ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson insisted it didn't take him long to forget about his poor performance in a 34-17 loss to Michigan State.
"That's out the window," Robinson said Saturday about 15 minutes after the game. "We have to get ready for Iowa."
Indeed.
The Wolverines (5-1, 1-1 Big Ten) can't afford to dwell on their defeat, a third straight to the Spartans, because the 15th-ranked Hawkeyes (4-1, 1-0) are coming to town after a bye week with the conference's top-ranked defense against the run.
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez acknowledged it might be tough for his team to quickly move past getting dominated at home by rival Michigan State.
"It'll be difficult for 24 hours," Rodriguez said.
He quickly added, though, that the Wolverines need to focus all of their energy toward preparing for the Hawkeyes.
"We got a real good team coming in next Saturday — Iowa — and they've had an open week to get ready for us," he said. "It'll test our guys' mettle."
Robinson will be tested mentally and physically after getting slowed down for the first time this season.
He threw three interceptions — one in the end zone, one near it and one into double-coverage — and ran for a season-low 86 yards on 21 carries. Robinson also overthrew a receiver in the end zone early in the game, forcing Michigan to kick a field goal.
"I kind of hesitated a lot," Robinson said. "That was bad."
In his first five starts, he ran for 905 yards and eight touchdowns and threw for 1,008 yards and seven scores with only one interception.
"He wasn't as sharp as he has been," Rodriguez said. "You've got to remember, he's a young player.
"He's a great competitor, he'll be fine."
One of Robinson's top receivers, Martavious Odoms, might not be. He may have broken his right foot against the Spartans. Standout defensive tackle Mike Martin had a leg injury in the game and cornerback James Rogers left the game with a cramp.
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