Posted on Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 1:31 a.m.
Grades: Nothing horrible, but nothing above a C-plus for Michigan
By Dave Birkett
OFFENSE Tate Forcier said before the game Saturday his throwing shoulder was still sore, and he looked like it, avoiding contact on most runs. The passing game was almost non-existent, but Brandon Minor was a beast in the running game. He scored twice - the first two rushing TDs Iowa has allowed all year - and Michigan ran for 195 yards against one of the Big Ten’s best defenses. Three turnovers can’t be excused, though. Grade: C-plus
DEFENSE
A mixed bag, as usual. Donovan Warren intercepted a pass for the third straight game and returned it for an early score, and Brandon Graham was his usual unstoppable self. Graham had two sacks, nine tackles and 3 ½ tackles for loss. The bad: Iowa converted seven of 11 third downs in the first half, including several third-and-longs, and Ricky Stanzi (284 yards) nearly had a career day passing. Grade: C-plus SPECIAL TEAMS Zoltan Mesko was great. No other word for it. He had a 61-yard punt out of his own end zone, but Michigan wasn’t crisp otherwise. Greg Mathews botched a key third-quarter punt and the Wolverines had two penalties on returns (one declined). Grade: C-minus COACHING All the focus is on Rich Rodriguez’s decision to play Denard Robinson over Tate Forcier on Michigan’s final two drives, and for good reason Robinson gave Michigan a spark, but Forcier should have been in at the end. He’s led two game-winning drives this year. Aside from that, I thought Rodriguez and his staff had a very good game plan. Unfortunately, that decision resulted in the crucial interception when Robinson missed a part of a signal at the end. Grade: C-minus Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
Comments
Engineer
Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 10:37 p.m.
No way should a loss ever get a passing grade. You were way to generous. A poorly played, mistake riddled, disappointing loss deserves a similar grade. D- at best. There is a lot of work left to get to a Michigan level. Remember when 3 loss seasons were considered bad. Now 4 wins is considered an improvement. How far have we fell? A long way baby!
azwolverine
Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 3:13 p.m.
For the few fans that are claiming RR has no blame in this, then why is he getting paid so much? He has nothing to do with the outcome of the game, right? IF coaches can't be faulted for their teams giving up big plays and turning the ball over 5 times, then why did so many people think Michigan needed to get rid of Carr? He never fumbled a ball, threw an interception, missed a block, or gave up a big play...his players did. I guess with that mentality, Nebraska should have kept Callahan...his players blew it, not him. I find it laughable that fans use "it's the coach's fault" or "it's the player's fault" interchangably to defend whatever their point of view is. RR is the coach, and just like with Carr, the heat starts at the top.
umblue1
Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 1:26 p.m.
I think its laughable that some who claim to be Michigan fans can complain about where this team is headed. I am 100 percent behind everything this program does despite the complaints of these loser, so called fans, who come off as sounding like whining babies who dont even understand the game. I dont think it is possible to be that stupid, so I think we should maybe think that these so called michigan fans are nothing but savators from with-in. TROJAN HORSES. They are people who aren't Michigan fans at all, but who purposely attempt to create disention in an attempt to destroy thier foe. It was a great move to put in Denard. We are so fortunate to have the luxury of such a change-up. He drove them down field on the previous possesstion for a td and would have done so again if not for a mistake. Monday morning qbs are fools if they think they know better. Its not RR fault that the team turned the ball over 5 times.
vandamme
Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 12:56 p.m.
Bringing in Denard Robinson would've been a genius move if his passing decision making was half as good as his running. However it is not and RichRod knew that but I still can't fault him totally for bringing in Denard. Forcier was actually a liability tonight. Sure he led all those comebacks but he wasn't the liability in those games that he was in the Iowa game. The ball slippery? C'mon Tate! The balls were slippery for Stanzi too so don't pull that bulls***. I empathize for RR's position after he realized that the comeback kid had become the turnoverback kid. He also knew that they had to pass to get into game-winning field goal position and he knew Denard Robinson's passing accuracy is well, a little suspect. Tough position to be in. I blame Robinson's terrible decision making more then RichRod. Hell Denard, Odoms was right there over the middle wide open to throw it to. I think Denard is just to spastic. For now let the Chokeyes enjoy they're rare win against us.
David Briegel
Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 11:04 a.m.
So this is the offensive genius that Martin hired?! I sure don't see it!
dsmith3844
Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 7:30 a.m.
I really can't hang this one directly on RR's Game Plan or the defense. Turning the ball over deep in your own territory gets old fast. The Defense hadn't even made it to the bench each time they had to trot back out and most of the time they held the Hawkeyes to a field goal. Without Warren's pick-six this game would have looked a lot different. Robinson was on a roll and Iowa looked confused about how to stop him, the biggest problem at the end of the game was that we had already burned two timeouts that we could have really used. Ferentz's going for a score when a field goal probably would have put the game out of reach was a gift, we just didn't take advantage of it. All in all, a young team showing its growing pains on the road. Something we all thought we had seen enough of last year.
CarrNavarreous
Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 6:29 a.m.
I hear some Old Blue's squirming in their seats and fondly reminiscing when they had a team that was above.500 in the Big 11.
tomhagan
Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 2 a.m.
It is easy to second guess coaching after a loss...but RR didnt throw an easy and inexcusable pic deep in his own territory, or fumble the ball on a carry, or drop the ball when trying to throw it, or drop an easy fair catch on the punt. This game isnt on RR's game plan, its on stupid mistakes by young players and 2 veterans who should do better.
uminks
Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 1:34 a.m.
Overall, it was a sloppy game. You cannot win against good big 10 teams turning the ball over 4 to 5 times. I'm more upset about this loss since I don't really think IA is the number 12 team in the land! UM had their chance to win but too many mistakes cost them. The defense will not be good until we improve the talent and this for sure is not RR's fault. Fourcier had his first sub average game but he'll bounce back. Robinson did lead us to the TD that gave us a chance to win, so I wasn't too upset that he got the opportunity during the last drive, but who was he throwing too on that final interception? I think they should have given him shorter pass routes like on his first drive! I think Tate should rest up against DSTATE and Robinson should play the entire game. In my opinion the defense continues to improve slightly every week. Now they have to work harder on stopping those big 3rd and long plays. But I am seeing longer stretches of good defensive play! Well we have 6 games left in the season and now we're 4-2. Next week we will be 5-2. We'll have 5 conference games left and I bet you we win at least 2 if not 3 of the conference games which may include an upset win against PSU or OSU at home. Looks as if 7-5 will be in the bank with a chance at 8-4.
heartbreakM
Sun, Oct 11, 2009 : 1:07 a.m.
Well, Dave--you are generous to give coaching a C. The game plan to me was mysterious. It was as usual inconsistent. Defense continues to underachieve (I think--maybe they just do not have good players). Offense has no flow. They continue to underutilize our running backs--Brandon Minor could have carried the ball 30 times with the way he was running, and they hardly used him in the 4th quarter. And I just simply do not understand why they went with laces for the last drive. Even if he had a good drive--Forcier has the respect of the defense to not crowd the line. It is almost as if the coaches just went out there with laces to see what he could do. OF course, they want to win, more badly than me as a fan, but DR did not appear to give the UM team the best chance to win. Maybe they are saving something for next week's Del State game.