Weather, people, the weather
I'm seeing a lot of commentary on the Purdue game (defense was awesome! offense was horrible!) that doesn't seem to take into account the principal factor in the game: a driving rain on a grass field, which made the ball and grass very slick, and caused many unforced turnovers.
I'm glad we won: but let's not read more into this game than we should.
November 14th, 2010 at 1:38 AM ^
The interceptions we tossed had nothing to do with the weather....Fumbles, ok, I buy that, but our interceptions were just bad reads and terrible decision making and had little to nothing to do with the weather....
November 14th, 2010 at 2:04 AM ^
Not sure which game you're referring to, but we're talking about the interceptions in the Michigan game against Purdue today. Please try to keep up.
November 14th, 2010 at 6:28 AM ^
I was at the game, and the two interceptions that Denard threw were not weather related, they were decision making and reading defense related....
November 14th, 2010 at 11:25 AM ^
A week after throwing for a career high in yardage, some people want to jump all over the kid.... after a win no less. Remember, Roundtree got caught from behind last week on what was TD pass #4 for Denard. Add in the drops by receivers and the fact that he did not play the whole game, and Denard could easily have passed for 340 plus yards against 4 TDs and 2 INTS last week.
Sure the weather effected his throwing yesterday. Not saying it was all weather related but anyone who has played quarterback at a fairly high level would know that weather does play a significant factor in your success. Moreover, it has been a long season. First all the Heisman talk then all the talk of how this team can't win in Big 10 play. All those things take a toll on player.... especially a first year starter. Denard was bound to reach whats commonly referred to in other circles as a "rookie wall". And if this is his wall, over the last few weeks he has still been playing pretty well as he battles through it.
Rich Rod cautioned people after Denard's early success. He warned us that as a first year starter, he would have periods where he would struggle. In our Heisman giddiness we hardly paid attention to those words from RR. Well, he was right. But this has been hardly unexpected. I expected it, many you probably expected it and I know the coaches expected it, so why panic now that we see what was expected? Patience people.... patience. Denard is just a Sophomore, and considering the tremendous leap that he has made from year 1 to year 2, his best days are likely ahead of him.
Last sobering thought: Is there a better Sophomore quarterback in the country? Maybe... maybe not. But Denard is certainly in that discussion.
...
November 14th, 2010 at 1:32 PM ^
I understand the conditions yesterday were miserable but turnovers have been an issue for this team for much of the season.
They were dead last in the Big Ten in turnover margin before the first snap yesterday. They had 5 turnovers a week ago on a bright sunny day without a sprinkle of rain. It's not all about the weather.
If they are even thinking of an upset over the next couple of weeks against two really good teams, the offense cannot continue to cough the ball up.
Unfortunately, the defense and special teams aren't good enough to overcome those kinds of mistakes by the offense against strong opponents.
November 14th, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^
His 2nd interception (where the ball sailed 5 yards behind and 5 yards above his intended target) was 100% weather related.
November 14th, 2010 at 5:14 PM ^
You know that how?
November 14th, 2010 at 7:59 AM ^
Maybe we are good enough to play poorly and win. Saturday seemed to prove it to some degree.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:47 AM ^
We learned that during the Illinois game.
November 14th, 2010 at 11:19 AM ^
Anyone saying negative stuff about the offensive performance needs to STFU.
The weather was FUCKING BRUTAL.
The wind was the worst. Constant, cold, driving rain.
On the flip side, don't get too excited about our defensive performance, either.
The weather was making even the simplest offensive plays difficult.
The wind gusts and soaking rain made evrything difficult.
This was NOT the weather experienced in Madison, WI.
November 14th, 2010 at 2:11 PM ^
was NOT weather related. The weather was just fine early in the game.
November 14th, 2010 at 1:42 AM ^
Was it just me or did the first Denard interception look like it was tipped?
November 14th, 2010 at 8:11 AM ^
Yes, it was tipped. But, it was also thrown well behind the intended receiver. So the point about it being a poor throw still stands.
