Michigan Football Saturdays

MGoBlue post-game behind-the-scenes

2011-09-04T23:16:00.001-04:00

http://www.mgoblue.com/allaccess/?media=262026

Five-Year Anniversary

2011-05-08T23:49:00.002-04:00

Today is Michigan Football Saturday's Five-Year Anniversary so I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all the people that have stopped by and read the site during the last 1/2 decade. Although the number of posts has dwindled with each succeeding year, I hope to use this anniversary as a launching point to reinvigorate the site. I anticipate reviewing and revising the blogroll as well as blogging on a more regular basis in anticipation of Coach Hoke's first season at the helm. That, however, is for the upcoming year. Again, for those of you who have followed my so called analysis for the past five years, thank you for reading and GO BLUE!!!

A return to greatness: Introducing Coach Hoke

2011-01-12T22:45:00.001-05:00

1-12-11 Press Conference introducing Brady Hoke as the 19th Head Football Coach in Michigan Football history.

Oh, the humanity!!! Make it stop! Please!

2010-12-03T22:44:00.002-05:00

Nationally syndicated radio host Jim Rome's "take" on Rich Rod's rocking out to Josh Groban at the Michigan Football Bust. Go Blue!

Progress?

2010-11-28T01:22:00.003-05:00

If this is what progress looks like, I sure would hate to see what regression looks like. Michigan capped off its 2010 regular season by suffering a 30-point drubbing at the hands of the rival OSU Buckeyes. The loss means the Wolverines lost five (5) of their final seven games of the 2010 regular season and relegated the team to a losing Big Ten Conference record for the third consecutive season. The defense is one of the worst in the nation as are the Special Teams Units. The fact that the Wolverines qualified for a third-tier bowl game should not be enough to keep Coach Rod as the Head Coach for another season.

After the OSU loss, Athletic Director David Brandon tersely maintained that there were no changes to announce and that he would do his evaluation after the season ended which presumably means after the bowl game. Coach Rod's contract may have something to do with the timing of A.D. Brandon's decision if he in fact decides to terminate Coach Rodriguez. The contract (.pdf) is a six-year deal. Coach Rod is currently in year 3. (See sec. 3.01: Term of Agreement and Employment). Section 3.01 (b) provides that year 3 of the contract runs from Jan. 1., 2010- Dec. 31., 2010 and year 4 commences Jan. 1. 2011. This is potentially very important because of the contract's termination provisions (Article IV). Section 4.01 (a) provides that if the University terminates the contract in year 3 (i.e., in 2010) the severance pay-out to Coach Rod is $4 Million. However, if the University does not terminate the contract until year 4 (i.e., after 1-1-11) then the severance pay-out drops to $2.5 Million. A savings of a cool $1.5 Million to the University. It is also interesting to note that section 4.01 (a) provides that the parties agree that the University may terminate Rodriguez' employment without cause "...by giving to Rodriguez thirty (30) days' advance written notice of the termination of his employment."

A.D. Brandon's stated desire to do his employment review of Coach Rod after the season makes sense when you consider that within a week or so of Michigan's bowl game that the severance pay-out will drop by $1.5 Million. Thus, after the bowl, A.D. Brandon can give the proper notice, save the University over a million dollars, and get the Football program back on track by hiring the right coach. Go Blue!!!

2010-07-07T21:21:00.003-04:00

Video by Ace at The Wolverine Blog. It is a montage of photos of Bo Schembechler extracted from team photos over the years. Go Blue!

Spring Game- Top 10 Plays of the Day

2010-04-18T22:36:00.001-04:00

Coach Rod Spring Game Press Conf.-part 1

2010-04-18T22:32:00.001-04:00

Coach Rod's Spring Game Press Conf.-part 2

2010-04-18T22:31:00.002-04:00

2010 Spring Football Media Guide

2010-04-17T23:37:00.001-04:00

• Table of Contents / Pages 1-2 / 1.08 MB

• Part 1 / Pages 3-100: Quick Facts, Rosters, Meet the Wolverines / 8.12 MB

• Part 2 / Pages 101-136: Football Staff / 6.18 MB

• Part 3 / Pages 137-188: Season in Review / 6.16 MB

• Part 4 / Pages 189-280: Records / 9.25 MB

• Part 5 / Pages 281-312: Player History / 10.5 MB

• Part 6 / Pages 313-357: All-time Letterwinners / 3.23 MB

• Part 7 / Pages 358-404: All-time Scores / 3.12 MB

• Part 8 / Pages 405-422: Michigan Stadium History / 6.11 MB

• Part 9 / Pages 423-452: Wolverines in the NFL / 4.16 MB

Spring Game Highlights

2010-04-17T23:32:00.001-04:00

The allegations have come down but Rich Rod is staying

2010-02-23T21:53:00.003-05:00

The hastily organized Victors' Rally that was held Sunday portended the release of the NCAA notice of allegations into Coach Rod's practice policy rules infractions. The allegations released today cited five (5) potential Major Violations committed by the Wolverines' Football Program. One of the questions that the University has to answer for the NCAA is whether the allegations demonstrate that Coach Rod failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and failed to adequately monitor the members of his staff. Despite this inquiry, incoming A.D. David Brandon unequivocally stated that Rich Rod is going to be the Head Coach next season. Sure. Why not? Coach Rod's "leadership" only brought the first allegations of NCAA Major Violations in the 130-year history of Michigan Football. This is a dark day. Coach Rod should voluntarily resign but there is not a snowball's chance in Hawaii of that happening. Go Blue!

Coach Rod comments at Victors' Rally on coming sanctions

2010-02-22T22:10:00.007-05:00

Ann Arbor businessman Pete Nichols put together Sunday's Victors' Rally in an effort to provide a morale boost to the fans of the recently moribund Michigan Football program. During the rally at the Michigan Theatre, attended by 450 fans who paid for admission, Coach Rod made remarks lasting about 15 minutes. Coach Rod was overcome with emotion (imagine that!) as he spoke about the program and his place in it. Most interestingly, he hinted at what is coming down the pipe in terms of the NCAA investigation into allegations that he committed violations during his first season as Head Coach. Coach Rod said at the rally, "We have an issue with the NCAA. That’s going to be resolved and I feel confident at the end of the summer, we’ll be through that. Can you imagine if Bo was told (by) the NCAA, you worked too hard? Maybe we worked too hard, I don’t know. But our players are totally committed.” (emphasis added)

The reason, quite simply, that Coach Rod does not know if they "worked too hard" is because he did not maintain the requisite practice time logs for the Compliance Department during the period of time in question. In the proud 130-year history of the Michigan Football Program, the Wolverines have never been hit with a major sanction by the NCAA for a rules violation. This is another of the Wolverines' streaks that is likely to come to an ignominious end under the reign of Coach Rod. In a ploy to garner support for his rule-breaking practice policies, Coach Rod invoked the memory of legendary Coach Schembechler. In his remarks, Coach Rod asked rhetorically, "Can you imagine if Bo was told (by) the NCAA, you worked too hard?" Fans would be hard pressed to envision a scenario where Bo had to be reprimanded by the NCAA as Coach Schembechler ran a program that always played within the rules and was beyond reproach. Coach Schembechler never had to be told by the NCAA about how hard he was working his players because Bo ALWAYS played within the rules.

In his book, Bo's Lasting Lessons, Coach Schembechler titled the Sixth Chapter: Do the Right Thing-Always. The beginning of the chapter seems particularly pertinent:

Every coach, every executive, every leader: They all know right from wrong. Even those Enron guys. When someone uncovers a scandal in their company, I don't think they can say, "I didn't know that was going on." They're really just saying they're too dumb to do their
job! And if they really are too dumb, they why are they getting paid
millions of dollars to do it? They know what's going on.
Bo went on to write that he could not recall a single moral dilemna in all his
years of coaching. (page 59) He wrote the reason was, "We always
knew what the right thing to do was, so we just did it. And we slept
well at night! Really, it was that simple."
When Coach Rod plaintively asks what it will take for him to be considered a
Michigan Man he does not understand it takes character that is beyond him.
Go Blue!

Victors Rally at Michigan Theatre on 2-21-10

2010-02-21T23:29:00.001-05:00

Video via AnnArbor.com

Signing Day

2010-02-03T20:56:00.001-05:00

Michigan lands 27 new recruits.

Going for two and the win

2010-01-02T22:38:00.008-05:00

In the midst of a plethora of college football bowl games being played this week, many Michigan fans are feeling wistful as they have been left home for the second straight year after having played in a bowl game for the previous 33 consecutive seasons. The 2009 Wolverines (5-7) fell one victory shy of qualifying for a bowl game. Looking back over the season, many Michigan fans look back at the overtime loss to Michigan State as the best missed opportunity for the Wolverines to have picked up an additional victory. Michigan had scored a TD with a mere :02 seconds left on the game clock to pull the Wolverines within one. Coaching conservatively, Coach Rod called for the extra point to go for the tie and send the game into overtime. Ultimately, MSU beat Michigan 26-20 in the overtime. In the post-game press conference, Coach Rod said going for two at the end of regulation was never a consideration. Granting that hindsight is 20/20, the better decision may have been to go for two. Michigan was on the road, QB Tate Forcier was exhausted, and the Wolverines had the momentum. Following are three examples (not all of which were successful) of games where the coach decided to go for two and the win.

