Tag: Iowa

Jake Rudock, Wolverine

Jake Rudock

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Dan Murphy and Bruce Feldman are both reporting that Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock has been granted a waiver from the Big Ten to transfer to Michigan. As a fifth-year transfer, he was also considering Boise State. Graduate transfers must enroll at a school in which their intended course of study is not available at the original institution.

Rudock is a 6’3″, 208 lb. quarterback who has started the majority of games for the Hawkeyes over the past two seasons. He sat behind James Vandenberg through 2012, but Rudock completed 204/336 (59.0%) of his passes in 2013 for 2,383 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also ran 67 times for 218 yards and 5 touchdowns. As a redshirt junior in 2014, he completed 213/345 passes (61.7%) for 2,436 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. He ran 67 times for 176 yards and 3 scores.

Hit the jump for more on Rudock.

Rudock attended Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas. In the 2011 class, he was a Rivals 3-star and the #29 pro-style quarterback. He chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, among others. St. Thomas Aquinas is a Florida powerhouse that has produced numerous big-time recruits over the years, including Joey Bosa (Ohio State), Lamarcus Joyner (Florida State), and Corey Holmes (Notre Dame). Coincidentally, Michigan is also accepting a transfer from John O’Korn, a University of Houston quarterback who was two years behind Rudock at St. Thomas Aquinas. Michigan hasn’t had a player from Aquinas in more than a decade, and now two are transferring in from other schools in the same year at the same position (O’Korn is a redshirt sophomore and will not be eligible to play in 2015). Perhaps even stranger is that cornerback transfer Wayne Lyons also comes from Fort Lauderdale, FL, although he went to Dillard. Here are Rudock’s senior highlights:

When I watch Rudock in both high school and college, I see a kid who has adequate football athleticism. He is not particularly tall. He has solid speed for a pro-style quarterback, but he won’t be the type to break open the game with his legs. More likely, he’s a guy who can pick up some short first downs or run bootlegs and threaten the edge. He’ll be able to outrun the occasional defensive end or linebacker, but he’s no match for most defensive backs. His arm strength is nothing spectacular, and he has to have his feet under him to make the deep throws. He won’t be able to throw posts or outs off of his back foot.

What I think Rudock can bring to the team is a steady hand at the quarterback position. He was a pre-med student at Iowa and wants to be a pediatric surgeon. Obviously, he has already earned his degree, and he has been a near full-time starter for a Big Ten team for two seasons. He did lose some time to C.J. Beathard this past season, but a 16-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 61.7% completions is pretty solid. Michigan fans would have gladly taken that kind of production over the past year, if not two. For a coach in Jim Harbaugh who wants to run the ball, use play action, and manage the game well, this is a pretty good fit. Harbaugh has had success with those types of players before, and Rudock should have a pretty seamless transition from one pro-style offense to another.

My early guess is that Rudock will be Michigan’s starter in 2015. (He finished fourth in a TTB poll last month about who would start.) Harbaugh has not been impressed by what Michigan already has in the program. Junior Shane Morris, the only returnee with experience, is 43/87 for his career with 389 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Otherwise, Michigan has redshirt freshman Wilton Speight, true freshman early enrollee Alex Malzone, and true freshman Zach Gentry coming over the summer. This also may not be the worst thing for Morris’s psyche, since the potential usurper is a fifth year senior with two years of Big Ten starting experience, and not a freshman who has never seen the field.

Rudock will give Michigan five eligible quarterbacks on the 2015 roster (with Morris, Speight, Malzone, and Gentry), and since he has just this one year remaining, he will not affect the 2016 recruiting efforts. Michigan has typically avoided transfers, but along with O’Korn, the Wolverines also recently announced that Stanford cornerback Wayne Lyons will be at Michigan this coming season (LINK).

