The Michigan Daily-Thursday, November 18, 1982-Page 9
Buckeyes' Marek hungry for Michigan
By MARK CHRISTOPHER BEEBE.
Football Writer, Ohio State Lantern
COLUMBUS- Marcus Marek is looking for-
ward to closing out his four years against arch-
rival Michigan on Saturday, but if he chooses to
look back he would be able to see a great in-
dividual career.
-Marek, Ohio State's outstanding inside
linebacker, will be one of the defensive keys as
the Buckeyes attempt to shut down a potent
Wolverine offense that features the Big Ten's
leading rusher in Lawrence Ricks and the ever-
dangerous all-American flanker, Anthony Car-
EVEN THOUGH Michigan has clinched the
automatic trip to the Rose Bowl, Marek is not,
going to let that fact diminish the importance of
THE game.
"We aren't letting down at all," the senior co-
captain said. "Playing Michigan is our bowl
game. It is the seniors' last game at Ohio
Stadium and we want to go out as winners. I
know that I'll be a little emotional Saturday. This
game means a lot to me.
"It's hard to believe that I'm saying this, but
this is one week that I don't mind practicing at
all."
SINCE OHIO State has faced five passing
teams in a row, Marek welcomes the chance to
play a predominantly running team like the
Maize and Blue.
"It'll be nice to play tackle-to-tackle football
this week," Marek said. "Michigan comes out in
basic sets and runs basic plays. Half the time we
know from the formation what plays they will be
running. It's like they are challenging us and
saying 'come stop us.' There is a lot of emotion in
this game. That is what makes it such a great
game."
Marek says the success of the defense will
depend upon the ability of the Buckeyes to stop
Ricks and their ability to stop the option.
"RICKS RUNS a lot like (OSU's) Tim Spen-
cer," Marek said. "He has the straight stand up
style and has good moves. Michigan can run the
option well with (quarterback) Steve Smith. He
has very good speed and they execute their run-
ning game well."
Marek leads the Buckeyes in tackles with 146
on the year, just two shy of his final output of last
season. He now has 540 for his career as he tries
to overtake the school record of former two-time
all-American Tom Cousineau, who had 569
tackles in his illustrious career. It is something
that Marek thinks about, but doesn't pre-occupy
himself with.
"It is a goal of mine that I have worked hard on
and looked forward to," Marek said. "It would
be a great accomplishment to be in the record
books at Ohio State, especially considering the
fact that Cousineau was a great linebacker.
However, I try not to be self-conscious about it. I
don't want it to affect my play. For example, I
don't want to think that if I miss a tackle that it
may be the one I need to break the record.
"I'M SURE it will mean a lot to me down the
line, but as you live the cxperience it really
doesn't hit you until much later in your life."
One of the best things that Marek has going for
him on the field is that he has started alongside
fellow inside linebacker and co-captain Glenn
Cobb for three seasons. Many consider the pair
to be the best tandem of inside linebackers in the
country.
"Starting alongside Glenn for so long
helps me out so much," said Marek. "We know
what to expect from each other as far as where
each one will be on certain plays. Plus, we are
experienced enough that sometimes we can read
the play and help each other if we make a
mistake."
THIS YEAR, Ohio State has a new defensive
alignment in which Marek plays exclusively on
the side opposite the tight end. It allows Marek
more freedom.
"The coaches wanted me to run to the ball
more this year and get in on more hits," Marek
said.
Marek arrived in 1979 just expecting to be
another freshman vying for playing time. But an
early-season injury to then starting inside
linebacker Tony Negaro threw Marek into the
big time.
"I JUST wanted to see some action on the
specialty teams," said Marek. "I wanted to
learn slowly."
But by the fourth game of his first season he
was in the starting lineup and he has remained
the foundation of the defense. He led the
Buckeyes in tackles in 1980 and '81 while winning
first team all-Big Ten honors. He was also
chosen second team all-America both years.-
With a good shot at first-team honors this year,
Marek is glad he chose Ohio State instead of the
smaller schools he was considering.
"I've had a wonderful career here at Colum-
bus," Marek said. "I've learned a lot about life
and football. I've grown up quite a bit here. All
that is left is a victory over Michigan in my last
home game.''
4,4
Q
Marek
... All-America linebacker
FORMER 'M' TAILBACK RETURNS TO SCHOOL:
Gordon Bell rushes at new goals
By RANDY BERGER
All during his life, former Michigan
tailback Gordon Bell thrived on being
able to adjust to difficult situations. As
a player Bell was able to overcome his
small size (5'9", 175 pounds) and
become Michigan's fourth all-time
leading rusher. Today, he has had to
make the transition from being a
professional football player back to a
student.
