Page 8-Sunday, November 19, 1978-The Michigan Daily AN ENCORE-BLUE VS. OSU FOR ROSES: Michigan cracks Purdue defense for 145 yards. Purdue managed six plays for a staggering minus four yar- ds. "WE KEPT THEM off balance both offensively and defensively," Meter said. "With the offense controlling the ball like they did, that helped the defen- se out." The offense struck early. After Pur- due did 'nothing with its initial possession, the Wolverines marched 68 yards in 11 plays, scoring with 8:57 left in the first quarter. The scoring play came on a third and five situation on the Purdue 11 yard line. Leach fired the ball to Clayton, giving the junior wingback his eighth touchdown pass this year. He is now tied with Dick Rifenburg for the most touchdown passes in one year by a Michigan player. "That play was designed o go to me," Clayton said. "Rick put it on the money and I ran a proper cut. That usually results in a reception." ON THE OTHER end of the play Leach was on the ground. "After I threw it I got hit and went down. I heard a roar go up so I knew it was either a touchdown or an interception," the Heisman trophy candidate said. Although two of the three Michigan touchdowns came via the air routes, the crux of the attack came on the ground. The offensive line made some gaping holes in the Purdue defense. "I was surprised," tailback Harlan Huckleby said. "Their defense is sup- posed to rate with ours but the' holes I saw today, I never saw in the spring. Russell was blowing up inside." Big Ten Standings HE DEFINITELY was. The senior fullback carried the ball 25 times and smoked for an average of 5.4 yards per carry. "I'm a little bit surprised," Schem- bechler said. "I didn't think we could get that much yardage rushing. We controlled the line well in the first half. I thought we had a good game plan going into the game and I still do. "We originally planned to throw more, but we had the fullback and we used it. They were concerned more with the outside and Leach. That's option football," he added. WHEN DAVIS wasn't blowing up the middle, Leach was squirming and weaving wherever there were openings. He set the tone for the day on the Wolverines' second play. The senior quarterback rolled off the left tackle and glided for 24 yards. Since sacks go on the quarterback's rushing statistics his net gain of 90 appears good but not great. He actually gained 131 yards, but lost 41 yards in sacks. "I thought Leach was sensational. He made the plays. He ran. He threw. He did the things we've seen him do for four years. Unfortunately we're not going to see him again in Michigan Stadium," Schembechler said. BUT WE WILL see him, along with the rest of the country next week in the natioally televised Ohio State game. Thoughts were already flowing about the Big Ten's classic title game. "We're pleased to be where we are. We're ready to go for all the marbles next week,"Schembechler said. "I just know against Ohio State we're going to have to get up both mentally and physically," Harden said. "Because we beat Purdue doesn't mean we go to the Rose Bowl. It just gives us a chance to go to the Rose Bowl. If we beat Ohio State, then we go to the Rose Bowl." Greer commented, "That's one of the basic reasons why I came to Michigan. The Ohio State-Michigan game is classic football." MICHIGAN Ohio State Mich. State Purdue Minnesota Wisconsin Indiana Iowa Illinois Northwestern Conf. W L T 6 1 0 6 1 0 6 1 0 5 1 1 4 3 0 2 3 2 3 4 0 2 5 0 0 6 2 0 8 1 Overall W L T 9 1 0, 7 2 1 7 3 0 7 2 1 5 5 0 4 4 2 4 6 0 2 8 0 1 8 1 0 10 1 v1/ Boilermakers cooled ... .. .. HEISMAN IN REACH Leach gains hard-earned respect By CUB SCHWARTZ Only one game remains. Next Saturday, if all goes well, Bo Schembechler may witness the final step towards a goal that has driven him since mid-summer. Rick Leach may receive national recognition-perhaps the Heisman trophy. A solid performance by the kid Bo loves would put him in the driver's seat for the most prized accolade college football offers. Yesterday, two highly r spected sports publications, Football News and The Sportidg News, named Leach their first team All-America Quarterback. Those are pretty strong endorsements. Now, if Leach can turn the trick in Columbus, before a bloated press corps and a national television audience, he just might impress enough people to earn the title of college football's best player. The possibility is indeed ironic. There exists a large group of people who seriously doubt Leach's quarterbacking ability. Some say that he isn't the best quarterback in the