wwwwww w w lqwl IRW W IW 1w MW Paq e 16 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 7, 1984 . November 3: at Purdue Quick on the Draw B' Alike McGraw The Michigan Daily - Friday, S These are dark days for Purdue football. Traditionally a solid power, the Boilermakers have suffered through back-to-back three-win seasons. Things don't look much brighter for the 1984 season. SCOTT CAMPBELL, a three-year starter at quarterback, is gone, with no heir apparent. To rub a little salt into this wound, five players were dropped from the program by head coach Leon Burtnett after they were arrested on credit-card theft charges. The losses included last - " - . Fr season's fourth-leading tackler, defensive end Derrick Hoskins and the leading tailback candidate for '84, Lloyd Hawthorne (490 yards rushing). Burtnett's strategy to rebuild the Boilermakers has been to play young players and let them gain ex- perience. Last season eight fresh- men and sophomores found them- selves in starting roles on the defen- se. Defense would appear to be Pur- due's strength, with eight starters returning, including leading tackler Kevin Sumlin and leading intercep- tor Kennedy Wilson. Junior Jim Everett is the top can- didate to replace Campbell at quar- terback, but a pair of freshmen, Jeff Huber and Doug Downing have not been ruled out as signal-callers. Sophomore Rodney Carter is slated to replace Mel Gray at tailback. Carter had a 4.4 rushing average in 40 carries last season. COACH: Leon Burtnett, Purdue (1982- 93) 6-15-1. LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 3-7-1, 3-5-1 Big Ten. LAST YEAR VS MICH: Michigan 42, Purdue 10. SERIES LEADER: Michigan, 26-9. OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 4. 1983 OFFENSIVE RANKING: 6th. DEFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING: 7. 1983 OFFENSIVE RANKING: 7th. PLAYERS TO WATCH: Rod Woodson (FS), Rodney Carter (TB). Jeff Price (WR), Kevin Sumlin (LB). j/ rt King ... returning fullback Solution to league's humiliation... .. . send Michigan to the Rose Bowl The Big Ten has suffered enough embarrassment. It's time to keep the kids out of the Rose Bowl and get a team that knows what it's doing out to Pasadena this season. Specifically Michigan. Illinois' 45-9 shellacking at the hands of a UCLA team that wasn't even ranked in the top 20 is further proof that the destruction of the Big 2/Little 8 was not a beneficial change in the conference. IN 1981, IOWA HEADED WEST for the first time in 23 years. The school got its state pretty excited but put in a terrible performance in the game, getting shutout 28-0 by Washington. That's a 64-point deficit in only two games for the new guys. In Michigan's seven Rose Bowl appearances during Bo Schembechler's coaching reign, it has only one win, but its losses have come by a total of 40 points, In '82 and '84, the Los Angelinos commented as to how nice it was to have someone other than Michigan in town. Sure, they were glad. They knew that the result would be a blowout win by the Pac-10 representative. THINGS HAVE GOT TO SHAPE UP. Out on the coast, they're laughing at the Big Ten and complaining about why the Pac-10 champ only gets to play bad teams. The answer is simple. Get the Wolverines back into the so-called "Grandaddy of them All" and keep them there. There have been a lot of complaints over Michigan's failure to win often in Pasadena, but the school does a much better job than any of the alternatives. THE WOLVERINES' PROBLEM has simply been bad luck. They've played well enough to win in every game, but haven't gotten the breaks For example: 1970-Schembechler, in his first year as coach at Michigan, suffers a heart attack the day before the game and is unable to be on the sidelines during a 10-3 loss to USC. 1972-Stanford boots a last-minute field goal to edge the Wolverines by one. 1978-JUST EIGHT YARDS from the tying touchdown, a Rick Leach pass bounces off the helmet of Stanley Edwards and into the arms of a Washington defender for an incredible game-deciding interception. 1979-Charles White of USC fumbles the ball away at the three-yard line, but USC is credited with a touchdown and that turns out to be the Trojans' margin of victory. 1983-Quarterback Steve Smith and tackle Rich Strenger are knocked out of the game early, but still the Wolverines only lose by 10 points to number-three UCLA. MICHIGAN COULD EASILY have won all of those games. Illinois and Iowa were out of their contests before the parade even started. What the Big Ten needs is one simple rule. The winner of the Ohio State- Michigan game goes to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes did all right when they used to go out there many years ago. The other conference institutions may not like the rule, but it would be for their own good. Last January 2, there was no question as to where the class of the Big Ten plays-Ann Arbor. While the Illini were getting pummeled, Michigan put on an exciting effort against a very talented Auburn team. And if Triando Markray had stepped out of bounds at the 30 instead of the 23, the Wolverines would have been an easy field goal away from receiving the bowl of sugar, as well. BUT MICHIGAN'S FINE EFFORTS in bowl games should be no surprise. Since Schembechler's first season, nobody has blown out the Wolverines. Nobody. And it is pretty apparent that the Big Ten doesn't have the talent of some of the other big conferences. On several occasions, the Wolverines have been dominated on the playing field, but have stayed in the game until the final moments. Just recall the night in Notre Dame Stadium two years ago. Michigan could do little against the Fighting Irish throughout the game, but still almost pulled it out. Schembechler has to take the credit for this record. Some people complain that Schembechler can't win the close games, but no other coach can match his string of winning seasons. