Iowa Recruiting Snapshot: May 2015

Warren (OH) Harding center James Daniels

Note: All rankings are 247 Composite rankings unless otherwise noted.

2015 Team Ranking: #59. Iowa signed one 4-star, nineteen 3-stars, and one 2-star.

Cream of the 2015 Crop: Warren (OH) Harding center James Daniels, who held a Michigan offer, was a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 center, and #336 overall. He's Iowa's top recruit and a strong blocking prospect whose brother also plays for Iowa. Meanwhile, former Hawkeye and first round draft pick Riley Reiff (Detroit Lions) has a brother named Brady Reiff who signed with the Hawkeyes as a 6'3", 215 lb. weakside end. A 3-star and the #49 player at his position, you might not expect much from him . . . but Riley was a 6'6", 250 lb. strongside end with a Rivals 3-star ranking in the 2018 class. Iowa has a history of taking undersized, underrated guys and turning them into very solid players. (On a side note, Iowa also signed Farmington Hills Harrison linebacker Michael Ojemudia, the brother of Michigan defensive end Mario.)

2016 Team Ranking: #79. Iowa has two 3-stars committed.

Cream of the 2016 Crop: Menomonie (WI) Menomonie pro-style quarterback Nate Stanley is a 247 Composite 3-star, the #52 player at his position, and #962 overall.

Jake Rudock, Wolverine

Jake Rudock

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Dan Murphy and Bruce Feldman are both reporting that Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock has been granted a waiver from the Big Ten to transfer to Michigan. As a fifth-year transfer, he was also considering Boise State. Graduate transfers must enroll at a school in which their intended course of study is not available at the original institution.

Rudock is a 6'3", 208 lb. quarterback who has started the majority of games for the Hawkeyes over the past two seasons. He sat behind James Vandenberg through 2012, but Rudock completed 204/336 (59.0%) of his passes in 2013 for 2,383 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also ran 67 times for 218 yards and 5 touchdowns. As a redshirt junior in 2014, he completed 213/345 passes (61.7%) for 2,436 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. He ran 67 times for 176 yards and 3 scores.

Hit the jump for more on Rudock.

USA Today College Football Countdown: #19 Iowa

Paul Myerberg breaks down the Iowa Hawkeyes (LINK), a team deemed 19th overall by him. I have a hard time believing they'll be ranked that high by season's end, but we shall see.

Michigan vs. Iowa Awards

Brennen Beyer

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Dennis Norfleet. The kid is small but feisty and has big-play potential. Offensive coordinator Al Borges used him early in the year as a tip-off to the fact that Norfleet was about to get the ball. Once everyone figured that out, Borges just stopped using Norfleet altogether. So he's exciting enough to put him on the field to get him the ball . . . but he's not exciting enough to use as a decoy or even a situational player. But hey, Jeremy Jackson has averaged 11.4 yards/catch in four years and never scored a touchdown or had a play longer than 22 yards, so let's keep him out there.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Jeremy Jackson. He has no purpose. Bizarro Fred Jackson says "He's like LaTerryal Savoy but slower."

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Jake Ryan. This is more just a way to say that I'm glad he's back. I still don't think he's 100%, but the guy is a playmaker and a heavy hitter. He had 5 tackles, 1 pass breakup, and a hit on quarterback Jake Rudock that turned into a 7-yard interception touchdown for defensive end Brennen Beyer.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Courtney Avery. It's rare that players regress throughout their careers, but Avery would be one of those examples. He was overmatched as a freshman, played really well as a sophomore, took a step back as a junior, and now seems like a weak link in the secondary. The coaches moved him from nickel corner to safety in order to push guys like sophomore Jarrod Wilson, and while Wilson has been far from perfect, I think he's a clear step up from Avery. I liked the kid better when he was a slot corner and not one of the last lines of defense.

Play of the game . . . Brennen Beyer's interception return for a touchdown. On Iowa's first offensive play, Jake Ryan came on a blitz and hit Rudock as he was releasing the ball, resulting in a pick six for Beyer. It was the most exciting play of the day for the Wolverines, who couldn't create much of anything on offense. Honorable mention goes to Devin Gardner's scrambling 2-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Williams, where Gardner looked like he was going to take a gain of zero yards before stepping back and casually tossing the ball to Williams, who had been let go by defenders coming up to stop the run. It was Williams's first career catch and first career touchdown, and I wouldn't argue with somebody who said that was the play of the day.

MVP of the game . . . Raymon Taylor. Taylor had 8 solo tackles (9 total), 1 diving interception, and what was technically a fumble recovery on Iowa's first half-ending botched field goal snap. Taylor should have picked up the ball and run for what could have been a touchdown, but he still had nice coverage the entire game, tackled quickly, and was just a hair late to notch a couple pass breakups.