TTB Rating: 75 (ratings explanation)

USA Today College Football Countdown: #19 Iowa

Paul Myerberg breaks down the Iowa Hawkeyes (LINK), a team deemed 19th overall by him. I have a hard time believing they’ll be ranked that high by season’s end, but we shall see.

Michigan vs. Iowa Awards

Brennen Beyer

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Dennis Norfleet. The kid is small but feisty and has big-play potential. Offensive coordinator Al Borges used him early in the year as a tip-off to the fact that Norfleet was about to get the ball. Once everyone figured that out, Borges just stopped using Norfleet altogether. So he’s exciting enough to put him on the field to get him the ball . . . but he’s not exciting enough to use as a decoy or even a situational player. But hey, Jeremy Jackson has averaged 11.4 yards/catch in four years and never scored a touchdown or had a play longer than 22 yards, so let’s keep him out there.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Jeremy Jackson. He has no purpose. Bizarro Fred Jackson says “He’s like LaTerryal Savoy but slower.”

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Jake Ryan. This is more just a way to say that I’m glad he’s back. I still don’t think he’s 100%, but the guy is a playmaker and a heavy hitter. He had 5 tackles, 1 pass breakup, and a hit on quarterback Jake Rudock that turned into a 7-yard interception touchdown for defensive end Brennen Beyer.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Courtney Avery. It’s rare that players regress throughout their careers, but Avery would be one of those examples. He was overmatched as a freshman, played really well as a sophomore, took a step back as a junior, and now seems like a weak link in the secondary. The coaches moved him from nickel corner to safety in order to push guys like sophomore Jarrod Wilson, and while Wilson has been far from perfect, I think he’s a clear step up from Avery. I liked the kid better when he was a slot corner and not one of the last lines of defense.

Play of the game . . . Brennen Beyer’s interception return for a touchdown. On Iowa’s first offensive play, Jake Ryan came on a blitz and hit Rudock as he was releasing the ball, resulting in a pick six for Beyer. It was the most exciting play of the day for the Wolverines, who couldn’t create much of anything on offense. Honorable mention goes to Devin Gardner’s scrambling 2-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Williams, where Gardner looked like he was going to take a gain of zero yards before stepping back and casually tossing the ball to Williams, who had been let go by defenders coming up to stop the run. It was Williams’s first career catch and first career touchdown, and I wouldn’t argue with somebody who said that was the play of the day.

MVP of the game . . . Raymon Taylor. Taylor had 8 solo tackles (9 total), 1 diving interception, and what was technically a fumble recovery on Iowa’s first half-ending botched field goal snap. Taylor should have picked up the ball and run for what could have been a touchdown, but he still had nice coverage the entire game, tackled quickly, and was just a hair late to notch a couple pass breakups.

Iowa 24, Michigan 21

Brennen Beyer returns an interception 7 yards for a touchdown (image via Times Union)

This happened because of three guys. In my opinion, this game came down to the absence – literally and figuratively – of three players. First of all, Michigan middle linebacker Desmond Morgan (0 tackles) left the game in the first quarter due to what was rumored to be a concussion, which would be at least his second in college. Then weakside linebacker James Ross (6 tackles) left the game in the second half, although it’s unclear what that injury was. And Devin Funchess (1 catch, 2 yards; 1 carry, 10 yards) might as well have been out due to injury, because he was completely useless. He dropped four passes by my count, and he can’t block. So the Wolverines were without their two leading tacklers, which suggests it wasn’t a coincidence that the Hawkeyes were able to turn on their running game in the second half. Michigan’s defensive line is solid but unspectacular, and what helped them rank #13 against the run going into this game was their technically sound linebackers. When you’re left with sophomore Joe Bolden (4 tackles) and freshman Ben Gedeon (3 tackles) as your two inside linebackers, that’s a recipe for struggles. Iowa running backs Damon Bullock (1 for 8), Jordan Canzeri (9 for 40), and Mark Weisman (10 for 45) had a total of 20 carries for 93 yards after halftime, helping Iowa to hold the ball for 18:23 of the second half.

