2B -- January 5, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
28 - January 5, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
'M' secures 14th
GLI title with
offensive surges
Coaching gossip Brandon's
indecision hurting Blue
Captain Glendening
named Tournament
MVP after three-
point tourney
By CASANDRA PAGNI
Daily Sports Writer
DETROIT - While the stage
for the Great Lakes Invitational
wasn't quite as grandiose as the
outdoor hockey game at Michi-
gan Stadium earlier this month, it
was still Joe Louis Arena - home
of the legendary Detroit Red
Wings.
And
in just its COLORADO COLL. 5
second MICHIGAN 6
game
after
playing MICHIGAN TECH 2
in the MICHIGAN 4
record-
setting Big Chill at the Big House,
the No. 7 Michigan hockey team
showed its flare for the dramatic
once again on Dec. 30.
Michigan finally secured its
14th MacInnes trophy with a 6-5
win over No. 20 Colorado College
in the Great Lakes Invitational
championship game after relin-
quishing the lead three times.
While the Dec.29 4-2 semifinal
victory over Michigan Tech fea-
tured a stagnant first two periods
before a combined four goals in
four minutes in the third period,
the title bout was a different kind
of chaotic.
Senior forward Ben Winnett
got the Wolverines (12-5-4) off to
a hot start, scoring his third goal
of the season just 39 seconds into
the first period. Winnett banged
home a rebound after a scrum in
front of the Colorado College net
for the early 1-0 lead.
When junior forward Luke
Glendening scored a shorthanded
goal - his fourth goal of the sea-
son - 10 minutes into the first
period to put Michigan up 2-0,
the majority of the fans at Joe
Louis Arena erupted, as the GLI
was virtually a home game for the
Wolverines.
"You can't plan things like
(Winnett's goal)," Michigan
coach Red Berenson said. "That
was an important goal. And the
next goal, the shorthanded goal,
that was another important goal.
You've got the lead, you've got
some confidence, and you're hav-
ing at least a good start Our team
is a team that really thrives on
good starts."
But unfortunately for Michi-
gan, it was the Tigers who got
started next.
Michigan's penalty kill let up
its first goal of the night just 34
seconds after Glendening's score
in the first period.
Colorado College scored four
power play goals on the night.
Their first two man-advantage
goals came just over three min-
utes apart in the first, as the
Tigers (12-9-1) tied the game at
two heading into the first inter-
mission.
Associate head coach Mel
Pearson called the Wolverines
"resilient" after the game one
victory, and it was a characteris-
tic that Michigan had to embody
even moreso to come away with a
victory against Colorado College.
The Wolverines couldn't hold
on to a lead in the second period
and beginning of the third period.
Michigan goals by senior forward
Louie Caporusso and Glenden-
ing were quickly equalized by a
strong attack from the opposi-
tion.
The Tigers scored just over four
minutes into the third period to
tie the game at four. And this time,
Michigan didn't have a quick-fire
response ready.
The Wolverines gave up their
first lead of the game to Colorado
College less than six minutes into
the third period.
"That's where games are won
and lost - the end," Berenson
said. "But still, you can make a
big momentum shift by a good
start. Our team, I think they're
confident they can come back in
a game."
Taking on the resilient per-
sona, the Wolverines found the
puck-luck they needed late in the
third period.
Sophomore defenseman Lee
Moffie netted his first goal of the
season to tie the game up at five
with six minutes to play in the
third.
And as if it was on cue, sopho-
more forward A.J. Treais took
advantage of some good luck to
net his second game-winning
goal in two days to cement the
Wolverines' 14th GLI Champion-
ship.
"I lost the draw pretty clean,
really clean, actually," Treais
said. "I went into the corner,
took a peek over my shoulder and
threw it at the net and hoped that
it would go in. Lucky bounce, I
guess."
Treais's goal came less than
two minutes after Moffie's equal-
izer, but this time, the goal put
the Wolverines up for good.
"Our team battled hard,"
Berenson said. "We battled hard
at the start of the game to get the
lead (but) they came back.
"It was a great game. ... That
third period was really an excit-
ing period."
fter nearly a full day (or
week or month) of specu-
ation, reports, rumors,
anonymous sources, inklings, best
guesses and gut feelings, the hap-
penings of Rodriguez-Brandon-
Harbaugh-gate seemed to be
coming to a crescendo.
That escalation centered around
the parking lot of Schembechler
Hall on a blustery, bone-chillingly
cold Tuesday afternoon, where
media - some as early as 11 a.m.
- waited on
anything with
a pulse that
could tell them
whether Rich
Rodriguez was
no longer coach
ofthe Michigan
football team.
But for all RYAN
the sure bets KARTJE
and things
we know (or
say we know), there seems to be
only one painfully obvious thing
that I took from that parking lot:
We have absolutely no idea what
Athletic Director Dave Brandon is
thinking.
The natural thing, we all said,
would be to part ways with the
embattled, three-year coach
before the Wolverines' Gator Bowl
matchup. That way, the Athletic
Department could focus all of its
efforts on a coaching search - one
that didn't feel rushed and didn't
result in the school's third, des-
perate choice.
