New article by Angelique: RR defends Denard's drop in production
Angelique Chengelis has a new article up at the News (http://detnews.com/article/20101116/SPORTS0201/11160402/1131/sports0201/Rich-Rodriguez--Denard-Robinson%E2%80%99s-body-of-work-bigger-than-one-game)
Rodriguez makes an obvious observation:He has not had (recently) some of those huge games like he had, but I still think he's had pretty good production," Rodriguez said Tuesday during the Big Ten teleconference. "What's hindered him the last couple weeks has been the turnovers. He had some pretty good production in the last game (against Purdue), but the turnovers kind of overshadowed that."Nothing really new, but RR doesn't sound too upset. He, like all of us, wants to see Denard hold on to the ball, and make better passing decisions. The next two games will be interesting on that whole score.
November 16th, 2010 at 2:46 PM ^
PASSING GP Effic Cmp-Att-Int Pct Yds TD Lng Avg/G --------------------------------------------------------------- Forcier, Tate 6 141.44 43-64-3 67.2 480 4 45 80.0 He's been solid too.
November 16th, 2010 at 2:49 PM ^
Would it count for the Big Ten single-season total yards record if Denard broke it in the bowl game?
I think he's around 800 yards short of Drew Brees' record. That's a lot of yardage for even Shoelace to rack up, especially against UW and OSU. But it's definitely possible if you include the bowl game, which means he only has to average just around 300 yards a game to break it.
November 16th, 2010 at 2:55 PM ^
"Just 300" I love our new standards. (not an insult, just love the fact that it's realistic to see 300 yards being on the mid to lower end of the performance spectrum.
November 16th, 2010 at 3:17 PM ^
I'm still lukewarm on our new standards: lots of yards from the QB, but praying for .500 in Big Ten play.
November 16th, 2010 at 4:02 PM ^
Luckily, those two standards are mutually exclusive (one does not depend on the other).
November 16th, 2010 at 4:11 PM ^
I think you mean unluckily these two are mutually exclusive. They shouldn't be, really (i.e., with this type of QB production, we should not be a middling B10 team).
November 16th, 2010 at 7:03 PM ^
so Denard can do it, if he puts up Illinois-Iowa type numbers the next two weeks.
November 16th, 2010 at 2:56 PM ^
1. I think you can chalk up most of the turnovers last weekend to the weather. I think it was Denard's first bad weather game.
2. He is a sophmore within his first year of starting. (Remember Tater Nutz's first year turnovers?)
3. I am sure he gets that turnovers = bad. He is probably going to make sure to pay extra attention on that with these two big games coming up.
4. He is still awesome and will win Heisman in 2011 and 2012.
November 16th, 2010 at 2:55 PM ^
What if I told you the best is yet to come? Denard is our best option. It's not even close...
November 16th, 2010 at 3:07 PM ^
THE_KNOWLEDGE, is that you???
November 16th, 2010 at 3:19 PM ^
Tate's looked better the last few games. The beating Denard takes every game is getting to him.
November 16th, 2010 at 4:08 PM ^
The important question isn't "who's better, Tate or Denard," the important question is "who has the higher ceiling, and how likely are Tate and Denard, respectively to reach theirs?"
Even if Tate is more effective at the moment than Denard (a point which I disagree with), long-term, Denard is far more likely to help Michigan win games than Tate. The more gametime and sometimes-grueling situations Denard absorbs, the further along he develops.
There's an opportunity cost to NOT having Denard on the field for every second that Tate is, because in 2012, I really don't see Tate as the starter. Do you?
November 16th, 2010 at 5:52 PM ^
Tate has been a great backup and 2nd option and hope that he sees his role is to stay and help assure our future. Denard as previously stated is still learning but he has more tools to work with than Tate will ever have. Yes we complain about a few bad passes and the turnovers but they have happened while trying to make plays. Tate has lost the ball for no reason (see Illinois fumble this year and fumble on the 1 yard line against OSU last year). Denard's fumbles have been while running hard and interceptions have been overthrows, not underthrows. Here's to further growth at the QB position in the next two games, this years bowl game, and next fall.
November 16th, 2010 at 7:09 PM ^
i don't think we scored on any of tate's possessions against purdue. in general, i like the idea of getting tate some work, but not so much in the purdue game. the weather hinders tate's game more than denards.
November 16th, 2010 at 2:59 PM ^
To make this MgoBlog proper:
He, like all of us, wants to see Denard hold on to the ball, and make better passing decisions.
Should read ...see Denard hold onto the DAMN ball...
I feel better now.
November 16th, 2010 at 4:00 PM ^
But that phrase will always come hard to a preacher, which I am.
November 16th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^
Personally, I think some of the throwing inaccuracy and the ineffective running have to do with how many times he's carried the ball this season. He's been dealing with several injuries (shoulder, knee) and he hasn't looked quite as explosive as he did in the first five or six games.
November 16th, 2010 at 3:18 PM ^
to hear what the injuries are. If I am not mistaken, Tate's shoulder was hurt all year and we didn't find out the extent of the injury until the season was over.
November 16th, 2010 at 5:49 PM ^
I'm sure he has nagging injuries like most players have, but I don't think his are really limiting his ability. They might be limiting his decision making here and there if anything...
November 16th, 2010 at 4:03 PM ^
Given what you say, would you counsel using Denard differently next year? Perhaps as his touch improves, he will have a higher self-preservation instinct and not expose himself to as many hits. Unless Denard is pretty sure he can make it, a slide to the turf and no hit makes sense sometimes. Better to save yourself for another play and another game, especially when games are in hand.
November 16th, 2010 at 4:17 PM ^
Well, he obviously needs to do a better job of decision-making (when to run, when to throw, when to get out of bounds, etc.).