1984 Orange Bowl

#1 Nebraska (12-0) was playing Miami (Fla.) for the National Championship. The Cornhuskers rallied from a 31-17 deficit and cut the Hurricanes' lead to 31-30 by scoring a TD with :48 remaining in regulation. Rather than go for the tie (there was no OT back then), Nebraska Head Coach Tom Osborne put his title hopes on the line when he went for the two-point conversion.

2007 Fiesta Bowl

Underdog Boise State pulled out all the stops versus traditional power Oklahoma and eventually forced the game into overtime. Down 42-41 in the OT, Broncos' Head Coach Chris Peterson called for a two-point conversion to go for the win. Coach Peterson called a Statue of Liberty play and the rest is history.

2009 Humanitarian Bowl

Idaho Vandals Head Coach Robb Akey made the call to go for two and the win against Bowling Green after the Vandals scored a TD to pull within one with :04 remaining in regulation. Coach Akey's decision paid off as the Vandals converted giving Idaho a 43-42 victory.

There is no doubt that Coach Rod thinks he was right in kicking the extra-point and going for the overtime against MSU. However, as shown by the examples above, sometimes a Head Coach needs to throw caution to the wind and go for the win. If Coach Rod had been able to pull out a win versus MSU, the Wolverines would be playing in a bowl game right now. Instead, Wolverine fans are relegated to wondering "What if" while other Big 10 teams (including 6-6 MSU) play in bowl games. Go Blue!

2009 season team statistics

2010-01-02T00:00:00.005-05:00

Michigan finished the 2009 season 5-7 (1-7 in Big 10, tied 10th place) but the won/loss record does not tell the entire story. Here is a look at how the Wolverines fared in 2009 in some key statistical categories (out of 120 FBS teams/11 Conference teams):

Total Offense: 384.5 yards/gm, 60th in NCAA, 7th in Big 10
Rushing Offense: 186.17 yds/gm, 26th in NCAA, 4th in Big 10
Passing Offense: 198.33 yds./gm, 80th in NCAA, 8th in Big 10
Scoring Offense: 29.5 pts/gm, 46th in NCAA, 4th in Big 10

Total Defense: 393.33 yds/gm, 82nd in NCAA, 9th in Big 10
Rushing Defense: 171.92 yds/gm, 91st in NCAA, 10th in Big 10
Pass Effiency Def: 131.79 rating, 72nd in NCAA, 8th in Big 10
Scoring Defense: 27.5 pts/gm, 78th in NCAA, 8th in Big 10

Turnover Margin: -1.00, 115th in NCAA, 11th in Big 10
Red Zone Offense: 67% efficiency, 116th in NCAA, 11th in Big 10
3rd Down Efficiency: 39.76%, 60th in NCAA, 6th in Big 10

Putting the statistics in perspective:

Michigan made vast strides in 2009 in the offensive stats improving on its dismal 2008 performance. Nevertheless, the offense still has a ways to go as it improved from dismal in 2008 to mediocre in 2009. The Wolverines finished 60th in the NCAA (of 120 FBS teams) in Total Offense which placed Michigan exactly in the middle of the pack. The 2009 passing offense still struggled finishing in the bottom one-third of all FBS schools (80th of 120). The running game was a highlight in 2009 (26th in NCAA, 4th in Big 10) but the two top rushers (Brandon Minor w/ 502 yds. and Carlos Brown w/ 480 yds.) are graduating. The leading returning rusher is back-up QB Denard Robinson (351 yds.). Among the returning running backs, Vince Smith (276 yds.) leads the pack with Mike Shaw (185 yds.) and Mike Cox (113 yds.) not far behind. The loss of Minor and Brown to graduation could prove to be a major setback to the Wolverines' running game as the three young running backs who are left behind may not be able to perform right away at the level of the two departing starters.

The 2009 defense struggled mightily as the Wolverines finished the season by losing its last seven (7) Big 10 Conference games. The defense finished in Total Defense ranked in the bottom one-third of all FBS teams (82nd of 120 teams). Unfortunately, the two top players from this lackluster unit are both heading to the pros (Brandon Graham and Donovan Warren). Additionally, the team's leading tackler in 2009 (Stevie Brown) is graduating. Thus, Def. Coordinator Greg Robinson will have his work cut out for him in trying to improve the performance of the defense in 2010.

Go Blue!

Two-year anniversary

2010-01-01T22:42:00.005-05:00

Today (January 1, 2010) marks the two-year anniversary of Coach Carr's swan song in the 2008 Capital One Bowl in which Michigan defeated Florida 41-35. Coach Rod was on the Michigan sidelines for the game as a "guest" and he officially took over as the 18th coach in Michigan Football history the following day (January 2, 2008). Ironically, Coach Rod's appearance on the sidelines watching Coach Carr lead the Wolverines to victory is the closest that Rich Rod has gotten to a bowl game since being hired by Michigan on December 17, 2007. Coach Rod (8-16 in two seasons) has nowhere to go but up after guiding the Wolverines to a 3-9 record in 2008 and to a last place finish in the Big Ten Conference (1-7 in conf. play, tied-10th place) in 2009. In fact, Coach Carr won more games in his final season (9 in 2007 season) than Coach Rod has won (8) in TWO seasons. This week Coach Rod will commence his third year at the helm. Here's hoping the Wolverines can return to a bowl game in 2010 with Coach Rod at the reins rather than as a spectator watching Coach Carr. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Coach Rodriguez on sidelines during 2008 Capital One Bowl by REINHOLD MATAY/AP Photo.

40th anniversary of greatest M/OSU game ever played

2009-11-17T22:57:00.003-05:00

In this historic rivalry, there have been many classic games but arguably the greatest game of them all was 1969 when Michigan defeated #1 Ohio State 24-12.

Click here for a picture gallery of the 1969 game. Go Blue!

*Video put together by none other than WolverineHistorian.

The dog ate our practice logs*

2009-11-16T23:13:00.002-05:00

The dog ate our practice logs* (a line taken from the boys over at UMGoBlue.com). Here is the Freep article on the topic. Here is a link to the AP article by Larry Lage on the Big Ten Network site. Lastly, here is the Detroit News article on the issue of the logs. Kind of hard for Coach Rod to indignantly declare compliance with the rules when he did not maintain records of his team's activities. Go Blue!

Coach Rod has led Michigan to LAST PLACE in the Big 10

2009-11-09T21:25:00.003-05:00

With two conference games remaining (against Wisconsin and OSU), Michigan (5-5, 1-5) is sitting in a tie for last place in the Big 10. Columnist Lynn Henning of The Detroit News analyzed Michigan's stunning fall from grace in the article, "U-M's lack of success under under Rich Rodriguez is mystifying." After 40 consecutive seasons (1968-2007) without a losing record, Coach Rod led Michigan to a dismal 3-9 record in 2008. The Wolverines are mired in last place in the conference this season and if the Wolverines fail to win one of their final two games then Michigan will finish as low as 10th place for the first time since 1934. To avoid this ignominious fate, Michigan will need to dig deep and find a way to win against the Badgers and/or the Buckeyes in the coming weeks. Go Blue!

Game Management

2009-11-08T22:20:00.004-05:00

Coach Rod's weekly press conference is tomorrow (Monday) at 11:00 a.m. at which time he will have to face another series of tough questions about why Michigan has lost five (5) consecutive Big 10 conference games. At the postgame press conference, Coach Rod invoked his common refrain that "We're not good enough to make big mistakes and beat anybody on our schedule." Coach Rod is always very quick to point out that the problems stem from lack of execution by the players (see Purdue's successful onside kick) lest anyone think of blaming him or his staff.

Coach Rod is right, however, about the need to avoid big mistakes. Michigan's talent level leaves little margin for error as it is battling for victory with the schools on its schedule. In the 10 games the Wolverines have played this season, four of its games have been decided by 4 points or fewer and a 5th game (vs. MSU) went into overtime. Michigan is 2-3 in those close contests. In the close games, where the teams are evenly matched and the contest is going down-to-the-wire, the difference between winning and losing rests on the coaching.

Game management is a critical component of a team's ability to succeed in a close game. Coaching staffs spend days in the off-season preparing for every imaginable scenario so that they will be ready to make a decision in the heat of the moment when the time comes in a game. Earlier in the season, Coach Rod faced an interesting "game management" decision. Against MSU, the Wolverines scored with 2 seconds remaining and were down by one. The question was whether to kick the PAT and go to overtime or to try and win it outright on the two-point conversion. Coach Rod never hesitated as he called for the PAT unit which converted the extra-point and sent the game into overtime. Although a case could have been made for going for two, no one really seriously questioned the decisive move made by Coach Rod.

In the Purdue game, however, Coach Rod made a game management decision that the Wolverines could ill afford. Trailing 38-30 with just under 5 minutes remaining in the game, Michigan faced a 4th and 10 from the Purdue 20. A field goal attempt by Jason Olesnavage (9-11 on the season) would have been approximately 37 yards. Olesnavage had already hit a 51-yarder earlier in the game but he had also missed a 48-yarder and an extra-point during the game. Eschewing the truism that "you always take the points", Coach Rod decided to go for it on fourth down despite the long yardage needed for a first down. Michigan failed to convert and turned the ball over on downs. When Michigan got the ball back and scored with just over 2 minutes to go, it had to go for two to try and tie the game. If they had the points from the field goal that Coach Rod decided to forego, the Wolverines (theoretically) would have had the lead. Instead, they went for two and failed to convert and ulimately lost by that margin.

