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Page 4-The Michigan Daily-Sports Monday-September 16,1991
NOTRE DAME
Continued from page 1
ground yards and no turnovers, enabled the
Wolverine offense to control the ball for 40 min-
utes and 40 seconds.
Most noteworthy about Powers' performance
was his fourth-quarter clock killing. Following a
Notre Dame punt with 6:30 remaining in the game,
the sophomore tailback carried the ball on eight of
the game's final 13 plays, notching four first downs
and 47 yards.
"That's a big part of the game," Powers said. "I
just wanted to keep the ball out of Notre Dame's
hands and get the necessary yards we need."
His effectiveness drew praise from Wolverine
coach Gary Moeller. "Powers was a special player
today," Moeller said. "Especially holding onto the
ball and the great first downs late in the game. He's
a work horse."
Michigan defended the running game more effec-
tively than the Irish, allowing 78 ground yards to
the Wolverines' 233. Linebacker Erick Anderson
recorded nine solo tackles, often forcing Notre
Dame to rely on its passing offense. But even when
quarterback Rick Mirer (13-for-25, 234 yards, one
interception) hit tight end Derek Brown over the
middle, Anderson raced 46 yards downfield for a
shoestring tackle. Two plays later, the senior
captain recovered a Tony Brooks fumble.
"We had a' hard time getting momentum,"
Mirer said. "Scoring before the half was good for
us and coming out and getting another seven points
was good, but we just couldn't get the momentum
going enough to keep the defense off the field."
Moeller lauded his team's defensive effort..
"The defense played harder and smarter than last
week," he said. "The only thing I'm critical of is
letting Mirer have too much time to throw on the
last touchdown."
On that play, Mirer found Tony Smith in the
endzone to cap an 80-yard drive at 6:47 in the third
quarter. Smith caught five passes for 121 yards on
the day.
But his career-best performance was upstaged by
Howard, who scored Michigan's first touchdown
on a reverse from Powers. Howard sped around the
right end, faked cornerback Rod Smith, and dashed
29 yards for the score.
"As an ex-running back, I could see the defender
was out there all by himself," Howard said. "When
he's on the island, you have to dismiss him."
FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Everitt knocked
out by broken jaw
by Jeff Sheran
Daily Football Writer
0
Center Steve Everitt was carted off the field late in the second quarter after he suffered
a broken jaw.
Michigan scored another rushing
touchdown 3:13 later, when Powers danced 16
yards through the Irish defense.
"I felt comfortable going up the middle
today," Powers said. "In the first half, I
didn't have to break that many tackles because
I was able to make them miss me."
However, on Powers' endzone run, center
Steve Everitt suffered a broken jaw. Everitt
was the only injured player in a game that
featured seven total penalties, three by
Michigan for 21 yards.
"They had one holding penalty early, they
didn't have a fumble, they didn't have an
interception, they didn't make a mistake, they
fell forward on a consistent basis," Holtz
said. "I just don't believe there is any way
they can play better than that."
Center Steve Everitt suffered a broken jaw during the second quarter
of Michigan's 24-14 victory over Notre Dame Saturday. Everitt also lost
several teeth and was bleeding heavily after the play, during which tailback
Ricky Powers ran for a 16-yard touchdown.
The 6-foot-5, 275-pound junior was carried off on a stretcher to prevent
him from choking on his own blood. Though no one knows the injury's
exact cause, most believe it resulted when Everitt's helmet popped off and
another player stepped on his jaw.
Everitt's helmet had come off twice prior to the play, prompting
Michigan coach Gary Moeller to question the circumstances surrounding
the injury.
"I'm mad about that," he said. "Those helmets are supposed to have a
double strap so they don't come off. Now either the helmet was bad, or he
was wearing it too loose, or the defense was getting their hands up in his
face. We have to strap them tighter - that's a stupid injury."
Guard Matt Elliott moved to center for the remainder of the game.
Elliott started eight games at center last season, while Everitt was
sidelined with a broken foot. Moeller will fill Elliott's slot with Doug
Skene, whom Moeller had said in August would see considerable playing
time this season.
The 6-foot-6, 288 pound junior played in five games last season, and has
occasionally substituted for guard Joe Cocozzo this year.
NOTRE WHO?: Moeller returned to the Bo Schembechler school of
public relations Saturday. After executing a stellar victory over the
Fighting Irish, he had this to say: "I'm very happy to win this game. But I
also know our goals and objectives are difficult, and I want to stay focused.
