Page Sixteen
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
SQturday, September_ 11, 1976
Michigan offense looks promising
(Continued from Page 3) totals, he'll set a Wolverine ca-
ful attempts by Leach, Mark reer record for interceptions-
Elcinga and even Bell. Leach The Wolverines must learn that
ended with a dismal 2-15 rec- no matter how well they run,
ord. they must be able to pass to
If Leach equals last year's win the big ones.
613. 25903
One possible reason for the
problems Michigan had with the
pass was a lack of balance in
receiving. Of 39 completed pass-
es in eleven regular season
games, Smith caught 24. Leach
will need to look to his other
receivers more. Otherwise, good
defenses will key on Smith and,
despite his acknowledged abili-
ty, cut off that long, quick pene-
tration that is needed against an
Ohio State or an Oklahoma.
He'll have those other receiv-
ers to look for. Curt Stephenson,
who played split end behind
Keith Johnson last year, will
bring experience to that posi-
tion and help gain the needed
balance. Junior Rick White will
also return, but he saw very
little action in '75 as he was in-
jured in the first game and sat
out the rest of the season. Soph-
omores Mark Schmerge, Gene
Johnson and Chip Pederson will
again rotate at tight end.
Of course, the primary weap-
o4,will be 6-2, 195-lb. senior Jim
Smith. Michigan's jack-of-all-
trades is, according to Schem-
bechler, "The most explosive
all-purpose athlete to play here
in many years." The potential
All-American from Blue Island,
Ill., last year had the longest
scrimmage run (77 yards) and
the longest punt return (50
yards) to go along with his
83-yard pass and scoring play.
Of course, no one can run
or pass without a solid line.
This year's offensive front may
be one of the -best ever; The
young group of last year that
had four sophonmores and a
freshman (actually three of
them rotating at one spot) is
now a band of battle-hardened
veterans, featuring returning
guard Kirk Lewis.
Lewis, 6-3, 245-lb. Inteflex.
med student who would have
been the number one guard last
year, missed the season with
a broken arm, He will start, and
says he's ready to make his
comeback.
The other guard position will
be filled by 6-3, 245-lb. Mark
Donahue. The junior is con-
sidered one of the best guards
to come to Ann Arbor in a
long time. He was second-team
All-Big Ten last year. Donahue
and Lewis will be ably backed
up by. juniors Greg Bartnick
and Gerry Szara. Both missed
'75 with injuries, but looked good
in spring practice.
Anchoring the line at center
will be converted guard Walt
Downing. He will have experi-
enced reserves in junior Steve
Nauta and senior Jim Hackett.
Rounding out the front line
will be returning starters Bill
Dufek and Mike Kenn at the
tackles. The two juniors have
seniors right behind them who
would like the jobs. The 6-4, 250-
lb. Dufek gets competition from
6-1, 230-lb. Bob Lang, and the
6-6, 245-lb. Kenn has 6-4, 235-
lb. Jim Hall to watch for.
The Wolverines sport an ex-
cellent backfield and a power-
ful line. They have several
good receivers, but it won't
mean much unless Leach looks
to them more. It might be easy
to beat Northwestern without
throwing, but Michigan can't
expect to sustain long drives
against a team like Ohio State
if they can't pass. Leach will
probably throw more, and hope-
fully, better.
Besides improving and increas-
ing the passing attack, the Wol-
verines will only need to avoid
mental mistakes. If they main-
tain their poise and execute
well, Michigan will probably
spend New Year's picking roses
and leave Woody either peeling
oranges or picking cotton.
t.
F
k
;,
k
'
e ,
I '
"::: r:::::::.. {. :v: rw: ?r.:..F.".w:::::::w:::::....:.:v::: " .:.:. ........... -. f...;; ..v. w::::::..
...... .v........ f..... ..., r.....,.." ................... .::...... : -:.v
HAS liHE LARGESU
SEIEGIIONYO
Un]] BOO'SFOR
MEN& WOMEN
Frye boots give you a choice. A
choice of colors: naturals, rusts, or
browns. A choice of styles: high or
low boots, pull-ons, lace ups,
square-toed or round-toed. Design,
craftsmanship, comfort and choice.
Everything men and women look
for in a quality boot. Come in early
for the best selection in the Ann
Arbor area.
fRIC4
4ow
ZLc kE x
Jim Smith
Michigan
band is
growing
(Continued fron Pace 5)
month include musical tributes
to Michigan athletics and Psych
170, both prominent aspects. of
University life. Red Skelton, the
comedian, will be a guest con-
ductor during the band day cele-
brations in October.
Cavender is also looking for-
ward to the same sort of fan
support the band has enjoyed
in previous years. He fondly
recalls the story last year of
a crippled woman who contribu-
ted $20 upon hearing the band
was having trouble meeting its
bowl game finances.
"You don't get that any place
else - just think of her sacri-
fice," the conductor says, star-
ing pensively at the steel-black
music stand in his office. "Some
corporations give $10,000, but
that's a drop in the bucket com-
pared to this girl's contribu-
tion.
"That's part of the reason
MOST MAJOR
CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
ANN ARBOR: Briarwood Mail " Detroit * Flint " Toledo
OPEN SUNDAYS
12 NOON to 5 P.M-