Games are won in the trenches. I know this is an old adage, but it’s true. And it’s frustrating to watch Michigan get beaten so badly up front in every single game. I’ve said it over and over again, but Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield aren’t dominating like they should, and the interior linemen can’t get any kind of push ever. They say that even the best linemen in the NFL win just over half their battles, and that’s what separates them from the other guys; well, Michigan’s guards and center aren’t close to winning half their battles in the run game. It’s an abomination. Michigan’s running backs combined for 17 carries and 35 yards in this one, with a long run of 9 yards. The offensive line allowed 11 tackles for loss. That sounds really bad, but that’s been the norm – the Wolverines are averaging 10.5 tackles for loss allowed this year. For comparison’s sake, Michigan has a pretty good defense and averages 5.7 TFL’s a game.

Devin Gardner might retire. Gardner had one of his least effective performances this year, going 13/28 for 98 yards, 2 touchdowns, and giving away the game-clinching fumble; he also ran 10 times for 12 yards, despite only getting sacked once. He’s lost a step, he’s running tentatively, and he just looks downright scared of taking more of a beating at times. After the game, he was reportedly favoring his right arm. Obviously, Michigan needs him if they have any hope of beating Ohio State next week, but with his diminishing health and the sorry state of the offensive line, I would not be surprised at all if Gardner doesn’t finish next week’s contest.

Graham Glasgow snapping mistake? Check. I swear I don’t think I’ve ever seen a college center with as many snapping issues as Glasgow. With the exception of the Northwestern game last week, Glasgow has had a snapping error every week. This week’s blunder was a snap infraction on a 1st-and-Goal from the 4-yard line in the fourth quarter that pushed the Wolverines back to the 9. After an incomplete pass and a nothing run, Gardner bailed him out with a touchdown pass to Gallon.

Good grief, Jeremy Jackson is terrible. Usually I try to stay objective, so this is an angry rant I’m allowing myself near the completion of a frustrating season. Senior Jeremy Jackson’s one late wide-open catch for a first down does not erase the fact that he should not be on the field. Like, at all. Ever. The final straw for this rant came yesterday when I saw him standing around not blocking anyone while Devin Gardner was getting tackled. He can’t run, he can’t jump, and he can’t block. The guy is a preferred walk-on at best, or maybe a Division II athlete. I never understood* why he was offered by Rich Rodriguez in the 2010 class, and his performance over the last four years has only solidified those feelings. Da’Mario Jones, Dennis Norfleet, and Joe Reynolds are all better athletes, and you could probably get a better blocking effort out of walk-ons Bo Dever or Blaise Stearns, just to name a couple. I actually have some respect and empathy for Rodriguez, but one look at that 2010 class makes me want to vomit. The guy took 27 players in that class, and after you list the top three (Jake Ryan, Devin Gardner, Jibreel Black), you start to get in the murky territory of trying to rank Jackson, your holder/fifth receiver (Drew Dileo), your journeyman defensive back (Courtney Avery), your journeyman tight end/defensive end/linebacker (Jordan Paskorz), or your weed-loving suspended punter (Will Hagerup). Where was I going with this? Oh yeah. Erm . . . uh . . . yeah, Jeremy Jackson. He’s bad.

Let’s end on a high note. (Not that kind of high note, Hagerup.) So how about Blake Countess, Raymon Taylor, and Brennen Beyer picking off those terrible throws from Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock? Let’s be honest – those picks were more about Rudock being bad than Michigan having great coverage, but these Michigan cornerbacks are better playmakers than we’ve had in a while. For a little while – the J.T. Floyd years, basically – Michigan struggled to make any plays at cornerback, and the notable plays from defensive backs had to come from the safeties. Taylor’s still afraid to tackle running backs, but overall, I like where Michigan’s headed in the defensive backfield. And kudos to Beyer, who has made some steps forward this year and tallied his first interception and first touchdown.

