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ACROSS STADIUM BV
)MSEE PAG
By TIM ROHAN
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan has been down both
paths before. On Saturday either the
expected or the unthinkable could
happen. The Wolverines host Massa-
chusetts - an Football Championship
Subdivision opponent - on Saturday
and Michigan fans
have seen firsthand UMs at
what the underdog
can accomplish in Michigan
the Big House. Matchup:
Two years ago it UMass 2-0;
was Toledo - a non- Michigan 2-0
power conference When: Sat-
Division-I school - urday, Noon
who beat the Wol- Where: Michi-
verines. In Lloyd gan Stadium
Carr's last season
it was Appalachian T/Radio:
State, the cream Network
of the crop of FCS
competition.
Sure, the Wolverines handled
Delaware State in 2009, but the FCS
threat is building all around the
country.
James Madison knocked off then-
No. 13 Virginia Tech just a week ago.
Five Division I teams have already
lost to FCS schools. It wasn't just
Akron and Ball State that fell victim
to the trap. Minnesota lost to South
Dakota, 41-38, and North Dakota
State topped Kansas, 6-3.
"There's players everywhere,"
Rodriguez said on Monday. "It's not
like you're playing 18 -and-19 year-
old kids against 14-year-olds. We
are playing, it's the same kids, same
age, and in some respects, it's differ-
ent. And the difference is, in the FCS
level, the good teams, the Top 25,
30 teams, are really, really good and
really competitive."
Massachusetts could pose a prob-
lem for Michigan if the Wolverines
are quick to dismiss the Minutemen
as a real threat. Massachusetts is in
the top 20 in both of the FCS polls
and upset a then-No. 4 William &
Mary team to start the season.
At key playmaking positions, the
Minutemen could pose problems for
the Wolverine defense. Massachu-
setts averaged more than 220 yards
rushing during the first two games of
the season, and senior wide receiver
Anthony Nelson has 13 catches for
181 yards and a touchdown already.
The Minutemen have players who
can make Michigan pay for its mis-
takes, but Rodriguez said that he
liked his team's attitude during prac-
tice this week.
"(At Tuesday's) practice, the focus
was really good and they seem to be
into it," Rodriguez said. "We've talk-
ed about since August camp started
of having unshakeable focus. And I
reminded them of that again yester-
day. I was pleased with that and their
attention to detail."
That attention to detail might not
have been at the forefront after the
Wolverines' dramatic win over Notre
Dame. Michigan overcame eight pen-
alties for 99 yards against the Fight-
ing Irish after the Wolverines had a
pretty clean opening week against
Connecticut. Even though Michigan
hasn't turned the ball over in the first
two weeks, Rodriguez knows his
team can't afford to shoot itself in the
MAX COLLINS/Daily
Sophomore Denard Robinson amassed 502 total yards last week in Michigan's 28-24 win over Notre Dame.
foot.
"We are still not good enough to
play poorly and win," Rodriguez said.
"We are not deep enough yet. We are
not experienced enough yet, and I
don't want to test that out."
Speculation has already started
around how long sophomore quar-
terback Denard Robinson will even
see the field against Massachusetts.
Sophomore quarterback Tate Forci-
er, who started every game last year,
played just one drive against Dela-
ware St. But he was recovering from
a concussion suffered the previous
week.
Michigan won that game 63-6 and
set a team record with 727 total yards
in the win. Robinson completed
three-of-four passes for 85 yards and
two touchdowns on the day in relief
of Forcier.
When questioned about Robin-
son's role on Saturday, Rodriguez
maintained that the coaches will do
whatever it takes to win the game.
The quarterback has made an
impact in his first career starts, but
experience is invaluable. The reps
Robinson takes against the Minute-
men could pay dividends down the
road for the Wolverines.
"(It's) the same we expect out of
him every day in practice," Rodri-
guez said. "To continue to progress
as far as the knowledge of what we
want to do as far as our concepts
are concerned. How we're going to
attack a particular defense. UMass
will provide different challenges for
what they do with their defense and
their coverages. So he'll have to be
sharp.
"Every game is like a test for him,
both mentally and physically. He's
passed those tests for the most part,
but there's still things we've got to
get better at."
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8B FootballSaturday, September 18, 2010