GBMW: Grade Card for the Iowa Game

Posted at 8:00am -- 10/14/2009

Grade Card – Iowa Game

Hope springs eternal and so the report card indicates this week more paradoxes and contradictions than normal.

Quarterbacks- C-
Stuff like the little father to son discussion between Coach Rod and Tate happens. Now to be seen at a later time the response. Schilling is the big brother for both of the young guys, picking them up (figuratively and literally) and giving support. Some bad reads and a little bit of give-in hurt Tate throughout the game, not just going down the stretch. Yanking Tate was a statement for laying future success, now (again stated) for the response. Tate is a smart kid; he knows that competition is steep next year, so choose your words wisely young man. Denard did what he can do. Like Herbunstraight pointed out, Odom had cut across and was lost for 20 yards, but it is easy to see from the pressbox or a slow-motion tv camera and difficult to execute in an unknown situation. The smartest way to look at it is Coach Rod’s comment that both should be sitting and watching, getting ready for the future. But forget that thought, reality is what it is. I give both of these guys a small pass, and by the way that is uncommon.

Backs- B
Minor is so much fun to watch and Grady is an ok blocker for a 5’9 guy. Who can step up next year is the 64-dollar question.

Offensive Line- B
This group played much better, got to the second level, and competed against a pretty tough group. They played good enough to win.

Receivers- ? C
A paradox and any grade given would immediately be subject to further examination. There were, again, several drops and that is never good.

Defensive Line- B
This group played very well, period and Iowa did not run all over them. The front three are really quite good.

Linebackers -? C
This group is another paradox to grade, since this unit was essentially the defensive line part 2 in Saturday’s Iowa game. The blame for the TE walk-in massacre cannot be laid at this group’s feet. The linebackers stuffed the run against a vanilla, predictable attack. Obi and Mouton looked better at coverage, but remember Iowa is not a team with track speed.

Defensive backs- C
There were some great plays and the guys were left alone with no support. The most appropriate and accurate statement may be that the d-backs played with a bad hand, kind of like a three and a nine in a Texas Hold-em game. The bluffs were called on the tight end touchdowns. These guys were again made to look vulnerable to shore up areas in need. Several interceptions were dropped.

Coaching- B-
Coach Rob is very impressive and UM would have lost the last two games by a larger point margin if he were not present. He threw his pair of jacks against a pair of kings, and old poker player Coach Ferentz did not blink. The offensive coaching was a little bit goofy at times, but again really costly (and not cognitively gifted) penalties put this offense at a big disadvantage. UM needs to be a ten-yard offense and struggles in situations where any yardage, by penalty or negative plays, goes beyond ten yards. This fact again became painfully clear last night. Many times Michigan stopped Michigan and Iowa was content to let this happen, which is always Iowa’s mode of operation.

Special teams- D
The kick return coverage team continues to slide downhill and was mediocre as was the kick return team’s performance. The muffed punt was a killer. The punting game will not be a problem, unless some strange calls reappear.

Intangibles- F
Five turnovers against a team (Iowa) that prides itself on basics would normally cause a blowout. Even with these turnovers UM had a chance. But the turnovers ended up being the poison that made the soup fatal. Penalties were almost equally as costly. Turnovers and penalties are cause for some rough words at practice this week.

Final comment: This is a week for coaches to show support for players, but also to make certain in plain language that there are expectations and mistakes are getting in the way of obtaining the expectations and the desired result, namely winning. It is also a week for coaches to see who is coachable, on board, and not drifting from the objectives of the program. It is a week where the coaches will revisit the basic premise that the inmates are not running the asylum. Tough love is indeed forthcoming can you feel the love?

Thank you for reading GBMW!

Written by Doc4blu

Go Blue -- Wear Maize!