Rich Rodriguez Archives - Page 3 of 5 - UMGOBLUE.COM Michigan Wolverine Football & Basketball

August 31, 2011September 15, 2011

Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football

This book by noted author John U. Bacon promises to be the most complete and revealing account of the turbulent tenure of Rich Rodriguez as Michigan head football coach.

Weighing in at 448 pages, I expect an unflinching account of exactly what happened. Bacon had amazing access to Michigan administrators, coaches, and players. At the beginning of the project few could imagine how badly things would turn out.

Was the hire doomed from the start? Did Michigan insiders who disliked RichRod from the beginning undermine him? Did RichRod’s loyalty to his assistants doom the defense to failure? How much did RichRod’s inner circle contribute to his public relations gaffes?

I can’t wait to find out.

Available for pre-order now

Three and Out tells the story of how college football’s most influential coach took over the nation’s most successful program, only to produce three of the worst seasons in the histories of both Rich Rodriguez and the University of Michigan. Shortly after his controversial move from West Virginia, where he had just taken his alma mater to the #1 ranking for the first time in school history, Coach Rich Rodriguez granted author and journalist John U. Bacon unrestricted access to Michigan’s program. Bacon saw it all, from the meals and the meetings, to the practices and the games, to the sidelines and the locker rooms. Nothing and no one was off limits. John U. Bacon’s Three and Out is the definitive account of a football marriage seemingly made in heaven that broke up after just three years, and lifts the lid on the best and the worst of college football.

From the Back Cover

Sports fans invest great hopes and dreams into their teams. College football fans invest even more, I think, because of the stronger connection they feel with the school and the players. But I’ve never seen any fans ask more of their teams than Michigan football fans ask of theirs.

There are only two groups who are more devoted to the Wolverines, and demand more in return: the coaches and the players. They have the most to gain and the most to lose. They know the stakes. And they accept them—even embrace them. It’s why all of them, from Rich Rodriguez to Tate Forcier to Denard Robinson, came to Ann Arbor. Not to be average, or even good, but “the leaders and best.”

Anything less would not do.

This book attempts to explain how the coach and his team fell short—and what happened when they did.

January 31, 2011August 11, 2011

2011 M Football Brady Hoke Succeeds Rich Rodriguez

To the delight of many Michigan Football players who played for or watched Brady Hoke while he helped lead the Blue to a National Championship in 1997 as the Wolverine Defensive Line Coach, and to the chagrin of some Michigan fans who had their caps set for Jim Harbaugh, or Les Miles or anybody but Hoke, Brady Hoke has been named University of Michigan Football Coach.

It seems to me that all of us will find that Brady fits the ?Michigan Mold? and he will represent the University of Michigan and its football program, its traditions and values, with honesty. He will restore the program to its former toughness.

He has family values in spades, wants tough guys on his defensive line, and on his team as a whole, and will toe the line to stay inside the NCAA rules.

He will bring a diverse offense and use personnel in a system that utilizes a player?s talents to best advantage.

He has the kind of personality that invites people to like him, but make no mistake he can be tough when tough is called for.

He is not Lloyd Carr and will not play Lloyd?s brand of football. He is not a Lloyd Carr crony. He is his own man.

He does not tolerate losing and will do all that is within the rules to win. He will work hard and his team will work hard.

All that being said he has a tough row to hoe. He is behind in recruiting for this year. Way behind.

More importantly he has to assemble a staff. That might be the most important thing that he has to do, to provide a staff that is all on the same page and which can produce in the Big Ten.

I would be remiss if I did not thank Rich Rodriguez for his effort in Ann Arbor. Even if the results in the win column were not what we, or he, wanted for the past three years, he worked hard, and did what he could to remain in Ann Arbor. And lets quit dumping on Lloyd Carr, and appreciate the only National Title Michigan has managed in fifty years. And let’s forget Les Miles, and Jim Harbaugh as coaches, but, of course, not as people and Michigan men.