I WANT TO GO TO THE ROSE BOWL," he insisted emphatically.
Ironically, Moeller acknowledged his departure -from Schembechler's
strategy. Though he had imitated.his predecessor on an earlier fourth-down
conversion by running the fullback off-tackle, he completely shunned
convention in calling for the touchdown pass.
After the game, he inquired about Schembechler, who was broadcasting
for ABC from its New York studio.
"How did Bo react to that one?" he asked reporters.
Schembechler had said after the play, "That was a great call. Every time
I called that, it was incomplete."
Bo would have kicked the field goal.
RIGHT ON TARGET: Quarterback Elvis Grbac's 20-for-22 passing
performance set a Michigan single-game record for completion percentage
with 91 percent (minimum 20 attempts). He bested his own record of 81
percent (17-for-21), which he set against Notre Dame in 1989, his first
game as a Wolverine.
POWERSFUL NUMBERS: Tailback Ricky Powers' 164 yards pushed
him past 1,000 career yards, with 1,088. Saturday's performance gives
Powers six consecutive 100-plus rushing games, seven in his career;
Michigan is 7-0 in these games.
KICKING IN: Placekicker J.D. Carlson made all three extra points
Saturday, extending his Michigan record to 82 consecutive successful
PATs. Carlson's 23-yard field goal in the first quarter tied him for second
with Ali Haji-Sheikh on Michigan's career field goal list with 31. Mike
Gillette, whom Carlson succeeded, holds the record with 57.
VACATION TIME: Michigan's next game is a home matchup with
Florida State Sept. 28, giving the Wolverines a week off. It is the first mid-
season hiatus since 1941, and one that is making Moeller very well-liked
with his team.
"I gave the players and coaches off until Tuesday. It's making me very
popular," he said. "The rest is good. It gives our legs back to us and lets the0
bumps and bruises heal."
C CATCH
Continued from page 1
work and make me a smart coach."
The Wolverine offense did not
hesitate over Moeller's decision.
However, the execution of the play
caused a little anxiety.
"I was confident in the call," of-
fensive tackle Greg Skrepenak said.
"There was a linebacker blitz, but
we picked that up. Then, when I first
saw the ball in the air, I thought,
'Holy shit, he threw it over his
head.' But then I saw Desmond ac-
celerate, and he made a great catch."
The touchdown, Howard's sixth
in two games, vaulted the junior re-
ceiver into elite standing among the
early Heisman Trophy contenders.
"Today, this country knows that
he's one great football player,"
Moeller said.
Howard and Grbac nearly hooked
up for a long scoring reception in
the first quarter, but the ball just
eluded Howard's grasp.
"Elvis and I have a good feel for
each other," Howard said. "He
knows how much air to put under
the ball to let me get to it."
And with Howard's ability and
the game on the line, he'll usually
get to it.
"When I saw it up there, I said, 'I
can't let this one get away."'
r
7
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One sophomore shined Saturday in Michigan Stadium without even
setting foot on the new natural turf.
Gary Lewis, beginning his second year atop the director's ladder of the
Michigan Marching Band waved his wand over a magical halftime show
and spelled the start of a new era of the maize and blue band.
Marching bands generally fill one of two roles: cheerleader or musi-
cian. Lewis has molded the rare band which serves both masters at once.
The band continues to play the old standbys ad nauseam, but for the
first time in recent memory, it does so with musical taste and ability.
Lewis' strong point is music. He spends much of his time as a director
of the Symphony Band. This focus has been carried over to the football
field. Bernstein and Copeland are ideal, for Hill Auditorium, not
Michigan Stadium. But the selections did provide culture to an audience
full of students who think The Victors is a race: the first spectator to get
to "champions of the West" wins.
The traveling pep band is caught in a time warp. Is it too much to ask
them to increase their repertoire of music to something more original
than Louie, Louije! and Buliwinkle? But the music does sound- good,
nonetheless.
The Michigan Marching Band is surrounded by one eternal question:
Should the focus of the band revolve around the needs of the football
team and the fans, or the needs of the 225 musicians?
Gary Lewis quietly answered the question Saturday. At the close of
the band's halftime show Lewis repeatedly pumped his fist in the air.
When Desmond Howard caught his fourth quarter touchdown, Lewis
merely applauded and turned to kick off the fight song.
-by Matthew Dodge
6*
20-22 passing earned quarterback Elvis Grbac a new school record.
F_
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