Michigan coach feisty after loss to Iowa

Michigan Coach Rich Rodriguez was testy with reporters in the minutes following Iowa's 30-28 win over the Wolverines.

ABC reported during the game that Rodriguez and freshman starting quarterback Tate Forcier had words during the game, which led to Forcier's benching. Rodriguez said he inserted freshman quarterback Denard Robinson to create a spark in the team's attack. He took exception to the initial question and subsequent follows-up about the incident.

"Words? There was no words on the sidelines," Rodriguez said. "Are you trying to start off something to create something that's not there? These players didn't have any words.

"I don't know where that comes from. Tate was right behind us on the last drive, rooting on trying to help out Denard and all that. Tate made some plays, he made a few plays that he'd probably like to have back. We made a change to get a little spark and Denard gave us a little spark. At the end, he just didn't finish."

Rodriguez was asked again about switching quarterbacks.

"The question comes, we made a change for a spark," he said. "We've done it for six games now. Denard Robinson will play. We're looking for moments in the games to put him in, it didn't quite happen. But at the end we thought, 'Geez, we have pretty good field position, put Denard in there, had a little plan with him and he gave us a spark.' End of story. Let's not create something that's there, guys. We've got two outstanding quarterbacks, three quarterbacks, and that's not the story of the game. OK?"

"I understand all of the quarterback questions, but let's not make more of it that what it is. We rotate guys in and out of practice all the time. We've done it all season. Those two freshmen will contine to learn. Sometimes they'll play like freshman, sometimes they don't. They'll learn and grow from it."

A few questions later, Rodriguez was asked why didn't stick with Forcier after late-game heroics against Notre Dame and Indiana. By then, Rodriguez had enough.

"All right, next," he said. The reporter replied that the question was legitimate and different from others asked previously. Rodriguez responded.

"OK, I put Denard in to get a spark, and we got a spark," he said. "And the spark was still lit. And we made a couple plays and we moved the ball, got a first down or so. He just threw a pick at the end. As the head coach we can do that. We can decide what we're going to do. In understand the question. I'm not ragging you. I thought Denard was performing pretty well. That last one we'd like to have back."

"The reason we got beat was from a multitude of things. As coaches we've got to get our things straighted out. They'll be nobody in this program pointing their fingers at anything. I can assure you of that. No one player."