The Michigan Daily-Sunday, November 11, 1979-Page 1 r: Not enough Purdue slams door on ' (Continued from Page 1) brought the ball to the ten and another heroic flashback came to mind. On first down from the ten, backup tight end Norm Betts had a Wangler aerial on his fingertips, but a jarring Purdue tackle caused the ball to fall in- complete. Wangler, then had to throw the ball away on second down. On third down, the senior from Royal Oak scrambled for eight tough yards down to the Purdue two, setting up fourth down with the game on the line. Surprisingly, Schembechler went back to his patented option play, a play he had only run three times all day, as he seemed to have the wrong quarter- back to run it. On this play, Wangler rolled right with the option to pitch or run. Seemingly confused, Wangler did not pitch the ball to Woolfolk and was forced to eat the ball at the Purdue ten.. TWO MINUTES, sixteen seconds remained on .'the clock, and the Michigan defense gave their offense one more chance. After Herrmann ran into the end zone for a safety, so that the Boilermakers could avoid punting the ball from their own 11, the Wolverines had one more shot. Unlike th&,Indiana game, there were 59 ticks on the clock, instead of 55, when the offense took the ball at their own 46. But lightning didn't strike twice. Wangler was sacked by Ken Doushin on first down for a four-yard loss. Then, !7 Temporary InShit Ir a pass to Woolfolk fell incomplete and another one to the sprint star from New Jersey added seven. On their final chance, Michigan attempted a pass to everyone's hero, Carter, but the pigskin fluttered over the freshman's hands, and Purdue had notched one of its biggest victories ever. With 10:27 remaining in this impor- tant contest, Purdue looked like it had salted the game away with a touchdown for a 24-6 lead. On the play, junior Ben McCall carried a Purdue blocker into the end zone with him as he tallied his second touchdown of the cold and windy afternoon. BUT THE 69,829 faithful would see a seat-squirmer before the afternoon was done.'-I After a twisting and turning 36-yard kickoff return by Anthony Carter, Woolfolk doggedly rambled 37 yards down to the Purdue 13. Carter was in- terfered with in the end zone, setting up a first and goal at the one. Roosevelt Smith, the forgotten man this year for Michigan, then hurdled in- to the end zone with 8:11 to play. The Wolverines were within striking distan- ce but weren't helped any when Wangler slipped while passing on the two-point conversion to make the score 24-12. After an unsuccessful attempt at an onside kick by Ali Haji-Sheikh, just one of the many kicking failures for the Wolverines yesterday, Purdue took possession at the Michigan 49. Michigan had a punt blocked, an extra point hit the crossbar and bounced out, and a bad snap was made to the punter during the afternoon. ON THIRD DOWN and one at the 40, McCall fumbled the ball and standout defensive tackle Curtis Greer recovered for Michigan. Two perfectly- placed Wangler passes found the hands M rally of unguarded tight end Doug Marsh for gains of 18 and 14, pushing the ball to the Purdue 27. Afte a short Woolfolk gain, Wangler connected with Ralph Clayton at the two-yard-line. Woolfolk then powered into the end zone for his thirteenth touchdown of the season. A successful Virgil extra point made it 24-19, setting the stage for the Cannavino and., Wangler show. "It was a lousy game," commented Schem- bechler, who lost to his former under- study for the first time. "Purdue played well. It was a game between the two worst kicking teams in America. The second worst team won, and the worst team lost," he continued. Although the goat label could be placed on Virgil's head, a gold star could be given to Purdue defensive back Bill Kay. In fact, Purdue head man Young will probably give the junior from Melrose Park, Illinois four gold stars for his three interceptions and a fumble recovery. KAY'S FIRST interception paved the way for the first Boilermaker touch- down. In the first touchdown drive, Purdue junior Herrmann used the shotgun effectively to complete passes of 10, 25 and nine. Finally, McCall plunged ever from the two and Purdue took the lead, 7-0. This score stood until halftime. In the second half, a bad snap to Virgil gave Purdue the football at the Michigan 25. A controversial holding call against Michael Harden kept the drive going and then Herrmann sneaked in from the one to put the Boilermakers up 14-0. The win pushed both Michigan's and Purdue's records to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten, setting up the crucial contest with the Buckeyes