I drove down State Street past the practice facility this evening (Sunday) at around 9pm. The lights were on so I took a gander…Rodriguez had the team out there in full pads.

Leaving the stadium I caught dejected defensive coordinator Scott Shafer outside section 22 gripping the handrails, head down drenched with sweat. He was waiting for the crowd to clear so he could get down onto the field and into the locker room. Shafer looked like someone just shot his dog; here’s a terrible photo but you get the idea: Obviously, this was huge emotional experience for all the coaches and players and you can understand if these guys were devastated. It was really ugly for most the game and if not for a few breaks and dumb Utah penalties this game could have been out of hand early in the second half. A few takes: I had a hunch we’d lose this game but not like that. A lot of people left the game midway into the fourth quarter when M was down 15 and I didn’t blame them, the game seemed way out of reach. RR’s got to find a way to run the ball. Can you imagine this team trying to hold a lead and eat clock? We’re miles from a Chris Perry 22 play drive that kills 11 minutes. Apparently the quarterback race wasn’t really close- Rodriguez said both guys might play but he didn’t want to put Threet in there or he would have in the…

Posted by MLive, condensed: Michigan post-game press conference

A wonderful array of previews, advice and predictions out there in the nerdosphere this week. I’m catching up after hitting the CMU game on Thursday. Great stuff. Random notes, links, etc: * Know Your Foe: Utah – ‘Spawn of M Zone’ revives this great feature. * “Michigan ditched Carr without adding Miles” – From the Oregonian. Do they give Pulitzers for headline writers? If so, please blacklist whomever is responsible for that. * RAGS TO RICH-ES. Again with the headlines, but this is the NY Post. On Rich Rod, “He’s too good at what he does,” said a Big East coach. “His teams come at you on offense, defense and special teams.” * Open try-out 9/3. Saw this on MSC. Does Rich Rod need bloggers? * There’s been a lot of talk about the MVictors walk, I think it’s very cool. I spoke with a former player and Rose Bowl champion from the Bump Elliott era, he said his players spent the night at the Michigan golf clubhouse (they had bunks set up) and walked across the street to the stadium. * The Ann Arbor News predicts a mild upset, Utah 28 Michigan 24 and Jim Carty provides a primer on the spread offense. * If you want an excellent summary of this game and where we stand, check out…

I couldn’t wait for Saturday so last night I made it up the Mount Pleasant to take in the Central Michigan vs. Eastern Illinois game. It’s great to have football back again. Tailgating at Central was excellent (more on this shortly). We were able to park for $8 a few steps from the stadium in a perfect spot. Beer, brat, kraut, tator salad and pasta did the trick. A few things I learned: #1 – Dan LeFevour and the Chippewas can play. They took down Eastern Illinois 31-12 and looked pretty solid. Led by Rich Rodriguez’s former offensive coordinator Butch Jones, they keep the tempo hot and they really could move the ball. They play solid special teams and I’ll be interested to see how they fare at #1 Georgia next week. I think they would have given Michigan a handful had they been scheduled in the opener. #2 – It ain’t Ann Arbor. Along with the tailgate spots just outside the stadium, we were able to buy tickets this week on the 45 yard line in Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Keep in mind, this is the two time defending MAC champ, and they were recognizing the coaching legend Herb Deromedi for his recent entry into the college football hall of fame. Believe it, from our seats: #3 – Chips travel in…