Rich Rodriguez pleads for patience with Michigan football program

The Wolverines went 3-9 last year in Rodriguez’s first season, and after starting this year 4-0 have lost four straight games to Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.

At 5-4 overall, Michigan needs one win to qualify for a bowl. The Wolverines host Purdue this weekend (noon, Big Ten Network) and close the season at Wisconsin and home against Ohio State.

Rodriguez declined to elaborate on what problems he inherited, saying he would “sit down” with beat writers after the season “and we can talk about all the things or issues or problems that we’ve identified that we’ve got to work on to get Michigan to play at a championship level.”

“What we have to do right now is, OK, what can we fix right now?” Rodriguez said. “It comes back to us as coaches, what can we do right now as coaches to help us have success right now?

“I’m here telling you that we’re trying that, because why wouldn’t you? Every coach is going to sit there and try it. We’re not going back in the office saying woe is me or anything like that. We’re trying as hard as we can to do as well as we can right now. And so are the players. And that’s where it starts.”

Michigan’s biggest issues during its current slide have been too many turnovers on offense (14 in its four losses), a lack of takeaways on defense (none the last three weeks) and a shoddy performance in general on that side of the ball.

Illinois put up 500 yards of offense and 38 points last week after not scoring more than 17 points on an FBS team all year.

Rodriguez said he and his assistants are constantly evaluating personnel and schematic changes. Talent, however, is clearly an issue.

Michigan has few NFL-caliber players on its roster among upperclassmen - Brandon Graham and Donovan Warren - and little experience on its second teams.

Two adjustments coaches have made involve promoting walk-ons Kevin Leach and Jordan Kovacs to the starting lineup. Leach started in place of Obi Ezeh at middle linebacker Saturday and graded out the highest of any defensive player. Kovacs has started five games at safety.

Given time, Rodriguez said he'll build a championship-level program at Michigan.

"The formula for winning here is no different than anywhere in the country; it's recruiting the right student-athletes and developing them once you get them," Rodriguez said. "We've got some players, but we've got a lot of guys that need to be developed as well.

"It's not the first time that this staff or myself have been involved in this type of situation - recruiting the guys, get them in the program and develop them. There's not a magic formula for that, just hard work, identifying the right guys and getting them to play at a high level."

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.