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Page 6-D-Thursday, September 9, 1982-The Michigan Daily
'M' looks to erase
'81
frustrations
F
Schembechier claims-
he likes the challenge
(Continued from Page 2)
"YOU PLAY WITH what you've
got," he says. "I think it will be a better
offensive line than what people think.
Humphries and Dixon may be the best
in the conference."
If the offensive line develops as
Schembechler hopes, the Wolverines
have a bevy of talented-if un-
proven--running backs eager to carry
the ball. Returning at tailback is senior
Lawrence Ricks (5-10, 195), who gained
just 396 yards last season while playing
behind All-American Butch Woolfolk, a
first-round draft choice of the NFL's
New York Giants. Two excellent
sophomores will be vying with Ricks for
time at tailback; Rick Rogers (6-2, 200)
and Brian Mercer (6-2, 195). In ad-
dition, Michigan has a fine freshman
prospect in Thomas Wilcher (6-1, 185),
a Detroit Central track star who runs
the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds and
owns the high school national record for
the 110-meter hurdles.
The battle to replace departed
fullback Stan Edwards is wide open
with senior Gerald Ingram (6-1, 217)
the only back boasting any experience.
"FULLBACK IS A key," says
Schembechler. "We do have good run-
ning backs, but we need someone to
complement the tailbacks."
In addition to Ingram, junior Greg
Armstrong (6-2, 195) will get a look at
fullback. Tom Hassel, who backed Ed-
wards up last season, has been moved
to linebacker.
The Michigan receiving corps can
be best summed up in two letters:' AC.
Michigan's 1982,
o
September 11 WISCO
September 18 at Notr
September 25 UCLA
October 2 INDIAN
October 9 MICHIG
October 16 at Iowa
October 23 at North
October 30 MINNE
November 6 at Illino
November 13 PURDU
November 20 at Ohio
AC stands for Anthony Carter and An-
thony Carter stands for ex-
citement-maybe the most exciting
gamebreaker in all of college football.
Carter, a two-time first-team All-
American, caught 50 passes last year
for 952 yards (19.0 yard average) and
averages 16.7 yards every time he
touches the ball, which puts him well
ahead of the NCAA record of 13.8 yards
set by Nebraska Heisman Trophy win-
ner Johnny Rodgers. Carter, a 5-11, 161-
pound senior flanker, is a top contender
for this year's Heisman.
ALSO RETURNING is junior split
end Vince Bean, who was second on the
team last year with 16 catches for 336
yards (21.0 avg.). Senior tight end
Craig Dunaway (6-3, 226) split time
with the departed Betts last season and
will now move into that starting slot.
One big factor that this year's team
has over the '81 squad is that it will be
heading into the season with a proven
quarterback in junior Steve Smith (6-0,
191). Smith was thrust into the starting
slot in the opener against Wisconsin last
year and threw three interceptions in
that game. However, he improved as
the season went along and finished with
674 yards rushing (second on the team)
and a team-record 2,335 yards of total
offense. He completed 97 of 210 passes
for 1,661 yards (also a team record) and
15 touchdowns.
"Steve Smith improved week-by-
week last year and his added experien-
ce will be a plus for the whole offensive
unit," says Schembechler.
While the offense was inconsistently
Football Schedule
PPONENT LAST YEAR
NSIN 14-21
e Dame 25-7
33-14
VA 38-17
GAN STATE 38-20
7-9
hwestern 38-0
SOTA 34-13
is 70-21
JE 28-10
State 9-14
explosive last year, the defense was,
by Schembechler standards, disappoin-
ting. It yielded a respectable 13.5 points
per game, but often bent far more than
Schembechler finds acceptable.
"It's no secret that I was somewhat
disappointed by our defensive play last
year," he says. "I like to dominate that
phase of the game, and we just didn't do
that last fall."
THE STRENGTH OF this year's
defense may lie in a deep secondary,
led by potential All-American Keith
Bostic (6-1, 207). Only Brian Carpenter
and Tony Jackson graduated from last
year's secondary which was hit with
numerous injuries, allowing Schem-
bechler to give a number of players
some experience.
While Bostic will start at strong
safety, sophomore Brad Cochran (6-3,
198) is the frontrunner for the wide side
halfback slot, and seniors Marion Body
and Jerry Burgei and juniors Evan
Cooper and Rich Hewlett (red-shirted
last year after switching from quarter-
back) will contend for the remaining
two spots in the defensive backfield.
The linebacking also looks solid, with
Ben Needham the lone departee. Senior
Paul Girgash (6-1, 205) and junior Mike
Boren (6-2, 217), the top two tacklers
from 1981, should once again be the
starting inside linebackers.