Coach Rod is right when he says that Michigan is not good enough to make big mistakes and beat anybody. Coach Rod's game mis-management decision was a major misstep that put the Wolverines in a hole out of which they could not climb. Hopefully, when Coach Rod evaulates what went wrong, he will look in a mirror. The Wolverines need him to make better game management decisions in the future. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Coach Rod during the Purdue game (11-7-09) by David Guralnick/The Detroit News.

Beat OSU Bust

2009-11-05T23:06:00.002-05:00

The U of M Club of Downriver is throwing their annual "Beat Ohio State Bust" on Monday, November 16, 2009 @ 6:00 p.m. This year's featured speaker is none other than "The Angel of the Big House" Angelique Chengelis who will be available to autograph copies of her new book "100 Things Michigan Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die". Tickets for the event are $15 if you pre-order. Go Blue!

Gut-check time

2009-11-01T21:39:00.002-05:00

There are three games to go and the Wolverines (5-4) need to rally in order to qualify for a bowl game. Coach Rod has his work cut for him as the Wolverines have been in a downward spiral as they have lost their last four (4) Big 10 conference games (MSU, Iowa, Penn State and Illinois). There is a faction of the fan base calling for Coach Rod's job. Some are even hoping that the NCAA finds that the Michigan Football program committed a major violation as a result of the investigation started as a consequence of the Free Press story. If the NCAA determines a major violation occurred then Michigan can terminate Coach Rod's contract without paying any severance compensation. (See sections 2.04, 4.02, and 4.03 of Coach Rod's contract here in .pdf format). However, the focus of the Wolverine fans should be on finishing the last quarter of the season strong. The Wolverines are about to embark on the crucial last quarter of the season as they take on Purdue, Wisconsin (away), and Ohio State in the next three weeks. Just like entering the fourth quarter of a close home game, the Wolverines will need the support of the fans to help rally them as they try to pull it out. The Wolverines need at least at least one and would like at least two wins in the final stretch of the regular season so they can get a decent bowl berth.

The team is currently reeling after its devastating loss to Illinois where the Fighting Illini hung 31 unanswered points on the Wolverines in sending Michigan to a 38-13 defeat. Coach Rod is known as a "X's and O's" coach (although you wouldn't know it sometimes by watching Michigan play) and inspiring the team is not his forte. Coach Schembechler and Coach Carr were absolute masters at getting the most out of their players. In 2007, Michigan lost to FCS school Appalachian State and then the Wolverines were absolutely demolished the following week by Oregon. Nevertheless, Coach Carr was able to rally his demoralized team and they ran off 8 straight victories. Coach Rod needs to likewise find a way to rally his demoralized team who have had a rough go of it in the Big 10 over the last 4 conference contests. It's gut-check time. Three games to go. Bowl game on the line. Go Blue!

Monday Press Conference

2009-10-27T23:49:00.001-04:00

Coach Rod's Illinois week Monday Press Conference. Go Blue!

Michigan 63 Delaware State 6

2009-10-18T21:30:00.001-04:00

Go Blue!

*Note: Video by WolverineHistorian.

Michigan/Michigan State week

2009-09-28T21:56:00.001-04:00

Go Blue!

#18 Michigan 36 Indiana 33

2009-09-28T21:47:00.001-04:00

Go Blue!

Alumni Honorary Game Captains for the Homecoming Game

2009-09-26T04:43:00.002-04:00

The Alumni Honorary Game Captains (.pdf) for today's Homecoming Game vs. Indiana are none other than WR Anthony Carter (!), QB John Wangler and RB Butch Woolfolk. This season, of course, marks the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Homecoming Game vs. Indiana which Michigan won 27-21 on Wangler's legendary touchdown pass to Carter as time ran out on the clock.

Go Blue!

30-year Flashback: '79 Homecoming Game vs. Indiana

2009-09-25T22:07:00.002-04:00

( HT: WolverineHistorian).

Go Blue!

Homecoming Game Week vs. Indiana

2009-09-24T20:14:00.002-04:00

Michigan has announced that NO BAGS will be permitted in the Stadium this Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 for the Homecoming Game vs. Indiana. That means NO PURSES, NO DIAPER BAGS, NO FANNY PACKS, NO LUNCH BAGS, NO BINOCULAR CASES. No bags of any size will be permitted in the game, unless allowed by written permission of a medical professional. Patrons planning to attend the game are asked to leave everything at home and bring only their identification and seat tickets or official credentials. Binoculars will be allowed provided they are not in a case and are worn around the owner's neck. Non-pocket seat cushions, cell phones, and clear, sealed water bottles also will be permitted. Any permitted items brought to the stadium are subject to search. Stadium gates will open at 10 a.m. Arrive early if you want to make kickoff because long waits are anticipated. Go Blue!

EMU Game Week

2009-09-15T22:28:00.003-04:00

Basking in the glow of the victory over Notre Dame, Michigan now has to prepare for cross-town opponent Eastern Michigan coached by former Def. Coordinator Ron English. To get ready for the clash with Eagle Nation, you can read the game notes (.pdf). Saturday's game will kickoff at Noon and will be broadcast by the Big Ten Network with Wayne Larivee (play-by-play), Chris Martin (color analyst) and Charissa Thompson (sideline reporter). Ms. Thompson is pictured at right in a photograph I took on October 13, 2007 at Stadium & Main following the Homecoming Game vs. Purdue. Not wanting to risk the issuance of a restraining order against me, I'm going to refrain from trying to obtain another photo this year. Go Blue!

Notre Dame Game highlights

2009-09-13T17:38:00.001-04:00

Also, the Big Ten Network highlights are here. Go Blue!

Michigan 38 #18 Notre Dame 34

2009-09-12T22:08:00.002-04:00

In front of 110,278 fans today at The Big House, Michigan pulled out a stunning come-from-behind victory against rival Notre Dame by the score of 38-34. Here is a video of some of the highlights. Go Blue!

Michigan vs. Notre Dame- 30 year flashback

2009-09-12T07:30:00.002-04:00

It was thirty years ago this month that Notre Dame traveled to Ann Arbor for an early season showdown between the two legendary programs. Michigan could not settle on a starting quarterback and rotated between John Wangler (#5) and B.J. Dickey, the better runner. The Wolverines also had concerns about the kicking game as walk-on Bryan Virgil handled the field goal kicking duties. Option QB B.J. Dickey got the start for the Wolverines but Michigan was only able to muster a field goal and a single touchdown through 3 1/2 quarters of play. Trailing 12-10 late in the game, Coach Schembechler inserted John Wangler into the game at quarterback. Wangler promptly drove the Wolverines from their own 42 , with 2:02 to play, down to the Irish 25 with seven seconds remaining. Kicker Bryan Virgil came on to attempt a 42-yard field goal for the win.

Fast forward thirty years to September, 2009. Notre Dame is traveling to Ann Arbor this week and the Wolverines are rotating quarterbacks (#5 Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson, the better runner) and they still have questions about the kicking game with a walk-on field goal kicker in Jason Olesnavage. Hopefully, if the game comes down to a last second kick, Olesnavage will nail it through the uprights. I don't want this game to haunt me for the next thirty years. Go Blue!

Week Two: Notre Dame game week

2009-09-07T21:22:00.004-04:00

It's rivalry week as Notre Dame game week got underway with the Monday Press Conference. Here are the game notes (.pdf) for this Saturday's showdown. Michigan leads the series vs. Notre Dame 20-15-1. This Saturday's kickoff is at 3:36 p.m. and the broadcast is by ESPN on ABC with Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Matt Millen (color analyst), and Holly Rowe (sideline reporter). If you're not going to the game, and you don't want to listen to Millen, then you can check in on the radio broadcast on the Michigan Sports Network with Frank Beckmann (play-by-play), Jim Brandstatter (color analyst), and Doug Karsch (sideline reporter). Go Blue!

Michigan 31 Western Michigan 7

2009-09-06T12:17:00.008-04:00

In front of a Labor Day weekend crowd of of 109,019 at The Big House, Michigan started the 2009 season off strongly with a decisive 31-7 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). This was Michigan's first season opening victory in the past three years. Following are the game summary, box score, play-by-play recap, drive chart, player participation chart, audio (Coach Rodriguez, DE Brandon Graham, QB Tate Forcier), photos (MGoBlue; Detroit News; Detroit Free Press gallery one-41 game pics and gallery two-19 pre-game pics; Ann Arbor.com-slideshow; MVictors.com- pre-game pics & game/post-game pics; UMGoBlue.com), video (Big Ten Network; Michigan Rewind; game highlights by WolverineHistorian). Much analysis to follow when I'm done getting that RAWK MUSIC out of my head that was piped into the Stadium yesterday. Go Blue!

Game Day

2009-09-05T07:11:00.002-04:00

It's game day! As has been widely published in the last 48 hours, true freshman Tate Forcier will get the start at quarterback. Forcier will be only the third true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback for Michigan in the program's 130-year history. (Note: The others were Rick Leach in 1975 and Chad Henne in 2004).

The Alumni Honorary Captains (.pdf) for today's game are OL Joe O'Donnell (1960-1963), LB Erick Anderson (1988-1991) and WR Mercury Hayes (1992-1995).

Kickoff is not until 3:36 p.m. today. Need something to read while you are tailgating? Try the 26-pages of Game Notes (.pdf) which can be found here.

Go Blue!

Coach Rod- Fit to lead?

