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Posted on Sat, Sep 26, 2009 : 5:59 p.m.

Yeah, Tate Forcier looked like a freshman against Indiana - but did you see that last pass?

By Michael Rothstein

As the seconds ticked and Michigan found a way to slip away with another win, the clouds that hovered all day started to lighten. The sun, it felt, was trying to peek out.

Considering what happened on the Michigan Stadium turf moments earlier, with freshman quarterback Tate Forcier interrupting his own cloudy, stormy day for a brief respite of sunshine and good play, it fit.

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Freshman quarterback Tate Forcier looks for a receiver on Saturday. He finished 11-of-21 passing for 184 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. (Photo: Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com)

Forcier looked like the guy who started his college career earlier this month for one series Saturday - the game-winning one. Forcier shook off an injury, which ended up being a bruised right shoulder that he could barely move after the game, and threw a perfect touchdown pass to wide receiver Martavious Odoms to give Michigan a 36-33 win over Indiana.

Welcome to the Big Ten. It’s not always going to be a friendly place.

Unlike two weeks ago, when he led Michigan on a last-second, game-winning drive against then-No. 18 Notre Dame, Forcier didn’t play well most of Saturday. In fact, it’s the second straight game when the freshman from San Diego looked exactly that.

A freshman. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

“As a player, it makes me better to face adversity like that,” Forcier said.

The past two weeks have been lessons for the youngster. He didn’t play particularly well against Eastern Michigan. And then came Saturday, where he rushed decisions, threw a bad interception that was caught by a defensive lineman and got called for another bad decision - intentional grounding - on a third down in the fourth quarter after Indiana took its final lead.

This is a kid who earlier this season said he wanted to show that just because he was a freshman didn’t mean he couldn’t do things and didn’t mean Michigan couldn’t have success.

So far, he’s proven that. But he’s started to look like a freshman ¬- much like Michigan has begun to show signs of a team still strapped with a lot of youth and a lack of depth - along the way. There were times Saturday where Forcier’s decision-making was questionable, at best. Some of his reads that should have been runs became throws.

There were times Forcier scrambled more when he could have easily thrown it away. His feet started getting antsy, which is expected when a quarterback is seeing things he hasn’t before, when an 19-year-old kid less than a year into college has two experienced defensive ends coming at him from both sides.

“A young quarterback, his eyes are everywhere,” Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. “In the first half, Tate’s eyes were everywhere. On the field, in the stadium, State Street, over at Schembechler Hall.

“I don’t know where his eyes were. They were everywhere.”

And that’s Saturday’s lesson for Forcier. He still has the moxie and poise he showed against Notre Dame. He showed it by coming back after being knocked out on that final drive despite a pedestrian 11-of-21 passing for 184 yards, two touchdowns and an interception along with 15 yards rushing.

He showed it when he dove high into the end zone for another score with the game close.

But bad decisions will happen. Forcier is going to make mistakes. As much as he’d like to hide from it, Tate Forcier is a freshman. And he’s one that will leave his happy, fun comfort of Michigan Stadium for the first time in six days. Spartan Stadium won’t be nearly as hospitable. Neither will Kinnick.

That’s what’s next for Michigan after a somewhat surprising undefeated September. And Michigan State could very easily be a tougher opponent than Indiana, which for three quarters made Forcier look quite ordinary before he, again, did something anything but ordinary.

“He’s a freshman, and there’s a learning curve so you’ve got to get better and he will,” Michigan quarterbacks coach Rod Smith said. “But he came through at the end.

“And that’s all that mattered.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.

Comments

sikness

Mon, Sep 28, 2009 : 3:16 p.m.

MSU might be tougher than Indiana, but I guarantee Michigan is going to be tougher than Central!

Mstrmind

Sun, Sep 27, 2009 : 4:07 p.m.

I don't think the blame for the mishandled snaps goes to Moosman. Tate and Denard both appear too anxious to make their next move before they bring the snap in. One was on Moosman when he snapped to catch the Indiana Defense offsides. Only problem, we didn't get the flag from refs. Bigger concern at center is protecting the QB and blocking out for the running plays. Moosman should get better with reps. Next week may be a game of mistakes. Wolverines need to be disciplined. I predict the fewest mistakes (penalties and turnovers) will win. Go Blue

truebluefan

Sun, Sep 27, 2009 : 11:29 a.m.

I felt the IU game was a mulligan of sorts for Michigan. The Michigan D cannot continue to play that mediocre against the better B10 teams. We'll lose badly. And Tate made up for his bad game at the end but I almost felt lucky to be in the situation where we could win it. The O left the D hanging way too many times. And the D couldn't force punts on several key 3rd down plays. I hate to be such a downer and I am ecstatic we are 4-0, but, it is difficult to ignore some troubling signs. Either way, GO BLUE! It's fun watching this team play.

rreidannarbor

Sun, Sep 27, 2009 : 6:47 a.m.

Tate is going to make some mistakes but the good thing is he atones for them too. He more than made up for a pick against ND (which was only partly on him) with his heroics at the end. To come back into the game yesterday with a severely bruised shoulder and throw the game winner like that tells you something about him. I hope that the trainers can loosen that shoulder up in the next few days because MSU on the road will be a real test. If he performs in that environment then we will truly know that his physical abilities are becoming evenly matched with his mental side of the game. Let's face it. Most people did not realistically write down 4-0 for September before the year started. We have more in the W column than all of last year. October gets much tougher however. Now we'll truly see how our freshmen QB and other younger players react when the crowd is against them and not for them. Not to look ahead but I can do that since I'm not a coach ("take them one game at a time"). If they get through that test can you imagine a 6-1 or 7-0 Michigan with Penn State coming in here later? This place will be going crazy.

tomhagan

Sun, Sep 27, 2009 : 2:12 a.m.

IU's Defensive Ends are outstanding, and they played like it. I dont think that MSU can mount that kind of pass rush vs. Michigan. Tate will get more time and will Pick the Spartans d apart. Now, if he is injured...its another story and D Rob will need to play within himself and not make mistakes...

DwightSchrute

Sat, Sep 26, 2009 : 8:31 p.m.

He's not going to get away with the off-balance touch throws so easily from here on out against better opponents.

rico2458

Sat, Sep 26, 2009 : 6:22 p.m.

3men rush on 3rd down is not going to cut it the d needs to bliz more

pithesis95

Sat, Sep 26, 2009 : 5:49 p.m.

If this game was a loss, it should have went squarly on Moosman. What is going on here, three drive ending bad snaps. Almost four. We can run all these crazy sophisticated schemes, but can't get the ball to the quarterback. I certainly hope this gets worked on and we don't have another month of this. If we do she could be a long next four-five games. I still love ya Moose, lets get it together big guy. GO BLUE

azwolverine

Sat, Sep 26, 2009 : 5:43 p.m.

MSU 'might' be tougher than Indiana? That's an understatement. They are a more veteran, deeper team than anyone we've faced outside ND and they certainly have the edge on Michigan in both of those categories. Although they haven't met expectations, we know EL will be rocking and you can throw the records out the window. I hope Forcier can play, because we're going to need him. Robinson showed improvement today (outside taking long snaps), but I don't think he has enough dimension yet to lead us to victory in a big game on the road. He's getting there, especially with our running backs helping out, be he's not there yet. Should be a nail biter next week. I definitely feel better going into it with a win today as opposed to a loss.