Iowa 24, Michigan 21

Brennen Beyer returns an interception 7 yards for a touchdown (image via Times Union)

This happened because of three guys. In my opinion, this game came down to the absence - literally and figuratively - of three players. First of all, Michigan middle linebacker Desmond Morgan (0 tackles) left the game in the first quarter due to what was rumored to be a concussion, which would be at least his second in college. Then weakside linebacker James Ross (6 tackles) left the game in the second half, although it's unclear what that injury was. And Devin Funchess (1 catch, 2 yards; 1 carry, 10 yards) might as well have been out due to injury, because he was completely useless. He dropped four passes by my count, and he can't block. So the Wolverines were without their two leading tacklers, which suggests it wasn't a coincidence that the Hawkeyes were able to turn on their running game in the second half. Michigan's defensive line is solid but unspectacular, and what helped them rank #13 against the run going into this game was their technically sound linebackers. When you're left with sophomore Joe Bolden (4 tackles) and freshman Ben Gedeon (3 tackles) as your two inside linebackers, that's a recipe for struggles. Iowa running backs Damon Bullock (1 for 8), Jordan Canzeri (9 for 40), and Mark Weisman (10 for 45) had a total of 20 carries for 93 yards after halftime, helping Iowa to hold the ball for 18:23 of the second half.

Games are won in the trenches. I know this is an old adage, but it's true. And it's frustrating to watch Michigan get beaten so badly up front in every single game. I've said it over and over again, but Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield aren't dominating like they should, and the interior linemen can't get any kind of push ever. They say that even the best linemen in the NFL win just over half their battles, and that's what separates them from the other guys; well, Michigan's guards and center aren't close to winning half their battles in the run game. It's an abomination. Michigan's running backs combined for 17 carries and 35 yards in this one, with a long run of 9 yards. The offensive line allowed 11 tackles for loss. That sounds really bad, but that's been the norm - the Wolverines are averaging 10.5 tackles for loss allowed this year. For comparison's sake, Michigan has a pretty good defense and averages 5.7 TFL's a game.

Devin Gardner might retire. Gardner had one of his least effective performances this year, going 13/28 for 98 yards, 2 touchdowns, and giving away the game-clinching fumble; he also ran 10 times for 12 yards, despite only getting sacked once. He's lost a step, he's running tentatively, and he just looks downright scared of taking more of a beating at times. After the game, he was reportedly favoring his right arm. Obviously, Michigan needs him if they have any hope of beating Ohio State next week, but with his diminishing health and the sorry state of the offensive line, I would not be surprised at all if Gardner doesn't finish next week's contest.

Graham Glasgow snapping mistake? Check. I swear I don't think I've ever seen a college center with as many snapping issues as Glasgow. With the exception of the Northwestern game last week, Glasgow has had a snapping error every week. This week's blunder was a snap infraction on a 1st-and-Goal from the 4-yard line in the fourth quarter that pushed the Wolverines back to the 9. After an incomplete pass and a nothing run, Gardner bailed him out with a touchdown pass to Gallon.

Good grief, Jeremy Jackson is terrible. Usually I try to stay objective, so this is an angry rant I'm allowing myself near the completion of a frustrating season. Senior Jeremy Jackson's one late wide-open catch for a first down does not erase the fact that he should not be on the field. Like, at all. Ever. The final straw for this rant came yesterday when I saw him standing around not blocking anyone while Devin Gardner was getting tackled. He can't run, he can't jump, and he can't block. The guy is a preferred walk-on at best, or maybe a Division II athlete. I never understood* why he was offered by Rich Rodriguez in the 2010 class, and his performance over the last four years has only solidified those feelings. Da'Mario Jones, Dennis Norfleet, and Joe Reynolds are all better athletes, and you could probably get a better blocking effort out of walk-ons Bo Dever or Blaise Stearns, just to name a couple. I actually have some respect and empathy for Rodriguez, but one look at that 2010 class makes me want to vomit. The guy took 27 players in that class, and after you list the top three (Jake Ryan, Devin Gardner, Jibreel Black), you start to get in the murky territory of trying to rank Jackson, your holder/fifth receiver (Drew Dileo), your journeyman defensive back (Courtney Avery), your journeyman tight end/defensive end/linebacker (Jordan Paskorz), or your weed-loving suspended punter (Will Hagerup). Where was I going with this? Oh yeah. Erm . . . uh . . . yeah, Jeremy Jackson. He's bad.

Let's end on a high note. (Not that kind of high note, Hagerup.) So how about Blake Countess, Raymon Taylor, and Brennen Beyer picking off those terrible throws from Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock? Let's be honest - those picks were more about Rudock being bad than Michigan having great coverage, but these Michigan cornerbacks are better playmakers than we've had in a while. For a little while - the J.T. Floyd years, basically - Michigan struggled to make any plays at cornerback, and the notable plays from defensive backs had to come from the safeties. Taylor's still afraid to tackle running backs, but overall, I like where Michigan's headed in the defensive backfield. And kudos to Beyer, who has made some steps forward this year and tallied his first interception and first touchdown.

Just kidding. What does this mean for the Ohio State game? Probably doom.

*Of course, I know Jeremy Jackson was mainly offered because his dad is the running backs coach. Also, aliens.

