TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Unimpressive Wolverines Get Rodriguez 1st Victory

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

Published: September 7, 2008

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Rich Rodriguez walked off the field as a winner for the first time at Michigan.

Not that he was in a particularly victorious mood.

Brandon Minor's 15-yard touchdown run with 8:12 to go finally put away Miami of Ohio, helping the Wolverines to a lackluster 16-6 win Saturday.

"I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty," Rodriguez said.

Michigan lost to Utah in Rodriguez's greatly anticipated debut, then struggled to improve to 24-0 against Mid-American Conference teams.

The former West Virginia coach knew it would be a rebuilding season, but that doesn't make him feel any better after his first two games.

"Very frustrated. Exasperated," Rodriguez said. "But we're not going to quit grinding away."

Michigan (1-1) was favored to beat Miami (0-2) by more than two touchdowns and seemed en route to meeting expectations with 10 points on its first two drives.

The RedHawks, though, trailed by just four points entering the final quarter and had a shot at ending the MAC's skid against college football's winningest program.

"After we spotted them that 10-point lead, we went toe to toe with them for the other 56 minutes," Miami coach Shane Montgomery said. "I'm proud, but we can't be satisfied. There are no moral defeats.

"We feel like we had a chance to win that game. You have to give Michigan credit. They made a few plays when they needed to."

The Wolverines had opportunities to make plays that might've broke the game open, but Steven Threet misfired on throws to wide-open receivers to keep the game close and the Michigan quarterback situation in flux.

"It's frustrating, not hitting those passes," Threet acknowledged. "There were some plays I'd like to have back."

Threet finished six of 13 for 63 yards and ran for 26 yards, including a 9-yard TD to cap his first drive.

Nick Sheridan entered the game in the first and second halves, completing four of five passes for 40 yards and leading the Wolverines' second TD drive.

Rodriguez was hoping Threet or Sheridan would've played well enough to emerge as the undisputed No. 1 quarterback entering the next game at Notre Dame.

"It's like a Clint Eastwood movie, 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,'" Rodriguez said. "I was hoping one of them would play so well we wouldn't have to rotate.

"But it's not just them."

Bobcats Put Scare Into No. 3 Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Beanie Wells didn't play. The Ohio Bobcats sure did.

Lightly regarded even in the Mid-American Conference, Ohio put a scare into No. 3 Ohio State before the Buckeyes righted things in the fourth quarter and went on to win 26-14.

With star tailback Chris Wells sidelined by a foot injury, the Buckeyes (2-0) struggled to move the ball until Brandon Saine's short plunge on the third play of the final quarter finally put them on top and Ray Small added some breathing room with a late 70-yard punt return.

Ohio led 7-6 at the half, 14-6 midway through the third quarter and 14-12 heading into the fourth.

WISCONSIN 51,

MARSHALL 14

MADISON, Wis. - No. 11 Wisconsin had to rally from an early two-touchdown deficit to Marshall, reeling off 51 straight points to turn a potential upset into a walkover.

A loss would have snapped the second-longest home winning streak in major college football and cost the Badgers (2-0) momentum heading into a tough test at Fresno State.

But after watching Marshall (1-1) shut down its highly regarded running game, Wisconsin got big plays out of new starting quarterback Allan Evridge and the defense to pull out its 16th straight win at Camp Randall Stadium.

PENN STATE 45,

OREGON STATE 14

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - No. 19 Penn State shoved aside the distractions and Oregon State.

Evan Royster rushed for 141 yards and three touchdowns, Daryll Clark threw two TD passes and the Nittany Lions defense didn't miss a beat without two suspended starters in a win against the Beavers.

What was supposed to be Penn State's toughest nonconference game of the year turned into a laugher early.

Oregon State fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2004.

ILLINOIS 47,

EASTERN ILLINOIS 21

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Quarterback Juice Williams ran for 174 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 24 Illinois to its first win of the season.

Williams broke the Illinois quarterback record of 145 yards he set in 2006, and threw for 124 yards and a touchdown. But the junior also threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball a yard short of a third-quarter touchdown.

Illinois (1-1) scored four touchdowns in a decisive 13-minute span that started late in the first half, going from a 13-7 lead to 40-7 after mistakes and bad luck let Eastern Illinois (0-2) hang around for most of the first half.

PURDUE 42,

NORTHERN COLORADO 10

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Curtis Painter passed for 286 yards and two touchdowns, and Purdue defeated Northern Colorado.

Desmond Tardy caught three passes for 112 yards and Kory Sheets ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns for Purdue (1-0).

MICHIGAN STATE 42,

EASTERN MICHIGAN 10

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Javon Ringer rushed for 135 yards and a career-high five touchdowns to lead Michigan State to victory against Eastern Michigan.

Ringer was a workhorse for Michigan State (1-1), especially early. He carried 25 times for 105 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, sparking the Spartans to a 21-7 halftime lead.

INDIANA 45, MURRAY ST. 3

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana's Marcus Thigpen scored touchdowns on his first two carries, produced five plays longer than 20 yards in the first half and led the Hoosiers to a rout of Murray State.

Thigpen took the cue perfectly from quarterback Kellen Lewis, who rushed for 185 yards a week earlier. This time Thigpen, a fifth-year senior, ran seven times for 100 yards including scoring runs of 67 and 31 yards in the first quarter.

MINNESOTA 42,

BOWLING GREEN 17

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Adam Weber threw three touchdown passes and made a nifty grab of his own in the fourth quarter to help Minnesota beat Bowling Green.

Lined up in the shotgun on third down, Weber leaped high to grab an errant snap, spun around and flung a 14-yard pass to Ben Kuznia, keeping a drive alive.

Five plays later, Weber threw a 28-yard TD pass to the diving Eric Deckerthat put Minnesota ahead 28-17 with 10:41 left in the game.

The Gophers then turned a pair of Bowling Green turnovers into two touchdowns, sealing the victory.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT