Tuesday, August 27, 1968
THE MICHIGAN 6AILY
Page Three
Tuesday, August 27, 1968 THE MICHIGAN DAILY
,, _,
"196 7:
Few
days
o
lhi htning,
many
of
drums
By FRED LaBOUR
On a sunny Saturday afternoon
n the middle of September, 1967,
Michigan's football team chalked
up its 499th victory.
"Ho!" exclaimed many of those
present at the event. "This might
mean we'll do all right this year."
For the Wolverines had just
beaten Duke 10-7. They did not
44ook like world ' conquerors you
understand, but then they did win
in the last two minutes on a field
goal, and that happens in Michi-
gan. Stadium about as often as
Robben Fleming purchases Zig
Zag paper.
On a snowy Saturday afternoon
*n the middle of November, 1967,
Michigan's football team chalked
up its 500th victory. And how
they suffered in between.
First there was California. Lost,
10-9. Beaten by a 77-yard pass
play completed to a guy who was
nicknamed "Iron hands" because
-$e was such a lousy receiver. What
should have been a winning 72-
yard pass from Vidmer to Berline
called back. Sharpe was in motion
illegally.
NAVY STRUGGLE
Next was Navy. Lost, 26-21.
Wolverines controlled ball most of
game. Costly interceptions. Ron
Johnson carried 270 yards, mostly
off left tackle and was voted Back
of the Week by the Associated
Press. Crowd consensus: "We
should have won."
But oh wow, they hadn't seen
Inothin' yet. Michigan State rolled
into Ann Arbor and utterly de-
molished the Maize and Blue, 34-0.
It was a day of dropped passes,
missed assignments, inept play,
and heartbreak for the Michigan
eleven. And the fans were angry.
"Dump Bump!" some of them
*ollered,_ and the alumni began
plotting ways of removing Elliott
from his post. "Nice guy," they'd,
say, "but he's no coach.'
One bright -spot in that debacle
was the emergence of Dennis
Brown as a capable quarterback
replacing Dick Vidmer. And again'
'the fans screamed, "Give Vidmer'
another chance," some said. "You
shoulda switched to' Brown two
months ago," said others. And the
head position on the Michigan
football coaching staff got to be
a less desirable place to inhabit.
The next week Indiana came to
old Ann Arbor town, and my oh
my how Michigan wanted to win
that one. They wanted to- show
the world that they weren't as'
awful as they'd appeared to be1
the week before, and that Bump
could produce a winning team.
*1GONY
But Indiana rallied in the fourth
quarter to win 27-20, and if ever
a man had a right to feel mis-
erable, that man was Bump i1l-
liott. It was near agony to watch
him field reporters' questions ait-
er the game, tight-lipped and
*somber. "That's why this one
hurts so much," he said. "It de-
stroys a great effort."
TOM STINCIC
GARVIE CRAW
RON JOHNSON JOE DAYTON
r, the head coach is the Johnson will probably be joined
ypoint to. at halfback by John Gabler, a
Michigan's 1967 version of frus-
tration orgy had yet to peak
though. It took Minnesota to blow
the foam off the beer.
The Gophers came from behind,
in the fourth quarter to win 20-15,
and everybody wondered if things'
could get any worse. The team's
record was now 1-5, but with a
few breaks, it could easily have
been 5-1.
"The team doesn't know the
fundamentals of good football,"
claimed the alumni, and they
started to organize a group that
advocated Forest Evashevski for
athletic director AND head coach.
Again they sang "Bump's a nice
guy, but he's no coach."
But next week, during a blind-
ing snowstorm, the mighty force
in the universe that discerns win
from loss tipped the other way
for the Wolverines, and they beat
Northwestern 7-3. It was a pretty
dull game and it was hardly a
crushing victory, but then it was
number 500, and it was the first
conference win for Micnigan.
Things were looking up.
Illinois and Wisconsin were nextj
and Michigan won both games1
and played rather well at that.
The defensive backfield, once
compared to a leaky sieve with
some moral hang-up against
tackling, seemed to be finding it-
self. The offensive machine was!
rolling along with 48 points in two
games and Elliott's job appeared
to be out of double jeopardy tem-
porarily. Who could tell? Maybe
they would wind up 5-5.
OOZE
But Ohio State routed the Maize
and Blue in the last game of the!
season and it was 4-6 that oozed
into the record books. The battle
was concluded and it was all over
except for the second-guessing.
It became evident in the early
spring that Michigan was going
to be blessed (or stuck, depending
on your point of view) with T3ump
Elliott for at least another year.
Several coaching staff shake-ups
occurred, like a new defensive end
and linebacker coach and a new
offensive line coach..Also, several
other coaches appear to have been
given new assignments on the
team.
So 1968 could possibly be
summed up, as we all sit here
comfortably on an August after-
noon, knowing the first game is
a month away and that we have
lots of room for predictions, as
the year that Bump Llliott must
produce a winning team. The
alumni have demonstrated clear-
ly that they're tired of Wolverine
football squads that are more
frustrating than rewarding and
that they want a winner. And fair,
or unfai
man the
So what kind of
Bump have to work
pivotal year.
material will
with for this
Iie's, got his offensive and de-
fensive backfields " back intact,
and these should form the nucleus
of the team. At quarterback is
Dennis Brown backed by a host of
unproven sophomores. Ron John-
son is back at halfback and he
will probably carry the massive
bulk of the Wolverine running
game again this year. Johnson
could develop into definite star
material this season and every-
body knows it.
strong junior who scored two
touchdowns last year. Garvie Craw
is back at fullback along ,with
ace-blocker Warren Sipp. Craw
averaged 3.4 yards per play last
year as a sophomore.
