The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 7, 1987 -Page 13
lJarttin (1Jbwnit-des
By Adam Martin
Insecticide needed for ASU fans
PASADENA,Calif.
« SU! ASU! ASU!"
The roar was deafening. It
sounded like a swarm of locusts. It even
looked like a swarm of locusts, only bigger
and brighter. And when the clock read 0:00
on New Year's Day, 1987 in Pasadena's
Rose Bowl, the insects with gold pom-
pons from a school somewhere out west
had eaten everything in their path.
Well, maybe not everything. The
Michigan Wolverines and about 20,000
maize and blue maniacs left the Rose Bowl
with all bodily parts intact. They did not
leave unscathed, however.
It can be safely said Arizona State man -
handled the Wolverines for almost three
quarters, during which time Michigan held
the ball for just 15:14. More telling was
Michigan's time of possession in the
second half - 9:56. That's approximately
33 percent of the half.
Still, the numbers aren't that
significant. It's the numbers' explanation
which matters.
Why couldn't Michigan move the ball
from midway through the second quarter
until the end of the game? How could
Michigan run 26 plays from scrimmage in
the second half and score diddley-squat?
Why, oh why, did the Wolverines lose yet
another Rose Bowl with the winningest
active coach in Division 1-A football, Bo
Schembechler, at their helm?
Michigan was outrun, outpassed,
outquicked, outhustled and simply
outplayed by the Sun Devils, who clinched
the Pac-10 championship before their final
regular season game. But that's only part
of the answer.
ASU upset the formerly fourth-ranked
Wolverines by just one touchdown, 22-15.
Michigan had several (read: five) scoring
opportunites in the second half, and the
Wolverine faithful wholeheartedly expected
,their team to do something with the ball...
anything, at least.
In fact, the Michigan fans who trekked
to Los Angeles for the Granddad of 'em all
deserve an ovation for their support, which
got louder as the game slipped away.
The 'problem was the swarm on the
sunny side of the stadium. Each time
Michigan fans reddened their throats with
cheers, the swarm shrieked. It was like a
gargantuan buzz. Behind every gold pom-
pon was an insect hoping, planning to
sting Michigan quarterback Jim Harbaugh
when he tried to call signals.
Harbaugh swatted the swarm on two
occasions, most notably on Michigan's
final drive when he stopped play in the
waning moments by turning around and
telling the referee he could not hear. But
the little buggers wouldn't go away.
They were reminiscent of summertime
gnats. The more you sweat, the more the
gnats annoy you. So you flail away at your
head and face hoping to kill them, but the
swarm around your brain grows.
The gold swarm in the Rose Bowl didn't
really grow as the Wolverines perspired;
the ASU insects just got louder and more
annoying. The swarm sensed Michigan's
inability to cope with the noise and its
accompanied pressure, so the gold
daycrawlers multiplied their deafening hum
on each successive Michigan possession.
As a result, each time the Wolverines got
the ball as the contest progressed, the
situation seemed more desperate.
And it didn't have to be. According to
published figures, 21,000 tickets were sold
to Michigan fans while ASU fans
purchased 41,000. This roughly two-to-
one ratio seemed more like three-to-one in
the stadium. And on the field it must have
sounded more like five-to-one.
"The noise factor was amazing," said
Schembechler. "Maybe someday we'll get
as many tickets as (the Pac-10)."
Don't hold your breath, Bo. Maybe
someday the number of Big Ten fans
journeying to Pasadena will equal that of
the Pac-10, but proximity to California
almost guarantees a home-field advantage
for the Pac-10.
But Michigan beat Ohio State before
before thousands of bovine idiots breathing
in their face, you're saying, right? Well,
yes, Michigan dumped OSU in Ohio
Stadium. But Michigan was the better team
(AP and UPI final polls notwithstanding).
Arizona State was the (gulp) superior
team on Jan. 1, 1987, swarm or no swarm.
And yes, Michigan could have won the
game, or maybe should have.
But what the Wolverines needed was an
offensive line and some more quickness on
defense, not to mention a huge flyswatter
and about 70,000 cans of Raid.
