Page 2 - The Michigan Daily - Sunday, November 23, 1986
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Page 2 - The Michigan Daily - Sunday, November 23, 1986
JUNIOR TAILBACK RUNS FOR 210 YARDS
Morris maims Buckeyes
By MARK BOROWSKY
Special to the Daily
COLUMBUS - Promises are
easier to keep when Jamie Morris is
behind them.
It was Michigan quarterback Jim
Harbaugh who made the guarantee that
Michigan would beat Ohio State, but
in the end it was Morris that delivered
the goods.
The diminutive tailback ran for a
career-high 210 yards on 29 carries and
two touchdowns in yesterday's 26-24
win over the Buckeyes that sent the
Wolverines to the Rose Bowl. He also
caught three Harbaugh spirals for 22
yards.
WHILE Harbaugh was no slouch
with 261 yards on 19-of-29 passing,
Morris was the offensive star of the
game.
"That's the best I've seen him
play," said Michigan head coach Bo
Schembechler. "In the second half, our
offense line did a terrific job in
opening holes for Jamie Morris.
"But Morris did a great job. When
do you remember any back getting
more than 200 yards against Ohio
State?"
THERE'S probably no one old
enough to remember that far back. In
the second half -.Morris rushed for
150 yards on 19 carries after halftime
- Morris often carried the team on his
shoulders. And when you're 5-7 and
179 pounds, that's no easy task.
"I visualized that this would be the
game," Morris said. "I wanted to make
it all come today. I reached down
inside me."
What he pulled out was often
spectacular, certainly no one play more
so than his third quarter, 52-yard run.
Slipping off a tackle on the right side
of the line, the junior from Ayer,
Mass., scampered down the right
sideline all the way to the Ohio State
24 before being pushed out of bounds
by Buckeye safety Sonny Gordon. It
was the longest longest run by a
Michigan back this season.
THE RUN set up a Morris eight-
yard run three plays later that put
Michigan ahead for good.
"When I broke that run, it was
Bob's (fullback Bob Perryman) block,"
-- -- - --- -- -- -- -- - - - -- -- --
Doily Photo by SCOTT LITUCHY
who ran for 210 yards yesterday, is tackled in the
Michigan's Jamie Morris,
third quarter.
Morris said. "That got me ready to
play."
"Everybody flows out the side and
he cuts back," said Ohio State
linebacker Chris Spielman. "It's just a
basic play in football, but they
executed it."
EXECUTION on the ground was
what rallied the Wolverines in the
second half. Of Michigan's 268
rushing yards in the game, 181 came
in the final two quarters. Morris's
success on the ground helped Michigan
open it in the air, and brought back the
Wolverines from a 14-6 halftime
deficit.
"We came back in the second half
knowing we had to rush the ball,"
Morris said.
He now has 921 yards for the
season, and 2524 yards in his career,
putting him eighth for career yards at
Michigan, passing Ron Johnson.
Perhaps most surprising about
Morris's performance was not what he
did but what he didn't do: fumble.
Morris has a reputation, however
unfounded, for being giving, to the
extent of qualifiying as a charity on
his tax returns. That reputation wasn't
helped by his costly fumble last week
against Minnesota that led to a Gopher
score. But Saturday Morris held on to
the ball, perhaps aided by some
heavenly intervention by way of his
mom..
"I called my mother Thursday,"
Morris recalled, "and asked her to pray
for me."
How approprirate that was for the
Wolverines. For it came to pass - on
the ground and not in the air- that a
child in the game of giants would lead
them to the promised land. Pasadena.
BARB'S
[~BRBS
BY I? rh Mc Quade
.Harbaugh's prediction...
...spolw for the team
COLUBUS.
H ail to the Victors, damn it.
Michigan's back-and-forth triumph over Ohio State
yesterday was a heart stopper, but the Wolverines never had
any doubt While fans were considering the climate in Dallas
on New Year's Day, Bo Schembechler's players kept their
sights set on beating the Buckeyes for a trip to Pasadena.
"We knew we had the game won at halftime," said
Michigan linebacker Andy Moeller. "We had the momentum.
There was no doubt in my mind who was going to win."
GOOD THING the Wolverines were sheltered in the
locker room, because inside the stadium, Ohio State fans were
basking in the glory of a 14-6 halftime lead.
The game had more turning points than a maze, but
confidence got the Wolverines around that final corner. The
most poised of them all, quarterback Jim Harbaugh, appeared
prophetic after last week's "guarantee" of victory. Some
ridiculed his statement as cocky at the time. But Harbaugh
stuffed cotton down their throats when his prediction came
true.
"I didn't say it to be cocky or arrogant or anything,"
Harbaugh said after the game. "I just said what I felt and what I
wanted to happen on Saturday."