2009-09-01T21:25:00.012-04:00

During his Press Conference yesterday, Coach Rod looked like a broken man. Charitably, many people characterized him as being "emotional". More specifically, he appeared disheartened, confused, and disillusioned. What he did not look like was a leader of men. Bo and Lloyd were always unflappable. No matter the situation, neither Bo or Lloyd ever lost focus on the task at hand- leading the players to victory. Bo and Lloyd would each cast aside distractions and keep on task. Neither of them ever broke down. In contrast, Coach Rod has clearly let the allegations get the best of him. He was an emotional wreck. Despite his assertions to the contrary that this will not be a distraction, this situation will take away from the task at hand (winning on Saturday) simply because it is too much for Coach Rod to handle. He is clearly overwhelmed. A broken man is not in a position to lead others to victory. Coach Rod needs to pull it together and fast. It's game week. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of an "emotional" Coach Rod from his 8-31-09 Press Conference from MGoBlog.com

*Note 2: Photo of Coach Schembechler from collection of Bentley Historical Library, U-M.

*Note 3: Photo of Coach Carr by Rashaun Rucker/Detroit Free Press.

What the internal investigation may look like

2009-08-31T22:44:00.005-04:00

Athletic Director Bill Martin addressed the football team yesterday and indicated that in Michigan’s review process, most, if not all, of members of the football team will speak with university compliance officers. A.D. Martin will have no role in the inquiry. Instead, Michigan's Compliance Services Office (CSO) will head the investigation. It is still undetermined whether Martin will retain outside counsel to assist in the inquiry. The CSO is headed by Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Judy Van Horn. Ms. Van Horn also is serving as the President of the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) for the 2008/2009 term. Michigan's CSO publishes a 162-page Coaches Compliance Manual (.pdf). The manual lists the staff members of the CSO and each individual's duties. People working at the CSO include Asst. A.D./Deputy Director Matt Stolberg, Asst. A.D. Ann Vollano, Financial Serv. Coord. Kelly Robinson, Compliance Coord. Melissa Boettger, and Compliance Asst. Roy Shavers.

The University's policy regarding responding to rule violations is set forth as follows on the CSO website:

It is the University's policy that no violation is so minor that it need not be reported. In responding to rule violations, the University will look at such factors as whether the violation is intentional, whether any advantage is gained (e.g., recruiting, competitive or for the student-athlete involved), whether a student-athlete's eligibility is affected and whether violations are recurring. The University's goals in responding will be to encourage communication, to seek consistency and accountability and, above all, to send a strong message that the University is unequivocally committed to rules compliance.
Information concerning violations will be forwarded to the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Services who will examine the situation and communicate with the Director of Athletics, the General Counsel, and the Faculty Athletics Representative. When it is determined by the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Services that a violation of the rules has occurred, the University will report the violation and correct the situation that led to the problem. Rule violations will be reported to the appropriate athletics governing body (i.e., NCAA, the Big Ten Conference, and/or the CCHA) with copies to the Office of the General Counsel, Director of Athletics, Faculty Athletics Representative, the Conference Office, and any involved staff members.

There is currently no timetable on how long the inquiry may take or even when it will commence. Go Blue!

Coach Rod cracking under pressure of allegations of violations as Game One approaches

2009-08-31T21:57:00.006-04:00

Today, during his first Monday game week press conference of the 2009 season, Coach Rod nearly broke down crying while giving an emotional opening statement responding in general terms to the charges levied in yesterday's Free Press. Here is the press conference video:

Go Blue!

Anticipating the fallout

2009-08-30T07:10:00.005-04:00

In today's print edition, The Detroit Free Press published on the front page of the paper potentially explosive revelations regarding alleged NCAA violations committed by Coach Rod and his staff. Michigan's Football Program has never suffered a major NCAA sanction. Michigan has always been considered to be very strong in self-policing and has generally dealt with potential violations in any of its Athletic programs by instituting self-imposed penalties prior to the NCAA levying harsh sanctions for any misconduct. In this situation, the University is taking the gambit to dismiss the allegations out-of-hand rather than get out front of the situation.

Judy Van Horn, the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, released a statem en t on behalf of the University which stated as follows:

During the season, the NCAA limits ‘countable’ practice activities to 20 hours per week. There are activities that don’t count, such as rehab and getting taped. We educate our coaching staffs and student-athletes (in all sports) to keep everyone informed of the rules. Also, compliance and administrative staff conduct in-person spot checks of practice during the academic year and summer. We have not had any reason to self-report any violations in this area with any of our sports.

(emphasis added)

This is the second time in the past two years that the Michigan Football Program has been the target of a newspaper's expose regarding potential NCAA violations. In March, 2008, the (now defunct) Ann Arbor News published a four-day series of alleged academic violations that occurred during Coach Carr's tenure. The University strongly denied those allegations and ultimately the Ann Arbor News' 7-month long investigation resulted in nothing more than a minor flap and certainly no action from the NCAA.

The University's administration (i.e., President Mary Sue Coleman, A.D. Bill Martin, and Assoc. A.D. for Compliance Judy Van Horn) are largely relying on Coach Rod's intepretation of the rules and his belief that there has been no violations committed. Coach Rod's official statement, released through the University, stated: "We know the practice and off-season rules, and we stay within the guidelines. We follow the rules and have always been completely committed to being compliant with all NCAA rules." However, this is not the first time the Administration has had to rely on Coach Rod's interpretation of rules. When Coach Rod first arrived at Michigan he assured the Michigan administration (i.e., Pres. Coleman and A.D. Martin) that he should not have to pay the full buy-out provision of $4 Million to West Virginia University. Subsequently, Coach Rod and WVU became embroiled in nasty litigation and it was widely seen from the start that, despite his indignant responses to the contrary, Coach Rod had no real legal defense. His reading of the contract was self-serving and was not going to convince anyone. Rather quickly, as everyone remembers, the U of M got dragged into the middle of this litigation nightmare. Ultimately, after months of bad press, the matter was settled with WVU getting every single penny of the $4 Million it was owed. Once burned, twice shy. The administration should rely on Coach Rod's interpretation of rules at its own peril.

Thus, the University is in a quandry. Does it act quickly on its own to get out front of potential sanctions or does it deny the allegations and hope they blow over as happened with the alleged academic scandal? The University clearly seems to have chosen the latter course. If the allegations of NCAA rules violations by Coach Rod turn out to have merit then the penalties imposed by the NCAA could be stiffer as a result of the University's failure to act on its own. The University is pinning its beliefs on Coach Rod who does not have a sterling track record of integrity. That is a scary feeling. Go Blue!

UPDATE: (Sunday evening, 8/30/09)- Athletic Director Bill Martin announced earlier today that the University of Michigan has launched an investigation into allegations that its football program regularly violates NCAA rules limiting how much time players can spend on training and practice. A.D. Martin's announcement was made in response to the allegations contained in today's print edition of The Detroit Free Press. In a written statement, Martin said, "We are committed to following both the letter and the intent of the NCAA rules and we take any allegations of violations seriously." Martin further stated, "We believe we have been compliant with NCAA rules, but nonetheless we have launched a full investigation of the allegations in today's newspaper." Martin also said that the school had reached out to both the Big Ten and the NCAA about the allegations. He said the university would have more to say after its inquiry was done. Thus, the University administration appears to be now hedging its bets as they try to stay out front of this issue in case the allegations prove to have some merit. Go Blue!

Free Press story: Coach Rod allegedly violated NCAA Rules

2009-08-29T22:38:00.005-04:00

Mike Rosenberg and Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press have teamed up to publish a potentially explosive article regarding alleged NCAA violations committed by Coach Rod and his staff. The allegations focus on three main areas:

Practice time: NCAA rules only permit 8 hours per week total and a maximum of 2 hours per day for summer workouts. Michigan players were allegedly required to perform 2-3 times that allowed amount.
In-season work time: Schools are allotted 20 hours of football related activities per week with a maximum of 4 hours per day. Reportedly, Coach Rod routinely exceeded the weekly allotment and often kept the team at Schembechler Hall for 9-10 hours the day following a game.
Summer Scrimmages: Only training staff are permitted by NCAA rules to be at player-run 7-on-7 scrimmages. Allegedly, quality control staff members monitored the scrimmages which is a violation of NCAA rules.

Michigan, the school with the most victories of any football team in the history of the NCAA, has never had a major violation of NCAA rules in its Football program. The school has issued a statement denying the allegations contained in the Free Press article. Also, a copy of Michigan's Compliance and Rules Education handout (.pdf) is here. Go Blue!

Chalk Talk: Old video of Coach Rod explaining the Spread Offense

2009-08-29T02:14:00.004-04:00

As the season approaches, many Wolverine fans still do not have a clear understanding of the terms and formations used in the Spread Offense. These two videos from Coach Rod's West Virginia days are excellent primers:

Go Blue!

2009-08-24T23:08:00.002-04:00

Freshman Forcier competing for Wolverines' QB job

Go Blue!