November 14th, 2010 at 1:46 AM ^
wetness on the ball ='s slippery balls. Its a fact on any type of balls.. yep even those!
November 14th, 2010 at 1:58 AM ^
It is the hardest thing to throw a wet football on a grass field. Your jersey weighs more than usual and you really never feel comfortable in your pads when it rains. Not to mention that ball is on the ground when it is snapped. The qb then gets the ball that was just on the ground. You know that thing they call a snap? Yea thats how the ball gets slick, muddy, etc. I give credit to all the qbs in college and in the nfl that throw the ball the way they do in those kind of elements. The ball got away from Denard on that second interception, no doubt about it.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:39 AM ^
It's been getting away from him a lot lately. Folks can blame it on the rain if they want (maybe it even played a role yesterday), but he's also been having major brain cramps in big 10 play.
He's still a sophomore and should improve, just hoping the learning curve speeds up for the next 2 weeks because similar performances as Purdue and IL going against WI and OSU will be doom.
So tired of losing to OSU - please be the year, please be the year, please be the year...
November 14th, 2010 at 2:05 AM ^
*EDIT* This post was awesome before I edited it!
November 14th, 2010 at 2:07 AM ^
But I feel like the primary reason behind our defensive success was that Purdue isn't very good. They are only averaging 17.4 ppg this year. That said, I'm not going to complain about a Big Ten road victory!
November 14th, 2010 at 2:16 AM ^
If they averaged 17.4 ppg and we held them to 16 you should be happy with the defense. The thing about averages though is that every game is a new adventure that affects it. Ask Illinois about that...
November 14th, 2010 at 7:27 AM ^
Their defense scored the touchdown. So we held them well below their average.
If only we played thirteen teams with no real quarterback.
November 14th, 2010 at 1:46 PM ^
But even that meager 17.4 scoring average is deceptive, because it includes games that Purdue played before some of its players got hurt. Before Henry's finger was nearly cut off, he had some throwing ability. He now has almost literally none.
Nevertheless, I'll give the D credit for giving up no TDs.
November 14th, 2010 at 2:24 AM ^
Was at the game...the weather was absolutely miserable. With that said, Sean Robinson is not a good quarterback (understatement?), definitely one of the worst Big Ten quarterbacks we've gone up against in recent years. Either way, the defense played well and a win is a win. All is well at least for another week...GO BLUE.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:32 AM ^
Penn State was averaging 18 before we played them, and then they went and hung 41 points on our D. Take the victories where you find them.
November 14th, 2010 at 2:23 AM ^
On days like this you will see more unforced turnovers and lower scoring. DR made some bad throws today and hopefully will learn to modify his approach on crappy rain filled days. Back away from the panic button.
Some Michigan fans complained that there was too much offense for some last week and are complaining about too little offense this week.
November 14th, 2010 at 2:23 AM ^
I was wondering if I was the only person who realize how bad the weather was. I'm not surprise we played so bad @ all, it was freaking raining buckets out there. You must not understand how hard it is to play football when it rains like it did today. For those who think throwing interceptions have nothing to do with bad weather, watch/play actual football.
November 14th, 2010 at 3:22 AM ^
Michigan came away with a much needed Big 10 road win against Purdue, in horrible weather conditions. To those who say the rain didn't matter, obviously never played football in these type of conditions. The rain never stopped once it began halfway thru the 1st quarter. It disallowed both offenses to get in any groove, especially Michigan's. D-Rob and Tate struggled to move the offense in this down pour. Needing the defense to bail them out in crucial game changing situations. Michigan defense stepped up causing 5 turnovers, scoring 1 TD and holding the Boilermakers to 9 points on offense (all FG's). This from a defense that has been man handled by just about every team they face this season.
So overall, I say gutsy Big 10 road win and it feels good to have back to back Big 10 wins for the first time in the Rich Rodriguez era. A 7-3 record heading into the Wiscy showdown at the Big House means a lot to this young Wolverine team. Enjoy the victory because come Sunday 110% of the focus is head towards upsetting the Badgers during senior day!