Daily 'photo by SCOTT LITUCHY
Wolverine quarterback Jim Harbaugh contends with the Sun Devils and their fans as he asks an official to stop play to silence
the crowd.
The Sun Devils md e i cig an o it
(Continued from Page 1)
The Sun Devils used their superior speed completed 16 of 30 passes for 193 yards and
on, defense to ground Harbaugh on the pass two touchdowns, one which slid through the
rush and neutralize Wolverine tailback Jamie hands of Wolverine safety Doug Mallory.
Morris. Michigan's line blocking was VAN RAAPHORST was able to
particularly offensive to Schembechler. v Ah MhA p as effete
"If you want to be critical, be critical of evade the Michigan pass rush and effectively
the offensive line," Schembechler said, his long the Wolvenes with shortpasses;
"hywere lousy." hi ogst pass was only 22 yards. He was
"The wer louy."named the game's Most Valuable Player.
"We really tried hard," said offensive g
lineman John Elliot, "but it was just one of Obviously, everyone is a little nervous
sa Jat the start," Van Raaphorst said, referring to
those days." Michigan's early lead. "We weren't very
IT CERTAINLY wasn't a good time successful at first, but we adjusted and that's
to wake up on the wrong side of the bed. In what won the game for us."
addition to allowing six tackles for losses, The Sun evgame vous
heW vriscod nymsr53yrs TeSnDevils' nervousness translated
The Wolverines could only muster 53 yards into a 15-3 second quarter Michigan lead.
rAshing, including negative five in the The Wolverines took the lead on a 18-yard
second half. Arizona State, meanwhile, touchdown run by Morris followed by a two-
rushed for 188 yards while playing turnover- point conversion pass by kicker Mike
free football. Gillette to fullback Gerald White.
" We were fundamentally sound," said After Arizona State's Kent Bostrom
Arizona State head coach John Cooper. "The booted a 37-yard field goal to make the score
team that makes the fewest mistakes wins 8-3, Michigan marched 58 yards in nine
the game. We didn't make any mistakes." plays and scored on a Harbaugh two-yard
"I don't think any one phase of the team quarterback sneak. The conversion made the
is to blame," said Harbaugh. "I didn't play score 15-3.
wall, the offensive line didn't play well, the
defense didn't play well." IT WOULD be the high point of the
" The last aspect - the Michigan defense game for the Wolverines. Arizona State
. helped make a hero of Arizona State scored 19 unanswered points from then on
quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst. He and shut down the Michigan offense.
Michigan had its opportunities in the
fourth quarter, but Arizona State stifled
Michigan every time. The Wolverines had a
last-gasp chance at the end, but Harbaugh's
fourth-down pass to Gerald White was
intercepted by safety Robby Boyd with 1:01
left in the game.
The entire second half was that way for
Michigan. Michigan had excelled all season
in the second half, but in the Rose Bowl
they were dominated. Arizona State held the
ball for over 20 minutes in the final two
quarters, and outgained Michigan 166 to 76
yards.
"We just never had the ball in the second
half," Schembechler said. "Then the first
couple of times we didn't do anything with
it."
For that, the Wolverines have no one to
blame but themselves. From the players'
perspective, the worst part may have been
the fact they did not - or so they felt-
play up to their capability.
"If you play as well as you can, you
know you've been beaten by a better team,"
Harbaugh said, having finished his career in
a Michigan uniform. "But there's not
another chance. At least not for me."
lo preaches gridgospel
(Continued from Page 22)
He compared the Big Ten's record in the
Rose Bowl with the American League's in the
Major League Baseball All-Star game. A
matter of luck, he said. The Big Ten is just as
tough.
"We're not Little Sammy Milktoast that
can only win at home," he said. "If we don't
win, then damn it to hell, we'll all be mad."
THE CROWD howled and Schembechler
was only getting started.
He was asked about his thoughts on a
playoff system for a national championship.
