Michigan State 34, Michigan 17



Michael Shaw carried 4 times for 29 yards in Saturday's loss.


Well, that was ugly.  I guess this is what it looks like when Michigan's offense gets shut down (or, in this case, shuts itself down).  I predicted an MSU victory in Friday's game preview, but I didn't think it would be a blowout.  Unfortunately, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson reverted back to 2009 form at times on Saturday, throwing 3 interceptions and making poor reads in the running and passing games.  Here are some thoughts on yesterday's performance.

Denard Robinson was exposed . . . a little bit.  This has been kind of a problem for Robinson all year long, but yesterday Michigan State's defense took advantage of it: Denard doesn't have great ball placement.  When defenses play zone coverage, his receivers do a good job of sitting down in a hole and waiting for the ball.  In turn, Denard does a good job of throwing to those holes in the zone, too.  However, when teams play man coverage, Denard's accuracy on slants and crossing patterns is erratic.  Rather than throwing low and inside, he tends to throw the ball a) high or b) behind the receiver.  That trait was exposed on Saturday when two throws behind receivers were intercepted by trailing defenders.  In addition, another quarterback rule is "Don't throw late over the middle of the field."  Late in the game, Denard threw deep down the middle into double coverage after delaying a bit; the ball was intercepted and ended most of my hope that Michigan could pull one out.

Vincent Smith is not a short yardage running back.  He's not.  Coach Rodriguez, put someone else - anyone - in at running back on 3rd-and-1.  This is just getting ridiculous.  How many times must you fail at gaining a yard with a 5'6", 180 lb. running back before you put in somebody capable of breaking a tackle or pushing the pile?  Not only has it happened a few times this year, but Rodriguez also failed to put in a bigger, more powerful back in the 2009 Illinois game after Roy Roundtree was caught at the 1-yard line; Rodriguez left in a notoriously soft runner (Carlos Brown) instead of running Kevin Grady or Brandon Minor.  This is becoming a weekly, yearly problem.  Rodriguez obviously trusts freshman Stephen Hopkins enough to play him in a big rivalry game like this (Hopkins's two carries went for 7 and 6 yards).  He's 6'0" and 227 lbs.  Give him the ball.

Run the ball.  Michigan averaged 4.8 yards a carry, and the running backs carried 13 times for 76 yards (5.8 yards per carry).  Late in the game, I understand going away from the pass.  Until then, Michigan should run run run when it's working.

Maybe Tate Forcier should have played.  Forcier, 2009's season-long starter, was sitting on the bench.  Robinson, a potential Heisman contender, was having a bad day.  Once the game reached a point where passing the ball every play was a given, I wouldn't have minded if Forcier was inserted.  He's a more accomplished passer and has better recognition skills.  He's also 13-for-13 on the season and has some experience - and success - with late-game heroics (see: Indiana 2009, Notre Dame 2009, Michigan State 2009).  Robinson has improved greatly as a passer, but many of his passing stats can be attributed to the threat of the run.  Once defenses can sit back and play the pass almost exclusively, he's going to be behind the eight ball.  I don't think Forcier could have necessarily won the game for Michigan at that point, but he would have given the Wolverines a better chance, in my opinion.

Mike Martin is a beast.  Martin left the game late due to an illegal chop block that caused a lower leg injury.  However, before that he was making Michigan State center John Stipek look like a statue.  Martin repeatedly beat Stipek off the snap and into the A-gap of Martin's choice.  Hopefully his injury isn't too serious, because backup nose tackle Adam Patterson isn't very good at all.

Rich Rodriguez's clock management needs work. 

• At the end of the first half, Rodriguez made bad decisions.  After a run play on which the clock was left to run, Rodriguez had two timeouts but ran the ball on first down.  Instead of calling one of those timeouts immediately, he wasted precious seconds before calling the first.  Then Robinson completed a long pass down the right sideline to Martavious Odoms, leaving :03 seconds on the clock.  Really the only choice at that point was to send out Seth Broekhuizen for a field goal, which Broekhuizen made.  However, if the first timeout had been called quicker, Michigan would have had approximately :07 seconds on the clock; they could have taken a shot at the end zone and still had time to kick the field goal if that attempt failed. 
• At the end of the game, Rodriguez made another mistake.  With about 6 minutes left (if I remember correctly), Michigan was down by three scores and had a 3rd-and-19.  He called for an immediately checkdown to Michael Shaw, which gained 10 yards.  Okay, that's fine.  I understand the theory.  Get half the yards on 3rd down, and then gain the other 9 yards on 4th down, right?  Nope, after the "give up" pass to Shaw, Rodriguez sent out his punting unit.  Down three scores with six minutes left . . . and you're going to punt?  Go for the win!  What difference does it make if you fail to get a first down and MSU wins by a score of 41-17?  I'd rather have a chance to win the game than save face.

Michigan's defense isn't good enough to give up penalty yards, too.  The team only had three penalties for 35 yards on Saturday, but all three were against the defense.  Obi Ezeh and James Rogers each had a 15-yard facemask penalty, and Tony Anderson's running into the kicker penalty at the end of the game sealed the Wolverines' fate.

Michigan's secondary is S-L-O-W.  Especially once James Rogers exited the game due to cramps, holy cow . . . I've never seen a slower secondary at Michigan.  Cam Gordon had no chance to catch Edwin Baker on Baker's 61-yard touchdown run.  Rogers's replacement at cornerback, Cullen Christian, has been noted by this blog (and many others' observations) for his lack of speed; he was almost immediately beaten deep by Spartan receiver Mark Dell.  Cornerback J.T. Floyd and safety Jordan Kovacs both lack speed, too, although neither one was really exposed on Saturday.

Denard Robinson was off.  I don't know what exactly was wrong.  He seemed to be moving fine.  He just wasn't making the right reads in the passing or the running game.  It didn't seem like he was seeing holes as quickly as in previous weeks.  Some credit goes to the Spartans for getting penetration with their defensive front four, but I don't think Robinson was on top of his game.  And after throwing only one interception in the previous five weeks, he threw three today to an average MSU secondary.  It didn't help that his receivers had subpar days, either.  I thought Roy Roundtree would have a big day - and he had opportunities - but Roundtree dropped two passes, and Robinson missed him a couple times, too.  He also overthrew a wide open Darryl Stonum in the endzone in the first quarter.  The deep ball needs work.

The defense continues to be crappy.  Michigan State's quarterbacks completed 73% of their passes for 287 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions.  The Spartans averaged 5.9 yards per carry, and running backs Edwin Baker (6.7 yards per carry) and Le'Veon Bell (11.1) were outstanding.  The good news is that since MSU likes to run the ball, Michigan has now moved up to #119 in the country against the pass (ahead of only Tulsa).  The bad news is that Michigan has dropped ten spots to #112 in overall defense (New Mexico is better) since last week, on the strength of MSU's 536 total yards.

I realize this post is quite negative, but on the heels of a blowout and three straight losses to Michigan State, I have a hard time finding positives.

Preview: Michigan State at Michigan

Michigan State freshman running back Le'Veon Bell

Rush Offense vs. Michigan State Rush Defense
Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson is currently the #1 rusher in all of college football, and the Wolverines are the #3 rushing offense in the country.  Co-starting running back Michael Shaw should return from a tweaked knee to help out fellow starter Vincent Smith in the backfield, but neither has been extremely productive this season.  Shaw picked up a good chunk of his numbers against UMass, and Smith was unspectacular until his 56-yard touchdown run last week against Indiana; aside from that outburst, he's averaging 3.78 yards per carry.  Meanwhile, Michigan State is ranked #20 against the run this season and just finished beating a run-heavy Wisconsin team.  Many media outlets suggested that MSU shut down Wisconsin's run game, but UW averaged 5.3 yards per carry throughout the contest.  While the Spartans should be the toughest run defense Michigan has seen, no team has been able to come close to shutting down Robinson and his minions in the run game.  Despite the underperforming running backs, Robinson averages 9.2 yards a carry - and that's despite missing the majority of the BGSU game due to injury.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Offense vs. Michigan State Pass Defense
It seems that a lot of people are overlooking this aspect of the matchup.  The Wolverines are the #38 passing offense in the country, while MSU lingers at #78.  With all the talent that MSU has recruited up front in the past few years, the secondary is suspect.  Tate Forcier had a subpar day for most of the 2009 game, but he finished with 223 yards and 2 touchdowns last season, including some big plays in the passing game.  If Michigan has early success in the running game, that should open up downfield throws.  Denard Robinson missed a couple streaking, wide open receivers last week against Indiana, and he'll need to capitalize on those opportunities this week.  I don't expect that Robinson will end up throwing for 400 yards or anything crazy like that, but big plays are bound to be there for the taking. 
Advantage: Michigan

