The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, October 31, 1978-Page 11 ORR SEEKS RIGHT COMBINA TION /ri 7u VER SINCE Rick Leach came to Michigan in 1975, he's consistently heard the same criticisms about his quarterbacking ability. All of his detractors focus on the fact that the left-handed signal caller just hasn't been able to master the pass the way he has the option attack in the Michigan of- . fense. It seems kind of funny to me that these complaints still arise so frequen- tly when you take a quick look at how much this 6-1, 192 pounder has actually accomplished. In Saturday's 42-10 pounding of Minnesota, Leach established himself at the top of Michigan's career pass completion category, with 209, hitting nine of 13 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns. What this means is that in all the 98 years prior to the current season, no quarterback wearing the A Maize and Blue has a better completion total than Leach. I can hear the persistent skeptics say that while Leach may have the Michigan record, he can't stand up to the rest of the Big Ten conference. Or what about the nation? How does he rank there? As hard as it may be for some ardent anti-Leach supporters to accept, the wolverine quarterback has thrown more touchdown passes (39) than any " other signal caller in conference history. He needs only two touchdowns to :break Tom Harmon's career touchdown record at Michigan by the run. His ' 31 touchdowns rushing combined with his 39 passing leave him just three short of the NCAA mark for touchdowns rushing and passing. Leach is also 287 yards short of Purdue's Mike Phipps' mark of 5883 yar- ds total offense for a Big Ten career. Leach's career rushing total of 1991 is nine short of the 2000 mark, a figure only five other major college quarter- backs have attained. S If these figures aren't enough to convince you that number seven in the Michigan lineup is a good all-around quarterback, then I guess you're just a ;hopeless case. The criticism has far outweighed the praise when Leach's passing abilities come into question. But according to Leach, one of the things which has made him so successful is his ability to accept what others think of his performances and attempt to please only himself and Schembechler. "You can't worry about things like that," Leach said of his detractors. "I'just go out and give 100 percent-and play as hard as I can for Michigan," he told reporters at the weekly press luncheon. One problem Leach has faced during his four years at Michigan is trying to please those who admire a passing quarterback while playing in a run- oriented offensive attack. "Early in my career when we were throwing the ball, we were either going for a big play or a touchdown," Leach said. "That hurt a little bit because the farther you throw down field, the less percentage you have of completing the pass. Early I don't think our pass offense was set up for the benefit of the quarterback. They knew we were going to pass. We didn't use our backs out of the backfield, or the screen pass. "Now we're starting to do a lot more things with coach (Don) Nehlen coming into the scene (from Bowling Green in 1977). We're throwing shor- ter to medium range passes.", After seven games. Leach's statistics read: 37 completions in 82 attem- pts for a 45 percent completion average. He's thrown four interceptions, eight touchdown passes and has.accumulated 604 yards via the pass. Com- pare that to the slingshot from Michigan State, Ed Smith. Smith has 99 com- pletions for 1404 yards. He's throwing at a 60 percent clip while throwing five 2interceptions and 14 touchdown passes. You can point to the completion percentages and immediately say that obviously Leach just can't cut it when it comes to being a pure passer. But there's a reason for that. Leach is asked to play like a third running back in- stead of concentrating solely on his passing game. * "Our offense isn't set up for a passing quarterback," Leach said. "I'm more of a halfback kind of guy than a quarterback because we run so much. I think it's a lot harder for a quarterback at Michigan because he has to start off like a tailback and get beat up, and then start passing. "If you're just dropping back handing off in the pocket you don't get the bumps and bruises other people will. I think if I was put in the situation of throwing 30 times a game like Michigan State or Stanford, I feel in my own heart I could do every bit as good or better as any other quarterback." Facing a defense Schembechler calls "as good as any in the league" Leach may find the Iowa Hawkeyes a stiff test this Saturday. One thing is certain, however. Leach will continue his streak of never missing a Michigan football game due to injury. That in itself is an amazing statistic considering just how vulnerable the quarterback position is. .agers 1w By DAVE RENBARGER The mood among the players was hardly enthusias- tic as yesterday's basketball practice drew to a close. "Shuffle off, shuffle off," pleaded Phil Hubbard, his infamous, heavily-taped right knee healthy but tired. "Breather, breather," gasped freshman Keith Smith just before the whistle blew signalling yet another sprint. FIFTEEN MINUTES later the exhausted players were in the shower and coach Johnny Orr admitted that the two-hour workout wasn't all that easy. But these grinding practice sessions are not without their rewards, as the promising Wolverine cagers ap- proach top form. "That was our best practice we've had all year," said Orr, who is looking for the best combination of talent to mold into a starting unit for the upcoming season. "We've been changing them in there every, day. The guys who play with Hubbard and (Mike) McGee always look good." Yesterday was no exception. The 'Blue' team in a five-on-five drill put freshman forward Thad Garner and sophomore guard Johnny Johnson alongside regulars McGee and Tom Staton. The 'Whites' coun- tered with veterans alan Hardy, Mark Lozier, and Marty Bodnar plus rookies smith and John Garris. It was strictly no contest. Running the five-on-five drill, Orr must press every available man into service. Still out of action from the 12-man roster are Mark Bodnar and Paul Heuer- man. Bodnar's broken foot and Heuerman's frac- tured wrist are both nearly mended, and Orr hopes to have them return to practice within a week. DESPITE A nagging