He listed academic pursuits, conference
R g'&g u ASU, not USC or UCLA, head Pac-10:
Sun Devils earn respec
By PHIL NUSSEL
Special to the Daily
PASADENA, Calif. - It was
not Stanford, UCLA, Washington,
or USC. It was Arizona State.
John Cooper's Sun Devils (10-
1-1), in their first trip to the Rose
Bowl, continued the efforts of their
Pac-10 counterparts by defeating a
Big Ten champion. The victim was
Michigan, a three-point favorite to
bring home Bo Schembechler's
second Rose Bowl victory in seven
attempts.
"I'm on cloud nine," said Cooper
before he sat down for the post-
game press conference. "This is the
greatest win I've been associated
with as a coach."
COOPER learned the Rose
Bowl secret to winning at UCLA in
1965 under Tommy Prothro when
the Bruins defeated Michigan State
14-12 in the 1966 Rose Bowl.
However, it was his offensive
coordinator, Jim Colletto, who
brought in the secret to beating the
season since Notre Dame rolled up
455 yards.
But unlike the Irish, ASU did
not commit a turnover. It held the
ball for over ten minutes longer
than Michigan and made 10 of 19
third down conversions.
"IT WAS a typical Arizona
State football game," Cooper said.
"We made very few mistakes. We
had a sound kicking game. And we
were able to beat a very very good
Michigan football team."
Quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst,
the Rose Bowl Most Valuable
Player, took charge of the ASU
offensive attack, which took
advantage of an obvious quickness
edge. He hit 16 of 30 passes for
193 yards and two touchdowns. He
was the sixth-straight Pac-10 player
to be named MVP.
"Today Jeff Van Raaphorst
deserves a lot of credit," Cooper
said. "He played under pressure. I've
said many times that he is the best
arterhack on the West Coast We
THE SENIOR fro
Cajon, Calif. brought his
back from a 15-3 deficit earl'
second quarter. The mom
building score came wi
seconds left in the first hal
Van Raaphorst hit Bruce Hill
back of the endzone for a fo
touchdown pass.
"Jeff was under a,
pressure," Hill said. "I don'
if he threw the ball to me,
threw the ball and I was there
He then hit Hill for a or
touchdown pass on the o
drive of the second half to pt
up for good.
"Obviously, everyone
little nervous at the start
Raaphorst said. "We weren
successful at first, but we a
and that's what won the ga
us.
"Once we worked o
adjustments we made in t
quarter, it seemed to settle
down a lot more. Our pass b
Lot better our run blockin
rivalries, and weak regular-season schedules in
explaining his opposition to playoffs.
"I voted myself national champion time
and again, but nobody listened to me,"
Schembechler said. "Your independent teams
will win it because they'll play the greatest
mismatches. They don't give, a damn that
they've played Little Sisters of the Poor."
More laughter.
The Michigan mentor continued with his
list of cons for prolonging the season.
"If I lose again, it's going to be a hell of a
poor year." Chuckles from the back.
"And if you can show me a
college president who is pounding
the table for a national
championship, then I'll listen."
He went on to laud the Rose
Bowl, which promotes the
conference rivalry between the Big
m El Ten and Pac-10 by hosting the
team champions of the two leagues each
Y in the New Year's Day. That comment
entum- was met by applause from the
th 29 Tournament of Roses officials, who
f when wear white jackets and red neckties
l in the and arrange trips to Disneyland in
ur-yard hopes of such praise.
lot of Schembechler was putting on
t know quite a show, and the writers were
but we loving every minute of it. He said
he" nothing new or radical - nothing
ne-yard he hasn't talked about before. But
pening the Detroit and Ann Arbor media
ut ASU have heard it all. In Pasadena, the
local and national media appreciated
was a Schembechler as a coaching legend
," Van and hung on every word. No matter
,' Bo was 1-6 (now 1-7) in the
i't very Granddaddy of Bowls.
djusted
ime for But on New Year's Day, it was
Cooper's turn to take the floor and
ut the the limelight. As soon as
he first Schembechler exited the press
things room, the beaming Arizona State
locking coach entered and praised everyone
i' aot a errn -r.rhnl aff Unn
:,
... ,.... v.. ,. .,: