Heads held high for this team
I am tipping my hat to this team for not giving up when all hope seemed lost. when we were down by three possessions we could have thrown in the towel but they didn't. They fought for 60 min and that is all i can ask for from this team. Iowa is a great team and we held in there. The turning point of this program is coming. We have players with heart and im still proud to be a Michigan Man (walmart wolverine at that).
GO BLUE!
October 16th, 2010 at 7:07 PM ^
Our offense put up ~520 yards and 28 points against the #1 scoring defense in the country.
And that was with 4 turnovers.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:09 PM ^
Dear sir, I am able to read what you have written, but I will choose to ignore these facts and call for the head of our head coach because I feel this will significantly improve the outcome on the field. //sarcasm
October 16th, 2010 at 7:13 PM ^
Sarcasm acknowledged.
I should also mention the 2 rushing TDs against a rush defense that had allowed ZERO year to date.
October 17th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^
that Glen Mason said UofM had little shot of scoring ANY TD's against - let alone rushing TDs - in the BTN preview show.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:15 PM ^
Reading that actually did make me feel better! It kind of made me feel like your Avatar photo
October 17th, 2010 at 12:34 AM ^
There are good teams/flawed teams all over the place, and consistency is practically impossible in this era. Just ask ND how the Lost Decade is working out. Supposedly unbeatable Alabama Penal Colony lost last week, and the team that beat them just beat Kentucky. Wisky lost at MSU and then beats number one Ohio State. Florida has lost twice. Nebraska thought they had it all figured out, then loses at home to Texas who thought they sucked. Arkansas gave up 65 points to Auburn. The big conferences are going to beat the crap out of each other every year, and we may have Boise-TCU NC games if they don't go to a playoff.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
Plus we played without Molk practically the entire game.
October 16th, 2010 at 8:28 PM ^
October 16th, 2010 at 9:23 PM ^
but I think those four turnovers pretty much necessitated the 500+ yards. It was an impressive offensive performance to be sure, but it would have been better if we could have capped those long drives with more touchdowns and less turnovers. Still you can see the potential, tantalizingly displayed in front of you as if to say, "you have not yet suffered enough to deserve me."
October 16th, 2010 at 7:08 PM ^
It was nice to see the team play their asses off after I (along with everybody else) gave up hope. Especially on such a big weekend for recruiting, the crowd was going nuts toward the end of the game.
Also, KO return for a touchdown by Wisconsin!
October 16th, 2010 at 7:08 PM ^
We have 2 losses to 2 top 15+ teams, I don't know about everyone else but I don't think thats so bad
October 16th, 2010 at 7:10 PM ^
The sky is not falling.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:12 PM ^
A young team is going to make these mental mistakes, especially in the first half of the year. We just have to keep working, keep maturing, and we're there.
We've still got three very probable wins on the schedule and I refuse to make any prediction about the OSU game.
Ain't no thang but a chicken wang.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:12 PM ^
October 16th, 2010 at 7:14 PM ^
We killed ourselves on penalties. I think we might have been around 70 yards just on penalties. Just move on and get ready for PSU.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:14 PM ^
We're just a young team. We will go to bowl this year. That is all.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:14 PM ^
but why do they seem to wait until backs against wall, to start playing? so, no, i don't hand it to them. that is poor mental discipline.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:17 PM ^
in the first half against a team that was giving up like 300 per game before this game.
How can you say we didn't show up early?
October 16th, 2010 at 7:14 PM ^
I am happy with the way they ended the game. But do we really need this bad of a reaction from everyone else? We knew we were going to lose some games in Big Ten play because we know many facets of our team (mostly defense) are still a year away.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:30 PM ^
People need an outlet to get all emo about whatever else is happening in their lives. They see their team lose, jump on the anti-RR bandwagon and feel better when they dispute any potential gains the team has made, all the while nitpicking every mistake the team made.
As has been said - most people didn't believe we could have won more than 7-8 games this year. We got out to a decent start and won our early games against not great opposition. Now we lose two games against legitimate top-20 teams and the sky is falling. Chill out, people.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:14 PM ^
It:s about the team we expected this year, but god did tate look good in the backup spot. I feel good.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:15 PM ^
I think if this was last year, we would've packed it in and lost 31-7 or 14. This team really battled back though... and we still kept shooting ourselves in the foot with stupid penalties, kicks out of bounds and interceptions.
They're making progress guys.. this Iowa team will probably compete for the b10 title before it's all said and done.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:19 PM ^
I definitely think last year's team would've folded and it would've turned into the PSU beatdown in the rain last year. Credit to them for showing some heart, and credit to you Kenny Demens- today I shall call you "the silver lining."
October 16th, 2010 at 7:26 PM ^
needs to get more carries. He's the only one who's worth a damn at this point. Shaw can't do much unless he gets some good blocking. Vincent Smith is clearly not 100% and is not a reliable short yardage back. He did some nice things in today's game.
October 16th, 2010 at 8:33 PM ^
He's the only one who's worth a damn at this point.
It's not really necessary to throw these players under the bus; they're not cattle.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^
I agree with the need to use Hopkins more, but it's not like Shaw and Smith are garbage. Shaw is clearly banged up and Smith would be an ideal third down back. Just no more plunges between the tackles on first and ten for the little fella, ok?
October 16th, 2010 at 7:26 PM ^
Our offense just put up 500 + yards on the best scoring defense in the country. We beat them in every statistical category. I might get some heat for saying this but i think our defense played alot better today and is getting better weekly! I promise you we will be in title hunts in the future!
