Page 12 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 13, 1986
Blue defense doesn't
rest
in
27
-6
win
(Continued from Page 1)
began the third quarter expecting to
execute themselves back into the
game. But, by double-teaming
dangerous receivers Mark Ingram
and Andre Rison and constantly
pressuring Yarema, Michigan's
defense shut down the Spartan
attack.
AFTER a 21-yard kickoff
return from tailback Craig Johnson
(20 carries for 84 yards), Michigan
State grinded out three first downs
and appeared to be driving
effectively. But then on third down
and seven from the Spartan 30 yard
line, linebackers Mark Messner and
Steve Thibert nailed Yarema for an
eight-yard loss, and Michigan had
its rival on the ropes.
The Wolverines, who yielded
only two Spartan third down
conversions all game, did not allow
MSU a first down on its next
possession, and the big play took
over from there, igniting the second
largest crowd ever in Michigan
Stadium.
Wolverine quarterback Jim
Harbaugh threaded a 42-yard
touchdown toss to who else but
flanker John Kolesar, the
sophomore who is quickly
becoming a deadly deep threat.
"I KNEW I had a chance to hit
(Kolesar) when I pumped faked (to
split end Ken) Higgins," said the
usually humble Harbaugh, who
threw for 219 yards in a 14-of-22
performance. "But you never expect
those to get caught. Kolesar and
Higgins are making me look good.
They're pulling my butt out of
some heavy hot water."
Harbaugh faced only tepid
pressure most of the day, despite
the challenge of Michigan State's
pro-formation defense. The
Spartans got to Harbaugh twice and
forced a few errant throws, but
Michigan's senior play-caller
executed when he had to.
"He made the big passes, and got
us out of trouble under the blitz,"
said Schembechler. "We ask him do
a lot of things, and he did what it
takes." ;
HARBAUGH'S bomb to
Kolesar increased Michigan's lead
to 17 at 20-3, and after MSU drove
53 yards in nine plays for a
meaningless Chris Caudell field
goal, the Wolverines quickly put
the game out of reach at the start of
the final quarter.
Again Harbaugh combined with
Kolesar for a long gain, this time a
35-yard aerial down the left sideline.
Four plays later tight end Jeff
Brown caught the first touchdown
pass of his college career on a play-
action bootleg, and Michigan held a
27-6 advantage.
The play effectively answered
Michigan State's goal line defense,
which had forced Michigan to kick
a field goal in the second quarter
after David Arnold's blocked punt
put the Wolverines at the Spartan
five.
"WE FELT it was time to try
something different (on Brown's
TD) because their defense seemed to
be overcommitting on the run,"
said Schembechler.
Taking advantage of free safety
Paul Bobbitt's interception
(Harbaugh's second of the season),
the Spartans mounted a brief 17-
yard drive in the second quarter with
Michigan ahead 10-0 but could only
manage a field goal. Michigan's
defense made sure of that by
breaking up a Yarema-to-Rich
Gicewicz touchdown pass.
And that was just the beginning.
" T H E Y dominated us
defensively and deserve to win
today," said MSU coach George
Perles. "They took away our run,
our pass. Their rush was
exceptional. We got beat by a
better team."
That better team battles Iowa,
the team that handed State its first
loss, next week.
Hawkeyes' coach Haden Fry
predicted Michigan State would beat
Michigan. In practice last week,
Schembechler reminded his players
about Fry's prediction.
To the pleasure of Michigan
fans, the Hawkeye headman has to
eat his prophetic words one week
before his Hawkeyes meet the
Wolverines. And after Michigan's
performance against State, good ole
Hayden has a full meal ahead of
him.
14
4
14
__ _ __
P"
II11
M AR KMY WOGRDS S
---- -By Mark Borowsky
An opinion - be it about politics, religion, or
football rivalries - depends on perspective.
Consider the following points of view on
Michigan's 27-6 victory over Michigan State:
"Michigan chalked up another victory, a relatively
dull affair over an average Big Ten opponent. The
Wolverines won, and, as usual against State, won
rather easily."
"Michigan State was devastated by a
hated and despised interstate rival, in a
game of such epic proportions that the
season cannot be called successful no
matter what else happens."
It's also true that a cup is both half empty and
half full. Michigan sees the victory like taking an
exam; it's great to get an A, but sure as hell don't
fail. On the other hand, Michigan State transforms
the game into The Game. When Michigan State
beats Michigan, MSU students and alumni will
assuredly remind us for the next year that the
Spartan victory is the greatest thing since the
invention of the portable beer tap.
Those reminders haven't come often, though,
because recent Michigan State wins over Michigan
have been as hard to come by as $20 barrels of
imported brew. Michigan leads the series 53-22-1,
and Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler has a
career record of 15-3 against MSU. In the last four
years, in George Perles' tenure as Michigan State's
head football coach, MSU is 1-3 against Michigan
and has been outscored 107-25 - numbers that
aren't exactly worth partying about.
The Wolverines have lopsided records
against other teams, but those teams
aren't 70 miles north, either. And with
proximity comes not only hope but
expectations as well. "We didn't come in
hoping to win, we came in expecting to
win," said Spartan linebacker Rob
Stradley, who had 12 tackles. "The team
was ready. We had good practices all
week, and the confidence was high."
Perhaps the confidence was high, but the execution
was low indeed. The Spartans had a punt blocked,
revived Michigan's pass rush by allowing six sacks,
and had a touchdown taken back because a lineman
was downfield.
A rivalry the Spartans may call it, but Michigan
blew out Michigan State like so many Indianas and
m
Slanted perspectives...
...cloud Blue vs. MSU
Northwesterns, doubling the yardage, quadrupling
the score, and deflating Michigan State's hope for a
Rose Bowl berth to some outrageous exponent.