next weekend. V Billy Sahn One more _miracle?. no dice WEST LAFAYETTE T WOULD HAVE been a most memorable comeback indeed. The scene was set and all the opportunities were there, but it was not to be. The Michigan Wolverines went down to defeat yesterday as they suc- cumbed to the- domineering Purdue Boilermakers 24-21 in Ross-Ade Stadium, the same site in which Purdue delivered a crushing blow to Mihigan's bid for a national title back in 1976. That same fate that carried the Wolverines to victory just two weekends ago in the miraculous last-second scoring drive against Indiana hovered above the Michigan bench once again. But no, those heroics would happen only once. From the outset, Michigan had trouble dealing with Purdue. It was just one of those afternoons ripe for an upset. But despite the adversity the Wolverines were to encounter, mostly in the form of the Boilermaker defen- se, Michigan hung tough, keeping Purdue on its toes. On the very first snap from center, Michigan quarterback John Wangler fumbled the ball and then fell on it for a two-yard loss. Right then and there, it seemed as if the Wolverines were heading for a long afternoon. Before the final gun sounded, the Wolverines were t6 notch two more fumbles, four in- terceptions, a missed extra point attempt, a bad punt-snap from center resulting in a crucial yardage loss, and a blocked punt. But putting these "trivial" mistakes aside, the major blow for the Wolverines came on their second-to-last offensive series of the game. After Michigan linebacker Andy Cannavino ran an interception down to Purdue's 27-yard line with 3:41 remaining in the game, the Michigan offense marched the ball 17 yards to set up a first and goal-to-go situation, with the score Purdue 24, Michigan 19. (An intentional safety by Purdue had added two more points for Michigan.) . Four plays later, the Wolverines remained outside of the elusive end zone, thus ending any hope for victory. The opportunities finally ran out. Don't feel sorry for Michigan. They played a heck of a game, but lost. Purdue, on the other hand, came up with clutch defensive plays combined with a steady Mark Herrmann-led offense to defeat the Wolverines.- "They gave us the game and we refused to take it," said frustrated Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler in the post-game interview. "The defense got us the turnovers, we did not capitalize. Ridiculous," he con- tinned. Turned 'em loose Down 24-6 with 10:27 remaining in the fourth quarter, Schembechler decided enough was enough. Michigan marched back, scoring two touch- downs with 2:37 separating them. On the first one, though, the luckless Wolverines attempted a two-point conversion which failed.s "When it was 2446, we decided to turn 'em loose to see if we could get back into the game. We made the plays," Schembechler remarked, "except one. That play beat us." The play Schembechler refers to came on fourth-and-two on that crucial series, when Schembechler called an option play to quarterback Wangler. But its execution fell short of its goal. Michigan was beat. But it's a loss they can live with. They managed to dig themselves out of a rut, exemplifying the team's character. The loss to Notre Dame earlier in the season hurt. But this late-season loss to a Big Ten rival means much more. They now must face the surging Buckeyes., The only way the frustrated Michigan team can now return to the Rose Bowl Is If they beat OSU and if Indiana can overtake Purdue. Its been one of those crazy seasons where anything can happen to Michigan. Despite it all, they have maintained their composure in victory and in defeat. "We usually win big but our players showed a lot of character as bad as we looked (against Purdue), Schembechler commented. "It is as good a group of kids as I've ever had, they won't lay down and die." Must defeat OSU "I thought I could have scored on the (interception) play," Cannavino said, "but I got so excited. We'll be up for Ohio State, and we know Indiana will beat Purdue. "We thought we were the miracle team. We thought it would all work out, but it didn't," the junior linebacker added. All-American candidate Ron Simpkins said that yesterday's defeat put Michigan in a hole. But according to the senior linebacker, the Wolverines are still in it all the way, and only a win over OSU will get Michigan out of that hole. The five turnovers the Wolverines committed yesterday and the crucial abortive offensive series deep in Purdue's territory are the mistakes that must be eliminated. Michigan's starting quarterback, Wangler, must closely scrutinize those interceptions. When the Wolverines take on