Michigan loses another Big Ten contest. Michigan loses again at the Big House. It was almost predictable, and definitely so as the game progressed – but I can never see it coming. I’m a guy that allows the game to dictate the general enjoyment or lack there of of a great fall Saturday – and convince myself as the game draws near that this is the day Michigan garnishes that W column with another notch.

I thought that this Michigan team could play well enough to win. I thought last week was the anomaly – and the self-inflicted mistakes wouldn’t happen again. I mean, with an electrifying quarterback that just had a bad day against Michigan State, you figured he would come back with a big game against Iowa. Regardless of the accomplished opposing defense with NFL talent, I expected Michigan to find success and score some points (not in desperation mode).

Penalties, turnovers, defensive ineptitude on third down, missed tackles, another blocked field goal, unable to kickoff the ball inbounds, two straight ugly home losses – so isn’t it time to freak out a little bit if you are a Michigan fan? The quick answer is no. And the long-winded answer is also, no.

Last week against Michigan State, there were a handful of plays you could point to that were mistakes, missed opportunities, or points left on the field by Michigan. This week, you can say the same thing. Taylor Lewan killed two drives early when Michigan could have expanded a 7 point lead. Later in the game, just past the midpoint of the third quarter, Michigan is down 14 and driving until Vincent Smith fumbles. Before that Tate threw an interception on his first drive. I guess when you move the ball all day long, as Michigan seemed to do against both Michigan State and Iowa

Michigan is 5 and 2. Optimism? Well, Michigan has lost two games to teams that have a collective record of 13-1. Both are ranked in the top 11 or 12 – depending on what poll you are looking at. I still maintain that this is a better team with more resolve than last year.

The five remaining games are as such: a night game at Penn State, home against Illinois, at Purdue, home against Wisconsin, and at Ohio State. So, at best, the ridiculous fan in me sees that Michigan has only two losses. Should Michigan string together a few wins – surely it’s possible – they could be sitting at 8 and 2. Hence, a happy me because an eight win season equals marked improvement over last year. This is definitely a team that is better than a year ago…below from Jim Brandstetter’s blog about this Michigan team…

Look, this team after seven games is much improved from a year ago. The answer to their troubles is simple. Turnovers, penalties, kicking game snafu’s, and defensive missed assignments and tackling have cost them. If they eliminate these things and play a complete game, they’ll win. They will be very hard to handle. These things are all correctable. They are not regressing. They are very close. When they get it all right…they will win some of these games, and we won’t have to be as frustrated as we are now.

Michigan will be fine. I’ll smile if there’s an 8 in the win column when it’s all said and done. Anyway, on to the game…

On Offense…

Again, Michigan moved the ball Saturday for a total of 522 yards! You’d think you’d have a better shot at winning when you amass that many yards against a good defense. Box score standouts shall we? We shall…

• 29 first downs (Iowa had 21)
• 86 plays on offense – 26 more than Iowa
• 187 yards rushing – before Saturday, Iowa allowed 63 yards per game – 2nd best in the country
• 8 penalties for 66 yards – most were drive-crippling penalties
• 4 turnovers

Denard uncomfortable in the pocket

Denard Robinson…[13-18 for 96 yards, 1TD 1 INT, 105 yards rushing]
Denard made one huge mistake in throwing a terrible deep ball that was reminiscent of his errant throw last week against MSU and his desperation toss last season at the tail end of the Iowa game. Other than that, Denard didn’t play poorly. Although, I gotta say something about Denard in the pocket. When Denard has too much time in the pocket and he can’t decide on who to throw to – it’s like he doesn’t know what to do and appears to panic a bit. That is a legitimate knock or a gap in his game right now. He just needs to be more decisive after he’s finished his progressions – instead of freezing back there – he needs to bring his eyes down to the defenders in front of him and take the hell off.

Tate Forcier…[17-26 for 239 yards, 1 TD 2 INT, 1 rush TD]
Tate played well again and definitely brings the pent up enthusiasm out when things go well on the field for him. It’s been said before, and it’s true, Michigan has the best second string quarterback in the land. Tate is extremely accurate when he makes a decisive throw, but too often pulls a terrible play out of his ass in wild panic freak out scramble mode. His first pick of the game on 3rd and five is a coachable moment – one that resulted in a significant field position shift in Iowa’s favor. Iowa then walked down the field and put Michigan’s deficit at 21.