It is past time the Michigan Wolverines snarled with one voice. I am sick of forums with conspiracy theories, Brandon bashing, complaining about that ho hum Hoke, kicking Carr, and insulting Rodriguez. The Free Press remains fair game.

AD Brandon thinks that Brady Hoke can do it. Let?s give him a warm welcome and all the help we can in what will be no minor task.

How soon he wins is an issue, because we have three years of frustration behind us.

Fans want winning sooner than later. Their irritation is also understood.

Things can only be accomplished through wins.

Welcome aboard Head Football Coach Brady Hoke!

Good Luck, and Go Blue!

January 4, 2011July 27, 2011

2011 M Football Bowled Over, M 14 MSST 52

The Mississippi State University Bulldogs dominated the young Wolverines at will in establishing their football superiority in the Progressive Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida on New Years Day. This completes the 2010 season on a sour note. For Michigan, it should have been called the Regressive Gator Bowl as it was the worst Bowl loss in Michigan football history. The Wolverines are now 19 and 21 in Bowls.

This was the Wolverine?s first Bowl game under Coach Rodriguez, and some hoped it a chance for redemption of coaching reputation, and a chance to prove team improvement. It was thought that the Wolverines could compete with a mid level SEC team. That proved untrue.

Unfortunately, game day completed on a note too familiar, as the Wolverines were embarrassed 14 to 52, and were competitive only for the first quarter. It was 14 to 31 at the half, and the game was essentially over at that point.

MSST played well, and they proved too much for the Wolverines in all three phases of the game. Whether that should be stated as all four phases of the game (including coaching), will undoubtedly be decided by AD David Brandon in the very near future.

In my opinion, Coach Rodriguez did not add the needed positives to his body of work to gather sufficient traction for longevity as the University of Michigan Football Coach. He is after all, 15 and 22, and 1 and 11 against ranked teams. Opponents have consistently scored more than 34 points against the Wolverines this season.

Outside of the beautiful weather, and perhaps the hospitality of the folks managing the event, not much went right for the bumbling Wolverine offense, defense, or special teams. This beat down was only a surprise offensively as the Wolverine?s echoed their usual defensive body of work this year when facing some of the better teams on their schedule. They could not stop the run game of a one-dimensional running team. Fourteen points by this offense, usually capable of far more, is certainly sub par.

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Denard had an ordinary day (for him). He had 256-yards passing and 58-yards running. Statistically, that is not that bad of an ?ordinary? day, with two TDs. But an errant pass helped seal the Wolverines fate. Make no mistake that he has had a brilliant and record setting season. He has 4,272 total offensive yards, and that is a school record. He has had a spectacular season. But the Wolverines needed more from him on Saturday to entertain a victory. And he needed more weapons helping him.

Denard has not proved a winner against the better teams. That will come next season as he hopefully gets more help from his friends. It will be worth the price of a ticket to watch him. There is no question he is the team MVP.

Saturday I had hoped a healthy Denard could make us competitive, but he could not. The running game was stuffed. Yards after catch were denied. He simply did not have enough offensive help, and the offense has sort of become a one trick pony. The offense could not convert several critical 4th downs, or attempt 3-point FGs because they simply can?t kick them. Obviously our scheme is well scouted by this time of year.

Other turnovers, and dropped passes also hurt, as did penalties, not to mention decent defense by MSST, and 481-yards and 26 first downs by their offense.

It was no surprise the defense played like they have played all year. It was no surprise they had trouble lining up properly, sometimes appeared confused, remained ineffective tacklers, had an inability to stop third downs, or corral the lumbering, but mobile Bulldog quarterback. Not surprising that they yielded record numbers of points today as they have over much of the season. They let out a short dump pass for an 81-yard TD. They confirmed again that they are among the worst defenses in the Big Ten, and nationally.

