Page 4 - The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - October 28, 1991
MICHIGAN
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A
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Passing
Player CA Yds TD 1nt
Grbac 15-21 242 3 0
Collins 4-6 56 0 0
Sollom 2-3 6 0 0
Totals 21-30 304 3 0
Rushing
Player Att Yds Avg IL
Wheatley 18 71 3.9 10
Powers 14 63 4.5 13
J. Johnson 9 35 3.9 7
McThomas 3 6 2.0 4
Collins 2 8 4.0 5
Anderson 1 19 19.0 19
Grbac 1 -7 -7.0 -7
Howard 1 15 15.0 15
Sollom 1 -12 -12.0 -12
Totals 50 198 4.0 19
Receiving
Player No Yds L9 TD
Howard 6 155 65 2
W. Smith 5 26 8 0
R. Powers 3 18 6 0
Wheatley 2 34 20 0
J. Johnson 1 19 19 0
L. Johnson 1 17 17 0
Malveaux 1 -1 -1 0
McGee 1 21 21 0
VanDyne 1 15 15 1
Records falling for stars
I
by Jeff Sheran
Daily Football Writer
MINNEAPOLIS - Michigan
quarterback Elvis Grbac and split
end Desmond Howard each have
another year of eligibility remain-
ing after this season. However, the
prolific pair guaranteed that their
names would linger in the Wolver-
ine record books long after they
graduate.
Grbac and Howard connected for
two touchdowns during Michigan's
52-6 victory over Minnesota Friday
night. The second score was
Howard's 15th touchdown recep-
tion of the season, which surpassed
the Michigan and Big Ten record set
by Anthony Carter in 1980. That
same toss gave Grbac 49 career
touchdown passes, one more than
Rick Leach's total from 1975-8.
"The defensive backs were em-
phasizing the run and came up a lot,
so I got behind them," Howard said.
"But I could have conceivably went
through this game without a touch-
down and we would still have ac-
complished our goal - to beat Min-
nesota and get toward Pasadena."
Responding to claims that his of-
fense enabled Grbac and Howard to
accumulate such massive passing
statistics more easily than that of
his run-oriented predecessor, Bo
Schembechler, Michigan coach Gary
Moeller responded, "Even if Bo was
here, we'd be throwing, because you
have to utilize what you got - a
quarterback, and a receiver that
makes a difference. If you got the
weapons, use them."
The record-setting score was a
41-yard reception that gave Michi-
gan a 35-0 third-quarter lead. Earlier
in the game, with 5:57 remaining in
the first half, the tandem connected
on a 65-yard play on which Howard
was the secondary target coming out
of the huddle.
"Yale VanDyne was the in-
tended receiver, but (Minnesota
strong safety and Thorpe Award
candidate Sean) Lumpkin sat down
on the play," Grbac said. "I saw
Howard on the seam, and he was just
so open,I had to go to him."
Howard was indeed so open that
despite slowing considerably to
wait for the pass, he was able to
pull down the ball and cut to the
right, allowing him to coast into
the end zone untouched.
"There's no margin for error
with him," free safety Andre Thad-
dies said.
Minnesota coach John Gutekunst
agreed. "Howard started on the left
side of the field, and the free safety
was not around to help the corner.
We had no one to run across the
field with him," Gutekunst said.
"After the way Desmond ran away
from our defensive backs tonight, I
would definitely vote for him for
the Heisman."
KjENNETH SMOLLEF
Desmond Howard celebrates with Yale VanDyne and Jesse Johnson
after one of Howard's two touchdowns on the night.
GOPHERS
ti
r
Totals 21 304 65 3 Continued from page 1
Ricky Powers scored Michigan's first two
Punti n g touchdowns on 1-yard rushes, Howard set up
Player No Yds Avg Lg each score with long gains.
Azcona 4 166 41.5 55 On the Wolverines' first offensive play,
the junior Heisman Trophy candidate took a
Punt Returns screen pass 18 yards down the left sideline.
Less than three minutes later, Howard ran a
Player No Yds Avg Lg 15-yard reverse around left end to the Gopher
Va n Dyne 1 5 5.0 5 one-yard line.
"I like getting the ball right away,"
Kickoff Returns Howard said. "I think like a basketball player.
Player No Yds Avg Lg If you're a shooter and you score some points
Wheatley 1 17 17.0 17 early, you're more tenacious. If you run up and
down the floor without the ball, you can get
Defense lackadaisical."
Player Tac . Ast Tot Despite Howard's early explosiveness, Gr-
Walker 7 3 10 bac's first scoring target was senior flanker
Holdren 5 2 7 Yale VanDyne, whe snagged a 15-yard end-
Andprsonn 5 1 s zone strike that gave Michigan its 21-0 lead.
behind a second-team offensive line.
"I thought Wheatley played better. He
was so uptight about fumbling, but he started
relaxing," Moeller said. "He hasn't gotten
loose yet to where he can really turn on his
speed, though."
Minnesota had more difficulty on the
ground, gaining only 75 yards. Option quar-
terback Marquel Fleetwood, whose rushing
threat had concerned Moeller before the game,
compiled 36 yards on 12 carries.
Fleetwood managed one successful drive, a
73-yard third-quarter surge. The junior option
passer propelled the Gophers by both air and
land before hitting split end Keswic Joiner for
a 12-yard strike that put Minnesota on the
scoreboard, 35-6.
