The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com October11, 2010
The
Michigan State 34 . Michigai
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i'terback DteiidRobinson ran for a season-low 86 yards en 21 carries includIng one rushing touchdown (Sam Wolson/Daily); The Michigan State defense intercepted three passes, including t wo in the red zone in th
iomore wide receiver Roy Roundtree was one of several wide receivers to drop passes on Saturday (Ariel Bond/Daily) Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez yells during the 34-17 loss (Ariel good/Do py Michigan State rn
rards en seven carries, including a 41-yard touchdown run (Sam Wolson/Daily)
* Robinson, defense struggle in
third straight loss to Spartans
By JOE STAPLETON
Daily Sports Editor
Three turnovers and a non-
existent defense does not a victory
make.
Michigan State racked up more
than 530 yards of total offense and
picked off sophomore quarterback
Denard Robinson three times on
its way to a dominant 34-17 win
in front of a packed Michigan Sta-
dium.
It was the most hyped match-
up between the in-state rivals in
recent memory, with both teams
unbeaten and ranked in the top
20. Masses of Michigan State fans
made the hour-long drive to Ann
Arbor to make their presence felt
with chants of "Go Green, Go
White," which echoed throughout
Friday night and into Saturday.
But for all the hype, the game
was largely one-sided. Michigan's
first drive of the game lasted nine
plays with Wolverine running
backs picking up big yardage on
the ground, only to end with Rob-
inson throwing an interception in
the end zone.
It was a sign of things to come.
Michigan routinely put together
good drives only to give the ball up
in the red zone.
The Wolverines scored first on
their second drive on a rare field
goal by redshirt freshman Seth
Broekhuizen. It was Michigan's
first field goal attempt since its
win over Massachusetts, when
Broekhuizen missed his only kick.
Michigan ended the first quar-
ter with a 12-yard sack by redshirt
junior defensive end Ryan Van
Bergen and a 3-0 lead.
It didn't last long.
After the two teams exchanged
three-and-outs to start the second
quarter, Michigan State turned
it on offensively with a 61-yard
touchdown run by sophomore
running back Edwin Baker. Baker
had a great game, with 149 yards
and a touchdown.
The Wolverines answered
with a long drive culminating in
a touchdown pass from Robinson
to senior tight end Martell Webb.
The catch was Webb's first of the
season, and itgave Michigan a 10-7
lead.
But Michigan State wasn't
done. The Spartans broke anoth-
er big play for a score, this time a
41-yard run by freshman running
back Le'Veon Bell. After forcing
a Michigan punt, Michigan State
sophomore kicker Dan Conroy
kicked a 38-yard field goal before
the half. And just like that, Michi-
gan State had a 17-10 lead going
into halftime.
The Michigan defense's inabil-
ity to stop the big play was evident
throughout the game. The unit
allowed three plays of more than
40 yards with two going for scores.
"Until I watch the film, I can't
really tell you where the break-
down was on the two long runs,"
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez
said after the game. "We didn't
tackle well and sometimes it
looked like we were going afterthe
ball, maybe pressinga little bit and
trying to strip the ball."
See SPARTY, Page 3B
Wolverines doomed b
red zone interceptions
By TIM ROHAN was intercepted by junior Spartan
Daily SportsEditor safety Trenton Robinson.
Had the rest of the game gone
Traces of the first five weeks of differently, the Wolverines Mi.i
the season jumped up on the Wol- not have had to ask, "What
verines' first drive on Saturday. Michigan scored just two to- .
Sophomore quarterback Denard downs in five red zone trips
Robinson picked up chunks of lost 34-17, at the hands of Michi-
yards here and there. Michigan's gan State.
running back tandem of Vincent Michigan State coach Mark
Smith and Mike Shaw darted Dantonio called Robinson's first
through holes. And the Wolver- interception the turning point in
ines moved the ball down the field the game. And Michigan quarter-
with ease. backs coach Rod Smith proabily
Michigan didn't even face a felt the same.
third down until the ninth play of "We don't play the what-if
the drive when the ball was placed game, but obviously if he wouldIve,
on the Michigan State 10-yard if he would've connected early on
line. it's probably a different story,
But then, as Robinson rolled Smith said. "Because (then)w
to his right and looked toward don't have to fight, scratch tnd
the endzone, he threw a pass just crawl from behind the entire
behind redshirt sophomore wide ond half."
receiver Roy Roundtree. The pass See RED ZONE, Page
Berenson notches 700th win at BG special teams practice pay
ASA noff as Blue downs Falcons
Dy %.i r nixJ%
DailySports Writer
BOWLING GREEN - Heading
on the road for the first time this
season, the Michigan hockey team
felt a great sense of urgency. After
a lackluster tie to unranked Mer-
cyhurst to open the season, the
fourth-ranked Wolverines needed
just one win to give coach Red
Berenson 700 in his career - and
to start their 2010 CCHA season
out on the right note.
With a weekend sweep of
Bowling Green, Michigan (2-0-
0 CCHA, 2-0-1 overall) accom-
* plished both feats - but it wasn't
pretty, or easy.
The Wolverines took game
11 t r u y, -, lu gi1C
two on Saturday, 4-2, but Beren-
son wouldn't dwell on his per-
sonal accomplishment. Instead,
he chose to focus on the team's
series sweep and the adjustments
it needs to make heading into the
rest of the conference season.
Penalties remained an area of
concern for Michigan this week-
end. The Wolverines compiled a
total of 62 minutes in penalties
over both games - including two
checking from behind and game
misconduct calls that led to the
ejections of senior left wing Scoot-
er Vaughn and freshman defense-
man Mac Bennett on Saturday.
But Michigan made up for its
See BERENSON, Page 3B
By STEPHEN J. NESBITT
Daily Sports Writer
BOWLING GREEN -During its
first full week of practices last week,
the No. 4 Michigan ice hockey team
ran extensive special teams drills in
preparation for its two-game week-
end series against Bowling Green.
And when they took the ice
against the Falcons (0-2-0 CCHA,
0-2-0 overall), the Wolverines' spe-
cial teams practice paid off.
Michigan (2-0-0, 2-0-1) racked
up 62 total penalty minutes in its
two wins at the BGSU Ice Arena,
including two game misconducts
for checking from behind to senior
forward Scooter Vaughan atni
freshman defender Mac Bennett in
Saturday's 4-2 win.
But the penalty kill was tolid,
limiting the Falcons - a team that
had torched them for three gower
play goals in their first matchup at
year - to two power play goals t
of 17 attempts in the two games.
"This is a tough time of the v
for power plays to really get it go
because they're just getting stte
confidence," Michigan coach Red
Berenson said after Friday's gte:
"With the penalty killing, I think
it's easier to be a good PK tam
this time of year."
See SPECIAL TEAMS, Page -
Red Berenson is entering his 27th season as head coach of the Wolverines.
COMEBACK KIDS
On a road trip to Wisconsin, the Michigan
men's soccer team showed that it's capable
of mounting a comeback, rallying from 1-0 to
beat theBadgers, 3-2. Page 2B ,
A TOUCHY RIVALRY
* Daily Sports Editor Ryan Kartje says that
the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry is and will
always be a rivalry, and he was in a touch
football game to prove it. Page 2B