Michigan Football: Is Jake Rudock What I Think He Is?
“Could it be that Jake Rudock is everything I think he is?” the Michigan football fan asked himself as No. 15 wrapped up his second straight career performance for the Wolverines.
At the very surface of this thing, we have a fifth-year quarterback who at one time this season was a complete liability, but is now 1st all-time for touchdown passes thrown in a single game by a Michigan quarterback.
The evolution of Michigan’s offense has been a really strange one.
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We’ve seen expectation-less wideouts turn into candidates for NCAA Offensive Player of the Week, we’ve seen a powerful running attack go limp for a while now, and then there’s Rudock.
Let’s not forget that Rudock was abandoned and forgotten at Iowa. Kirk Ferentz put bad-boy gun slinger C.J. Beathard in there, probably feeling the heat from outside. (Of course, Iowa is undefeated right now, but whatever.)
My point is Rudock needed the fresh start, and Jim Harbaugh probably didn’t hesitate to make that move.
What Michigan was getting though was a standard quarterback with a standard arm who made standard decisions in a standard amount of time. Rudock was that guy who lived up the expectations—never really exceeded them.
And damn, was that ever evident during Michigan’s opening stretch.
Here’s what Rudock did during the first five games of the season:
| Game | Comp | Att | Yds | Comp% | TD | INT | Rush Yds | Rush TDs | Fumb |
| @Utah | 27 | 43 | 279 | 62.8 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| vs. Oregon State | 18 | 26 | 180 | 69.2 | 0 | 1 | -5 | 0 | 1 |
| vs. UNLV | 14 | 22 | 123 | 63.6 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| vs. BYU | 14 | 25 | 194 | 56 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 2 | 0 |
| @ Maryland | 16 | 32 | 180 | 50 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals | 89 | 148 | 956 | 60.1 | 5 | 6 | 73 | 2 | 2 |
Now here’s what he’s done in the five games following:
| Game | Comp | Att | Yds | Comp% | TD | INT | Rush Yds | Rush TDs | Fumb |
| vs. Northwestern | 17 | 23 | 179 | 73.9 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| vs. Michigan State | 15 | 25 | 168 | 60 | 0 | 0 | -10 | 0 | 0 |
| @ Minnesota | 13 | 21 | 140 | 61.9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| vs. Rutgers | 18 | 25 | 337 | 72 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| @ Indiana | 33 | 46 | 440 | 71.7 | 6 | 1 | 64 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 95 | 140 | 1264 | 67.9 | 9 | 2 | 71 | 2 | 1 |
The shining lights in there are the Indiana and Rutgers games, which do help inflate those numbers. What I’m looking at though is the turnovers.
Since an interception and fumble against Maryland, Rudock has accounted for 11 total touchdowns and only 3 turnovers.
But these numbers aren’t necessarily what’s going to make this argument hit home. It’s the clear development as a passer, play maker, baller that’s driving me to really believe this is a sure thing.
To be accurate downfield doesn’t change according to your opponent.
What was always Rudock’s biggest criticism, dating back to his days at Iowa? The inability to hit the deep ball.
I don’t have an official stat on this (do you?), but Rudock’s first completed pass that traveled more than 30 yards came against Indiana. And I’m pretty sure he did it three times (if you want to count the touchdown to Amara Darboh in overtime that traveled to the back of the end zone).
Michigan doesn’t feature a home run offense; it hasn’t been able to. Whether coverage was there or not, Rudock was simply off target with his throws. That’s why I’m not weighing too heavily the fact that Indiana doesn’t field the greatest of secondaries.
To be accurate downfield doesn’t change according to your opponent.
Another reason I’m on board here is because of what Rudock’s been able to do with his legs.
A 64-yard performance on the ground against the Hoosiers had the #DenardRudock hashtag break out on Twitter, and it was all over from there. Even before then, we had seem some bursts of surprising speed and athleticism.
It’s a relief to know that if all hell breaks loose, Rudock can actually get out of the pocket and inflict some damage with his legs—or at least not take the negative play.
While I do think this is the real deal, and not an elaborate hoax, we’re going to learn a lot more about what Rudock’s made of when Michigan plays Penn State and Ohio State to end the regular season.
The Nittany Lions’ pass defense ranks 2nd in FBS, allowing 159 yards per game. The Buckeyes rank 8th, giving up 171.6 yards per game.
These aren’t big tests; these are the biggest tests.
Rudock doesn’t need to be breaking records to take down those defenses; he needs to be what’s set him apart from his first-half self: don’t turn it over and make teams respect you.
Next: U-M opens as 5-point favorite at PSU
If we see that happen, I have a good amount of faith in the Wolverines’ chances down the stretch.