Junior Hemingway…[9 rec. for 134 yards, 1 TD]
Love what Junior is bringing to the table right now. Not only is be becoming more and more reliable, he seems to be turning into the teams best deep threat. Expect Denard and or Tate to continue to throw deep balls and jump balls in Junior’s direction. His frame is tough for a smaller DB to contend with, so as Junior said in the postgame presser, he can pretty much box out the defender and get in position to make the catch.

Other noteworthy items of note…

• Darryl Stonum also put in a big performance once Tate got in the game – pulling down 9 for 97 yards
• When Denard is in the game, I’d like to see a couple early bubble screens set up the fake for a Denard run up the middle. I haven’t rewatched the game, but I recall most of his called runs were more of the iso model rather than a pass fake and jet
• Rocko Khoury stepped in for David Molk and did a decent job. It’s clear that Denard has a much greater comfort level with Molk – as the next several plays after Molk went down were from under center – not in the shotgun
• More Stephen Hopkins. More Stephen Hopkins. More Stephen Hopkins. Vincent Smith – ball security man

Gergged up

On Defense…

Well, I think Kenny Demens played a lot better than Obi Ezeh. Therefore, maybe there is an ounce of hope for the linebacker play to improve as Michigan hits this season’s home stretch. Michigan didn’t allow the big one on the ground like they did twice against Michigan State. J.T. Floyd got smoked when he was on an island in man coverage. James Rogers lacked in coverage as well on Iowa’s second touchdown – the corner route that was bobbled and ultimately ruled a touchdown. To the boxscore…

• Allowed 383 total yards – they’ve been much worse, but Iowa wasn’t pushing either. They didn’t need to.
• Zero forced turnovers. Tough to beat a team, a good team specifically, when you go -4 in the battle of turnovers
• Iowa converted on 7 of 13 third down plays – with a late conversion putting the kibosh on Michigan’s comeback efforts
• Iowa’s 5 trips to the redzone resulted in 4 TD’s and 1 field goal. That’s 5 for 5 – scoring 100% of the time! Dammit

J.T. Floyd…[11 tackles - led team]
It’s probably not a good thing when this guy is your team’s leading tackler. J.T. is decent now and certainly has a bright future in front of him at Michigan, but he’s got a long way to go. And here’s what I don’t understand, when he’s playing man coverage, why is he so willingly giving the inside up so easily? On Iowa’s last touchdown, I could have ran that slant with all that room he gave. I don’t know if that’s a coaching issue or if that’s on J.T., but you gotta close off the inside and force your man to the sideline if you are playing man coverage. J.T. looks small out there.

Kenny Demens…[8 tackles]
I think you’ll see a lot more of him this year as long as he is healthy. In his first major action, Kenny played relatively well. He seems to play downhill and is in an attack mode – something Obi Ezeh lacks. There was a noticeable difference with he was in the game as opposed to Obi. Also, Kenny is a big dude.

Other noteworthy items of note…

• Michigan’s front seven over-pursues like a mug. And, the backside defensive end isn’t compensating for the linebackers who have over pursued and are hence out of the play. Greg Banks seems to get locked up pretty quick and struggles to get off blocks.
• Courtney Avery’s missed tackle on 3rd and 16 broke the camel’s back. Avery makes that tackle and Michigan gets the ball back in Forcier’s hands down only 7. So for as many mistakes and bad plays as Michigan had throughout the game – they were one tackle away from an opportunity to tie up the game

Unhappy people...

[Top and bottom pics are courtesy of Michiganexposures.]

