Denard Robinson accounts for 5 TDs as Michigan holds off Indiana
Denard Robinson dives into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in Michigan's 42-35 win at Indiana on Saturday. Robinson threw for three touchdowns, ran for two and accounted for 494 yards of total offense.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
Junior Hemingway has served as the favorite target of the Michigan football team all season. Not in his role as a wide receiver, but as the butt of jokes by teammates.
They’ve called him Butterfingers for a while now, a nickname that only grew more popular after he dropped a sure-fire touchdown pass last week against Bowling Green.
He also gets teased for “looking like a tight end,” Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said, laughing.
On Saturday, Shoelace helped Butterfingers get noticed for reasons other than his 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame.
Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson connected with Hemingway on a vital 42-yard pass play with 21 seconds remaining in Saturday’s game against Indiana.
On the next play, Robinson scored the game-winning touchdown, a 4-yard run that gave Michigan a 42-35 victory over the Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in the 2010 Big Ten opener.
Robinson gave a lot of the credit to Hemingway, who finished with three catches for 129 yards.
“Man, we’ve been practicing that all season,” said Robinson, who continued his Heisman Trophy campaign, with 494 yards of total offense and five touchdowns.
Robinson had overthrown receivers on three or four deep tries earlier in the game, but had confidence in Hemingway.
“I knew he could go up and get the ball,” he said of a play Michigan offensive coordinator Calvin Magee had been itching to call all game. “I knew he could go up and get the ball. I said, ‘I’ll just put it up there and let him go get it.’”
The two-play sequence capped a back-and-forth game filled with offensive fireworks that featured five different ties. The win was Michigan’s first conference road win since Nov. 8, 2008, when the Wolverines beat Minnesota at the Metrodome.
But Saturday’s was a record-shredding afternoon filled with big plays and missed opportunities.
“I know what the stats look like,” Rodriguez said, “but we’re going to watch film and say, golly, we left two or three touchdowns out there.”
Robinson carried 19 times for 217 yards and two touchdowns, including a 72-yard touchdown run on Michigan’s second offensive play from scrimmage. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 277 yards and three TDs.
“He’s just a great athlete,” Indiana coach Bill Lynch said. “He’s one of those guys that’s just different. He’s got speed. He’s got awareness. He’s got instincts, and he’s a very, very good passer as well.”
Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell might have been better Saturday - he at least made a strong argument by completing 45 of 64 passes for 480 yards and three touchdowns.
It was the most passing yards ever allowed by a Michigan defense. Overall, the Wolverines (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) allowed 568 yards. It’s the second time this year they’ve given up more than 500 yards of offense. Notre Dame rolled for 535.
“You’re never going to play a perfect game,” said Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin, who had a key sack in the fourth quarter. “We have a lot of work to do, but we need to get back and have a great week of practice. We have to get back to the drawing board.”
Indiana receiver Tandon Doss frustrated Michigan all day, catching 15 passes for 221 yards. He helped the Hoosiers (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) control the pace of the game all day ¬- they ran 98 plays from scrimmage.
In the end, it came down to Robinson’s composure in a hostile road environment. Like he did against Notre Dame three weeks ago, Robinson rejuvenated a sluggish Wolverines offense when the team needed it most. Michigan took over with 1: 17 left in the game.
It was almost too much time.
“Once we saw how much time was on the clock, we were like, ‘OK, we’re back at it again,” said receiver Roy Roundtree, who led the Wolverines with three catches for 126 yards. “We just got in the huddle and said, ‘Let’s go, let’s finish.’”
By the time they did, the Wolverines moved within one win of bowl eligibility. They haven’t reached the postseason since the end of the 2007 season, and are searching for their first bowl bid in Rodriguez’s tenure.
They’ll have their first chance to clinch it next Saturday when they host Michigan State (3:36 p.m., ABC). Should they need it, they won’t hesitate to look in Hemingway’s direction again.
“He gets teased a lot for looking like a tight end, but he pulled away a little bit on that pass,” Rodriguez said. “He may have the best ball skills on the team. … He has a great feel for the game. “
Pete Bigelow is AnnArbor.com's Michigan football beat reporter. He can be reached at (734) 623-2556, via e-mail at petebigelow@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.
Comments
CamaroDan
Mon, Oct 4, 2010 : 12:46 p.m.
GoblueinNE_PA Did you actually say the final score isn't EVERYTHING!!! It sure is to me. The reason JH didn't call TO is that the coach can do it from the sideline. Michigan runs the hurry-up all the time, so there was no confusion among the players. It was totally under control. If we had more TOP in the game, there would be less possessions for each team in the game. More TOP for Michigan does NOT mean blowout of IU. I know our D stinks, but playing 8, count them 8, true freshmen on D in the game will pay HUGE dividends down the road. Contract extention for RR!!!!
