Page' IO-Sunday, October 28, 1979-The Michigan Daily
A miracle in A2
<Continued from Page 1
bechler pulled all stops. side penalty
With only a mere six seconds yard line of
remaining, Michigan quarterback John seconds left.
Wangler, who substituted for second "When yo
quarter-injured B. J. Dickey, laced a you can go
pass up the middle to his receiver Car- remarked
ter waiting at the 25-yard line of In- "or send th
diana. both. There
Carter eluded two defenders, one was our only
when he caught the ball and the other cut and hope
grabbing at his leg at the two-yard line "Wangler
to scamper into the end zone for the in there. Yo
ultimate score. protection.
IT WAS A miraculous play for the nobody put
seemingly ill-fated Wolverines. The can sit bac
fact that the ball got into Carter's hands that's what
would have satisfied many a coach, but torious coac
it did not satisfy the young freshman.
He was determined to score. IT WAS
"If I'd been tackled," said the Schembech
jubilant Carter in the post-game press But for th'
conference, "the game would have things woul
been over. One guy hit me, and the next Cgs c.
0 grabbed me by the leg on the two-yard Carter c
line.we can b
.line.linebacker),
"I thought I'd have no chance, but I After he go)
x managed to get by him," he added.
T HE DRIVE which set up the miracle. in, comm
started on Michigan's 22. Wangler, second hal
maintaining incredible composure, respectivel
looped a pass to Butch Woolfolk for
Kseven. After an incomplete pass to
Rodney Feaster, Wangler handed off to THE FIR
Woolfolk who then ran for two. game, cam
But it wasn't enough as -the the left gua
Wolverines were faced with a fourth TD. On the
and one situation on their 31. Electing nected to N
not to punt, Schembechler called a run. ball to mid-
Success ensued as Woolfolk bowled four The secot
yards for a first down. 10 plays, v
The cool Wangler then threw a slipped pas
sideline pass to Clayton, stopping the the two. W
clock at 25 seconds. After an inconplete rushed 6, 2
pass to Alan Mitchell, Wangler passed while Wang
to Lawrence Reid for six, who then to get the si
"lateralled out of bounds to start the The first
clock. Wolverines
- INDIANA WAS then called for an off- through as
+fIf
Hoosiers
By GEOFF LARCOM
Wanted: Bo Schembechler and his squad of heart-
stopping maize and blue men. The crime?-grand
larceny, committed yesterday on the tartan turf in
massive Michigan Stadium.
It was there in the cold gray that Michigan simply
stole a win from Indiana, a courageous team that.
silenced its critics while battling Michigan to a stan-
doff in four quarters of mind-grinding, see-saw foot-
ball.
WRITERS AND fans alike had wondered aloud
whether Indiana was a Big Ten contender or a
fleeting pretender prior to yesterday's 27-21 Michigan
victory. Consensus even leaned toward the latter,
with the Hoosiers' not-so-impressive 3-0 win over
docile Wisconsin a chief concern.
But there Indiana was, tied with Michigan, 55
,seconds left on the clock and the Wolverines pinned
back on their own 22-yard line. It surely appeared Lee
Corso would soon enjoy his crowning triumph as In-
diana coach, with that pretender label smashed to
smithereens.
s But what happened in that last minute bordered on
the incredible for Michigan, the nightmarish for Cor-
so'
As some began grumpily shuffling out of the
packed stadium, John Wangler, in for B.J. Dickey
-who left in the second quarter with a shoulder bruise
not to return, began his improbable heroics.