Rich Rodriguez…

…On Injuries / Housekeeping stuff / Depth Chart…

• RR: “No matter who your QB is, you worry about him staying healthy.”
• RR on Denard: “He’ll be a little limited [Monday]. Just because he’s been running so much. You want him 100% on Saturday.”
• Rodriguez on not kicking a FG in 3 games: “Oh yeah, you kidding me. Nice for me. I’d rather score touchdowns.”
• On Troy Woolfolk – still has a big cast but is getting in the weight room to lift his upper body
• Troy should be back 100% next year
• On Stonum not busting a kick return “haven’t even came close to breaking one like we’re going to have to…
• Darryl has the ability, it just hasn’t happened yet for whatever reason
• On Denard’s potential – “We saw it when we recruited him”. Didn’t understand the offense last year as a freshman.
• Brandon Herron is good to go for MSU
• Optimistic that Mike Shaw will be able to go against MSU
• Greg Banks, calf issue, limited today, “should be fine”
• Fitz Toussaint is day to day
• Taylor Lewan is listed as the starter
• At spur both Thomas Gordon and Carvin Johnson are listed
• At wideout – Junior Hemingway is also listed.

…On the Defense

• “it’s not like the guys aren’t trying.
• Rodriguez deflects talk of defense by saying “we’re 5-0″ said it’s like winning $10K and complaining about paying half taxes on it — take $
• Rodriguez: “There’s some moments on defense where we’ve gotten a little bit better.” And other moments where they haven’t.
• RR- offense can make in game adjustments easier than defense at this point
• RR on defense- we’re not a deep team, we need more 3 and outs
• Mike Martin has been the most consistent defensive guy
• Experience takes time – and numbers were way down last year from a depth standpoint. Scheme-wise they can do some different things, but don’t want to confuse and expose the young guys.
• Cam Gordon and Jonas Mouton played aggressive and tackled well

…On MSU

• On the importance of the game “It’s no less important for us than it is for them.”
• RR on being favored: “might be a home field thing.”
• RR: “The more you win, the more’s at stake.”
• Rodriguez says all games are big, “but this one is bigger.”
• RR on MSU: “We have to execute. They’re not going to give you stuff easy.”
• Rodriguez thinks revenge factor isn’t important in MSU game. What happened last year doesn’t matter once you’re in the game.
• RR on UM-MSU — they’re all big, but this one’s bigger. It’s a huge game for both.
• RR : “I think Cousins is an oustanding player. Their team is playing at a high level”
• MSU D best he’s played this year: “The most experienced, for sure.”
• On MSU defense: We’ve got no chance if we don’t execute well offensively.
• On kicking away from Keshawn Martin: “That would help.”
• On the rivalry and being 5-0 – adds national interest. More is at stake.
• RR speaks to the importance of going game by game as coaches and players, easier for the fans to put so much importance on one game weeks in advance
• On expecting a shootout – “it’s going to be very intense”
• On the O-line – they can play even better, but they’ve been very consistent and have played smart – stuck to their assignments
• On MSU running game – they have a big line, big tight ends, interchangeable backs. The variety and balance presents a challenge

Steve Schilling…

• On what rivalry means – “it’s our state championship – it’s a big week for us”
• Knows the fan base wants a win bad and the players want to win just as bad
• Anytime Denard breaks through the line – they know he’s gone
• MSU is always a physical game – guys always bring their best. Not concerned about Denard because he’s tough. Denard knows how important this week is and he’ll be ready to go.
• MSU / UM is a bigger rivalry than Washington / Wash State (Schilling is from Washington if you didn’t know)
• On Denard being banged up – “He’s not going to let it show even if he is hurt. He’s a good leader out there.”
• Very confident in the offense’s ability to succeed if for some reason Denard isn’t in there
• Against Indiana – “were going 3 and out or 3 and touchdown”
• All the seniors understand the importance of the game – won’t have to do much talking to show the young guys how important the game is
• Patrick Omameh has been playing really well and so has Taylor Lewan – especially stepping in as a freshman

Obi Ezeh…

• Admits that the defense has issues
• Usually the keys to victory include stopping the run and winning the third down battles
• Remembers Chris Perry getting 50+ carries when he himself was a running back in high school
• Feels more important in a game like this when stopping MSU’s running attack will be key
• It’s not fun hearing from MSU people – being an in-state kid and all
• Feels that Michigan’s best performances are in front of them – so it’s nice to be 5-0.
• On the D improving week by week – “I feel that we have, as a team and individually”
• Hopes the crowd is “really rockin’” on Saturday.

