• Michigan State (Pregame – Photos)

    I’ll post a few here, my favorite first:   The legend Mark Messner no doubt recalling his epic battles with Tony Mandarich, here with his two sons before the game:   1964 team captain Jim Conley says ‘Hail!’   Off topic, it was an incredible day there for tailgating.  Here two wild and crazy guys lost their football in the 18th hole pond and took an unprecedented means to retrieve it: The Screaming Eagle dropped in pregame:

  • Laced

      My perspective of the Denard Robinson show yesterday at Notre Dame Stadium.  (Yes, Denard wears both a home jersey and a leather helmet in my mind’s eye).

  • I Think it was the Fourth of July

    What a day at the Big House yesterday but it’d be a much different feeling and memory had the team fell flat.  Off the Field: Artwork:  I love that they honored the national championship teams with these larger-than-life displays.  I didn’t get a chance to get over to the east concourse but plan to before the next game.  This from the west concourse, very nicely done: Commemoratives.   The renovation pin is a nice item for fans and the game program is off the hook.   Some of the history features were very well prepared expect one—the section on the Little Brown Jug.   Page 27, bottom right: Dating back to 1909, the battle for the Little Brown Jug is the oldest trophy game in NCAA Division I Football Subdivision. OK.  That’s ok to say “1909” if they meant to say when the teams started playing for the trophy.  That’s correct of course.  But it continued: Heading into that 1909 contest, Michigan was undefeated in 28 straight games as it headed to Minneapolis.. Ugh.  They were describing when the jug was bought and left behind in Minnesota and that was 1903 of course, in the midst of Yost’s point-a-minute teams.  In 1909 Michigan rolled into Minneapolis on the heels of a furious “one” game winning streak, albeit an all-timer—the great victory over Penn…

  • Denard Robinson – Media Day

    I spent a little time with Denard Sunday and most the questions and answers were pretty dry.  My impression watching him—he feels like he’s the guy and exudes confidence.  A few of the solid quotes including my favorite from the day*: How has he gotten better?  "I think I’m more calm.  I’m getting used to the offense, and that’s really helping me out." On his thoughts last year: "There was just a whole bunch going through my head and everything was coming by so fast.  Everything has slowed down." On whether he thinks more than one quarterback will be starting this season.  "Oh yeah, oh yeah.  Because all of us are playing real good football right now.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see Devin on the field and Tate on the field in one of these games.  They could start the first game, we really don’t know." On Devin’s progress.   "He calmed down.  Everything was fast to him at first when he came in.  He took it all in and he’s using it now." *On where he was with the read option last season: "Man. <laughs>.  Last year I was like, ‘All right, I’m not reading, I’m just running’ – that’s what I was thinking.  Now I can read it." Related: The Standard Fare Will Hagerup – Media Day Devin…

  • Rich Rodriguez joins Larry Lage (WTKA audio)

    Props to AP beat writer Larry Larry and Ira Weintraub for landing Rich Rodriguez for a segment this morning on WTKA 1050AM.   (Sam Webb is out on vacation). In the aftermath of Media Day, the guys discussed a few items with coach, from the fan day turnout, the quarterback position of course, they got into a little bit on Denard Robinson’s habit of not tying his shoelaces.   Rich Rod marveled how they don’t come off.  I’ll join him on that: They also went in on the comparisons to Pat White (with Denard), on the general philosophy of competition at each position, on Rodriguez’s “campaign” to scrimmage or at least practice against other schools in the preseason, on the general state of U-M recruiting and finally on the schedule for this week (they start preparation for Western tomorrow). Here’s the audio: [display_podcast] Related: Media Day: Chicken Scratch Media Day: Rodriguez on the Quarterback position Media Day: Greg Robinson on the Field Level Advantage Media/Fan Day: Photo Gallery Media Day: The Stadium Renovation (Photos) Follow MVictors on Twitter