Tate Forcier winced in pain as a teammate gave him a congratulatory shoulder pat last Saturday during the Michigan football team’s win over Indiana.

From Forcier’s expression in the YouTube clip, one could infer the shoulder injury looked painful. But the Wolverine faithful can breathe a sigh of relief. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said yesterday that Forcier should be cleared to play Saturday against Michigan State.

At the same time, protecting the freshman quarterback’s 6-foot-1, 188-pound frame remains a hot topic. Rodriguez said Forcier is generally honest about his injuries.

“He’s a tough guy, but he’ll tell you, too.” Rodriguez said. “Tate will have a little drama, once in a while, and tell you what is going on. But he loves to compete and he loves to play.”

Forcier’s smaller size gives him quickness, which he has shown with his two running touchdowns this season. But his physicality and health remain concerns.

Rodriguez said he expects Forcier and fellow freshman quarterback Denard Robinson to add muscle mass as they evolve in Mike Barwis’ strength and conditioning program. In the meantime, preventative measures will have to do.

“When a big hit is inevitable, you don’t have to take it,” Rodriguez said. “If you’ve already got the first down, you can take a quick step out of bounds. If you’re downfield, and you’ve already got the first down, there are ways to slide or get down.”

But even sliding could backfire for Forcier. Former Tulane quarterback Shaun King, who played under Rodriguez when he was the Green Wave’s offensive coordinator from 1997-98, found the technique wasn’t a fit.

“He was the worst slider there was,” Rodriguez said with a laugh. “He almost hurt himself sliding, so I said, ‘Shaun, you can just roll or something.’ ”

Close the doors: It’s rivalry week, and at Schembechler Hall, the Michigan coaching staff isn’t taking any chances.

To prepare for Saturday’s game, Rodriguez said the Wolverines will tighten media availability, closing off Wednesday's open practice to allow his team to focus on the upcoming game.

“I want our guys to know how much focus goes into this ball game,” Rodriguez said. “I don't think I have to do that, particularly with our older guys, but our younger guys need to know it is a little different.”

The Wolverines’ outdoor practice field is visible from the Stadium Drive bridge, just south of the field. Rodriguez said on a typical day, associate athletic director Scott Draper and other staff members will watch the bridge for outsiders.

With the Wolverines being just an hour away from East Lansing, Rodriguez wants to take extra precautions.

“Being coaches, being paranoid … I trust you all, but maybe somebody snuck in there from Lansing. I don’t know,” Rodriguez said with a laugh.

Molk update: When fifth-year senior David Moosman filled in for redshirt sophomore David Molk Saturday, it took just a few botched snaps to remember Molk.

“They were a little off here or there, but you get spoiled when David (Molk) was there, because it looked like just about every snap was just right,” Rodriguez said.

Molk had foot surgery last Monday, and is expected to be out three to five more weeks. Rodriguez said Molk has a pin in place and access to a “bone stimulator” which can be applied for hours to accelerate the healing process. According to Rodriguez, Molk has been using the device “every chance he can.”

“He says it doesn’t hurt at all,” Rodriguez said. “Knowing David, he has a great pain tolerance. He’ll be out as soon as he can. But we’re not going to put him out there with any risk of further injury.”

The hunt for October: The Wolverines are an impressive 404-117-13 all time in the month of October.

But under Rodriguez, not so much.

The Michigan coach went 0-4 in his first October last season, losing to Illinois, Toledo, Penn State and Michigan State.

In his seven seasons at West Virginia, Rodriguez posted a 16-8 record in the month of October.