UPDATE (Saturday 5:40 pm): Michigan player, former Purdue committer has breakout game
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 11/06/2009
Andrew Gatza | Senior Photographer
Michigan wide receiver Roy Roundtree breaks free from Purdue safety Torri Williams for a long run after catching a pass Saturday at the Big House. Purdue went on to win 38-36.
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ANN ARBOR, MICH. - Michigan sophomore Roy Roundtree had his breakout game against the team he originally had a verbal commitment with, Purdue.
On Saturday, Roundtree caught 10 passes for 126 yards while playing as a slot receiver. In the second quarter, he was featured in a 43-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field from quarterback Tate Forcier. Prior to Saturday’s game, Roundtree had only six catches.
“He had a good week in practice, he’s got great ball skills.” Head coach Rich Rodriguez said. “He’s playing for the first time, you know, he was a redshirt freshman. And I thought he played really well, you know, made some big catches. Looked like he was blocking pretty well on the perimeter too. He’s going to keep getting better.”
Two offseasons ago, Roundtree had verbally committed to then Purdue coach Joe Tiller, but changed his mind to play for Michigan, surprising the Boilermaker coaching staff by putting on a maize and blue hat on signing day.
“The one against Purdue, I was committed to them and then de-committed, so I was practicing hard all week to, you know, to prepare myself for them,” Roundtree said. “I felt like I was giving it my all, but they won it at the last minute.”
Roundtree said that he was open because he felt the Boilermakers were blitzing a lot, but he was also excited to see that he was being given a large defensive cushion by his man.
“That’s what you watch film for,” he said. “You see their tendency, their weaknesses.”
The second half was a different story for the slot receiver. He was held to three catches for 23 yards after a seven-catch, 103-yard first half.
“You look at the defense and you see what they give you and, you know, take it from there,” he said about the second half.
Overall, it was the first time that Roundtree has ever surpassed 100 yards receiving.