Michigan’s Rodriguez gets emotional after 5th loss
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP)—Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez was handed a victory cigar after each of his four wins in September.
Since then, his season has gone up in smoke.
Michigan has lost five of six and dropped to 5-5 with two ugly third-quarter meltdowns leading to losses against Illinois and Purdue.
The Boilermakers rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to beat the Wolverines 38-36 Saturday to keep its bowl hopes alive while hurting Michigan’s chances.
After trying to explain why Michigan lost its fifth straight Big Ten game at his postgame news conference, Rodriguez walked briskly past his wife, signed some autographs for some young fans and heard athletic director Bill Martin try to cheer him up.
“You’re doing all you can,” Martin told Rodriguez.
Rodriguez bowed his head and looked like he was fighting back tears as he posed for another picture.
Then he and Martin disappeared into the Crisler Arena boiler room for more privacy.
At Michigan, though, nothing happens privately.
College football’s winningest program got off to a strong start after losing a school-record nine games record in Rodriguez’s debut season with the Wolverines.
Michigan is now making news on and off the field it doesn’t want.
The Wolverines haven’t won a Big Ten game since Sept. 26 when Tate Forcier threw a late touchdown pass to beat Indiana two weeks after doing the same to rival Notre Dame in the closing seconds.
The Wolverines’ last victory at all was Oct. 17 against Delaware State, a lackluster team from the second tier of college football.
Fans who complained about Lloyd Carr having a lot of good seasons and only some great ones, such as 1997 when Michigan won the national championship, are longing for the days when at least eight victories and a New Year’s Day game was almost a given.
Rodriguez, who has said he wants people to have patience, was asked what he would say to angry fans.
“I feel their frustration. We have it as well,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a process we’re going through.
“But we’re not going to give up. We’ve got a couple big games.”
Big is an understatement.
If Michigan can’t upset Wisconsin this week on the road or Ohio State at home, the Wolverines will miss a bowl for the second straight year after going 33 years in a row.
Either way, they’ll spend December bracing for possible bad news from the NCAA.
The school and NCAA are investigating to find out if the Wolverines violated rules regarding practice hours and offseason workouts.
Purdue, meanwhile, is enjoying a feel-good turnaround.
The Boilermakers won only one of their first six games, then bounced back with three wins—against Ohio State, Illinois and Michigan—in a four-game stretch.
“We’re rebuilding, not reloading,” Purdue coach Danny Hope said. “But I can honestly tell you, this team in 2009 never quits. They could have folded their tents when we were 1-5, but they didn’t—even when other people were folding up around us.”
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Thank You Thank You Thank You!!
This is nothing more than an indication of the fast food society we have become. Bo was not a michigan man...he became one. Give RR his chance. I for one am excited about the future. For 27 years I watched Michigan be a good team the majority of the tiime and a great team a handfull of times. It is humbling to go through these past 2 seasons, but it pales in comparison to the joy that all of the "REAL MICHIGAN FANS" will rejoyce in once the big blue is back on top!!...Sooner that most of you realize!!!
GO BLUE!!!
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You were probably one of those who were ready to throw coach Tressel under the bus after losing to Purdue. No need to deny it , no one will believe you based on your ranting comments.
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At WV he never had to play at a level played by every team in the Big Ten. WV was never more than a second rate football program and only became successful in the Big East when all the good teams left to join the ACC. WV never did or had to play defense. Championship programs play defense.
All the WV state residents complained when RR left , its too bad they weren't able to keep him , it was only a matter of money. This is the core of the problem with RR , his motivation to come to UM was prestige and most importantly money. If he could have won his last game against Pittsburg his team probably would have gone on to the National Championship game and he would never have left WV for UM because as you know there is considerable prestige and money associated with going to and winning the National Championship game.
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By the way...Ryan Mallet went 23 of 27 for 329 yards this past Saturday against S. Carolina. He looked awesome!
I think you guys need a Michigan man for the job (or at least an Ohio State ex-coach like Bo). Well maybe if your defense could stop somebody, Michigan wouldn't be so bad. The offense is doing it's job most of the time. So Maybe RR just needs a new defensive coordinator.
It was fun and an honor to beat Lloyd Carr but it isn't nearly as meaningful to beat RR. Rich is setting records at Michigan that he should not be setting. Do you give him one more year? Maybe - but if it is more of the same, then he needs to go. Michigan deserves better and the tradition needs to be restored.
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It's also obvious that we can't recruit any top talent and you can't blame the top talent for not wanting to come to Michigan. Then, what they try to do to make themselves look better, they wait untill now to try and get some 5 star player(s). Take in mind, that the player has basically made up his mind all ready, then RR decides to make a play for him...how pathetic.
The first clue that the spread wasn't going to work, was when quality players started leaving the program. We have them going to Ohio State, Arkansas and other teams. Then you have committments withdrawling their leeters of committments to Michigan. Who's fault is that then ??? It's the schools program and coaching staff. But RR pride and stubborness is ruining the heritage of the University. But he will never see or understand, because he never was affilliated with being an allumni. You have to hold a special quality in being a Michigan coach and realize that their's a history and tradition to being a coach here. RR has no clue what so ever about the tradition and high standards held and expected of a Michigan coach. Don't act like you are upset when you push your losing system on our players and it doesn't work, then you continue to do the same stupid, worthless coaching and play calling. Our Wolverines are out of shape and can't play an entire game, they are gased by the end of the first half..what cheap conditioning are they doing during the week ? This is the second year and there should be improvement..there isn't any. The team is going down hill at a rapid pace. There is no excuse for starting 4-0 and then going to sh*t after that, no excuse what so ever. If next year yields no improvement , then Michigan should cut their ties with RR, take the loss like they have for the past two years and move on. Get a coach that holds the pride of the maize and blue, not an over-paid,under achieveing ,want to be a super coach. That kind of coach is not welcome at Michigan. The system will continue to fail with a coach that can't see any other direction then that of his own pride. Maybe in the future, 5 years or so, Michigan can be a power house like it once was instead of an easy win for all these opponents of theirs. I see no improving with those we have in charge of the team.
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If guys don't get it, they don't get it. There is always something coaching can do, but Greg Robinson is a proven defensive mind that has no previous ties to RR. They try week in and week out to make these guys understand, and they don't. You can't fix stupid.
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