Posted on Mon, Dec 6, 2010 : 3:22 p.m.
Rich Rodriguez, Michigan football players excited to face an SEC team in Gator Bowl
By Kaleb Roedel
After opening words from the Gator Bowl chairman Steve Tremel, Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon and Rich Rodriguez give their thoughts on the Michigan football team's invitation to play in the Gator Bowl against Mississippi State on New Year's Day.
Rodriguez and players -- defensive tackle Mike Martin, wide receivers Darryl Stonum and Roy Roundtree, and safety Jordan Kovacs -- go on to discuss their excitement about playing an SEC team in a bowl game.
Comments
C-Jax
Wed, Dec 8, 2010 : 12:41 a.m.
I have been a UM fan all my life, and have been in Jax for 12 years now. If anyone is interested, the best place to stay is at the beach (over the intra-coastal). Be aware that this is a 20-30 min commute for the game, but believe me, you do not want to stay anywhere near downtown (unless it is riverside). And the beach has the best bars (locals can be prideful of their *surf culture*), young people (21-30's) check out Lynches, the Ritz, and the Bricks. To watch any games, Sneakers is a large sports bar, and this is all located in a proximal area at the end of Beach Blvd in Jacksonville Beach. For you older folk, stay down in the Neptune/Atlantic Beach Blvd area for hotels and bars. The crowd is pretty laid back, but the hotel (One-Ocean) is pretty expensive, but stay close to the Ocean (which all suggested destinations are 1-2 blocks away from the Atlantic) and far from Mayport. "Adult Bars" (hint hint) are pretty lame, and in sketchy spots. My suggestion is to enjoy the laid back beach persona. It has been cold lately, but in new-year's past, we have enjoyed some moderate weather. Enjoy the Game, Jacksonville, and GO BLUE!
D21
Tue, Dec 7, 2010 : 3:57 p.m.
Huh, wake me up when RR is gone. BTW, this is gonna be such a short nap for me :) GO BLUE!
NC Wolverine 20
Tue, Dec 7, 2010 : 8:20 a.m.
I just bought 6 tickets to our first bowl in 3 years. If RR gets fired and we go back to re-building mode, it could be another 3 years. I'm taking my shot now. Packing up the wife, the kids, some friends, and headin' for Jacksonville. M GO BLUE!
DonAZ
Mon, Dec 6, 2010 : 9:05 p.m.
I have a friend who's a big SEC fan. The belief is Michigan got a tough draw in this. MSU's defense is good, "but vulnerable." So as others have said, if Michigan's O-line give Robinson the time and the blocks, then interesting things will happen. But MSU is also very physical, and will challenge the Michigan offensive line. MSU will follow Wisconsin's and Ohio State's strategy of stacking the line and containing Robinson. Michigan will have to beat that strategy with the other running backs and some very, very quick outlet passes. The best Michigan can hope for is a shootout. MSU's O-line is big and physical and I don't see Michigan's defense putting much pressure on Relf. And with our secondary... um...
Theo's Brother
Mon, Dec 6, 2010 : 7:13 p.m.
I've been to a couple of Miss State football games and have a few friends on the team: This team is most similar to Illinois. Only difference is Relf is a better runner but a worse passer than Scheelhaase. If we let their talented O-Line push us around and we turn the ball over, it's gonna be a long day. But if Denard does his thing and the receivers take advantage of a gross mismatch on the perimeter, we can win this game. Just hope and pray it does not come down to the kicking game. GO BLUE! P.S. Please forgive me for wearing a Miss State shirt and ringing a cowbell for their games :-(
BlueGator
Mon, Dec 6, 2010 : 7:05 p.m.
@tulsatom, Opening line I've seen is MSU favored by 5 points, drifting up to 6 points as of this evening.
aarox
Mon, Dec 6, 2010 : 6:58 p.m.
Good news is that we should not set a record for the worst loss at the Gator Bowl. That belongs to Clemson who lost 46-0 to Syracuse on New Year's Day '96. Pretty sure we'll do better than that on, at least on the 'points for' side! Go Blue!
tulsatom
Mon, Dec 6, 2010 : 6:55 p.m.
Miss State will be a big challenge for U-M. It actually might help U-M's defense to know they will be playing against another spread offense so they should be used to it and not get their blocks knocked off like they did against teams like Wisconsin, Iowa, and Ohio State. Any team that loses by 3 pts to the #1 team in the country and loses in OT to another Top Ten team (Arkansas) should not be taken lightly and U-M most likely will be the underdog.
Sallyxyz
Mon, Dec 6, 2010 : 6:04 p.m.
Once again, DB says that MI is playing a top 20 team in the Gator Bowl. No, MS is #21 or #22 in every poll I can find on the internet. MS is a top 25 team, not a top 20 team. Gets your facts straight, Brandon, and stop exaggerating to make the opponent sound better than they are. If MI loses the bowl, it was to a #21 team and some rankings list them at #22.
Sallyxyz
Mon, Dec 6, 2010 : 5:40 p.m.
MEMO #2 to RR: Pack your bags for the long haul and drive a U-Haul truck with your furniture when you go to Florida next month. You will only need to drive back after the game as far as WVA. Oh, and if I were you, I'd list my house for sale NOW. Lots of folks around here will gladly help you pack your stuff before you leave for the bowl game.
The OSU
Mon, Dec 6, 2010 : 4:11 p.m.
MEMO TO RICH-ROD: Count your players before and after the game. Mississippi State might want to "buy" one or two if they have a good game.