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September 17, 1977 - Image 18

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Publication:
Michigan Daily, 1977-09-17
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Page 8-Saturday, September 17, 1977-The Michigan Daily

The Michigan Daily-Saturday, Septembi

Blue opens at home

Here is a quick rundown on Michi-
gan's upcoming opponents prepared by
Sports Editor Kathy Henneghan and
Associate Sports Editor Don MacLach-
Ian.
Duke
The Blue Devils open the Michigan
home schedule this afternoon searching
for their first victory ever against the
Wolverines after four futile attempts.
Under head coach Mike McGee, the
Blue Devils posted a 5-5-1 record in
1976. This year he must replace eleven
starters from that squad.
The Duke attack revolves around 6-4
junior signal caller Mike Dunn. The
slick Dunn led the Atlantic Coast Con-
ference in total offense in 1976 with 1,835
yards, churning for 757 of those on the
ground. In addition to his fine running
ability, Dunn can generate quite an
aerial attack.
Two prime targets are ends Tom Hall
and Glenn Sandefur. Dunn averaged 15
passes per game last fall and things
should be no different this year.
Defensively, Duke boasts a potential
All-American in 6-3, 225 pound junior
linebacker Carl McGee (no relation to
the coach). Six other starters return on
defense - a unit which surrendered 23
points per game last year.
However, with Dunn at the helm the
Blue Devils could pose an offensive
threat for the Wolverines. They racked

up 234 points and rushed for 2,589 yards
a year ago. With the elusive Dunn run-
ning the offense, McGee has good rea-
son to hope for a better fate in 1977.
* * *
Navy
Navy coach George Welsh probably
isn't too sure he wants to return to Ann
Arbor after the torture he underwent a
year ago. Michigan sunk the Middies
70-14 after Navy held a 14-12 lead late in
the first half. .
Despite the Michigan shipwreck,
the Midshipmen managed to record a 4-
7 season slate and Welsh will have the
services of 16 returning starters this
fall.
The offensive line is only adequate
but the Middies have a good leader in
quarterback Bob Leszczynski. The jun-
ior connected on 84 of 158 passes for
1154 yards a year ago. However,
graduation claimed his favorite
receivers and Phil McConkey will be
called on to make most of the catches.
In the backfield co-captain tailback
Joe Gattuso returns to strengthen the
running game and add another dimen-
sion to the aerial attack.
Defensively, the line is very thin and
will need some work to shut down the
likes of Pitt, Notre Dame and Michigan.
Four-year starter John Sturges and
safety Mike Galpin guard against op-
posing ammunition in the defensive

secondary. The linebacking crew
should be solid but will have to do an
outstanding job to back up the feeble
defensive line.
Navy does boast a good kicker in Bob
Tata who connected on seven of ten
field goals last year.
Welsh must do a little manipulating
with his troops or there could be
another disaster in Ann Arbor this fall.
* * *
Texas A&M
Texas A&M provides the stiffest non-
conference competition for Michigan
this year. Some pre-season polls list the
Aggies as favorites in the rugged South-
west Conference, and as high as fifth in
the country.
Coach Emory Bellard is banking on a
powerful offense which returns seven
starters. Texas A&M had the tenth best
offense in the country last year and
Bellard enjoys having his entire back-
field return intact for 1977.
Burly fullback George Woodard en-
ters his senior year with high hopes af-
ter netting 1,156 yards on the ground in
1976.
A pair of freshman starters, Curtis
Dickey and David Brothers hope tofare
just as well during their sophomore
campaigns. Dickey ran for 742 yards
and Brothers chipped in with 251 while
seeing less action last year.
Quarterback David Walker should be
steady at quarterback and fleet footed
Darrel Smith has a lot of potential at
split end.
The biggest headache for Bellard and
his squad appears to be the defense.
Eight starters graduated and a youthful
contingent must come through to keep
opponents from equalling the Aggie of-
fensive output.
Overall, the team is young - there
are only nine seniors on the roster --
and should improve with every game.
Texas A&M hopes to better its 10-2
mark of last year which included a
37-14 Sun Bowl victory over Florida.

