Page 12-Sunday, October 12, 1980-The Michigan Daily
HAJI-SHEIKH, BRACKEN DON'T BOOT GAME A WA Y
By GA
A year ago, Michigan
mess of trouble. Whenev
on kicking, the Wolverin
of the score. Memories
Notre Dame last year,
Ohio State later in the se
of many Michigan fans.
But yesterday told
Michigan State made it
Wolverines. And the ki(
Don Bracken proved to
turned back their rivals;
Haji-Sheikh and Brac
one of the nation's most
in punter Ray Stachow
Anderson, but the Michi
own.
Haji-Sheikh, the soph
who missed all six of hi
connected on tries from
third successful boot cal
enabled Michigan to driv
Bracken, meanwhile,r
pace, as he averaged 50
Spartan offense unfavor
they got the ball.
"They (Michigan Stat
kicking game fima
kRY LEVY and I think we matched them today," said Bo Schem-
would have been in a whole bechler after the game.
ver a game's outcome hinged Haji-Sheikh's first field goal capped a 9-play, 43-
nes ended up on the short end yard drive that stalled at the State seven-yard line.
of a blocked field against* His 25-yarder gave the Wolverines a 3-0 lead. His
and a blocked punt against second field goal came with only 46 seconds
eason still linger in the minds remaining in the first half and broke a 10-10 tie.
The Arlington, Tex. native's third field goal (36
an entirely different story. yards), had it not been wiped out in favor of an MSU
s kicks count, but so did the penalty, would have been his longest of the season.
eking of Ali Haji-Sheikh and But when Spartan strong safety Thomas Morris was
be decisive factors as they called for barrelling into Haji-Sheikh after the kick,
from East Lansing, 27-23. Schembechler chose to relinquish the three points for
ken were matched up against a first-and-goal situation at the nine. Three plays
potent kicking combinations later, John Wangler found Anthony Carter alone in
icz and placekicker Morten the end zone for a four-yard touchdown pass, and the
[gan duo managed to hold its Wolverines found themselves in a 20-13 lead.
Haji-Sheikh's two-for-two performance in three-
omore placement specialist point tries made him four-for-six on the season, an
s field goal attempts in 1979, obvious improvement over his dismal 1979 mark.
25 and 29 yards, and had a Haji-Sheikh is also perfect on his extra-point conver-
led back due to a penalty that sions, as his three kicks yesterday made him 15 of 15
ve for a touchdown instead. on the season.
maintained his torrid punting With Bracken in the lineup, last season's punting
.3 on four kicks and gave the misfortunes have been placed aside. The Ther-
able field position every time mopolis, Wyoming freshman booted the pigskin 45,
52, 58, and 46 yards, forcing the Spartans to start
e) have a great kicking game posessions from the nine, 28, six, and 12-yard lines;
lly aplus
respectively.
Prior to yesterday's game, Bracken was second in
the Big Ten with a 45.2 average, second only to
Stachowicz's 48.2 average that also led the nation.
Michigan's kicking counterparts didn't fare to
badly, either. Stachowicz punted five times for a 47.4
average, but it was the Denmark native Andersen
who stole the show. Andersen booted field goals of
49,57, and 35 yards, and kept the Spartans close for
three quarters. His 57-yarder came withnfive seconds
left in the first half and deadlocked the contest at .13-
13. The kick broke Andersen's previous Michigan
State record of 54 yards and missed Tom Skladany's
Big Ten mark by two yards.
"It seems like I kick better under pressure," sai
Andersen. "It's just a weird mental thing I've gotte
myself into."
For reasons unknown, place-kickers don't miss
against Michigan, and Schembechler is at the point
where he takes opponent's field goal attempts for
granted. Only one field goal attempt has been missed
against the Wolverines this season.
"Any time somebody lines up for a long field goal, I
just add three points to their score;" said Schem-
bechler. "The way things have gone the past few
years; I'm sure somebody could tee up on their own
20-yard line, and it would go through."
Daily Photo by MAUREkN O'MALLEY
MICHIGAN PLACE-KICKER Ali Haji-Sheikh boots one of his two field goals
during the Wolverines' win yesterday in Ann Arbor. Haji-Sheikh also added
three xtra points to run his string to 15 consecutive PATs thisseason ;The
nine points gave Haji-Sheikh 27 for the year moving him into second place
behind Anthony Carter among Wolverine scorers. The combined kicking game
of Haji-Sheikh and freshman punter Don Bracken was once again a bright
spot in the Michigan arsenal, making Wolverine supporters forget last year's
kicking misfortunes.