No crisis of co fide'nce
CONFIDENCE has been one of the main ingredients in
Michigan's success this season. And Harbaugh typifies that
attitude. His ability to scramble his way out of a jam and to
think under the pressure of a heavy pass rush has sparked the
Wolverine offense all season. It makes him a winner and a
leader. Moeller said that when he heard about the prediction,
his only thought was that he was glad Harbaugh is on his side.
"You've got to have that kind of confidence," Moeller said.
"If anybody on Ohio State doesn't have that kind of confidence
it's not going to be much of a game. If both teams don't go in
feeling that they're going to win the game, then it's not the
classic that it is, and that's what makes it a classic."
How confident were Harbaugh and Moeller? The co-captains
collected money from the players and bought a plaque to
commemorate, Schembechler's 166th coaching victory at
Michigan. The mark puts him ahead of Fielding Yost as the
all-time leader. They brought the plaque to Columbus with
them, and presented it to the 18th-year head coach after the
game.
BUT YOU have to get the feeling that these two don't
have a monopoly on the commodity. After the game, many
players were speaking of confidence. It's an investment that
can be difficult to hold on to, especially after an unexpected
loss like last week's to Minnesota. Harbaugh's quote may have
been the kick this team needed to put that game behind it and
to remember its goals.
"This victory sends us to the Rose Bowl, but I have to be
so proud of the way we came back after getting beat last week
(against) Minnesota," Schembechler said. "They responded
well. They were confident and played with emotion."
Bo proud of rebound
And while Harbaugh may be the one tagged as cocky, the
rest of the team is just as confident. At. Michigan, players are
taught to win simply because they are Michigan. "Jimmy was
talking for all of us when he said that," stated Wolverine
tailback Jamie Morris, who gained 216 yards yesterday.
"We all felt it," addedfree safety Tony Gant. "Harbaugh just
said it."
The Wolverine seniors have waited four years for a Big Ten
crown, but their confidence hasn't faltered. After the victory,
senior linebacker Andree McIntyre quoted the sign over
Schembecher's office. "Those who stay will be champions -
we're champions. Yeah, we're champions." They knew it all
along.
Roses are Blue; losing
Buckeyes feel pain , r
Of unexpect
By ADAM MARTIN
The greatest thing about the
Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is that
neither team expects to lose.
Wait. Make that both teams
expect to win.
This fact alone makes losing
especially painful. Just ask Ohio
State quarterback Jim Karsatos, a'
Fullerton, Ca. native who expected
yesterday's roses to be red - scarlet'
red.
"I WAS planning on going
home," Karsatos said. And now?
"I'm thinking about getting dressed,
going home, nothing."
Karsatos and the rest of the
Buckeyes had only pain in their
faces after OSU failed to kick the
winning field goal. They were
hurting inside. Despite a share of
the Big Ten Championship
(Michigan and Ohio State finsished.
tied at 8-1), the Buckeyes will have
to settle for a New Year's Day trip
to Dallas and a berth in the Cotton
Bowl.
I N S T E A D of everything
coming up roses, OSU came up
empty. TheCottonSBowl is no
substitute for the Granddaddy of
them all. Sure, the Buckeyes will
be glad to play Jan. 1, but the past,
Michigan 26, Ohio State 24, Nov.
22, 1986, will be particularly hard
to forget.
"This is the worst feeling I've
ever had," said a teary-eyed Chris
Spielman, OSU's all-everything
linebacker. "It's gonna take me
awhile to get over it, but what are
you gonna do? We fell short."
Against Michigan, Spielman,
one of the toughest characters
around, led his club with 29
tackles, but his performance meant
little to him. He wanted only one
The Michigan Daily - Sunc
S
is Isc
ed defeat
thing; his tears showed how painful
it was not to get it. "I wanted to
go to the Rose Bowl so bad I could
taste it," he said.
THE TASTE in coach Earle
Bruce's mouth was just as sour.
Bruce, who hasn't one rosy ring
despite two trips to Pasadena, saw
his team come unbearably close to
earning the Big Ten's Rose Bowl
invitation.
Without emotion he
complimented Michigan, lamented
OSU's two-missed field goals, and
finally vented his frustrations on
Wolverine quarterback Jim
Harbaugh, who unfairly
emasculated the crowd, according to
the eight year Ohio State coach.
"The officials took the crowd out
of the game. No, let me correct
that," said Bruce. "Mr. Harbaugh
took the crowd out. He was the
official."
BRUCE was peeved because
the officials charged a timeout to
OSU for excessive crowd noise
when one official said he and the
Wolverines could not hear
Harbaugh's signals during
Michigan's second drive of the
fourth quarter. The timeout quieted
90,000 OSU faithful and gave
Michigan a chance to run off three
valuable minutes before being
stopped.
Bruce wasn't blaming Harbaugh.
He was simply heartbroken, as were
many other Buckeyes.
"It's gonna take me a little while
to get over it," said placekicker
Steve Frantz, whose 45-yard last-
chance, missed field goal attempt
will be remembered for a long time.