Rush Defense vs. Michigan State Rush Offense
Michigan is ranked #37 in rush defense, although that statistic is a bit misleading.  With as bad as Michigan's secondary is, teams like Indiana, Notre Dame, and UConn have been content to chuck the ball all over the field.  Of those top 37 teams, Michigan allows the fourth-highest yards per carry average (3.66).  This might be where the game is won or lost.  MSU's starting running back, Edwin Baker, is averaging 7.1 yards per carry . . . and there's not much dropoff when he comes out of the game, with top backup Le'Veon Bell averaging 7.4 yards per carry.  In fact, that's not a dropoff at all.  Michigan has done a pretty good job of preventing huge runs so far this season, but teams have been able to get yards in chunks.  The difference this week might be that Baker and Bell have the ability to turn 15- or 20-yard runs into 80-yard runs.  Baker has speed that Michigan's safeties can't match, and Bell has the power to run through a lot of tackles.  Unlike previous opponents, I wouldn't be surprised to see MSU run the ball, run the ball, and run it some more.
Advantage: Michigan State

Pass Defense vs. Michigan State Pass Offense
Ugh.  Rushing the ball is probably the safer option, but if the Spartans need to pass, they'll be able to do so at will.  MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins is completing 67.5% of his passes and has a few good options to whom to throw the ball.  The only good thing is that Cousins has thrown four interceptions in his five games, so Michigan does have a chance to force some turnovers.  However, I truly believe that Michigan needs to rush four or more defenders in order to have a chance against the pass.  If the Wolverines keep rushing three, Cousins will have all day to pick apart Michigan's makeshift secondary.  Michigan is literally last in the country against the pass, and there's no reason to believe that Saturday will show any kind of significant turnaround in that area.
Advantage: Michigan State

Final Predictions

• For the second time this season, Michigan will get outgained by an opponent.
• Denard Robinson will get injured and miss time . . . again.
• We see Michigan's first trick play of the season (double pass, reverse, fake field goal, etc.).
• Roy Roundtree will have a huge game.
• Michigan State 38, Michigan 35

Poll: Who should be the backup free safety?

Freshman safety Marvin Robinson

A couple weeks ago, a poll question asked "Now that Vladimir Emilien has transferred, who should be the backup free safety?"  Here were the results out of 98 votes:

Marvin Robinson: 61%
Ray Vinopal: 34%
Brandin Hawthorne: 4%
Other: 0%

The poll winner, Marvin Robinson, is still listed as the backup to Jordan Kovacs at Bandit.  So the coaches have obviously chosen Vinopal to move up from fourth string to second string (remember, aside from the Emilien transfer, Jared Van Slyke is out for the season due to injury).

I'd like to see what Marvin Robinson can do on the football field, whether it's at Bandit or free safety.  I think he's a superior athlete to Vinopal.  However, there were some questions about Robinson's speed coming out of high school, and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to concentrate multiple linebacker/safety hybrids at the free safety position, like Robinson and Cameron Gordon.  I'm okay with Robinson staying at Bandit for this year, but I do think that Michigan should continue to look for solutions at free safety.  I don't know that a long-term answer at FS is currently on the roster.

Slightly Attractive Michigan Girl of the Week: Rima Fakih

Rima Fakih

Okay, she attended the University of Michigan-Dearborn.  That's not exactly the same as going to school in Ann Arbor, but she is Miss Michigan, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Charles Woodson

Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson had a great game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.  He finished the day with 13 tackles, 3 pass breakups, and 1 interception that was returned 48 yards for a touchdown.  The Packers won by a final of 28-26.

Honorable mention: St. Louis Rams defensive end James Hall finished with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass breakup, and 1 quarterback hurry.  The Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks, 20-3.

Mailbag: Why the Roy Roundtree love?

RE: Roundtree: His lack of speed is evident. It basically cost us the Illinois game last year, and almost cost us the Indiana game this year. (Its never just about one play, but if he doesn't get caught on those plays we maybe/probably get 7 extra points that don't make these gains seem so bad) Speed and big play ability has been hailed in this blog (Shaw on O and the critiques for Gordon/Kovacs on D) but Roundtree has gotten a bit of a free pass.


Most of Roundtree's big plays are the result of Denard and scheme. He runs, untouched, thanks to the defense's attention being elsewhere. He's a good player (that ND catch to get to the goalline was the best play of his career IMO) but he's benefiting from circumstance. Odoms was pretty productive in the same role and Grady has had some big plays in the backup guy.  The slots all have a similar YPC, while Stonum, TRob, and Hemingway all have bigger YPC.


I'm not saying Roundtree should be benched, I'm just wondering why the love for Roundtree is so strong but another productive/reliable player like Smith gets killed.

First of all, let's take a look at the facts.  Lankownia says that the slots all have similar yards per catch, and a few other wide receivers have better yards per catch.  So let's see . . .

Roy Roundtree: 25 catches, 337 yards, 13.6 yards per catch, 2 touchdowns
Darryl Stonum: 15 catches, 226 yards, 15.1 yards per catch, 2 touchdowns
Martavious Odoms: 14 catches, 165 yards, 11.8 yards per catch, 0 touchdowns
Kelvin Grady: 8 catches, 105 yards, 12.1 yards per catch, 0 touchdowns
Junior Hemingway: 6 catches, 190 yards, 31.7 yards per catch, 1 touchdown
Jeremy Gallon: 2 catches, 25 yards, 12.5 yards per catch, 1 touchdown
Terrence Robinson: 1 catch, 43 yards, 43.0 yards per catch, 0 touchdowns

So if we're just talking about yards per catch, Roundtree is fourth on the team behind Terrence Robinson, Junior Hemingway, and Darryl Stonum.  Robinson only has one catch this season, so it's hard to tell how talented he is.  Surely his 43.0 yards per catch wouldn't hold up throughout an entire season.

That leaves Stonum and Hemingway as legitimately more dangerous players, right?  Sure, I guess.  But those solid numbers are also a function of their positions.  In Rich Rodriguez's offense, the outside receivers are expected to a) block, b) run intermediate routes, and c) run go routes.  It should be expected that these players will have higher yards per catch, because short routes aren't in their arsenal.  They either catch the ball downfield, or they don't catch the ball at all.

In the meantime, Roy Roundtree plays slot receiver.  Slot receiver in this offense is much like running back, because a large portion of Roundtree's catches are bubble screens, which are essentially long handoffs.  Lankownia states that Martavious Odoms was pretty productive as a slot receiver, too, but these two slot receivers don't compare.  Between 2008 and 2009, Odoms averaged 35.5 receptions, 357.5 yards, and .5 touchdowns.  In 10 career games as a slot receiver, Roundtree has 57 catches for 771 yards and 5 touchdowns.  And while Odoms only averaged 10.1 yards per reception in 2008-09, Roundtree has him beat by about 3.5 yards per catch.  That's a pretty significant difference.

Lankownia seems to be frustrated that Roundtree has been unable to score on a couple long receptions.  He had a 76-yarder against Illinois last year on which he was caught at the 1-yard line, and there was the 74-yarder against Indiana this past weekend on which Roundtree was stopped on the 2-yard line.  I have a hard time criticizing a guy whose biggest fault seems to be that his 75-ish-yard catches don't turn into 77-ish-yard catches.  Those plays would probably be remembered more fondly if Rich Rodriguez hadn't chosen noted softy Carlos Brown and 5'6" Vincent Smith, respectively, to try to punch those subsequent plays into the endzone; in case your memory is failing you right now, both Brown and Smith failed. 

Regarding Roundtree's supposed lack of speed vs. the lack of speed for Cameron Gordon and Jordan Kovacs, I don't see Roundtree's footspeed as a huge problem.  Again, when a guy is averaging 13.6 yards a catch and has the ability to make 76-yard catch-and-run plays, I'm not going to complain.  Roundtree has the necessary skills to be a very successful wide receiver, even if his speed leaves a tiny bit to be desired.  The problem with Cam Gordon and Jordan Kovacs is that their lack of speed specifically prevents them from doing their jobs.  As safeties, their jobs presumably entail preventing the other team from making big plays and scoring.  When an Indiana running back outruns you for 85 yards (Jordan Kovacs) and when a 265 lb. tight end outruns you for 95 yards (Cam Gordon), there's a problem with that.  And when both of those guys are playing in the same defensive backfield, it's a recipe for disaster.

Lankownia also says that Roundtree's production is the result of Denard's running ability.  If that's true, then why did Roundtree catch 32 passes for 434 yards and 3 touchdowns with Tate Forcier running the show last year?  Teams weren't really afraid of Forcier's running, but Roundtree still found a way to lead the team in receiving in scant playing time.

The premise for Lankownia's statement about Smithis questionable, in my opinion.  It presumes that Vincent Smith is a productive running back.  As I noted in a recent post, Smith is the 8th-best running back (by yards per carry) in the Big Ten + Notre Dame.  Those mediocre numbers are in conjunction with a Heisman candidate at quarterback and a good offensive line.  Even if Smith is the best running back Michigan has to offer - which I obviously don't believe - that doesn't mean he's productive.  Meanwhile, Roundtree consistently finds himself in open areas of the field, whether the quarterback is Tate Forcier or Denard Robinson.  I don't know what it is, but Roundtree has that "It Factor" that some guys just happen to have.  He catches the ball, makes an occasional big play, blocks well (watch Brandon Minor's TD run against Purdue in 2009), makes people miss, and most importantly, he gets open.