Sad to say that is a fact and some played hard all season, and they had some moments this season, but overall the team defensive results are still nothing but poor. No question, the worst defensive season in Michigan history.

Was it all because of injuries and young players? Or is some of it because of scheme and ineffective coaching? Or is it some of both? Do you believe that the defense has headed in the right direction the past three years? Certainly the offense has taken some strides, has seen measurable improvement, but defense and special teams remain special disasters.

As expected, the special teams were no blessing again. A punt was blocked, a short field goal missed, but Martavious Odoms returned from a broken foot in good form on KO returns.

The first half started off well enough, with Denard weaving runs of 22 and 24-yards. An 11-play, 73-yard drive was completed with a 10-yard TD pass to Roy Roundtree. M 7-MSST 0.

MSST immediately answered with an 11-play, 79-yard creation featuring a 4-yard TD pass. It was 7 up and I thought the shoot out was on.

MSST then blocked a Wolverine punt, and hit a 42-yard FG to break the tie. M 7-MSST 10. It seemed a happy event that they were held to a field goal.

M answered with a beautiful 27-yard TD pass to Odoms. Perfect throw and catch. M 14-MSST 10.

Michigan was unable to score again so the expected shoot out never materialized. The Wolverines fueled the Bulldogs scoring frenzy with an interception. The Bulldogs never looked back as they produced a couple of long drives for scores by half-time to produce an overwhelming 14-31 deficit.

MSST didn?t need any more scores to win, but they engineered more long TD drives after halftime and an 81-yard screen pass to end the thumping at M 14-MSST 52.

To start the second half, M?s defense stopped the Bulldog?s opening drive, but to no avail. The Wolverine?s offense had been solved, and it could not score. And the defense had no more stops. The embarrassment was complete.

Everybody wonders if loss should, and will signal the end of the Rodriguez era. Wonders if there will be hurricane winds of change in Ann Arbor regarding the entire coaching staff, if it is the end of the Rodriguez era, and is the dawn of the Harbaugh, or Hoke, or whoever wants the punishment, era. Many fans are on board the Harbaugh train.

There are compensations even for losing coaches. RR would take 2.5 million out the door, more than the lifetime earnings for most of us. In that sense he would go out a winnerfrom Ann Arbor.

They say only the hairdresser of a lady that colors her hair knows her true hair color, and only David Brandon knows for sure if Coach Rodriguez and all of his staff will continue to be Maize and Blue.

Logically, we should know the why and who of it in a few days. I would think the waiting period has to be over very soon. At no time has AD Brandon made a strong statement of support for RR, and this has fueled speculation that change is imminent. The lack of positive results has caused that speculation to ignite like a magnesium fire, and burn intensely.

It is sad to think that RR has come to this point as chief of the Wolverines. I have always wanted him to succeed, because I want the Wolverines to succeed, but it is my obligation to report it as I think it is. My uninformed guess is that there will be a change of all or part of the football staff.

Coach Rodriguez came to Ann Arbor with a few cans tied to his tail, factions at Michigan tied on other cans, and some of the press has missed no opportunity to slur him and the program when and where it can. Makes you want Coach to succeed, but it is a wins and loss business and he is not winning, nor effectively competing. Some sort of signature win continues to elude him. The defense is not any better than the two prior years.

I will support whatever David Brandon does. He has a lot at stake in this call, as it will likely be the athletic director?s biggest career decision. It will be a decision that may determine his legacy. It is hard to see how he will satisfy all of the factions.

In any case, Saturday?s game was a sad end to a throw away season even though it was a 7-6 season and therefore showed a bit of improvement in the win/loss column over the two previous season under RR?s tutelage. It seems a sad punctuation mark to end the careers of seniors such as Schilling, Mouton, Rogers, Dorrestein, Webb, Ezeh, Ferrara, Banks and Patterson, who obviously would have preferred a win to remember. They will have to pack it away and forge ahead in the real world now.