"It's not something you want to
dwell on, but I hope I won't be
Ohio State freshman kicker Matt Frantz (12) is
Freshman holder Scott Powell (13) consoles his
thinking about it when we take the E
field in Dallas."
-Mi
"We'll still play to win at the contes
Cotton Bowl," said cornerback night
William White, "but nothing undel
compares to the Rose Bowl, and we Libels
just missed it by two." Ohio'
Now the Buckeyes have to miss annus
the pomp, the glory, the classi
sunshine... the Granddaddy. It's Boro
Michigan's turn, but that doesn't inter
make it any easier. Libel
"It's such a tough game to lose," Th
said Bruce. "You don't like to lose p1 e n
to Michigan, especially in Ohio oppo
Stadium. You.don't get over it for push t
awhile." The I
shaken after missing the p
teammate.
Blue Banter
Michigan didn't win every
st this weekend. Friday
t the previously
feated Michigan Daily
s football team lost to the
State Lantern, 7-0, in the
al student newspaper
c.
ayer-coach Mark "Bo"
wsky snatched an
eption to lead a tough
defense.
he Daily offense had
ty of scoring
rtunities, but couldn't
the ball into the endzone.
Libels's last drive, set up
icers bust Broncos
in final i
Arizona tops Sun Devils, 34-17
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - David
Adams, Art Greathouse and Chris
McLemore scored on short runs, while
Chuck Cecil returned an interception a
-school record 100 yards for another
touchdown as 14th-ranked Arizona beat
number-four Arizona State 34-17
yesterday.
The loss ended the Sun Devils' shot
at a national championship and
undefeated football season. They will
face Michigan in the Rose Bowl on
Jan. 1. The victory was the fifth
straight by the Wildcats over their
arch-rival and earned them a berth in a
Dec. 27 Aloha Bowl.
Penn St. 34, Pitt 14
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP)-
Second ranked Penn State
conditionally accepted a bid Saturday
to meet top-ranked Miami in the
Fiesta Bowl Jan. 2 for the national
college championship, two hours after
the Nittany LIons scored a 34-14
victory over Pitt.
Blair Thomas' 91 yard touchdown
kick off return and D.J. Dozier's 26-
yard scoring run in the first half helped
carry Penn State, 11-0, over Pitt.
The condition was that Miami must
defeat East Carolina, 2-9,
Thanksgiving night to complete an
unbeaten season.
Oklahoma 20, Nebraska 17
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Tight end
Keith Jackson caught a 17-yard
touchdown pass with 1:22 remaining
and made a one handed 41-yard catch to
set up Tim Lashar's 31-yard field goal
with six seconds left as third-ranked
Oklahoma stunned No. 5 Nebraska 20-
17 yesterday. The Sooners won the
Big Eight championship and third
straight trip to the Orange Bowl.
Nebraska, 9-2, settled for a trip to
the Sugar Bowl against either LSU or
Alabama.
By ADAM SCHEFTER
Special to the Daily
KALAMAZOO - It was deja vu of last
Friday night's last-minute loss to Michigan
State. Except this time the Wolverines came
out on top, 4-3.
With 27 seconds left, Western Michigan
goaltender Bill Horn, who made few
mistakes all night, made a crucial mistake.
He was caught out of position behind the
net. Brad Jones capitalized on his error and
got the puck to a wide open Jeff Norton in
front of the goal. Norton netted the winning
goal, his second of the evening.
"I DUMPED the puck in and (Brad)
Jones beat the goalie to it," said Norton.
"Somehow the goalie didn't get it. Brad
McCaughey took a swipe at it and fanned on
it. I turned around, and it was right there....
Thank God I was in the right place at the
right time."
It was the first road victory this year for
the young Wolverine squad, and the club's
first road win since January 10 when they
toppled Bowling Green 7-4.
"It wasn't just a win on the road. We
needed a win, period," said Michigan head
coach Red Berenson. "We made up our
minds we were going to work no matter
what the score or how much time was left.
At the end, just look up at the scoreboard."
AT THE 10:25 mark of the third period,
Western's Paul Polillo tied the score from an
impossible angle on the side of the net. The
score stood that way until the final 27
seconds.
Wolverine defenseman Todd Copeland
circled around the net to the left of the circle
and fired a shot in front that deflected off the
skates of a Bronco defender to tie the score at
6:19 of the second period.
Then with the teams skating four-on-four,
Myles O'Connor picked up a loose puck at
center ice, skated around three Bronco
defenders and notched his sixth goal of the
season with just 12 seconds remaining in the
period to put the Wolverines in front, 3-2.
THE TWO . teams and their captains
traded goals during the first period. At 7:19,
Bronco Wayne Gagne, the All-American
defensenman, fired a shot from the right
circle that eluded Michigan goalie Warren
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