Preview: Michigan at Iowa

Rush Offense vs. Iowa Rush Defense
Michigan is #96 in the country with 135.7 yards/game as a team, and last week's "improvement" included 139 yards rushing, although that was a step up from the -48 and -21 yards put on the board in the previous two weeks. Despite the improvement last week, the rumor is that Kyle Kalis will be re-inserted at right guard, Erik Magnuson will move to left guard, and true freshman Kyle Bosch will be watching from the sideline. Starter Fitzgerald Toussaint should return from a concussion he suffered against Nebraska, but backups Derrick Green (19 carries, 79 yards) and De'Veon Smith (8 carries, 41 yards) both performed fairly well in their most extensive duties yet this year. Meanwhile, Iowa is #25 in giving up 130 yards/game on the ground and #29 with just 3.72 yards allowed/carry. Senior middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens (6'1", 233 lbs.) leads the team with 87 tackles, but fellow senior linebackers Christian Kirksey (6'2", 235 lbs.) and James Morris (6'2", 240 lbs.) are both right behind with 80 tackles each. Hitchens also leads the team with 10 tackles for loss, with Morris just behind at 9. The Hawkeyes have good size on the defensive line with the ends averaging 270 and junior nose tackle Carl Davis sitting at 6'5", 315 lbs. Junior 3-tech defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat (6'3", 290 lbs.) is the penetrator on the defensive line with 7 tackles for loss. Michigan took a step forward last week against Northwestern, but Iowa is always sound when it comes to assignments, so this should again be a difficult day for the Wolverines on the ground.
Advantage: Iowa

Pass Offense vs. Iowa Pass Defense
Michigan is #39 in passer rating nationally at 142.36. Devin Gardner has cut down on the interceptions and fumbles lately but also has taken 19 sacks in the last three games, seemingly unable to cut down on turnovers and still get rid of the ball. Speaking of sacks, Michigan has allowed 31 this year, good enough to be tied for 114th in the nation. Wide receiver Jeremy Gallon is #11 in the country with 106.2 yards/game through the air, and TE/WR Devin Funchess is #78 with 68.4. The Hawkeyes are tied for 80th with 17 sacks on the year and hold opponents to a 120.34 passer rating, good enough for 40th in the country. Their leading sacker is linebacker James Morris with 4, and nobody else has more than 2.5 (sophomore DE Drew Ott at 6'5", 265 lbs.). Iowa has made 10 interceptions on the year (#57 nationally), and three players are tied for the team lead with 3 picks each - Morris, senior cornerback B.J. Lowery (5'11", 193 lbs.), and senior safety Tanner Miller (6'2", 207 lbs.). Lowery has taken 2 of his interceptions back for touchdowns. The Wolverines have more talent at receiver than the Hawkeyes do in the backfield, but if Gardner can't handle Iowa's Cover 2 looks, it will be a long day.
Advantage: Michigan

Rush Defense vs. Iowa Rush Offense
Michigan is #13 in the country, giving up just 111.2 yards/game on the ground; they're also #10 at just 3.16 yards allowed/carry. This is a very good run defense. Weakside linebacker James Ross moved into the team lead in tackles (75) with a 13-tackle effort against Northwestern, and he's closely followed by middle linebacker Desmond Morgan (69). The Wolverines have made 56 tackles for loss as a team (#79 nationally), led by weakside end Frank Clark (10), defensive tackle Jibreel Black (7), and strongside linebacker Cam Gordon (6.5). Nose tackle Quinton Washington will probably get a little bit more playing time against Iowa's offense than he has against the spread offenses of the past couple weeks. The Hawkeyes are #40 in yards/game on the ground with 193.2 and they average 4.5 yards/carry, which is 57th. They're paced by junior Mark Weisman (6'0", 236 lbs.), who has 167 carries, 777 yards, 4 touchdowns. Junior Damon Bullock (6'0", 200 lbs.) and sophomore Jordan Canzeri have combined for 793 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 5.1 yards/carry. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jake Rudock (6'2", 205 lbs.) averages 3.8 yards/carry and has 5 rushing touchdowns on the year, so it's a multi-pronged attack. The offensive line is made up of redhirt junior Brandon Scherff (6'5", 315 lbs.), redshirt senior Conor Boffeli (6'5", 295 lbs.), redshirt sophomore Austin Blythe (6'3", 300 lbs.), redshirt sophomore Jordan Walsh (6'4", 290 lbs.), and fifth year senior Brett Van Sloten (6'7", 300 lbs.), from left to right. Iowa always has a solid offensive line, so it will depend upon Michigan's linebackers to make good reads and flow to the ball, which they do pretty well.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Defense vs. Iowa Pass Offense
Michigan is 75th in the country at pass yardage allowed with 236.4 yards/game but #28 in passer rating defense at 117.0. Teams generally have a hard time running the ball but have taken advantage of Michigan's young linebackers and a couple inexperienced cornerbacks. Michigan is 20th nationally with 13 interceptions, led by Blake Countess with 4. The Wolverines are smack dab in the middle of the pack with 20 sacks, paced by Clark (5) and Cam Gordon (4). Iowa is #90 in the country with 204 yards/game through the air and #82 with a passer rating of 124.02. Rudock has completed 59.9% of his passes for 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. His backup, C.J. Beathard, is just 5/18 on the year for 124 yards and 1 interception. There's not one go-to guy like in years past at Iowa; the seven guys with double-digit receptions average between 15.1 and 30.4 yards/game. Redshirt junior wideout Kevonte Martin-Manley (6'2", 205 lbs.) is the nominal #1 guy with 35 receptions for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns, good for just 8.7 yards/catch. However, he's dangerous returning punts with an 18.8-yard average and 2 touchdowns on the year. Junior partner Damond Powell (5'11", 180 lbs.) is the big-play receiver with 12 catches for 291 yards (24.3 yards/catch) and 2 scores. Senior tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz (6'7", 265 lbs.) is a huge target without a whole lot of speed to make plays after the catch; he has 20 receptions for 188 yards and 4 touchdowns. Iowa also does a tremendous job of protecting the quarterback - they've allowed just 9 sacks, good for 9th in the country. There shouldn't be many big plays to be had, but Michigan struggles with allowing short passes, and that's something Iowa does well.
Advantage: Iowa