big, Ten. Others say he isn't even the second best, citing Michigan State's Eddie Smith and Purdue's Mark Herrmann. But Schembechler has maintained all along that Leach is the best athlete he has coached. After Leach's fine performance yesterday, Bo reaffirmed his faith in his senior signal caller for the umpteenth time. "I thought Leach was sensational," he said. "He made the plays. He ran. He threw. He did all the things we've seen him do for four years. Unfortunately, we're not going to see him again in Michigan Stadium." Bo has stuck with Leach through thick and thin. When Leach is good, he is very good and Bo can smile and joke and relax. He could tell all of the critics to head for a warmer climate. But he doesn't, because it's more fun to talk about Leach's passing records, and his rushing records, and his scoring records. After all, if Eddie Smith is such a hot shot passer, why does Leach hold the Big Ten record for touchdown passes? Why does Leach hold the NCAA record for career total offense touchdowns? Why does Leach hold the record for Big Ten offense? How could anyone possibly doubt this young man's talents?. "It really doesn't make much sense to me," Leach answered. I've been criticized that I can't pass and that Michigan can't pass-but I hold a lot of passing records." "The main thing about me is I just try to give 100 per cent. My job changes from week to week. Some weeks I have to pass, some weeks I have to run the option and sometimes I am just supposed to be a team leader." Leach believes that these all-around talents place him in front of Smith and Herrmann as quarterack. He feels that the emphasis placed on the duo's passing ability isn't really the best indicator for comparison. "It's unfair," he complained, "Herrmann and Smith have completed more passes this year than I've even attempted. That gives you some indication of the differences in offenses. "They don't get hit on every play. They just drop back and pass. When I run the option I get hit on every play. I think it would be a lot easier for me to go in and run the type of offense they run. "I don't feel those guys could play option football and take the hits I do," he continued. Perhaps a case in point is the injury Herrmann sustained on the second series of the game, which kept him on the sideline for the rest of the afternoon. At any rate, the publications which named Leach the top quarterback in the nation apparently agreed with Leach's contention that the situation at Michigan has prevented his development into a top notch passer. And they saw enough in Leach's other abilities to place him above the likes of Chuck Fusina, Ron Calcagni, Jeff Rutledge, Smith and Herrmann. Leach said the honor was "a reward for my whole career here." But he's not thinking about the Heisman Trophy, which he labeled a public relations contest earlier in the year. "Whatever happens, will happen," he maintains. "If 1I do my job (against OSU) as well as I have been, I'm sure I'll be in consideration." And that must make Schembechler very happy. He told the critics before the '76 Orange Bowl that Leach was a good quarterback, and they laughed at him after the game. He told them before the '77 Rose Bowl that Leach was a great quarterback, and they laughed at him after the game. He told them before the Michigan State game that Leach was a great quarterback, and they laughed at him after the game. Yesterday, Bo said Leach was a great quarterback, and nobody laughed. Yesterday, Football News said Leach was a great quarterback, and nobody laughed. Not even Rick Leach. MICHIGAN PURDUE First downs................ 25 11 Rushing (att/yds) ......... 72/343 29/50 Passing (att/comp/int) .... 11/5/0 21/8/1 Total offense............... 397 123 Punts (no./avg) ........... 3/44.5 7/39.7 Fumbles (no/lost).........1/0 2/1 Penalties (no./yds)......... 8/75 1/15 scoring Plays 1st-M-Clayton, 11 yd. pass from Leach (Willner kick) M-Willner, 32 yd. field goal 2nd-M-Marsh, 10 yd. pass from Leach (Willner kick) 3rd-M-Reid, S yd. run (Willner kick) 4th-P-Adamle, 10 yd. run on block punt (2-point failed)/ SCORING MICHIGAN ................. 10 PURDUE ................... 0 7 7 0-24 0 0 6- 6 RUSHING MICHIGAN ATT.1 R. Davis......................... 25 Leach ........................ 18 Woolfolk .....................13 Huckleby ........................I1I Clayton.......................2 Reid ............................ I Dickey.......................I1 R. Sm ith ........................ I YDS. 134 90 64 43 9 5 0 -2 AVG. 5.4 5.0 4.9 3.9 4.5 5.0 0 -2.0 PURDUE Macon....................... 