GoblueinNE_PA
Mon, Oct 4, 2010 : 11:40 a.m.
Camaro Dan If you don't think that ToP was critical this past Saturday, I'm not sure you understand football. Let's try that ToP disparity this week against MSU and see where it gets us, shall we? If Michigan balanced that ToP out a bit, we blow IU off the field. As it is, we barely escape IU with a last second win. And as for poor clock management, I really think you need to watch the games more closely. The final score isn't every thing. Watch how unorganized and out of sync that team is during that final drive. Jr bailed out the team on a desparation heave by DRob. That's all that was. We had timeouts and there were opportunities to clock it and get themselves organized. None of that happened. In fact, Hemingway gets up and starts preening instead of calling the TO like a disciplined team would. Yeah, the clock was stopped by the 1st down, but the team needed to be able to get the right play in and make sure everyone is set, which is why about 10 seconds later, some one else calls the TO. A good coach practices these types of situations with his team, so that everyone knows what to do. But, you'll have to go back and watch the game with a critical eye, not the maize and blue glasses, to see this.
truebluefan
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 10:41 p.m.
It seems the D would benefit by rushing four instead of three. The three-man rush was able to hold IU to under 90 yards rushing for the game. Putting four there should offer equivalent results against better rushing teams. I would be willing to give up a couple big pass plays for the opportunity to pressure or sack the QB a few times per game. The pressure will probably result in more turnovers. Besides, if the other team scores quickly, it just gets our O back on the field for more domination.
CamaroDan
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 7:52 p.m.
GoblueinNE_PA In the article titled One Year Later... posted on Sept 30, at 6:01am you stated: The key for this game will be Time of Possession. If your key to the game is not the most important thing, then what is? PS How is scoring with 17 seconds left is bad clock management?
CamaroDan
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 7:05 p.m.
GoblueinNE_PA IF...if....if. Don't matter, we won the game. IF... we don't fumble on the 1, it looks to be a blowout at 21-7. BUT, it don't matter because it did not happen. I'll get back to you on the TOP comment. Stay tuned
marineblue
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 2:35 p.m.
Michigan Football **TEAM** = 5 - 0.... RRhaters and negative NANCYs = 0 - 5.... BTW, Harbaugh was pretty impressive yesterday. what happened to Mr. Michigan Man's defense??? I'll tell you what happened, It Was SHREADED by a "GIMMICKY" offense....
Macabre Sunset
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 2:01 p.m.
It's too bad games aren't won when your quarterback personally generates 200 yards of rushing offense and 200 yards passing. If that were the case, we'd be all set up for a national championship. Unfortunately, two things haven't yet happened. 1) The defense has yet to show it can stop anything. The worst pass defense in the FBS so far. That's not hyperbole. Against a relatively weak schedule (85th of 120 after five weeks), Michigan is allowing more than 300 yards per game through the air. No one else is. 2) Michigan has to play a decent defense. The schedule is difficult the rest of the way (17th), just like last year with the exception of designated tomato can Delaware State. We don't know if Denard can be successful against top athletes. Gaudy statistics are nice. Keep in mind that the defense's statistics are just as gaudy - but not in a good way.
GoblueinNE_PA
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 1:19 p.m.
CamaroDan, you drinking the hooch? Trying to find where I said that ToP was the ONLY importants stat. I can't find it. However, to your point, we nearly lost that war yesterday because we couldn't get our defense off the field. Had IU taken just 2 more plays to score, we'd have been in OT for sure. Lost in the win yesterday was our horrible clock management during the 2 minute drill. This isn't the first time we've seen this w/RichRod here at Michigan. DRob and JR bailed us out.
Sean T.
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 12:38 p.m.
I like what Denard can do but we have to honest that we played against Indiana's defense. Denard has superb speed but this won't last long during a cold and wet Big Ten season. Not to speak of the better defenses in our league. I'm glad that we won but this does look a lot like last year.
belboz
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 11:33 a.m.
yea,,, i meant twice... clearly, he already did it once!
Flag
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 9:53 a.m.
Love MICHIGAN and always will. But I have to be realistic and note that our Defense is NOT doing the job. I really hope in the off year, we do more to recruit for the big D. Can you imagine the team we would have with a really good shut-down defense and the electrifying offense. We WOULD be the talk of the nation. One can only dream.
CamaroDan
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 8:51 a.m.
GoblueinNE_PA I would like more insight on how the only important stat is TIME OF POSSESSION!!! If you score in 1:30, you will never win the TOP battle, but you can win the war.
LBGoBlue
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 8:45 a.m.
