THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Nine
_oe _ n
AMPAmok-"
MJAr-
IR
Aff m
AV-
M to hi iin ls
By BILL STIEG
Bo Schembechler won't call his of-
fensive line the best he's ever coach-
ed ... not yet, anyway.
"Ask me that at this time next
week," he said at his press luncheon
Monday.
So apparently he is seriously con-
sidering such a strong statement. That
alone is unusual, in light of Michi-
gan's history of great offensive line-
men and Schembechler's natural re-
luctance to praise 'his players in the
middle of a season.
BUT THEN, this season is unusual.
Never before has a team of Bo's been
ranked number one at this time of
the year. And never before has Michi-
gan's offense scored points or gained
yards in such enormous amounts.
The undefeated Wolverines are first
in the nation in rushing (394.3 yards
per game), total offense (468.8) and
scoring (45.3).
If they continue to produce as they
have in past weeks, Schembechler will
probably admit that, yes, this year's
offensive line is -the best he's ever
had the pleasure of coaching. Schem-
bechler knows (being a former line-
man himself) that it's the men with
the high numbers and low
who make the team go.
IN RECENT WEEKS the n
Lytle, Rick Leach, Jim Smith
lan Huckleby have reached
and ears of football fans a
country. But how many have
Gerry Szara, for instance?
Szara is Michigan's start
guard. This is his fourth year
igan, including a year inN
was red-shirted.
Because his name is nev
headlines, or is rarely announ
the stadium loudspeakers, hi
for playing are of a more
self-satisfying nature.
Like most linemen, it doe
er him that it's the Lytles an
es that get the cheers on b
"My reward comes from
him running down the fief
Szara. "I know that I was
portant part of the play. I ge
satisfaction out of that."
"It's always been that wa
center Walt Downing, who i
by guards Szara and Mark
tackles Mike Kenn and Bill D
tight ends Gene Johnson a
Schmerge.
unsung
v profiles "It's something that you lear
accept after you've been a linem
ames Rob while," Downing says. "We get
and Har- own rewards, knowing we helpe
the eyes much to make the team go. Th
cross the we don't get much outside recogn
heard of we get credit from the other o
,sive linemen, and the coaches1
ing right when we're doing well."
at Mich- DESPITE THE confusing, he
which he skelter appearance of 'play on the
- or "pit" or "trench" as the
er in the is sometimes called - there is no
nced over a player can get lost in the c
s rewards in order to slack off or hide his
personal, takes. The camera, and latdr
coaches, see everything.
sn't both- "On every play, every snap I m
nd Leach- I'm graded," explains Downing. M
ig plays. gan's coaches watch the gamef
watching carefully and grade each linema
d," says a scale of zero to two.
s an im- "You get two points for doing
et enough exceptional job, one point if yot
a good job, and a zero if yout
ay," says get your man," says Downing.
s flanked MICHIGAN'S LINE is remark
Donahue, young. All four interior linemen
)ufek and juniors and the tight ends are
nd Mark sophomores. This is despite Sc]
bechler's claim that experience is r
heroes
'n to important on the line than at any oth-
an a er position.
our "There are just more things to
d so learn,0 says Schembechler. "How to
lough pick up blitzes and shifts, who to block
ition, if the guy you were supposed to hit
ffen- isn't there - it just takes a while to
know learn how to do it.
- "There's so much technique to
elter- learn," says Dufek, Michigan's "strong
line tackle." "The longer you're up here,
line the better you learn the plays. There
way are lots of defenses to learn, lots of
rowd technique.
mis- "YOU'VE GOTTA have quickness,
the move your feet, and have good size.
And you have to be somewhat intelli-
ake, gent. You have to know what you're
[ichi- doing. It's not just a matter of push-
films ing someone out of the way. You have
n on to know which guy to push and how
to do it."
g an "There are so many things to know
u do to get into our position," says Down-
don't ing. "A running back can come in with
great 'speed and agility, and he can
.ably easily be taught his position. Linemen
are aren't like that. It doesn't matter what
both your physical characteristics are-it's
hem- going to take some time to learn the
more position, the techniques.
MICHIGAN'S AWESOME OFFENSIVE line gets ready to fire out against Wake Forest.
The powerful line has been perhaps -the most important factor in Michigan's rise to first
in the nation in rushing, total offense and scoring. Visible here are Mike Kenn (78), Gerry
Szara (69) and center Walt Downing (72).
full court
- REf
76ERS OFFER $3.5-MILLION:
Dr. J;migh
t
jump
By TOM CAMERON
THE MICHIGAN BASKETBALL COACHES are going to be
a lot of fun this year.
