Page 10-Thursday, October 2, 1980-The Michigan Daily SHARING TAILBACK SPOT WIT H WOOLFOLK Ricks: super sophomore! By STAN BRADBURY Butch Woolfolk was the all-Big Ten tailback last year. Butch Woolfolk led the conference in scoring and had 990 yards rushing as a sophomore a year ago. Butch Woolfolk was a rising star. But Woolfolk isn't even leading Michigan in rushing this year; that honor goes to this year's super- sophomore tailback, Lawrence Ricks. AFTER THREE GAMES, it is Ricks who has dominated the Michigan rushing attack, not Woolfolk. Ricks has led the Wolverines in rushing in their first outings, averaging an impressive 6.0 yards per carry, and has 229 total yards to date. But such a turnabout does not appear to phase the modest, somewhat shy Ricks. Not much does. When Ricks was a senior at Barberton (Ohio) High School, Michigan had three tailbacks on the depth charts: Woolfolk, Stanley Edwards, and Roosevelt Smith. Both Woolfolk and Edwards had three years of eligibility left at the time. THAT DIDN'T BOTHER Ricks. "All I asked Bo for was a chance," said the computer science major. "Bo was very straightforward when he talked about the tailback position. That impressed me." So Ricks knew exactly what to expect during his freshman season: not much. Ricks carried the ball just 22 times, netting 100 yards, but Woolfolk seemed firmly entrenched as Michigan's tailback of the future. That also didn't distrub Ricks who eagerly awaited a chance to prove himself in spring drills. When spring blossomed Ricks made the most of it. Edwards was moved permanently to, fullback and while Woolfolk was running track, Edwards was ear- ning himself a starting spot in the Blue-White game. IT WAS HARD for Ricks or anyone else to imagine he could be better than Woolfolk after Woolfolk had proven he was better than nearly every other tailback in the Big Ten., Woolfolk and Ricks are a contrast of styles. Woolfolk, a 6-2, 207 pound speedster likes to go wide and beat the defense around the corner, while Ricks (5-10, 200 pounds), who possesses great upper-body strength and a low center of gravity, runs at defenses like a bowling ball. He's also the toughest Michigan ball carrier to tackle. "I LIKE THE power style offense attack," said Ricks, "because I'm a north-south (straight ahead) runner." Although Woolfolk started the Northwestern and South Carolina contests this year, Ricks still came off the bench to lead Michigan in rushing and started the Notre Dame game. The statistical race between Ricks and Woolfolk, which Ricks leads 229 to 168 yards, although Woolfolk leads in starts with two, is a healthy one. "HE'S REALLY HELPED me to come along," said Ricks of Woolfolk. "Butch is like my best friend, really. I go to talk to him a lot at times." Ricks added that he is finding his situation at Michigan very favorable. "This is really what I want. I'd rather be doing this than anything else. I think I can handle the pressure of starting," he said. But when the modest Ricks ran out of things to say about himself, he appeared more concerned with the team. "If I'm playing or not, I like for us to win. I'm trying to keep a good attitude about things because once we stop making mistakes, we'll be good. I know we can play good ball with anybody. "WE WERE REALLY down after the (South Carolina) game. We knew we put our backs to the wall now," said Ricks. "I think a lot of guys are going to go after it." Daily Photo by LISA KLAUSNER POWERFUL MICHIGAN TAILBACK Lawrence Ricks evades a South Carolina tackler for part of the 87 yards he picked up against the Gamecocks. Ricks is this year's offensive find, leading all Michigan runners with 229 yards and a 6.0 yard carry average despite starting the season behind two-game starter Butch Woolfolk. wm 1 . - ~~~IU l 1 t' 1 1 I 333 E. HURON Across from Ann Arbor News . Specializin4 in Chicken, Fish, Ribs, and Steak Hoagies I SIT DOWN or CARRY OUT-663-5151 $1.00 off all dinners with this coupon L.........,.....-....--.... .......... -......- .