Ohio State, they will be the underdogs in. their own stadium, something which is uncommon in its own right. Even if they can muster a win over OSU, there's still a chance the Buckeyes will end up in Pasadena. No matter, because the victory for the topsy-turvy Wolverines will mark success, even if Blue Roses do not bloom this winter. Blue boiled AP Photo THIS SCENE WAS typical of Michigan quarterback John Wangler's after- noon yesterday in West Lafayette. Wangler spent a good part of the game on his backside as a stingy, big-play Boilermaker defense sacked John ten times. However, poor weather conditions also helped stymie the Blue pass- ing attack. Wangler had a mediocre game, completing 14 of 28 passes for only 159 yards, and throwing four interceptions. OPTION CALL QUESTIONABLE Wolverines fal to make big plaiy By DAN PERRIN Special to the Daily WEST LAFAYETTE-Purdue leads Michigan, 24-19, with 2:16 left in the game. The Wolverines have the ball on the Purdue two-yard line, fourth and oneto go for the first down, two for the go-ahead score.. All day Michigan has taken to the air-quarterback John Wangler has thrown 25 times, completing 13 passes while also throwing four interceptions. Butch Woolfolk has been the. only big rusher for the Blue gridders, carrying the ball 22 times for a net total of 105 yards. The ofense has run the option very few times during the game. The backfield for this crucial fourth down play con- sists of Wangler at QB, Woolfolk at tailback, and sub- stitute Roosevelt Smith at fullback. The wide receivers are Ralph Clayton and Anthony Carter, with Doug Marsh, the team's leading receiver, lining up at tight end. YOU GET TO call the play. What would you do in this situation? Well, here's what Michigan coach Bo Schem- bechler did: He called the option. And, as you all know by now, the play failed as Purdue linebacker James Looney dropped Wangler on the 10-yard line for an eight-yard loss. More im- portantly, the offense's failure to put the ball in the end zone, or at least get the first down on that play, cost Michigan the game. SCHEMBECHLER did not hesitate to say so after the game. "They gave us the game and we didn't take it. We didn't capitalize on an interception, which is ridiculous. That's not our type of football. We can't go down (the field) with plenty of time left and not score." The interception Schembechler referred to was the Wolverines' 'Golden Opportunity' to pull out the vic- tory. Down by five points with precious little time remaining. Blue inside linebacker Andy Cannavino picked off the Mark Herrmann passs at the Purdue 48-yard line and raced down to the Boilermaker 27. This was it. First and ten to go from the 27 with 3:41 left in the contest. Woolfolk gained three yards over the right guard and then grabbed a Wangler screen pass and'landed at the 11. First down, Michigan. WANGLER THEN found reserve tight end Norm Betts in the end zone, but the 6-5, 217 pounder was jarred by Purdue cornerback Wayne Smith and couldn't hold on. It was a tough break for the Wolverines. In fact, Smith's hit probably salvaged the game for the Boilermakers. A Wangler pass intended for Carter fell incomplete on second down before the junior signal-caller scrambled down to the two, setting up.the do-or-die fourth down situation. . Michigan called a time-out before going nowhere on the biggest play of the game. The Blue gridders- were left empty-handed, and Purdue had only to hold off one last Michian drive before walking away with a 24-21 victory, the biggest win of the year. Cannavino,, for one, thought Michigan would pull it out after his clutch interception. "'I thought we'd win today. We're a miracle team, but it didn't work out." NO, IT DIDN'T, and several of the Wolverine players offered explanations as to why things didn't go their way. "They (the Purdue defense) got too much penetration in our backfield," said tight end Marsh: "They were right on top of him (Wangler). There was nothing he could do. Wangler, when told that Marsh was :open on the play, explained it this way. "Carter and Clayton were covered and so was Butch (Woolfolk), so I couldn't pitch out. I tried to cut, but I probably should've gone to Doug (Marsh). "I think if we had more time, we would've scored," added Wangler. "But we have to get it done earlier. We can't rely on a last minute win." SPOR TS OF THE DAIL Y s Blueharrers sneak into nationalRs By JOHN FITZPATRICK Combatting slippery conditions on MSU's snow-covered 10,000-meter course, Michigan finished fourth with 124 in the NCAA regional champion- ships yesterday at East Lansing, behind the 84 points of surprise victor Indiana. The