The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com November 9, 2009 -- 3B The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom November 9, 2009 -- 3B GAME STATISTICS PU's defensive adjustments stump ' Team Stats First Downs Rush/Yds Co p/AT/nt Offensive Plays Total Offense ck returns/Yds Punts/Avg Fumbles/Lost Petes/Yards Time of PHss P IR PASSING Player Forier Totals RUSHING Player A Minor I SmithV. Shaw Robirsin D. . Moosman Totals 4 RECEIVING Player M Roundtree 1 Savoy Mathews " Hemingway Tot PUNTING Player N Mesko Totals KICKOFF RETURNS Player Totals HUNTRETURNS player TD Hemingway TACKLES williams,M. Waren Fitzgerald NRRRRRk Jones, T. PraEm, " riM Moundo Rogers, J. Heron, Conove Totals PASSING Player RUSHING Bolden 1 Elliott R Taylor RECEIVING Player Smith,CK. 1 Lindsay valenin Bolden -Adams Oierking Tota's 2 PUNTING Player N Sumnmers Totals KICKOFF.RETURNS Plaer r Totals PUNT RETURNS Gra-r*se Tota TACKLES Player 5 Werner Holland Mclean Gooden Evans, A. Maci Higgs render Wigs Tao,J. Kin,EB. TrownRK Purdue 22 29/127 367 28/39/2 68 494 5/103 2/U 5/33,0 1/0 7/50 M I C H I G A N C-A Yds 15/24 212 15/24 212 Michigan 22 44/215 212 15/24/0 68 427 3/46.3 2/1 200 Att 19 3 S1 1 0 44 No. 10 3 0 ats Yds 154 12 2 -3 5 262 Avg 8.1 4 -3.0 0 4.9 Avg 12.6 14.7 0.0 .212 TD 1 i LS 55 18 7 7 Z 0 0 55 Int 0 0 TD 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 Yds 126 44 28 1s Lg 43 21 28 16.1 TD 1 0 43 By MICHAEL EISENSTEIN Daily SportsEditor Purdue cornerback Brandon King saw something critical in the Michigan offense that made him confident: Confusion. But it didn't show up until after halftime. In the first half, freshman quar- terback Tate Forcier led Michigan to a two-touchdown lead. The offense looked unstoppable. "They played a lot of man (cov- NOTEBOOK erage) in the first half, and it showed," Forcier said after the game. "We saw it, and we picked it apart." It showed especially when Forcier found redshirt fresh- man Roy Roundtree for a 43-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Purdue was playing zero coverage in order to stop Michi- gan's prolific run game, which left sixth-year safety Torri Williams vulnerable. But once Roundtree beat Wil- liams, the Boilermakers knew they had to change their game plan to have a chance. After the break, Purdue played much more zone coverage, which threw off the Wolverines. "We hadn't done that all sea- son," Boilermaker cornerback Brandon King said. "And so when we changed the defense up, it kind of startled them as a team. "We changed a couple defen- sive schemes, we changed a couple calls up, and it worked to perfec- tion." After 24 points in the first half, Michigan scored just 12 in the sec- ond. "They stuck with their game plan - we adjusted ours," Purdue senior cornerback David Pender said. "I don't think that they were ready for us to come out (like that)." QUESTIONABLE HANDSHAKE: When Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez went to shake Purdue coach Danny Hope's hand after the game, Hope brought a strange guest: fifth-year senior offensive lineman Zach Reckman. "(Hope) came over and shook my hand, and then introduced me to Reckman and said, 'Thanks, Coach, I really appreciate what you did.' Whatever." Rodriguez said. Wait a second. What did Rodri- guez do? When the Big Ten suspended Michigan linebacker Jonas Mou- ton for throwing a punch at a Notre Dame player on Sept. 12, Rodriguez said he hoped the con- ference would be consistent in its criteria for suspensions. A week later, Reckman threw what was reported as a jab against Northern Illinois. When Rodriguez was asked the nextMonday whathe thought of Reckman's questionable action, he said "it probably" was "a non-football act." And then, just like with Mou- ton, the Big Ten made Reckman sit out a game. It's pretty clear who Purdue blames for the fifth-year senior's suspension. "Their coach brought him over like I was the reason his lineman got suspended for that one game," Rodriguezsaid."Idon'tknowwhere that came from. I talked to (Hope) on the phone and said that wasn't me and this was way back when. I didn't have anythingto do with that young man getting suspended. "To come over and say some- thing about that - whatever." The Momentum Swing: