Wednesday Presser Notes: 10-7 Comment Count

Tim
  • Tate was limited in practice Monday and Tuesday, but did everything on Wednesday. He came out of the locker room in a green jersey, but was in the normal practice jersey by the time the team actually started drilling.
  • Minor has been having his healthiest week of practice since training camp. He went through all of the practice yesterday - and Tuesday is the most physical day. Minor has been limited in games because of those injuries. He's only been able to play because he already knew a lot of the offense.
  • David Molk has worked with the trainers, but he's still not ready to play. He might not practice even next week. Without him, the line is trying to develop a sense of continuity. In Moosman's 3rd consecutive game at center, there should be some improvement.
  • The second corner position is still open. It shouldn't be resolved for another several weeks. Kovacs has played well enough to inspire confidence in the coaches. Mike Williams is healthy now, so he should get some playing time.
  • Team needs to work on execution in passing game, in addition to running game. Rodriguez doesn't care if the team scores on the ground or through the air, as long as they score.
  • Iowa has an active defensive front, they'll be difficult to beat. They jump the snap well, and play with good upper-body technique. The OL just needs to have good fundamentals up front and get on blocks.
  • The athletic department hasn't discussed night games. ESPN really wants them to have one, but there are logistical issues that make it more difficult than it seems. For the coaches, they have meetings and a walkthrough, and sit around and watch a couple of the early games. There isn't as much of a rush to finish a walkthrough the day before. West Virginia had a good night game record, and the players there took pride in that. The fans have all day to prepare (read: drink) for night games, which has an effect on the atmosphere.In Morgantown, that sometimes meant burning couches afterwards.
  • The pink locker room isn't a concern for the coaches. It's not that big of a deal to the team. Rodriguez has no plans to paper over the pink walls, like Bo once did.
  • Rodriguez is friendly with Soup Campbell, the former WR coach for Michigan and current WR coach for Iowa. They haven't talked since the season started.
  • Mike Martin is one of the team's most consistent performers. Rodriguez would like to be able to have more guys play, and get the defensive line more rest.
  • GERG may have an advantage against Iowa, because he's coached against them before, when he was at Syracuse. Of course, that means Iowa has seen his defensive schemes before, as well.
  • Rodriguez got a chance to watch the Tigers last night. He's met with Jim Leyland, and Jared Van Slyke's dad is a coach for the Tigers. "They'll be back."

Comments

Blue_Bull_Run

October 7th, 2009 at 6:26 PM ^

I suspect we will do that, though the snap count can get difficult in a loud and hostile environment, especially with Mooseman snapping.

Also, when RichRod says they jump the ball well, I think it kind of also means they are very quick off the snap, meaning they get into the offensive linemen very quickly.

Seth9

October 7th, 2009 at 6:25 PM ^

By making this post (very) slightly related to the Tigers, I can once again note my great displeasure with last night and continue to voice my hatred for Minnesota, which once again has expanded to include all professional and collegiate teams in the state (although hating the Vikings really isn't that hard with Brett Favre on the team).

I hate the Twins.

CPS

October 7th, 2009 at 7:12 PM ^

and continue to voice my hatred for Minnesota, which once again has expanded to include all professional and collegiate teams in the state

Children have an innate sense of the malevolence in that land of damnation.

Number 7

October 8th, 2009 at 9:58 AM ^

I was irate at the sanctimonious Twins and all things Minnesota until I turned on the radio this morning and heard the recap of the first ALDS game (I know: radio --old school). 30 seconds of the sense of entitlement of pro-yankees announcers (I'm on the east coast), oblivious to the fact that they (and pretty much they alone) can buy 3 of the top 5 free agents every single frickin year, and I was muttering to myself about how much I'd love to see the Twins knock out the Yankees.

st barth

October 7th, 2009 at 6:53 PM ^

there's plenty of time to prepare (drink) before afternoon games. people just need to show some dedication and get out of bed early. i'm often drunk by 10am...(and not just on saturdays either).

BlueGoM

October 7th, 2009 at 7:00 PM ^

No, god no. I'm a stadium employee and the 330pm games are bad enough.... it may be tolerable if they double the number of cops to handle all the drunks...

wiscwood

October 7th, 2009 at 7:39 PM ^

I just saw the Elliot Mealer E60 interview. Talk about super inspiring. I am very proud of my University and Coach Rod for honoring Elliot's scholarship from coach Carr. I wish Elliot and his family all the best. I hope #57 has an All-American career at Michigan.

BlueinLansing

October 7th, 2009 at 8:08 PM ^

game vs MSU a few years ago. I thought it was a great atmosphere. (weather helped).

I wouldn't be opposed to a 6pm start like an occasional SEC gets on ESPN. I do think an 8pm start would be a nightmare for traffic and public safety. You'd still have people trying to leave town at 1am. With a 6 pm start, most fans would get back home at a semi reasonable hour.

The fact that RR even talked about this in a press conference leads me to believe he might be pushing for one. Exciting.

DesHow21

October 8th, 2009 at 12:14 PM ^

Rouge telling the Bayou crazies they couldn't have a night game because of " traffic, trouble getting home to bed, and public safety". He would get laughed out of town.

I think AA needs to man up and let the University really showcase our resurgent program.

Seth

October 8th, 2009 at 10:17 PM ^

I don't know...Michigan's navy blue jerseys would make it kind of hard to see the players at night. We probably would need to go to maize jerseys for that game.

And have no offensive lines. Think about it: Tate in maize at midnight with 8 receivers but five unblocked blitzers EVERY PLAY! Now THAT'S what I call an entertaining Tuesday night!

Then, just to add more awesome, put spikes on all the shoulderpads. And put all the players on rollerblades, and make the surface a giant High-Def TV that can put a highlight and names of the players under them for the fans, and the color changes when he's moving really fast or about to make a "KEY PLAY"

Last thing: Key Plays should be in slow-mo, so we can all ooh and ahh when they happen.

...with Rob Zombie playing full-blast through the loudspeakers the whole game.

BlueinLansing

October 7th, 2009 at 8:12 PM ^

Robinson did face Iowa twice as the Syracuse head coach

2007 Iowa 35 Syracuse 0 @ Iowa, Iowa finish 6-6, Syracuse 2-10
2006 Iowa 20 Syracuse 13 @ Cuse, Iowa finish 6-7, Syracuse 4-8

Seth

October 7th, 2009 at 8:30 PM ^

One year late in my college career, a group of friends and I got this idea in our heads that it would be awesome to drive down to Iowa City with a bunch of maize and blue paint, and do a little redecorating. Unfortunately, we couldn't find anyone that night who was both a.) sober enough to drive, and b.) thought it was a good idea.

By the time those of us in Subgroup B were able to join Subgroup A, it was no longer Thursday, nor early Friday, and we had all joined Subgroup H.*

Fortunately, Marquise Walker bailed us out of that game, even if we did leave the walls pink.**

*Hung the fuck over.

**No, we didn't really put much thought into how to actually get in there the day before a Big Ten game, only a month or so after 9/11.

The King of Belch

October 8th, 2009 at 4:58 AM ^

I say that every oncet in awhile you go up to the line of scrimmage, lift the foot, clap the hands, do whatever normally signals a snap, er, signal, and the team is told DO NOT SNAP THE BALL--wait for them to jump.

You could even have the QB say nothing UNTIL he wants the snap--or maybe a HUT HUT HIKE! (No Snap) followed by a code ord such as FERENTZ or a phrase like CHUCK LONG IS A PRICK--then you snap and before you know it they're all confused and you have slved the problem--and can move on to world peace and the economy (not necessarily in that order).