Birk's Eye View: Michigan gained little by beating up on Delaware State

To be fair, unlike Delaware State, UMass is a halfway respectable FCS school. The Minutemen played Kansas State within a touchdown earlier this year and are 4-2 after beating New Hampshire on Saturday. They also lose their best running back, leading receiver and entire defensive front to graduation, but hey, these games aren’t called “buy” games for nothing.

From Michigan’s standpoint, next year’s game is early enough in the season - Week 3 - that it could actually mean something from an evaluation standpoint. Michigan played a whopping 84 players Saturday, including nine true freshmen, but it’s unlikely anyone did enough to substantially alter their place in the rotation.

Had this game been earlier in the season, J.T. Turner could have played a half and gotten a solid week of practice, and coaches could have used that film to determine whether to redshirt him. Instead, Turner has been relegated to scout team and giving him garbage-time minutes Saturday, in the second half of the season, would have blown a year of eligibility.

Even youngsters at thin positions like safety Vladimir Emilien and defensive tackle William Campbell will be hard-pressed to get more playing time going forward considering they didn’t see any regular-down action until coaches felt comfortable enough with a 46-point lead to use them in the second half.

Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez left Saturday maintaining that Delaware State week was “critical” to developing depth.

“Sometimes a guy will pop up and (coaches) say, ‘Geez, we’ve been thinking about playing him a little bit more and he's showing it during the week and he’s showing it during the game, even though it’s a game that we’re comfortably ahead,’” Rodriguez said. “Maybe we have to give him a shot on offense or defense, or special teams.”

Maybe. But since Donovan Warren, Michigan’s only reliable cornerback, and Brandon Graham, the Wolverines’ best defensive player, played late into the first half, and since Penn State is up next followed by four more dangerous Big Ten teams (I’m including Illinois because all that offensive talent has to be good for one win), I’ll venture to bet the only thing Michigan gained from Saturday was a little bit of rest for its players and a lot of money for its pocket.

Notes, quotes and leftovers • Rodriguez said center David Molk could return this week from the broken foot that’s sidelined him the past four games.

“He did a little bit last week in practice, took a few reps, nothing in full pads,” Rodriguez said. “He’s progressing pretty well and that’s the hope to get him back this week.”

Penn State (6-1, 2-1) leads the Big Ten in scoring and rushing defense, allowing just 10.2 points and 81.8 rushing yards per game.

• My colleague James Briggs posted some video of Kevin and Kelvin Grady talking about becoming the first brothers to score touchdowns in the same game for Michigan since Bump and Pete Elliott did so in the 1940s. No exact information on the Elliott’s feat is available, as Michigan’s statistical archive does not go back that far.

The Gradys scored touchdowns in the same game plenty of times at East Grand Rapids High School, but Kelvin said Saturday’s accomplishment was extra special.

“I’ve been dying to get in the end zone, see what it feels like,” Kelvin Grady said. “It feels great. And then on top of that, to look back and see my brother coming, lift me off my feet, dang near throw me over his head, it was amazing. It’s a great feeling.”

• Denard Robinson met with the media for the first time since his fourth-quarter interception against Iowa, when Rodriguez tabbed him to lead Michigan’s final drive over Tate Forcier.

Robinson, of course, said he agreed with Rodriguez’s decision to play him in the waning minutes, but he understands the furor over Forcier being benching.

“The previous games he’s brought us back and won the game for us,” Robinson said. “I understand where everybody’s coming from.”

• Martavious Odoms sparked Michigan’s dormant punt-return game Saturday with four returns for 48 yards. Unfortunately, Odoms also reverted to some of his old bad habits, fumbling a second-quarter return that he recovered.

Odoms lost three fumbles last year as Michigan’s primary punt returner (and a fourth on kick). Greg Mathews, who dropped a punt last week against Iowa, had been Michigan’s No. 1 punt returner this year. • A quote to close it from Rodriguez: “I’ve said many times I’ll know when we’ve arrived when our twos aren’t far behind our ones and we’re playing them quite a bit more, not just in games like today. I think in the future, we’ll see that.”

Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.