sprained wrist (He's playing one-handed out there," said Orr), Hubbard had little trouble with Garris. Sharpshooter McGee was acting E; iff and puff into form N 'We've been changing them in there every day. The guys who play with Hubbard and McGee always look good.' -Johnny Orr physical mold that'gave us Joel Thompson. He even dunks like Joel, as he so vividly demonstrated twice yesterday. "We're sure happy to see Thad play the way he did," said Orr of the Gary, Ind. prospect. "He's going to contribute for sure." If he continues to play like he did yesterday, he just may find himself contributing as a starting forward soon enough. GARNER HIMSELF prefers modesty. "It's tough in live situations trying to remember what to do." he confessed. "Sometimes I get lost out there and have to ask Hub or Staton what I'm supposed to do. I just go out and play and let those guys do the brainwork." Johnson, on the other hand, has been doing plenty of work-legwork. Displaying the kind of hustle that Orr loves to see in his ballplayers, John3on's new at titude has rubbed off on his play. "HE (Johnson) is looking a whole lot better than he did last year," said Orr of the 6-5 swingman. "He's really working hard out there." NEVER MUCH of a practice-player in his fresh- man year, Johnson struggled through a largely un- productive season, viewing most of the action from his permanent seat at the end of the bench. This year Johnson intends to improve his lot. "I want to play." he summed up. "I want to make it. Last year I thought I was going to play, but I had a few problems. They told me I was lazy. We just had a personality conflict. This is a do-or-die year for me," he said, declining to elaborate. out of character, rifling pinpoint passes to team- mates for gift baskets. But the overall play of both Garner and Johnson has got to be the two most pleasant surprises of the training camp thus far. Garner is a 6-7 forward cast out of the same Clu b bers trim MSU; Piei shines inT goal ALL YOU CAN EAT. EVERY' TUES.-SMORGASBORG.....$3.95 WED.-SEAFOOD ............ $4.25 THURS.-SMORGASBORG .... $3.95 BY BOB EMORY After losing three of the last five games on the road, the Michigan field hockey team returned home to Ferry Field yesterday and bumped off a very fine Michigan State team, 2-1. It was victory number nine for the Wolverines against five losses and it equaled the highest win total in one season since the club turned varsity six years ago. Michigan State, rated one of the top teams in the state, suffered only its second loss in 12 games this year. An aggressive burst of play by the Wolverines in the first ten minutes of the game was all it took for the victory. Leading scorer Mary Callam scored first, taking the ball all alone through the MSU defense and flipping it by goaltender Jan Morris. Jean McCarthy made it 2-0 when a loose rebound came right out on her stick and she slapped it home.. At that point, Michigan State began to show why they're one of the best teams around. The Spartans controlled the tempo of the game for the rest of the first half, keeping the ball in the Michigan zone and taking several good shots at goaltender Lauri Pieri. But Pieri was brilliant. Time and time again, she came out of the net to kick away shots including one screaming blast from 20 feet that ricocheted off her knee pads and all the way back out. 0pnly a weak dribbler that Pieri misjudged prevented the junior from recording her 12th shutout atuMichigan. The second half started out pretty even but the Wolverines really came on strong in the last ten minutes and that had head coach Phyllis Ocker very pleased. "I thought we played our best game of the year today," she said. "It was a big win for the girls psychologically. We have the state tournament coming up next weekend and this should give them some con- fidence." The opening round of the state tour- nament will be a grudge match for the Wolverines against Calvin College this Friday in Kalamazoo. Calvin upset Michigan last week on a rain-slopped field in Grand Rapids. "We didn't play very well," said forward Jean McCar- thy. "I know we'll all be looking for revenge in that one." INCLUDES: HUGE SALAD BAR WITH OVER 30 ITEMS 2 HOME MADE SOUPS OLD TIME MOVIES EVERY TUES.-WED. 114 E. Washington EIMED'S DOWNTOWN . Im- - -6L~ljdL 7 xg It r 4 TOUCH I I I .w" : y'i l , '!. i i , ; i\ , :i m --I I, 1 .1 'P1 - FOOTBALL OFFICIALS NEEDED contact: Sandy Sanders 763-1313 or stop by the Intramural Sports Building bept. of Recreational Sports W{ Spartan awarded honors .CHICAGO (AP)-Linebacker Dan Bass' of Michigan State has been selec- ted Big Ten Player of the Week on defense by the Associated Press for his record-breaking performance in the Spartans' 55-2 triumph over Wisconsin. Bass, a 6-1, 217-pound junior from nth, Mich., intercepted a pass and -eturned it 99 yards for a touchdown, peaking the Big Ten record of 98 yards hared by four players. Others nominated for the award this eek included defensive back Vince lllings of Ohio State and linebacker Ron Simpkins of Michigan. ,Skillings intercepted two passes and hid five tackles including one for a loss in Ohio State's 63-20 victory over Nor- thwestern. Simpkins, who has yet to win the award this season but has been rbminated ,several times, had 11 trckles including ten solos and one for a lgss in Michigan's 42-10 Little Brown Jpg victory over Minnesota. U -- -a TODAY'S RESEARCH FOR TOMORROW'S SHIPS N / U~uqu ManagmentIntern MBA Program This outstanding educational plan involves six months of classes; followed by a six-month internship of paid professional work experience; then nine more months of classwork. The internship concept, which Northeastern pioneered, gives you practical, real-world experience in your own field of interest. It helps you pay for your education. And it often leads to important contacts for the future. Classes begin in June and January. r------------------------------------ ------------------1 For further information, send to: 4 Susan V. Lawler AA Coordinator, Management Intern Program Graduate School of Business Administration Northeastern University I 360 Huntington Avenue SBoston, Massachusetts 02115 en ineering an scienc= at the DAVID TAYLOR 0 NAVAL SHIP RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CENTER Washington, DC. & Annapolis, Md. On-Campus Interviews Scheduled for. (IPENT 7