4 Page 10-The Michigan Daily-Monday, November 23, 1987 Tip of the Kap ,low Buckeyes, Bruce... ...bounce back BY RICK KAPLAN Football is a very simple game. One team blocks. The other team tackles. Whichever team does a better job at the two tasks wins. Learning great lessons from football hardly seems likely. But ex-Ohio State football coach Earle Bruce learned a lot about life from playing football. Last week, in his final week at Ohio State, Bruce taught the same lessons to his team, leading them to an inspirational 23-20 victory over Michigan. Long after the 96 players on the Buckeye team forget their blocking, tackling, history, and geography asssignments, they will remember what Bruce taught them. "EVERY NOW AND THEN, the lessons you learn on the football field come back. When you get knocked down and hit real hard, if you stay down, you would be sunk," said Bruce, the ninth-year coach who was given the hardest hit last Monday - a pink slip. "And when you try to teach that to your kids, how can you not do that when it happens to you? "You can't always dwell on, and be taken back by, the fact that you got hit. You are like anyone else. When you get hit, you've got to do something about it. You can't fold up." The Buckeyes were hit hard in the. first half on Saturday. The Wolverines scored on their first three possessions, moving the ball easily. Michigan hit Ohio State with a 13-0 deficit in the second quarter. But the Buckeyes came back. They showed poise and patience. They did everything they had to do to win the game. And they won. OHIO STATE beat Michigan. On the surface, it was a big upset. The 5-4- 1 Bucks defeated the 7-3 Wolverines in Michigan Stadium. The annual battle between the bitter rivals is usually unpredictable. In most years, neither team has an advantage. But when the winningest coach in the Big Ten over the past nine years was fired, the game became bigger than just an interstate rivalry. Bruce stayed in Columbus to prepare the Buckeyes to beat Michigan. He followed the advice he learned as a player from his mentor, Woody Hayes. The lame-duck coach took the hit, and bounced back up. The team followed Bruce's example. The firing of the coach was not only a personal blow to Bruce, it was a collective shot to the team. The Buckeyes, suffering through a disappointing year after a large preseason buildup, realized that even their own university had declared them a failure. LIKE BRUCE, the Buckeyes rose up and silenced their critics. "I hope every one of our kids learned a little lesson today about coming back and staying back," Bruce said after the game. "You do get hit hard, and you want to hit hard back. You don't want any wimps on the football field. You don't want any guys who are not going to fight. If you get hit, and you come back, you learn a little bit of what courage is all about." Bruce was a proven winner on the field. Ohio State was 81-26-1 under his guidance. He finished 5-4 against Michigan, won or shared four Big Ten titles, and went to a bowl game after every season except 1987. More importantly, he was a winner off the field. Judging by his team's play on Saturday, and the players' comments after the game, Bruce taught his lessons well. "I guess the coach they're going to bring in is going to be some kind of Superman," said offensive tackle Joe Staysniak. "I don't know what they are looking for." What Bruce taught the Buckeyes was far more significant than football. "I don't know how, in a week's time, a football team could learn so many lessons, about people and about life," Bruce said. Ohio State should rehire Earle Bruce, if not as football coach, then as a philosophy professor. With tenure. OSU WINS GAME FOR LAME DUCK COACH Bucks back Bruce Daily Photo by JOHN MUNSON Michigan receiver John Kolesar just missed this pass in the endzone late in the first half Saturday that could have given the Wolverines a 20-7 halftime lead over Ohio State. Adamantly Speaking BY ADAM OCHLIS Kolesar to forget this OSU game The 1987 Michigan football season has been epitomized by the ups and downs of one of its players - John Kolesar. The junior wide receiver finished what he called "one of my most frustrating seasons" on' Saturday when he and his Wolverine teammates fell to the Buckeyes of Ohio State, 23-20. It was two years ago that Kolesar hauled in a 77-yard touchdown pass from Jim Harbaugh which sealed Michigan's 27-17 victory over Ohio State in Michigan Stadium. That, however, seemed like it had been an eternity ago, rather than just two years, for the talented, but oft-injured flanker. While Kolesar had been remembered up until Saturday as