I can't make this clear enough, but it's worth repeating: I don't hate Vincent Smith.  I don't have a personal grudge against him.  I'm not against short backs (I loved to watch Darren Sproles when he was at Kansas State), I'm not against dreadlocks (Denard Robinson has quickly grown into one of my favorite players), and it's not about recruiting rankings (Michael Cox wasn't a highly touted recruit, either).  I quite simply believe that Smith shouldn't be getting the most carries for this team.  And while Smith has been just so-so in his two seasons, Roundtree has been somewhere between above average and spectacular.

Michigan vs. Indiana Awards

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Darryl Stonum as a good kick returner.  Seriously, what happened?  Stonum set a Michigan record for kick return yardage last year.  He has improved as a receiver this year, but the team is #102 in the country in kick returns this season.  It's not all Stonum's fault - the blocking hasn't been there.  But yeesh . . . as I said in yesterday's post, every unit on the team has been bad except the offense.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson as punters.  It's not that Tate and Denard have done a bad job of punting.  But the punter position was created for a reason.  If you're allotting a scholarship for a punter, then use him.  Saturday's "surprise" punt came from Tate when Michigan was sitting in its own territory on a 4th-and-1.  Just send Hagerup out there and let him kick it.  These "surprise" punts aren't surprising when the QB lines up 8 yards behind the ball for the shotgun snap and when you run it almost every week.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Jibreel Black.  He seemed to be getting a decent pass rush throughout the game, which is impressive for a freshman defensive end.  I don't think he should be the starter because I think he's a liability against the run right now, but Indiana was a good matchup for him with their 64 pass attempts.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Jeremy Gallon as punt returner.  Another game, another muffed punt.  Luckily he recovered this one, but man, these punt return experiments just need to end.  I don't understand why Michigan, with all its athleticism, can't find a good punt returner.  Gallon has the running skills to be a good returner, but he doesn't judge punts or catch them well.  Drew Dileo's redshirt has already been burned, and returning punts is his forte.  Put Dileo back there, or someone else who can at least catch the ball consistently.

MVP of the Indiana game . . . Denard Robinson.  Yet again.  These really are video game numbers.  He finished 10-for-16 for 277 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He also carried the ball 19 times for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns.  And just like the Notre Dame game, he led the game-winning touchdown drive and scored the go-ahead TD.  How ridiculous is 27.7 yards per completion and 11.4 yards per carry?  Pretty ridiculous.

Michigan 42, Indiana 35




You can close your eyes and pray all you want, #46, but you're not gonna catch him.

  Yesterday's victory was at once entertaining, frustrating, and boring.  The entertainment factor was apparent: Michigan put up 574 yards and 42 points on a Big Ten team, with quarterback and Heisman frontrunner Denard Robinson accounting for 494 of those yards.  The frustration part was apparent, too: Michigan allowed 568 yards and 35 points to a perennial Big Ten cellar dweller, and Indiana held the ball for over 41 minutes.

The boring part was less obvious, but throughout the entire game, I knew Michigan was going to win this game.  I've rarely been this confident during a contest, but I feel I've reached a near level of zen when it comes to watching this Michigan team.  Michigan's offense will score loads of points as long as Denard Robinson is at the helm, and Michigan's defense sucks.  I no longer hope for competence from Michigan's defense.  They are overmatched and there's virtually no hope for them to improve this season.  Sure, they'll make a timely sack once in awhile (Mike Martin) or flash some anticipation in the secondary that results in an interception (Cam Gordon).  But ultimately, both defenses yesterday were atrocious and Michigan's offense is better.  A 7-point margin is . . . just about right.

Some praise and a few gripes . . .

Denard Robinson is awesome.  I feel like I say this in almost every post, but there's no getting around it.  He is having one of the best statistical seasons in college football history and is currently on pace to run (2,353) and throw (2,621) for 2,000 yards and account for 39 touchdowns over a 13-game season.  The easiest part of the schedule has passed, so I don't expect that Robinson will maintain his torrid pace.  Regardless, the first five starts of his career must be on par with or better than every other quarterback in NCAA history.

Michigan's defense is bad.  This was noted above, but there's no reason to expect significant improvement in the second half of the season.  I heard Michigan's official motto is "Let's hope the other team drops the ball or something."  After Saturday's game Michigan is ranked #120 (out of 120 teams) in pass defense, giving up 307.8 yards a game in the air.  Michigan is also #88 in sacks, #88 in net punting, #99 in punt returns, #102 in total defense, and #104 in kickoff returns.  Basically, Michigan is bad at everything that doesn't involve offense.  And the Wolverines haven't even played the tough part of their schedule.

Michigan's goalline offense needs rethinking.  Roy Roundtree caught a 74-yard pass that took the ball down to Indiana's 2-yard line.  On first down, Michigan lined up in the I-formation and shot a BB at Indiana's defense in the form of 5'6", 180 lb. Vincent Smith.  That didn't work.  Then Michigan lined up in the I-formation again, and the center-quarterback exchange was promptly fumbled, providing Indiana the chance to drive 99 yards for a touchdown (on which Indiana capitalized).  Rich Rodriguez has a 6'0", 211 lb. tailback (Michael Cox) and a 6'1", 227 lb. tailback (Stephen Hopkins) at his disposal.  That personnel decision makes no sense whatsoever.

Vincent Smith had a good game.  I don't think anyone has been more critical of Vincent Smith than I have.  It's not that I dislike him or think he's a horrible player, but I just think there are better options.  Against Indiana he had a 56-yard touchdown run on which he was nearly untouched.  Altogether he had 9 carries for 80 yards and the touchdown.  After five games, here's how Smith stacks up against the rest of the Big Ten's (and Notre Dame's) leading rushers, listed according to yards per carry:

1. Edwin Baker (Michigan State): 75 carries, 536 yards, 7.1 ypc, 5 TDs
2. John Clay (Wisconsin): 94 carries, 581 yards, 6.2 ypc, 6 TDs
3. Mikel Leshoure (Illinois): 77 carries, 478 yards, 6.2 ypc, 3 TDs
4. Dan Dierking (Purdue): 38 carries, 205 yards, 5.4 ypc, 2 TDs
5. Evan Royster (Penn State): 67 carries, 353 yards, 5.3 ypc, 1 TD
6. Adam Robinson (Iowa): 98 carries, 480 yards, 4.9 ypc, 6 TDs
7. Armando Allen (Notre Dame): 80 carries, 392 yards, 4.9 ypc, 2 TDs
8. Vincent Smith (Michigan): 53 carries, 252 yards, 4.8 ypc, 4 TDs
9. Dan Herron (Ohio State): 65 carries, 287 yards, 4.4 ypc, 5 TDs
10. Duane Bennett (Minnesota): 91 carries, 400 yards, 4.4 ypc, 2 TDs

11. Darius Willis (Indiana): 64 carries, 278 yards, 4.3 ypc, 3 TDs

12. Arby Fields (Northwestern): 56 carries, 160 yards, 2.9 ypc, 1 TD

For what it's worth, prior to this week Smith was averaging 3.9 yards per carry, which would have put him at #11.  Against varying levels of competition, Michael Shaw (5.6 ypc) would be #4, Stephen Hopkins (4.7 ypc) would be #9, and Michael Cox (9.3 ypc) would be #1.  So there is some statistical backing for my argument that Michigan's starting running back position needs to show some more productivity.

Indiana fans are tools.  Unless something odd happened in the stadium that wasn't caught on camera, it sure seemed like the fans in Bloomington cheered when Denard Robinson fell to the ground injured.  On the one hand, it's certainly a backhanded compliment, like "Hooray, we might have a chance to win this game if he sits out the rest of it!"  On the other - and far more important - hand, it was a classless response from the Hoosier crowd.  You don't cheer when someone gets hurt, period.

Junior Hemingway is slow but good, I guess.  Hemingway caught a slant from Denard Robinson that he turned into a 70-yard touchdown.  After he broke the cornerback's tackle and got up to full speed in the open field, I started wondering, "Did he pull a muscle?"  Nope, that's just how Hemingway runs.  It was reminiscent of Roy Roundtree's 76-yard catch against Illinois in 2009, on which Roundtree was run down by Terry Hawthorne.  Luckily, Indiana's defense isn't very fast, either.  Hemingway also made a clutch 42-yard reception near the end of regulation that set up Robinson's game-winning touchdown, and finished with 3 catches for 126 yards and 1 touchdown.

Jordan Kovacs must hate Darius Willis.  Last year Darius Willis outran Kovacs (among others) for an 85-yard touchdown.  This year Willis caught a pass in the flat, shook Kovacs on the sideline, and trotted in for a touchdown.  Kovacs is normally a sure tackler, but I have to admit, the thing that ran through my mind was "If he can't tackle and he can't run fast, why is he out there?"  That was just a fleeting thought, though, because Kovacs is probably one of the better tacklers on the team.

