COACHES RESPECT OPPOSING SQUADS:
Here come the Spartans!
The Michigan Daily-Saturday, October 14, 1978-Page 9
Spartans celebrateI
even if they loseI
j
By ERNIE DUNBAR
At least Michigan State coach Darryl Rogers is
realistic about his team's chances for victory today in
Michigan Stadium. He realizes that it's been nine
logg years since a Spartan team knocked off the
Wolverines, who enter the game ranked fifth with a 4-
0record. Even then it was only Bo Schembechler's
second game in the Big Ten and his first taste of the
intra-state rivalry.
But since that 23-12 loss in the confines of Spartan
Stadium, Michigan State has been outscored 202-70.
That plus the fact that Rogers is winless against
Schembechler has the third-year coach thinking
twice about this 71st meeting between the two
schools.
"MICHIGAN IS an extremely fine opponent," said
Rogers, whose team stands at 1-3). "If we could ever
control the situation, it would be a doggone good deal.
That's what it all boils down to.
"We really feel that the opponent is so strong and
creates so many problems that we're just hoping our
young guys can battle it and stay in the football
game."
While Rogers spent much of his time praising
Michigan, Schembechler had his usual accolades to
hand his opponent. "This is a great series. Anytime
these two teams meet, it is exciting. They are a
strong team and they moved the ball very well
against Notre Dame last week in the second half.
We've played them and they've played us so many
times, we know all there is to know about each
other."
The young guys Rogers is referring to are the 11
new starters he began the season with. They haven't
exactly had a patsy schedule to break into the system
with either.
MICHIGAN STATE opened against Purdue who
enters their game today against Ohio State at 3-1, and
lost to the Boilers 21-14. They followed that with a 49=
21 victory over Syracuse, a 30-9 defeat at Southern
,
f.
Since 1969 Mich-
igan has outscored
Michigan State 202-
70 in total points.
we're healthy until such time as people are declared
out."
ONE THING that Rogers is willing to admit is that
his offensive attack is led by 6-1 quarterback Ed
Smith and his host of receivers. He is the leading
passer in the Big Ten and ranks 16th nationally with
40 completions in 70 attempts for a 57 per cent
completion rate. Smith will most likely look to split
end Eugene Byrd who is the leading pass receiver in
the Big Ten with 17 receptions.
"Smith has excellent judgement, a quick release,
and a fine touch," Schembechler said of the Spartan
senior. "He's the best passer we'll face."
When Smith can't move the ball on offense, the
Spartans can always rely on punter Ray Stachowicz
to boom the ball out of trouble. The sophomore just
happens to be the best in the country at his specialty
so far this season, hitting 23 punts for a 46.4 average.
"The punting game is always important in a close
ball game and it'll be important against Michigan
State," said Schembechler. If you can force them to
punt enough, then you're doing a good job. You may
lose some field position in the process, but
nevertheless that's one area where I don't feel we
measure up to them."
WOLVERINE TALES: Michigan State is one of
only four Big Ten teams ever to beat a Bo
Schembechler Michigan-coached team. The others
are Ohio State, Minnesota, and Purdue. . .Michi-
gan's rushing game is the best in the Big Ten. The
Wolverines have rushed for 266.7 yards per game ...
Michigan is also first in total defense, allowing 260
yards per game. Michigan State leads the Big Ten in
passing offense with 203.5 yards per game.
By DAVE RENBARGER
Special to The Daily
EAST LANSING-On the eve of the biggest football game of the season,
the long-suffering Michigan State football fans were out and about their
campus yesterday, proudly displaying their Green and White.
Frought with a three year probation and frustrated by a nine year losing
streak to Michigan teams, the MSU boosters' perserverence was indeed
Spartan-like. They are taking nothing for granted concerning this after-
noon's clash between the Spartans"and the Wolverines. Some of them,
outlandish as it may seem even go so far as to predict an MSU victory.
"State has a very deceiving record," said junior Dave Cupery, as he
poured another round of beers for his Spartan comrades at the local
Dooley's. "I think that this is our year."
Generally speaking, the fans at the pub could be classified into three
distinct groups. In addition to those Spartan die-hards like Cupery, there
were plenty of more realistic folks who see a Wolverine victory in the offing.
Then there were a few who didn't really care one way or the other, like
senior Mark Upton.
"We're going to see the game, but our main objective is to harass
Michigan students," said Upton of the friendly intra-state rivalry. "If we
win, then we're staying in Ann Arbor to party. If we lose, we're high-balling
it out of town to get rowdy."
Most of the bar patrons, who were enjoying a Friday afternoon T. G.,
conceded the upper hand to Michigan, but still subscibe to the did "on any
given day" philosophy.
