Freshman QB Tate Forcier has made a name for himself in Michigan within four games. At this rate, the kid will never have to buy a drink in Michigan again.
Forcier lead more last-second heroics this week as he threw the game-winning TD pass to Martavious Odoms with 2:29 left, as Michigan squeaked by Indiana, 36-33.
This would be Forcier’s second miraculous comeback in three weeks, as he threw a TD with 11 seconds left to beat then-No. 18 Notre Dame two weeks ago. While that began the highlight reel for Forcier, this game might have even done better.
Forcier actually lead two go-ahead drives, rushing for a go-ahead TD and a 2-point conversion that put Michigan ahead 29-26 with nine minutes left in the game. Indiana RB Darius Willis immediately responded with an 85-yard touchdown run to put the game back in favor of Indiana, with Michigan needing a touchdown to score.
So Forcier did what he does best, and led the game-winning drive down the field. The game was sealed when Michigan picked off a pass with 2:14 left in the game.
Forcier suffered a bruised shoulder on the game’s pivotal drive; no word on whether that shoulder will keep him limited this week.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 6:09 pm by bryan
After a thrilling 38-34 victory against Notre Dame two weeks ago, the Michigan Wolverines climbed back into the Top 25.
Now, after a blowout against Eastern Michigan, the Wolverines stayed the course and checked back in at #25 in the country this week.
This week, freshman QB Tate Forcier and the rest of the Wolverines get ready to welcome Big 10 foe Indiana in Michigan’s Big 10 opener. Indiana also carries a 3-0 record into the game.
Indiana has struggled against some lesser known non-conference foes, giving Wolverine fans every reason to be confident in this game. Coach Rich Rodriguez will certainly not allow his team to be unfocused during a season where questions were raised about the amount of work Michigan players were being forced to do by coaches.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 10:44 pm by bryan
The Michigan Wolverines are under investigation after rumors that the players were practicing more than rules would allow.
Several current and former players have told investigators that the team was practicing for ridiculously long hours on Sundays.
Players are only supposed to have some type of practice activity for a maximum of eight hours, but reports have surfaced that they ran from the late morning into the late evening.
This does not bode well for Rodriguez to have players turning on the coaching staff in this way. It seems as though he is not liked by many of his players, which is an ominous sign.
If the allegations are true, the team could face a loss of scholarships, among other things.
Saturday, September 5, 2009 at 8:38 am by steve
On Tuesday night, AnnArbor.com broke the news that Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez partnered with a banned Clemson booster in a failed real-estate venture, one which has led to a $3.9 million lawsuit.
Clegg Lamar Greene, a 71-year-old who was accused of providing a $1,300 loan and use of his boat to two Clemson recruits in 2000, named Rodriguez and three others in the lawsuit. Greene accused Rodriguez and the others of defaulting on a multimillion-dollar loan that was related to a Virginia condominium development that never came to fruition.
Coach Rodriguez served as the offensive coordinator at Clemson in 1999 and 2000.
Authorities claim that Greene stole money from a number of his investors, including Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has not issued a comment on the story yet, however; between this and the Detroit Free Press report accusing him of a number of NCAA violation, Rodriguez’s coaching seat had to become much hotter in the past week.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 10:03 pm by bryan
Coming off a dismal 3-9 season last year, coach Rich Rodriguez finds himself embroiled in controversy before this year’s opening kickoff, as the Detroit Free Press cited six current Michigan players in a weekend report that suggests NCAA violations for Michigan’s football program.
On Monday, Rodriguez took to the podium to hold a press conference where he denied any wrong doing by himself or his staff.
“We know the rules,” Rodriguez said, “and we follow the rules.”
Michigan launched an internal investigation on Sunday after the Free Press reported a number of potential violations from Rodriguez and his staff, mostly regarding over-training. Michigan players suggested to the paper that they would exceed the 20 hours of football related work each week and the four hours each day that the NCAA permits. Some of the most egregious claims accuse Rodriguez of making off-season “voluntary” workouts mandatory, and players reported having to spend upwards of 10 hours devoted to football on Sundays.
“I guess I’m here to tell you that whatever you’ve heard or want to believe, the truth is that this coaching staff cares very deeply about the young men in our program,” Rodriguez said.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 8:56 pm by bryan
If head coach Rich Rodriguez thought that going 3-9 last season was bad, wait until he feels the heat from new allegations from players suggesting that the Michigan football team clearly violated NCAA protocol and procedures.
The Detroit Free Press first broke the news on Saturday , reporting that a number of current Michigan football players openly admitted to the violations.
Among their complaints, players suggested that they were forced to spend two to three times as much time as permitted per week (eight hours) to strength/conditioning training. Players also reported having to spend upwards of 10 hours on practice on Sundays after game days, despite an NCAA ruling that limits players to spending no more than four hours devoted to football on a given day.
The six players who spoke with the Free Press mentioned that Rodriguez’s quality-control staff often watched 7-on-7 off-season scrimmages. If this turns out to be true, Rodriguez’s staff would be in clear violation of NCAA protocol, as these practices are supposed to be player-run and voluntary; coaches are not allowed to participate in any capacity.
More on Rodriguez’s reaction later.
at 8:53 pm by bryan