Roy Roundtree should get the #1 jersey next year.  Prior to the season, I predicted that Roundtree would get 60 catches and 900 yards this year.  Through five games, he's on pace for 65 catches and 876 yards, which is pretty darn close.  If he continues in this vein, then I think he deserves to wear the #1 jersey in 2011.  He's a likeable, hardworking kid, he's successful on both long and short passes, he's a willing blocker, and he has a knack for getting open.  He might not be the physical freak that Michigan is used to seeing out of its #1 wide receivers (6'3", 215 lb. guys who can jump high and run really fast), but Michigan fans couldn't ask for much more out of him.

Taylor Lewan better learn quickly.  We've been hearing for months that Lewan is a bit of a hothead.  His emotions could have cost Michigan the game on Saturday, though.  After Denard Robinson scored a touchdown to put Michigan up 41-35 with 17 seconds left in the game, Lewan was trying to get over to Robinson to celebrate.  Supposedly an Indiana player on the ground tried to trip Lewan, which resulted in an altercation and a 15-yard penalty on Lewan.  I don't care what an opponent tries to do - there's no good excuse for getting a 15-yard penalty when your team scores the potential game-winning touchdown.  If he trips you, fall to the ground, get up, and go celebrate.  What, you've never been tripped before?  Were you afraid that he ruined your pretty maize pants?  Suck it up, and think about the team first.  And while you're at it, you might want to learn how to block without holding.  On the game-winning drive, he should have been called for holding at least twice that I saw on television.

Michigan found a way to win.  Regardless of what went down from the starting whistle to the final whistle, Michigan won the game.  The offense was mostly awesome, and the defense did just enough to win.  There are definitely some things to fix or tweak, but when it comes down to it, the Wolverines' record is 5-0.  Go Blue!

Preview: Michigan at Indiana

Expect to see a lot of this: Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell picking
on Michigan's secondary.

Rush Offense vs. Indiana Rush Defense
Michigan is currently the #2 rushing offense in the country with 331.25 yards a game.  Meanwhile, Indiana has been giving up 177 yards a game to the likes of Western Kentucky, Akron, and Towson to rank #92 in the nation.  This is a bad matchup for the Hoosiers.  Despite the return of starting middle linebacker Tyler Replogle, who missed last week's game with a concussion, the Wolverines should be able to have their way.  Quarterback Denard Robinson is the leading rusher in the NCAA, and the only way Indiana should be able to stop him is by bruising his knee after a 30-yard run.  One caveat, though - there's a strong possibility that running backs Fitzgerald Toussaint (shoulder; 2 carries for 66 yards and 1 TD last week) and Michael Shaw (knee; 44 carries, 256 yards, 5 TDs this year) will miss Saturday's game.  That leaves sophomore Vincent Smith, redshirt sophomore Michael Cox, and freshman Stephen Hopkins to pick up the slack in the running back rotation.  That shouldn't matter too much, although those two missing players are big-play threats for Michigan's offense.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Offense vs. Indiana Pass Defense
Michigan's quarterbacks have only been sacked once this year, and the likelihood of Indiana's front seven catching up to Denard Robinson is low.  The Hoosiers have only mustered four sacks this season in those three games against feeble opponents.  The biggest matchup problem here is 2010 Denard Robinson vs. 2009 Denard Robinson.  If 2010 Denard Robinson keeps up his torrid pace and throws like the 16th most efficient QB in the country, then this should be a clear victory for the Wolverines once again.  I haven't seen any evidence that Robinson will regress to 2009 form, but his performance so far this season seems too good to be true.  He's bound to have a bad game at some point, but will it happen against Indiana?  Well . . . probably not.
Advantage: Michigan

Rush Defense vs. Indiana Rush Offense
The Wolverines have done a better job of limiting big runs in 2010.  With eight men consistently in the box, Michigan's run defense hasn't been great (#53 in the country, 135.25 yards a game), but big plays have been rare.  Hopefully that can remain true this week, too, because leading rusher Darius Willis (46 carries, 219 yards, 4.8 yards per carry, 2 TDs) had an 85-yard TD against Michigan in 2009, and wideout Tandon Doss had a 25-yard TD in last year's game, too.  One of the most memorable images from the 2009 season was of Willis outrunning safety Jordan Kovacs and cornerback J.T. Floyd to the endzone.  That was not a happy moment.  The only guy who had a prayer of catching Willis from behind was safety Troy Woolfolk, who's currently healing from a broken ankle.  Michigan's secondary is even a bit slower this year, as Floyd and Kovacs are back but Woolfolk's replacement is Cam Gordon, who gets outrun by 265 lb. tight ends and MAC wide receivers.  Improved play from Michigan's linebackers - as well as the eight-man front - should be able to stall Willis a little better this year, but there will be some frustrating moments.
Advantage: Indiana

Pass Defense vs. Indiana Pass Offense
This is what scares me.  Bad opponents or not, Indiana averages 304 yards a game through the air (#11 in the country).  Michigan played a couple patsies and Notre Dame, but ranks #105 in the country in pass defense (264 yards a game) and #55 in pass efficiency defense.  Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell threw for 270 yards last year, and he's supported by some good-sized receivers with decent but not great speed.  Free safety Cameron Gordon has been a liability in pass coverage, and I expect Indiana to test him repeatedly; the Hoosiers would be silly not to try.  Michigan hasn't shown the ability to shut down a decent passing game, and I don't think this is the week that they'll step up.  Michigan fans will just have to pony up and expect some big plays through the air.
Advantage: Indiana

Final Predictions

• Denard Robinson rushes for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns
• Ben Chappell increases the team's passing average by throwing for 305 yards or more
• Michigan finally gets a big play out of the return game
• My preseason upset pick will be proven wrong because . . .
• . . . Michigan will win 45-31

Slightly Attractive Michigan Girl of the Week: Bikini Model

This is perhaps the most attractive bikini I have ever seen.  Go Blue!

Michigan vs. Bowling Green Awards

Denard Robinson's bruised knee ended his exciting day.

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Fitzgerald Toussaint.  Toussaint only carried the ball twice on Saturday.  One carry was a 61-yard gallop.  The other was a 5-yard touchdown.  He was caught from behind on the 61-yarder, but that can probably be attributed to the knee brace that was holding his sprained left knee in place.  I'm not going to hold that against him.  And if the biggest knock on a guy is that he got run down after gaining 61 yards, then I'm not too worried.  Unfortunately, he reportedly injured his shoulder, which is why he only got two carries.  Hopefully he can get healthy and stay healthy so we can see him on the field more in the coming weeks.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Kenny Demens.  He played pretty well on Saturday (5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss), and I think he's a more viable backup than Mark Moundros.  And if all other things are equal, it's better to get the younger guy reps.  Demens is only a redshirt sophomore, whereas Moundros is a fifth year senior and will be gone after 2010.  I know Moundros is a captain, but that shouldn't necessarily figure into playing time.  (I also wish Moundros was still playing fullback, but that's a separate discussion.)

MVP of the Bowling Green game . . . Denard Robinson.  Again.  He had 5 carries for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns, on top of going 4/4 passing for 60 yards.  He left with a bruise knee halfway through the first quarter, but he was on pace for approximately 800 total yards in the game.  He surely would have been pulled for a backup before he reached that level, but he could have easily hit 300 yards rushing by halftime.

You might notice that I didn't give out any "Let's see less of this guy . . . " Awards.  That's because all three units played fairly well on Saturday, and there weren't any glaring weaknesses.  Plus I've already made clear my feelings on a few guys who get too much playing time, so there's no need to revisit those quite yet.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Leon Hall

Cornerback Leon Hall now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals

Leon Hall, currently of the Bengals, had 5 tackles, 1 quarterback hurry, 1 interception, and 2 pass breakups in Sunday's 20-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers.  The Panthers were quarterbacked by former Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

Honorable mention: Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne completed 26/44 passes for 363 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception in a Sunday night loss against the Jets.

Dishonorable mention: Braylon Edwards got arrested for DWI last week in New York.  His punishment from the team?  He had to sit in the corner and think about what he'd done for the first 15 minutes of Sunday night's game.  Then he was allowed to go out and catch 2 passes for 87 yards and 1 touchdown to help the Jets beat the Dolphins.  Rex Ryan said that Edwards suffered enough by "being embarrassed" and would endure no further punishment from the team.  In other news, Rex Ryan is a joke.  Furthermore, I have yet to hear Michigan fans attack Edwards with the same amount of hatred as they have shown for Morgan Trent.  Trent would have been much better off to drive around drunk and endanger a bunch of people's lives than to badmouth Rich Rodriguez.

Michigan 65, Bowling Green 21

Quarterbacks Devin Gardner and Denard Robinson celebrate during Saturday's 65-21 victory over Bowling Green.