being "the player" who caught "the pass" in "the game," he now has to live with the fact that two dropped passes, which he admitted he should have caught, killed two Michigan possessions on Saturday. But to blame the loss on one player would be foolish. Kolesar's dropped passes, including one in the endzone, hurt Michigan's cause and hurt it badly. Kolesar, though, typifies the way the season has gone for the Hall of Fame Bowl bound Wolverines., JUST LIKE INJURIES have killed Michigan's season, they have done the same for Kolesar. The Westlake, Ohio native played in just eight games this season. Pick an injury, any injury, and Kolesar was bound to have it. Even in games he did play, Kolesar said perhaps he shouldn't have. Saturday's game was the first the 6-0, 188-pounder has played in in the last three. But the thing that makes Kolesar's departure even harder to swallow is the way he became sidelined. Kolesar's injury wasn't characterized by a knee, or a groin, or a shoulder - true football injuries. Rather, Kolesar had mononucleosis - an ailment that wasn't even football related. But then again, many of the Wolverine wounded (a list that grew to 21 by season's end) were felled by freak injuries. Promising running back Allen Jefferson broke his arm not in a game, but in practice. Linebacker Andre McIntyre, one of the best at his position in the league, tore his achilles tendon in the third game against Long Beach State. He couldn't do it against Iowa, or Indiana, or even Wisconsin, but instead, against the joke that is called Long Beach State. Brent White was one of the Wolverines that went down with a true football injury - a knee - but even that was caused in a car rather than on turf. WHEN KOLESAR, like his teammates, did play, he played well. He is third on the team in receptions and combines with Greg McMurtry for the most dangerous tandem of wideouts in the league. Kolesar also ranks second in the league in punt. returns and was very dangerous in that area on Saturday. But just like Michigan's season has gone, Kolesar's 64-yard return against the Buckeyes was called back because of a penalty flag thrown by a referee who seemingly saw something 106,000 people in attendance and a national television audience did not see. After the game, Kolesar talked about what might have been if... "What can you say? he asked. "Coulda, shoulda, woulda, what can you do? I should have caught those balls, but I didn't." Kolesar continued to talk about what might have been, if... If the offense didn't turn the ball over so frequently, if McIntyre had not been hurt, if linebacker Steve Thibert (knee) didn't get hurt, if he, himself, didn't get hurt. But "if..." seasons usually result in disappointing and frustrating seasons. The 1987 Michigan football season was no different. By DARREN JASEY The script was written. The scene was set. And when it was all over the Ohio State football team carried their vindicated head coach off on their shoulders. Earle Bruce couldn't lose. Not in his final game as the Buckeyes' leader. Not after the way he was dismissed last Monday. Not against Michigan. BRUCE - a man who in a six-day span went from a sullen loser to a celebrated legend - would win his final game and will forever be a thorn in the side of his detractors. But the key roles of this drama were played by the Buckeye players, who endured an unusual week of practice before Saturday's game at Michigan Stadium. "All of the emotion from the adversity was concealed all week," said Buckeye defensive- back David Brown after Ohio State's 23-20 victory. "We just kind of let it all out." THE BUCKEYES' week started with a loss to Iowa on a fourth-down-and-28 touchdown play in the final minute, dropping their record to 5-4-1. Monday OSU's ninth-year head coach was fired by University president Edward H. Jennings, and as a result athletic director Rick Bay resigned. It was also announced that the Buckeyes would not attend a bowl game whether they beat Michigan or not. "We were shocked," said placekicker Matt Frantz. "It was like letting the air out of our tires," Brown said. "What else could they do to us?" asked senior defensive tackle Ray Holliman. THE TASK AT HAND for Bruce. was to make his players forget the past actions and keep their minds on the upcoming game. "We had no clue that this was going to happen," said sophomore offensive lineman Joe Staysniak. "It (Monday) was an emotional day. It was hard to concentrate but we knew there was one thing left to do for ourselves and for our fans - to beat Michigan. "This was our bowl game." "We were just concentrating this week on doing whatever we can