ONE OUTSIDE linebacking position
will be manned by All-American
honorable mention Robert Thompson, a
6-3, 219-pound senior. Thompson, who
will be starting for the third straight
year, was the defensive captain last
year while being severely hampered by
hand and shoulder injuries.
Senior Mike Lemirande (6-4, 220) and
junior Carlton Rose (6-1, 205), both of
whom started a few games in '81, will
battle it out for the other outside
linebacker spot.
On the defensive line, everybody
returns but the graduated Tony Osbun.
Senior Winfred Carraway (6-3, 230),
who is considered the best Michigan
lineman, will anchor one tackle slot.
Sophomore Mike Hammerstein (6-4,
245) and juniors Vince DeFelice (6-2,
228) and Dave Meredith (6-3, 225) will
contend for the other starting tackle
position.
SOPHOMORE AL Sincich (6-1, 220),
a starter through part of last season,
rounds out the Wolverine defensive
corps at middle guard.
For the second consecutive year the
Michigan kicking game will remain un-
changed. Junior Don Bracken returns
4
~6
Daily Photo by BRIAN MASCK
AFTER BREAKING PAST the initial line of UCLA defenders in last season's Bluebonnet Bowl, tailback Lawrence
Ricks (46) tries to regain his balance. Ricks gained 413 yards rushing last year. and is expected to be the Wolverines
starting tailback this fall.
as the punter, bringing with him the
school record of 43.3 yards per kick set
last season. The placekickerhwill again
be senior Ali Haji-Sheikh.
And so that is the cast of characters
that hopes to make Michigan's disap-
pointing 1981 football fortunes a distant
memory. The Wolverines lost three Big
Ten games last season-the first time
that has ever happened during the
Schembechler regime. The 33-14
pasting of UCLA in the Bluebonnet
Bowl was small consolation as
Michigan finished 12th-ranked in the
country.
IN T HE OFFSEASON there was the
much-ballyhooed attempt by Texas
A&M to lure Schembechler to
Aggieland. It was, to be sure, a
tumultuous year for Michigan football
but now it appears that all is calm.
People will probably take a wait-and-
see attitude with this year's team, and
that is how General Bo likes it.
"To be honest, I kind of like the
challenge we will be facing," says
Schembechler. "Last year we were'
picked as the pre-season national
champion . . this year we probably
won't be the pre-season pick for the Big
Ten title and we probably won't be
ranked in the pre-season Top Ten."
The upcoming season features the
first night game in the history of Notre
Dame Stadium, when the Irish enter-
tain the Wolverines on September 18.
Then there is the UCLA rematch the
following week in Ann Arbor. And there
is the lingering pain of defeat inflicted
by upstarts Wisconsin and Iowa. And
there is the quest for revenge against
Ohio State. And there is the climb back
up from last year's third-place finish in
the Big Ten ...
It should be an interesting season.
Big Ten Standings
Conference Overall
W L W L
Iowa .........6 2 8 4
Ohio State .... 6 2 9 3
MICHIGAN... 6 3 9 3
Illinois........ 6 3 7 4
Wisconsin .... 6 3 7 5
Minnesota .... 4 5 5 6
-- - - , -- a -- J---, ---- - v N 4a.vl.u .- - ... 7t -1 f Lx A..{ o " J I . "& I
1981 Football Statistics
Team Statistics
RECEIVING
No. Yds.
Total First Downs........
Rushing .................
Passing ..............
Penalty.............
Total Net Yards.........
Total Plays..........
Avg. Per Play.........
Avg. Per Game.......
Net Rushing Yards........
Total Attempts........
Avg. Per Play.........
Avg. Per Game........
Net Passing Yards ........
Att/Comp/Int.........
Avg. Per Attempt........
Avg. Per Comp.......
Avg. Per Game.......
Total Number of Punts.....
Total Yards..........
Average per Punt...
Interceptions/Yards .......
Punts/Yds/Avg..........
Punt Ret/Yds/Avg.........
KO Ret/Yds/Avg .........
Int/Yds/Avg............
Fumbles/Lost...........
Penalties/Yards........
Scoring
Total Pts./Avg.........
Touchdowns...........
Rushing ...............
Passing.............
Returns............
PAT's/Att ...............
2-Pt. Conv.Att............
Field Goals/Att..........
Third Down Conv./Att......
Success Pct..............