*Video by Mike Mulholland/Grand Rapids Press

The QB triumvirate

2009-08-23T21:55:00.006-04:00

With less than two weeks to go before the 2009 season kicks off, Coach Rodriguez has yet to settle on a starting QB. Currently it remains a three-way race between Nick Sheridan (Sr./Jr. who started 4 games last season) and two true freshmen, Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson. In fact, it is possible that each of these quarterbacks may start at some point during the season. Only twice in the past thirty years have the Wolverines had three different quarterbacks start games in the same season. In 1979, John Wangler (4 starts), B.J. Dickey (7) and Rich Hewlett (1 vs. OSU) all started contests. In 1984, Jim Harbaugh (5), Chris Zurbrugg (5) and Russ Rein (2) each started games under center for Michigan. Maybe not coincidentally, 1979 (8-4) and 1984 (6-6) were Bo's two worst seasons of his 21-year tenure at Michigan. In light of the Wolverines' history with rotating three quarterbacks, Michigan may be better off if Coach Rod can narrow down the choices to a maximum of two potential starters (i.e., Forcier and/or Robinson). Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Tate Forcier (5), Nick Sheridan (8) and Denard Robinson (16) from 2009 Media Day by Lon Horwedel/AnnArbor.com.

Tate Forcier speaks during Media Day

2009-08-23T21:50:00.001-04:00

Go Blue!

*Video from Dave Birkett of AnnArbor.com

Off. Coordinator Calvin McGee at Media Day

2009-08-23T21:48:00.001-04:00

Go Blue!

*Video from Michael Rothstein of AnnArbor.com

Clips from Michigan Football Media Day

2009-08-23T21:44:00.001-04:00

Go Blue!

*Video by Melanie Maxwell of AnnArbor.com

Coach Rod Press Conference following 8-14-09 practice

2009-08-16T00:27:00.007-04:00

Here is a short video clip (again shot by David Birkett of Ann Arbor.com) of Coach Rodriguez addressing the media following Michigan's first practice in pads on Friday, August 14, 2009.

The video of the full Press Conference can be found here. Go Blue!

Big Ten Network tour hit A2 on 8-14-09

2009-08-16T00:12:00.003-04:00

The Big Ten Network's Football Tour pulled into A2 on Friday, August 14, 2009 and was on hand to film Michigan's first Fall Practice in full pads. Here are some video clips from the BTN broadcast:

Go Blue!

Friday, August 14, 2009 was Michigan's first practice in pads

2009-08-16T00:05:00.002-04:00

Michigan held its first practice in full pads on Friday, August 14, 2009. Here is a short video clip captured by Dave Birkett of Ann Arbor.com of the defensive secondary players running through a drill.

Go Blue!

QB's on First day of Spring Practice

2009-08-15T23:51:00.007-04:00

Dave Birkett of AnnArbor.com (the new incarnation of The Ann Arbor News) is on the scene at Fall Practice armed with a video camera. Although his cinematography will win no awards, it is neat to see the behind the scenes action he captures. This is a clip from the first day of practice on Monday, August 10, 2009 of the quarterbacks practicing a drill.

Although Fall Practice commenced on August 10, 2009, the coaching staff has been preparing for this moment for weeks. Go Blue!

Big 10 Media Days: Coach Rod Press Conf.

2009-07-27T21:55:00.001-04:00

Discipline problems

2009-07-25T22:02:00.003-04:00

The Detroit News reported in its Friday, July 24, 2009 edition that Wolverine CB Boubacar Cissoko was arrested last month on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. According to the News, the incident occurred June 6 when Cissoko was a passenger in a car that was pulled over by Detroit police for speeding on Belle Isle. Cissoko faces a pre-trial hearing on August 24, 2009 and he has reportedly already been disciplined by Coach Rodriguez.

On Saturday, July 25, 2009, the Detroit Free Press reported that QB/slot receiver Justin Feagin has been dismissed from the team for an undisclosed violation of team rules. No further information regarding the nature of the violation was provided but will likely be discovered in the coming days. Feagin's departure will not have much, if any, impact on the field as he was going to be relegated to the bench at slot receiver. He was originally recruited last year as a dual-threat QB/slot receiver but he was never able to establish himself at either position. Regardless, it is regrettable when the coach has to dismiss a player from the team.

Go Blue!

Five Questions that should be asked of Coach Rod at the Big 10 Media Days

2009-07-25T08:13:00.008-04:00

The Big 10 Football Media Days are generally an exercise in futility as the coaches spout rote answers ("one game at a time"; "we'll have to see how things shake out in practice", etc.) to the same tired questions. Here are five (5) questions that should be asked of Coach Rod:

1.) Last year your team exhibited a lack of sideline discipline during the 1st quarter of the Ohio State game and, consequently, looked chaotic in the final game of the year in front of a nationally televised audience. What, if anything, have you done to make sure that there is not a repeat performance this season of the disarray seen on the sideline during the OSU game?

Follow-up: Are you going to allow S&C Associate Director Chris Allen (who instigated the OSU sideline debacle) back on the sidelines this season?

2.) Last season you primarily spent your time in practice on the offensive side of the ball while Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer handled the defense. With a new Defensive Coordinator (Greg Robinson-former Syracuse Head Coach) in charge of the defense, how much time- percentage wise- do you plan on spending with the defense in Fall Practice?

Follow-up: How much autonomy will DC Greg Robinson have with how he runs the defense?

3.) Coach Rod you instituted the "Victors Walk" last year and allowed the players to be dressed in team issued sweats as they arrived to the stadium as opposed to the 39-year tradition started by Bo of requiring the players to be clad in a coat-and-tie while representing the University. Why did you choose to relax the dress code?

4.) A quick strategy question. What is the optimum- in terms of percentage of plays- in the breakdown of run vs. pass plays that you would like to see your offense achieve?

5.) You have a sign on the locker room door that exits into the hallway leading to the tunnel with the message "No Mercy". Can you give specific examples of plays on the field that exemplify what you are looking for when you say you want the players to show "No Mercy"?

Go Blue!

Big 10 Media Days and other pre-season news

2009-07-22T23:12:00.007-04:00

The Big 10 Media Days kickoff next week in Chicago and the Big Ten Network (BTN) will be broadcasting wall-to-wall coverage of the events. On Monday, July 27, 2009 @ 11:45 a.m. ET, Coach Rod is slotted to give his 15-minute press statement. The three Wolverine players scheduled to accompnay Coach Rod in Chicago are seniors Mark Ortmann, Zoltan Mesko and Stevie Brown. Not quite the star power of the player contingent that attended in 2007 which was comprised of Chad Henne, Jake Long and Mike Hart and saw Hart film a TV commerical for the Big Ten Conference.

In other pre-season TV coverage news, the BTN will be at Michigan's Fall Practice on August 14, 2009 and air a 90-minute practice special at 10:00 p.m. ET that night. Also, on August 26, 2009, the BTN will air a 30-minute 2009 Michigan Football Season Preview Show. Set your DVRs accordingly. Go Blue!

Sideline discipline

2009-06-18T21:36:00.010-04:00

Early in last year's Ohio State game, Coach Rod lost control of his sideline. It was chaotic, it was frantic and (frankly) it was pathetic. Players and coaches were screaming at each other. A strength and conditioning assistant (Chris Allen) grabbed the face mask of a player (Charles Stewart) and a timeout had to be called to straighten out the pandemonium that had overtaken the Wolverines' sideline during the rivalry game. When Bo was the Head Coach, order was the rule of the day on the sidelines. Bo was in control and no assistant (and certainly no S&C asst.) was going to cause chaos and force the Wolverines to burn a timeout during the biggest game of the year.

In his book, Bo's Lasting Lessons, Bo wrote at p. 174:

So every Friday before a game, we'd practice something we called our
"sideline discipline." We'd line up all the offensive starters in
their positions: linemen in front, backs right behind them, wideouts on the
sides. Then we put the second-string player at each position right
behind the starters, all up and down the bench. Everyone had a
particular place to sit, so we knew immediately if someone was injured or
missing. It was the backup's job to watch the game and be ready the
second the starter came out, for any reason. And we'd do the same thing with the defense. You
have to make sure everyone is indoctrinated.

When it was time to do this in the games, we'd get
everyone together right before the offense or defense
took the field. We could get it all done in seconds.
I'm sure what we were doing
looked like chaos from the stands, but it
wasn't. Everyone knew what they
were doing. Do this correctly,
and you will never get called for too many
men on the field.

Coach Rod needs to spend some time during Fall Practice with his players and coaches refreshing them on sideline discipline so that when they are faced with a pressure-packed situation during the season that they don't lose their heads. More importantly, Coach Rod should ban Chris Allen from the sideline for the 2009 season. There is apparently no in-game function that Allen performs and he has already proven beyond any doubt that he cannot conduct himself in a professional manner on the sidelines. Allen should be left in the locker room during the games for this season. Hopefully, Coach Rod will have a more disciplined sideline in 2009 than what was on display during the nationally televised game versus Ohio State last year that made the Wolverines look foolish. Go Blue!

UPDATE ON 7/22/09: The Athletic Media Relations Dept. did a puff piece this week on Chris Allen on MGoBlue.com in an attempt to repair the damage caused by the fallout from the nationally televised debacle instigated by Allen last season versus OSU. Fine, there is no problem with retaining him on staff. Just keep him off the sidelines during games where he has already shown himself to be a liability. Go Blue!