A FIRST DOWN pass to Butch Woolfolk gained
seven yards, with a Woolfolk run netting two on third
flown. Then with fourth and one on the 31, Woolfolk
Sv
4 j i , l . .r ' - " - / .I
4j //i' I
WI ,~, I,
9 / A - -4 y
II,1
1 r / ? '7"b .ii ,
, moving the ball to the 45-
the Hoosiers with only six
The rest is history.
u're in a situation like this,
deep and widen the area,"
Schembechler afterwards,
e man inside. We had done
was time to go inside. It
y chance, to go with the post
efully g6 in.
did a great job throwing it
u know .you're going to have
There's no blitz, there's
ting pressure on you. You
k and throw that ball, and
it he did," added the vic-
ch.
certainly a gamble on
ler's part, but it paid off.
e cool Wangler, he knew
d turn out for the better.
ame in and told me, I know
eat him (the opposing
.' Carter made a good cut.
t by one guy, I knew he'd go
ented the quarterback.
's other two scores of the
f came at 10:06 and 0:14
y in the third quarter.
3ST ONE, which tied up the
e when Reid cut right over
ard and ran 50 yards for the
previous play, Wangler con-
Mitchell for 14, moving the
field.
nd TD, eating up 54 yards in
was scored when Woolfolk
st the Hoosier defense from
angler, Woolfolk, and Reid
2 and 16 yards respectively,
fler passed to Woolfolk for 10
x.
half did not bode well for the
. Indiana's strength shone
the Hoosiers left the field at
halftime with a seven-point lead, 14-7.
But more costly is the possible exten-
ded loss of Dickey. Dickey suffered a
bruised shoulder, according to Schem-
bechler, on Michigan's fourth offensive
series of the game. Dickey spun left
guard for 13 yards where he. was
tackled by Hoosier cornerback Tim
Wilber. He immediately left the game,
not returning for the rest of the after-
noon.
PRIOR TO HIS exit, Dickey marched
his team into the Hoosier end zone for
the first score of the game.
On Bryan Virgil's 37-yard punt, the
Indiana man downfield fumbled the
ball when hit by Roosevelt Smith.
Wolverine sophomore Mike Lemirande
recovered the ball for Michigan at the
Indiana 40-yard line, setting up the 40-
yard; six-play touchdown drive.
On fourth and six from the 22, Dickey
faded back and then broke up the mid-
dle for 19 yards, giving the Wolverines
goal-to-go on the three-yard line. Reid
proceeded to bowl over the goal line on
the next play, giving Michigan six poin-
ts and one more for the conversion.
WITH 3:56 TICKED off the clock in
the quarter, the Hoosiers responded by
capping a 98-yard drive in 15 plays to tie
the score at seven-all.
After Clifford rolled inside for 11 yar-
ds, moving the ball to the six-yard line
and first and goal-to-go, two plays later
Clifford rolled' left and passed to
Harangody in the end zone for six.
Marching 98 yards'for a touchdown
on the Michigan defense is a feat in its
own, but the Hoosiers did not stop there.
Indiana scored again in the second
quarter, this time consuming 69 yards
in only four plays, using 1:09 up on the
clock.
Daily Photo by DAVID HARRIS
A JUBILANT ANTHONY CARTER holds the game ball high above his head just an instant before he is swarmed by
fellow Wolverines and fans iryesterday's homecoming game. The Wolverines pulled off a miraculous 27-21 victory with
a John Wangler to Carter 45-yard pass play as time expired. The triumph left Michigan 5-0 in the Big Ten, still tied
with Ohio State for first place, and left Indiana, hoping for its first postseason bowl bid since 1967, 3-2 in the conference.
MICHIGAN STEALS VICTORY
'high hopes humbled,
plugged for four yards and the precious first down as
the seconds ticket away.
The first down was crucial. It meant the Hoosiers
didn't get the ball in field goal territory with a chance
to win it, and it preserved a glimmer of hope for the
Wolverines.
"I could have lost the game with that fourth down,
and maybe have lost the Big Ten championship and
everything," said Schembechler, ebullient in the
sudden victory.
"IT COULD have gone down as the biggest
bonehead play in history to not punt it.
"But I'm gonna gamble because I want to try and
win this thing. We're gonna pull out every stop to do
it."