Before just piling on the defense for the yards and points they surrendered, I think it's important to consider the following: 1.) Michigan scored so quickly on multiple occasions that the Hoosiers were able to run NINETY-SIX plays. That's the equivalent of a game and a half of defense. Divide that offense's points by 1.5, and our guys numbers look a lot better. 2.) They got several stops in the 3rd and 4th quarters when the offense was sputtering a bit. 3.) I was impressed with Indiana's quarterback and do not believe we'll see a better passer and receiving corps all season. Indiana's passing attack is far better than Notre Dame's 4.) The coverage was better. Chappell made some great throws all game into some tight windows. 5.) Indiana really didn't have any big plays off of blown coverages or glaring assignment mistakes. Last year's defense did that constantly, and we saw more of that against Notre Dame, UMASS, and Bowling Green. I see cause for optimism with this group. They have a lot of work to do, but little by little, they are getting better.
SonnyDog09
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 8:38 a.m.
"This game was a first EVER in college. D Rob became the first quarterback in collegiate HISTORY to rush for over 200 yards and pass for over 200 yards in one season." I'm sorry, but that's not correct. D Rob became the first quarterback to pass for over 200 yards and run for over 200 yards TWICE in the *regular* season. Vince Young had two games like this, but that includes a regular season and a bowl game. Eight quarterbacks have had 200-200 games prior to this. The first quarterback to have a 200-200 game was Reds Bagnell for Penn back in 1950. Marques Tuiasosopo rushed for over 200 and passed for over 300 in a game back in 1999. See the link below for the entire list: http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/8256/denard-robinson-gunning-for-heisman
belboz
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 7 a.m.
Any win on the road in the Big Ten is a good win. I'm sure Wisconsin would have been very happy giving up 35 points and winning. This game was a first EVER in college. D Rob became the first quarterback in collegiate HISTORY to rush for over 200 yards and pass for over 200 yards in one season. Not just at Michigan, but across the NCAA. What a game. And, he doesn't get there without having a great offense around him. Blockers, receivers, etc. Any great team has a player that stands out. D Rob happens to be ours. These same people complaining about a "D Rob" only team would be beaching up a storm that "we need a star player" to be competitive if he wasn't on the team. Sure, without him, the offense would be quite different - just like the Fab Five would have never existed without Chris Webber. But, you can't say that - he was there, and we had Five Fabulous Freshman. Any team out there with a star player would be different without them. Despite all the crap, Rich Rod has provided an offense that, right now, is exceeding any expectation people might have had. Or expectations that didn't even EXIST. It is some of the most exciting football around - ever. Take it in, despite the defensive problems. Looks like we'll be seeing it for a while. Looking forward to probably the biggest Michigan - Michigan State game I can remember. 2 Top 20 teams, with a coach who recently suffered a heart attack, another coach who has been labeled "on the hottest seat", and the leading Heisman candidate. Can it get any more emotional or exciting?
Rik Pfenninger
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 6:42 a.m.
You watch. An EXACT repeat of last year! I predict no more wins for Michigan and I am a huge fan! We need a new coach.
richagain
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 6:25 a.m.
Way to go BLUE! Where are all the trolls? Some "gimicky" offense huh? LOL This team is all about the team. Offensive line,WR blocking, and multi-threat hesiman D-ROB. When the ball is snaped most defensive players are frozen or going the wrong direction. I dont see any defensive stopping this offense. Only good thing about defense was there experince on the field. the 3-3-5 is very sad, maybe thats why were the only team that runs it. Time to put little brother in his place.
ThoseWhoStayUofM
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 3:14 a.m.
Saying Michigan is a sad team other than D-Rob is an insult to the best nose guard in the Big Ten conference, an insult to one of the best offensive lines in the Big Ten conference, and an insult to some of the best down-field blocking by our wide receivers I have personally ever seen in college football. Not only is it insulting, it is quite ignorant. By the way, Taylor Lewan had an outstanding game today. He is a true freshman, Rich Rod recruit.
3 And Out
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 3:02 a.m.
keep talking idiot... keep talking. That is what ignorant people like you do...attack others rather than the issue. in other words: you dont know what the f r e a k you are talking about.... keep drinking the koolaid though fool...this team will win 1 maybe 2 more BT games but probably 1 vs. Purdue since they are so injury riddled...ps fk you
ThoseWhoStayUofM
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 2:57 a.m.
hey 3 and out... go ahead and call me a dumb a-- (censoring yourself is for pansies) but I wasn't the one that predicted Michigan would go 2-10 this year at the beginning of the season. I'm not the one that sucks Harbaugh's dick every chance I get (nice blowout by Oregon). I'm not the one that made so many baseless assertions that I now root AGAINST my home team just to save face. I'm not the one that logs on to pro-Michigan forums as soon as they open so I can be the first to post a negative troll after a WIN!!! Say what you want 3 and out because, at the end of the day, I'm not you... which means you can't touch me. I'm better than you 3 and out. I am a physics student at the University of Michigan. I worked hard to get where I am and continue to work hard. I go to every home game and root for my team (and my head coach) in the student section. Although I always fix reason in her seat when forming opinions, I understand that loyalty to my program is more important than espousing damaging anti-Rodriguez rhetoric. i understand that rooting for my team is more important than criticizing it. I feel sorry for you 3 and out.