Regardless, we need to use our running backs more effectively and more frequently. I understand the Notre Dame game when he got 28 carries, because that was necessary to win the game. Okay. But 29 carries against UConn when you win 30-10? That's the stuff that seems silly.
November 16th, 2010 at 3:23 PM ^
Usually when you have a QB with running skills like Denard - the problem with their passing game is patience. They aren't patient enough to hang in the pocket and they take off before plays develop. But Denard has this weird thing going on where he doesn't seem to feel when it's right for him to abandon the pass and use his speed.
There have been at least 10 or 15 plays since the Michigan State game where Denard stands back in the pocket forever when he can easily take off and probably get a first down or at least get something positive.
Denard's still the man and will only continue to get better.
November 16th, 2010 at 3:30 PM ^
Um, it really hurts when you get tackled 40 times in a game. We want him to stay healthy and present a viable multidimensional threat.
/s/
November 16th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^
The dude can start sliding for all I care if he starts punishing defenses with QB scrambles from a passing set.
November 16th, 2010 at 4:02 PM ^
And more importantly, no one's asking him to run 40 times a game. Perhaps there should be fewer designed runs and more flexibility so that he doesn't rigidly differentiate between "run" and "pass" plays.
Either way, it's pretty hard to argue that Denard has been making great run-pass decisions over the past several weeks. That being said, he' s true soph. These things will come with time.
November 16th, 2010 at 7:13 PM ^
but there are many times when he can just run toward the sideline and get 10 yds w/o being hit. he needs to do this.
November 16th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^
Who was the guy that had 300yds of passing in 3 qtrs 2 weeks ago with numerous dropped passes?
The fact people get on this guy about his production is laughable. He has 1 bad game as a Sophmore in a mud bowl and we have 10 different conspiracy theories?
How about this... when you run the ball 20 times a game you are not going to be as accurate as Tom Brady. We'll just have to live with it.
People talk about our standards dropping, guess not. Sophmore qb's who lead the nation in rushing can not have any bad passes due to fatigue from running around like a lunatic the previous 2 plays.
November 16th, 2010 at 4:04 PM ^
Exactly, we have to live with it. In this offense it looks as if the QB will get pounded every game. It's no surprise that Dernard's accuracy has been 2009-esque as the season wears on.
November 16th, 2010 at 7:17 PM ^
people aren't complaining about his production against purdue. i was there. the wind was howling and there was a driving rain most of the time. personally, i can even live with some of those fumbles that game. bad weather can cause those.
however, those 2 INTs were indeed bad decisions. tate almost had one too. there were several defenders around each of those receivers. throw the ball away or run. live to play another down.
the team had nearly 400 yds against purdue. to me, that's a lot given the conditions.
November 17th, 2010 at 8:16 AM ^
How about this... when you run the ball 20 times a game you are not going to be as accurate as Tom Brady. We'll just have to live with it.
I agree with your greater point (Denard's a true sophomore, first year starter whose stats are amazing historically) but I would have thought that Mike Vick's season this year (MVP, easily, when he's on the field) with the 0 INTs with 11 passing TDs and several rushing TDs would have killed the canard that claims that the ability to run well with the ball precludes being an accurate passer. Denard has work to do w/r/t accuracy. Or he could not improve at all and still be one of the best players in the country. Either way, I like where he is now.
November 16th, 2010 at 4:27 PM ^
If we can put forth a RB who is as much of a homerun threat as Denard is, the pounding on Denard will go down. We haven't had a consistant back that draws that kind of attention. I'd be interested to see what Pat White's numbers looked like toward the end of seasons as a comparison.
November 16th, 2010 at 4:48 PM ^
Just seems to me like we are constantly attributing Denards successes to his internal abilities and his failures to external circumstances (weather, injury, wear and tear, etc). Perhaps Big Ten teams provide more of a problem for Denard than non-conference opponents did? Having much more film on the guy helps as well.
I am not saying at all that Denard is not the best option Michigan has at QB, but that Denard's ability as a QB where he stands today might be best measured by his performance against conference oponents, which might indicate that his initial performances were a bit inflated. Not saying that Denard is regressing, but that playing better quality teams provides an opportunity to see the quality of his skillset appropriately tested.
He might very well have the type of games he did initially this year as a junior throughout the conference schedule, and i would not be surprised if he did, i just think folks overinflated their judgments based on a small sample of games in the beginning of the year (like we did with Tate last year).
November 17th, 2010 at 12:09 AM ^
You can't say Denard is to be "judged" only by his play against tougher opponents, anymore than you can say he is to be judged by his play against weaker opponents. His entire body of work has to be taken into consideration.
If any RB on the roster had 1,411 yards rushing so far, he would still be a Heisman candidate.
November 16th, 2010 at 4:50 PM ^
When Miami played Marshall in Nov, 2001, it was Freshman Ben Roethlisberger against Junior Byron Leftwich. Marshall won 27 - 21. After the game Leftwich told Ben not to worry the game will slow down and by the time he is a junior you will be great. The rest is history.
Denard is in his "freshman" year as a starting quarterback. By the time Denard is a "junior" at quarterback, the game will have slowed down and he will not be making the 1st year starter mistakes. The same goes for all the other young players on this team. By next year and for sure the year after, Michigan will once again the Champions of the Big Ten and "gulp" dare I say, NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!
November 16th, 2010 at 7:01 PM ^
dont worry be happy..........just put things in perspective..#1 he's just a sopmore,#2 as he gains more confedence the more deadly he will be,3# he 's gonna get even better and even more dangerous next year cause he'll have more componuts around him....next year I'd rather be playin with him than playin against him.....He'll be Venomous.
November 16th, 2010 at 11:37 PM ^
Your writing is driving me componuts.