Dorm Report: What a mess in Michigan

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Oh, how the mighty can fall.

Last weekend, during Michigan’s 30-14 loss to Big Ten Conference opponent Minnesota, Wolverines sophomore quarterback Shane Morris was blasted by Gophers defensive lineman Theiren Cockran following a rollout throw. The hit to Morris’ chin knocked him immediately to the ground and caused some visible damage to the quarterback, who got up slowly and seemed to stumble while making his way back to the huddle.

After remaining in the game for one more play, Morris needed the assistance of several players to get off the field back to the sideline.

Two plays later, Michigan coach Brady Hoke made the decision to put Morris back into the game after Devin Gardner – Morris’ substitute – was forced to the sideline after losing his helmet. Morris took one more snap and left the game for good, needing to be carted from the field when the game ended due to ankle and head issues.

The danger Hoke put his quarterback in wasn’t immediately apparent following the game, but his answer to a question in the post-game press conference seemed to open the eyes of the entire nation.

When asked if there was any concern that Morris may have had a head injury following the hit, Hoke answered, “I don’t know if he had a concussion or not. I don’t know that. Shane’s a pretty competitive, tough kid, and Shane wanted to be the quarterback. And so, believe me, if he didn’t want to be, he would’ve come to the sideline or stayed down.”

What a terrible, terrible answer.

Considering one of the main topics and focuses in football at the moment surrounds player safety, especially when it comes to head trauma, does it really seem like the best decision to allow your quarterback to re-enter a game after he shows early signs of a concussion? Defend yourself all you want, but you don’t have to be a doctor to know something was off with Morris’ motor skills when he left the game.

To make matters even more confusing, Hoke and Michigan released a statement the next day, saying, “The safety of our student-athletes is always our top priority. We generally never discuss the specifics of a student-athlete’s medical care, but Shane Morris was removed from yesterday’s game against Minnesota after further aggravating an injury to his leg that he sustained earlier in the contest. He was evaluated by our experienced athletic trainers and team physicians, and we’re confident proper medical decisions were made.”

Yep, it got worse.

If Michigan does indeed have one of the most experienced and top-of-the-line medical staffs in the country, its members would’ve gone right to Hoke to tell him Morris was done for the rest of the contest. Maybe they thought Hoke should’ve determined that for himself. Because when dealing with any sort of head issue, regardless of how serious it may or may not be, precautions need to be addressed first and foremost. But that didn’t happen, and Michigan has since been excoriated for the situation.

The issue didn’t just end after Saturday’s game and Sunday’s news conference, though. On Monday, news broke that three of Michigan’s 2015 football commitments were looking to take visits elsewhere. One of the program’s recruits – four-star defensive end Darian Roseboro – announced he’s no longer committed to play at Michigan.

Late Monday night (technically early Tuesday morning) at around 1 a.m., Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon released a statement, saying the team’s medical staff and Michigan’s coaching staff suffered a “serious lack of communication” while handling Morris and his injury. He added that, despite Hoke’s comments following the game and his self-defending statements from earlier Monday, Morris was diagnosed with a “probable, mild concussion.”

Brandon’s statement sparked outrage, not just on the Michigan campus, but nationwide. A petition began circulating Tuesday morning among Michigan students calling for Brandon’s firing, which later led to a protest on president Mark Schlissel’s front lawn. Even U.S. Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-New Jersey) released a letter to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, asking his conference to investigate how the situation was handled last Saturday.

Couple this whole ordeal with Michigan’s lack of on-field success, and you have a very unhappy fan base and general population. The Wolverines are 2-3 this season, having only beaten new FBS program Appalachian State and winless Miami of Ohio. The decision to let Morris return to the game only enraged fans even more than they previously were.

President Schlissel said on Tuesday he has had several discussions with Brandon and Michigan’s Board of Regents, and Hoke’s name has not come up in any of them despite some outcry calling for the firing of the head coach. Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s name has been tossed around as a viable candidate should Hoke be relieved of his duties, but Harbaugh squashed those rumors Monday by saying he believes in Hoke as a leader.

As odd as it may seem, a small portion of the blame also should fall on Morris for the way things played out. He was insistent he stay in the game just after the hit, and he was only on the sideline for a few seconds before asking to return to the game, for which Hoke granted his request.

But that’s where the major problem lies. Communication was indeed the key failure, as Brandon suggested. Someone had to step up and make sure the situation was resolved, and it should have been Hoke. Yes, there’s a million things that happen on a football sideline, and the pace of the game doesn’t bode well for someone looking to get evaluated medically and return as quickly as possible. But Hoke is the man in charge, and he should have taken the reins on the issue or delegated Morris’ status to someone else. When a potential head injury is involved, you’d better make darn sure your medical staff is on top of it.

This incident alone isn’t enough to get Hoke or Brandon or anyone else fired from Michigan. There was a communication breakdown. It happens to the best of organizations from time to time.

But if the Wolverines continue the downward trend from a playing standpoint, with this scenario tossed on top of the sinking ship, someone’s job will be in jeopardy. And it will be Hoke that should go.

Categorized in: NCAA Football