And pull out the stops Michigan certainly did, when
three plays later fullback Lawrence Reid, seeing he
couldn't reach the sideline after catching a short
pass, improvised beautifully, hilariously, in, "fum-
bling" the ball out of bounds to stop the clock.
CORSO STORMED onto the field, claiming Reid
had tossed the ball forward, but it was no go. Time ws
thus preserved and Reid had credit for a sweet bit of
thinking.
"It was a perfectly legal play," said Schembechler.
"As long as you fumble it backward, it's okay. As far
as I'm concerned, Reid made one smart play."
Reid, basking in the glow of victory, laughed when.
he heard his coach had feigned surprise at the in-
telligent play. "Ain't that something. . . I'm a senior
here," he grinned.
THAT SET the'stage for the pass that lit a fire un-
der the usually lethargic Ann Arbor crowd, kindling
a response normally reserved for late season heroics
against Ohio State.
Wangler's pass to Anthony Carter was true, and the
freshman whippet stumbled and broke a tackle at-
tempt while going in for the winning six as time en-
ded. The crowd filled the field and Carter was gang-
mugged by the exultant Wolverines.
"Everybody crowded in, I couldn't hardly breath,"
said Carter.
CARTER 'HELD his touchdown ball as he spoke,
and you knew the shiny pigskin was a momento he'd
treasure for a long time.
"I wanted to make up for that fumbled punt I had,"
Carter said, recalling his second quarter miscue on a
Larry Lovett kick. "It was a deep pass up the middle
and I high stepped the last guy."
"It was just a great play by Carter," Schembechler
said. "I don't know if anyone else on the squad could
have done that. It was just a sensational play."
IT WAS sensational all right. it wrote another
chapter in what's fast becoming the most interesting
Michigan season in Schembechler's susccess studded
reign as coach.
And Corso, who went for and got the tie following
the Hoosiers' third score, must content himself with
knowing his team can, and did, compete with the
Wolverines.
That, given Indiana's woes in recent years, is a vic-
tory in itself. Nobody's calling the Hoosiers preten-
ders to anything now.
l N EFF
IS
ENOUGH
By Billy Neff
3
Hull plans to .make
comeback with Jets
Coupons, Blue mis kes..
TTNELEVBL .. both redeemable
U NBELIEVABLE. WHAT other way could you describe the finish to
yesterday's game? With six seconds remaining in the 21-21 stalemate,
and Michigan desperately trying to get into field position at midfield, Royal
Oak senior quarterback John Wangler threw over the middle to freshman
sensation Anthony Carter and, incredibly, he high stepped his way into the
end zone.
For Carter, this play was not only unbelievable but it was also redem-
ption: Redemption because he fumbled a second quarter punt. "I wanted to
make up for the fumbled punt I have,".said Carter. If you remember.correc-
tly this freshman atoned for a fumbled punt against Northwestern by taking
the next Northwestern punt for a 78 yard touchdown.
For John Wangler, it was a different type of redemption. Wangle, many
onlookers believed, would be the starting quarterback once the season star-
ted. Through the first few games, coach Bo Schembechler insisted on using
both he and B.J. Dickey. Now, Wangler has been relegated to reserve status
and it must have been a fantastic feeling for him to lead the squad to victory,
considering the frustration he's undoubtedly suffered.
These two players, in one way, symbolize the character of the entire
team-a team of redemption. All year long, the Wolverine gridders have
found themselves in some sort of hole and have battled their way out of
trouble. In particular, Michigan has put together excellent second half per-
formances after inconsistent first halves, and thus redeemed themselves.
Look at the California game. After a uninspired first half which saw
them trailing 10-0, it took Michigan exactly a minute to turn the tide in their
favor. The Wolverines recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff of the
second half and scored irpmediately. They quickly scored again and held on
for a.14-10 win.
Or, better yet, there is last week's Illinois contest. After waltzing
through a scoreless first half with the Fighting Illini, the Wolverines once
again turned the game around right after halftime. Senior Mike Jolly picked
off Illinoi s'°quarterback Tim McAvoy's opening aerial and Michigan scored.
