November 7th, 2009 at 3:21 PM ^
this game was just a microcosm of our season. start hot, scrappy, and moving the ball well with adequate d. absolute implosion down the stretch with little heart to show.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:22 PM ^
I think I'd be overjoyed if he was run out of town. He's shown no imagination on offense. When he does take risks it's for stupid things like going for 4th and 10 when you're in field goal range.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:31 PM ^
Doesn't he have any trick plays up his sleeve? I know they shouldn't be as concerned about tricks than actual execution, but in this type of game, a trick play really would have caught purdue off guard. And I can't remember RR using one trick play besides this:
November 7th, 2009 at 3:37 PM ^
i know we're supposed to be patient, we are undermanned,blah blah blah.But that is hard to watch.I'm tired of breaking all the wrong records.This team is not getting any better and again Richrod and crew got outcoached.the problem on here is if you doubt this is going to work out, you are called a fair-weather fan.People have a right to be pissed, this isn't getting any better. Oh yeah, just wait till he gets his recruits.the higher recruited kids are skeptical like alot of us.there is a reason why we are getting 3 star kids this year instead of 4's and the occasional 5 star. Hopefully there is more attrition after the season, there are alot of guys out there not worthy of wearing the maize and blue.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:26 PM ^
Michigan is reeling right now. There are no answers on defense, obviously. But a careful inspection of the offense will tell you that there aren't any answers on offense either. The typical game has the offense starting strong, only to fade by halftime and then fade big time when the adjustments are made. The adjustment is simple. There is no read option because Forcier is not fast north/south and cannot effectively run between tackles. Go after the primary back, this time Minor. Then bring the safeties up because the O-Line can't protect the QB, to take away the short passes. Note how Roundtree was silent in the 2nd half. These weaknesses on the offense are easy to spot and the new wrinkles introduced today (Minor/Roundtree) are now part of the tape. There are no more wrinkles to introduce other than D. Rob. Given the way the defense has performed, I'm all for giving him a chance. The defense is beyond hopeless now and young guys should play for the rest of the year.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:29 PM ^
everything you just said was just so right it scares me
November 7th, 2009 at 3:26 PM ^
Yes Send us to Nebraska land where we may never recover. Fire coaches and set us back ten years instead of three.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:41 PM ^
Hate to say it, but we couldn't hold Nebraska's jock right now. They're not any good, but we are WAYYY worse than the Huskers have been.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:24 PM ^
for awhile right? Nebraska had been fucking TERRIBLE for 5-10 years. They went from the Nebraska Blackshirt defense to being pure shit. One reason is they didn't have continuity since Osbourne left. So lets repeat that course........
November 7th, 2009 at 10:34 PM ^
There was a LOT more to the Nebraska situation than simple wins and losses. Bill Callahan took a flamethrower to the tradition and fabric of that program, taking every step he could to alienate alumni, donors, former players, administration, etc. etc.
If you know anything about Nebraska football, you would know that it's a program that is in many ways a lot more aware and protective of its tradition than most. It's a religion up there, and it's legitimately the only show in town. No pro sports, not much else to do, no in-state rival=Cornhusker football being everything to everybody. Callahan stirring the pot and obliterating what Tom Osborne built got him a ticket out of town.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:29 PM ^
Scared he gets run out? Why exactly do you want him to stay? Because HE has made a team that shows no respect for the fundamentals for football? HIS team shows no will at times? Handles personell about as terribly as anyone in the country? Sure he won at WVU, guess who else won in the Big East, John. L. Smith. Lloyd Carr is long gone, this is the Rich Rodriguez show. I don't want to hear about personel, his team is full of football players, just like every other football team. "Oh he's melting down because we lost, he doesn't realize Rich Rodriguez is the answer! He doesn't see the promise in the loses!" Yeah, maybe I'll go back and review the games in the Bowl Season to see it, I sure won't have any other football to watch.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:33 PM ^
Or doesn't want to play for Rich Rodriguez is an idiot. We have 2 huge defensive stops at the end of the game. We score a TD to go for the tie on the 2 point conversation. How the hell is that not heart? What more do you want them to do besides win the game.
If we win this game then people say "this team has great heart" If we lose this game then it's "this team has no heart"
Obviously you haven't read the diaries on how thin or team is. Not every team has our personel problems and it shows exactly how much that you know about this team when you spout off this stupid bs.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:40 PM ^
No you're right, they didn't completely lay down at Illinois. My bad, Illinois was just that good. If they win this game I say nothing about their heart, this is PURDUE. The defense did their job, awesome, that's what they're supposed to do. Personel problems? Did I miss the journal where we lost all of our players and had to replace them with fundanmentally inept players? I don't care if Kovacs isn't a track sprinter. I do care when the coaches send him out there without fully teaching him the scheme. Or Mouton. Or Williams. A lot of mistakes made by these guys are "schematic," and this is COMPLETELY on the coaches.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:42 PM ^
You're a fucking idiot.
I'm not going to get into an argument with you because you clearly know nothing about this team.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:48 PM ^
Awesome. Because none of the stuff I have said has been completely backed up on the field. You can justify anything you want to if you try hard enough. Hurry up, the lemmings are pulling away.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:56 PM ^
As to why our defense is so terrible
http://mgoblog.com/diaries/decimated-defense-part-ii-statisticating
And then you'll say "well RR didn't score enough". 36 points SHOULD BE ENOUGH.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:00 PM ^
I've read it. It doesn't explain why they make massive fundamental errors. Why do you keep responding if you ignore the point? In NO CIRCUMSTANCES can you justify having a team that is so fundamentally flawed.