Jordan Kovacs…

• On taking defensive criticism personally – “Definitely, every defensive player takes it personal”
• Young guys gain confidence every week
• Kirk Cousins is a great QB and will present the D’s biggest challenge so far to date
• The run D is going to be tested. All MSU’s running backs are big and good
• On losing the last 2 years – “the past is the past and we are ready to move forward”
• On moving JT Floyd around – thought it worked for the most part

Roy Roundtree…

• Shaw is good and is ready to play this week against MSU
• Players don’t really recognize stats during the game
• Happy to see Junior Hemingway succeed
• This week will be a different level of intensity
• Once Denard got his throwing down during the Spring – he would stay extra and work with the receivers. He always wants to get better
• On MSU – “we know what’s at stake it’s two schools from Michigan”
• This week is all about preparation – can kill two birds with one stone in beating State and becoming bowl eligible
• Roy says he still gets nervous for each game, but is very confident for each play that he is out there
• He’s always gotten nervous – just needs to get the first play out of the way
• “Shoelace is just too fast – Coach Rod tells him to just run straight”
• Tate and Devin showed a lot of poise during that BGSU game and the team has confidence in them stepping up if Denard goes down
• Denard is extremely humble and just wants to get better each week
• Denard is the leader of the offense. He’s always saying “let’s go let’s go” during practice. He’s the same way during the games

Denard Robinson (steps to the podium with a ridiculously huge grin on his face)…

• Feels good – just got done lifting
• This year things are a little different on campus for him – everybody notices him
• Stays away from all the stats – doesn’t care
• On his durability – every Big Ten game is going to be like MSU. Has been working out and doing everything possible to take care of his body
• This is a big time game this week against MSU
• At the end of games like IU and ND – he just stays calm and tries not to do too much
• Nobody has sent him shoelaces or anything. People call him “lace” “shoelace” “Denard”
• On last year when Tate was making the come back against MSU – Denard felt like he was right there with him (similar to his comment about Tate coming back against ND last year)
• On MSU’s Greg Jones – he’s a great, physical player that can hit, but as a QB you have to read the whole D not just one player
• On ways he can get better – says he made some bad reads and overthrew some guys
• On the O line – they have performed every Saturday. Gives thanks to them, God and the coaches all the time

Mike Martin…

• Always grew up loving Michigan – never liked the color green
• Tough losing the last two years – but will get prepared to play their best on Saturday
• Getting to a bowl game is a goal of the teams – along with winning the Big Ten
• MSU has a good offense – has already watched a little bit of film
• Loves the fact that MSU is undefeated – wants MSU’s best shot and wouldn’t want it any other way
• 3 Questions – Who’s best O-linemen he’s faced?…says Molk initially. Then says Penn State’s center. Does he make facial expressions to intimidate?…does without knowing – has seen some still shots of himself. What’s the difference between O and D lines?…D line likes to hit more than the O line.
• On the importance of creating turnovers – it’s a big emphasis that coach Robinson talks about a lot. Practice strip drills often
• There’s more talking in a game like this between teams – it’s very personal. Guys know each other…
• The team always reminds themselves of their goal of winning a championship, while also taking it one game at a time
• It feels good to watch other defenses have to deal with chasing around Denard
• Denard is doing a great job and is a great leader. Has always been a hard worker and is real coachable

To the game…

On Offense…

You are almost guaranteed to win a college football game when your offense does the following…

• 28 first downs
• 1 penalty
• 0 turnovers
• Nearly 37 minutes of possession
• 14-19 on 3rd down conversions
• 4-4 in the red zone, 3 touchdowns
• Drives of 14, 19, 11, and 15 plays

Do these things and you are winning that ball game every single time. The ability of Denard Robinson to throw the ball completely handcuffed UConn’s defensive unit, see every third down and 7+ that Denard converted on.