Nowhere to go but up

2009-06-15T22:24:00.002-04:00

Michigan's offense struggled mightily in 2008. The passing game was especially atrocious. The transition to Coach Rodriguez' Spread Offense was rocky to say the least. However, the team has a year with the system under its belt and there will likely be a new QB at the controls for 2009. Hopefully, the team will show improvement this season. Below are the team's 2008 rankings (of 119 Div I-FBS teams) in some key offensive categories:

109th in Total Offense (290.75 ypg)
108th in Total Passing Offense (143.17 ypg)
118th in 3rd Down Conversion % (27.27%)
112th in Passing Efficiency (95.13 rating)

The key to Coach Rod's Spread Offense is the Quarterback position. As became painfully evident last year, the Wolverines did not have the right personnel (i.e., Threet &/or Sheridan) to run the Spread Offense. This year, the likely starter is true freshman Tate Forcier. If Forcier starts the season opener, he will only be the third true freshman in the 130-year history of the Michigan Football program to start at QB in a season opener. (Rick Leach in 1975 and Chad Henne in 2004 were the others). As Coach Rod stated, the key to being a QB in the Spread Offense is that you have to be able to "think quickly and make good decisions in space to make good things happen." That is a lot to ask of a true freshman quarterback. However, Forcier seems to have the attributes that Coach Rod is looking for in a quarterback. At QBForce.com (the Forcier family website), the welcome page of the site states, "Quarterback mostly comes down to SPEED, Ball Speed, Foot Speed, Decision Speed + Heart will put you over the-top and add the 'Magic' -which very few athletes have- (Not to be confused with dumb luck) you've got a SUPER-STAR!" The welcome page goes on to define Decision Speed as "the knowledge offense, opponents defense and execution speed there of." Although Forcier's chutzpah is admirable and his physical talents far exceed last year's starters, he is still only a true freshman. The learning curve will be steep and Forcier's decision speed in 2009 will be nowhere near what it will be in future seasons. The Wolverines will no doubt improve this season but by how much largely depends on how quickly Forcier develops. Expect some potholes this season on the road back to respectability. Go Blue!

Show No Mercy...What's next, "Sweep the leg."?

2009-05-03T22:25:00.003-04:00

This picture is of the locker room door leading into the hallway just before the team enters the tunnel. This "motivational phrase" implemented by Coach Rodriguez seems to have been inspired by "The Karate Kid." Apparently, Coach Rod must be a big fan of Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese. What's next? Coach Rod instructing DT Mike Martin to "sweep the leg" while Mike Barwis is in the background screaming at the QB, "Get him a body bag, yeahhhhh!" Whatever happened to "Those Who Stay Will be Champions."? Go Blue!

*Note: Photo taken by mzgoblue during locker room tour on April 11, 2009.

Mr. President

2009-04-19T21:57:00.005-04:00

During the Spring Game, you could not always tell the players without a program. Number 18 on your roster was Jack Kennedy (no, not that Jack Kennedy). Kennedy is apparently a 6 foot, 170 lb. freshman walk-on from Walled Lake Central H.S.. Kennedy is not listed on the spring roster on the team's website nor was a bio included in the Spring Football Media Guide. His name, however, was on the Roster handed out the day of the Spring Game and he took a fair number of reps during the scrimmage. Although he will never see game action in 2009, it was a nice chance for Kennedy to have a moment in the sun (literally and figuratively). Kennedy fared well while guiding the offense but that may speak as much to the lack of talent on defense as it does to the skill Kennedy exhibited. Nevertheless, Kennedy appeared poised and displayed a sense of confidence that seemed almost...well, Presidential. (sorry, I couldn't help myself). Go Blue!

NOTE: Photo of QB Jack ("the President") Kennedy (#18) by ERIC SEALS/Detroit Free Press.

Def. Coordinator Greg Robinson discusses Spring Game

2009-04-11T23:04:00.001-04:00

Michigan Spring Football Game Highlights

2009-04-11T23:01:00.000-04:00

Tate Forcier at the Spring Game

2009-04-11T22:56:00.000-04:00

Plans can change drastically

2009-04-05T21:27:00.004-04:00

The Wolverines are in the throes of 2009 Spring Practice and true freshman QB Tate Forcier is taking snaps with the first-team while high school senior QB Devin Gardner (Inkster) just officially announced his committment to the Wolverines for 2010. The dream scenario already laid out by some excited Wolverine fans is that Forcier has a wonderful career as a four-year starter (a la Chad Henne) and Gardner red-shirts in 2010 and becomes the starter in 2013 as a redshirt Junior with two years left of eligiblity. The problem with that dream scenario is that even the best laid plans can go awry.

It was just two years ago at this time, while the Wolverines were in the midst of 2007 Spring Practice, that "the future" of Michigan Football had everyone abuzz: QB Ryan Mallett. Just two years ago, the plan was that Henne would finish out his senior year of 2007 as the starter and Mallett would assume the starting job in 2008 whereupon he would launch an extraordinarly successful three-year career. That plan was quickly scuttled when Coach Carr left after the 2007 season and Mallett announced his plans to transfer shortly after the bowl game was played.

Going back a few seasons, the plan in 2004 was for Matt Gutierrez to ascend to the #1 QB spot and be the starter until he graduated. An injury to Gutierrez prior to the first game of the 2004 season led Coach Carr to name true freshman Chad Henne as the starter in Gutierrez' place and Henne never relinquished the spot for the next four seasons.

Looking back a few seasons even further back, the plan for 2000 was that Drew Henson would return for his senior season as the starting QB. However, Henson left the program unexpectedly and John Navarre was suddenly thrust into the role of starter that year.

As is demonstrated by the above examples, injuries, transfers and departures can change the best laid plans of who is going to be Michigan's "quarterback of the future." In fact, if it was not for a transfer, a different Forcier might be the Wolverines starting QB right now. As everyone recalls, Tate Forcier's older brother Jason was a QB on the 2006 team behind Chad Henne. Jason announced during 2007 Spring Practice that he was transferring to Stanford as he did not want to be stuck behind Mallett on the depth chart. Ironically, with the change in coaches and the departure of Mallett, the job is open for Jason's brother Tate.

Tate Forcier is the leading candidate for the starting QB job for 2009. However, recent history teaches us that it is much too early to tell if he will be another short termer (like Mallett and Threet) or if he will be a four-year starter like Henne. It is interesting to note that both of Tate's QB brothers are transferring this year out of situations where that did not allow them to start. Jason is transferring from Stanford (his 2nd college transfer) and brother Chris just announced he is transferring from UCLA. That shows me the Forcier family is not shy about pulling out of what it deems to be an unfavorable situation. As for the excitement surrounding Devin Gardner's verbal commitment, we went down this road twice last year with highly regarded QB recruits Kevin Newsome and Shavodrick Beaver both of whom de-committed from Michigan before signing day. Let's get Gardner signed on the dotted line before assigning him a jersey number. History shows us that plans can change drastically and you can't count on things remaining static. Go Blue!

Developing a Michigan QB

2009-04-05T00:39:00.006-04:00

Freshman phenom Robert "Tate" Forcier is poised to take the reins in 2009 of Coach Rodriguez' spread offense. Tate was a heavily groomed and highly recruited prospect. He comes from a line of quarterbacks including his brother Jason who was once a Wolverine during the Coach Carr regime. If, as expected, Tate is the 2009 opening game starting QB, it will mark only the 5th time in Michigan history that a true freshman has started a game at QB. (The others were Rick Leach '75; Rich Hewlett '79; Chad Henne '04; and Ryan Mallett '07). Tate would be only the third true freshman to start the opening game (Leach and Henne also performed the feat).

As is well known, the Forcier family has a website (QB Force) dedicated to following the athletic exploits of the boys. An interesting tidbit found on Tate's page is that his personal trainer/QB Coach was Marv Marinovich. As you may recall, Mr. Marinovich is the father of former USC quarterback Todd Marinovich who flamed out in the pros as a result of a drug addiction that many people attributed to forming as a result of Marv's overbearing actions. (For a good primer on the background of the Marv Marinovich/Todd Marinovich debacle read the SI cover article "The Minefield" from the September 3, 1990 issue). Marv Marinovich was a frequent visitor to his son's practices at USC. Hopefully, Coach Rodriguez will keep Marv Marinovich away from his new star pupil Forcier and the Michigan Football program. The Wolverines allegedly have a world class trainer in Mike Barwis and have a QB coach in Rod Smith who knows Coach Rodriguez' offense backwards and forward. Thus, there is no continued need for the services of outside consultant Marv Marinovich. If his track record with his troubled son Todd is any indication, Mr. Marinovich is not a good influence to have around Tate Forcier. Nevertheless, he may try and hang around and "stay involved" in some unofficial capacity much like Chad Henne's high school coach did during Henne's four years at Michigan. Henne's controversial high school coach Jim Cantafio hung around the program as an informal advisor to Henne and his family as Cantafio bided his time for Henne to turn pro possibly hoping he would be given some dough. Tate has already made it to Michigan. Coach Rodriguez can take his game to the next level. They don't need Marinovich. If the Forcier family hasn't already, they should drop him like a bad habit. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Tate Forcier (5) by JOHN T. GREILICK/The Detroit News

2009 Michigan Football Spring Media Guide

2009-04-04T07:47:00.002-04:00

» Table of Contents / Pages 1-2 / 856 KB•

MEET THE WOLVERINES

» Part 1 / Pages 3-35: Quick Facts, Rosters, Anderson-Herron / 2.4 MB

» Part 2 / Pages 36-63: Huyge-Reilly / 1.78 MB

» Part 3 / Pages 64-96: Reyes-Wright + Recruits / 1.87 MB

• FOOTBALL STAFF

» Part 1 Pages 97-101: Head coach Rich Rodriguez / 1.34 MB

» Part 2 Pages 102-111: Assistant coaches / 717 KB

» Part 3 Pages 112-132: GAs, Quality Control, Support Staff / 2.53 MB

• SEASON IN REVIEW

» Part 1 Pages 133-157: Game recaps and stats / 2.6 MB

» Part 2 Pages 158-184: Season Statistics / 685 KB•

RECORD BOOK

» Part 1 Pages 185-233: Individual Records / 3.8 MB

» Part 2 Pages 234-276: Game and season records, annual statistics / 574 KB

• CONQU'RING HEROES Pages 277-308, Athletic and Academic Honors & Awards / 4.97 MB

• VICTORS VALIANT

» Part 1 Pages 309-351: Lettermen, Coaching History / 1.7 MB

» Part 2 Pages 352-398: All-time scores, series information, bowl history, championship teams / 1.12 MB

• MICHIGAN STADIUM Pages 399-416 / 2.7 MB

• WOLVERINES IN THE NFL Pages 417-447 / 2.39 MB

Go Blue!

