All Denard and no D? Not this time.
Michigan won Saturday in a way many didn't think was possible. The Wolverines overcame a miserable performance by star quarterback Denard Robinson and relied on their depleted defense for a 27-16 victory over Purdue on a rainy day at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
"Boy, it was an ugly win, but we'll take it," Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez told the Big Ten Network.
It was ugly, really ugly, both ways. If you judged the game on ball security, neither team deserved to win. Both committed five turnovers.
Four of those were by Robinson, who had two fumbles and two interceptions. It got so bad, Rodriguez started rotating his one-time Heisman Trophy favorite with backup Tate Forcier midway through the third quarter. They alternated on six straight possessions.
Even on his worst day, though, Robinson came back to convert two key third-down plays in the final minutes to set up the clinching touchdown. First, with a 25-yard pass to tight end Kevin Koger on third-and-7, and then with an 11-yard run on third-and-9.
Freshman Stephen Hopkins' 3-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal put the game away with 1:58 remaining.
Michigan (7-3, 3-3 Big Ten) has won consecutive conference games for the first time in Rodriguez's three years.
The Wolverines are home next Saturday against Wisconsin, which beat Indiana, 83-20, on Saturday, before closing the regular season at Ohio State.
Strangely enough, and contrary to popular opinion, Michigan's young defense started to gain a little confidence in last week's triple-overtime victory over Illinois. That despite allowing more points (65) than in any other game in program history.
The defense, which was constantly being put in difficult spots because of turnovers and poor special teams, finally competed on third downs in that Illinois game, its biggest weakness for most of the season. The Wolverines also made the clinching stop on a two-point conversion.
They were small steps for a defense that has been atrocious for three straight years, but they carried over to Saturday against Purdue (4-6, 2-4).
Stopping the Boilermakers certainly isn't some huge accomplishment. Purdue's offense ranks last in the Big Ten and is as depleted because of injuries as Michigan's defense.
So, somebody had to look good -- either the worst defense in the league or the worst offense.
Fortunately for the Wolverines, it was their defense, which didn't allow a touchdown.
(No misprint. Michigan's defense did NOT allow a touchdown).
The Boilermakers' scoring came on a 94-yard interception return and three field goals. Michigan's defense, which was giving up 453.7 yards per game, allowed 256.
Purdue was 2-for-17 on third-down conversions, a week after Illinois went 6-for-16.
Quite a turnaround from two weeks ago, when Penn State converted 10-of-16 third downs, plus 2-of-2 fourth downs, in a victory over Michigan.
What's more, this defense that has been so inept in creating turnovers actually scored a touchdown on safety Cameron Gordon's 58-yard fumble return in the first quarter.
Perhaps what's most astonishing is that the Wolverines played almost the entire game without their top defensive player, nose tackle Mike Martin, and without their leading tackler, linebacker Jonas Mouton, because of injuries.
"I was really proud of our defense," Rodriguez said. "Our young guys hung in there.
"This is a good win. Any time you can win in the Big Ten on the road, it's a good win."
If you watched it, you might not have thought it was such a good win. It was pretty nasty.
But when your defense is without its best and most experienced players, and your supposedly unstoppable quarterback keeps stopping himself, yeah, you'll take it and you'll cherish it.
Nov. 13, 2010
