Posted on Sat, Sep 19, 2009 : 9:25 p.m.
Michigan 45, Eastern Michigan 17. Your complete guide to our coverage of today's game
By Pete Bigelow
Brandon Graham and the Michigan defense celebrate a fumble recovery Saturday during the Wolverines' 45-17 victory over Eastern Michigan.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
It took a while for Michigan to shake off a flat start Saturday. Once the Wolverines finally awoke against Eastern Michigan, they ran their way to a 45-17 victory at Michigan Stadium.
The win was Michigan's third of the season, a number that matches their entire total from last year's 3-9 season. "We couldn't be any better than 3-0,' Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. "That's a good thing for some confidence."
No aspect of their game gained more confidence -- or yards -- than the ground game, which punished the Eagles for 380 rushing yards. That's where we start our coverage this week.
Here's a roundup all our coverage of the Michigan-Eastern Michigan game Saturday in Ann Arbor:
STORIES
- From three yards and a cloud of dust to 90 and a trail of vapor, Dave Birkett has the story on the resurgence of Michigan's ground attack in the victory over Washtenaw County's other Division I-A team.Â
- No player was more central to that dominance than Carlos Brown, who rushed for 187 yards and two TDs. Good thing Brown stuck around Michigan after mulling a transfer, writes Michael Rothstein.
- He wasn't the only player excelling on offense. Denard Robinson might have been the fastest player on the field Saturday, and he's part of the ever-improving quarterback situation for the Wolverines, Pete Bigelow opines.
- Away from the action, Rich Rodriguez says he'll be watching for every post-play shove, jab, and skirmish in the wake of Jonas Mouton's suspension by Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.Â
- EMU running back Dwayne Priest arrived at Michigan Stadium feeling pretty confident. For a little while anyway, that translated into success on the field, writes Jeff Arnold.Â
- Despite the loss and an 0-3 start, Eagles fans are still optimistic that ex-Wolverines coordinator Ron English is the right coach to turn around their program.
- View from the press box: Jim Knight has a compilation of notes and tidbits learned during the game, including a note that seven of Tate Forcier's high school coaches were in town Saturday to watch their protege.
- Michigan center David Molk may have a broken foot. That's the bad news from the trainer's room. Check here for the rest of the injury report, plus an update on the injured right knee of EMU QB Andy Schmitt.Â
VIDEOS
- Carlos Brown talks about his big day, as well as how carries are distributed in the talented, crowded Michigan backfield.
- Rich Rodriguez on Jonas Mouton's one-game suspension and his message to the team.Â
- Ron English talks about his return to Michigan and the task ahead in rebuilding the Eastern Michigan football program
PHOTOS
- Melanie Maxwell and Lon Horwedel patrolled the sidelines for the best shots of the action and the crowd Saturday. They were in perfect position to document Carlos Brown's 90-yard TD run, which is one photo you can find in their slideshow from today's game.
- Wonder what it's like on the field when Michigan storms out of the tunnel? This field-level shot provides some perspective.
INTERACTIVE
- If you missed the game and want a play-by-play of the action, along with our running commentary, check out our live chat from the game. Hope you'll join us next week for our chat during the Michigan-Indiana game.Â
STATS AND STUFF
- Looking for numbers? Here's Saturday's box score.Â
- Mgoblue.com, Michigan's official athletic web site, has the box scores from the season's first two games. Go here to find them.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
- It looked like a repeat of last week for Notre Dame, with another Michigan team driving late for what seemed like a sure-fire win. Instead, the Spartans found a wrenching way to lose 33-30 in the game's final minute.Â
- In the day's other big game, Northern Illinois upset Purdue 28-21. OK, it's hard to call it an upset anytime the Boilermakers lose, but this was Northern's first win over a Big Ten team in 21 years. Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune has the story.Â
- If you believe in moral victories, Minnesota looked pretty good while hanging with No. 8 California for most of the game before succumbing 35-21.
- Toledo may have been upset-minded again after recent upsets of Michigan and Colorado, but there was no such resolve today. Ohio State crushed the Rockets, 38-0.
- For the rest, the Wisconsin win over Wofford and the Penn State trouncing of Temple, you can find recaps of all the games, courtesy of the Big Ten, here.Â
Comments
MrMomInVirginia
Sun, Sep 20, 2009 : 4:35 p.m.
Michigan is now ranked #23 in the AP poll and #22 in the Coaches poll.