The defensive backfield has a
full load of experienced personnl,
and they could develop into the
strongest segment of the 'team.
Tom Curtis, who led the Big Ten
in interceptions last year should
anchor the group, followed by
Brian Healy, Jerry Hartman,
George Hoey and Barry Pierson,
all returning and, experienced.
Hoey was also used last year as a
punt return man and led the Big
Ten in that department.
At the /defensive end posts Jon
Kramer and Phil Seymour seem
fairly secure in their assignments.
The linebacking set, featuring
Tom Stincic, Cecil Pryor, and
sophomores Marty Huff and Tim
Killian must fill in for the grad-
uated likes of Rocky Rosema,
Dennis Morgan and Dennis Mon-
thei, and that could be a most dif-
ficult job.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The interior defensive line is
a little shaily at this point with
letter-winners Tom Goss and Jer-
ry Miklos at the tackles and the
other positions pretty much un-
decided. Jim Wilhite, Morris Ab-
rahams and Guilio Catello appear
to be prime candidates for guard
positions, although others are in
contention also.
Undoubtedly the biggest ques-
tion mark on a team of question
marks is the offensive line. The
whole strong side of the line' grad
uated and it's going to be really
tough to replace people like All-
American guard Ray Phillips and
ex-captain Joe Dayton at center,
not to mention Jim Berline at
split end.
Filling in the line will be Jim
Mandich at tight end. Mandich
caught 26 passes for 256 yards
last year and proved to be a
rugged blocker. Senior Bob Penk-
sa is back at left tackle and is al-
most assured of a first string
berth at that spot.
CENTER HASSLE ,
Bob Baumgartner and Stan
Broadnax will be expected to carry
out guard duties for the squad.
Dave Denzin and Fred Sample,
both of whom have seen no game
action, are expected to fill Day-
ton's center slot. Dan Dierdorf,
sophomore right tackle, improved
greatly during spring practice and
may, capture that starting, posi-
tion.
Hoey is being tested,at Berline's
split end post along with junior
Bill Harris.
In short, the success of Bump's
boys this year will hinge on the
offensive line and the frequency
of injuries. The squad is tremen-
dously hampered by a supreme,
lack of depth. If injuries strike
hard, especially to the line, ds-
aster could possibly ensue. There
simply are not enough back-up
men to fill in for more than a
very few light injuries.
Either way, 1968 will be a de-
cisive year for Bump' Elliott.
DENNIS BROWN rolls out to his left during last year's drubbing
at the hands of Michigan State, 34-0. Some fans have called that
memorable Saturday the lowest ebb of all time for Michigan's
football legions.
I: z''- .- -- -
----,
STUDENT BOOK SGRVICG
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WOLVERINE QUARTERBACK Dennis Brown (22) prepares to hand off to Ron Johnson (40) in
last year's snowy win over Northwestern. Garvie Craw (48) and John Gabler (18) lead the way into
the line. Michigan's 7-3 victory in this contest marked the 500th Wolverine gridiron triumph.
FINAL 1967 FOOTBALL S
1N
FIRST DOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Penalty
TOTAL NO. RUSHIES
Net Yds.-Rushing
-Passing
FORWARD PASSES ATT'D.
Completed
Intercepted by
Yds. Int'cpt. Ret'd.
TOTAL PLAYS
PUNTS, NUMBER
Ave. Distance
KICKOFFS, returned by
YDS. KICKS RET.
Punts
Kickoffs
FUMBLES
Ball Lost by
WPENALTIES, Number
Yards Penalized
TATISTICS
Mich. Opp
168 167
97 109
66 49
.5 9
438 516
1635 1808
1302 1153
244 174
II r
r'
120
14
178
732
55
37.6
32
999
384
615
22
16
40
'443
74
13
80
690
61
35.1
31
849
317
532
28
15
43
388
A
GUITAR STUDIO
INSTRUMENTS
ACCESSORIES
LESSONS
Instruments
MADE & REPAIRED
209 South State
(upstairs)
665-80011
a
RUSHING
K. Johnson
Sipp
Titas
Gabler
Sharpe
D. Brown
Craw
Federico
Vidmer
PASSING
D. Brown
Vidmer
RECEIVING
Berline
R. Johnson
Sharpe
Mandich
Gabler
Craw
PUNTING
Drehmann
Craw
SCORING
R. Johnson.
D. Brown
Berline
Gabler
Hankwitz'
Sharpe
Titas
Sipp
Weinmann
eam
4TOTALS
Opponents
Tries Gains Loss Net Ave.
220 1932 27 1005 4.6
24 104 0 104 4.3
2 9 0 9 4.5
16 39 14 25 45
33 100 2 98 2.9
137 50 202 358 2.6
29 104 3 101 3.4
2 3 0 3 1.5
25 32 100 -68 -2.7
Att. Comp. Int. Yds. TD
156 82 7 913 5
88 38 6 376 0
No. Yds. TD
54 624 3
13 179 1
5 58 0
26 256 0
20 173 1
1 5 0
No. Yds. Ave.
52 1997 38.4
3 73 24.3
TD CK CPR FG TP
8 0 0 0 .48
4 0 0 0 24
3 0 0 0 18{
2 0.0 0 12
0 7-6 0 6-2 12
1 0 0 0 6
0 11-7 '0 2-1 10
1 0 0 0 6
1 0 0 0 6?
0 0 1-1 0 2
0 1-0 0 0 01
20 19-13 1-1 8-3 144
24 23-21 1-0 8-2 179
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