Wolverines needed to finish in the top four positions to qualify for the national championships to be held at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania next week. A hard-charging Spartan team almost upset Michigan's plans for a trip to the nationals with a close fifth-place finish with 127 points. The team race was competitive, as pre-race favorite Wisconsin was one point behind Indiana, but the run for the individual title was no contest, as the Badger's Jim Stinzi took command of the race at the two-mile mark and coasted in with a hundred-yard margin of victory in 31:32.1. Dan Heikkinen led the Wolverine squad with his fourth-place finish, and frosh Brian Deimer continued to cause upperclassmen's heads to shake in disbelief as he stormed across the finish in sixth place. Rounding out the top scorers for Michigan were Dave Lewis in 21st, Danny Beck in 48th, and Bill Weidenbach in 56th. :Canucks clip Wings DETROIT (AP)-Rick Blight and Rick Vaive scored third period goals .69 The victory was the first in five games for the Canucks. Detroit now carries a 4-7-2 record for the season. Vancouver is now 5-4-5 in the Smythe Division and holds a three-point lead over Chicago. Sixers nip C eltics ,PHILADELPHIA (AP)--Forward Julius Erving hit 37 points to boost the Philadelphia 76ers to a 95-94 National Basketball Association win over the Boston Celtics last night. The loss shattered a six-game Boston winning .streak as Philadelphia over- took the Celtics for first place with a 12- 3 record. The Celtics dropped to 10-3. With 58 seconds left, Erving hit a field goal from the right corner to put the Sixers ahead 95-92. Boston rookie forward Larry Bird, who had 22 points on the night, hit a one- hand layup with 41 seconds left. But 26 seconds later Bird "missed a jump shot and Celtics' center David Cowens also hit the rim on a jumper with 2 seconds left. I" LATE FLURRY FALLS SHORT Iishhnd icers By GARY LEVY scored three consec Specialto the Daily goals in their six-go SOUTH BEND-The Michigan icers turning a 3-1 deficit in seemed to be playing their usual hockey going into the third pe game. After jumping out to an' early IN THE SECOT lead, the Wolverines would falter in the Wolverines were ply second period, losing their lead. But penalties, as they pla last night, when it was time for the much of the period. comeback, it was a little too late. "You can't take pe Trailing 10-6 with five minutes to play after penalty and ex' in the final period, Michian reeled off game," said Farrell. three consecutive goals-in a span of 32 After the Irish a seconds, pulling within one goal, but the goals in the final pe Fighting Irish of Notre Dame didn't let the icers didn't give it happen, posting an 1-9 victory over c the previously unbeaten Wolverines at coisgalTb the Notre Dame Athletic and Con- F1RelT.(E VocationCenter. Scoring: x: M-Reid (E voction 2. M-Tippett (unassste The Wolverines remain atop the (olver) '10:12; 4. ND--Bro firest utive power play al second period, nto a 7-5 advantage eriod. ND period the lagued by several ayed short-handed nalty after penalty pect to stay in the dded three more niod it seemed as for Michigan. But up, scoring three etween 15:00 and RIOD aves, Richmond) 4:57; ) 7:51; 3. M--Eaves ,wnschlble (unassisted) loss 11=9 15:32 by Billy Reid, Dan Lerg and Roger Bourne, and it looked as though the never-say-die Wolverines might pull off another victory. "WE JUST KEPT plugging away. The other team layed back and we got lucky and shoved three in there;" said Farrell. "I thought we were going to tie it.", But with the Wolverines applying pressure, trying to tie the score, Notre Dame's Kevin Humphreys put the game on ice with 57 seconds to play, and the Irish had salvaged a split in the series. 18:4i. Penalties: ND-Brown (high-sticking) 4:52; M- May (hooking) 7:25; M-Loundberg (slashing) 8:56 M-Richmond (interference) 18:51; M-May MICH. First downs.............. 16 Rushing (att/yds) ......... 40/164 Passing (comp/att/iut).... 14/28/4 Passing yads.............. 159 Fumibles (nest) ...... 3/1 Punts (no/avg)............ 4/21.8 Penaltes (ne/yds)......... 1/13 SCORING PURDUE 16 53/175 16/27/1 2/1 5/31.8 5/3 Clayton ......................... Purdue McCall.......................... Augustynlak..................... Jones ................... Hlerrmann................... 1 att 24 15 S 6 -11 yds 8 57 16 -43 -11 avg 4.7 3.9 2 -7.1 yds 159 yds Purdue ..............7. 7 7 10 Michigan ............... 6 15 SCORING PLAYS *Pnrn-M~I a2yE.run( Seblkick) A irr 3. i .ins.. v .~J- im2..t lk" PASSING -24 MICHIGAN -21 att comp lt Wangler................. 28 14 4 PURDUE att comp fat