Roster Notes

• Players who held Michigan offers include DT Darian Cooper, OT Andrew Donnal, DT Faith Ekakitie, TE Ray Hamilton, DT Jaleel Johnson, and OG Jordan Walsh
• Players from the state of Michigan include DT Carl Davis (Sterling Heights Stevenson), TE Jake Duzey (Troy Athens), CB Desmond King (Detroit East English Village), S Ruben Lile (Detroit Cass Tech), WR Kevonte Martin-Manley (Birmingham Brother Rice), LB Laron Taylor (Detroit Cass Tech)

Predictions

• Fitzgerald Toussaint gets less than half of the running back carries, but Derrick Green loses his first career fumble.
• Jeremy Gallon goes for 145 yards receiving and 1 touchdown.
• Michigan makes 1 sack and allows 4.
• Michigan 20, Iowa 17

Last Time They Played . . . 

• Michigan beat Iowa in 2012 by a score of 42-17
• Denard Robinson had 13 carries for 98 yards and 2 receptions for 24 yards as a running back in his first game back after hurting his elbow.
• Jeremy Gallon had 5 catches for 133 yards.
• Fitzgerald Toussaint's ankle exploded.

Video: 10 memorable plays against Iowa

USA Today college football countdown: #70 Iowa

Paul Myerberg takes a look at the Iowa Hawkeyes for the upcoming season.

Hit the jump if you like cheerleaders.

Highlights: Michigan 42, Iowa 17

Preview: Michigan vs. Iowa

Rush Offense vs. Iowa Rush Defense
Michigan's rushing offense has dropped off as Denard Robinson has missed the last 2.5 games due to injury; now the Wolverines are #35 in rushing with 194 yards/game after rushing 32 times for 133 yards against Northwestern last week.  Running back Fitzgerald Toussaint has had two of his most productive games the last couple weeks with 70 and 92 yards, respectively, along with a 28-yard TD reception against the Wildcats.  Iowa, meanwhile, has the #60 rushing defense and gives up 155 yards/game.  Last week the Hawkeyes gave up 211 yards on 44 carries to Purdue.  Defensive end Joe Gaglione (9) and linebacker James Morris (7) lead the team in tackles for loss; linebacker Anthony Hitchens is a tackling machine with 114 total. (By comparison, Michigan's leading tackler is Desmond Morgan with 69.)  Michigan seems to be improving slightly at running the ball, but Iowa always seems to defend the run well; I also don't expect Robinson to play on Saturday, so that's a huge negative for Michigan's hopes of running the ball.
Advantage: Iowa

Pass Offense vs. Iowa Pass Defense
The Wolverines have improved at passing the ball over the last couple weeks, as backup quarterback Devin Gardner has thrown for 234 and 286 yards, respectively.  Wide receiver Roy Roundtree, in particular, has stepped it up with 7 receptions for 203 yards.  Even so, Michigan is just tied for #98 nationally with 189 yards/game through the air.  Iowa stands at #50 and gives up 226 yards/game and is #59 in pass efficiency defense, so they're perfectly mediocre.  They have just 11 sacks to rank #111 nationally, with the leading sacker being Gaglione.  The Hawkeyes have 9 interceptions, none of which have come from their supposed best cornerback, Micah Hyde.  Typically, they play a Cover Two defense, so Gardner's ability to throw corner routes and hit short timing passes will be critical, but Iowa is a scary team to play for an inexperienced quarterback.
Advantage: Iowa