November 14th, 2010 at 11:17 AM ^
I think this might be one of the reasons we keep trying to deploy that terrible I-formation. Beside short down and distance, it would be nice to have a clock-eating formation that keeps the exchanges closer in blizzards/typhoons.
November 14th, 2010 at 3:56 AM ^
Although somebody who was at the game commented that it was not really raining that hard just a a little heavier than a drizzle made worse by the wind.
November 14th, 2010 at 6:06 AM ^
Rain and a wet field is always a potential game changer. Obviously, it contributed to turnovers. It was the kind of day where a strong, up the gut ground game with a QB over center and a big, grind it out back, with monster linemen (like Wiscy) works best.
It would seem to me, and some of you with more knowledge than I might weigh in, but isn't this one of the big negatives against the spread, with a long snap from center to QB?
From the perspective of weather, the last two years have largely been very good on game day. Last year, the PSU game had about one half where it rained, and that was the only rainy afternoon at the Big House. November last year had very warm weather, at least for the Purdue and OSU games. This year, the Purdue game was the first significant rainy day.
November 14th, 2010 at 6:54 AM ^
I am sure that the weather played a big role and the putrid Purdue offense an even bigger role in our defensive success. But I also saw solid tackling and defensive back flying to the ball. Those Carvin Johnson and Demens hits were not weather related.
November 14th, 2010 at 7:41 AM ^
....Michigan. Last week, UM gave the ball over 5 times and the weather was good. So in good and bad weather, UM is the one constant that exists. The team has handed the ball over more than 20 times this season. Blame the weather all you want but this team has a problem that has existed for several seasons. Michigan has been VERY lucky the last two games. It won't be in the next two. Wisky and OSU will DESTROY Michigan.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:23 AM ^
Michigan is the common denominator. When Michigan turns the ball over, there is a strong likelihood that Michigan was involved. Thanks for clarifying
You say Michigan has been lucky... I say that a team that wins by getting dominated in total yardage, but collects a bunch of turnovers to stay in it, is lucky. A team that wins despite turning the ball over is resilient. Undisciplined? Maybe. Lacking ball security? Definitely. Making poor decisions? Probably. But lucky doesn't fit there.
P.S. STFU.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:55 AM ^
Stay classy!
Fact remains that Wisky and OSU will most likely destroy Michigan. Michigan will need the same luck it has had the last two weeks but don't count on the lucky streak to extend itself. Three years of making the same mistakes over and over isn't going to be corrected in a week or two weeks. Better brace yourself because the next two weeks will most likely be the worst two weeks of your life.
November 14th, 2010 at 9:32 AM ^
1. There's a lot worse things than Michigan losing, if they lose both by 100 I still can't imagine that it will be the worst 2 weeks of my life. If so i'm having/going to have a great life.
2. If they lose the next 2, they end up right where 90% of the people thought they would: 7-5
That's with the worst defense in the history of Michigan football, they should continue to improve, but turnovers have been crazy since RR got here.
November 14th, 2010 at 11:10 AM ^
Did your dog die or something?
November 14th, 2010 at 12:53 PM ^
It's obvious you're not a Michigan fan, because a true fan wouldn't count out their team until the clock reads :00, and you don't have the most points. So why don't you take your comments somewhere else like ESPN or some other site. GO BLUE!!!
November 14th, 2010 at 8:46 AM ^
Michigan won the game, seems like every week is a new situation and what happened in previous weeks has little bearing. If it's nice next week, I think we'll see more offense, and M's defense have more trouble containing Wiskey's running backs....
November 14th, 2010 at 9:29 AM ^
I agree with the OP because it was brutal at the game. The weather was horrible and the field wasn't great (most fans wanted to leave and by the end the stadium was mostly M fans since they all drove from a few hours away and wouldn't leave early).
I wouldn't look much into this game. I know ever Michigan fan wants to scrutinize every little detail but sometimes you gotta just acknowledge that there really wasn't a whole lot to take away from this game. It was sloppy for a reason. Just be happy we're 7-3.