Bartender Rick Fracassa put it well. "I doubt that we can do it," said
Fracassa, who claimed to have 50-yard line tickets. "But if we do, it'll be the
greatest thing in the world."
I
California and fell to Notre Dame 29-25, last week.
One would think that following such a rouch non-
conference schedule, the Spartans would be battered
and bruised beyond repair. But according to Rogers,
his troops are in surprisingly good physical condition.
"We have a few nagging injuries, but nothing
serious," he commented. "Right now I'm saying
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Defeat.
By STAN BRADBURY
As the Big Ten season moves into the
first week of full conference action,
Woody Hayes must be asking himself,
"Can Art Schlichter find happiness
(and Buckeye receivers) in big college
football?"
The freshman QB and the rest of the
Ohio State squad (2-1-1) will be playing
their most important game so far this
season when they take on the Purdue
Boilermakers (3-1) at Purdue's Ross-
Ade Stadium.
In three other Big Ten gridiron bat-
ties this week, Wisconsin travels to
Purdue a mustfor OSU
Illinois, Minnesota plays host to Iowa,
and Northwestern visits Indiana.
The pressure is really on the Bucks
this week to win against a tough and
improving Purdue squad and that
means the young Schlichter and defen-
sive backfield will have to perform.
Schlichter has completed 21 of 58 passes
this season but he has also connected
with defensive members on 12 aerials.
The defensive backfield ranks last in
the conference, allowing 912 yards and
five touchdowns in their first four con-
tests.
Purdue quarterback Mark Herr-
mann, an outstanding passer, hopes to
have a field day in the backfield. Pur-
due also has the two top rushers in the
Big Ten in John Macon and Russell
Pope.
Wisconsin puts their unblemished 4-0
record onethe line as they take on a
woeful Illinois bunch (1-3-1). Wisconsin
features Big Ten total offense !leader
Mike Kalasmiki and all-purpose back
Ira Matthews.,
Illinois has gone through the season
without great success, yielding 500 yar-
ds total offense more than it has gained.
Iowa (1-3) has gone 13 quarters
without a touchdown and the only three
they have scored all season were
because of freak plays against North-
western. Minnesota (1-3) has also been
plagued with problems, including five
turnovers which led to the loss last
week against Oregon State.
One thing is almost certain about the
game, Iowa will not pass very suc-
cessfully. Iowa QB Bob Cummings Jr.
(son of Iowa coach Bob Cummings) hs
thrown for only 195 yards all season.
The Minnesota pass defense ranks first
in the conference, allowing only 92.7
yards per game.
Northwestern (0-4-1) and Indiana (1-
3) battle for the cellar of the Big Ten, a
position the "Mildcats" of North-
western are very acquainted with.
Indiana has not played well since
their upset of the Rose Bowl champion
Washington Huskies.
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SQUAD REMAINS UNDEFEATED:
Harriers crush MSU
By DIANE SILVER
Spe 1l to The Daily
EAST LANSING -_ In their only dual
meet of the season, the Michigan cross
country team out-ran Michigan State
20-39 (low score wins) at MSU's Forest
Akers golf course yesterday.
Maintaining an unblemished season
record, the Michigan harriers captured
/their third consecutive victory by
placing their first five finishers in the
top seven positions.
BOTH TEAMS ran nine men on the
rolling six mile course, with the top five
on each team counting towards the final
score. Michigan's Dave Lewis and Dan
Heikkinen, leading the pack all the
way, surged ahead at the three and
one-half mile mark to gain a 40-yard
advantage over State freshman Martin
Schulist.
Maintaining the spread for the next
two miles, Lewis and Heikkinen cruised
in easily for a first place tie at 30:47.6.
Schulist followed with a time of 30.56.
Fourth, sixth and seventh places all
belonged 'to the Wolverines with Doug
Sweazy at 30:58, Gerry Donakowski at
31:12 and Steve Elliot at 31:21. Two
more MSU freshmen captured fifth and
eighth.place with Michael White at
31:10 and Mark Messler at 31:21.
"MSU RAN better than I expected,"
said Michigan coach Ron Warhurst.
"They have four good freshmen, and in
a couple of years they should have a
real good team."
Michigan's strategy is to stay in a
pack as long as possiblebut the deter-
mined MSU freshmen kept them from
staying together for too long. "We
planned to surge ahead as a team at
three miles, but we underestimated
State's freshmen," said Lewis. "You've
got to give them credit, they ran a good
20-39
race."
The 'Michigan harriers trained right
up to the time of the meet without
taking much rest. "We didn't lay off at
all going into the meet," said
Heikkinen. "We were confident, but we
weren't expecting State to be that
good."
"When you start doing more work,
and working out harder and harder, you
get a little flat," explained Warhurst.
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