As always, I thank you for reading this column and visiting the site. Hopefully next year will be a better season, but for sure it is going to be most interesting.

I can be emailed if you like at oldblue@cablespeed.com. I enjoy hearing from you, whatever your opinions, and I hope the New Year brings you all the health and happiness you need or want.

Go Blue!

September 12, 2010October 14, 2013

M Football 2010- Michigan 28, Notre Dame 24 Magnificant Effort And Outcome

Michigan’s Wolverines ended a nasty lack of away from home wins in Notre Dame Stadium Saturday, when they produced an astounding and outstanding come from behind victory in their first competition with Brian Kelly’s Irish. This was a hard fought football game. Neither team quit, but finally the Wolverines prospered and the Irish didn’t.

Denard Robinson was even better Saturday than last week against Connecticut, and now totals a stunning 502-yards rushing in just two games. He will surpass Brandon Minor’s entire production for last year soon, and even though I have seldom, if ever, seen one player put the Wolverine’s fortunes on his own back like he has, he is not the only Wolverine that should be credited with this victory.

The defense hit, the OL line blocked reasonably well, and the receivers took some real punishment, but for the most part they were able to hang onto the ball. Roy Roundtree had 8 grabs for 82-yards, which included a 31-yard TD. Suffering internal bruising last week I was surprised to see him in action this week. Martavious Odoms had 91-receiving yards. Stephen Hopkins got his first collegiate carry on a two-yard TD run early in the game.

With the exception of a few notable penalties, and a big play at crunch time, they played with enough poise and precision on offense, and surprisingly on run defense, to prove they were the best team on the field. Three interceptions helped make that decision. Jonas Mouton got his second career interception, and finished the day with 13 tackles, and Jordan Kovacs had ten. The defense stumbled at times, and let out a late fourth quarter 95-yard pass play for a TD after the defense had the Irish pinned deep in their own territory.

It was a dispiriting and potentially back-breaking play at crunch time. Cameron Gordon let the receiver Kyle Rudolph get behind him, and the down three got inadequate pressure on ND QB Crist. Crist hit the receiver in stride, it was 24-21 and it appeared that it was Notre Dame?s day. But there were a few minutes left. There was enough time for some Robinson magic. ND?s pass offense was effective but the Wolverines suppressed the run reasonably effectively. The defense protected the lead at the end of the game, with Crist?s last desperation heave sailing harmlessly into the endzone.

Denard produced the 12-play, 72-yard drive to get the winning score, scampering in from 2-yards out for the Wolverines first and final score of the second half. It was just enough to produce the much needed 28/24 win. Two key plays were when he calmly picked up a crucial first down at the ND 35, and then on third and five from the seventeen, he hit Roy Roundtree who was downed at the two. Denard ran it in for the winning score.

It is simply impossible to ignore the tour de force provided by Robinson Saturday. In the spring, I kept thinking that Denard might be chewing up M?s defense because it was our own perhaps inadequate defense, and therefore things could change when the actual games and hitting started. I kept thinking, and wrote, that Tate Forcier might rise to the top because of his experience in starting 12 games last year, and that he would overcome his slow start.

It was a little startling to see that freshman Devin Gardner has truly surpassed Tate on the two deep. When Denard was a little shaken up, and out for a play, it was the talented Devin that that played the understudy again this game.

I am happy to admit I was dead wrong. I can sympathize with Tate, and we still may need him, and he could still contribute, but on the basis of just these two games, Denard has been nothing short of phenomenal. His domination of the playing field is exceptional. Also, any four-leaf clovers belonged to him and his Wolverines on this day and to not the Irish, as Shoelace was stripped of the ball on one sojourn into the ND secondary, and the Wolverines gobbled it up. Luck of the Irish? Not Saturday, but the Irish did get a favorable call. On TJ Jones TD, tape clearly shows he released possession of the football before he crossed the goal line. The ball never broke the plane. Should have been Michigan’s ball at the twenty.