-- ----- I Emmnmnmmmoonn ARMY SURPLUS ''golfer in Sun Bowl John Morse was selected to represent the University of Michigan in the Sun Bowl National Golf Championships to be held in E1 Paso, Texas in late November. Morse, a native of Battle Creek, was a third team All-American and Big Ten champion last seasor. He was also run- ner-up in Michigan State Amateur Mat- ch Play held in Charlevoix, Michigan. He lost to his teammate Steve Mad- dalena in the championship round. By DREW SHARP, 'ABC-TV has yet to decide whether it will broadcast the Michigan-Ohio State gridiron clash November 22, a top net- work executive said yesterday. "The selection of that week's game is not a closed issue," said Donn Ber- nstein, a spokesman for ABC Sports. "I don't know why everyone up there (in Michigan) is taking such a negative look at this situation. There is no way that we can decide which game we are going to cover right now because there is no telling how these teams are going to play in the coming weeks." Bernstein said he was angered by a story that appeared in yesterday's Detroit Free Press which stated the game might not be televised for the fir- st time in more than a decade. The uncertainty over the broadcast of the game stems from a scheduling con- flict, Bernstein said. Oklahoma and Nebraska, two bitter Big Eight rivals whose domination of that conference has paralleled the Michigan-Ohio State domination of the Big Ten, are also scheduled to play on that date. Since neither Ohio Stadium or Memorial ABC MA Y DROP GAME: three TV appearances last season irrelevant to the network's current plans. "Exception' games are those games whose dates have been changed (with both schools' permission) to help the network broadcast more "quality" con- tests, Bernstein said.Four games were rescheduled this season to assist the network, he added. The Arkansas- Texas battle was moved up to Labor Day, Purdue and Notre Dame played September 6 instead of September 27, Pittsburgh and Penn State agreed to play the Friday following Thanksgiving, and Southern California@ and Notre Dame worked out a matchup Coverage shaky for Blue-OSU Fr Entire Stock of New 1981 InsUlated Vests (thinsulate, Down/Feather, Down, Hollofil lI) 20% OFF This ad must be submitted for this sale SALE ENDS OCTOBER 4, 1980t Complete Backpacking and Camping Outfitters 201 E. Washington 994-3572 : Open 9-6 Mon-Sat I, NOW OPEN 118 E. WASHINGTON (NEXT T4 BiMB4'S) AR FE ATURING FISH 'n CHIPS $2.95 " SANDWICHES* STE AKS OPEN FOR LUNCHEON AND DINNER I I 'I don't know why everyone up there (in Michigan) is taking such a negative look at this situation. There is no way that we can decide which game we are going to cover right now be- cause there is no telling how these teams are going to play in the coming weeks.' -Donn Bernstein, spokesman for ABC Sports m , U -I. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT-NO COVER Tonight: JIM BIRCHER and GINNY WALLACE COCKTAILS ENGLISH ALE 118 EAST WASHINGTON 663-9757 I i i Stadium in Lincoln are equipped with lights, the network eliminated the possibility of broadcasting a doubleheader. Bernstein explained that a team is granted four television appearances every two years-either one national and one regional appearance per year, or two regional appearances per year. He added that a team may appear for a= fifth game during the cycle if it either plays on an "exception" date, or ap- pears in the network's "wild card" game. Michigan is in the first year of its two- year cycle, thus making the Wolverines for the first Saturday in December. "We got in °touch with the respective schools and asked them if they wanted to move one of the games back a week later to November 29, but neither school wanted to do it," said Bernstein. Assistant Athletic Director Will Perry said he was not aware ABC contacted the athletic department and asked to have the game moved back a week. "I haven't heard-anything from Don (Athletic Director Canham) about the possibility of switching the date of the game, so I can't honestly say why the game was turned down," said Perry. rn m m m m m' ts inyourfuture? t..... ..:: i::$. Y.. . . . . . . . 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