getting worked in the first half.FSU turnovers were a direct result of 10 points by Michigan.It was telling that Michigan’s best player on the night was their punter Kenny Allen.He punted EIGHT times while averaging 47.4 yards per punt. That was huge as he was able to flip the field for Michigan’s offense several times.However, FSU was able to hit enough explosive plays to negate their poor third down conversion percentage on the night. Again, most of the third and long situations were a result of Deondre Francois missing easy throws on first down.All in all, it turned out to be a great game and the second most watched game all season with 11.7 million viewers on a Friday night.More from Chop ChatFSU Basketball Recap: Noles Open ACC Play with Impressive Wins2h agoFSU Football: Two NFL Running Backs Give Dalvin Cook Props15h agoFSU Football: Dalvin Cook Declares For 2017 NFL Draft17h agoFSU Football: Fans And Players React To ‘Noles Huge Win Over Michigan20h agoFSU Football vs. Michigan In-Depth Recap: What We Learned23h agoThis article originally appeared on

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