Rush Defense vs. Iowa Rush Offense
The Wolverines are #59 in rush defense, but they hold up fairly well against straight-ahead, power running teams like Iowa.  Teams that give Michigan trouble are option teams like Air Force and Northwestern, but Iowa doesn't have the athleticism at quarterback or overall speed to give the Wolverines issues on the edge. Leading rusher Mark Weisman has missed the past two games, and Damon Bullock has run 48 times for just 144 yards (3.0 yards/carry) against Indiana and Purdue in those weeks.  Overall, Iowa is #98 in the country with just 124 yards/game rushing.  Iowa typically has a road grader or two on the offensive line, but that position group is weak and injured this season.  Weakside linebacker Desmond Morgan and middle linebacker Kenny Demens have been making more plays since defensive tackles Quinton Washington and Will Campbell have stepped up their games.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Defense vs. Iowa Pass Offense
Michigan has the #1 pass defense in the country and the #21 pass efficiency defense in the country, so they do well numbers-wise, though they haven't played many good passing attacks.  Meanwhile, Iowa throws for 198 yards/game, good enough for #94 in the nation.  Receivers Keenan Davis and Kevonte Martin-Manley have eerily similar numbers (46 receptions, 560 yards for the former; 47 receptions, 545 yards for the latter), but they have combined for just three touchdowns.  Tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz has 31 receptions but only averages about 9.0 yards/catch.  Michigan really struggles to get to the quarterback and ranks #100 in the country with just 1.3 sacks/game.  Leading sacker Craig Roh has 4 total sacks, and linebacker Jake Ryan has 3.5 takedowns.  The Wolverines don't have any great coverage defensive backs, but they play fairly well together and the linebackers do a solid job in coverage.  Michigan is vulnerable deep, but they've been lucky because their opponents haven't been able to hit those deep passes.
Advantage: Michigan

Roster Notes

• Michigan recruited DT Darian Cooper, OT Andrew Donnal, DT Faith Ekakitie, RB Greg Garmon, TE Ray Hamilton, OL Jaleel Johnson, OG Jordan Walsh, and QB John Wienke
• Wienke was at one time committed to play for Michigan
• Other players from Michigan include Canton (MI) Canton CB Kevin Buford, Utica (MI) Stevenson OG Carl Davis, Troy (MI) Athens TE Jake Duzey, Detroit (MI) Cass Tech S Ruben Lile, Birmingham (MI) Brother Rice WR Kevonte Martin-Manley, Detroit (MI) Cass Tech LB Laron Taylor
• LB Jim Poggi is the brother of 2013 commit Henry Poggi
• Wide receivers coach Erik Campbell is a former player and coach at Michigan

Predictions

• Gardner starts but has his worst game as a passer
• James Vandenberg hits a couple of those deep passes that those other teams' quarterbacks have been missing
• The whole stadium blubbers uncontrollably when Denard walks off the field for the last time
• Michigan 21, Iowa 14

A Look Back . . . 

• Here's a recap of last year's 24-16 loss
• Here are last year's awards

Video: Michigan 30, Iowa 17 (2004)

Pre-Snap Read: #45 Iowa

Pre-Snap Read  previews the Iowa Hawkeyes, who have once again had some struggles in the off-season.  Michigan plays Iowa in the tune-up for Ohio State, so hopefully the Wolverines can avoid overlooking Iowa, a team that has had Michigan's number over the past few seasons.

Video: Michigan 43, Iowa 24 (1991)

Video: Michigan vs. Iowa 2011 - Every Snap

Highlights: Iowa 24, Michigan 16

Michigan vs. Iowa Awards

Freshman cornerback Blake Countess tackles touted receiver Marvin McNutt
(image via MGoBlue.com)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Michael Shaw.  If Fitzgerald Toussaint's apparent shoulder injury keeps him out next week, I would like to see Shaw get some playing time in lieu of Toussaint.  Vincent Smith has established himself as a capable third down back and receiver out of the backfield (although he dropped a key pass against the Hawkeyes), but he has also established himself as being incapable of playing the role of a lead back.  Shaw is averaging 6.4 yards a carry and has the ability to break big plays.  Smith hasn't had double-digit carries all season, and it should probably stay that way.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . tentative Denard.  The coaches need to rethink their coaching of Robinson and tell him to go all out.  The current iteration of Denard Robinson has him avoiding contact at all costs and searching for the sideline.  For a unit that can't create big plays down the field in the passing game now that Big Ten play has started, Robinson needs to be the player he was last year - the one that almost always looked for a few extra yards here or there, and the one who could look like he was running out of bounds and then turn up the sideline for a huge play.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Thomas Gordon.  Gordon has had a hand in twice as many turnovers as anyone else on the team (1 interception, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 forced fumbles), but he found himself watching from the bench as Troy Woolfolk started at safety on Saturday.  Woolfolk isn't 100% healthy and should have sat out against a cupcake or two earlier in the season to get ready for the Big Ten, but the coaches sent him out there every week, anyway, and now we're seeing the repercussions.  Gordon needs to be on the field, and Woolfolk ought to be subbing in at corner, safety, or both.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Desmond Morgan.  I'm a big fan of Morgan and his potential, but the bottom line is that he's a true freshman playing in the run-heavy Big Ten.  Iowa took advantage of him, and it seemed to be on purpose.  Whether the answer is Brandon Herron, Brandin Hawthorne, or Mike Jones, somebody with a little more experience ought to fill in.  What we're seeing right now is exactly the reason I was hoping that Marell Evans would start at WILL, but unfortunately, Evans is in purgatory right now while the coaches try to sort out some issues with his transfer credits; Evans' career might be done or he might be able to get a sixth year of eligibility.

