...... i AV -W -W Page 12-Saturday, September 19, 1981-The Michigan Daily The Michigan Daily-Saturday, Septeml Herrmann loss to hurt Boilers UP . . .AND IN THIS CORNER... Mark Mihanovic "Losing Herrmann, Young, and also (wide receiver Bart) Burrell puts a big gap in our passing attack," said Young. "Add that to the fact that we lost two of our top running backs JBen McCall and John Macon) also to graduation and you have a situation where you have to search for a new combination." IN ALL, the Boilermakers lost seven players on offense and five on defense. Filling Herrmann's big shoes will probably be sophomore Scott Cam- pbell. Campbell's name should not be strange to football fans. As a freshman last season, he was called to start the season opener against Notre Dame on national television at South Bend when Herrmann- sprained the thumb on his passing hand. Although in defeat, Cam- pbell gave a superlative effort by com- pleting 17 of 26 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown. Campbell seemed to be a shoo-in for the job following spring practice, but there is plenty of competition for the starting signal-caller spot. 6-5 JUNIOR Larry Gates, who Young calls "a physical clone to Herrmann" is a very good drop-back passer, the kind of quarterback Young likes. He will definitely push Campbell, who along with being a good passer, adds a run- ning threat to the Purdue attack. Flanker Steve Bryant had 50 recep- tions last season, but still finished third to Young and Burrell in overall catches. He will be the main man Campbell will be looking for this season. Speedy running back Jimmy Smith got his first start just barely halfway through the season last year, but wound up accumulating 657 yards for the season. He will also be counted on heavily this season. The only part of the Boilermaker of- fense that isn't drawing any ddep con- cern is the kicking game. Senior Rick Anderson set the conference single season record for field goals (15) last season and also led the conference in kick scoring (72 points). Anderson, a junior college All-American at Ellswor- th, Iowa, also led the team in total poin- ts (86). There aren't as many new pieces to fit into the puzzel on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, the Boiler defense figures to be one of the quickest that Young has ever had. The secondary should be the best with hard-hitting safeties Tim Seneff and Marcus McKinney returning. A new start .. ... now a bundle of questions This column was already written. When I left for Madison, Wisconsin last Friday, I did so content in the knowledge that I had filled this slot in "Kickoff '81" with copy. I wrote about how much fun the season had already been, with Michigan ranked Number One and all the corresponding pre- season hoopla. I wrote about what a classic matchup today's game was, pit- ting two of the top four teams in the nation in what was reestablishing itself as a great rivalry after only a few years of competition. Then last Saturday, "I don't believe it" ... moan ... ri-i-i-ip. Let's start over. I find it very difficult to be critical of the team that went down at the hands of Wisconsin, 21-14, one week ago. It did not ask to be ranked Number One. It did not ask for three members of its offensive line to be named as preseason All-Americans, for its flashy receiver to be hailed as "The Second Coming," for its defense to be praised as impenetrable. All this team did was succeed the squad that showed (pardon the corny tone) character and raw guts in coming back from a 1-2 start to capture the Big Ten and finally won its beleagured coach his first Rose Bowl. Certainly a football team cannot be persecuted because of the quality of that which preceded it. Or because a bunch of sportswriters expected bigger things. A conversation I had with Bo Schembechler back in June keeps coming to mind. When I mentioned that his team was certain to be considered a prime contender to take the national championship, he winced as if the Big Ten athletic directors had just voted to again send the Buckeyes, rather than his outfit, to Pasadena. Bo told us so Our quarterback has hardly played any college football, he whined. They can't pick us for Number One, he went on, almost waiting for me to concur and relieve his misery. Doesn't anybody realize what the loss of (An- dy) Cannavino, (Mel) Owens, and (Mike) Trgovac does to our defense, he asked. He then indicated that he knew a little more than he was letting on to. I have a feeling, in the preseason, we're gonna be a highly overrated team. We're gonia be highly overrated, and we're gonna have to play with that." Not any more, Bo. Then he said one more thing. "The most improved team in this league will be Wisconsin-by fur." You might want to start calling him "The Prophet." So I cannot criticize the coach, either. He told us. It isn't his fault tht we didn't believe him. One Number One on the field. Now it is time to look ahead. Or to the present, rather. After all, there is one top-ranked grid outfit performing in Michigan Stadium today. And this could be another great Michigan-Notre Dame battle. It all depends on which Wolverine team shows up on the Tartan Turf-the 1980 steamroller or ... well, I promised not to criticize. If ever two squads appeared to be entering a contest on different emotional planes, it is the Wolverines and the Fighting Irish. Whether he brushed off his team's preseason ranking or not, undoubtedly Schembechler was confident that his ballclub would be solid, if not spectacular. Now, everything is a question mark. Can he go with Steve Smith all year; will he come around? Is Ali Haji- Sheikh's performance last week (two missed field goals) an omen of things to come? Is the defensive backfield, as Bo has worried, too small to come to the line and make the big hit? Or was Wisconsin really that good? Hopefully, for the sake of an exciting 1981 Michigan football season, the answers to the above queries are yes, no, no, yes. Maybe it was a case of a flat Wolverine team, semi-looking ahead to Notre Dame, being stunned by an extremely well-prepared, emotional Badger unit. I suspect that is the case. On the other hand, no questions were raised about the Irish after their 27- 9 thrashing of LSU in Gerry Faust's first game. Tony Hunter is more effec- tive than ever at his new wingback spot, and on defense, they are their usual physical selves. Also, don't forget that mystique that blows the wind in at the back of Harry Oliver as he drills a 51-yarder through the goal posts as time runs out. That may be tougher to overcome than the jinx of a Number One ranking. 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