Thoughts on the QB Depth Chart
I don’t doubt that Denard can continue to play extremely well. I also still believe that, based on the comments from Tate Forcier’s father, that Rodriguez wasn’t done disciplining Tate. There’s no way Devin Gardner has passed up Tate on the depth chart. Michigan is going to be in games where Denard’s legs for one reason or another, can’t convert over 50% of third downs. Coach Rod knows that Denard’s 29 carries is probably too many – and the scare when Denard went down at the end of the 3rd quarter is what happens when you have a guy like Denard. Denard’s fearlessness is fantastic, but it may get him injured at some point. Bottom line, it’s my presumption that Tate’s influencers around him are echoing these same things and letting him know that he is going to be critical to this team’s success at some point this season.

Denard Robinson…
Because the Denard media binge and love-fest is already outta control – briefly…Denard has learned to read the defense and do what the coaches are teaching. In turn, defense exhibit A could not contain him and he effortlessly converted 2nd and long, 3rd and long and got 7+ yards time after time on first down. I’d be willing to bet that Denard is the only QB in the country accelerating through defenders as he does in the clip below. Now that he’s proven he can throw effectively, tiny running lanes are all Denard needs to convert.

Mike Shaw…
I thought Mike Shaw had a great game carrying the ball, despite any lacking in the box score. He seems stronger this year and he ran with authority on Saturday. More than once, he easily could have been tackled behind the line of scrimmage, but busted a move and managed to churn out something positive…like the below… On the touchdown, Mike showed that he can run with authority and hit the hole going full speed while keeping his balance. He showed that he’s going to be an asset out as a receiver out of the backfield as well. Was impressed with this guy on Saturday.

Vincent Smith…
I dig what Vincent Smith brings to the table. He’s a grinder and much more often than not he is pushing the defender back for an extra yard or three. He’s short, but powerful, and it can’t be easy for opposing defenders to find him as he is patiently picking his way through the zone blocking in front of him. On his first touchdown, Vincent got lost in the shuffle, was patient and broke a tackle to get in to the end zone.

The Offensive Line…
Ton of credit to these guys. They opened up holes for Shaw, Smith and Denard all day long. Definitely a scare when Molk went down, but he looked more tired than anything. He came back in almost immediately, much like Denard after he went down with an apparent injury in the 3rd quarter. If these guys can stay healthy, Michigan’s offense should continue to have lots of success on the ground and through the air all season long.

Receivers / Slots…
Give these guys a lot of credit as well. While most of the yards came on the ground, they converted when given the opportunity. Not all games will play out like this one – the passing game will be more prevalent as the season gets under way. Finally, Terrance Robinson got into the action on a beautiful bubble screen fake from Denard that forced the safety out of position – opening up the entire middle of the field. I thought Grady did okay with his opportunities, but I think he needs to show more if he wants to keep getting as many touches. Odoms and Stonum were both solid and these two guys look to be the most consistent, well-rounded of the bunch.

On Defense…

Defense came out and played well – holding UConn to 10 points was not expected by anyone. The consensus was a thirty something to thirty something ball game. Some stats worthy of noting…

• UConn completion rate held to 47%
• Forced 1 turnover
• UConn 4 – 15 on 3rd down conversions
• 1 blocked kick
• 10 POINTS

Obviously, only allowing 10 points is key. Forcing a turnover in the red zone and blocking a field goal – both extremely critical in Michigan’s general comfort level that grew as the game pushed on in the 3rd and 4th quarters. All in all, based on what happened last season, I don’t envision this defense getting full of themselves at any point this season. The degree of last season’s defensive collapse was so severe that there’s no way it escapes the minds of the coaches or returning players.

J.T. Floyd & James Rogers
Both these guys had solid games – and I was pleasantly surprised by the play of James Rogers. He was extremely active and seems to be a ball hawk. Makes me wonder where he’s been his whole career. J.T. was solid as well, especially in run D support and he may have had the biggest play of the entire day…below my friends…

Linebackers…
Obi Ezeh and James Mouton both lead the team in tackles with 9 and 8 respectively. Mouton laid the wood on some UConn guys on a few plays. Craig Roh lead the team with 2 tackles for loss. Based on the eye test, I would have to say that both Roh and Mouton outplayed Ezeh. I noticed Obi was out of position or seemed to over-pursue on a few plays. Overall speed was good and they were out to hit someone. Moundros looked good out there and definitely looks the part.