Have Faith!
Go Blue!
October 16th, 2010 at 7:44 PM ^
Our defense is looking better each week. When the game was over my wife asked me "did they win?" and I calmly replied no, She then asked "so why aren't you throwing things and cussing?" and I replied....."because they played with alot of HEART in the second half and made me proud". I don't belive in moral victories but I do belive this football team and staff have what it takes to be great given the chance and I for one am still all in.
GO BLUE!!!
October 16th, 2010 at 8:55 PM ^
My concern going in was that Iowa would shut us down and embarrass us. What we saw out there today should give us confidence that our guys can move the ball and score on ANY team in the B10, including the hated Bucks. Are we supposed to not be encouraged that Tate led three scoring drives in the second half, and had one foiled near the end by a fumble? I am not feeling bad about the rest of our schedule. Clean up the mental errors and they are a thresher with Denard OR Tate.
<br>
<br>Not all the news was bad today.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:28 PM ^
I'm hoping Lincecum outduels Halladay
October 16th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
I wish I could up vote this thread more than once. In a sea of crap, it is nice to read something that acknowledges that this team has a whole lot more invested in the games than we the fans do.
Although I suppose I am taking up valuable room on the board that could be used to call for Rodriguez's immediate termination and bashing Taylor Lewan for not keeping his emotions in check.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:47 PM ^
As others have said, and I said this in another thread. I really like this team. I picked us to go 10-2, I still think we can go 9-3. The O will slow down, it was impossible to keep up the performance and we knew the D would give up yeards and points, but they are getting better. The special teams were especially bad and that is the only suprise. Today was a tough loss, but I really liked the way we came back.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:55 PM ^
Some will take the positives out of any loss. However, the things that beat this team today were TO's and penalties. Both are attributable to poor coaching.
Not to mention that half of our defense can't tackle without grabbing the opposing teams facemask. How many 3rd and 9+ will we give up this year? No improvement from last year, and anyone who says differently needs to remove the tinted glasses and look objectively at the product on the field.
October 16th, 2010 at 8:37 PM ^
This sort of half-assed analysis is why they should lock it down after losses.
...TO's and penalties. Both are attributable to poor coaching.
So, you're inferring that if RichRod would do a better job then there would be fewer fumbles? that Tate would not misread the zone cover while being harassed by a DE? Maybe RichRod can coach away Lewan's emotionality?
October 16th, 2010 at 9:01 PM ^
I'm stating that in 3 years he hasn't fielded a competent team that plays sound fundamental football. I'm not inferring anything, proof is in front of a national tv audience on Saturdays in the fall.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:08 PM ^
I had a pretty lengthy response written up and then deleted it. You're clearly choosing to ignore the reality of the situation. But by all means, I'll just continue to look at the situation through my thoroughly diluted lenses. Party on Debbie Downer, party on.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:19 PM ^
I don't feel as though I'm ignoring the reality of the situation at all. I just refuse to think of it as an acceptable situation for Michigan football to be in.
There are a long list of excuses for this staff, but they've had 3 years and and we're still seeing the same product in conference play. I hope that they use the bye week and right the ship, but I have no reason to believe that this team is any different than last years based on what we've seen to date.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:31 PM ^
"positive" folks think this is acceptable for Michigan football, either. You think somebody else could come in and do better with the players they have? Recruiting was brutal in the last few years of the Carr era and Michigan is paying the price now. Let Rich's guys get old enough to not need him and the other coaches to hold their hands on the field before you blow it up and start from scratch. No offense, but I hope Rich Rod and the boys win the next three and cram it down your throat, by the beard of Zeus!
October 16th, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^
I have no reason to believe that this team is any different than last years based on what we've seen to date.
How about the fact that our offense is in the top 5 in the country? Last year we were near the bottom of the conference.
October 16th, 2010 at 11:01 PM ^
There are some folks you just can't reach; I wonder if it's worth the effort.
October 17th, 2010 at 11:16 AM ^
So I won't even try. Someone can fire off three idiotic bullet points and it takes 20 pages to first give them perspective and then refute them. I don't have the energy anymore.
October 16th, 2010 at 8:46 PM ^
They could have easily packed it in and got thumped by 21. Instead, they fought.
The depressing part is we will have two weeks of shit from jerkoff fans clogging the good posts of this board. If you are giving up on this staff and team, please do not come back here. Stay away from this blog. Leave us alone.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:29 PM ^
But I've taken some solace in the gritty determination of the team. They have a lot of heart and courage. Now if we could get them some brains to stop making these mistakes, we'd be in business.
October 16th, 2010 at 10:50 PM ^
October 17th, 2010 at 2:32 AM ^
Is just a man behind a curtain.
October 17th, 2010 at 1:07 PM ^
Is that 2 games in a row (for whatever reasons) we have missed the opportunity to "go for the throat" and get up multiple scores early.
I think this is our best chance to win tough games in the B10 - as most teams here are not built to score quickly when far behind. -- See OSU last night -
If Wisconsin, PSU, OSU, MSU were down 21-0 to Michigan , given our Offensive potential, I think it would quickly force them out of their set offense, become more 1-dimensional, which would protect this D (yes even OUR D) by limiting what they have to defend against.
I see flashes in the D that remind me of last year's offense - a well excuted play where one mistake/missed assignment cost us a big play. Maybe this is seeing things thorugh Maize-colored glasses but it makes me hopeful for next years D.