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR the Big Ten's rule in the early 70's that a conference school could not participate in any bowl games other than the Rose, Michigan would have seen post-season action in all 15 of Schembechler's seasons. His two worst years have been 8-4 records in 1979 and '82. However, it can be pointed out that in '79 the four losses came by a total of 10 points and Michigan won the Big Ten title outright in '82. This season will be no exception. A lot of Wolverine fans are fretting over the season-opening appearence of the defending national champion Miami Hurricanes. But there is no need to be. Michigan will probably win this game and if not, it won't lose by any more than a louchdown. That's a tradition that this season's team will live up to. There is also no need for concern over the college football magazines picking Michigan to finish fourth place in the conference. Those publications don't know what they're talking about. The Wolverines are in the best shape overall of any team in the Big Ten. They just don't have a well-known quarterback returning to grab national attention. There is also another tradition that the 1984 Wolverines will have a chance to follow. The last four times that they have faced Ohio State in Columbus, as they do this November, they went on to play in the Rose Bowl. Should that happen, the Big Ten can relax. Because it won't again be humiliated on New Year's Day. By PAUL HELGREN Michigan's offensive line is like one of those county fair cardboard facades that has the body of a strongman and a hole where the face should be-no mat- ter who stands behind it the muscle- bound body is always the same. The 1984 season is no exception. Though new faces abound, the bodies remain consistent-big and strong. ONLY 6-4, 258-pound tackle Clay Miller returns to the position he held last year. His counterpart from 1983, Doug James, moves to guard. Among the newcomers, Mark Hammerstein will assume the "quick" tackle position, Bob Tabachino should hold down the other guard spot and Art Balourdos will move into center. The relative inexperience up front means the Wolverine coaching staff will not have the luxury of sitting back and watching the gaping holes open up, as they were able to do last year when All-Americans Stefan Humphries and Tom Dixon led the way. "It's gonna be an interesting year," said interior line coach Paul Schudel. "It's gonna be fun ... I get to coach this year." THOUGH SCHUDEL and fellow of- fensive line coach Elliot Uzelac may be spending a little more time on technique fundamentals this fall, they certainly have talented brutes to work with. The most consistent workhorsencould be senior Balourdos. If it weren't for F t. 6 &o^ ..:o 5 ' New faces, same story for Offensive line depth chart CENTER Art Balourdos (Sr) Andy Borowski (So) LEFT GUARD DOUG JAMES (Sr) Bob Popowski (Sr) LEFT TACKLE Mark Hammerstein (Jr) John Elliott (So) CAPS ind(icate returning .tarter. RIGHT GUARD Bob Tabachino (Sr) Mike Krauss (Jr) RIGHT TACKLE CLAY MILLER (Sr) Rick Frazer (jr) p. I 'I r Dixon, the 6-3, 250-pounder could have been a starter for the past two seasons. But his patience should pay dividends this autumn. "Balourdos will be as good a center as there is in the league," boasted head coach Bo Schembechler in the spring. Balourdos' flanks will be covered by senior guards James and Tabachino. James, the heaviest of the Wolverine starters at 267 pounds, suffered a slight knee injury in the spring. But according to Schudel the injury poses "no problem." Tabachino (6-1, 263) has the build of a tree stump but his short stature will give him leverage on taller defensive linemen. Another senior, Bob Popowski, could move in if Tabachino doesn't get the job done. Popowski is 6- 3, 265 pounds. Tackles Miller and Hammerstein should be more than adequate. Miller has seen action in all four of his years at Michigan, playing defense briefly in his freshman campaign. He has a legitimate shot for All-Big Ten hordors. Hamme defensiv( 6-4, 262 p all but th Depth the line, go down, Andy Bo nicely. . problem. has guide status sin probably been for - Garrett solid; who is the tail By DOUGLAS LEVY Ah, tailbacks and fullbacks. The two positions represent one thought to Bo Schembechler - absolutely no problem. "Our running back situation is good," understated running back coach Tirrell Burton. "We have a lot of depth and a lot of talent. A lot of the guys are just starting to blossom." HAPPILY for the Wolverines, all four fullbacks are ready to blossom, and two of them - Juniors Eddie Garrett and Bob Perryman - are ready to explode. "Personally, I'd like to be good enough to be first team All-Big Ten," said Garrett (6-2, 220) who last season gained 356 yards on 85 carries and developed into a crushing blocker. "I think that is an excellent goal for Eddie to have," said Burton. "He has the talent to become one of the best fullbacks Michigan has ever had." JUST BEHIND Garrett, but gaining quickly is Perryman, who took a little longer to get adjusted to Michigan football. "We feel good about Perryman," said Burton. "He had an excellent spring and had the opportunity to take a lot of snaps. Taking snaps and getting experience is the key for a kid like Perryman. He's 230 pounds and is a good all-around athlete. He just needs a chance to play and we expect him to play a lot." Junior Dan Rice and senior Greg Armstrong are experienced, talented fullbacks, providing insurance against. injury. JUST WHO might blossom into Michigan's 1,000-yard tailback of 1984 is Fabulous drinks - 2 for I from 11:30 am till 7 pm. Late night Happy Hour from 11 pm til closing-daily. What a setting. You'll prob- ably like to stay for dinner. FOOD AND DRINK 3150 S. Boardwalk (near Briarwood) Ann Arbor " Phone 668-1545 still a qu circumsta been a s Rogers. I academic air. The lik doesn't bo he projec Wilcher, I potentiall: One ma tailback p last seas Mercer se fifth gain and sat of has appar knee read Should grades, tf would be Wilcher. 'N with surpr 0, 210-pour suffered freshman Burton an( that W handsome In 1983 whopping he succeed offensive game will opposing d