Shortly thereafter, it scored again and another win was recovered.
For. the best redemption yet, you only need examine yesterday's
amazing defeat of the Indiana Hoosiers. After taking an initial 7-0 lead, most
of the homecoming crowd settled in to what it believed would be another
Michigan rout. Unfortunately, so did Schembechler's gridders, coughing up
the ball three times and paving the way for a 14-7 Hoosier halftime lead.
Once again, trailing at halftime, the Wolverines felt a need to make up
for their sins. They came out right away and knotted the game at 14. Before
long, Butch Woolfolk put Michigan back into the lead. And the redemption
was on, but there was more to come.
After Indiana marched down the field easily against Michigan's defense,
the pillar of strength this year for Schembechler, the Michigan offense
produced the shocking turnabout for the Wolverines. All year, the defense
had more or less carried the offense's load but this time, the offense rever-
sed that.
By always finding a way to redeem itself this year, Michigan also finds
some way to win. The Wolverines scratch and claw, fight back and somehow
end up on top. Would you call this a team with character? I would.
"It(Carter's TD) was the first break we got in the game. We never gave
up, even though we had 85 yards to go in 55 seconds," Schembechler said.
The Michigan head coach noted of another key play in the fourth quar-
ter, in reference to the fourth down conversion that kept the winning drive
alive, "We could have lost the game, and it could have gone down as the
biggest blunder ever. We're gonna pull out every stop to win."
"It might have been the biggest bonehead play of the year, because if we
miss, they kick a field goal and win. I'm gonna gamble. We'll do anything to
win a game," added Schembechler.
Yes, they will, since they have done that all year-they have done in-
credible things to win games. Yesterday, it was yet another incredible act
which led to victory.
WINNIPEG (AP)-Bobby Hull,
who retired a year ago, announced
Friday he plans to rejoin the Winnipeg
Jets of the NHL.
Hull had been hoping to be reunited
with Chicago Black Hawks, for whom
he played before switching in 1972 to the
Jets, but trade talks have come to
nothing.
, Hull only recently began efforts to get
back into playing condition and said he
did not know how long it would be
before he gets his skating muscles
back.'
"A GUY 40 years old doesn't snap
back as quickly as a 25-year-old or a 30-
year-old," Hull told a news conference.
For more coverage of yesterday's.
sports, including the Michigan
hockey game, see pages 8 and 9.
"It's just going to take time, and I
won't know what I'm capable of until I
get into practice and game situations,
and depending on who I'm playing with.
That makes a great deal of difference."
Hull scoied 604 goals for the Black
Hawks before jumping to the Jets, a
move that helped to launch the now-
defunct World Hockey Association.
tHull said he and Jets General
Manager John Fergusonsheld talks
Thursday night on the forward's return
to the ice.
Unbelievable
MICH IND
/- First downs......... ....... 27 21
Rushing (att/yds).......... 54/307 44/161
Passing (comp/att/int) .. 12/20/1, 12/26/0
........yds........./ 182 23
.$ rH4r/f/ Fumblesnot...-2
Punts (no/avg)............. 3/44 7/32.2
SCORING
"I I'l ,Ij1n~ji4 ''"""" ~ /f INDIANA....,....... 0 14 0 7-21
MICHIGAN.............7 0 14 6-27
-SCORING PLAYS
f'y1MICH-Reid 3 yd. run (virgil kick)
INDIANA
Harkrader ......................
Johnson .........................
Clifford.......................
D)'Orazio....................
Friede.......................
PASSING
MICHIGAN
at
Wangler................... 14
Dickey...................6
INDIANA
lif'ord'.. . . . . . . . .. . . . ..26
RECEIVING
co
23 80
13 53
4 20
3t 5
1 -8
omp int
10 0
2 1
12 0
3.5
4.1
5.0
1.7
-8
yds
163
19
232