On Special Teams…

Michigan only punted one time for 51 yards – not bad for young Will Hagerup. The kicking game had some issues – it was to be expected in light of the youth and also the swirling winds. Gibbons missed from 43 yards out and made from 24. Gibbons also missed an extra point – and it sounds like Drew Dileo had some issues getting the ball down as the holder. A must fix before heading to South Bend this week. Kick coverages weren’t bad.

Some extra… Andy Staples CNNSI, Forcier – don’t be foolish stay at Michigan, Denard love @ Dr. Saturday, UConn happy it’s over.

• Tate will be out today and probably wont throw as much – shoulder is just sore – might participate in some short throws but not deep throws. Trainer is confident that he should be good to go for Saturday.
• RR addressed the physicality of his team and that it’s more of a state of mind and not a result of the system – the coaching staff will challenge the guys this week to be more physical not because it’s MSU – because it’s the way they always want to play.
• On QB’s and RB’s splitting carries – Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor were banged up but mostly a result of how the defense was playing Michigan. In the system, often times the QB needs to keep it and run based on what the defense presents
• Moosman at center – some snaps were obviously off and some were probably catchable. Molk spoiled everybody because he is so good, but they will practice getting the snaps down this week.
• David Molk is going to be out closer to 4 weeks – surgery went will and there is a pin in place. Molk is doing what he can to speed up the healing process.
• On the defense – RR evaluated the defense and said the defense played well at times, but missed assignments that led to some big plays. Claimed they are all correctable errors. Going to challenge some guys in order to make sure the best 11 guys are on the field.
• Donovan Warren playing real well, but other corner spot is wide open. J.T. Turner getting better every week and he will compete with Cissoko and Floyd.
• Giving up big plays are a result of poor technique and simply being misaligned.
• On MSU’s defense – they have played some talented offenses and have given up some big plays. Very aggressive defensively and will pose Michigan’s offense with a different challenge.
• More on Tate – tough guy but will let you if he’s hurting.
• This week’s Wednesday practice will be closed to the public.
• QB’s will be able to go on a silent cadence if necessary this coming week.
• RR not using last year’s loss as a motivating factor or revenge factor – players probably use it more than the coaches do.
• The in-state recruiting war between Michigan and Michigan State is somewhat overblown. Teams go after different players for different purposes. RR doesn’t get the sense that there is much negative recruiting going on between Michigan’s major conference rivals.
• Michigan preparing for both MSU’s QB’s because they have some spread principles that they run.
• On this year’s offense compared to last – scoring a lot more points and the execution has been better but still have a long way to go. A big difference is the playmaking ability of the new guys this year.
• Kevin Grady has some great leadership qualities that have put him in position to get some playing time at fullback.
• Not much is going to be different about the routine this week – trying to narrow the focus of the team this week.

Kevin Grady up next:

• Asked what his favorite MSU moment was – when Chris Perry carried the ball over 50 times. At the time he was in high school getting 40+ carries in games.
• Kevin has friends on MSU and family members that are State fans – he’s just trying to get ready for the game this weekend.
• On the rushing game and it’s historical ramifications – Grady feels that Michigan needs to fine tune the rushing attack for this week.
• The has a hunger that goes beyond this game – the team is working hard on and off the field to improve.
• On playing State – he’d tell his brother Kelvin and others that are freshman – “you better bring your hard hat”
• Kevin is enjoying his role at fullback and wants to improve so he can help his team and get more touches.
• On his key third down catch – he recognized the coverage and that the corner was in Cover 2 – Kevin slowed his pace to give himself space to catch the ball.

Carlos Brown up next:

• His knees were a little banged up on Saturday but he is ok now and will be fine for Saturday.
• On the RB rotation – not difficult at all and typically the coaches allow players to get in the zone. Saturday there wasn’t a specific reason for him coming out (contradicting himself a bit)

Obi Ezeh up next:

• Asked what the MSU game means to him – “whoever wins this game has bragging rights for the whole year – Paul Bunyan trophy is something we want to get back”
• Being from Michigan this is a huge game for Obi.
• Last year’s loss was a reminder – don’t want to add fuel to the fire and want MSU to think last year’s win was a fluke.
• Some think the game will be a shootout – Michigan’s defense is still growing and learning from each game.
• The entire defense is waiting to have a statement game and are hoping that this is the week.
• Doesn’t mind being on the field more because the offense is scoring points faster this year.
• Ohio State is a tougher environment than Michigan State – but it’s close.
• Tough to explain in words what this rivalry means to the team and to the state.