ThoseWhoStayUofM
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 2:31 a.m.
3 and out is annarbor.com's version of the village idiot. Everyone talks to him like they respect his opinions but in our heads and behind closed doors, we just laugh at how foolish he really is. What a complete dult.
3 And Out
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 2:28 a.m.
hey dumb a-- above...I predicted that Michigan would nip that weak IU team... so keep trying loser. I guess I just get under your thin skin chump.
ThoseWhoStayUofM
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 2:15 a.m.
Hey 3 and Out, who is going to win the Michigan vs Michigan State game? Please say Sparty because I really want the Wolverines to win and, given your track record thus far, it would pretty much ensure a win if you predict the opposite. I hope to Christ you aren't a UofM student because that would be an insult to the university.
Jack
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 1:49 a.m.
I'll state the obvious. Michigans D sucks. But I don't blame the players, they are doing their best. It speaks well to Michigans D line that they were able to get ANY pressure at all on the QB. Rushing only 3 men is pathetically stupid and gives the QB plenty of time to find an open reciever, especially when the D secondary is defending a zone instead of the actual receiver. Perhaps if Michigan rushed 1 or 2 and had 9 drop back that would be even better. Yes, I am being sarcastic! I'm afraid GR will think thats a great idea. Little wonder that Michigan's D is last in the Big Ten. Fire GR!!
GoblueinNE_PA
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 1:24 a.m.
Nice win by the boys. It's good to be 5-0. This year, however, is a repeat of last year, win the Non-conf games and beat IU late. We'll see whether this year will be any different next week. BTW, those folks thinking we'll have it easy against MSU because they don't throw the ball as well as IU really haven't been paying attention to Michigan this season. The power run game has gashed us this season as demonstrated by UMass. Heck, even IU, when they decided to run the ball had huge runs. They scored twice with the running game virtually untouched. No, MSU will not be easy. It's at home and DRob is great, so we should have a slight edge, but it will be very very close.
Blueman Rick
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 12:36 a.m.
No, my friend. Oregon does not "represent(s) what Michigan will be like in the not so distant future once all the pieces are finally in place". The UM tradition goes back much further than the that of a mere flash in the pan program like Oregon's. There is a very clear link from Bo to Harbaugh. Only a fool is blind to recognize it. Pride, character and tradition are the characteristics sorely lacking at my Alma Mater.
Sparky79
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 12:16 a.m.
@chiro19 - You're really blown away by how bad the secondary is? Why? We all knew it'd be the weak spot. Lets see... JT Floyd, who came in to the year having played what, three games? And totally stunk last season. James Rogers, who came in to the season doing nothing more than special teams in his career. Cam Gordon, a WR converted to safety in spring. And Jordan Kovacs, a walk-on. None of them really highly rated recruits coming in to Michigan. Behind them, three true freshmen CBs, a true freshman safety, and, uh, that's about it? Come on, blown away? Really? This is what happens when the cupboard's bare and you're left with youth, inexperience, and lack of depth going against the top rated passing attack in the Big Ten. I don't care if "it's only Indiana," as some like to use the excuse. IU came in to the game undefeated and having put up big numbers offensively with an experienced senior QB and I'm not going to take anything away from them. It's probably going to take a few recruiting classes with more focus on the defense to get them caught up.
Skipit3
Sun, Oct 3, 2010 : 12:05 a.m.
@truebluefan, Good point! Where is 3&Pout's ignorant argument that UM needs Jim Harbaugh as HC? Oregon represents what Michigan will be like in the not so distant future once all the pieces are finally in place. What could that power base team do against Oregon's speed? The answer is: Little to nothing! I don't like predictions and I certainly don't like to make them. However, I would not be surprised to see Oregon facing Alabama in the national championship game come January.
Wolvdoug
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 10:48 p.m.
Macfan...."Factor out Robinsons spectacular running and he's a good but not great Quarterback. Don't believe me, just ask Dan LaFevour"...I just soon ask Michael Vick, he's been around a lot longer.
truebluefan
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 10:38 p.m.
lawrencelaundry -- The "hottest" coach in the country, uh, well, his team was outscored 49-10 after the first quarter en route to a 52-31 beat down. A good spread option offense dismantled Stanford. Go figure?
lawrencelaundry
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 10:31 p.m.
Offense is awesome but the D has to be the fault of G. Robinson. We went up against a team that is the worst in the big ten and gave up 35 1st downs. This should have been a blow out win. If we just beat purdue the rest of the way its time to go after the hottest coach in the country. MICHIGAN Man Jim H. At Stanford.
Robbie Webb.
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 10:26 p.m.