1
_W
Michigan retains bragging
rights
(Continued from Page 1)
did a good job on defense. I didn't think
we played that well offensively, I don't
think we had the continuity we wan-
ted," said Bo.
THE MICHIGAN OFFENSE
registered 10 points in the first quarter
and it looked for a while like the game
might turn into a rout.
The first three points for the
Wolverines came on a 25-yard field goal
by Ali Haji-Sheikh with 5:06 remaining
in the opening stanza. The tally was set
up by Anthony Carter's. 15-yard punt
return and the running of Ricks, who
carried the ball six times for 28 yards.
After Haji-Sheikh kicked-off,
Leister's first-down pass was tipped by
Cannavino and intercepted by Marion
Body on the State 29.
MICHIGAN WENT right for the score
as Wangler hit Carter on the first play of
the drive.. A superb tackle by safety
Thomas Morris brought down Carter at
the one, but Ricks easily plunged over,
for the score on the next play. Haji-
Sheikh's extra point attempt was true
and the Wolverines had scored 10 points
in 24 seconds to lead 10-0.
But State was not about to let the
game turn into a rout, as it drove 48
yards on its next series to set up a 49-
yard field goal by Morten Andersen to
pull within seven.
The next Michigan drive stalled on
third down as Ricks was nailed for a
two-yard loss on a screen pass from
Wangler and suffered the injury that
kept .him out the remainder of the
game. Freshman Don Bracken punted
for 52 yards to get Michigan out of
trouble.
ON THE DAY, Bracken punted four
times for a 50.3-yard average with only
eight total yards of return. MSU punter
Ray Stachowicz, who before yester-
day's game led the nation in that,
category with a 48.2 average, was out-
kicked by Bracken, as he averaged only
47.4 yards. per kick with 33 yards of
returns.
After Michigan State received
Bracken's punt at the. 28, Leister went
straight to the air and connected with
Bullish Butch
over e
Ted Jones for a 49-yard completion
deep into Michigan territory. Fullback
Anthony Ellis fumbled on the next play
after taking a hit by' linebacker Mel
Owens, and free safety Tony Jackson
recovered to turn back the Spartan
scoring threat.
The Spartans would not be denied the
next time they had possession, as
fullback Andy Schramm and- Leister
led a 61-yard touchdown drive to tie the
game at 10-10 with 4:12 in the half.
MICHIGAN regained the lead with 46
seconds left in the half on Haji-Sheikh's
second field goal, this one a 29-yard at-
tempt. The score was set up by a 55-
yard completion from Wangler to tight
end Craig Dunaway. Dunaway caught
the ball behind two Spartan defenders
and had nothing but open field ahead of
him, but Mike Marshall came across to
f make the saving tackle at the 13-yard
line.
State used the remaining 46 seconds
to its advantage by driving 40 yards in
five Leister pass plays to set up Ander-
son's 57-yard field goal, which tied the
game 13-13 at the intermission.
isty MSU
Michigan regained the lead, 16-13, on
Haji-Sheikh's third field goal of the day,
but a roughing-the-kicker penalty on
the play gave Michigan a first down at
the nine, thus nullifying the successful
placement.'
AFTER TWO Woolfolk runs, Wangler
found Carter in the endzone on a corner
pattern and the Wolverines went up 20-,
13.
On the first play of the fourth quarter,
with Michigan facing a third and 20 on
the Wolverine seven, Wangler dropped
back to look for Carter long. But the
sophomore speedster from Florida had
slipped and the pass was intercepted by
Carl Williams, setting up Anderson's
third field goal of the game which made
the score 20-16. N
The Wolverines struck bacl on an
eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive
that was highlighted by hard running,
from fullback Stanley Edwards and the
Wangler-to-Dunaway scoring pass of
eight yards.
TRAILING 27-16, State went right to
work and tallied a touchdown of its own
with seven minutes left to make the
score 27-23. Ellis rambled over from
four out for the score after the Spartans
had moved the ball 73 yards in 11 plays.
Leister completed four passes for 50 of
the yards gained by Michigan State in
the drive.
Michigan's next possession failed but
defensive tackle Mike Trgovac put an
end to the spartan's next drive with an
eight-yard sack of Leister.