DRob was responsible for 502-yards rushing and passing against ND in the unfriendly confines of ND Stadium. He has been credited with 885 yards running and passing in just two games. He is only the 9^th QB in NCAA history to rush for 258-yards in a game, and pass for 244-yards in a game. The 258-yards rushing on 28 carries is 5^th in Michigan single game history records. He was 24 of 40 passing. He broke an 87-yard run for a TD which is the longest in ND Stadium history, and second longest ever against ND. He set a single game Michigan record for rushing and passing by a QB for the second week in a row, and a B10 record. He had 152-yards rushing in the second quarter.

When you paste your name into the record books in a winning cause against ND, your accomplishments get recognized nationally. Denard will have to learn to live with and deal with football fame. He has hit the big time without question, and seems to be aiming the Wolverines in that direction.

Notre Dame opened the scoring on their first possession by producing a 71-yard TD drive aided by a favorable review, and a 15-yard personal foul by Michigan. ND QB Dayne Crist punched it in from a yard out. M 0- ND 7. All EPs in this game were good. Somewhere early in this quarter Crist took a blow to the head that that took him out of the game until the second half. Michigan?s defense abused his inexperienced replacements, including Nate Montana, Joe’s son.

Mouton intercepted ND QB Rees pass, and Denard turned it into points with a 31-yard TD pass to Rountree. M 7-ND 7.

Then it was a 65-yard, 5-play drive to pay dirt, based on Robinson to Odoms passes. Stephen Hopkins scored from the one. M 14-ND 7.

Then Denard was off on his 87-yard jaunt late in the second half. M 21-ND 7.

Crist came back as QB in the second half and heaved a 53-yard TD pass to TJ Jones. M 21-ND 14, and it was getting a little scary again, which was aggravated by an 8-play 66-yard drive culminating in a 24-yard FG. M 21-ND 17. Meanwhile the Wolverines are practicing punting and missing a FG that should have been hit. Fortunately Michigan picked off another pass off to stop a drive, and the miserable quarter ended, but some of the misery endured. The pass protection in the 4^th was not much better at times, and another FG was missed. At the 4:15 mark Crist stunned the Blue with the 95-yard bomb described above to make it M 21-ND 24.

It looked like it was over, but no one told Denard Robinson. He engineered the 12-play, 72-yard winning drive that will become the stuff of legend, and linger a long while in the memories of ND and Michigan fans alike. Seth Broekhuizen kicked the EP.

Suddenly a little ray of optimism is breaking thought the shroud of pessimism, for the team and for Coach Rodriguez. Some fans may now think that maybe he can coach after all, and just maybe his teams will be able to compete, even away from Michigan Stadium.

This is nothing more than a good start to the most important football season in recent memory. Last year the Wolverines also beat the Irish and nailed some early opponents, only to lay an egg in the last half the season. With the poise, and confidence of this season?s team, and with Robinson rapidly gaining experience, that seems less likely to happen than last year.

It is a fact this was a very important game for the Wolverines against a rejuvenated Irish team that has the wily Brian Kelly as its new coach. He will load up with first class talent that matches his system, and he will know how to use it, so this was an excellent year to grab a victory there. This victory will build Michigan confidence, experience them in winning away from home, and raise expectations, as well as gaining the Wolverines some football notoriety of a welcome kind. It will bring smiles to the players, coaches and fans, with the drama not forgotten, but pushed to the background for a change.

This is not to imply that the Wolverines are a complete football team at this time. They need improvement. They are still a work in progress with dumb penalties, and with some critical mental lapses (the two long pass plays, for example). The kicking and punting aspects of special teams need to improve in a hurry. The two missed field goals are blisters, the KOs too short, and they often give opponents good field position. The punting has not been up to Mesko level as yet. I thought this might be costly in the ND game but it proved a non-factor this time but later it might catch up with us.