l

today
If the Aggies get taken down-to the
final seconds, kicking specialist Tony
Franklin can provide the key boot. The
barefooted kicker holds the NCAA
record for the longest completed field
goal -65 yards.
Michigan and Texas A&M have only
met once before with the Wolverines
prevailing 14-10 in 1970. This year's con-
test might be just as close.
* * *
at Michigan State
"The alternative for fans who are
tired of dull, grind-it-out football is
.. MICHIGAN STATE!"
That's the pitch the Spartans are us-
ing to get things rolling again after a
decade-long lapse. Darryl Rogers and
his staff are trying to disprove the
maxim that a passing team can't win in
the Big Ten.
Michigan State expects a stronger
team than the squad which went 4-6-1 in
Rogers' first year as head coach. An
NCAA probation limited MSU to 25 re-
cruits instead of the usual 30. A year,
agoone player was banned for the sea-
son, one for five games and five for the
opener against Ohio State. Another
year and one more recruiting season re-
main before the probation is listed as of
January 19, 1979.
"This year we have no excuses," says
Rogers, "We're just going to play the
game. I must say that we're looking for-
ward to having all of our players play
all of the same games, though."
MSU returns all of the players who
made it the Big Ten's top passing team
last season. Quarterback Ed Smith was
the !onference total offense champion.
Snitt,, who never would have played
ui Jer i,.rmer coach Denny Stolz' sys-
tern almost completely rewrote the
r'tan passirtg records. He completed
1. passes in 257 attempts for 1,749 yar-
ds and 13 touchdowns.
His top targets return in league-lead-
ing receiver Kirk Gibson, Mark Brain-
See SPARTANS', Page 9

Spartans' Smith on

(Continued fromPage 8)
mer and Gene Byrd.

The Spartans attempted 46 passes
against Michigan last season, the high-
est total a Wolverine team has ever
faced. "We might throw as many as fif-
ty passes against them this year too,"
says quarterback Smith. "Other Big
Ten teams have good athletes of de-
fense, but they're not used to coveriifg
the pass. And they'd better get used to
it."
The line looks fairly solid with vet-
etan center Al Pitts (6-4, 235) and tackle
Jim Hinsley (6-2, 254). However the
running game is suspect. Gone from the
.ackild are Richie Baes and Levi
.Jackson. Fullback Jim Early (6-1, 226)
returns with. 354 yards to his credit and
the best bet at tailback is junior college
transfer Leroy McGee. _
State's defense, put simply, needs
help. Last season it was dead la*'n the
Big Ten against the rush while yieding
278 points, the highest total in school
history.

came to the front during spring drills
and was the number one quarterback
heading into the season. Jardine des-
perately needs a solid field general to
replace the graduated Mike Carroll,
Wisconsin's Most Valuable Player in
1976, and the Big Ten's second leading
passer.
One of Carroll's favorite targets,.
David Charles, returns to torment op-
posing secondaries this fall. Charles

hauled in 34 passes for 449 yards and
three touchdowns last year.
The backfield of Ira Matthews (5-9,
178) and Mike Morgan (5-11, 217) pro-
vides a solid running attack for Jardine
to work with. Matthews, a junior tail-
back, ran for 535 yards and doubles as a
serious kickoff and punt return threat.
The senior Morgan must recover
from off-season knee surgery before he
can assume the halfback chores.
4

tar
Morgan gallop
37 carries last f
Last year's s
Halleran (6-1,
fullback for the
The defensiv
tact but some p
care of on the
counts on miiddl
11, 204) to spy
See GO

New fall and Winter Clothing an
Furn ish ings are now in. PleaOse f4
free to COmne in and browse.

Kirk Gibson

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Seven defensive regulars are back,
including linebacker PaulRudzinski (6-
1, 216) and tackle Larry Bethea (6-4,
244). And several injured players are
expected back in top form this fall, in-
cluding middle guard Kim Rowekamp
(6-2, 250), a pre-season AllAmerica
choice in 1976 before he underwent knee
surgery.
The secondary, however, is inexperi-
enced.
Michigan State may have one of the
best kicking games in the country. Tom
Birney will probably do kickoffs, Hans
Nielsen the placements and freshman
Ray Stachowicz the punting.
The Spartans won't get a chance to
knock off Ohio State, as has been their
wont, for at least two years because the
Buckeyes are not on the schedule. They
would like nothing better, though, than
to knock off that team in Ann Arbor
with the "dull, grind-it-out football."
Wisconsin
The first Big Ten team to roll into Ann
Arbor this fall is Wisconsin. The Bat-
tling Badgers compiled a 5-6 record in
1976 - losing those five conference
games by a total of 32 points, including
a 40-27 loss at the hands of Michigan.
"If we get off to a good start and our
key players have good years, we hope
to challenge for the title," says head
coach John Jardine. "We are very
young - only five of the top 44 players
are seniors - and we will be going with
an unproven quarterback."

Our fine wale cordur
clusively for us. A v
garment. Coordinate
of fine worsted woo
$162.50, Pants from I

The ever popular trench coc
us this season in materials
corduroy-twill and popli
From $115.
.a
~>s.
oy suit is made ex- r ,
ery durable casual
the coat with a pair
l plaid pants. Suit.
..
$37.50.
. . .. h.00.

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ON CAMPUS at State Street and the

Arcade

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