Play of the game . . . Junior Hemingway's jump-ball catch.  At one point in the fourth quarter (I think), Denard Robinson threw a laser to a well-covered Hemingway.  The receiver - who had dropped two easy passes earlier in the game - went over top of the Iowa defensive back to reel in the ill-advised pass.  It was a typical play for Hemingway, who has saved Robinson's butt on several occasions in the past couple seasons.

MVP of the game . . . Blake Countess.  Perhaps I'm overstating the importance of Countess' performance on Saturday, but he did an excellent job on a very good receiver in the form of Iowa's Marvin McNutt.  Of course, it helps that nobody else had a standout game, but Countess is the team's best corner, in my opinion.  McNutt could have had a huge day, but in large part due to Countess, McNutt either had the ball knocked away or was tackled immediately when Countess was on him.  The freshman cornerback stepped up to the challenge and continues to look like the next great corner in Ann Arbor.

Iowa 24, Michigan 16

Stay inbounds!
(image via MGoBlue.com)

Well, that was boring.  I remember when Michigan was completely devoid of big plays.  The year was 2008.  That year sucked.  In two of the last three games, Michigan has been unable to create big plays offensively (MSU being the other).  That bodes unwell.

Have I mentioned that J.T. Floyd isn't very good?  Freshman Blake Countess is the best cornerback on the roster, and it's not even close.  Countess had 6 tackles and was credited with 1 pass breakup, although it seems to me he had at least 2 of them.  Iowa targeted star wide receiver Marvin McNutt frequently, and Countess either had tight enough coverage to prevent a completion or was close enough to tackle immediately. Floyd, not so much.  Hopefully another corner steps up in 2012, because Floyd just isn't getting it done.

Have I mentioned that Denard Robinson isn't very good?  Denard's final passing numbers: 17-for-37, 194 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, and 1 lost fumble.  He's throwing the ball right now like he's just hoping that his receivers will be spectacular.  In the fourth quarter, he chucked numerous bombs down the field to receivers who were well covered . . . and even if they weren't well covered, the passes fell harmlessly to the turf somewhere around the Nebraska border.  Roy Roundtree knocked Iowa cornerback Shaun Prater on his ass, streaked down the field wide open, and Robinson wasn't even close to completing the pass.  We should all be hoping for a second-year bump in Robinson's performance next year, because counting on him to win the game with his arm is like counting on Mike Sorrentino to win Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.

On a positive note, the defensive line is coming along.  After last week's solid performance, the defensive line once again had a good game, producing 13 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks.  Iowa had a good day running the ball with Marcus Coker (29 carries, 132 yards, 2 touchdowns), but the troubles stopping the run seemed to come from the linebackers.  The Hawkeyes seemed to take advantage of freshman Desmond Morgan, who looks good at times, but when it comes down to it, he's just a true freshman.  There's a reason that true freshman linebackers don't often start.

The coaches have turned Denard Robinson into a divining rod for the sideline.  I want to keep Denard Robinson healthy as much as the next guy, but this whole "run out of bounds whenever you're within spittin' distance" thing is getting ridiculous.  Especially when nobody else is capable of making big plays because Michigan a) can't block or b) can't catch Robinson's errant throws, then by golly, get upfield and stop searching for the sideline.  I know he's being coached to do it because the coaches and Robinson have said as much, but it's virtual nonsense.  Robinson's most effective running play this season has been the quarterback sweep, which by definition is run toward the sideline; if he's supposed to get out of bounds whenever he nears the sideline, then the coaches are removing a huge threat.  Robinson's speed makes defensive players take bad angles; in other words, flowing defenders aim too far upfield.  That's how cutback lanes develop.  Let the kid play.  If he gets hurt, Michigan is screwed.  But if he plays like a porcelain doll, Michigan is screwed, too.  At least go down swinging.

Is this a football or a Shake Weight?  I don't understand why Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner both carry the ball away from their bodies with one hand.  Tate Forcier had this problem and Michigan paid dearly for it.  Last year Robinson always carried the ball in his inside hand, which cost Michigan dearly against Ohio State (and other games).  The fact that both Michigan quarterbacks are getting away with this behavior makes me think that it's poor coaching.  Don't get me wrong - this team is much better coached than the past few iterations.  But this is an area that needs to be shored up, and soon.  It's somewhat understandable that Gardner is doing it, since he's raw and only a sophomore/redshirt freshman, but Robinson is a junior and a two-year starter.  There's no excuse for his lack of ball security.

Is the above picture . . . a) an excellent way to get ripped, or
b) the worst way to hold a football?  Trick question: it's both!

Iowa is tough at home.  I predicted at the beginning of the year that Iowa would beat Michigan, and I should have stuck with that prediction yesterday.  Iowa is always a fundamentally sound team (as is Michigan State), and those kinds of teams give Robinson trouble because he's someone who takes advantages of opponents' mistakes.  Iowa stayed gap sound defensively and for the most part (except when Prater fell down) didn't allow Michigan's big-play receivers to get behind them.  Kudos to Iowa for being well coached and disciplined . . . on the field, anyway.

Preview: Michigan at Iowa

Corn fed.

