Michigan Wolverines @ Indiana Hoosiers Football Recap

And he does it again. Denard Robinson carried the Wolverines on his back (which is probably starting to hurt a bit from carrying them so much) yet again to victory with five total touchdowns and another spectacular performance. Robinson threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for 217 yards with 2 touchdowns. He orchestrated the game winning drive and scored on a touchdown run with about 30 seconds left. Denard’s look on the sideline before taking the field and winning the game was a look of confidence and a desire to be on the field. The sophomore out of Deerfield Beach, Florida is truly living large and turning heads. It is absolutely unbelievable and unfathomable with the numbers he is putting up. The Michigan quarterback leads the nation in rushing yards and still has tallied up as many passing yards Terrelle Pryor and only 51 fewer than Boise State gunslinger, Kellen Moore, with 1008 yards on the season. Now I’m sure some people are getting sick of hearing Denard “Shoelace” Robinson’s name dropped left and right by sports analysts. Some have been bold enough to call him the most electrifying player since Barry Sanders. But, what are we supposed to talk about the defense? I’d rather not, but ok here goes.

Michigan’s defense was absolutely torn apart through the air by senior quarterback Ben Chappell. Chappell had a career day by passing for 480 yards and 3 touchdowns. Chappell also completed 45 of his 64 passes, which is impressive even against an atrocious secondary full of holes. The Wolverines defense could not inflict a formidable pass rush on Chappell giving him tons of time to find the open receiver, which is not very hard when the secondary leaves gaps all over the field. Even when Michigan only sent a three-man rush and dropped back defenders to cover the field, there were still holes. Luckily, the run defense was a little bit better by holding Indiana to under 100 yards rushing. But, if Michigan wants to have a season of continued success in the Big Ten they need the defense to step up their play significantly, or rely on Denard Robinson to lead the offense and score a touchdown on every possession.

The rest of the story of the game on Saturday in Bloomington was Denard Robinson. The clear-cut Heisman front-runner through five games this season just looks unstoppable. Robinson is efficient, smart, and the fastest player in football (and he touches the ball every offensive play). He had an average of 17.3 yards per pass and 11.4 yards per carry, which is absolutely explosive. I know that Michigan squared off against a mediocre Indiana Hoosier defense, and now Michigan will be giving a cold welcome to the rivals from East Lansing this weekend. But, how can a team stop him? Shoelace is going to just keep runnin’, runnin’, and runnin’, runnin’ and the campus just keeps saying “Let’s Get Denarded” (Black Eyed Peas parody). Robinson is a sensation that is sweeping the nation and has carried the Maize and Blue to a 5-0 start and a #18 ranking with the biggest game of the season thus far against the #17 Michigan State Spartans quickly approaching. Denard will look to continue the electric style of football he brings to the gridiron every Saturday, while linebacker Greg Jones and the Spartan defense will have to be spectacular to slow down Shoelace. So, Here’s to you Mr. Robinson, thank you for the 5-0 start and keep up the Heisman caliber of play because the Wolverines need you to in order to win.

By: Lee Schechter
Big Ten Fans Michigan Wolverines Correspondent