Get real, 3. So you're saying Robinson is the ONLY reason Michigan hasn't lost yet? WRONG! What about the O-line? What about the wide recievers? What about our runningbacks? Even on defense, what about our D-line? Linebackers? The one and ONLY weak part about this team is the secondary. Period. They played aweful. But at the same time, Cam Gordon had a great interception that otherwise could have resulted in a touchdown. Not to mention the fumbled snap which will probably never happen again which gave them 7 points. They match up better again MSU. Why? Because Indiana has a great offense with a great quarterback and a great threat of wideouts. And their offense is all about passing, and our weak spot is our secondary. MSU does not pass like that and their offense is more run oriented, which Michigan has been decent in stopping. Next week is when we will say goodbye to the 3-3-5, because MSU is not a spread or passing team. Which means we get to also bench one of the young guys in the backfield and line up with four men. Michigan most CERTAINLY has to grow up fast in the backfield if we are to survive this season, and the offense can keep doing what they're doing. By the way, Stanford is about to lose. Bring on the Spartans. Should be a great heated game. Payback time. GO BLUE!!!
peg dash fab
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 10:23 p.m.
all you griefers, please get a grip! michigan is 5-0! denard is made of dilithium! and then there's little brother's bleats. snicker. go burn a couch, here take some of ours.
chiro19
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 10:14 p.m.
My analysis of michigans defense was way off! Looking at Greg Robinson's face after the game tells me he is incompetent! He is a very very bad coach! The only conclusion you can come up with in this game regarding the secondary and linebackers is that they are being coach not to cover guys but cover areas of grass. The scheme is to not cover people, and try and get a fumble after they make a catch for a first down. I am blown away at how bad this secondary is! Good job on stopping the run (which doesnt exist with indiana). The question I have is what has to happen for Greg Robinson to get fired? Do they have to give up 600 yards in a game? how about 700? no maybe 1000! This is rediculous! Michigan has some talented atheletes that can hit and run so someone tell me what is causing them to give receivers 10 yards off the line every play and not cover running backs and cover grass in zone after 15 yards instead picking up guys in their zone down field. Rich is a great offensive coach and has no sniff about defense. Personally I would have fired Robinson on the spot when he came up to me and thanked me for having an offense when the game ended! On a better note, we have the best offensive player since Nebraska had Tommy Frazier.
lawrencelaundry
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 9:31 p.m.
Offense is awesome but the D has to be the fault of G. Robinson. We went up against a team that is the worst in the big ten and gave up 35 1st downs. This should have been a blow out win. If we just beat purdue the rest of the way its time to go after the hottest coach in the country. MICHIGAN Man Jim H. At Stanford.
Stephen Landes
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 9:23 p.m.
Did anyone get a clear understanding of what Lewan did on that last UM drive that merited a personal foul? The only video I saw was of him pancaking two IU defensive players. Did the IU folks get upset and was Lewan caught for retaliating?
Blueman Rick
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 9:07 p.m.
Yes. D Rob is the real deal but this is quickly becoming "the year of living dangerously". Although exciting in it's own way, this cannot and will not continue. In 35 years of watching UM football, I have never seen such a poor defensive side. Can't play zone, can't play man to man and can't tackle. Really stupefying. I am absolutely not a fan of RR's style of football. One dimensional to say the least. Subtract D from the side and there really is nothing much left.
win
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 9:05 p.m.
dont have exact stats in front of me, but as poorly as th defense played, they also got 4 or 5 big second half stops. I can't stand the way we play on defense but I don't think any of us know more than the coaches. There has to be a reason we only rush three and play 10 yards off the line of scrimmage. We did do a pretty food job against the run. As for the offense. We just might have to score 42 points the rest of the way to win any games. I thought late in the 3rd and most of the 4th we complete ignored the short passing game. That would have helped us move the ball down the field, ate up some clock allowing our defense to rest, and keep their offense on the sideline. I hope the coaches don't run Drob into the ground. This kid takes lots of hits and has been hurt in 4 or the 5 games already this season. We re 5-0 and haven't played very well on D. In the 7 remaining games, we should win 2 (Purdue and Illinois) MSU, Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin are beatable. The only game I see us having no chance of winning is OSU. But 7-5 is about where this team is if we are being realistic. All the Defense has to do is upgrade from horrible to below average and we might go 8-4.
rico2458
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 9:02 p.m.
next week will be a shoot out in the blue corral with michigan taking the win drob is doc holiday
gomich18
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 8:44 p.m.