Yesterday was a pretty ridiculous good time.  It's hard to learn much about Michigan's team in a game like this, because everything worked.  The Wolverines had 721 total yards, which is only six few than Michigan's all-time record for yardage that was set last year against Delaware State.

A couple new things I noticed . . .

1. Michigan used a "heavy package" that included two tight ends in the backfield with the QB and the RB.  Michigan is getting to the point where they can install new packages and formations without confusing the kids too much.  We're starting to see how many different looks Rich Rodriguez and Calvin Magee can show, and at least for now, they all seem to be working.

2. Michigan used some defensive packages with four cornerbacks.  As far as I know, Michigan hadn't used a nickel or dime package in a couple years.  Last year's adjustment to multiple wide receivers was to put linebacker Steve Brown and one of the free safeties on the slot receivers.  This four-corner look might not be a legitimate option against a talented Big Ten team like Ohio State, but it could be used situationally.  Showing it against BGSU gives those kids a chance to practice it, and it also gives future opponents something for which to gameplan.

There were also several old themes revisited, many of which have been addressed here earlier.  I won't go into too much depth on these, but they were worth noting . . .

• Devin Gardner redshirt vs. Tate Forcier.  Gardner had some good moments but still looked awkward at times.  I'm on the record as saying that Gardner's redshirt shouldn't have been burned, at least not so early in the season.  This game seemed to support my theory.  Gardner finished 7/10 for 85 yards and 1 touchdown, while rushing the ball 6 times for 25 yards (4.2 ypc) and 1 touchdown.  Meanwhile, Forcier set a Michigan record by going 12/12 for 110 yards and 1 touchdown, in addition to 4 rushes for 30 yards (7.5 ypc).
• Vincent Smith is still not as good as the other running backs.  He did have a nice touchdown run where he actually ran through a tackle.  But by the end of the game, Fitzgerald Toussaint had 2 carries for 66 yards (33 ypc) and Michael Cox had 6 carries for 56 yards (9.3 ypc).  Still, Smith (12 carries, 62 yards, 5.2 ypc, 2 touchdowns) tied for the most carries with Michael Shaw (12 carries, 59 yards, 4.9 ypc, 1 touchdown).  Even freshman Stephen Hopkins had a better average (6 carries, 33 yards, 5.3 ypc), although Hopkins put the ball on the ground.
• Cameron Gordon and Jordan Kovacs are slow.  Gordon couldn't catch up to a 265 lb. tight end a couple weeks ago, and this week he got torched by a MAC wide receiver on a screen pass that turned into a 71-yard TD.  Jordan Kovacs was also unable to gain any ground on Tyrone Pronty that play.  It's not good when both of the team's safeties are so lacking in foot speed, but that's where Michigan's defense is right now.  It would have also helped if Thomas Gordon and James Rogers gave better efforts . . .
• Michigan needs to rush more than three to get to the quarterback.  The Wolverines had three sacks (two by Ryan Van Bergen, one by Jonas Mouton), and at least two - maybe all three - came on plays where Michigan sent more than three rushers.
• Denard Robinson is good.  He had 5 carries for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns, and was 4/4 passing for 60 yards.  All that happened in about half a quarter of play.

Scouting report: Denard Robinson

Denard Robinson had 502 total yards vs. Notre Dame in 2010

Denard Robinson, Michigan's early season Heisman hopeful, has exploded onto the national scene in 2010.  Robinson showed flashes of his running skill as a freshman backup quarterback in 2009, running for 351 yards on 69 carries (5.1 ypc) and 5 touchdowns.  But his passing was less than stellar.  That combination of skills led many to believe that he would move to running back or receiver in the new season, but that obviously isn't the case.  Here I'll offer some thoughts on Robinson's play so far, the things he does well, and the areas he can improve.

STATS
2009 Passing: 14-for-31, 45.2%, 188 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 interceptions
2010 Passing (through 3 games): 53-for-76, 69.7%, 671 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception

2009 Rushing: 69 carries, 351 yards, 5.1 average (long of 43), 5 touchdowns
2010 Rushing (through 3 games): 74 carries, 559 yards, 7.6 average (long of 87), 4 touchdowns

STRENGTHS
Extremely fast . . . Great acceleration . . . Elite top-end speed . . . Keeps shoulders square to line of scrimmage when running ball . . . Moves well laterally without losing balance or forward momentum . . . Above average arm strength . . . Improving accuracy on both short and long throws . . . Flashes occasional soft touch on deep balls . . . Quick decision maker . . . Rarely holds the ball too long . . . Large hands allow for good ball security on pump fakes . . . Shows poise in pocket and will take contact to make a solid throw . . . Throws ball accurately and with velocity on the run

WEAKNESSES
Desire to get upfield sometimes limits vision of lateral running lanes . . . Tendency to hold ball in left (non-dominant) hand when running . . . Questionable ball security when rushing, especially with ball in left hand . . . Carries ball low and loose at times . . . Carrying ball in left hand sometimes prevents use of bubble screen on zone read option play . . . Doesn't show consistent touch on intermediate and deep throws . . . Lacks great height for seeing downfield . . . Scrambles quickly without going through entire progression, although athleticism makes up for happy feet . . . Throws many balls low and hard . . . Has 3/4 arm delivery, which makes release point low . . . Questionable mechanics often point toe to left of target instead of straight at target . . . At times will throw off back foot to get rid of ball

GAME PLAN AGAINST HIM
1. Force Robinson to give up the ball on the zone read option.  Ends and linebackers should stay home and make Robinson hand off the ball to the running back.
2. Strip ball when he scrambles.  His ball security is questionable, and he will put it on the ground in traffic.
3. Play zone coverage.  Don't turn your back to the quarterback.  He will underthrow the ball at times and open himself up to interceptions.
4. Force Robinson to run/scramble left.  He has more ball security issues and hasn't shown the ability to throw the ball when rolling left.  Most of his big runs have come to the offense's right.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Lamarr Woodley

Lamarr Woodley

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley had 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 pass breakup, and 1 forced fumble in a 19-11 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Honorable mention: New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham caught 4 passes for 75 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown catch.  However, the Giants lost to the Indianapolis Colts, 38-14.

Michigan vs. UMass Awards

Michael Shaw

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Taylor Lewan.  Lewan entered the game in the second half, filling in at left tackle for Mark Huyge.  Lewan played extremely well and had a few pancake blocks.  The thing I liked most about him coming out of high school was that he blocks through the echo of the whistle, and that was evident on Saturday.  I didn't see a single missed blocking assignment, unless you count a sweep to the offense's right and the OLB blitzed around the edge.  Lewan didn't touch him, but the blitz took the defender out of the play, anyway.  This is Michigan's left tackle of the future, and the future might not be too distant.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Vincent Smith.  He's averaging 3.4 yards per carry, and that's including his 11 carries for 42 yards (3.8 ypc) against an overmatched UMass defense.  Despite the fact that Michael Shaw had runs of 34 and 50 yards (Smith's season long is 13), the diminutive Smith got only one less carry (11) than Shaw (12).  I honestly don't understand Rich Rodriguez's insistence on getting Smith so many snaps.  He's not a productive running back.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . an edge pass rusher.  Michigan is not adjusting well to the 3-3-5 defense.  Despite having two potentially solid replacements for Brandon Graham at the 5-tech defensive end spot (Ryan Van Bergen, Craig Roh), Rich Rodriguez and his staff have been employing a 3-3-5 stack most of the time.  The Wolverines have two sacks this season (one from Thomas Gordon, one from Mike Martin) against teams that have thrown the ball a great deal (111 pass attempts in 3 games, an average of 37 per game).  The competition level will only get better once Michigan reaches the Big Ten season, and I'm guessing Big Ten quarterbacks are licking their chops.  Big yards without getting pressured?  Yes, please!

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Jordan Kovacs.  Before you get bent out of shape, read the rest of the entry.  It's not that Kovacs is doing a bad job, and I don't want him benched permanently.  But if Marvin Robinson is healthy this week against Bowling Green (he missed the UMass game due to a shoulder injury), then I'd like to see what Robinson can do on defense.  I don't think Kovacs is the long-term answer at Bandit, although he's probably the best guy for the position right now.  Kovacs could be part of a decent defense, but if Michigan's going to be an elite team in the next couple years, I think he needs to be replaced.

MVP of the UMass game . . . Michael Shaw.  One reason that Shaw was able to run for 126 yards on 12 carries and score 3 touchdowns was because of the threat of Denard Robinson.  So while it's tempting to pick Robinson again, Shaw was the most explosive player on the field Saturday.  He had a 34-yard touchdown run and added a 50-yarder.  Even if you take those two big runs out of the equation, Shaw had 42 yards on 10 carries, which is still a solid average of 4.2 yards per carry.

Unsung Hero of the UMass game . . . Kelvin Grady.  He earned a lot of hype during fall practices, but he hadn't done much this year until Saturday.  Grady had a nice over-the-shoulder catch of 43 yards and a 15-yard run on an end around.  Grady's not going to get the ball a ton, but he has the ability to make big plays because of all the other homerun threats around him.