Just kidding. What does this mean for the Ohio State game? Probably doom.

*Of course, I know Jeremy Jackson was mainly offered because his dad is the running backs coach. Also, aliens.

Preview: Michigan at Iowa

Rush Offense vs. Iowa Rush Defense
Michigan is #96 in the country with 135.7 yards/game as a team, and last week’s “improvement” included 139 yards rushing, although that was a step up from the -48 and -21 yards put on the board in the previous two weeks. Despite the improvement last week, the rumor is that Kyle Kalis will be re-inserted at right guard, Erik Magnuson will move to left guard, and true freshman Kyle Bosch will be watching from the sideline. Starter Fitzgerald Toussaint should return from a concussion he suffered against Nebraska, but backups Derrick Green (19 carries, 79 yards) and De’Veon Smith (8 carries, 41 yards) both performed fairly well in their most extensive duties yet this year. Meanwhile, Iowa is #25 in giving up 130 yards/game on the ground and #29 with just 3.72 yards allowed/carry. Senior middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens (6’1″, 233 lbs.) leads the team with 87 tackles, but fellow senior linebackers Christian Kirksey (6’2″, 235 lbs.) and James Morris (6’2″, 240 lbs.) are both right behind with 80 tackles each. Hitchens also leads the team with 10 tackles for loss, with Morris just behind at 9. The Hawkeyes have good size on the defensive line with the ends averaging 270 and junior nose tackle Carl Davis sitting at 6’5″, 315 lbs. Junior 3-tech defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat (6’3″, 290 lbs.) is the penetrator on the defensive line with 7 tackles for loss. Michigan took a step forward last week against Northwestern, but Iowa is always sound when it comes to assignments, so this should again be a difficult day for the Wolverines on the ground.
Advantage: Iowa

Pass Offense vs. Iowa Pass Defense
Michigan is #39 in passer rating nationally at 142.36. Devin Gardner has cut down on the interceptions and fumbles lately but also has taken 19 sacks in the last three games, seemingly unable to cut down on turnovers and still get rid of the ball. Speaking of sacks, Michigan has allowed 31 this year, good enough to be tied for 114th in the nation. Wide receiver Jeremy Gallon is #11 in the country with 106.2 yards/game through the air, and TE/WR Devin Funchess is #78 with 68.4. The Hawkeyes are tied for 80th with 17 sacks on the year and hold opponents to a 120.34 passer rating, good enough for 40th in the country. Their leading sacker is linebacker James Morris with 4, and nobody else has more than 2.5 (sophomore DE Drew Ott at 6’5″, 265 lbs.). Iowa has made 10 interceptions on the year (#57 nationally), and three players are tied for the team lead with 3 picks each – Morris, senior cornerback B.J. Lowery (5’11”, 193 lbs.), and senior safety Tanner Miller (6’2″, 207 lbs.). Lowery has taken 2 of his interceptions back for touchdowns. The Wolverines have more talent at receiver than the Hawkeyes do in the backfield, but if Gardner can’t handle Iowa’s Cover 2 looks, it will be a long day.
Advantage: Michigan