Well, defense is what was expected and d-rob gives us a chance to win ANY game. A win on the road is one I'll take anyday. Look at the "almighty" Buckeyes today and last year when they had no business losing to Purdue. We're 5-0 with some obvious holes in the D. I will say our run D has looked better (27 car for 32 yds against BG and 34 car for 88 today) albeit against BG and IND. Kubrick you were dead on though that we can't rush just 3 against the pass. They need to tighten up in the secondary and bring at least 5 or 6 in obvious passing situations. I'd rather force quick throws and maybe give up some big ones than sit back and get picked apart time after time. I hope Coach Dantonio is feeling better and able to be at full strength next week for the game. It should be a great one!! Go blue!!...TIme to get some sleep for an early wakeup to go tailgate for the Steelers-Ravens game!!
MAC Fan
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 8:33 p.m.
Denard Robinson is a great quarterback and one man can make a team. Just look at CMU the past 4 seasons. They had a quarterback that broke almost all NCAA records. He's graduated now and off to the NFL. We'll never hear from him again. The NFL doesn't let their quarterbacks run the ball very often. Factor out Robinsons spectacular running and he's a good but not great Quarterback. Don't believe me, just ask Dan LaFevour.
mgobluealways
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 8:12 p.m.
It may also be worth noting that UM did fumble on the 1-yard line when we had a chance to really take control of the game early, and in the second half Robinson (dare I say anything negative about him?) did miss a few very open downfield passes that would have resulted in surely large gains and/or TDs. Execution is never at 100% unless your name was Tate Forcier last week, but those were a few "easy" missed TD opportunities.
81wolverine
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 8:07 p.m.
A road win in the Big Ten is big no matter who we're playing. And 5-0 is a great achievement. Still, we obviously have big issues on defense. I agree with Kubrick - with IU obviously relying on the drop-back pass offense, rushing 3 guys is crazy. On a critical 3rd and 16 in the 2nd half, we rush 3 guys. Obvious result: 19 yards, 1st down for IU. Another area Michigan must work on is running the ball with someone other than Vincent Smith. He did OK, but there were occasions he was obviously too small, like the crucial 3rd and 1 in the 3rd qtr. we failed on. Where was Cox? Still, if DR had made a few plays against IU's awful defense, this game wouldn't have been this close. But, we must play harder and better against MS-Moo next week. I think we'll win. Go Blue!
mgobluealways
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:59 p.m.
I don't really understand when all the haters say that we have nothing with D-Rob. Sure, he is clearly the best player on the team, and based on the last 5 games he is clearly the best player in all of college football. But, it's not like he is doing this alone. Hemingway and Roundtree had huge gains, great catches, and good runs after the catch. They also provide great blocking that allows D-Rob to get downfield as well as he does. Add that to the fact that the O-line is playing unbelievable, and you have a whole team effort on offense. QB's get injured all the time, and while D-Robs running may seem to put him at more risk I'm not so sure that is true. He gets hit downfield more often, but he also takes a lot less sacks and even fewer direct hits after throwing the ball than most QB's. Lot's of statue QB's get injured standing in the pocket too... because football is a violent game.
rico2458
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:58 p.m.
next week will be a shoot out in the blue corral with michigan taking the win drob is doc holiday
Metalc0reJ
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:46 p.m.
Our offense scored too quickly. Our defense got tired and couldn't get them off the field. Indiana has a great passing attack, and the outcome was exactly like 90% of what I saw of people's predictions. I'm not surprised or upset with how our defense played. Certainly it was pathetic, but I'm used to it at this point. We're talking the worst pass defense in the Big Ten versus the best pass offense, it was bound to be ugly. Michigan State doesn't sport a passing offense as good as Indiana's, and I think Michigan will fare better against Sparty's running game than they did Indiana's passing game. This is the best offense Michigan has ever had, that's something to be proud of. If the defense scraps and competes like they did against Notre Dame and UConn, than our offense gives us a chance against anyone. Oh yeah, another game where we were even on turnover margin. And look where it got us. Had we not fumbled the ball inside the 1, the game could have ended up more convincing. But at least we got the turnover back. By the way, look for our talented and underrated wide receivers to have big games against Sparty. Our wide receivers are talented players. P.S. Look at how poor OSU did today. They played with typical poor Tressel play-calling, and showed that they have absolutely no chance without Pryor. At least Michigan has capable backups should our star go out. Of course the offense would slow down, but we have capable backups...
lawrencelaundry
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:46 p.m.
Kubrick66.. u are right on the money with your comment. Rushing 3 with a pocket passer is insane. Why not try some man to man coverage. msu will destroy us if this stays the same. Hey rich rod.. time for a new coordinator with some brains.
lawrencelaundry
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:36 p.m.
Kubrick66.. u are right on the money with your comment. Rushing 3 with a pocket passer is insane. Why not try some man to man coverage. msu will destroy us if this stays the same. Hey rich rod.. time for a new coordinator with some brains.
Bleed Maize n' Blue
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:29 p.m.