A poor punt by Stachowicz and an 11-
yard return by Carter gave Michigan
excellent field position with 3:27
remaining, but a Woolfolk draw for 15
yards was the only real gainer the
Wolverines could muster. As the
Wolverines appeared to set up for a
field goal attempt from the 22 yards
away, reserve quarterback Rich
Hewlett took the snap but picked up the
ball and ran after the first down, only to
be stopped short by a host of Spartans.
State had just one chance left with
1:20 remaining and no time outs when
Leister's desperation pass was tipped
by Jim Herrmann and caught by Can-
navino to preserve the win.
.ANDIN THIS
CORNER...
Mark Mihanovic x YP<
Bo gets one right:.
. .. Gentle Ben comes close
H E HAS USED timeouts poorly on more than one occasion his failure
to let the clock run down before Michigan scored its final touchdown
at Notre Dame possibly costing the Wolverines the game. He foolishly elec-
ted to attempt a fake punt on fourth down in his own territory with a four-
point lead over South Carolina, and the Gamecocks held and took the ball in
for the winning score.
But today all the Sunday morning quarterbacks have to refrain from
criticizing the game tactics of Michigan coach Bo Schembechler. Because
his most important decision in'yesterday's 27-23 Michigan win paid off.
In the middle of the third period, Ali Haji-Sheikh booted his third field
goal of the day to give the Wol4erines a 16-13 advantage .. . but hold on a
minute, there's a penalty flag down... it's against Michigan State.. . if they
take the penalty, the Wolverines will have a firstdown at the Spartan nine
... it doesn't matter, a conservative coach always keeps the points and the
lead ... and if Bo is anything, he's a conservative coach.
But this time the conservative coach stepped out of character. He com-
plied with the pleas of his offensive players. He gave them the ball and a
chance to score a touchdown. And when John Wangler tossed perfectly over
the shoulder and into the arms of (who else?) Anthony Carter for a four-yard
TD, Schembechler thrust an exultant fist forward. Michigan had a 20-13
lead. The coach's call was worth four points, which proved to be the margin
of victory. This time Bo had gambled ... and won.
And he made sure the media realized it after the game. "It was either
first-and-goal from the nine or three (points) i, the pocket," Schembechler
said. "We chose to run three more plays to get closer or get a touchdown. If I
would have walked away with three, look where it would have left me. So Bo
ain't so damn dumb," he laughed.
Enjoyable uncertainty
It was a fun game to watch, just like all the Wolverine contests have
been thus far in 1980. While some fans moan about the Blue's inability to
crush its opposition, I rejoice in the fact that one can no longer be certain of
the game's outcome until it is just that-an outcome.
I enjoyed watching the Spartans' talented sophomore quarterback, John
Leister, rip into the Wolverine secondary for 231 yards and crawl and stretch
his way into the end zone as much as I liked viewing Butch Woolfolk slash his
way for 136 markers. Morten Andersen's field goals of 49 and 57 yards will
remain embedded in my mind at least as long as Michigan backup tight end
Cragi Dunaway's two big receptions, the second of which went for the win-
ning score.
And there was MSU split end Ted Jones, who snagged five Leister
aerials for 109 yards. And Michigan's Mike Trgovac, who garnered only one
sack, but seemed to spend most of the second half chasing Leister in the
Spartan backfield. And Wolverine fullback Stanley Edwards, who quick-hit
the MSU defense for 93 yards. And punters Don Bracken and Ray
Stachowicz, the former averaging 50.3 yards on four punts, the latter booting
five for a 47.4-yard average.
All of these performances, and several more, added up to an excellent
contest between, believe it or not, two fairly evenly-matched outfits. Either
Michigan isn't as strong as the bookmakers, who installed the Wolverines as
17-point favorites, or the Spartans (their 1-4 record notwithstanding) aren't
as weak. Or, more likely, a combination of both.
Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of the game, at least for me, was
not what was taking place between the white lines, but what the respective
coaches were doing just outside them.
Coaching contrast
On the one side of the field stands Bo. He stalks the sideline like a caged
tiger, discussing with one assistant, shouting at another, running onto the
field to instruct the amazing Carter, his infamous temper in control but
nevertheless perpetually surfacing. He chews out Wangler after the senior
throws a wobbly interception. He shakes his head in dismay as the rival
Spartans move the ball on his unusually porous defense, wondering where all
the Thom Dardens, Don Dufeks and Ron Simpkins have gone. All the while,
he is totally in control of the Wolverine decision-making process. He is the
boss.