After Purdue got within six points in the third quarter, the opportunity was ripe for a comeback. The Boilermakers lined up in their normal kickoff formation but caught Michigan off guard and executed a perfect onside kick. The Wolverine coverage team had already turned away from the ball for their regular blocking assign- ments, allowing Purdue to easily recover the ball. "I never felt like it was going to work (in practice)," said Pender, who recovered the kick. "But it No. Yds Avg Lg 3 139 46.3 63 3 139 46.3 63 No. Yds Avg Lg TD 6 170 28.3 55 0 No. 2 2 Yds 34 34 Avg 17.0 17. Lgs 33 33 a 0 Solo Asst 5 4 4 3 4 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 1 3 2 0 2 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 35 28 Purdue C-A Yds 28-39 367 28-39 367 Tot 9 7 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 63 SAID ALSALAH/Daily Freshman Tate Forcier and the Wolverine offense had trouble cracking the Purdue zone defense in the second half. actually worked and it turned out and Hope took completely differ- Hope. to help our offense go down and ent approaches to the 55thmeeting "We came here today to make score, and it helped us come out between Michigan and Purdue. history as a football team," Hope with the win." The Wolverines hadn't lost to said. "What a great motivating Rodriguez was particularly dis- the Boilermakers in Michigan Sta- factor for a football team, to know appointed on the play because the dium since 1966. we were coming up here to Ann last thing the coaching staff tells "What's that got to do with Arbor, to the Big House, to make the coverage team before it takes today's game?" Rodriguez said history. That has been the driving the field is to watch the ball come after the loss. force all week long for us." off the tee. But Hope had been preach- MISCELLANEOUS: Sophomore "There are about 20 people ing history in practice all week. wide receiverDarrylStonumbroke screaming, 'See the ball kicked, Forty-three years ago, Purdue the Michigan single-season record no penalties,' " Rodriguez said. quarterback Bob Griese played a forkickoffreturns and yards inthe "That's the first reminder and the critical role in the Boilermaker firstquarter. He currently has 30 last reminder we do, just for that win. Despite an average game returns for 803 yards. The record reason. Freshmen sometimes play through the air, Griese forced a stood for five years. In 2004, Steve like freshmen. Theybailed out." Michigan safety on his tower- Breaston returned 28 kickoffs for That's when it fell apart for ing punt late in the third quarter. 689 yards. ... Senior wide receiver Michigan. On the next play, Pur- Those two points were the differ- Greg Mathews's 28-yard, third- due scored on a 54-yard pass to ence in the 22-21 Purdue victory. quarter catch was the 100th of take the lead for good. Griese, who is now in the Col- his career. It was his only catch "They got the momentum right lege and Pro Football Hall of Fame, of the game. ... Before Saturday, after that," junior cornerback is father of former-Wolverine senior defensive end Brandon Gra- Donovan Warren said. "It went quarterback and 1997 Rose Bowl ham hada sack in each of his last down from there." MVP Brian Griese. four games. He didn't record one HISTORY LESSON: Rodriguez The series' past wasn't lost on against Purdue. Att 16 10 No. 4 4 24 2 1 28 Yds 98 20 9 127 Yds 84 85 74 68 38 13 5 367 Avg 6,1 20 21,3 18.5 17.0 19.0 6.5 5.0 13. TD 2 2 lg 22 8 6 22 LS 14 54 56 30 35 8 5 56 int 2 2 TD 2 1 0 3 TD 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 Roundtree and Minor strong in loss o. Yds Avg Lg 5 165 33.0 40 5 165 33.0 40 No. Yds Avg Lg TD N 103 20.6 30 0 No. Yds Avg Lg TD 2 0 0.0 o0 o0 2 0 0.0 o0 o0 Soto 8 5 5 4 5 4 3 3 3 3 1 2 1 1 1 i i 0 Asst 1 4 3 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 Tot 9 9 8 7 b 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 7 1 By COURTNEY RATKOWIAK Daily Sports Editor The last time a Michigan receiver and running back both posted over 100 yards, the Wol- verines were on top of the world. They upset Heisman Trophy win- ner Tim Tebow and Florida 41-35 in the 2008 Capital One Bowl, making up for a four-loss season by playing with swagger against the heavily favored Southeastern