"It's a tough transition but you have
to realize that you've got to make it if
you're going to survive," said Bell. "I
feel that I'm a survivor so I was able to
make the change.''
AS A PLAYER, Bell had quite a
distinguished career at Michigan. After
two years of sharing time with Rob
Lytle at halfback, in 1975 Bell played
full-time at that position when Lytle
was moved to fullback. He subsequen-
tly responded by setting many single-
season records that year and was
rewarded by being named the Most
Valuable Player of the team. Besides
setting the record for most rushing at-
tempts (which still stands today) with
273, Bell gained 1,388 yards that year,
putting him as the 4th all-time leading
Michigan rusher in a season. In his
three-year career, Bell gained over
2,900 yards.
Despite all of his individual accom-
plishments, the things that stick out in
his mind about his college playing days
are his teammates and coach Bo
Schembechler.
"The thing I remember most about
playing here is the great groups of guys
I played with such as Lytle, Rick Leach
and Calvin O'Neal, added the Troy,
Ohio Native. "Bo also had a great im-
pact one me. I'm not much of an out-
ward person and he was able to bring
out the confidence I needed in order to
be successful."
AFTER making his mark as a
Wolverine, Bell was drafted by the New
York Giants in 1976. His professional
career, however, didn't sparkle. He
only lasted four years.
"I think I was spoiled by the system
at Michigan when I went into the
pro's, said Bell. "In the pro's, it is
purely a business and there is no
fighting spirit for the team. For me, the
money took the spirit out of the game.
At Michigan, it was a great rush to
come out of the tunnel and see.all the
fans. The whole atmosphere behind
football here was exciting."
Upon his release from the St. Louis
Cardinals in 1980, Bell went back home
and opened a restaurant. After a year
in the restaurant business Bell decided
to come back to Michigan and finish
getting his LSA degree in General
Studies, and thus made another ad-
justment-that of going from student-
athlete to ordinary student.
"IT'S DIFFERENT being just a
student in that you don't have to be
anywhere at a specific time," added
Bell. "I don't have to be at practice
every day at 3:30 and I also don't have
to worry about missing a meeting.
Even today, sometimes, I wake up in
the morning and get the feeling that I'm
supposed to be at a meeting."
Although now, like other students, all
Bell can do on football Saturday's is
watch, he still feels the urge to run out
on the field and put on the uniform.
"I get so involved that I find myself
doing the body motions as if I were in
the game."
EVEN THOUGH he can't dodge
tacklers and score touchdowns for this
year's team, Bell spends a lot of time at
practices talking to and helping the
players.
"I talk to Lawrence Ricks a lot just
about things in general," stated Bell.
"We're similar in that we're built the
same way but he's more of a (former
Wolverine) Bill Taylor type runner, in
that he goes at the defenders. I had the
type of running style that never gave
the defensive player a shot at me. I
used fakes and shifts to try to stay away
from them instead of trying to over-
power them."
As for now, Bell is set to make the
transition to the working field, which he
hopes will be in sales. Nonetheless, the
experiences learned while playing foot-
ball, he insists, will always be with him.
"Football can't be your whole life and
it's necessary to make the transition.
Football is just a stepping stone to use
for whatever you do later in life.."
"Come to the Mountains"
Top brother/sister camps
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Sports Information Photo
Gordon Bell (5) is seen here in agame against Stanford in 1975, his senior
year. Bell is currently the fourth leading career rusher in Michigan history
with 2,900 yards.
Bowl pictur
By MIKE BRADLEY
It's :bowl time again and, as usual, the post-season
slate of games is crystal clear.
Take this situation for example. If Southern
Methodist beats Arkansas this weekend, it will earn a
berth in the Cottom Bowl. If the Razorbacks defeat
the Mustangs, and then go on to beat Texas, they will
gai the bid. However, if the Razorbacks beat SMU
and then fall to the Longhorns, SMU will go to Dallas
on New Year's Day. Got that?
Maybe this will help. If Washington beats
Washington St., it will oppose Michigan in the Rose
Bowl. However, if the Huskies fall to the Cougars,
and Arizona St. defeats Arizona, Michigan will meet
Darryl Rogers and his Sun Devils in the Rose Bowl.