On the opposite sideline appears a white-haired, grandfatherly man,
Frank "Muddy" Waters. Waters stands alone for much of the ballgame, his
arms folded and his mouth shut. He doesn't call Michigan State's plays; that
chore is handled upstairs in the coaches' box by offensive coordinator Joe
Pendry. From time to time, Waters saunters over to one of his assistants,
finds out what his team is going to try next, and strolls away again. He is the
antithesis of Schembechler: Gentle Ben versus the saber-toothed tiger.
When asked how many of Pendry's calls he overruled when they reached
the field, an embarrassed Waters hedged a bit on the answer. "Very, very
few. Actually I didn't change any plays. I suggested some plays.
"I think he (Pendry) is a great football man, and I'm glad to have hin.
We seem to be on the same wavelength. It's almost unbelievable the way we
think."
Yesterday the plays that Pendry called accounted for a very respectable
334 yards of total offense. After the Spartans came up just short last weekend
against another heavily-favored unit, Notre Dame, it had been questionable.
n
)I
'0
01
First downs .......................
Rushing (att/yds) .................
IPassing (comp/att/int)..........
Passing yards................
Fumbles (no/lost) ..............
Punts (no/avg) ....................
SCORING
MICH
20
63/252
9/19/1
122
0/0
4/50.3
MSU
16
13/103
14/32/2
231
1/1
5/47:4
I
MichiganSt............... 3 10 0 10- 23
MICHIGAN...............10 3 7 7-27
SCORING PLAYS
M-Haji-Sheikh, 25-yd. FG
M-Ricks I run (Ha ji-Sheikh kick)
MSU-Anderson, 48-yd. FG
MSU-Lesiter 7 run (Anderson kick)
M-Haji-Sheikh 29-yd. FG
MSU-Anderson 57-yd. FG -
M-Carter 4 pass from Wangler (Haji-Sheikh kick)
MSU-Anderson 35-yd. FG
M-Dunaway 8 pass from wangler
(Ha ji-Sheikh kick)
MSU-Ellis 4 run (Andersen kick)
Attendance:105,263
Daily Photo by JOHN HAGEN
MICHIGAN TAILBACK BUTCH WOOLFOLK looks upfield forsome daylight during the Wolverines 27-23 victory over the
Michigan State Spartans. Woolfolk, in a stellar performance, led all rushers in the game with 140 yards on 29 carries. The
effort placed him 12th among Michigan's all-time ground-gainers.
BIG TEN R 0UND UP:
Buckeyes pummel Wildcats, 63-0
RUSHING
MICHIGAN
att
Woolfolk.....................2
Edwards.....................
Ricks..... .................
Ingram .....,..:.................
Wangler .........................
Hewlett .........................
MICHIGAN STATE
29
16
11
1
1
k 3
Ellis......................... 10
Smith .......................... 10
Schramm ..................... 3
Leister .......................... 10
PASSING
MICHIGAN
Att comp
Wangler .................. 19 9
MICHIGAN STATE
Le~ister .......... 29 14
yds. avg. EVANSTON (AP)-Calvin Murray
136 4.7 rushed for three touchdowns and Bob
39 3.5 Atha and Jim Gayle picked up a pair of
2 3.5 scores each as revenge-minded ninth-
-14 -2.8 ranked Ohio State hammered North-
-4 4.0 western 63-0 in a Big Ten Conference
'48 4.8 match yesterday.
:37 3.7 Murray, who scored on runs of one, 46
11 3.7 and six yards, finished with 120 yards
7 0.7 on the day in nine carries. .
MURRAY NOTCHED all three of his
int yds touchdowns in the first half and gained
1 122 115 yards of his total in eight carries.
Because of injuries, Northwestern
2 21
Mark Herrmann to Dave Young, the
second coming eight plays after a suc-
cessful Purdue on-side kick, propelled
the Boilermakers to a 21-7 Big Ten Con-
ference football victory over Minnesota
yesterday.
Herrmann completed 16 of 23 passes
for 191 yards before leaving the game
with a slight head injury in the third
quarter.
The Boilermakers, 2-0 in the con-
ference and 3-2 overall, seemed to have
the game in control since the two
touchdowns during a three-minute span
while Iowa fell to 1-4 and 1-1 in league
play.
Illinois' touchdowns came on a 22-
yard pass play from quarterback Dave
Wilson to split end John Lopez and on a
13-yard run by defensive back Rick
George, who recovered an Iowa fumble
early in the second half.
Purdue 21, Minnesota( 7
BLOOMINGTON (AP)-Quarter-
back Tim Clifford completed 17 of 25
passes for 186 yards yesterday in-
cluding touchdown passes to John
10
I