The University of Michigan football team will make its first bowl game appearance since Lloyd Carr stepped down as head coach and Rich Rodriguez took up the mantle. The Wolverines will square off against the Bulldogs of Mississippi State at 1 p.m. on the first of January in Jacksonville, Florida.
Michigan will be led by All Big-Ten sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson. Robinson is healthy to play but some unfriendly news has left the Wolverines in question of who will step in if he suffers an injury during the game.
On December 30, Rich Rodriguez learned that his backup quarterback, Tate Forcier, would be ineligible to play due to academic struggles. This left a question of who would be behind Robinson as third string Devin Gardner had suffered several injuries over the season. “Devin Gardner is the back up,” said Coach Rodriguez, “He was banged up quite a bit for the last half-year with his back but he’s feeling better. Hopefully Denard stays health but if not then Devin is ready to go.”
However, the lack of depth at QB will not dissuade Rodriguez from running Robinson. Though Robinson has been sidelined due to some of the hits he has taken while running, Rodriguez will continue to call the plays that have worked all year. “We’re gonna run our offense,” said Rodriguez, “We have to do that to have success. Our quarterback has to be able to distribute the ball and at times he has to take it as well. He’s just gotta play his game and to hamper him down would limit his effectiveness and limit our effectiveness as an offense.”
Michigan’s greatest challenge will be stopping the Bulldogs on offense. The 15th ranked Mississippi State rush offense will go up against one of the worst Michigan defenses in program history. Mississippi State’s offense, lead by running back Vick Ballard, dual threat quarterback Chris Relf, and star offensive lineman Derek Sherrod, will look to capitalize on the Wolverine’s sloppy play. Michigan safety Jordan Kovacs knows what Mississippi State is capable of and what his defense needs to do to stop them. “They’re definitely a physical offense,” said Kovacs, “Its no secret what they want to do. They want to hit you up the middle and they want to pound you and play SEC football. We look forward to the challenge and we’re just ready to play.” Kovacs is a walk-on defensive captian who lead the team in tackles for most of the year.
Mississippi State Coach Dan Mullen knows that his defense faces a challenge as well in the form of Denard Robinson. Robinson has become the 9th player in college football history to pass for 2000 yards and rush for 1000 yards in a single season. The Michigan offense, while centered around Robinson, has many facets and weapons such as running back Vincent Smith and wide receivers Daryl Stonum and Junior Hemingway. “When you watch Denard Robinson, the first thing that comes to your mind is really fast.” said Mullen, “Rich has done a good job. His style of offense, what he’s known for and the
