The showdown between one of the nation’s top wide receivers and defensive backs didn’t play out the way many envisioned.
Michigan sophomore cornerback Marlin Jackson - a Jim Thorpe Award candidate for the nation’s best defensive back - wasn’t matched with MSU junior wide receiver Charles Rogers in man-to-man coverage nearly as much as some thought.
Instead, the Wolverines’ secondary played zone most of the afternoon and had safety help on other plays. Michigan cornerback Jeremy LeSueur lined up in front of Rogers as much as Jackson.
Rogers, a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Trophy for the nation’s top receiver, said Jackson played a good game and the entire secondary seemed to have a beat on the plays being called.
“I was doubled the whole game though, ain’t no one-on-one situation,” Rogers said. “He’s a good corner, he’s got some speed. He was beating me to the spot before I even got there.”
Rogers made the first big play of the game beating zone coverage for a 26-yard reception - it was his only catch of the first half. The catch set up MSU’s only points of the game - a 39-yard field goal by sophomore place-kicker Dave Rayner.
Rogers, who was critical of teammates after the game, said their defense deserved the credit for applying pressure on sophomore quarterback Damon Dowdell and keeping the ball out of his hands.
“Damon’s doing the best he can do for the situation he’s in,” he said. “He’s out there laying it all out on the line. He’s coming in doing what a backup quarterback is supposed to do.”
Rogers hasn’t had a 100-yard game since Notre Dame and was limited to four catches for 75 yards and no touchdowns. The Saginaw native has been held scoreless in three of his last four games. Earlier this season, Rogers set the NCAA record for consecutive games with a touchdown catch against Northwestern.
On Saturday, it was Jackson that put his name in the Michigan record books.
In the third quarter, Jackson deflected a pass intended for Rogers, which tied Michigan’s single-season record for pass breakups with 15. He shares the record with former Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson. Jackson also had four tackles.
On other occasions, it was the help of a safety - Charles Drake or Jon Shaw who was making his first career start - that aided in coverage.
Late in the second quarter, Shaw saved a touchdown when he got a hand on a Dowdell pass intended for Rogers.
Half of Rogers’ catches came late in the fourth quarter when the game was decided. On the same drive, he caught a 13-yard reception and a 35-yarder between Shaw and cornerback Brandon Williams.
“We wanted Rogers to catch the ball in front of us to prevent the big plays,” Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr said.
Romando J. Dixson can be reached at dixsonro@msu.edu