Michigan 42, Massachusetts 37

I wasn't able to watch the game live yesterday.  After getting home at 12:15 a.m. from Friday night's game, I was back at the football complex by 6:45 a.m.  Then we had a full day of practice, film, and meetings before I left at 3:30 p.m.  That's pretty standard for Saturdays, so unless Michigan plays a 3:30 game or a night game, I have to watch it later.  The first time I checked the score on my phone, though, it was 17-14 and UMass was leading.  Usually I like to watch games live, but I was probably better off this way.  It would have been extremely frustrating to watch that game live.

So these thoughts are coming from the perspective of a guy who already knew the final score:

Notre Dame is stupid.  I don't understand what Notre Dame was trying to do last week.  UMass certainly wasn't able to shut down Denard Robinson (104 yards rushing, 241 yards passing, 3 total touchdowns), but they did a better job than the Fighting Irish.  Notre Dame had much better athletes, and they should have sold out to keep Robinson's gains to a minimum.  It would have been difficult for Notre Dame to lock up with Michigan's four- and five-wide looks since Brian Kelly's squad had limited depth and speed at the safety positions, but it would have been worth a try.  It would have been better to have Zeke Motta covering Roy Roundtree than to let Robinson run for 244 yards.

Vincent Smith can't get it done.  I know he came in early and worked hard.  I know he's coming off ACL surgery.  I know he's a willing blocker.  I know he has good hands.  He just can't be a feature back in the Big Ten.  Good running backs have to be able to create for themselves in open space, and Smith just hasn't shown that ability.  When evaluating Smith's performance last year, I typically excluded his stats against Delaware State because . . . you know . . . that was just an unfair fight.  Sans DSU Smith had 31 carries for 110 yards and 0 touchdowns.  This year including FCS school Umass, Smith has 32 carries for 110 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and 1 touchdown.  Smith isn't the best back on the team, and honestly, he might even be the fourth-best (behind Michael Shaw, Michael Cox, and Fitzgerald Toussaint).  Michael Shaw averaged over 10 yards a carry, but he got only one more attempt than Smith in yesterday's game (12 to 11).

Michigan needs to stop scheduling FCS teams.  I said this prior to the 2007 game against Appalachian State, and I'm still saying it.  Playing FCS teams is a no-win situation.  If Michigan wins, they're supposed to win and they don't earn any respect.  If Michigan loses, it's a giant blow to the team's confidence and reputation.  I'm sure there are plenty of lower-tier FBS schools (from the MAC, the Sun Belt, the WAC, etc.) who would take a big payday and go home with a probable loss.  Michigan's loss against Toledo in 2008 was the Wolverines' first against a MAC school ever, but that loss doesn't resonate nearly as loudly as Michigan's failure against Appalachian State the year before.  Athletic director doesn't need to go dumpster diving with these FCS schools.

Denard Robinson showed a little bit of touch.  Robinson showed something against UMass that he hadn't shown in the first two games of the season, and that was the ability to put touch on a long ball.  The Wolverines rolled the pocket right against a Cover Zero look, and Robinson dropped in a rainbow to Darryl Stonum, who was streaking down the left sideline.  There hasn't been much to criticize about Robinson's play over the first few games, but that play answered some questions.  If teams in the future give Michigan a Cover Zero look or a Man Free defense, hopefully Robinson can take advantage.

The lack of defensive depth is apparent.  Massachusetts held the ball for 37:38 compared to 22:22 for Michigan.  But Michigan didn't make a single substitution in the defensive backfield - TJ Floyd, James Rogers, Jordan Kovacs, and Cameron Gordon were the only DBs to play.  Even if all those guys are in great shape, it's asking a lot to have them out there for almost two-thirds of the game.  Only 37 scholarships are currently being used by defensive players, and 13 of those are true freshmen.

Michigan's offensive team speed is ridiculous.  I'd be willing to bet that this is the fastest team Michigan has ever put on the field.  Even Michigan's "slow" receiver Roy Roundtree was able to run away from the UMass defense for a touchdown (which would be called back).  Denard Robinson, Darryl Stonum, Michael Shaw, and Martavious Odoms are the burners, but all these guys can run.  There are only a couple skill position guys whose speed is mediocre, but those guys haven't been on the field much.

A win is a win . . . I guess.  I'm mildly upset about the score and yardage totals.  While I'm certain that the actual talent differential between Michigan and UMass is more than five points, the performance on the field leaves some questions.  In the years to come, not many people will remember that Michigan almost lost to UMass.  This is temporarily upsetting, but that will wear off.  I can't speak for everyone, but I didn't learn anything new from this game - Michigan's offense is explosive, the defense is terrible, and the special teams are mediocre at best.

Davion Rogers, ex-Wolverine

Davion Rogers

Freshman linebacker Davion Rogers has left the football program.  He was a 3-star recruit from Warren, OH.  The reason for his departure hasn't been officially released, but he had some NCAA Clearinghouse issues when trying to qualify for Michigan and rumor is that he never fully qualified.  Rogers was on campus and practicing with the team, but he had not played yet this season.

You can read my commitment post here, but Rogers was not expected to contribute to the team this season.  He's 6'6" and about 200 lbs., so he had a lot of physical development left before he could contribute at the college level.  However, he is an excellent athlete who would have been an asset to the team in the coming years.

This is the fifth Wolverine to depart since fall practices began.  He's also the fifth member of the Class of 2010 who has failed to reach October of freshman year.  My frustration with Rich Rodriguez's inability to recruit and retain players has been well documented on this blog, and this is yet another potential nail in the coffin for Michigan's defense in the coming two or three years.  Freshmen littered the two-deep at Michigan already, and that trend will continue in the coming years due to all these transfers/non-qualifiers.  Rodriguez has offered veiled complaints about the lack of defensive depth left by the Lloyd Carr regime, but no less than 11 defensive recruits signed during Rodriguez's tenure (Class of 2008 through Class of 2010) have already departed.  That means 31.4% (11/35) of defensive recruits brought in during that time have already left.

My unofficial calculations suggest that Michigan's 2011 recruiting class will have room for approximately 22 players (10 unused scholarships, 12 departing seniors).  For a reference point, a few months ago the class size was supposed to be 14 or 15.  You might think that Michigan's defense has been bad over the past couple seasons, but help won't be on the way anytime soon if Michigan keeps hemorrhaging recruits.

Eligibility Count for 2010: 77

This is a list of all scholarship players for the 2010 season. Rodriguez does not publicly announce what walk-ons are awarded scholarships, so these are my best guesses.

UPDATES:

Added Kelvin Grady and John McColgan to the scholarship list.

Linebacker/defensive end Davion Rogers has left the team.

Defensive end Anthony Lalota has been granted his release to transfer.

Safety Vladimir Emilien has been granted his release to transfer.

Running back Austin White has been granted his release to transfer.

Cornerback Justin Turner has been granted his release to transfer.

Quarterback Conelius Jones did not qualify and will attend prep school.

Linebacker Antonio Kinard did not qualify and will attend prep school.

Cornerback Demar Dorsey did not get admitted and will attend Louisville.

Kicker Bryan Wright will not return for a fifth year.

Linebacker Brandon Smith has decided to transfer to Temple.

Donovan Warren has decided to forego his senior season to enter the 2010 NFL Draft.

REDSHIRT SENIORS = 8 (Final season 2010)
FB Mark Moundros
OT Perry Dorrestein
OG John Ferrara
OG Steve Schilling
DT Greg Banks
DE Adam Patterson
LB Obi Ezeh
LB Jonas Mouton
RB Benjamin Sutton
TE Mike Therman
OT Bryant Nowicki
S Nick Koenigsknecht
P Nick Berry

SENIORS = 4 (Final season 2010)
TE Martell Webb
DT Renaldo Sagesse
CB James Rogers
FS Troy Woolfolk

REDSHIRT JUNIORS = 9 (Final season 2011)
WR Junior Hemingway
WR Kelvin Grady
FB John McColgan
OT Mark Huyge
OC David Molk
DT Ryan Van Bergen
OLB Steve Watson
OLB Brandon Herron
FS Michael Williams
TE Jon Bills
OG Zac Ciullo
LS Tom Pomarico
DE Will Heininger
DT Dominique Ware
LB Rushdi Furrha
LB Kevin Leach
CB Tony Anderson
S Zach Johnson
S Doug Rogan
S Karl Tech
S Jared Van Slyke
S Jordan Reilly
K Scott Schrimscher

JUNIORS = 6 (Final season 2011)
RB Michael Shaw
SR Martavious Odoms
WR Darryl Stonum
TE Kevin Koger
DT Mike Martin
LB J.B. Fitzgerald