14 45 3.2 Augustyniak..................... 4 37 9.2 Pope- - --.........................4 10 2.5 Herrmann...................... 2 -2 -1.0 Oliver.........................5 40 -8.0 PASSING MICHIGAN ATT. COM. INT. YDS. Leach ..................... 11 5 0 54 PURDUE Oliver ..................... 16 6 Herrmann.................5 2 RECEIVING MICHIGAN Feaster ............................... Clayton ........................... Marsh..... ..................... Huckleby ....................... G. Johnson ........................ PURDUE Pope ......................... ....... Young ............................ Harris.............................. . Burrel.......................... 0 NO. 1 1 1 1 4 2 'I 54 19 YDS. 18 11 10 8 7 39 22 7 5 WOLVERINES STRIKE EARLY IN 5-1 WIN: Blue icers smash Denver By BOB EMORY This time they made sure. After blowing first period leads in each of the la-st two games, the Wolverines scored four times in the opening stanza and then made sure that sweep-minded Denver was held off the rest of the why as they coasted to a 5-1 victory over the Pioneers last night at Yost A rena. THE WIN snapped a four game losing streak that Michigan has suffered at the hands of Denver and it brought their record back up to .500 for the season, 5-5 overall and 3-5 in the WCHA. Denver, ranked number one coming into this weekend series, fell to 7-2-1 overall but remained in at least a tie for first place in the WjCHA with a 6-2 league mark. The Pioneers apparently didn't fully recover from Friday night's cliff hanging 6-5 win as the Wolverines carried the play to them from the start. "We played the way we know we can play, said a happy Dan Farrell. "There were some lapses defensively, but our zone play was good on the whole. MICHIGAN'S power play unit continued to do heavy damage as the Wolverines got three goals with a man advantage. Tim Manning and freshman sensation Murray Eaves scored two of the power play goals in the first period. Manning's goal, his second of the season, opened the scoring at the six minute mark. His back-hander from inside the slot found its way through a maze of 'players before sliding into the far corner. Wolverine captain Mark Miller sandwiched the two power play goals with his tenth score of the year, a wicked slap shot from just inside the Denver blue line that goaltender Stuart Birebbaum never really saw. Jeff Mars made it 3-0 before Eaves' netted his goal that gave the Wolverines an almost insurmountable 4-0 lead. The wolverines have now scored on eight of their last 20 power play opportunities. "IN A WAY that's not good to score four goals like that and take a big lead," commented Farrell. Indeed, it appeared as though the Wolverines For more sports, see page 7. were going to try and sit on that lead as play got a bit ragged in the second period. But Rudy Varvari made some key saves that kept Denver from get- ting the momentum. "Rudy played a real good game for us tonight," said Farrell. "He's starting to play with more confidence, now." Var- vari was named the game's number "WE'RE GETTING better every game," concluded Farrell. "Even though we lost Friday night, I can see improvement, especially in the younger players." Michigan takes its act to the road this coming holiday weekend when they travel to South Bend for a pair of games with the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame just compelted a two game sweep of the Michigan State Spartans this weekend, winning 9-1 and 5-4 to move them into second place in the WCHA, only one point behind the leader. Pioneers plowed FIRST PERIOD Scoring: 1. M-Manning (Eaves, Olver) 6:23; 2. M-Miller (Olver, Lundberg) 9:17; 3. M-Mars (Tessier) 9:37; 4. M-Eaves (Olver, Miller) 10:28; 5. D-Magnan (Purpur) 13:35. Penalties: D-Turner (holding) 5&03; D-Hudson (elbowing) 10:04; D- (bench minor) 10:11; D-Hludson (unsportsmanlike conduct) 16:23; M-Richmond (unsportsmanlike conduct) 16:23; M-Lundberg (crosschecking) 17:41; D-Magnan (crosschecking) 17:41; M-Perry (holding) 18.26. SECOND PERIOD Scoring: none. Penalties: M-Wheeler (slashing) 4:23; D-Magnanu(slashing) 4:23; M-May (hook- ing) 6:02; D-Hudson (interference) 7:35; M- Wheeler (elbowing) 9:48. MICHIGAN 24, Purdue 6 Ohio State 21, Indiana 18 Minnesota 24, Illinois 6 Iowa 38. Wiscnsin 24 SCORES Stanford 30, California 10 Miami (O.) 28, Cincinnati 24 Ohio U. 19, Bowling Green 15 Massachusetts 34, New Hampshire 7 Delaware 38. Colgate 29 Lehigh 23, Lafayette 15 Rice 24, Baylor 10 I yy 1y ~, ., f i7. .. _.:. ;,...:. ,.,' k,.......6 . l . ',3 .x "'NO M ' 'D:ofR..; kr ,:4r . .