November 14th, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^
Until style points start showing up on the scoreboard, a victory is still a victory. The weather was one of many factors Michigan overcame to walk out of Purdue with another win. Purdue took advantage of the weather by stacking the box and forcing Michigan to pass in weather that was not conducive for it. The field kept Denard from changing direction as quickly as usual, too.
That Michigan overcame as much as they did to win this game speaks volumes for their growth and is a very good indication that the program is, indeed, moving in the right direction. Oregon won 15-13 yesterday, and I'll bet they are happy to leave Cal with a win, too. TCU survived a close call, too. In this era of college football, there is no such thing as an "ugly victory" anymore; they all look great in the "W" column.
For me, it's more fun to just be happy about a hard-fought victory than it is to pick it apart and find reasons to diminish its importance.
November 14th, 2010 at 12:46 PM ^
I think the difference between Oregon/TCU eeking out a win and our near miss at Purdue/Illinois/Indiana is that Oregon/TCU have been taking bare of business all season. One slip up during a big season is understandable. We, on the other hand, have yet to beat a bowl eligible team and have looked bad against many opponents this season. So, happy to win, but not encouraged by the win.
November 14th, 2010 at 1:53 PM ^
I'm shocked you aren't taking more satisfaction with the win. Shocked. If we win one of the next two, I guarantee you will find something to bitch about.
November 14th, 2010 at 4:28 PM ^
If we win one of the next two, I'll be, as you say, shocked. I'll also be happy. Those are teams we need to beat if we want to be a national contender again. I'm shocked that people are elated with the Purdue win. Let's save that joy for a win that means something - like OSU.
November 14th, 2010 at 5:58 PM ^
I'm shocked that people aren't elated that we are 7-3 with two games to go, yet here you are. I'm shocked that, after no one gave us any chance of beating Illinois and we did, people bitched still and called for anyone and everyone to get fired. Yet again, here you are. You won't be happy with another win...you will bitch because RichRod said something in the presser or RichRod doesn't win in the right way. That is what you do. Everyone is excited and you decide something has to be wrong. It is amazing that whenever we win, the other team just sucks and whenever we lose, the other team still sucks and beat us anyway, and when the defense is horrid, they played a shitty offense so we shouldn't be happy but when the defense looks good, it is because they played a shitty offense so we shouldn't be happy. Your posts are getting redundant and pathetic. We get it - you don't like RichRod. Go root for another team until he isn't the coach here.
November 14th, 2010 at 10:25 PM ^
Don't you remember that UMass, Illinois and Purdue were losses? Did you forget that MSU counted as three losses?
November 15th, 2010 at 10:59 AM ^
I will not (nor should anyone) get excited about the Michigan Wolverines beating Umass, Illinois and Purdue. I also won't get excited about wins of BGSU and Indiana.
As for MSU...you have a point. That did sting more than one loss. That's a game that needs to be won, especially at home. Swap that loss for the UConn win, and I'm much happier with the path of the program. Three consecutive losses to each of our biggest rivals is not acceptable.
November 15th, 2010 at 10:52 AM ^
You are so wise. How do you know so much about me? How could you predict that a Michigan fan might not be wild with joy with a 7-5 team (oops, we didn't play the last two yet...but they're against bowl eligible teams, so I'll try not to get too optimistic)? I will, however, be extremely happy with a 9-3 team...I'm just not crossing my fingers.
Looking over your post, it's funny...it seems that excuses are only valid when they apply to our shortcomings rather than other teams'. "Our defense is too young" is the excuse for terrible performance...until they play a team without a physically functioning QB...then the "defense played a great game".
Just drop the "go root for another team" garbage. This isn't a forum solely for super fans to pat each other on the back. Some fans take a more realistic approach.
November 14th, 2010 at 11:04 AM ^
played in the rain almost all day
the end
November 14th, 2010 at 11:17 AM ^
on grass and field turf is totally different in terms of footing. Plus Purdue is so much better defensely than IU.
Even with all that ... no excuse for Wisconsin hanging 83 on anyone (24 points in the 4th quarter ?) !!!
Go Blue !
November 14th, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^
The point spread was 12 and Michigan won by 11 in lousy weather.