When that didn't happen, it
all suddenly made sense again.
Brandon must have wanted Stan-
ford coach Jim Harbaugh. It was
a match made in heaven for any
Michigan fan: an athletic direc-
tor hoping to settle the debacle
of unsuccessful, unpopular'head
coach and a former "Michigan
Man" quarterback who coached
a bad team into a national power.
The pairing had Michigan fans
salivating, and for a while, it
looked like it was going to happen.
Then, Harbaugh wasn't an
option and Rodriguez was still
there. Two hours later, Rodriguez
was fired and there was no Plan B.
Shortly after, Rodriguez was back
and maybe Harbaugh too. And so
on, and so forth.
By now, I'm sure, Lou Holtz has
been rumored to be the next coach
of the Wolverines, while Greg Rob-
inson is rumored to get a pay raise
- who knows. I stopped following
Twitter updates on this hours ago.
The point is, no matter what the
media may have reported so far on
this, it's not 100 percent either way
right now. And it probably won't be
until sometime on Wednesday.
That kind of time and specula-
tion, whether spent sitting in the
parking lot of Schembecher Hall
or googling and re-googling Rich
0
0
0
Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon will makea decision in the coming days regarding Rich Rodriguez's future.
Rodriguez's name to check on his
job status, is damaging to a college
football program, and it's espe-
cially damaging to the fans' public
opinion of said program.
Remember, Michigan fans have
gone through this once before -
when Rodriguez was hired and
Les Miles wasn't - and all that
did was turn the Wolverines into
a laughingstock. Three years and
22 losses later, Michigan will not
be able to brave that kind of public
humiliation in the same fashion.
Whatever Brandon's solution is, it
better work.
But no one knows what that
solution will be. Will Brandon cut
ties with Rodriguez? Probably. But
again, that's not much more than
a gut feeling and a host of specula-
tion.
After all the gossip and the
waiting and the awkward ques-
tions, bringing Rodriguez back
would be a shameful admission of
failure. We couldn't get that Har-
baugh guy, soI guess you'll do.
Sure, he could've put his
embattled coach out of his misery
after the Ohio State game. But the
further speculation and multiple
media sources citing his dismissal .
leave Rodriguez in an awfully
awkward position if he were to
return to the helm of the program.
This has the peculiar feel of an
on-and-off high school relation-
ship. And if any of us have learned
anything from a handful of those,
it's that they're never the same
after the first time you break up.
So if that does indeed happen
as planned, if Rodriguez is on the
first train out of town tomorrow
night following the team's 4 p.m.
meeting, then that leaves Brandon
with an overqualified candidate
who will probably forgo the Wol-
verines for the NFL and ... Brady
Hoke, San Diego State's head
coach.
That's an obviously disappoint-
ing position to be in today, after
sources earlier this week might as
well have spotted Harbaugh wear-
ing a Denard Robinson jersey and
singing Hail to the Victors on his
front porch.
But the truth here is that Michi-
gan fans may have out-Michigan-
ed themselves this time. And
the media may have proven that
speculation is a drugbest used in
moderation. Maybe Jim Harbaugh
was never going to coach the
Wolverines. Maybe Brandon has
a legitimate backup plan. Maybe
Urban Meyer is back out of retire-
ment and on his way to Ann Arbor.
I'm sure you could find an anony-
mous source for all three of those
claims.
or maybe Michigan just isn't
as great of a job as it used to be.
Maybe a lateral move from Stan-
ford to Michigan doesn't make
sense for Harbaugh and his fam-
ily. And maybe, just maybe, the
Wolverines aren't above hiring
coaches from smaller FBS schools
like San Diego State - after all,
Bo Schembechler was a coach at
Miami (Ohio) before he carne to
Ann Arbor.
Now, because of this Michi-
gan centrism, the long decision-
making process and the gossiping
Twittersphere, any candidate not
named Harbaugh is going to have
a tough time garnering support in
Ann Arbor. That is, until he wins.
Either way, the speculation
needs to stop Wednesday. Bran-
don needs to announce a decision
- one that's taken much too long
already - and the Wolverines need
a coach within a week, whether
it's Harbaugh, Hoke, Miles or my
roommate Dillon. Because every
day that Michigan's coaching
troubles remain the talk of college
football is another day we all look
stupid.
Whatever happens, Black
Wednesday is upon us. And I cau-
tion you, follow Twitter at your
own risk.
Kartje is forced to brave
the Twitter speculation storm
tomorrow under @Ryan_Kartje.
He can be reached there or
at rkartje@umich.edu.
Badgers' slow-paced
offense poses problem
By ZAK PYZIK each possession, it has the patience
Daily SportsEditor to wait for the right opportunity to
drive or shoot. And when that oppor-
Thirty-five seconds is about to feel tunity finally presents itself, the
like longtime for the Michigan men's offense strike. But Ryan's blueprint
basketball team. causes a lot of problems. Defenses
The Wolverines (1-1 Big Ten, 11-3 are forced to work for long periods
overall) will have to defend Wiscon- of time. Such length normally allows
sin (1-1, 11-3) for about that length of the Badgers to dry out opponents -
time whenever making more time for mistakes. And
the Badgers con- as if 35 seconds wasn't enough to deal
trol the ball at the Michigan at with, Wisconsin has a knack for dou-
Kohl Center on Wisnin bling their time of possession.