REDSHIRT SOPHOMORES = 10 (Final season 2012)
RB Mike Cox
SR Roy Roundtree
SR Terrence Robinson
TE Brandon Moore
OG Ricky Barnum
OC Rocko Khoury
OG Elliott Mealer
OT Patrick Omameh
LB Kenny Demens
CB J.T. Floyd
S Jordan Kovacs
QB Jack Kennedy
WR Patrick Collins
WR Elias Kos
OC George Morales
LB Paul Gyarmati
S Matt Cavanaugh
S Floyd Simmons

SOPHOMORES = 9 (Final season 2012)
QB Tate Forcier
QB Denard Robinson
RB Teric Jones
RB Vincent Smith
WR Je'Ron Stokes
DT William Campbell
OLB Craig Roh
S Brandin Hawthorne

REDSHIRT FRESHMEN = 10 (Final season 2013)
RB Fitzgerald Toussaint
SR Jeremy Gallon
OT Taylor Lewan
OT Michael Schofield
OG Quinton Washington
LB Isaiah Bell
LB Mike Jones
S Cameron Gordon
S Thomas Gordon
K Brendan Gibbons
QB Nader Furrha
RB O'Neil Swanson
FB Jonny Childers
SR Jordan Owens
WR Joe Reynolds
OL Adam Barker
OL Christian Brandt
OL Jareth Glanda
OL Erik Gunderson
OL Tom Lindley
DE Nathan Brink
CB Al Backey
LS Kurt Graman
K Seth Broekhuizen
K Eddie Murray
K Kris Pauloski

FRESHMEN = 23 (Final season 2013)
QB Devin Gardner
RB Stephen Hopkins
WR Jeremy Jackson
WR Ricardo Miller
WR Jerald Robinson
SR Drew Dileo
SR DJ Williamson
OL Christian Pace
DE Jibreel Black
DE Jordan Paskorz
DE Jake Ryan
DE Ken Wilkins
DT Richard Ash
DT Terry Talbott
LB Josh Furman
CB Courtney Avery
CB Cullen Christian
CB Terrence Talbott
S Carvin Johnson
S Marvin Robinson
S Ray Vinopal
P Will Hagerup

Programming note

There will be no UMass preview/predictions this week.  I'm in the middle of what will turn out to be about an 85-hour work week, so time is thin.

I'm guessing Michigan will win, though.

Go Blue!

Poll Results: Who should back up Cam Gordon at FS?

Marvin Robinson (center)

After Vladimir Emilien was granted his release to transfer last week, I asked the question, Who should back up Cameron Gordon at free safety?

Here were the results:

61% chose freshman Marvin Robinson
34% chose freshman Ray Vinopal
4% chose sophomore Brandin Hawthorne
0% chose Other

My choice would be Robinson.  I think Robinson is a better overall athlete than Vinopal.  And according to Troy Woolfolk, Robinson was a ballhawk during voluntary 7-on-7s during the summer.  However, the coaches have Vinopal at #2 on the depth chart.

Thanks for voting!

Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia update

Anthony Lalota

Defensive end Anthony Lalota, who transferred from Michigan earlier this week, is now headed to Rutgers to play football.  Since he has not played for Michigan this season, he will only have to sit out the 2010 season and will be eligible for the Scarlet Knights in 2011.  Hopefully his career at Rutgers turns out better than that of Marcus Witherspoon, a Class of 2008 prospect who failed to qualify at Michigan and then bombed out of the Rutgers program.

Elsewhere, rumor has it that 2010 Michigan commit Conelius Jones has dropped out of prep school.  He was supposed to attend prep school in an effort to enroll at Michigan in January 2010, but that ship seems to have sailed.  Hopefully he can get things straightened out and play football somewhere, but it probably won't be at Michigan.

Other updates are in the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia at the top of the page, but keep in mind that the page is a work in progress . . . especially because it's an amorphous, ever expanding fount of information.

Blog wars!

I have received some e-mails and comments from other bloggers about me posting on their sites.  Apparently someone with a little too much time on his hands has been going around to different sites, making fake posts using my handle, and trying to get people angry at me.

That's the internet for you, I guess.

Anyway, here are the websites that I read and where I post most frequently: MGoBlog (read and post), The Wolverine (read), Genuinely Sarcastic (read and post only occasionally), and Midnight Maize (read and post only occasionally).

If you know anything about my posting habits, then you probably know that I stick to my guns.  I'm not afraid to tell you exactly what my opinion is, whether you like it or not.  So if your blog isn't listed above, then you're dealing with a handlejacker.  It's like MGoBlog's Haloscan days, except this handlejacker is way more pathetic.

Thanks for reading.  Go Blue!

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady

In the New England Patriots' season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals (a team that includes Dhani Jones, Leon Hall, and Morgan Trent), Tom Brady finished 25/35 for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns.  The Patriots won the game by a score of 38-24.

Honorable mention: Former Wolverine Steven Threet earns honorable mention honors for the second week in a row.  The starting quarterback for Arizona State, he led the Sun Devils to a 41-20 victory over Northern Arizona.  Threet ended the day 33/49 passing with 369 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.

Anthony Lalota, ex-Wolverine

Buh-bye.

Defensive end Anthony Lalota has been released from his scholarship to the University of Michigan. The 6'4", 270 lb. lineman committed to Michigan from The Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey. Buried on the depth chart behind redshirt junior Ryan Van Bergen, true freshman Jibreel Black, and converted tight end Steve Watson, the redshirt freshman apparently gave up on seeing the field and asked for his release.

Lalota came to Michigan as part of the Class of 2009. He was a late addition to the football program at The Hun School, having only started to play as a junior. He played offensive tackle and defensive end in high school, and Scout had him ranked as a 4-star offensive tackle prospect at one point. Despite being listed by recruiting sites as big as 6'6" and 260 lbs., he measured in at 6'4", 235 lbs. prior to his true freshman season. He added 35 lbs. in between his freshman season and redshirt freshman season, but the writing appeared to be on the wall by the time the 2010 season rolled around. When you're fourth on the depth chart at a position lacking depth, it would be frustrating.

For what it's worth, I've never been a fan of Lalota's game. My analysis of him after his participation in the Army All-American Game in January 2009 went like this:

I am not very impressed by Lalota's skills. He's a recent convert to football, having not played until his junior year of high school. So significant improvement may still be forthcoming. However, he is very raw as a defensive end and usually tries to beat offensive tackles by bull rushing with 100% effort. I love the effort and that hard work could turn him into a very good player, but at 6'6" and 260 lbs., he reminds me of former Michigan player Pat Massey, which is generally not considered to be a good thing by Michigan fans. As far as I saw, he didn't make any plays in the game, and I wouldn't expect him to play significantly at Michigan for at least a couple years.

Lalota was very mechanical coming out of high school. He played defensive end like an offensive tackle. His lateral mobility was virtually nil, and he lacked great football instincts. I actually would have liked him more for a 3-3-5 defense than I did for the 4-front that Michigan employed at the time he was recruited. Regardless, he seemed overrated to me as a high 4-star prospect. Like many football recruits, the services looked at his size (which was obviously exaggerated) and his decent straight-line speed and said, "Hey, this guy is going to be good." They just didn't account for the fact that football is a sport played by athletes, not just big dudes who happen to not be crippled.

As for the impact of Lalota's transfer on the team itself, it once again hurts Michigan's APR (just like Vladimir Emilien . . . and Austin White . . . and Justin Turner . . . and numerous others). The number of guys transferring out of the University of Michigan borders on ridiculous. No, wait - it is ridiculous. Michigan was nearing the danger line prior to the season. Since then, four additional guys have left the team. I once again have to point out that I'm not impressed with Rich Rodriguez's retention rate. Many of these guys don't seem to be giving the football program much of a shot at Michigan before bailing out. I understand being frustrated about playing time, but he's a redshirt freshman. What liar told him he would be able to start for a Big Ten team by his second year in college? Whoever that liar is, I hope Anthony Lalota doesn't trust him anymore.

Meanwhile, Michigan's Class of 2011 just went from 18 to a size of 19. Guys like Anthony Zettel, Deion Barnes, James Adeyanju, and Ray Drew could take Lalota's spot. Michigan already needed one defensive end in the class. Since both Van Bergen and Watson are redshirt juniors (and Watson might be a longshot to return for a fifth year), I expect Michigan to take at least one more defensive end in the class, maybe two.

