Hlas: Michigan offers little defense so far

Michigan still isn't Michigan.

The 4-0 start was fun for the Wolverines football team. The three weeks back in the national rankings after last season's 3-9 debacle chased the hounds off Coach Rich Rodriguez's trail.

But while Saturday's 26-20 overtime loss at Michigan State had stirring stuff down the stretch for Michigan, it wasn't a stellar outing by the maize-and-blue.

The Wolverines had minus-7 rushing yards through three quarters, and finished with just 28 yards on 28 carries.

It wasn't because Michigan's defensive opposition was a step up in class. Michigan State surrendered a total of 97 points in its previous three games, losses to Central Michigan, Notre Dame and Wisconsin.

It hadn't been offense that made Michigan's 4-0 start rather house-of-cardish. Notre Dame gained 490 yards against the Wolverines. Indiana, which mustered just 228 yards in a 33-14 loss to Ohio State Saturday night, amassed 467 at Michigan on Sept. 26,

Both of those Wolverine wins had fourth-quarter comebacks spearheaded by quarterback Tate Forcier, a true freshman.

Forcier played his first college road game Saturday. It went poorly for 55 minutes. But then he put on his magic fourth-quarter cleats and led Michigan on a pair of touchdown drives in the final five minutes to turn a 20-6 deficit into a 20-20 tie.

In a driving rain, Forcier guided his team 92 yards on 12 plays. He converted a 3rd-and-13 with 35 seconds left to keep the drive going, and later tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree with: 02 left.

The kid has become a bit of a legend in Michigan, and his first season isn't half over.

But the fairy tale stuff ended in overtime at MSU when he threw his only interception of the game.

“That's something that I told myself I wasn't going to do, make a freshman mistake,” he said.

No teenager is perfect.

Who knows if Kinnick Stadium Saturday night can match the frenzy that Spartan Stadium contained for Forcier and the Wolverines?

But if the Michigan offense and its boy wonder were stifled for 55 minutes at MSU, don't you think Iowa's defense can achieve equal success?

Yes, the Hawkeyes looked surprisingly vulnerable Saturday against Arkansas State and its terrific senior quarterback, Corey Leonard. But getting that test against an offense resembling Michigan's has to be a good thing for Iowa.

But we assume nothing, not this season in college football and not the way the Hawkeyes have dodged danger in all three home games.

But the Wolverines have allowed 421 yards per game, and none of its first five foes are currently ranked.

Michigan still isn't Michigan. The 2008 schedule didn't give Iowa the chance to exploit the Wolverines' awkward transition under Rich-Rod.

The opportunity is there Saturday for the Hawks. It could be golden.