Iowa roster notes

• The only player currently committed to Iowa who had an offer from Michigan is Lombard (IL) Montini DT Jaleel Johnson
• Backup quarterback John Wienke was originally committed to Michigan to play for Lloyd Carr as part of the 2008 class, but once Rich Rodriguez was hired to coach the Wolverines in December 2007, Wienke flipped to the Hawkeyes.  Rich Rodriguez immediately complained that Kirk Ferentz was a snake oil salesman wearing a wizard hat took it like a man.
• Backup quarterback A.J. Derby (3/6, 30 yards on the year) was recruited by Rich Rodriguez
• Starting running back Marcus Coker (182 carries, 969 yards, 10 touchdowns) was also a Rodriguez target
• Other Iowa roster players recruited by Michigan: backup DT Darian Cooper, backup TE Ray Hamilton (1 catch, 15 yards), and backup OT Jordan Walsh
• Wide receivers coach Erik Campbell played WR/DB for Michigan and had 113 tackles and 5 interceptions for the Wolverines.  He then coached the wide receivers at Michigan from 1995-2007 and spent 2003-2007 as the associate head coach under Lloyd Carr.  Campbell was let go by Rich Rodriguez and has spent the last three years making Michigan pay.  He has turned Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and Marvin McNutt into all-conference players.

Predictions

• Iowa finds a way to befuddle Michigan's quarterback(s)
• Marcus Coker runs over Michigan linebackers and safeties for 110 yards and 1 touchdown
• James Vanderberg throws the ball to Thomas Gordon
• Mike Martin and Jake Ryan each get a sack
• Michigan 38, Iowa 24

Michigan vs. Iowa Awards

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Tate Forcier.  I'm not advocating for Forcier to be the starter or take away Denard Robinson's playing time.  Robinson has been excellent for the most part.  But this issue popped up in the Michigan State loss, and again this week against Iowa: Forcier is the better overall passer.  If and when Michigan is down by a few scores late, I think Forcier offers a better chance of leading a comeback via the pass.  He's better at reading defenses and understands the passing concepts better.  And to be completely honest, he looks more comfortable dropping back to pass than Robinson.  Forcier is like a solid long reliever.  If the starter isn't getting it done, #5 might be able to give you a few innings of good pitching and a chance to get back in it.  The Wolverines only had 7 points up until the point in the middle of the third quarter when Robinson got hurt.  In about 1.5 quarters, the Forcier-led Michigan squad put up 21 points (1 rushing TD by Stephen Hopkins, 1 passing TD from Forcier to Junior Hemingway, and 1 rushing TD by Forcier himself).

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Vincent Smith.  Please.  He averaged 3.9 yards a carry and had a key fumble on Iowa's 14-yard line.  There are better options, and Smith can see some time in passing situations or at slot receiver.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Kenny Demens.  Demens seems to be an upgrade at the middle linebacker position, at least against a power running team like Iowa.  He plays downhill more than Ezeh and offers more pop.  At this point in the season, Michigan is #82 in scoring defense and #105 in total defense.  Any change at all just might be worth it.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Adam Patterson.  It's not because I have anything against Patterson himself.  It's just that Mike Martin, the starting nose tackle, is perhaps the most valuable player on the defense right now.  Michigan's pass rush was virtually non-existent in the Iowa game, and the penetration up the middle that has at least slowed down running games this season was absent with Martin out of the game.  Hopefully the ankle injury caused by MSU's illegal chop block will heal quickly, because Patterson isn't a nose tackle.  I'm not quite sure why the coaches wouldn't put Renaldo Sagesse at NT instead of Patterson, but regardless, a 275 lb. nose tackle is begging for trouble.

MVP of the Iowa game . . . Tate Forcier.  He gave Michigan a spark when they needed it most.  He still showed some of the poor ballhandling and decision-making immaturity that he had last year, but he still finished 17/26 for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns (1 rushing, 1 passing) and led another scoring drive.  He needs to tuck the ball away when scrambling and make better decisions throwing the ball, but 21 points in 1.5 quarters is pretty productive.

Iowa 38, Michigan 28

Tate Forcier (#5) jumps for joy after a Stephen Hopkins rushing TD.

I expected an Iowa victory on Saturday, but once again, Michigan's defense failed in spectacular fashion.  Giving up 38 points to a team with mediocre offensive personnel is extremely frustrating.  I can't imagine what a team with a truly good offense - Oregon, for example - might do to Michigan's D.  Some bullets:

Tate Forcier is quarterback 1b.  I'm not prepared to call for the benching of Denard Robinson.  Robinson is still the prototype for Rich Rodriguez's zone read option offense.  However, Robinson also feasted on defenses early in the season who a) lacked athleticism or b) lacked complex defensive schemes.  How many times did we see him torch defenses that committed an extra safety or two to the run game, only to see Robinson and one of his receivers beat man coverage with a throw over the top?  Meanwhile, Forcier made a couple questionable throws, but provided a spark when relieving an injured Robinson late in the game.  Tate finished the day 17-for-26 for 239 yards, 2 touchdowns (1 rushing, 1 passing), and 2 interceptions.  Is there any question at this point that Forcier ought to be one of the top two quarterbacks on the team?  We haven't seen freshman Devin Gardner since the Big Ten season started, so I still can't understand why the coaches burned his redshirt against UConn . . . unless Gardner comes down with a mysterious "injury" or "illness" that allows him to get a medical exemption.