Rush Defense vs. Iowa Rush Offense
Michigan is #13 in the country, giving up just 111.2 yards/game on the ground; they’re also #10 at just 3.16 yards allowed/carry. This is a very good run defense. Weakside linebacker James Ross moved into the team lead in tackles (75) with a 13-tackle effort against Northwestern, and he’s closely followed by middle linebacker Desmond Morgan (69). The Wolverines have made 56 tackles for loss as a team (#79 nationally), led by weakside end Frank Clark (10), defensive tackle Jibreel Black (7), and strongside linebacker Cam Gordon (6.5). Nose tackle Quinton Washington will probably get a little bit more playing time against Iowa’s offense than he has against the spread offenses of the past couple weeks. The Hawkeyes are #40 in yards/game on the ground with 193.2 and they average 4.5 yards/carry, which is 57th. They’re paced by junior Mark Weisman (6’0″, 236 lbs.), who has 167 carries, 777 yards, 4 touchdowns. Junior Damon Bullock (6’0″, 200 lbs.) and sophomore Jordan Canzeri have combined for 793 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 5.1 yards/carry. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jake Rudock (6’2″, 205 lbs.) averages 3.8 yards/carry and has 5 rushing touchdowns on the year, so it’s a multi-pronged attack. The offensive line is made up of redhirt junior Brandon Scherff (6’5″, 315 lbs.), redshirt senior Conor Boffeli (6’5″, 295 lbs.), redshirt sophomore Austin Blythe (6’3″, 300 lbs.), redshirt sophomore Jordan Walsh (6’4″, 290 lbs.), and fifth year senior Brett Van Sloten (6’7″, 300 lbs.), from left to right. Iowa always has a solid offensive line, so it will depend upon Michigan’s linebackers to make good reads and flow to the ball, which they do pretty well.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Defense vs. Iowa Pass Offense
Michigan is 75th in the country at pass yardage allowed with 236.4 yards/game but #28 in passer rating defense at 117.0. Teams generally have a hard time running the ball but have taken advantage of Michigan’s young linebackers and a couple inexperienced cornerbacks. Michigan is 20th nationally with 13 interceptions, led by Blake Countess with 4. The Wolverines are smack dab in the middle of the pack with 20 sacks, paced by Clark (5) and Cam Gordon (4). Iowa is #90 in the country with 204 yards/game through the air and #82 with a passer rating of 124.02. Rudock has completed 59.9% of his passes for 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. His backup, C.J. Beathard, is just 5/18 on the year for 124 yards and 1 interception. There’s not one go-to guy like in years past at Iowa; the seven guys with double-digit receptions average between 15.1 and 30.4 yards/game. Redshirt junior wideout Kevonte Martin-Manley (6’2″, 205 lbs.) is the nominal #1 guy with 35 receptions for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns, good for just 8.7 yards/catch. However, he’s dangerous returning punts with an 18.8-yard average and 2 touchdowns on the year. Junior partner Damond Powell (5’11”, 180 lbs.) is the big-play receiver with 12 catches for 291 yards (24.3 yards/catch) and 2 scores. Senior tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz (6’7″, 265 lbs.) is a huge target without a whole lot of speed to make plays after the catch; he has 20 receptions for 188 yards and 4 touchdowns. Iowa also does a tremendous job of protecting the quarterback – they’ve allowed just 9 sacks, good for 9th in the country. There shouldn’t be many big plays to be had, but Michigan struggles with allowing short passes, and that’s something Iowa does well.
Advantage: Iowa

Roster Notes

• Players who held Michigan offers include DT Darian Cooper, OT Andrew Donnal, DT Faith Ekakitie, TE Ray Hamilton, DT Jaleel Johnson, and OG Jordan Walsh
• Players from the state of Michigan include DT Carl Davis (Sterling Heights Stevenson), TE Jake Duzey (Troy Athens), CB Desmond King (Detroit East English Village), S Ruben Lile (Detroit Cass Tech), WR Kevonte Martin-Manley (Birmingham Brother Rice), LB Laron Taylor (Detroit Cass Tech)

Predictions

• Fitzgerald Toussaint gets less than half of the running back carries, but Derrick Green loses his first career fumble.
• Jeremy Gallon goes for 145 yards receiving and 1 touchdown.
• Michigan makes 1 sack and allows 4.
• Michigan 20, Iowa 17

Last Time They Played . . . 

• Michigan beat Iowa in 2012 by a score of 42-17
• Denard Robinson had 13 carries for 98 yards and 2 receptions for 24 yards as a running back in his first game back after hurting his elbow.
• Jeremy Gallon had 5 catches for 133 yards.
• Fitzgerald Toussaint’s ankle exploded.