As predicted the pass defense is a work in progress, but bring on the Minutemen.

The only sad note of the day is that Ron Kramer is no longer with us. He passed away Saturday. He was a great athlete at Michigan in the mid-fifties, a nine-letter winner. He carried his team on his back, and had a great pro career with the Packers and Lions.

It was Ron who revived my interest in Wolverine Football in the fifties, and I shall never forget his accomplishments and his respect and appreciation of all things Michigan.

Go Blue!

August 14, 2010April 27, 2012

Michigan Football 2010- Brandon has turned night to day; but deflecting NCAA may be a tougher feat

Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon sure knows how to make an entrance.

Less than two weeks after taking over the job from Bill Martin, he said, “Let there be light,” and just like that Michigan Stadium will host its first night game in 2011 versus the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Years of excuses as to why a night game at the Big House was logistically impossible were swept away in a matter of days. Brandon showed himself to be someone who doesn’t accept excuses.

And that’s why today’s hearing with the NCAA was a challenge for the new leader.

Instead of cutting through excuses to get something done, he along with the rest of the Michigan contingent was there to make excuses as to why Rodriguez should not be found to “…have failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance,” among his staff regarding adherence to NCAA rules. This was the only charge that Michigan chose to dispute after admitting to four violations in May.

Compared to turning night into day at the Big House deflecting the NCAA will be a bigger challenge.

I don’t see how the NCAA can buy Michigan’s argument. Either Rodriguez knew the rules and stretched them as practically every team in America does or he didn’t know the rules and ignorance isn’t an excuse.

The NCAA can’t allow a coach to avoid sanctions by simply claiming he or his staff didn’t the rules. It would a create a mountain-sized hole for any renegade coach to take advantage of.

The point is simple- if Rich Rodriguez didn’t know, he should have. If his staff didn’t inform him, he’s responsible for that, too. The buck stops with him. End of story.

Now questions from the readers:

Do you hope that RichRod gets additional sanctions from the NCAA? You’re showing your bias against him by saying the NCAA won’t believe his explanation.

No, I would love for the NCAA to accept Michigan’s excuses and then apologize for the inconvenience the investigation has caused over the last year. If David Brandon can convince the NCAA to move on without imposing additional sanctions it may be the greatest example of the Jedi mind trick since Obi-wan talked some renegade droids through a checkpoint a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

These violations are a black eye for the program. UM has admitted major violations and RichRod should be canned immediately…

Unfortunately, we at Michigan know something about “major” violations. Read up on the Fab 5/Ed Martin scandal to learn about serious major violations.

These violations are a joke…

That’s not true either. Anytime the NCAA come in and you admit to four violations, spend nearly year investigating, not to mention a boatload of money (over $500K and counting) it’s definitely SOMETHING. It’s just not the end of life as we know it that some would have us believe.

Who cares what the NCAA thinks, they’re out of touch…

The NCAA is judge, jury, and executioner in this case.

Here is footage of an actual NCAA “hearing”:

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Get the idea? They expect groveling not defiance.

Why are people so bent out of shape about the CARA forms? They are an internal UM control not something imposed by the NCAA.

That’s the problem. It’s not like UM can say the process imposed by the NCAA was too cumbersome to enforce. The CARA forms were an internal control created by the UM athletic department. If the process was flawed it was UM’s responsiblity to fix it long before the NCAA can calling.

This is clearly a conspiracy by Lloyd Carr supporters in the AD to embarrass Rich Rod.

Stand down the black helicopters. While Lloyd was popular it’s hard to believe that people with families and mortgages would risk their jobs to torpedo Rich Rodriguez.

What do you think happened?

I think that this was an interdepartmental squabble that spiralled out of control. It probably should have/would have been resolved internally given time. As soon as the CARA forms turned up MIA it was the like waving a red cape in front of a bull and the rush to judgement was on…