Denard Robinson runs the ball too much.  Posters over at MGoBlog have done "studies" to show that mobile quarterbacks and pocket quarterbacks have similar rates of injury.  When people have made the argument that Denard Robinson is bound to get hurt because of his small stature, some internet message boarders have scoffed.  Well, my study of Denard Robinson says this:

• On 143 pass attempts, Denard Robinson hasn't suffered an injury that caused him to miss playing time.
• On 137 rushing attempts, he has suffered injuries that have caused him to miss time in 6 games.

Robinson is too slight and/or injury prone to be carrying the ball nearly 20 times a game.  If I remember correctly, he had 17 carries at halftime.  Should Michigan really be running its MVP and starting quarterback 34 times in a single game?

Rocko Khoury is a solid backup.  Unlike last year, when right guard David Moosman replaced David Molk at center due to Molk's injuries, redshirt sophomore center Khoury played admirably after Molk aggravated an ankle injury early in the game.  Khoury had a case of the jitters early on and had some snap issues, but those seemed to get solved pretty quickly.

Vincent Smith should be relegated to backup duty.  I know I'm a broken record, but at least Rich Rodriguez finally figured out what I've been saying for awhile: Smith isn't a short yardage back.  Hopkins was the short yardage back on Saturday, and he responded with 8 carries for 38 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and a goal line touchdown (pictured above) in which he actually ran through a tackle.  Meanwhile, Smith had 10 carries for 39 yards (3.9 yards per carry) and a critical lost fumble on Iowa's 14-yard line.  For the record, Smith also had 2 catches for 22 yards and 1 touchdown, so he wasn't exactly useless.  But that's my thing with Smith: if he's lined up in the slot or catching passes out of the backfield, I'm okay with him being out there.  But he shouldn't be leading the running backs in carries.

Tate Forcier and Darryl Stonum are in love.  When Denard was in the game, Darryl Stonum got visibly frustrated with having to dig out a couple errant passes from hitting the ground.  When Forcier entered the game, it seemed like the QB was looking for #22 on every play.  Stonum ended the day with 9 catches for 97 yards, most of which came after Forcier's entrance into the game.  Forcier also hit Junior Hemingway a few times and Hemingway ended the day with 9 catches for 134 yards and 1 touchdown.

Run the ball, damnit.  It would have been nice if Michigan's offense could have kept Iowa off balance by running the ball late in the game.  I know they were running short on time, but passing on every down is extremely difficult.  Once Forcier entered the game, the playcalling seemed to want him to sling the ball all over the field.  Maybe it's just me, but I thought Forcier's second interception was the result of the lack of a running threat.  Like I said, the clock might have dictated the playcalling, so I don't have a huge problem with the call.  But it sure would be nice if a dangerous running back (hopefully Demetrius Hart in the near future) could make defenses think twice before getting to their drops.

Michigan's defense is atrocious.  I'm not going to spend too much time talking about the defense.  We all know which unit most needs to improve for Michigan to have any chance of success.  Michigan failed to come up with key defensive stops and allowed a mediocre running back to run for 142 yards.  And while Iowa's passing offense isn't prone to huge plays, quarterback Ricky Stanzi completed 71% of his passes.  My frustration reached its apex when JT Floyd aligned himself inside of Derrell Johnson-Koulianos to take away the slant and force the receiver to the sideline.  Johnson-Koulianos deked outside, Floyd jumped him, and Johnson-Koulianos waltzed untouched into the endzone after catching - what else? - a slant.  I don't know if that's poor coaching or poor execution, especially because Floyd made the same mistake a couple drives later (although it didn't go for a touchdown).

Jordan Kovacs is oh so close to being good.  On a corner blitz in the first quarter, safety Kovacs jumped a fade route near Michigan's end zone.  If Kovacs were a half step faster, the ball would have been picked and returned about 100 yards for a touchdown.  But since Kovacs is who he is, the play resulted in a PBU.  Kovacs played well for the most part, but his physical limitations will continue to make me wish brain transplants were feasible.  If Justin Turner had Kovacs' knowledge and work ethic, Turner would be an All Big Ten safety.

Kenny Demens played well.  He still did some frustrating things, but Demens showed more promise than Obi Ezeh has shown this year.  I'm still not entirely sold on Demens as the savior at MLB, but he made some strides against Iowa.

Special teams were atrocious, too.  Walk-on kicker Seth Broekhuizen has beaten out redshirt freshman Brendan Gibbons.  Gibbons must be horrible, because Broekhuizen had a field goal blocked for the second week in a row.  He also booted at least two (three?) kickoffs out of bounds to give Iowa great field position.  That's effing ridiculous.  And if you've been wondering why William Campbell hasn't earned more playing time on the defensive line, maybe that blocked field goal gives you an inkling - Iowa defensive tackle Broderick Binns got lower than Campbell and blew open a gap in the protection.  At least Will Hagerup played well and averaged 50+ yards a punt.  I wonder if he can kick off.