"There was this guy I was talking to from Purdue," head
coach Johnny Orr related, "and everything at Purdue was the
absolute greatest. I wasn't trying to be facetious or anything,
but (chuckle) I kept asking him why Purdue never won any-:
thing ,. . (heh-heh), the guy got quite flustered.
"Anyway, when I got up there to speak, (chuckle) some-
one, sure enough, asked me how I thought the Big Ten would
finish. 'Well, I said, 'I think Purdue will take it' (ha! ha!),
and that guy almost dropped (ha-ha-ha!!!)."
For the clincher, Orr predicted that if Michigan got lucky,
and stayed away from in uries, they just might take fourth.
Okay, maybe the coaches won't put the heat on Johnny
Carson or Bill Cosby, but after last year's finish in the NCAA{
tournament, they are on top of the basketball world and seem
to like very much what goes on up there.
Although Orr and his assistants have always been more ,
than just amiable, the fact that Michigan is not strug-
gling in the lower echelon of the basketball rankings adds.
more certainty.
Assistant coach Bill Frieder, nestled last week in Orr's
new chair behind the new large desk in Orr's new office while
the head man was away, casually pondered how the Wolverines
would look in the pre-season polls.
"I think we'll be rated high," he began. "With President
Ford being from Michigan and the football team being rated
number one, it wouldn't surprise me if we were rated num-
ber one, although' I hope not. I'd rather be rated lower than
that."
The credibility of pre-season polls is always hazy. "The big1
y The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -
A $6.5 million deal which would
} bring pro basketball superstar
Julius Erving to the Philadel-
phia 76ers from the New York;
Nets awaited only the final ap-
proval of Nets' owner Roy *Boe,
The Associated Press learned
yesterday.
The deal, it was learned from
pro basketball sources, could
be completed soon at a private
meeting in New York! It re-
portedly calls for the Nets to
get $3 million for Erving, who
would then sign a multi-year
contract with the 76ers for a
reported $3.5 million.
The 76ers, whose owner F.
Eugene Dixon has been pub-
licly estimated to be wortht
$150 million, are ready for
the deal, it was learned. So is
Erving, known in the basket-
ball world as Dr. J., and his
manager, Irwin Weiner.
But Boe, it was further
- learned, could still turn thumbs
down on the transaction.
ir Erving refused a month ago,
,. to report to the Nets unless theI
a New York team renegotiated
his contract. He missed the en-
tire pre-season training camp!
and exhibition - game schedule. reportedly gets more money.
Boe could not be reached for The Nets' ownership said Er-
comment. ving was under contract and
Pat Williams, general man- refused to rewrite the pact.
ager of the 76ers, refused to Erving signed an eight-year
confirm or deny the proposed contract at $350,000 a season
transaction, saying only, "We with the Nets after he was ac-
want him and we are keeping quired from the Virginia
in close touch with the- situ- Squires ,in 1973.
ation. How close we are to The Nets paid the Squires
making a deal I can't ans- $750,000 in cash and made an
wer." ' indemnity payment of $425,000
Williams disclosed that he: to the NBA's Atlanta Hawks,
had spent most of the day in who also had signed him. The
New York talking with Weiner entire deal was estimated at $4
and the 76ers' official also con- million.
firmed he had talked with Nets' Since joining the Nets, Er-
officials on Tuesday.
"I'm not the type to talk un-_
less I can talk openly," said
Williams. "I just can't com- GEN ERAL
ment on this thing."
If Williams could pair Erving U of M S
with George McGinnis, the All-
Star forward who came to the4ALL SKIER
76ers last year from the In-L E
diana Pacers of the American DisCussionC
Basketball Association, it would
make Philadelphia the favorite Vacatior
to win its division and probably
the National Basketball Associ- T s Oct.
ation title.
Erving balked at reporting Kuenzel Room,
to the Nets after the teaIm
acquired Nate Archibald, who
Nets
ving has been the league's Most
Valuable Player three times.
Last season he led the Nets to
the last ABA championship, be-
fore the league finally folded
and its top teams entered the
NBA.
The Nets reportedly gave
permission to the 76ers, the Los
Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee
Bucks to talk with Erving and
his agent about a new contract,
indicating they might be willing
to trade the player considered
by many as the best in basket-
ball.
MEETING
iK I CL UB
S WELCOME
of Christmas
n Ski Trip
21-7:00 p.m.
Michigan Union
I- on I
JVhiy mne, Lord?
