*1
SPORTS
The Michigan Daily
Wednesday, October 28, 1981
Page 8
'Ready to run'
Bostic refreshed by rosier bowl outlook
By MARK MIHANOVIC
For Keith Bostic, it provides resuscitation. The
idea that his team can still win the Big Ten title after
dropping two conference contests, an idea that
seemed so preposterous only a few days ago, has
breathed new life into the junior strong safety.
To hear him talk, one would presume that he and
the rest of the Michigan Wolverines have been
delivered a last-minute reprieve from the harshest of
penalties: a New Year's spent somewhere other than
Pasadena.
"I'VE HAD A terrible season," he said Monday.
"Terrible. I don't see myself making as many big
plays (thus far) 'as I should have been making. That's
gonna change. I'm ready to make a run now. I just
wish we could have done it against Iowa. But that's in
the past-we're ready to run."
The 6-4, 209-pounder is part of a defensive unit that
has been an enigma through its first seven outings.
Only in its 25-7 win over Notre Dame and its 9-7 loss to
the Hawkeyes did the unit play up to the preseason
accolades resulting from statistics like eight of 11
returning starters and nine points-against during
1980's last five outings.
"It's been a rough year," the Ann Arbor Pioneer
High School graduate sighed. "Coach (Bo) Schem-
bechler kept telling us that we were ranked too high.
He always said that you don't let the press get to you.
You just play ball, or you get knocked off. And that's
what happened-we weren't ready to play, and we
lost."
IT CERTAINLY has not helped the Wolverine
cause that eight returnees dwindled to three by last
Saturday. Middle guard Jeff Shaw was dismissed
from the squad for "disciplinary reasons," and from
there the problems multiplied.
Tackle Winfred Carraway has played very
sporadically this season as the result of a severe
ankle sprain, and outside linebackers Robert Thom-
pson and Ben Needham both sat out the Northwestern
game. Of the trio, only Needham has any chance of
stepping on the field at Memorial Stadium this Satur-
day when the Wolverines and Minnesota battle for the
Brown Jug, and more importantly, to avoid
elimination from the Big Ten race.
The secondary has also been ,hit hard by injury.
Neither Bostic nor Brian Carpenter were able to start
against Michigan State three weeks ago, and when
Marion Body, Evan Cooper, and Jeff Reeves all went
down during the course of the action, Schembechler
must have started looking around for voodoo dolls.
BUT THE FOURSOME of Bostic (recovered from
his stomach ailment), Carpenter, Body, and Tony
Jackson are back intact, and not a moment too soon,
according to their coach.
"Our secondary's got to come to the fore and give
us the leadership and do the job because we're going
to be very young up front," Schembechler explained..
"I think they'll respond."
When Schembechler refers to leadership from the
secondary, he is unquestionably looking to Bostic,
whom Bo tabbed "the best guy back there" before the
campaign began.I
"HE HAD THAT bad first game, and then he had
that spell where he was sick, and that kept him out,
but he played well Saturday," Schembechler said at
his Monday media luncheon. "(Over)'the next four
weeks, he's going to be very good, I think. He's
hustling. Did you ever see him run down the field on a
punt? He's the first guy down there."
Bostic, though not cut from the same cloth as
swashbuckling, hell-bent-for-leather ,types like last,
year's Andy Cannavino or Mel Owens, does not'
assume his leadership position lightly. "This is a
chance of a lifetime for me," the education major:
said, "to really show what kind of a leader I am.
"I've been there before, and now I think I will play
like I'm capable of playing. I'm not one of the rah-rah
types. I'm just trying to get the team motivated to
keep on playing. I have to play 10 times past my
potential because Robert (Thompson) is a great'
linebacker, one of the best I've seen."
The first priority, though, for Bostic and the rest of
the secondary speedsters (none of the quartet runs
slower than a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash) is to return to
the form of 1980, in which they allowed only three
scoring passes and sent more than one Heisnan-
eyeing quarterback packing.
If they don't, someone like Mike Hohensee of the
Minnesota Gophers may prevent them from
packing-for Pasadena.
Doily Photo by BRIAN MAST
MICIhGAN DEFENSIVE back Keith Bostic and a teammate bring down
Notre Dame quarterback Tim Koegel during Michigan's 25-7 rout of the
Fighting Irish. Michigan coach Bo Schembechler.has called upon Bostic to
provide leadership for this year's defensive secondary.
y
U
Rain postpones Series
Winfield
gets death:
a.
NEW YORK (AP) - The sixth game of
the 1981 World Series was postponed by
rain yesterday with the Los Angeles
Dodgers leading the New York Yankees
3-2 in the best-of-seven set.
Game six will be played tonight at
Yankee Stadium with a seventh game,
if necessary, tomorrow night.
THE BASEBALL commissioner's of-
fice announced the postponement at
3:45 p.m.. The game had been
-scheduled to be played at 8:20 p.m., but
with intermittent rain during the day
and the threat of heavy rain at night,
the game was postponed.
After losing the first two games of the
Series in New York, the Dodgers won
three in a row in their own ballpark to
continue their comeback story of 1981.
We overcame a 2-0 deficit against an
outstanding ballclub, and we've had
three super, super games here,"
Dodgers Manager Tom Lasorda said
after Sunday's game. "I hope and pray
we can win one of two in Yankee
Stadium."
The Dodgers have not defeated the
Yankees in New York since Game Two
of the 1977 World Series, when Burt
Hooton beat Catfish Hunter 6-1.
[ ----......--- --..---- ...-....
NEW YORK (UPI) - Outfielder Dave
Winfield of the New York Yankees
received a death threat after Sunday's,
World Series game in Los Angeles, his
agent confirmed yesterday.
"He got on letter during the playoffs
and a letter and a phone call after the
last game in Los Angeles," said Al
Frohman of Winfield. "He got the sani
thing last year in San Diego. I guess
some idiot thought it would scare him."
Winfield has been struggling at the
plate in the Series with only one hit in 18
at-bats. However, he has played well
on defense and has hit the ball hard on
occasion.
"He's playing well and hitting the
ball," said Frohman. "You know these
death threats happen all the time to
athletes and celebrities. Bjorn Borg
got one at the U.S. Open and I remeln-
ber Lou Brock geting one in the World
Series."
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