From Michigan's standpoint, you don't
beat State, you, avoid losing to them.
Lose to Michigan State? Why, the
Michigan football team would rather lose
to the Vienna Boys Choir. Beating MSU,
great, alright, but losing to the Spartans,
gag me with a spoon, I think I'm going
to be ill. Fortunately for the toilets in
the Michigan locker room, it was the
Spartans who choked on their eating
utensils.
"It seems like every year that 'this is Michigan
State's year' and 'Michigan is on the slide down,"'
said Michigan quarterback Jim Harbaugh, who ran
for a touchdown and tossed two others. "Two years
ago when they beat us it was like 'Michigan who?'
People have to realize that Michigan has great
tradition.
"As far as this series goes, we've always
dominated it, we always will dominate it, and today
was no different."
Remembering the year when it was
different, in 1984, Harbaugh has a clouded
perspective. Michigan State won, 19-7.
Harbaugh broke his left arm diving for a
fumble. He was lost for the year. And
that wasn't the most painful part.
"The thing about losing to Michigan State is, like
after we did in '84, was that you have to hear it the
rest of the year," he said. "It really is the worst
thing possible, to have to sit and listen to it for a
year."
Vindication came in a 31-0 win last year, but the
next week Michigan lost a 12-10 heartbreaker to
Iowa. It was Michigan's only loss in the Big Ten,
while Iowa went on to the Rose Bowl. Two years
before that, Michigan beat the Hawkeyes, 16-13 on
a field goal in the waining seconds. And in 1979,
Iowa beat Michigan by three field goals to a
touchdown, 9-7, and went on to the Rose Bowl.
No surprise, then, that the winner of Saturday's
game against the Hawkeyes will be in the catbird
seat in a weak Big Ten conference, the loser can
only hope.
Michigan-Iowa. Less hype, bigger game. Decided
in the last minute. The winner probably goes to the
Rose Bowl. Now that sounds like a rivalry.
4
Daily Photo by SCOTT LITUCHY
David Arnold goes airborne to block Greg Montgomery's punt in the second quarter. Arnold's block, the fourth
of his career, set up Pat Moons' 19-yard field goal.
An old friend reun
Michigfan' pass rush revived
I
4
By PHIL NUSSEL
An old friend returned to the
Michigan defense during Saturday's
27-6 whipping of Michigan State
- the pass rush.
It was like old times as linemen
Dave Folkertsma, Mark Messner,
and Billy Harris breathed down
Spartan quarterback Dave Yarema's
neck all afternoon. The pressure
spearheaded six Wolverine sacks.
PREVIOUSLY, Michigan
had just five sacks in the first four
games.
"The pressure we put on the
passer helped to take their two great
receivers (Andre Rison and Mark
Ingram) out of the game," head
coach Bo Schembechler said. "The
key was the pressure. I didn't think
it would work that well."
The performance also pleased
defensive coordinator Gary Moeller,
who saw his defense keep an
opponent out of the endzone for the
first time this season.
"IT'S JUST a matter of the
kids getting more comfortable and
confident with their positions,"
Moeller said.
Tackle Dave Folkertsma, who
had the uninviting job of filling
All-American Mike Hammerstein's
shoes, established himself by
nailing two solo sacks midway
through the final quarter for -19
yards.
"I'm getting a little more
confidence after every game,"
Folkertsma said. "There's.nothing
better in the whole world than
getting your own sack. (MSU) was
just staying on the line and I was
using a lot of stepping around
moves."
"I THINK a few times they
had some missed assignments,"
Harris said. "One guy would go this
way and one guy would go the
other and I'd be left open."
"We're coming together as a
family," Folkertsma said. "I think
we have some stuff that we had last
year.
One of those things from last
year was the big play. Folkertsma
showed for the first time that he too
could make the big play. He
credited "The Hammer" for teaching
him the moves.
"I WATCHED Hammerstein's
film a lot and I picked up a lot of
good things from him," Folkertsma
said. "Everything he told me, I
really considered it because I knew
the success he had."
Messner, moving like he did in
'85, also downed Yarema twice for
-18 yards. Linebackers Dieter Heren
and John Willingham got the other
two sacks.
"(Michigan's) rush was
exceptional," MSU head coach
George Perles said. "When you get
behind, it's a problem because you
have to pass. It's a great position to
be in when you're a linemen.
"ON SOME occasions, they
were jumping into the gaps.
(Harris) played an exceptional
game."
While not getting a sack, Harris
was part of the attack which forced
the experienced Yarema to go for
shorter passes. The longest Spartan
completion was a 24-yarder to
Rison - the speedster's only catch
of the day. Ingram did not catch a
pass. Yarema hit 13 of 24 passes
for 139 yards and one interception.
Before, he averaged 230 yards a
game.
"I'm just happy for all of us up
front," Harris said. "We haven't
been playing the way we're capable
of playing and we're really happy
with this game because we started
coming to the fore a little bit.
"Today we got a lot of pressure
on the quarterback and that s
basically what won the game for
That's defensive pressure, that
old friend from days gone by.
--
Blue Banter
- The 106,141 fans in attendance
at Saturday's game was the second-
largest in Michigan Stadium
history. The record of 106,155 was
set in 1979 and that was also an
NCAA record.
- Dave Arnold continues to be
the Wolverines' ace punt blocker.
His block of Greg Montgomery's
punt Saturday was the third of his
career. It was his first since the one
he had in the Fiesta Bowl.
*The high-powered MSU
- Jim Harbaugh's string of 62
consecutive passes without an
interception was broken when he
threw a pass into the arms of Paul
Bobbitt in the second quarter.
Harbaugh is third in Michigan
history with 446 pass attempts. He
is also third in all-time touchdown
throws with 27.
Big Ten
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