William Campbell was just kidding around before...he declares he is a Wolverine

2009-01-03T18:45:00.001-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Happy New Year: starting 2009 off fresh

2009-01-03T11:54:00.002-05:00

After a tough initial campaign, Coach Rod is looking to a brighter future in 2009. The recruiting "quiet period" ends in the next few days and then Coach Rod and his staff will be on all-out month long recruiting push before signing day in early February. There will be many ups-and-downs on the recruiting trail in the coming weeks but it is important that the Wolverines do well so they can have a foundation to build upon in the future. Here is looking forward to an exciting 2009 and beyond. Go Blue!

Michigan 2008 Bowl Preview

2008-12-30T18:34:00.003-05:00

Michigan Football 2008 Bowl Preview: Oh, wait...that's right, Coach Rodriguez (3-9) guided the Wolverines to one of their worst seasons in their storied 129 year history and broke the string of 33 consecutive bowl games. Nice going Coach. Can't wait to see what you do for an encore. [Counting the days until EMU Head Coach Ron English is hired to replace Coach Rod (3-9)]. Go Blue!

Week 12: Northwestern Week (final home game of 2008)

2008-11-11T21:47:00.002-05:00

At his Monday Press Conference, Coach Rod spoke about the upcoming final home game for this year's senior class. (video of press conf.). You can read about this week's game in the Michigan Game Notes (.pdf). Go Blue!

Coach Rod's Monday Press Conference (Minnesota week)

2008-11-11T21:42:00.002-05:00

Monday Press Conference- Week 10

2008-10-27T23:00:00.004-04:00

Despite Saturday's loss to in-state rival MSU, Coach Rod was in good spirits at his Monday Press Conference (transcript) as he just signed his six-year contract (.pdf) on Friday of last week which pays him $2 million per year to destroy, er- I mean lead- the Michigan Football program.

The Wolverines go on the road this week to take on for the last time a Joe Tiller-led Purdue Boilermakers' Football squad. This game represents Michigan's best chance of winning a game for the remainder of the season so it is important for the Wolverines to seize the opportunity. To read up on this impending clash of Big Ten second-tier teams, you can read the Michgan Game Notes (.pdf). Go Blue!

Michigan State 35 Michigan 21

2008-10-26T21:47:00.003-04:00

In front of a Big House crowd of 110,146, the Wolverines (2-6) lost a home game to the Spartans for the first time since 1990. Following are the game summary, boxscore, play-by-play chart (.pdf), postgame notes, quotes, player participation chart, photos (MGoBlue; Detroit News; Free Press; Assoc. Press; MSU Photos by Assoc. Press; MSU Photos), video (Postgame press conference; BTN Highlights; ESPN Highlights; Michigan Rewind) and Detroit News Slideshow with audio. Much analysis to follow when I'm done running scenarios of how Michigan can still qualify for a bowl game this season. Go Blue!

Coach Rod's Monday Press Conference

2008-10-21T23:18:00.000-04:00

Halfway there, Livin' on a Prayer

2008-10-15T21:17:00.003-04:00

Michigan (2-4) is halfway through its twelve game regular season schedule and is currently on its way to its worst season in over 40 years. In reviewing the first half of the 2008 season, here is where the Wolverines stand nationally in some important offensive and defensive categories:

Total offense: 109th of 119 FBS teams
Rushing offense: 76th
Passing offense: 102nd
Scoring offense: 100th

Go Blue!

Penn State week

2008-10-15T20:57:00.002-04:00

Coming off a devastating loss to Toledo, the Wolverines have had to quickly refocus on this Saturday's game against undefeated and #3 ranked Penn State (7-0, 3-0). On Monday (October 13, 2008), Coach Rod conducted his weekly press conference. [Transcript can be read here]. Video of the press conference is below:

As always, you can find everything you need to know about this week's game in the Michigan Game Notes (.pdf). If you want to see things from the other point of view, check out the Penn State Game Notes (.pdf). Go Blue!

Mike Rosenberg's Freep Column: "System Failure"

2008-10-15T00:08:00.004-04:00

Michigan has stumbled to a 2-4 start and Michael Rosenberg, columnist for the Free Press, did a review of the first half of the season in a column entitled "System Failure." The byline for the article in the Freep print edition reads- "The early take on Rodriguez: Atrocious". So much for subtlety. Go Blue!

It's up,its...no good (again)

2008-10-12T21:22:00.004-04:00

With 8 seconds remaining and the Wolverines trailing Toledo by three (13-10), K.C. Lopata trotted onto the field to attempt a 26-yard game tying field goal. The snap was good, the placement was solid, the kick was up, the ball sailed...wide left. No good. K.C. Lopata now joins an ignominous list of Michigan kickers who have missed field goal attempts in the waning moments of a game. Updating a post from prior to the 2007 season, here are some other examples of games in which time was running out and a missed field goal cost Michigan dearly:

September 1, 2007: Appalachian State (0-0) at #5 Michigan (0-0):

Sept. 15, 1979: #9 Notre Dame at #6 Michigan (1-0)
(Sports Illustrated 9/24/79 issue; article part I, part II, part III)
In the first game in Ann Arbor between these two teams since 1943, Notre Dame clung to a 12-10 lead with :07 seconds remaining in the game. Michigan had the ball at the Irish 25-yard line and kicker Bryan Virgil attempted a 42-yard field goal for the win the for the Wolverines. Virgil had already hit a 30-yarder earlier in the contest for Michigan. On the last second field goal attempt for the win, the kick was blocked by a leaping Bob Crable. Notre Dame consequently escaped with the hard fought victory.

Nov. 6, 1976: #1 Michigan (8-0) at Purdue (3-5)
(Sports Illustrated 11/15/76 issue; Article part I and part II)
Michigan was ranked #1 in the nation and had a chance to escape West Lafayette with a victory and keep its perfect record intact. Trailing 16-14 with :14 seconds remaining in the game, kicker Bob Wood came on for a 37-yard field goal attempt. Wood had set a Michigan record in 1975 by kicking 11 field goals and he was a very accurate 6 for 8 to that point in 1976. The kick was long enough but it was off to the left. No good. Purdue won.

Nov. 23, 1974: #3 Michigan (10-0) at #4 Ohio State (9-1)
Trailing 12-10 with :18 seconds left in the game, Michigan set up for a 33-yard field goal for the win and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Attempting the kick for the Wolverines again was Mike "Super Toe" Lantry. Lantry's kick was ruled "no good" although to this day some Michigan fans swear the ball was inside the uprights. The miss gave the Buckeyes another victory and meant the Wolverines season was over as the Big Ten's Rose Bowl-only-policy was still in effect.

Nov. 24, 1973: #1 Ohio State (9-0) at #4 Michigan (10-0)
A then NCAA record crowd of 105,233 packed Michigan Stadium to watch the two titans of the Big Ten battle for a Rose Bowl berth. The score was tied 10-10 when Tom Drake intercepted a pass for the Wolverines and he returned the ball to the Ohio State 33 yard line. Michigan advanced the ball to the Ohio 28 before using its final timeout. On third down, with :28 seconds left on the clock, kicker Mike "Super Toe" Lantry set up for a 44-yard field goal attempt. He had hit a 30-yarder in the third quarter and had narrowly missed a 58-yard field goal attempt earlier in the fourth quarter. If Lantry hit the 44-yard field goal attempt, Coach Schembechler's Michigan team would advance to the Rose Bowl as an undefeated team for the second time in three seasons. Lantry's kick went wide right and Michigan's Rose Bowl hopes were dashed as the game ended in a tie. The next day the Big 10 Athletic Directors voted 6-4 to send Ohio State to the 1974 Rose Bowl game.

Go Blue!

Toledo 13 Michigan 10

2008-10-12T08:58:00.003-04:00

In front of a stunned crowd of 107,267 at the Big House, the Wolverines suffered their first ever defeat to a MAC school as Michigan lost to Toledo by the score of 13-10 when K.C. Lopata's game-tying field goal attempt in the waning seconds sailed wide left. Much analysis to follow when I'm done mourning the loss of Michigan's undefeated record against current MAC schools. In the interim, here are the game summary, boxscore, play-by-play chart (.pdf), postgame notes, quotes, player participation chart, photos (MGoBlue; Detroit News; Free Press; Assoc. Press) and video (postgame press conference; Michigan Rewind; BTN Highlights). Go Blue!