Mich Opp
259 219
167 101
77 106
15 12
5044 3879
845 819
6.0 4.7
420.3 323.3
3293 1537
626 468
5.3 3.3
274.4 128.1
1751 2342
219/101/11 351/187/21
8.0 6.7
17.3 12.5
145.9 195.2
50 69
2,167 2,778
43.3 40.3
21/222 11/19
50/2167/43.3 69/2778/40.3
41/352/8.6 16/46/2.9
25/551/22.0 31/454/14.6
21/222/10.6 11/19/1.7
17/10 19/7
74/676 47/446
CARTER ...................... 50
BEAN ......................... 16
DUNAWAY ..................11
Woolfolk...................9
Edwards............... .. 7
Betts .......................... 4
Brocking"on................ 2
INGRAM....................I1
HASSEL ...................1
MICHIGAN ................... 101
Opponents..--.................187
952
336
152
55
97
76
67
10
6
1751
2342
Avg. TD
19.0
21.0 I
13.8 3 .
6.1 0,
13.9 2 '
19.0 1
33.5 0
10.0 0
6.0 1
17.3 f6'
12.5 10
355/29.6
47
31
16
0
40/41
2/6
9/16
75/156
.481
162/13.5
19
9
10
0
18/19
0/0
10/181
60/109
.355
c
t
E
1
I
I
I
1
1
1
1
1
t
TOTAL OFFENSE
Rush Pass Total/Avg.
S. SMITH ........... .. 674 1661 2335/194.6
Woolfolk ............. 1459 1459/12
ALL-PURPOSE
Yardage Rush Rec KOR PR Total/Avg.'
CARTER 67 952 406 196 1621/1S3tAs
Woolfolk 1459 55 1514/IZ6,2
SCORING
TDr TDp ExP FG TP '
S. SMITH............12
HAJI-SHEIKH ...... 35-35 8-14 59i
CARTER ............ 1 8 5
RICKS............. 9 5
Woolfolk ...........
Edwards............1 2
DUNAWAY-.....3.............
BERGERON ........ 5-5 1-2
BEAN ................ I,
Betts ................ .. 1 6
HASSEL ...............6
ROGERS..........
Dickey .............. 1
'Team' . . .0-1
MICHIGAN......... 31 16 40-41 9-16 3
Opponents ........... 9 10 18-19 10.181
*-ncludes one two-point play
**-safety,
TACKLING Tt
Tackles Assists
BOREN .................... 101 51 152
GIRGASH .................. 87 49 1384",4
BOSTIC.................. 47 27 74E
Needham................... 41 23
BURGEI ................... 38 17 5 ,
Iackson .................... 36 18 54-
Osbun....................35 15 501.
THOMPSON...............-29 13 42-w
COOPER ................... 27 8 35
CARAIAWAY ............... 19 13 32,
IERRMANN............... 18 12 30
FAMES .. ............... .11 6 27
ROSE ...................... 18 7 25'
COLES .................... 15 9 24
SINCICH................... 13 10 23
BODY ...................... 14 6 20
LEMIRANDE .............. it 8 19
Carpenter.................14 3 17
REEVES .................. 6 4 10
4AMMERSTEIN........... .3 2 5
LOTT ...................... 2 1 3
MILLER.................1 1 2
MEREDITH..............1 1 2
INDIVIDUAL
STATISTICS
RUSHING
Att
Woolfolk ....................253
S.SM[I .................... 134
Edwards .................... 92
RICKS ...................... 86
ROGERS................. 22
CARTER .................... 12
INGRAM .................... 8
HASSEL .................... 8
Dickey ..................... 7
K. SMITH ................... 3
MERCER ................... I
MICHIGAN ................. 626
Opponents ................... 468
Yds
1459
674
446
413
133
67
30
30
20
19
2
3293
1537
Avg.
5.8
5.0
4.8
4.8
6.0
5.6
3.8
3.8
2.9
6.3
2.0
5.3
3.3
TD
6
12
1
9
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
31
9
B
G
H
N
B
J
0
T
C
C
H
I
R
C
S.
B
L
C
R
H
L
M
M
1
Michigan State 4 5 5 6 PASSING
Purdue....... 3 6 5 6 S.SMITH..............210 97 11 1661 15
Indiana ...... 3 6 3 8 Dickey .................. 9 4 8 90 1
MICHIGAN..............21g 101 11 1751 16
Northwestern 0 9 0 ii Opponents ............... 351 187 21 2342 10
Daily Photos by BRIAN MASCK
Michigan linebackers Paul Girgash
(50) and Mike Boren (40) bring Ohio
State tailback Tim Spencer (above) to
an abrupt halt. Wolverine quarterback
Steve Smith (right) barks out the
signals as he stands over center Tom
Dixon. Don Bracken (left) gets off
another booming punt.