Why I am not mad at RichRod
Getting mad at RichRod would be quick and easy, but for the facts.
1. Carr stripped the shelves bare his last year. Nothing was left, really.
2. RR has a crew of freshmen and walk-ons.
3. The D really stunk, except for this last game, and RR had already installed a new DC to fix that (and it is one step down the chain from him).
4. A lot of the good players got hurt (perhaps because of all the freshman and walkons).
5. A lot of the problems are because Carr screwed the team on his way out.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:06 PM ^
We've read this same post after nearly every game for the past two years. I suspect we'll probably see it again several times next year.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:09 PM ^
I sound all love it or leave it but ... can we cast people out from this blog?
November 21st, 2009 at 3:10 PM ^
I was encouraged by alot of what i saw, Tate the true freshman did make a ton of mistakes but we still could of won this game without our best offensive player in Minor. If our defense played like this all year we would of won 7 games atleast.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:11 PM ^
Because today's loss was due to 5 turnovers and a missed FG. None of which were things RichRod could control. It was just piss poor execution again today. Once this team stops shooting themselves in the foot, they'll be fine.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:11 PM ^
Don't neg exmtroj, we are debating.
I disgree with you, however. I saw a better team that did well against the number 9 team in the nation, and would have been close except for freshman mistakes by a true freshman QB.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:18 PM ^
Exmtroj is trolling; the rest of us are debating. There is a huge difference between the two.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:14 PM ^
They played well today. The defense was intense throughout. Freshman mistakes from Tate killed us. I was not so sure before, but I KNOW that Rich will get it done. We are now undefeated! GO BLUE in 2010.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:16 PM ^
I'm actually pretty proud of how the team played today. Defense was better in the second half (at times), and really Tate shot himself in the foot too many times to count.
But we move on. Progress has been made, and be sure they'll work hard to improve again next year and get into a bowl.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:19 PM ^
Because this loss was not his fault. He put us in a position to win this game, and we (Tate) couldn't convert. That will change as well with another offseason of practice for Tate, and I can't wait to see how much of a machine this team becomes in the future.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:21 PM ^
You are right across the board.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:36 PM ^
Just imagine what this team can accomplish next season with another year of development in this offense and a defense (hopefully) progressing toward mediocrity.
November 21st, 2009 at 3:43 PM ^
Rad, to build off yout point...
I saw a defense this game that was average for a top 25 team in the nation. I wish I had seen this all season, but it was there today. They clicked for sure.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:21 PM ^
Anyone who faults Rich Rod for the result of this game is an irrational hater. His calls, for the most part, were excellent, and we had MULTIPLE opportunities.
The defense played amazingly well today, in my opinion. The simple truth is that Tate's mistakes cost us the game today. That's not a knock against him, but take away that terrible fumble for a TD and we're down 14-10 rather than 21-10, assuming nothing else changes.
And I have no idea what he was thinking on that last pick - he through it right into the coverage. But he'll get better, and our defense will get better, and our offense has incredible potential.
Rich Rod should get absolutely no grief today - he put us in position to win, and the players simply couldn't execute.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:21 PM ^
Whatever Lloyd Carr's weaknesses, he did not "strip the shelves bare," a statement implying purposeful destruction. Nor did he "screw the team on his way out." Prior to the 2008 season he said he was excitedly looking forward to seeing the spread in action, but he did not "want to interfere with what Rich and the staff are trying to do..." http://www.971theticket.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=1…
The kids today showed they do have some talent, even if they could use some physical maturation. If they had performed in Champaign and against Purdue and MSU the way they did today, things may well have been different.
We'll see next year what the coaching staff has learned from this year's experience.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:28 PM ^
Jim, I disagree. Carr's last two years no attempt was made to play the younger players, and with three expections he stopped trying to get new talent.
I was as happy as any of us to see him go out a winner in his bowl game. He just did it on M's future.
I really like Carr, I was a law student at M in his golden era and he used to come give great seminar classes with Prof Clark, and he is a great guy and a great sports ethics teacher. He also went out a winner at the cost of (at least) the next season of M football.