Programming note: Set your TiVo on Saturday

2008-10-09T21:49:00.000-04:00

Monday Press Conference- Week 7 (Toledo)

2008-10-06T19:25:00.008-04:00

During his weekly Monday Press Conference, Coach Rod made the point that correcting the mistakes would be the focus in the upcoming week. (Coach Rod transcript). Press Conference Video below:

One thing Coach Rod might want to do is show the team video of Mike Hart giving instructions on how to properly carry a football so that the ball carrier will not fumble it.

This week's opponents are the University of Toledo Rockets (1-4) who are coming off a 31-0 loss to Ball State. Some suggested reading materials for this week's contest are: the Michigan Game Notes (.pdf), the Univ. of Toledo Game Notes (.pdf),the 2008 Univ. of Toledo Football Media Guide (.pdf) and the Big 10 weekly news release (.pdf). If you want to listen to coverage of the team rather than read about it, click here for audio of Coach Rod's Big 10 weekly teleconference calls.

Kickoff for the game is at noon on Saturday, October 11, 2008. The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network with Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Charles Davis (color analyst), and Charissa Thompson (sideline reporter). Go Blue!

Programming Note-Listen to a Ufer broadcast

2008-10-04T23:26:00.003-04:00

Depressed over another tough Michigan loss on Saturday? Want to listen to a Michigan win broadcast by a Michigan legend? Then tune into WTKA (AM-1050) tomorrow- Sunday- at noon for a broadcast of a classic Michigan Football game. WTKA will broadcast a classic Ufer announced Michigan Football game each Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. for the remainder of the football season. Go Blue!

Illinois 45 Michigan 20

2008-10-04T22:30:00.006-04:00

In front of a crowd of 109,750 at The Big House, the Wolverines faltered in the second half and dropped the contest with the Fighting Illini by the score of 45-20. After taking an early 14-3 lead, Michigan was outscored 42-6 the rest of the way. Following are the game summary, boxscore, play-by-play chart (.pdf), postgame notes, quotes, player participation chart, photos (MGoBlue; Detroit News; Free Press; Associated Press) and videos (postgame press conference; Michigan Rewind; ESPN Highlights; BTN Highlights). Much analysis to follow when I'm done cleaning my clothes that got dirty when I got too close to the playing of the Mud Bowl. Go Blue!

*Note: Free Press Photo by JULIAN H. GONZALEZ of UMTailgate.com webmaster Frank D. preparing a "Pizza Steak" sandwich during the 10-4-08 pre-game tailgate sponsored by Cholula Hot Sauce.

Varsity Blue breaks down the Koger TD play

2008-10-03T21:51:00.002-04:00

In a truly outstanding and informative post, Tim at Varsity Blue goes "inside the play" re: the Kevin Koger TD catch. It is a must read. Check it out. Go Blue!

Michigan vs. Illinois preview

2008-10-03T21:22:00.001-04:00

Also, you can watch Doug Karsch's interview with Coach Rod during the Friday walk-through by clicking here. Go Blue!

Illinois Game Week

2008-10-01T21:58:00.003-04:00

Coming off a big victory over Wisconsin, the Wolverines are preparing for their Homecoming matchup with the Fighting Illini. On Monday (9-29-08), Coach Rod spoke to the media at his weekly press conference. (video; transcript) Everything you need to know about this week's game can be found in the Michigan Game Notes (.pdf). If you want the perspective from the other side, you can check out the Illinois Game Notes (.pdf). The game will be televised by ESPN on ABC with Dave Lamont doing the play-by-play, David Norrie serving as the color analyst, and Jeannine Edwards (picture at right) providing sideline reports and analysis. As you can never talk to the media too much, Coach Rod held another press conference today (Wednesday- 10/1/08). [press conference audio] Coach Rod is not the only one to speak to the media however. Illinois Coach Zook spoke to the media yesterday (9/30/08) during a Media Luncheon. To learn more about the Fighting Illini, you can check out their 2008 Football Media Guide (.pdf). Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Jeannine Edwards from ESPN Photo.

Michigan vs. Illinois

2008-10-01T21:49:00.002-04:00

The Wolverines take on the Fighting Illini this Saturday in Michigan's Homecoming game. Below is video by WolverineHistorian of some memorable moments from past contests:

One of the most classic games played in this rivalry in recent memory was the 2000 game during which QB Drew Henson rallied the Wolverines to a comeback victory. Go Blue!

Michigan 27 #9 Wisconsin 25

2008-09-28T00:11:00.007-04:00

In front of a crowd of 109,833 at the Big House watching the Wolverines play their 500th game at Michigan Stadium, the Wolverines mounted the biggest comeback win in the history of playing at The Big House. Michigan rallied from a 19-0 halftime deficit to pull off a thrilling 27-25 victory. Following are the game summary, boxscore, play-by-play chart (.pdf), postgame notes, quotes, player participation chart, photos (MGoBlue; Detroit News; Free Press) and video (press conference; BTN game highlights; ESPN game highlights). Much analysis to follow when my heart starts working again. These thrilling games are killing me. Go Blue!

Your Wisconsin game Honorary Captains

2008-09-26T21:37:00.003-04:00

The three Honorary Captains (.pdf) for tomorrow's game are Wolverine stars from the past three decades: kicker Ali Haji-Sheikh (1979-1982), running back Anthony Thomas (1997-2000), and cornerback Marlin Jackson (2001-2004). Go Blue!

Next Opponent: Wisconsin

2008-09-19T22:31:00.002-04:00

Michigan has a bye week this Saturday but will be back on the field on Sept. 27th to play Big 10 rival Wisconsin. Video by WolverineHistorian of some memorable plays from games past vs. the Badgers. Go Blue!

Book Review: Historic Photos of University of Michigan Football

2008-09-14T21:49:00.005-04:00

As the Michigan Football program is going through a tough spot currently, it is always nice to look back at the storied tradition of the program to ease the pain of the current difficulties. It has often been said that "a picture is worth a thousand words" and it is with that phrase in mind that this week I review the book Historic Photos of University of Michigan Football (Turner Publishing; $39.95). If indeed a picture is worth a thousand words, then this book is an epic as it traces the tale of the Michigan Football program over the course of one hundred years from the humble origins in 1879 through the amazing successes of Bo during his first ten years (1969-1979). The photographs come from the unparalleled University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library. The text and captions, provided by Bentley Historical Library contract researcher Michelle O'Brien, are extremely well done as they help both explain and punctuate the incredible photographs selected for the book. (A brief video showing a small sample of the book's photos can be found below). All the photos are in black-and-white and take the reader on an incredible journey through the years as the program evolved into the winningest program in college football history. The photos provide a true insider's view of the evolution of the program. This book is a must-have for any Michigan Football fan. Many books have been written about the program over the years and many of those books re-hash the same stories. This book tells the Michigan story in an exquisitely well done and unique way. Whether you know a die-hard fan or just like well done photograph books, I highly recommend this book for you and yours. Grade: A+ Go Blue!

Superback Sam McGuffie gains close to half of Michigan's yardage vs. ND

2008-09-13T22:20:00.006-04:00

Superback Sam McGuffie (a true freshman) lived up to his billing as he once again carried the Michigan offense. McGuffie's 178 all-purpose yards (131 rushing yds., 47 receiving yds., 1 td.) accounted for close to half of Michigan's 388 yards of total offense. Often referred to as a YouTube sensation (with over 2 million hits), McGuffie has proven he is the real deal as he has carried the load of the Wolverines' offense for the first three games of the season. In today's game vs. Notre Dame, McGuffie had 100 yards of total offense in the first quarter as he rushed nine times for 57 yards and collected three receptions for 43 yards. He averaged an astounding 8.33 yards per play in the first quarter. Today marked McGuffie's first 100-yard rushing game of his Michigan career and he became the first 100-yard rusher for the Wolverines this season. In Michigan Football history, there have only been two players to lead the Wolverines in rushing for 4 seasons- Jamie Morris (1984-1987) and Mike Hart (2004-2007). McGuffie has a good chance to join that elite company before he is done. Go Blue!

*NOTE: Photo of Sam McGuffie (2) running for a TD vs. Notre Dame on 9/13/08 by JOHN T. GREILICK/The Detroit News.

Michigan vs. Notre Dame: 1st Quarter

2008-09-13T21:03:00.001-04:00

Michigan vs. Notre Dame: 2nd Quarter

2008-09-13T21:01:00.000-04:00

Michigan vs. Notre Dame: Michigan Marching Band Halftime Show

2008-09-13T21:00:00.001-04:00

Michigan vs. Notre Dame: 3rd Quarter

2008-09-13T20:58:00.001-04:00

Michigan vs. Notre Dame: 4th Quarter

2008-09-13T20:57:00.002-04:00

Notre Dame 35 Michigan 17

2008-09-13T20:23:00.007-04:00

In front of a crowd of 80,795 in South Bend, IN, the Wolverines fell behind early and could never catch the Fighting Irish as Michigan fell to Notre Dame 35-17. Michigan was doomed by six (6) turnovers and poor execution. Michigan has two weeks to correct the situation as the Wolverines have a bye week next week before kicking off the Big 10 season the following week versus Wisconsin. Following is the game summary, boxscore, play-by-play chart, postgame notes, player participation chart, photos (MGoBlue;Detroit News;AP), and video (NBC Sports). Much analysis to follow once I'm done wringing out my clothes (from the rain and my tears). Go Blue!

Classic Michigan vs. Notre Dame: AC-the original #1

2008-09-11T23:15:00.001-04:00