Fourth down and short in Michigan territory with time running out in the first half, Michigan punted. Despite the incessant ‘Goooo!’ calls from the crowd on any 4th-and-short situation, Rodriguez correctly chose to punt.   Question: what happened to the roll-out option punt that Michigan used very effectively last season?  We heard hints that Rodriguez might use Mesko more creatively this season but we haven’t seen it thus far through three games.  Wouldn’t that have been the perfect time for Zoltan to do the roll-out, take a peek and possibly go? 

An excellent new post on LostLetterman (HT: Dan at LL).  Former Michigan DB and national champion Marcus Ray talks about his relationship with Ron English, and the advice the EMU coach gave Ray as he pursues his goal of becoming a coach.  Check it out.  A snip: [English] told me to protect my reputation. Don’t say or do anything that would hurt you in the business. Don’t say anything negative about anybody who you have worked for or who can give you an opportunity. He told me to keep learning from as many people as I can. Keep reaching out and making new friends in the business. Stay positive. Keep coaching. Keep your blades sharp. And good things will happen. And he said never leave the defensive backfield. He said every coach is looking for the next defensive backs coach, especially with the spread offense and dynamic passing attacks. How do I remember Ray?  Obviously as a member of the 1997 squad.  I remember that Charles Woodson acknowledged him right after it was announced he won the Heisman.  But probably mostly for this: delivering the hit on David Boston that made for the greatest Sports Illustrated cover of all time:

I just finished Austin Murphy’s piece on Rich Rod and the Michigan program in Sports Illustrated (the article behind the Forcier cover-corner).   That’s Murphy on the left with the hood; dressed way to lightly for the 2008 Spring game at Saline.  Joe Schad’s in the overcoat, dress appropriately for the conditions.  They’re chatting with Steve Threet. When I spotted Murphy at the 2008 Saline Spring game my first thought was that the guy was trying way too hard to look cool.  It was freezing cold out there in the drizzle, and Murphy had on this thin striped pull-over atop designer jeans and was constantly blowing into his hands to keep warm.  Then I heard his call into John U Bacon’s show on WTKA last week.  While this might have been due to technical problems, Murphy was constantly cutting in and out and I suspect he was swinging his head around his receiver like a stoner whilst chatting with Bacs.  Painful radio. But I’ll give my hipster friend one thing, he can write.  For SI this week, Murphy sums up the history of Rodriguez’s tenure in Ann Arbor, captures sentiment of the Michigan faithful and weaves in a dash of Forcier and the Notre Dame win.  Probably like you, when I read these national stories I’m not really looking for…

Via a mgoblog dairy post from BlueSeoul, a real Seoul man. 2. The holding call on Rudolph’s big gainer was a good call.  Jimmy knew it.  That’s why he was standing back at the 10 yard line holding his peepee.

Most Michigan fans know that Fritz Crisler made his way to Ann Arbor from Princeton after he turned around the Tigers’ football program.  Here's a special pass issued by Crisler himself, allowing the holder to visit the “secret” football practice from 1937.   It’s signed by the coach himself and is quite a beauty

After living the game day experience through the eyes of the media for the Western Michigan game, I looked forward to dialing things back into fan mode. I queued up before the gates opened to the U-M Golf Course it wasn’t long before I was settled in with a drink and a newspaper as the sun rose. Game day in Ann Arbor means different things to different fans. For some it’s an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the color, sounds and excitement of college football.  Others see their meticulously planned tailgate parties as a sacred ritual. No matter how serious you treat the game day experience, it’s hard to trump what it meant to Scott Hawkins on Saturday morning. Marine Scott Hawkins, six days before heading to Afghanistan When I spotted Hawkins tailgating next to our group he looked any other young man hanging out that morning.  The difference is that Hawkins won’t be back next week or for the rest of the season: the 20 year-old Marine is being deployed to fight in Afghanistan on Friday and won’t return until at least April. And he’s leaving much more than friends and Michigan football behind–his wife Crystal is pregnant with their first child. “They baby is due a month before I’m scheduled to come home,” said Hawkins. Couldn’t they…

Worth a listen, at least starting about midway through: [display_podcast] Albom:  “What has life been like for you on the Michigan campus over the past two days?” Forcier: “It didn’t hit me until I went to one of my lectures one day and the professor was taking attendance.  There was about 200 people in my class and when they said my name about half of them turned and looked up at me.  And I was like, ‘Oh God!’.” Sidekick:  “What’s the real story [behind the Clausen and Forcier family quarterback rivalry]?” Forcier:  “Just growing up, we’ve known his family…always seeing them at the same camps.  We’ve always had a rivalry between us because we had three quarterbacks, we all went D-1…It’s nice to finally play somebody in their family and we got the win.” Mitch:  “You’re going to be sitting on top of that rivalry for a year now.  Until next September anyhow.” Forcier:  “I plan to play him again.  I plan to beat him again, too. [laughs]” Mitch: “..Try to remember that Eastern is no push over.” Forcier: “I saw what they did to Northwestern. We don’t just gotta beat the teams, we gotta destroy ‘em. For us to get respect we have to destroy everybody.”