"Apart from the fumbles, we stopped
them the whole game, except for the one
drive," Wolverine strong safety David Ritter
said. "Fleetwood's techniques are unconven-
tional, so he's toigh to defend. But the option
is an assignment game, and I think everyone
kept their assignments."
After free safety Pat Maloney intercepted
Fleetwood with 11:43 left in the game,
Gutekunst sent in backup quarterback Scott
Schaffner. Defensive back Shonte Peoples
picked off a Schaffner pass less than eight
minutes later for the Gophers' fifth turnover.
"They started to wear us down," corner-
back Andre Thaddies said. "With us it was
one, two, three and either punt or fumble. It's
demoralizing."
Stanley
Burch
Peoples
Stark
Maloney
Wallace
R itter
Simpson
Townsend
Blankenship
Brown
Buff
Dottin
Evans
Hutchinson
Rekowski
Steuk
Ware
Williams
Scoring
1st Quarter:
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
"The best part of their offense was that
they had so many running backs and receivers,"
defensive end Ben Williams said. "They've got
so much depth."
Michigan coach Gary Moeller flaunted
this depth by rotating three tailbacks and
three quarterbacks in the second half. Rookie
tailback Tyrone Wheatley rebounded from a
first-quarter goal-line fumble for two fourth-
quarter scores, capping drives engineered by
reserve passers Todd Collins and Ken Sollom.
Wheatley led all Michigan rushers with 71
yards on 18 attempts, most of which he carried
KENNETH SMOLLER/Daily
Michigan tailback Tyrone Wheatley is brought down by Minnesota's Joel Staats. Wheatley
led the Wolverines in rushing with 71 yards, scoring two touchdowns.
0
A
Wildcats upset Illinois;
Ohio State stops MSU
Summary
Powers 1-yd run (Carlson kick), 13:17.
Michigan 7, Minnesota 0
Powers 1-yd run (Carlson kick), 11:45.
Michigan 14, Minnesota 0
VanDyne 15-yd pass from Grbac (Carlson
kick), 6:35.
Michigan 21, Minnesota 0
2nd Quarter:
Howard 65-yd pass from Grbac (Carlson
kick), 5:57.
Michigan 28, Minnesota 0
3rd Quarter:
Howard 41-yd pass from Grbac (Carlson
kick), 8:501
Michigan 35, Minnesota 0
4th Quarter:
Carlson 30-yd field goal, 13:07.
Michigan 38, Minnesota 6
Wheatley 9-yd run (Carlson kick), 8:10.
Michigan 45, Minnesota 6
Wheatley 4-yd run (Carlson kick), 1:17.
Michigan 52, Minnesota 6
Associated Press_
NORTHWESTERN 17,
ILLINOIS 11
Northwestern, donning all pur-
ple uniforms for the first time since
1979, limited Illinios' quarterback
Jason Vrerduzco to 153 yards passing
and intercepted him twice.
Northwestern opened the game
with a 73-yard touchdown drive,
capped off by a 1-yard run by
Rodney Ray. Quarterback Len
Williams gave the Wildcats a 14-0
lead on a 4-yard run.
After a Chris Richardson field
goal on the last play of the third
quarter put Illinois on the score-
board, the Illini cut the deficit to
14-11 on a 2-yard run by Steve
Feagin and a successful two-point
conversion.
Illinois had one last chance, but
Feagin was stopped on a fourth-and-
two with 5:17 left.
Northwestern's Brian Leahy
completed the scoring with a 35-
yard field goal.
OHIO STATE 27,
MICHIGAN STATE 17
No. 14 Ohio State improved to 3-
1 in the Big Ten and 6-1 overall be-
hind the strength of Carlos Snow's
129 yards rushing on 29 carries and a
touchdown.
After trailing 13-6 at halftime,
the Spartans cut the Buckeye lead to
13-9 with 6:35 left in the third
quarter on a 48-yard field goal by
Jim DelVerne.
The Buckeyes then assumed con-
trol of the game, scoring on a one-
yard run by Scottie Graham with
3:52 left in the third quarter and put
the game away on a 24-yard pass
from Kent Graham to Jeff Ellis
with 9:29 left to play.
The loss drops Michigan State to
1-3 in the Big Ten and 1-6 overall,
which guarantees the Spartans their
first losing season in nine years.
INDIANA 28,
WISCONSIN 20
The Hoosiers, playing without
head coach Bill Mallory who was
suspended for criticizing the offici-
ating after last week's Michigan
game, came back from a 20-0 third-
quarter deficit to improve to 3-1 in
the Big Ten and 4-2-1 overall.
Quaterback Trent Green scored
three touchdowns, including a one-
yard keeper on fourth down to give
Indiana a 21-20 lead. Vaughn Dunbar
rushed for 205 yards on 33 carries
and scored the other touchdown for
the Hoosiers.
IOWA 31,
PURDUE 21
After trailing 15-7 at halftime,
No. 11 Iowa rebounded to go 3-1 in
the Big Ten and 6-1 overall.
The Hawkeyes rolled up 430
yards in total offense with quarter-
back Matt Rodgers completing 20-
27 passes for 229 yards and Mike
Saunders rushing for a career-high
151 yards on 22 carries, scoring on
runs of 73 and 26 yards.
B IG....................T E N..............
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Sy, I Ah... hate to
interrupt you while you're C Q
reading and all, but I
thought you might like to
pick up the next FREE
issue of the Gargoyle.
Magazine, Michigan's
only non-profit student-
run humor magazine for
over eighty years, now
available at Village
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