Donovan Warren up next:

• Said that he caught the ball first – focused on getting up with the ball to show he had it.
• When he came in as a freshman – the seniors taught him what the rivalry was all about. Michigan is motivated this year to get the win based on last year’s loss.
• Warren works with all the DB’s including Justin Turner – everyday in practice they do extra things to correct mistakes and get better.
• The defense needs to communicate better to avoid and prevent big plays from happening. Making sure everyone is on the same page in coverage and in the right gaps.
• D. Warren on coming to Michigan from Cali – “I’m a California guy- it’s all about USC and UCLA – as far as deep Michigan tradition I didn’t know much about it”

Well, Michigan is through September with a perfect 4-0 record. The record is perfect, but the play on the field is far from it. Rich Rodriguez and his coaching staff are going to have a field day when they go back and watch film of yesterday’s game. The linebacking play is terrible and Obi Ezeh is not having a stellar season as he continues to miss tackles and not make plays. Those snaps, GEEEEEEEZ…get it right. Michigan lost almost 50 yards and blew opportunities left and right because of problems with executing a shotgun snap.

Thoughts on Beating Indiana 36-33

• Ouch for the Defense
  What happened to the fundamental improvements when it comes to tackling, handling gap responsibilities, taking proper pursuit angles and getting off blocks? As I mentioned above, Obi Ezeh continues to miss tackles and play poorly and Jonas Mouton had his fair share of missed tackles and poor pursuit angles. A big factor in this game was the lack of a pass rush. I think Brandon Graham made a handful of plays and busted through a couple times, but in general the D-line was not impressive and their size again played in Indiana’s favor. Cissoko again played terrible at corner and was replaced by an undersized JT Floyd. A win is a win, but damn that was frustrating to watch.

• Offensive Inconsistency
  Scoring points is a lot of fun and big plays are a lot of fun, but as a Michigan fan you have to remember and consider the youth of Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson. Every game you can see their upside and their potential, however, against Indiana you saw Forcier try and do too much at times. I think, as he matures, those mistakes will be minimized. The bad snaps will not continue, but man did they have an affect on this game in a big way. David Moosman is not experienced enough to snap the ball early if a defender jumps across the line of scrimmage. Doing so took away a scoring opportunity and Michigan wound up punting.

• Minor or Brown?
  This is tough – Brown continues to score on big plays and produce, while Minor tends to make an impact in smaller doses at critical times in close games. RR must continue to use both, but it will be interesting to see how each will continue to receive playing time. I think Minor is the better back running between the tackles, but doesn’t quite have the breakaway speed that Brown has – although he is fast and bursts through a hole with serious force. And Brown is a bit better catching the ball out of the backfield and moving upfield in a hurry. Nobody knows if Minor is truly banged up with a nagging ankle injury primarily because when he gets in the game he looks to be 100%. Michigan is better when both are playing and both are healthy – let’s hope they both continue to make an impact.



Tay Odoms / Det. News

• Tay Odom’s TD
  Over 4 games Martavious Odoms hasn’t quite filled up the stat sheet, but there is no doubt that his presence on the field makes a difference. He’s made several great blocks and some clutch catches – most notably on the final drive against Notre Dame. It was great to see him get in the endzone and pull in the game-winner yesterday.

Thoughts on Being 4-0

• The Eye Test
  The eye test is an easy one – after watching 4 games – do they pass the eye test? Well, Michigan is averaging 37.5 points per game so far and have pulled out two games in the final minutes. Exciting, yes – perfect – of course not. The offense is producing big plays and scoring points when it counts. The defense is an issue and needs to focus on the fundamentals once more. If the defense continues to play like it did against Indiana – Michigan will struggle against 3 of their next 4 opponents – Michigan State, Iowa and Penn State. In general, Michigan has grabbed some national media attention and has passed the eye test.