do to beat Michigan," said Frantz, whose field goal provided the winning margin. But just before the Michigan game their attention, once again, turned toward their coach. THAT'S WHEN Staysniak passed out "Earle" headbands for every player to wear as a symbol that the whole team stood behind its head coach. The Buckeyes were pumped up. "We had to fire up and show the University that they were losing a good coach," Holliman said. The Buckeyes were soaring emotionally but did not look good, while falling behind the Wolverines, 13-0, early in the game. "If there is such a thing as being too up that was us," Brown said, explaining the lapse. But as the game wore on it became more apparent that it was destined to be the Buckeyes', and Earle's, day. "We fought hard in the second half," said senior defensive back William White. "It was an emotional game for all of us. We lost coach Bruce and we just wanted to go out and win for him." '11'agrees to play in Hall of Fame game By ADAM OCHLIS Michigan Athletic Director Don Canham, on behalf of the Michigan football team, formally accepted an invitation Saturday to play in the Hall of Fame Bowl on Jan. 2 in Tampa, Fla. Michigan has been allotted 12,500 tickets which will go on sale starting today at 9:00 a.m. at the Michigan Ticket Department, located at the corner of State and Hoover streets. Tickets will cost $22 apiece. Special bowl tour telephone numbers have also been announced for all Michigan alumni, faculty, staff, and students planing to join a tour to go to the game. For faculty, staff, and students, the bowl number of the sponsoring student service office is 936- 1140. For alumni, the number of the tour sponsored by the Alumni Association and the Athletic Department is 936- 1242. THIS WILL BE the first time the Wolverines have played in the Hall of Fame Bowl (1 p.m.- NBC-TV). Michigan's opponent will not be decided until later this week, when Auburn plays at Alabama. The Wolverines will play the loser of that contest. The Michigan basketball team will also be in Tampa at the same timd, participating in the South Florida Tournament Dec. 28-29. Buckeyes ... stood behind Bruce Miscues lead to Blue's demise (COntnued from Page 1) Taylor perfectly faked a handoff and hid the ball behind his back. The play fooled the Ohio State defense, but Taylor's pass fell short of tight end Derrick Walker, open in the end zone. "When you see a man that wide open, you tend to float the ball instead of throwing it naturally. That's what happened," said the redshirt sophomore quarterback. "As soon as I released it, I knew it was going to be kind of short, but I hoped Derrick could have caught it. It was totally my fault." THE PLAY would have staked Michigan to a 17-0 lead. Instead, a Mike Gillette field goal made it 13- 0. -Malfunction two - Later in the Bunch fumbled on the Ohio State 42. The Buckeyes took the momentum and the ball and went in to score a touchdown. Michiganl3, Ohio State 7. -Malfunction four - With 12 seconds. left in the second quarter, Kolesar dropped a catchable Demetrius Brown pass in the end zone. -Malfunction five - As a result of malfunction four, Gillette attempted a 34-yard field goal. He missed. DESPITE COMPLETE domination in the first half, Michigan entered the locker room with a six-point lead. The Wolverines led in first downs 16 to 6, average yards per play 7.4 to 2.9, and average per rush 5.9 to 0.3. rookie tailback Carlos Snow in the left flat. Snow scampered along the sideline, avoiding safeties Anthony Mitchell and Doug Mallory, for a 70-yard touchdown. "ONCE I TURNED up the field I hoped (wide receiver) Everett Ross would turn around. He was still running his route," said Snow. "I cannot believe he turned around just in time." Ohio State 14, Michigan 13. -Malfunction seven - Kolesar dropped a 45-yard bomb from Brown the play after malfunction six. "The ball got caught in the wind, and it hung up there a little bit too long," said Kolesar. "What can you -Malfunction eight - Cornerback David Brown intercepted Demetrius anything positive for Michigan. Punter Monte Robbins ran 25 yards to the Ohio State 37 for a first down. -Malfunction 10 - Michigan's Brown fumbled the ball away two plays later. -Malfunction 11 - With the Wolverines driving with 4:15 left in the game, fullback Leroy Hoard fumbled at the Michigan 47. Earlier in the game, Hoard bulldozed in for 10-yard touchdown to tie the score at 20. The fourth Wolverine turnover of the day all but sealed the Buckeye victory. "THIS IS THE BIGGEST turnover team I've had at Michigan," said Schembechler. "They just turn it over. It has got to stop, or we'll 'uA~m.