Conference team. Lloyd Carr's team carried him off the field in celebration after his final game as the Wolverines' coach. On Saturday, with one more winstill.neededtoevenbe eligible for a bowl, Michigan matched that 100-yard feat early in the game against Purdue. But while then-senior wide receiver Adrian Arrington and then-senior run- ning back Mike Hart steadily led their team to a win in Orlando, redshirt freshman Roy Roundtree and senior running back Brandon Minor mustered just 23 and 47 yards after halftime, respectively, en route to yet another third- quarter Michigan collapse. The individual players' sto- ries were comparable, even if the game results were drastically dif- ferent. In the Capital One Bowl, Hart was truly healthy for the first time since the middle of the sea- son, where he missed three games and was limited in two more after suffering a high ankle sprain. He predictably played well, running for 129 yards. Last week, Minor practiced the most he had in a month, meaning he was primed to be as healthy as he could Saturday with what Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez has called a chronic ankle injury. LINCOLN From page 1B struggles and who postponed enter- ing the NFL draft to stay an extra season, you want to hope there's something thatcan be salvaged. "Just all the goals we had this year go down the drain a little bit," Graham said, describing what has made him upset about this season. "We just trying to get to a bowl now. That's a big goal. I'll really cry if we don't." With a road game against Wis- consin and Ohio State at home remaining on the schedule, the chances Graham's eyes wells up after Nov. 21 are pretty high. One ofthe Big Ten's quietest sur- prises this season, the 20th-ranked Badgers have elevated themselves His health showed as he racked up 154 yards on 19 carries. "Westruggledtoshutdowntheir one-back running attack," Purdue coach Danny Hope said. "Number four, Minor, is an outstanding play- er. I think he's one of the best run- ningbacks in the nation. "We knew him coming into the game, he's going to be a difference maker in the game, and he cer- tainly was. He's a great player." And Arrington, in the Capital One Bowl, and Roundtree, against Purdue, both posted career-high numbers. The bowl game was Arrington's 28th and final game in a Michigan uniform - the receiver bolted for the NFL after Carr retired - and he posted a personal record 153 yards and two touchdowns. Roundtree is in a completely different point in his Michigan career than Arrington was in 2008. The redshirt freshman played in just his fourth career game Saturday and made his sec- qnd start, filling in for an injured Martavious Odoms. Roundtree made the most of his chance, equaling his cumulative career receptions (six) in the firstquarter alone and finishing with 10 catch- es for 126 yards. On the Wolverines' first drive, with the team down 7-0, Roundtree snatched the ball from a Purdue defender and made a 26-yard leaping catch to convert on a third-and-15. That play set up Minor's touchdown run. "He's got great ball skills," Rodriguez said. "He's going to keep getting better because he's a thin guy playing for the first time. Once he gains some strength, as he matures and gets older, he's going to be a very, very good play- behind a solid rushing offense and an impressive (±5) turnover margin. And considering Wisconsin is 5-1in Camp Randall Stadium this season, it's not likely the Wolverines come out with a win there. Should Michigan earn its sixth win against Ohio State, it couldn't be a more poetic ending. End a five-season losing streak against its most hated rival, qualify for a bowl and deny the Buckeyes a potential Rose Bowl berth? Especially for Graham, his freshman year game against Ohio State meant more than just another chapter in the rivalry. It's hard to forget the No.1 vs. No. 2 matchup that seemed like just the beginning. But a lot has changed in three years. There's a reason Ohio State er for us, I think." Minor's maturity and speed was on full display early. The senior started the game with a gritty 29-yard touchdown run where he broke multiple tackles, stiff-armed a Purdue defender and dove into the end zone to tie the game at seven. His 