November 7th, 2009 at 4:11 PM ^
And we played 2 WALK-ONS on defense at the same time.
But no let's crucify Rich Rod and start all over. Great plan!
November 7th, 2009 at 4:16 PM ^
Oh walk ons can't play football correctly? Being a walk-on means nothing. THEY ARE NOT DRILLED IN FUNDAMNETALS. THAT CAN BE FIXED, BUT IT IS NOT. I have never called for his job, and just because there is no positive alternative DOES NOT make him a good coach.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:27 PM ^
you honestly believe that having not 1, BUT 3 walk-ons playing significant minutes means nothing, well...... I want some of what you're smoking.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:07 AM ^
Can nobody read? I guess I'll use the caps lock again. FUNDAMENTALLY, this defense is terrible. I did not say athletically, I did not say in rankings of number of scholarship plays on the defense, I said that they lack FUNDAMENTALS. If you can't see that as they play, then give me a hit.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:08 AM ^
Can nobody read? I guess I'll use the caps lock again. FUNDAMENTALLY, this defense is terrible. I did not say athletically, I did not say in rankings of number of scholarship plays on the defense, I said that they lack FUNDAMENTALS. If you can't see that as they play, then give me a hit.
November 7th, 2009 at 11:12 PM ^
MORE CAPS makes you right
LOUD NOISES
November 7th, 2009 at 3:36 PM ^
The guy got a HUGE break on the muffed punt catch, as he was clearly not interfered with by Purdue, he tripped on his own. The guy is good for one muffed catch each game. He had a nice return later, though, but I still don't trust him back there.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:47 PM ^
It is possible to interfere with the catch without actually touching the player trying to make the catch. The Purdue play almost touched the ball before it hit Hemingway.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:37 PM ^
Rodriguez is going to be here next season. People will scream bloody murder and call for his head for the next year, but Mary Sue Coleman is still defending him and her opinion is the one that matters. And lest we forget, our overall record is still better than last year's, and we can match last year's Big Ten record with a win in either of our last two games. We're improving, just not at the rocket-like pace the fan base demands.
On the other hand, if we fire Rodriguez we'll lose commitments, lose players to transfers, and have to deal with the turmoil that comes with a new coach and a new staff coming in to change the system. Again. I'm just not seeing how that's a better alternative.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:40 PM ^
The people that are calling for his head (as Brian has said) are complete idiots.
We are in this for 3-4 years anything less and we are screwed.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:49 PM ^
Just because there is not a productive alternative does not say anything about his coaching ability. Performance on the field sure does.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:39 PM ^
the anti-RR sentiment should not be based on the lack of personnel which while troubling is only partly his fault. The major problem are the continuing coaching mistakes and scheme issues addressed above by NJWolverine.
Today alone there was 1) running the option which we have run less than 5 times all year deep in our zone with a 14 point lead, 2) being completely unprepared for the surprise onside kick, 3) taking a horrible delay of game before the punt in the 4th quarter (bailed out by Z), 4) repeated instances of poor punt return technique (bogus penalty saved Hemingway muff) and 5) going for the 4th and 10 in the 4th quarter - which I believe to be the least egregious considering olesnavage's struggles throughout the day.
Add these up with a multitude of coaching mistakes throughout the RR era and this where the fire-RR sentiment comes from - Im finding it hard to fight it at the moment.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:39 PM ^
1) Really? You are seriously questioning us opening up our offense to make it harder to defend? I got it, lets run a dive for 3 plays in a row and go 3 and out a bunch of times.
2) Some times you get bit. If you had told me before the play that they were going to onside kick, I would have called you an idiot. As Brian says RPS +1 to Purdue.
3) OK, you make a good point on this one.
4) I truly believe we don't have good PRers on the roster atm. PR is something like vision, you either have it or don't and we don't have it.
5) In hindsight should he have kicked it? Yes. But after the missed XP we were always chasing points.
November 8th, 2009 at 1:51 AM ^
the play-calling in general to that point, I just had a problem with the straight option call that was made since I can remember maybe only 2 times we had run that so far this year. Tate and the accompanying back (maybe shaw?) were clearly not on the same page with the pitch causing the turnover which really hurt in a time when we had complete control of the game.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:40 PM ^
Well, I think it will be an entirely different picture than now at the end of the season if we stay relatively competitive with both Wisconsin and OSU. we get nastily blown out in either game, especially if it's next week (we can probably expect this team to play up for OSU more than they would for Wisconsin), the drums will be beating louder than ever.
We can lose the next two games closely with very little change in the fervor. If we go out there and completely lay an egg, play as badly defensively as we did today, and fail to execute on offense when we need to... if Purdue can put this many yards on us, and Illinois could do the same last week, UW and OSU have the potential to be very, very ugly games. We cannot realistically expect our offense to score enough on those two defenses to keep up with what our defense will likely give up.
November 8th, 2009 at 12:32 AM ^
i am, and have for some time, been scared that rich rod is just going to say to heck with this criticism and go down south somewhere. Hopefully the administration really is giving him its full support.