The run defense was acceptable in my opinion. The qb pressure was lacking. The secondary is young and inexperienced. They should improve through the season (that doesn't mean they will be great by any means). Overall, good road win for UM. BTW, it's not like last season anymore, we got a road win (actually 2). We must realize, there are no gimmies no matter what B10 opponent you play. Beating IU on the road, in a fairly hostile environment, is a great accomplishment and shows this team is improving. Enjoy the win tonight. That pesky lttle brother is in town next week. GO BLUE!
BillMK
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:27 p.m.
D is about as bad as we feared. But the O is better than we could have hoped. We'll know what we have after Sparty. If M gets by, then they could go on to win 8 - 9 games. If not, maybe 7. They ARE fun to watch...
johnnya2
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:26 p.m.
I said it last week, and I will say it again, this is very similar to last season. Beat ND in the final minute, blow out the fourth team on the non-conference schedule with a record offensive performance. Last minute score to seal win against Indiana, defense can't stop anything. The real part of the schedule starts now. There are 7 games left. Of the next three they have to win at least two to be considered a decent team. They must beat Illinois and Purdue. Then they can split with Wisconsin and OSU. That would mean a good season. I have major concerns if they can beat anybody except Illinois and Purdue, and Illinois is questionable. Seven wins will not be acceptable.
Rob
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:26 p.m.
Nice win... Stellar performance for many athletes today. Way to go Mike Martin - get the D fired up brother!
amaizenblueballs
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:23 p.m.
3 and Out - yes, MSU should go higher in the polls after beating #11. I hope they do. I also hope the odds-makers favor the Spartans. This will all make next week's win sweeter! This game is setting up very nicely for the most satisfying win since Florida.
tulsatom
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:21 p.m.
A win is a win and we'll take it. It's harder to win on the road, just ask the Buckeyes, so any win is a good win. I hope Denard is not too dinged up. He was great until he left with the injury but did just enough to win the game when he came back. I agree with Kubrick66 about the 3 man rush against a pocket passer like Chappel. It isn't working for U-M and leaves too much time for the QB to find receivers and exploit the inexperienced U-M defensive backs. When U-M rushed four, they made Chappel hurry some throws and throw the ball away more often. If they try the 3-3-5 against MSU, they will probably give up huge yardage and get pushed around. The good part for U-M is that it will be hard for MSU to match up against the U-M offense and D-Rob. So long as Denard and the o-line remain healthy, U-M will have a chance, but the U-M defense it what will keep U-M out of the top tier of the Big Ten. By the way, the punter and kickoff guys did better today, which was good to see.
azwolverine
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:21 p.m.
Adding players in the secondary wouldn't be an issue at this point if the players that had already been added didn't keep leaving.
michboy40
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:13 p.m.
D Rob looked great!, Roundtree, Stonum, Hemingway all looked good. Smith was servicable, and the O Line had another good game! Mike Martin had a great game on the D-Line, and Mouton stuffed the inside run pretty much all day. I can't wait until our secondary grows up/adds players. We will be an unstoppable force!
Jim
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:09 p.m.
Tate played one series, hard to say he was ineffective. D-GoD was awesome again. D is what it is. Are you really shocked? My only complaint is we didn't double team or spy Doss. The guy was unreal. Indiana has a better O than Sparty. It's gonna be a blood bath. Good road win. Go Blue!!!
azwolverine
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:07 p.m.
modeltim, For both Michigan and MSU, it depends on your definition of "for real." If winning 8-9 games is "for real," then perhaps you're right. As a Michigan fan, my definition of whether they are "for real" or not is whether they can compete for B10 Championships, beat OSU, and ultimately compete for National Titles. By that definition, I don't know that either UM or MSU is truly "for real" yet.
modeltim
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:01 p.m.
You know college football fans are the biggest know it alls in sports. All you have to do is read the comments here. Is MSU for real? Yes, it certainly looks like it. Is Michigan for real? Yes despite a young defense. As long as DRob stays healthy, no team is safe and Indiana has one hell of a quarterback and some fine receivers. This is the Big Ten and it ain't over till it's over. See y'all next week.
Keiffer
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 7:01 p.m.
Go Blue
azwolverine
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:59 p.m.
Keep in mind, though, that MSU is coming off of a grueling game, both physically and mentally, against Wisconsin. Couple that with the fact that they will be going on the road and might not even have their Head Coach, and this game appears to set up pretty well for UM.
Keiffer
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:58 p.m.
Michigan bareley gets another win. Go Blue. Still huge concerns going into these crucial next two weeks will be the special teams, and the defense. We knew Indy would pass it down Mich throat. Michigan secondary is improving. Even though the yards may not show it, Mich. secondary played a tighter and better pass coverage. One thing to note that has plaqued Mich this year that HAS TO improve is the penalties and turnovers. Again, as I have been saying, a DRobless offense is a very little offense. Shaw being out today and Tate playing for an injured DRob, the offense was ineffective. If Mich. can come out with victories these next two weeks with a solid defense, then I think we are looking at a Big Ten contender. Go Blue
Macabre Sunset
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:52 p.m.