Tate Forcier / Det. News

• T. Force & D. Rob
  Both Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson have made some plays that really only scratch the surface of their potential. Rich Rodriguez is still trying to figure out his strategy when it comes to playing both of these guys. Forcier’s health is becoming a concern – without him healthy I’m not sure how far this team can go. Although, I would be interested to see Denard taking snaps for an entire game – how many long ones would he break and can he throw the ball with any consistency.

• The Defense Struggles
  This has to be the greatest concern for the remainder of the season. The defense started the season strong – hammering Western Michigan – then allowed Notre Dame to pile on over 400 yards of offense. Notre Dame’s supposed high-powered offense allowed Michigan to give the D a pass, but against Eastern Michigan the D again looked weak. Against Indiana, ouch. Seriously, IU busts an 85 yard 4th quarter touchdown run where tackles were missed and the pursuit angles were terrible. Michigan’s season might be full of shootouts where the offense will have to be spectacular late in games because the defense simply lacks the talent and depth to control games.

• 4-0
  Michigan has played four games and has won all four. You can’t do any better than that. Finding ways to win games is what counts – last year Michigan found ways to lose games – quite a difference. Michigan will learn a lot in the next two weeks going on the road to face Michigan State and Iowa. So far it’s been fun, because there’s a zero in the loss column and Michigan’s young stars are making plays when it counts.

Later today I will be posting a drive-by-drive game analysis for both the offense and the defense. First, here are some thoughts and observations gained from yesterday’s smackdown.

• Michigan looked crisp and like they were on a mission. The crowd was louder than usual. Once a lead was solidified – the student section began a RICH ROD-RI-GUEZ chant. I know it was supposed to be a decent Western Michigan team – and perhaps they will be – but Michigan played like a team possessed and a team that was very prepared.
• Michigan definitely passed the “eye” test. They looked fast, very fast, especially on defense.
• The offense executed. Forcier and Robinson made plays that we, as fans, wouldn’t have dreamed of seeing out of who Michigan had behind center on the field last year. Forcier plays within himself and is very talented. He is quick, very accurate, and seems to play with a maturity level that is beyond his years.
• This may have been Junior Hemingway’s coming out party – he looked very solid getting in the endzone twice. Carlos Brown was solid as well – although expected Brown to break a long run – maybe he is saving that for Notre Dame!
• Kelvin Grady reminds me so much of Steve Breaston – taking long strides and is very fast at the same time. He looked fast and a lot like Breaston on an end-around play that went for about 10 yards. He also had a nice catch on a ball thrown high and fast from Denard Robinson.

• Denard Robinson, holy shit, this guy can absolutely fly and he appears to be the type of guy that will slip out of a tackle or bounce off of a would be tackler to get those legs churnin’ again. In time I look for Denard to be a little more patient on some of those QB draw plays.
• The cornerbacks, Warren and Cissoko blanketed Western Michigan’s receivers and looked very good on their open field tackles. Safety play was solid as well.
• Greg Matthews looks to be a sure-handed punt returner – he understands and apparently has the ability to catch the damn ball! Matthews actually showed some ability to get up field after the catch as well – with a 15 yard return early in the first half.
• Tight end, Kevin Koger, looks as though he will be a key piece of the offense going forward. With a few catches, a TD from Forcier, and a ridiculous one-handed catch I expect Michigan to get a lot of production out of both Koger and beast Martell Webb.
• The defensive line put steady pressure on Hiller throughout most of the afternoon – and a couple of the young guys recorded sacks. Mike Martin had the only solo sack of the day – Ryan Van Bergen and Craig Roh added a sack.
• Michigan wins the turnover battle – with Sheridan’s interception being Michigan’s only turnover. That being said, it’s apparent that Foricer’s and Robinson’s play will buy them sole ownership of the QB role going into next week against Notre Dame.
• The defensive unit as a whole played well – getting several blue jerseys around the ball on every play. Overall speed seems to be better than a year ago. Stevie Brown played a solid game and seems to be a leader out there on D. Obi Ezeh played very well and was in Hiller’s face and making some good open field tackles.
• I advise all to stay away from the Detroit Free Press website – but I can’t help but read how they are now trying to cover their own ass with this story.
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