New York Yankee manager Billy Martin' might be seek
ing a way from Heaven for his team to overcome thei
three-game deficit in the World Series against the Cin
cinnati Reds. Martin and the Yanks may have received
reprieve from up there, as last night's fourth contest, whic
comta .uve ended the series, was rained out.
*
thing is not what polls think of you,.it's how you capitalize * F
players ready. If they do rate you, you try to build on the
pride ... you try to adjust to whatever they rate you."
"The last three years, we have always been underrated
and we've done very well by it," Frieder said. l 50
The coaches, whether they like it or not, will have
to use the pride approach this year. Already posted in
sight of all the players is the "Popular Sports" ranking By BILLY
with Michigan on top and Rickey Green the All-American YPSILANTI -
guard. struggling soccer
So preparing for this year will be relatively different than battled its way to
in the past few years. a pesky squad f
Orr will be working with a veteran team that has already Michigan Universi
been there - the finals of the NCAA. The question for Or' .e two game wit
is how to get these guys ready once again. the stalemate on
At practices thus far, running has been the order of every turf even after p
day. "We have to run them hard ... We have to remind them ple of overtime s
how hard they worked last year to get where they got and Halfback Brian
that they have to do it again," Frieder explained. nated the midfiel
"People don't realize that just because you've been there Richard Matth
(the finals), that it isn't an automatic thing for the follow- many outstandin
ing year ... they assume it is.. They don't realize," he con- the alpn Soli
tinued," so many factors go into accomplishing that." Fedorowycz, al
According to Frieder, Michigan depended on strong play Steve Olson wer
by ,the bench, the fact they got 100% from every posi- this contest. Ful
tion, and were spared from injuries. Zack (captain),
Steve Grote, the senior co-captain of this year's team, has Mike Morritz, ant
found some difficulty motivating himself for conditioning. berg maintained
"It's hard to get yourself up after a while," he said." fensive wall for
Both clubs had 18
"This is my fourth year and it's hard to get into condition contest.
before the practices with the coaches. The stellar Matt
"But the season is still six weeks away and by then, we'll several point blan
all be in condition." in the first half t
As a team, the Wolverines are going to have to push them- off the scoreboard
selves - help each other out. They are without the leader- minder was force
ship of Wayman Britt this year. "He always picked every- with two key save
one up, Frieder said, "He did so many things that you don't ine right wing Ra
read about in the newspapers ... but meant so much." and halfback Stk
That doesn't mean they have no source of inspiration. In the second half
"With the type of season we had last year, all (the time periods, neitt
players) should be enthusiastically awaiting the start of played much offe
practice and competing. for the starting positions." had to settle fort
Frieder continued, "I think a lot depends on morale but * *
I think our morale is good - it should remain good. We
don't have a lot of players and the less players you have, Spikers split
the better, By DAVID KEr
"We have a pretty united group and they've played with TmP u
each therfor whie an the
igaui ties IZMU
ccer struggle
GpllJIACS
Thanksgiving
Break~
Savings!
Bit
w
Q
NEFF
- Michigan's
club (1-5-1)
a 0-0 tie with
from Eastern
ty, who enter-
b a 6-3 slate.
d to settle for
EMU's home
laying a cou-
essions.
White domi-
Id and goalie
ews made
g saves for
rines. Line-
hwager, Ihor
rnd halfback
v injured for
Ilbacks Bob
Ian Cath,
d Jim Setter-
a strong de-
r Matthews.
8 shots in the
:thews stopped
k shots early
o keep EMU
d. EMU's net-
d to come up
es on Wolver-
ndy Reynolds
eve Kelley as
notted at 0-0.
and the over-
her team dis-
nse and 'they
the tie.
before bowing to Central Michi-
gan.a
The opening match went the
full three games before the'
Wolverines triumphed, 15-13, 11-'
15, 15-6.
In the nightcap, however, the:
spikers ran into a fired-up
Chippewa squad, losing by 15-
5 and 15-8 scores.'
1) MICHIGAN at Indiana
(pick score)
2) MSU at Illinois
3) Iowa at Minnesota
4) Wisconsin at Northwestern
5) Purdue at Ohio State
6) Arizona at Texas Tech
7) Florida State at Auburn
8) Bowling Green at Miami, O.
9) U.C.L.A. at California
10) Central Michigan at
Northern Michigan
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
Clemson at N.C. State
Iowa State at Colorado
Maryland at Duke
Florida at Tennessee
Georgia at Kentucky
Kansas at Kansas State
Miss. St. at Southern Miss.
Missouri at Nebraska
Oklahoma St. at Oklahoma
Daily Libels vs.
Toronto Bluejays
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