I don't think I've ever seen a defense on the field for 98 plays. I didn't think that was even possible in football. This team needs a defensive overhaul if it's going to compete in the Big Ten. Indiana was projected as finishing 10th in the league going in. The Hoosiers are pretty bad. But the defense made Chappell look like the real Heisman candidate for much of the game. Robinson bailed us out. He's getting very banged up, missed time in four different games with minor injuries. Those MSU linebackers are good - they won't keep missing.
Kubrick66
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:45 p.m.
I want to make this clear under no uncertain terms... The three man rush against a pure pocket passer is/was criminal, literally criminal. Someone should file a criminal lawsuit against Greg Robinson with RR listed as an accomplice for the "defensive" scheme they continue to run out there each week. The players deserve better. Coaches constantly setting up the defensive players to fail. "Make a play?" How can they make a play when they rush three, the DB's are told to play 10 yards off the LOS, and the LB's and Safeties do nothing but occupy space waiting for someone to run through their zone. CRIMINAL! And you Calvin Magee... your play calling late 3rd Q, 4th Q... was completely unacceptable. Try using the field, try using another running back besides Smith who had one good run all day. Had 4 chances to seal the game and went nowhere. FAIL! Denard Robinson? You are but a mortal man who plays like a God. Thank you for choosing Michigan. 5-0 GO BLUE!
Gillete
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:45 p.m.
I meant to say "Cautiously", sorry for the poor grammer, still amped from the game. GO BLUE!!!
trigg7
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:44 p.m.
Glad you had a shoot out with a crapy team. Stop Drob,ooo maybe the all american. I dont think that midget will last long with the BIG BOYS.
Bleed Maize n' Blue
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:44 p.m.
We all knew the defense was going to be bad going into the season. Why beat a dead horse? They came through and got a pick which changed the game to our favor in the end. They created enough stops to help us win the game!
firegregrobinson
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:43 p.m.
Michigan 38 little brother 24 that will shut u spartan fans up and help out whoever is typing for u
firegregrobinson
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:43 p.m.
Michigan 38 little brother 24 that will shut u spartan fans up and help out whoever is typing for u
saintd
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:40 p.m.
what a thrilling game! It went just like i thought it would. This young D got scorched by a good qb and will be all the better for it going forward. Rich rod did exactly the right thing by just letting d rob handle things when the game was on the line. Denard will do this to everybody if need be. They spent most of the game trying to get everyone else in sync.This beats the hell out of 3yards and a cloud of bend but don't win defense at the end. Out with the old and in with the new. These freshmen kids on defense are getting baptized by fire! I can't thank the coach enough for bringing this kind of talent to our team.We will be playing with everyone in this league and beyond for years to come!
Gillete
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:39 p.m.
I guess I could sit here & state the obvious...but I won't, all I know is that I'm still causiously optimistic & Big Blue is 5 -0. We will find out how good they (I hate saying we) actually are against sparty next week. Can't wait till tomorrow to see what Vegas thinks about next weeks match-up. GO BLUE!!!
3 And Out
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:39 p.m.
Maybe MSU will jump D Rob in the polls after this week?
amaizenblueballs
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:33 p.m.
We will prevail against Michigan State and it will be exciting. Don't miss it. The defense will win the game. Watch.
firegregrobinson
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:32 p.m.
I wish u loser spartan fans would go to ur own chat room oh wait thats right michigan has had 2 bad yrs and still noone cares about state. Who on msu defense is gonna stop drob noone michigan wins going away
Eric
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:28 p.m.
Michigan is 1 win away from a bowl game; they have a Heisman Trophy canidate that is simply doing amazing things on a collegiate athletic field that has never been doing anything before, they are 5-0, and I see people still complaining! What! Go figures! These are University of Michigan people we are dealing with; overall. I understand about standards and excellence, but dang, can't you be happy that the team has made strides to improve, and really do well, compared to recent previous years. Yes, I understand tradition, I grew up watching, rooting for, dreaming about running and slapping the banner, so I KNOW about Wolverine football, but it amazes me that there are people so unhappy in their lives that they look for anything and everything to complain about. Such is life in a "MAIZE & BLUE Nation.
TrueBlueinOH
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:19 p.m.
I am happy for the win but...with this bad of a defense and MUCH better teams to come in the Big Ten schedule, I fear the worst. I mean this D can't make a stop to save their lives! Without drastic improvement by the D we won't fare much better than last year.
stunhsif
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:17 p.m.
Michigan barely beats a lousy I U team and the Green and White spank number 11 Wisconsin. MSU is going to destroy Michigan next weekend,cannot wait! Go Green Go White
3 And Out
Sat, Oct 2, 2010 : 6:15 p.m.
Michigan is a sad team other than D Rob.