55-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter was the longest of his career and gave the Wolverines a 17-10 lead. But he looked like he re-aggra- vated the injury during the fourth quarter, where he was pulled down by his ankle after a run and limped off the field. Furious, Minor threw his helmet while standing on the sideline. He came back in the game a few plays later. "I wish we could've pulled it out for him," freshman quarter- back Tate Forcier said. "Just the way he plays, and him playing hurt, it almost sends a message to everybody else - if you're hurt, just deal with it." It only took eight games into Carr's Wolverine coaching career for a receiver and running back to surpass 110 yards in the same game (a 52-17 win over Minnesota in 1995). Rodriguez, a proclaimed offensive guru, had to wait 22 games for someone from both the air and ground game to similarly stand out. But the fact that the defense couldn't protect a 14-point lead to win a bowl-clinching game basically nullified Minor's near- healthy play and Roundtree's breakout performance. The 100- yard achievement was a poor con- solation prize - but in another disappointing season, the Wolver- ines may have to take what they can get. might play for the Rose Bowl and Michigan is playing just to make one. With the Wolverines' 2009 season already unraveling, not much would sound better than to win in two weeks. For that to hap- pen, it'll take a different breed of Wolverine than anyone has seen these last six weeks. Astthings stand,it's shapingup to be a teary holiday season for many. It's admirable Graham is saying the Wolverines will keep fighting week to week, but it's getting hard to face what now seems like real- ity. It would be a shame, but it looks like come holiday season, Graham will be singing "The Tracks of My Tears" instead of "The Victors." - Lincoln can be reached at lincolnromich.edu. BOILERMAKERS From page 1B take a little longer to fix than any- body wants, but we're gonna fix them. Just give us time. It's not going to happen right now. ... I wish it would." Purdue (3-3, 4-6) was aggres- sive in the third quarter, deflect- ing a Foraer pitch-out, executing an onside kick, throwing a 54-yard bomb and scoring three touch- downs to erase Michigan's two- score lead. Once again, the defense was the center of Michigan's woes, giving up almost 500 yards of total offense - more than 100 yards above Pur- due's average output this season. And the negative attention is defi- nitely getting to the Wolverines. When asked for a comment by members of the media after the loss, defensive coordinator Greg Robinson said, "Not today," and briskly walked toward Schem- bechler Hall. Robinson and junior corner- back Donovan Warren reportedly shared strong words on the side- line during the game's waning moments. Defensive line coach Bruce Tall, whose squad has been the lone bright spot of the struggling unit, also declined comment. "I don't know what's going on," junior cornerback Troy Woolfolk said. "Everybody's just clueless. We're trying out there. We still go back every Monday and study. But game day, we just seem to forget stuff. I'm not sure what it is. We're gonna get it fixed." With games at Wisconsin and home against Ohio State left, Mich- igan's bowl hopes - even a spot in the less-than-illustrious Little Cae- sars Pizza Bowl - are dwindling. But the team isn't going to give up its postseason dreams. "You're right there, and you see it, and it's in your sights and it's slipping away from you every game," left guard Steve Schilling said when asked about still being just one win away from bowl eligi- bility. "We're going to keep fight- ing. We've got too much heart. And I'm pretty confident in our team and that we'll be able to get to a bowl." BIG TEN STANDINGS Team BijTenOverall Iowa 5-1 9-1 Ohio Slate 5-1 8-2 PeRU State 4-2 8-2 Wisconsin 4-2 7-2 Northwestern 3-3 6-4 Michigan State 3-3 5-5 Purdue 3-3 4-6 Minnesota 3-4 5-5 Illinois 2-5 3-6 Michigan 1-5 5-5 Indiana 1-5 4-6 Big Ten Results Purdue 38, Michigan 36 Michigan St. 49, Western Michigan 14 Illinois 35, Minnesota 32 Northwestern 17, Iowa 10 Wisconsin 31, Indiana 28 Ohio State 24, Penn State 7 WRITE FOR * DAILY SPORTS. E-MAIL ANDYREID@UMICH.EDU --UO