Wednesday. "(Last year), they ran the swing
On every offen- Matchup: for about 30 seconds, took a shot, got
sive possession, 11-3; Michi- an offensive rebound, ran the swing
the Badgers work gan 11-3 another 30 seconds, got a basket,"
the ball until the Michigan coach John Beilein said.
shot clock dwin- en "And it was like, we guarded it for one
dles down then 830 P.M. minute, and it was a long rebound -
they hoist their weboxed out, we did everything. But
shot. That's Wis- Where: Kohl right now, they're better than us at
Center
consin coach Bo taking care of theball."
Ryan's unique TV/Radio: If Michigan allows the Badgers
offensive scheme. BTN to collect offensive rebounds, the
"They get down Wolverine defense will find itself
the shot clock time, just like they do in a hole early. But so far, Michigan
to everybody," junior guard Zack hasbeen impressive on the defensive
Novak said on Tuesday. "I mean they glass, averaging 27 defensive boards
wear you down, wear you down. agame - second mostin the Big Ten.
Kind of rip your heart out because But in the end, Wisconsin's ability
they score with two seconds left on to sustain long possessions can also
the shot clock, and you spend 35 sec- hinder the Michigan's offense.
onds guarding. It just kind of wears The Wolverines are second-to-
you out." last in the conference in terms of
Ledby junior guard Jordan Taylor scoring, tallying about 69 points per
and senior forward Jon Leuer, Wis- game. And if the Badgers control the
consin runs the swing offense. On, pace of the game, which tgey're quite
adept at doing, Michigan will have
even fewer opportunities to score
than usual.
"We've got to play our game,"
Novak said. "You don't want to play
Wisconsin's game just because we're
at Wisconsin. We want to play Mich-
igan basketball. At the same time
there are going to be some shots that
we might use a little bit more discre-
tion with ...
"You don't want to come and
guard for 35 seconds and then jack
one and come right back and guard.
We need to be patient and work a
little bit. We've got to take what they
give you. If you've got an open shot,
you've got to take it and knock it
down."
Every offensive decision that
Michigan makes will be critical. The
Wolverines will be in a lot of trouble
if they allow Wisconsin to get on a
roll. The Badgers are 153-16 all-time
at the Kohl Center, with only six
losses in the past decade. But being
on the road may not pose too much
of a threat for this young Michigan
squad.
"I think our lack of experience
might help us in a place like this,"
Novak said. "I mean you go into a
place like Madison where they lost
like six games since Bo Ryan has
been there, our guys don't know
about that really. It's not something
they'll be thinking about, I don't
think so. That might help us."
GATOR BOWL
From Page 1B
Wolverines, since a change to Har-
baugh or any other coach would
probably mean a change from the
zone-read spread offense that
Rodriguez brought to Ann Arbor.
Asked after the game whether
he would play for Michigan next
year if Rodriguez doesn't return as
the program's coach, sophomore
quarterback Denard Robinson
said, "No response."
"That's my coach. That's who
recruited me, so that's it."
It was Robinson who gave the
Wolverines a chance in the game's
opening minutes, pioneering an
impressive 10-play, 78-yard drive
to open the scoring in Jacksonville.
Then, after a 3-and-out and a sti-
fling blocked punt, Robinson again
marched his offense down the
field, lobbing a perfect touch pass
to a healthy Martavious Odoms
in the corner of the endzone. The
touchdown gave Michigan a 14-10
lead at the end of the first quar-
ter, as Robinson remained perfect
through the air - 7-of-7 for 98
yards and two touchdowns - and
electrifying on the ground - aver-
aging12.8 yards per carry.
But the next three quarters,
which yielded 42 unanswered
Bulldog points, ended the Wolver-
ines' season on a sour and frustrat-
ing note.
"I guess we didn't take our level
of preparation seriously," sopho-
more defensive end Craig Roh said.
Not known for his passing
prowess, Mississippi State quar-
terback Chris Relf torched Michi-
gan's young, struggling secondary
for 281 yards and three touch-
downs on 18-of-23 passing. His
dominance in the passing game
and threat to convert first downs
with his legs had the Wolverine
defense reeling, as the Bulldogs' 52
points were the most they scored
in a game all season and the sec-
ond-most Michigan has allowed.
With so much time to prepare
for the New Year's Daybowl game,
redshirt freshman lineman Tay-
lor Lewan agreed the loss was "an
embarrassment."
"7-5 was a great turnaround,"
Lewan said. "We were in a Janu-
ary 1st bowl game. And yeah,
it was embarrassing ... but this
team's going to come together and
we'll be just fine."
Added Roh: "It's not the end
of anything. It's the beginning of
something new."
For the program, however, this
loss could certainly mean an end -
the end of the Rich Rodriguez era.
Mississippi State quarterback Chris Relf torched Michigan
JAKE FROMM/Daily
aturday afternoon and took home the Gator Bowl MVP.