6A — Thursday, September 17, 2015
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Quarterback play a numbers game
Fisch wants
starter Rudock to
limit turnovers in
coming weeks
By MAX COHEN
Managing Sports Editor
For
Michigan
passing
game coordinator Jedd Fisch,
measuring quarterback success
is partially a numbers game.
And through two games for
fifth-year senior quarterback
Jake
Rudock,
the
numbers
aren’t pretty.
Rudock has been responsible
for
five
turnovers
as
the
Wolverines’ starter. He threw
three
interceptions
in
the
season opener at Utah, and
fumbled early in Michigan’s
victory against Oregon State
before throwing an interception
late in the game.
During his career at Iowa,
before
he
transferred
to
Michigan over the summer,
Rudock wasn’t known as a
turnover-prone quarterback. In
fact, he was one of the best in the
Big Ten at limiting giveaways. He
threw just five interceptions last
season as the Hawkeyes’ starter.
Despite the rough start, Fisch
believes Rudock can return
toward his career mean. Fisch
provided a math lesson to the
media Wednesday to explain his
point.
“So he’s thrown four, which
is two right now (per) game,”
Fisch said. “If we can have a
few games with zero, he can get
right back to his average. If you
throw one a game, you throw 12
for the year. If you can get a few
games with zero, you can get
that number down to about six
or seven. So he’s got to do that.
Strive for that number, to get
to somewhere less than 10 for
the year, and try to double the
touchdowns. (I’d) like to get to a
2:1 ratio there or more.”
One ratio of Rudock’s that
Fisch is pleased with is the
number of sacks he has taken.
In 76 dropbacks this season,
Rudock
has
been
sacked
only
once,
a
statistic
that
Fisch believes is reflective of
Michigan’s entire offense.
Somewhat surprisingly, the
turnover
that
disappointed
Fisch most was not one of his
interceptions, but the lone sack
that caused a Rudock fumble
in the first quarter against the
Beavers.
“That
was
most
the
avoidable,” Fisch said. “He had
an opportunity to kick it out
there when he was hot, and held
onto the ball.”
The
coach,
even
while
acknowledging
room
for
improvement, is not short on
confidence when it comes to
his quarterback. He pointed to
Rudock’s completion percentage
against Oregon State (69.2) as
a sign of success, saying that
completing 70 percent of passes
is a goal he has in mind for his
quarterbacks.
Despite Rudock’s reputation
as little more than a game
manager, Fisch is pleased with
the way the Wolverines have
attempted to spread the field
early in the season.
Fisch is also learning on the
job. This season has provided a
new experience for the coach,
who has worked as an offensive
coordinator both in college
football and the NFL. Fisch
said this has been the first
staff he has worked with that
makes play calls as a group. Of
course, Michigan coach Jim
Harbaugh has the final say, but
most decisions are the result of
a collaborative effort, unlike on
most teams where one coach
calls all of the plays.
The experience has been a
positive one for Fisch, so much
so that it’s something he would
advocate for on any coaching
staff he works on in the future.
“It’s something that I would
always do from now on,” Fisch
said.
That’s one success that can’t
be broken down by the numbers.
BY THE NUMBERS
Jake Rudock
5
Turnovers in two games, including three
interceptions at Utah and another pick
and a sack-fumble against Oregon State
69.2
Rudock’s completion percentage
against Oregon State (18-for-26)
76
Dropbacks in two games, only one of
which ended in a sack
105
National rank in passing defense for
UNLV, Michigan’s next opponent