Michigan football team's seniors determined to salvage the season

Senior defensive end Brandon Graham, right, was one of the seniors on the Michigan football team who addressed the players after Saturday's loss to Purdue. (Photo: Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com)

In the midst of another forgettable season, the seniors on the Michigan football team are doing everything in their power to hold together a fragile team and eke out one more win.

Punter Zoltan Mesko and defensive end Brandon Graham addressed a somber locker room after Saturday’s 38-36 loss to Purdue, Michigan’s fifth straight Big Ten defeat.

The message from both players: We’re better than this.

"We just said just let it go, it’s over with,” Graham said. “We got to deal with it, like we’ve been doing. But we just got to get that taste back, that W, to get back on the good side.”

After starting the season 4-0, Michigan has crumbled under the weight of a turnover-prone offense and the Big Ten’s worst defense.

The Wolverines’ slide began with close losses to Michigan State and Iowa, and continued (after a blowout of FCS lightweight Delaware State) with humbling performances against Penn State and Illinois.

Michigan has been outscored 75-12 in the second halves of its last three games, and the Wolverines (5-5, 1-5) enter the final two weeks of the regular season needing an upset of Wisconsin or Ohio State to qualify for a bowl.

The Badgers are ranked 21st, the Buckeyes 10th, and Michigan hasn’t beaten a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent since Sept. 26.

“This game we very easily could have won, but we didn’t,” Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. “A couple other games early in the year we had chances to win, we didn’t. Again, the season’s not over. We got two big ones coming up and a big one on the road this next weekend.”

Graham, Michigan’s best player all year, said he doesn’t sense any of his teammates have given up on the season or getting the seniors to a bowl.

“I believe these last two, it’s us,” Graham said. “I’m not guaranteeing it, I just believe that just from looking at my players’ eyes - our players’ eyes - that we’re going to get it done."

Notes, quotes and leftovers â€¢ My colleague Mike Rothstein did a good job breaking down Saturday’s wildest play, Carlos Brown’s pitch to Mark Huyge on fourth-and-10 that was ruled a forward lateral on replay.

The call was correct, but what about Rodriguez’s decision to go for it on fourth down? Michigan was down eight with just under five minutes to play, plenty of time to try a 37-yard field goal, get a stop and score again.

Rodriguez explained afterward that he went for it because he didn’t trust his defense, and the way Michigan got shredded Saturday - and has most of the season - who can blame him?

“We’re down by eight and we’re not stopping anybody,” Rodriguez said. “We’re trying to tie the game.”

The flip side: Michigan did force three straight three-and-outs to close the game (once when Purdue killed itself with two penalties). Brandon Minor scored his third touchdown after the second stop with 2:10 to play.

â€¢ Michigan had a chance to tie after Minor’s late score, but couldn't convert its two-point attempt.

“We had a little double-move route with all the wide receivers,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know again until I watch the film if he had the second guy underneath or not. I don’t know where his eyes were at. We just didn’t execute it well.”

Quarterback Tate Forcier said he was about to unleash a pass to an open Roy Roundtree when Ryan Kerrigan circled around Huyge for the sack.

“We were playing off the (middle) linebacker and I made my read and I was about to throw the ball and I got sacked,” Forcier said. “I wasn’t expecting it. But it happens and we just got to move on from it.”

â€¢ Replays showed Purdue coach Danny Hope seeking out offensive lineman Zach Reckman after the game before going to shake hands with Rodriguez. After the handshake, Hope turned and pointed to Reckman, who shook Rodriguez’s hand and mouthed something to the Michigan coach.

Rodriguez said after the game both Hope and Reckman razzed him about comments he made earlier in the year that led to the Big Ten suspending Reckman for one game.

“I just (said), ‘Hey, good luck to you guys. Good ballgame,’” a visibly annoyed Rodriguez said. “What are you going to do? After the game, as frustrated as you are when you lose, you go over and shake their hand and wish them well.”

â€¢ Mesko on the mood in Michigan’s locker room after the game: “Anytime you invest so much time and effort into something you’re bound to cry. The emotional outlet was definitely there.”

â€¢ Saturday was a nightmare for the Big Ten. Beyond Michigan’s loss, Iowa fell to Northwestern, all but assuring the Big Ten of one BCS bid, and Minnesota lost at home to Illinois. It’s looking more and more likely that the league’s fifth-, sixth- and seventh-place teams all will finish 6-6 (and none will be Michigan).

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.