Michigan vs. Notre Dame Awards

"Prison Abs" Gordon

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Michael Cox. I know I sound like a broken record, and it doesn't bode well for me (or him) that Cox hasn't seen the field in the first two games. However, Michigan's runnings backs just aren't getting it done. So far Michigan's three running backs (Vincent Smith, Michael Shaw, Stephen Hopkins) have combined for 42 carries, 129 yards, and 2 touchdowns (a 3.07 yard average). I really don't care who totes the rock for Michigan, as long as he runs the ball at a better clip than 3.07 yards per try.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Denard Robinson. Hold on just a second before you go ballistic, though. I don't want him to be relegated to the bench (unless the game is out of hand). I'd just like to see him carrying the ball less. He's averaging 8.0 yards per carry, but he's averaging 28.5 attempts per game. That would be 370.5 carries in a 13-game season, and that's way too much. Hopefully Robinson can get a bit of rest in the next two weeks against UMass and Bowling Green. Robinson might be the best player in the country right now, and he needs to stay healthy.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Thomas Gordon. True freshman Carvin Johnson won the starting Spur job in fall camp, but Gordon played pretty well against Notre Dame in his first career start, as Johnson missed the game due to a knee injury. Gordon was the fouth-leading tackler against the Fighting Irish, tallying 5 stops, 2 tackles for loss, and Michigan's lone quarterback sack. I think he's stronger at the point of attack than Johnson, and while the freshman is probably more athletic, my bigger concern at the position is the ability to stand up to blocks and tackle. Gordon seems to do those things better than Johnson, from what I've seen.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Craig Roh at defensive end. I think this was a game plan adjustment for Michigan's coaches, and the results were questionable. In order to counter Notre Dame's passing game, Michigan put elite pass rusher Roh on the field instead of the solid but unspectacular Greg Banks. However, Roh was overpowered repeatedly, and despite getting a decent rush at times, he was unable to take down the quarterback. If Michigan goes with a 4-front, then I'll be happy to see Roh lined up at defensive end. But in a 3-3-5 defense, he lacked the strength to stand up to the two blockers that usually stood in his way.

MVP of the Notre Dame game . . . Denard Robinson, obviously. He had 258 rushing yards, 244 rushing yards, and 3 touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 passing). He also led the game-winning drive, on which he was 5/6 passing and ran for 17 yards, including scoring the final TD.

Unsung Hero of the Notre Dame game . . . Zac Johnson. Rasheed Furrha and Johnson share the #36 jersey according to the official roster, and the official site lists Furrha as the player who participated in Saturday's game. However, I distinctly remember seeing Z. JOHNSON on the back of #36's jersey, so I'm assuming that was a typo on the website. Regardless, Johnson had 2 special teams tackles and continued the solid special teams coverage he's shown for the past couple years. He also made a smart play on the punt return unit, grabbing a ball on the bounce that appeared to have hit a Michigan player (although I don't think it did). Johnson saw the ball bounce, plucked it out of the air, and fell to the ground, eliminating any chance for a Notre Dame player to recover.

Michigan 28, Notre Dame 24

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson ran for a billion yards on Saturday.

Yesterday was such a roller coaster of emotions throughout the game.

- Low: Michigan's defense sucks as Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist marches down the field for an opening-drive TD.
- High: This Denard kid is pretty good.
- Higher: Crist is hurt. Maybe Michigan has a chance!
- Highest: Denard Robinson runs 87 yards for a touchdown.
- Low: Why are all three guys with a deep third gathered in the middle of the field at the end of the half?
- High: Michigan is up by two touchdowns at halftime.
- Low: Dayne Crist is back.
- Lower: Crist throws a 53-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Jones.
- Lowestest: Crist throws a 95-yard touchdown pass to TE Kyle Rudolph over the head of FS Cam Gordon.
- High: This Denard kid is really good.
- Low: Cullen Christian's hero must be Shawn Crable.
- Coasting into the station: Dayne Crist throws an airball with :00 on the clock.

It was such a relief when the game was over. I was expecting a loss, but the thing about predicting a loss is that I'm either justified in my prediction . . . or I'm ecstatic that Michigan won. And I'd much rather see the Wolverines win than be right.

There were so many things that Michigan fans learned yesterday about their team, and I'll try to touch on a few of them here:

Denard Robinson is really, really good. Notre Dame's defense made a distinct attempt to stop him. He still ran for 258 yards (a Big Ten record for a QB) on 28 attempts (9.2 yards per carry), including an 87-yard touchdown and the 2-yard game-winner. The Fighting Irish have an experienced defense and run a 3-4 scheme that isn't seen much in college, but Robinson was also able to throw for 244 yards on 24/44 passing (55%) (EDIT: Reader MH20 pointed out that Denard was 24/40 for a 60% completion rate) against three seniors and a sophomore in the defensive backfield.

Michigan's running backs are not. Notre Dame keyed on Robinson and geared themselves to stop him in the run game. Still, running backs Vincent Smith (7 carries, 17 yards, 2.4 average) and Michael Shaw (5 carries, 12 yards, 2.4 average) were ineffective. These kids will take what's given to them, but they don't create yards for themselves. This seems to be an ongoing position battle, and hopefully running back recruits like Demetrius Hart recognize that the presence of a quarterback like Robinson should give them plenty of opportunities to get in space. After two weeks, Robinson is averaging 28.5 carries per game. That's too much for a sturdy running back, let alone a 194 lb. quarterback.

Michigan's receivers have stepped up. The only true drop I remember came from tight end Kevin Koger on a rollout pass early in the game. Otherwise, players like Darryl Stonum (4 for 33), Roy Roundtree (8 for 82 and 1 touchdown), and Martavious Odoms (7 for 91) made some highly contested catches throughout the game. If Robinson throws the ball within reasonable reach of Michigan's wideouts, they're going to catch it.

Cameron Gordon has a target on his back. Most or all of Notre Dame's big plays were the result of Cameron Gordon's inexperience and/or lack of natural talent. Luckily for Michigan, this Notre Dame team represented perhaps the most dangerous passing team on the Wolverines' 2010 schedule. But other teams will be forced to take note of Gordon's mistakes. There were numerous times where receivers ran past him or he lost track of them (the TD pass to Jones, the long pass to Riddick at the end of the first half, the 95-yard TD to Rudolph). I don't think it's a coincidence that Brian Kelly gameplanned to attack the redshirt freshman wide receiver-turned-safety. This is the reason that I lobbied for Troy Woolfolk to remain at deep safety back in the spring. Obviously, a broken ankle would have sidelined Woolfolk no matter what position he was playing, but you can't convince me that a Big Ten sprinter of Woolfolk's caliber would have been outrun by a 265 lb. tight end to the end zone. I would not be entirely surprised to see a player with more speed (perhaps Carvin Johnson or Marvin Robinson) take over the FS position in the coming years. I don't want to see him benched, but I think Gordon would fit better at Bandit or Spur.

Jonas Mouton is blossoming in this defense. He led the team with 13 tackles and also picked off a flea-flicker pass. He did miss some tackles on the elusive and speedy Armando Allen, but I can't say that I blame him - Allen could be a special college running back if used correctly. Overall, Mouton showed the play recognition and discipline to be a force for the remainder of the season.

The pass rush needs to improve. Through two games, Michigan's only sack has come from backup Spur Thomas Gordon, who started in place of the injured Carvin Johnson. Michigan frequently used a three-man rush in an attempt to get to the quarterback, and it repeatedly failed. That three-man rush often consisted of nose tackle Mike Martin, defensive end Ryan Van Bergen, and linebacker Craig Roh playing in a three-point stance. At 251 lbs. Craig Roh can't stand up to being double-teamed in the pass rush. Against a single offensive lineman, I'll take Roh to win that matchup a majority of the time. If a second lineman comes to help, Roh will get planted on his butt, which happened several times on Saturday. Ultimately, you play to win the game (thanks, Herm Edwards!), and Michigan did that. But the Wolverines also gave up 381 yards passing.

Tate Forcier is being a good teammate. There were questions last week about his behavior on the sideline after freshman Devin Gardner was inserted instead of Forcier. Forcier was shown giving Coach Rodriguez a hug prior to kickoff, he warmed up congenially when Gardner was inserted for one play, and he was shown cheering on his team over and over again. At least publicly, Forcier looks as though he learned a bit of a lesson from the media blowback last weekend.

You might hate me for saying this, but Notre Dame would have won the game if not for Dayne Crist's injury. Crist is only a sophomore, but he performed much better than his two replacements (Tommy Rees, Nate Montana) who had never played an FBS snap before. When Crist was available, Notre Dame outscored Michigan 24-7. Rees and Montana went 8/19 for 104 yards and 2 interceptions in Crist's stead. Crist was 13/25 for 277 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, in addition to a rushing touchdown. Crist missed about 26 minutes of the game. If the Irish kept up that same rate of scoring (24 points per 34 minutes of Crist's availability), they would have scored about 42 points in the game. Despite Denard Robinson's heroics and record-setting performance, all may have been for naught if Crist remained healthy. Injuries are a part of the game, but I think Michigan fans should recognize that the Wolverines got a bit lucky yesterday.

Denard Robinson is the clear-cut Heisman leader right now. Robinson has 885 total yards (455 rushing, 430 passing) and 5 touchdowns through two games. He also hasn't turned over the ball once, and his team is 2-0. In addition, while several other Heisman candidates have played patsies at least once in the first two games, both of Michigan's opponents were bowl-eligible last season. Now that Robinson has performed well against solid teams - and rushed the ball 57 times - I'm guessing he'll get quite a bit of rest against UMass next Saturday. I doubt he'll remain the leader throughout the season because Michigan's defense will lose a few games this year, but he's been the best individual performer so far.