Game balls: Denard Robinson, of course, and 3 others
Michigan footbal beat writer Pete Bigelow awards his game balls to the top performers in the Wolverines' 28-24 victory against Notre Dame:
FOUR BALLS
Denard Robinson: He did it again. It’s hard to imagine he’d smash records for the second week in a row, but he outdid himself. He carried 28 times for 258 yards and completed 24 of 40 passes for 244. Reward: 502 yards and national attention. THREE BALLS Roy Roundtree: He should have sat out Saturday because of internal injuries sustained last week. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. Michigan needed him. He caught a 31-yard touchdown pass early, and a key reception that set up the winning TD. Roundtree totaled 8 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Rudolph: Michigan’s defense never really found an answer for how to defend Notre Dame’s top-flight tight end. He had eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown, including a 95-yard grab that put the Irish on top late in the game. Jonas Mouton: Michigan’s linebacker carried a bad rap into the season, but Mouton shone for the second straight week. He led the team with 13 tackles Saturday, grabbed one interception and tipped another that landed in Jordan Kovacs’ arms.
Pete Bigelow can be reached at (734) 623-2556, via email at petebigelow@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.
Comments
michboy40
Mon, Sep 13, 2010 : 7:55 p.m.
I agree with Bigelow on Mouton. You don't make 13 tackles by laying down to avoid contact...also, he is the backer that knocked the ball loose against UCONN that changed the whole game! While redcedar is not a michigan man, I agree with him too, Crist's problems really bailed us out.
WolverineWhisperer
Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 11:48 a.m.
funkwazzie,...and I completely agree with your comment about the defensive set up on ND's touchdowns. How could GROB possibly have rushed only 3 guys when ND is on their own 5 yard on 3rd down, the game is in the balance, and the QB has to throw from his own end zone? More generally, there seems to be some very good reasons why every other major team's regular defensive set up starts with a 4 man line -- for one thing, they're always facing at least 4 and usually 5 offensive linemen. With 3 DLs you're always giving the QB too much time, not to mention giving up 3-4 yards on every run play. The 3 DL set up is like playing a prevent defense on every play. Big fixes needed on defensive coaching and the kick game. But I'm rejoicing at DR's heroics and the win at least as loudly as anyone else. GO BLUE!
funkwazzie
Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 8:55 a.m.
whisperer, totally agree. Also thought ezeh took a step back this week. Aside from that I thought our defense looked great. The two big plays were mainly due to horrible defensive play calling. You give any qb at any level 7-10 seconds to find an open guy, i bet he does. It seems to me with young talent you should mix in a lot more man D with blitz packages. Zone D is much more complicated to learn. Why not put these kids up and bump some, put 'em one on one, show confidence in them. Instead our D coaches put them in a drop back zone, allow the reciever room to juke in jive, and put our young DB's in situations where they are sometimes responsible for two players and that's where the mistakes are happening. But I'm not the coach. Anyway, that's enough whinning. We won and a wins a win. The team looks dominant. With a little better defensive strategy and a healthy drob things don't look promising for their opponents this year.
PortageLkBlu
Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 4:35 a.m.
There will be other games and great opportunities for Gibbons. I agree with RR thank god we didn't need Gibbons for a clutch field goal in the last seconds although who knows, he might have kicked a 50 yarder I've seen stranger things. That is an area that needs improvement, maybe these next 2 games will be good experiance for our kicker. Wasn't that a nice win boys and girls, way to go team,RR and coaches.
WolverineWhisperer
Sun, Sep 12, 2010 : 1:11 a.m.
I fully agree with the first 3 of your 4 game ball choices. But you must have been watching Mouton in a different game from the one I saw. Aside from his interception, he put on the worst exhibition of tackle-missing and failing to avoid blocks I have seen in the last decade. He may have upside potential, but right now all he is good for is demonstrating how to miss tsckles.
Metalc0reJ
Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:46 p.m.
You guys, something to think about is that Denard would be garnering some national attention even if Michigan's opponents were inferior. But the reality is that he's done this against two quality teams. That's what's most amazing about it. I mean, imagine the numbers he could put up against UMass and Bowling Green if Rich Rod turns him loose. I'm sure that he won't though, since we need Denard to be healthy for conference play.
jameslucas
Sat, Sep 11, 2010 : 10:34 p.m.
Pete Bigelow, if you have four balls you should give them all to Denard Robinson.