However, if Arizona beats Arizona St., and
Washington St. downs Washington, and UCLA topples
USC, then the Bruins will take on the Wolverines in a
rematch.
Seriously though folks, although the bowl picture
seems somewhat muddled, it is beginning to take
some definite shape. By Saturday evening at 6:00, the
bowl committees across the country will have made
their choices for their respective holiday classics.
Here is a capsulized look at who might go where
when:
e beginning
Orange Bowl, January 1: The 'winner of the
Oklahoma-Nebraska blood-letting on November 27
will gain the Big Eight Conference's automatic bid to
the Miami classic. Its opponent will be the winner of
the Florida St.-LSU clash this Saturday evening.
Sugar Bowl, January 1: Georgia, which has clin-
ched the Southeastern Conference title for the third
year in a row, is sitting back waiting for the Sugar
Bowl Committee to decide whether it wants to pick
Pittsburgh or Penn St. This, of course, will be a dif-
ficult decision, since the two do not play until a week
after the bids for the bowl go out.
Cotton Bowl, January 1: We've already been
through the Southwest Conference situation. Cotton
Bowl officials are hoping for an SMU victory this
Saturday so that they will be able to showcase an un-
defeated team on New Year's Day. They, like the
Sugar Bowl, covet Pitt and Penn St. as their SWC
champion's opponent. The clash between the two
bowl committees should be interesting.
Fiesta Bowl, January 1: The latest addition to the
New Year's group will probably take the PAC 10 run-
ner-up, most likely Arizona St., and match it up
against America's Team, Notre Dame.
Gator Bowl, December 30: The hot news from
Florida is that the loser of the Florida St.-LSU game
will play in the Gator Bowl. Its opponent is anyone's
guess at this time. West Virginia, North Carolina,
to develop
UCLA, or the Nebraska-Oklahoma loser are the
leading candidates.
Liberty Bowl, December 29: Illinois vs. Alabama,
trust me.
Sun Bowl, December 25: This Christmas Day clash
will probably pit Texas against North Carolina.
Holiday Bowl, December 17: This classic will mat-
ch the winner of the Western Athletic Conference
against an at-large school. The WAC winner will be
Brigham Young, if it beats Utah this week, or New
Mexico, if it beats Hawaii and Brigham Young loses,
or BYU if.both teams lose. Likely opponents will be
Arizona, Ohio St., or California.
Bluebonnet Bowl, December 31: This one looks like
Arkansas (provided it falls to SMU on Saturday) will
be meeting the loser of the Nebraska-Oklahoma
showdown.
Peach Bowl, December 31: Look for the Hawkeyes
of Iowa to fly down to Atlanta for this New Year's Eve
day matchup. Their opponents will come from Ten-
nessee, Florida, North Carolina St., or Vanderbilt.
Tangerine Bowl, December 18: All indicators are
pointing toward a meeting between Auburn and
Boston College.
Hall of Fame Bowl, December 31: The Com-
modores of Vanderbilt are one of the leading can-
didates for one of the spots here. Their opponent will
be North Carolina, Miami (Fla.), or Tennessee.
3C11D CHANCE
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Tripucka hot; Pistons
still lose, 120-1 03
SCORES
NBA
Philadelphia 120, Detroit 103
Boston 112, Houston 94
San Antonio 114,. Washington 112
Indiana 124, Golden State 122
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Andrew
Toney and Maurice Cheeks
speerheaded an explosive third quarter
that sent the Philadelphia 76ers on to a
120-103 victory ever the Detroit Pistons
in National Basketball Association ac-
tion last night.
Detroit's Kelly Tripucka, who was
recovering from a sprained ankle, had
a game-high 34 points, three under his
season high.
CHEEKS AND Moses Malone were
high for the 76ers with 24 points each,
while Toney contributed 22 towards this
Sixers' third consecutive victory and a
9-1 record.
The 76ers, ahead 66-64 early in the
third quarter, pulled away with an 18-
point scoring binge while holding the
Pistons to just two points, a field goal
by Tripucka.
Toney dropped in five field goals for
10 points and Cheeks had three during
the streak, with Bobby Jones scoring
the other two points.
The Pistons, down 97-78 going into the
fourth quarter, rallied with a run of
seven unanswered points but never got
closer than nine points, at 108-99 with
3:04 left in the game.
Philadelphia overcame an early
Detroit lead for a 26-23 edge after the
first quarter, and led 62-58 at the half.
STUDENTS
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