The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - November 25, 1991 - Page 5 0 H I 0 S T A T E 3 T - H - E o1o srAm UNIVERSITY Wolverine seniors save best for last Defense Player Tac Ast Tot i . ... by Matt Rennie Daily Football Writer The Michigan-Ohio State game is always special for everyone in- volved. However, every other year, the game means a little bit more to a group of Wolverine veterans be- cause it represents their last game in Michigan Stadium. The 12 fifth-year Wolverines, as well as 25 other seniors who have one more year of eligibility, were honored before Michigan's 31-3 vic- tory over Ohio State Saturday. The group took the field before the rest of the team, holding hands as they customarily passed under the "Go Blue" banner. The ceremonial gesture was the beginning of a sentimental day for the entire group. "When all the seniors went out and hit the banner it was very emo- tional," left guard Matt Elliott said. "The whole game was very emotional." Michigan took a lot of suspense out of the game by building a 24-3 halftime lead. The seniors' efforts had a lot to do with the Wolverines' success on the field. Elliott and tackle Greg Skrepenak anchored the offensive line that opened holes for the run- ning backs and pass protected for quarterback Elvis Grbac. "It's like icing on the cake for me and my fifth-year teammates, be- cause we've won the last four years in the Ohio State game" Skrepenak said. "And to win convincingly to- day, it makes us just that much more happy because we did work hard." Linebacker Erick Anderson proved why he is a Butkus Award finalist by making 17 tackles, 16 of them solos, and leading the MICH IGAN FOOThA LL SEN~IORS Erick AndersnianB J.D. Carlsvn PK Dave Diebolt TE Lanice Dottin CB Mike Evans OT Alex Marshall DT David Ritter SS Neil Simpson OLE Greg Skrepejiak OT Ken Sollom OB Otis Williams SS Michigan defense, which held the Buckeyes to 109 yards rushing. Anderson also forced and recovered a fumble and recorded one sack. "It's a special feeling," Anderson said. "You've played your best game in the Big House and held Ohio State to three points. There aren't too many Michigan teams that can say that." There aren't too many Michigan seniors who can say they never lost to Ohio State. This year's class earned that honor by beating the Buckeyes for a fourth consecutive season. The .group has also never played on a team that didn't at least win a share of the Big Ten title. With an undefeated conference season now completed, even Michigan coach Gary Moeller did not restrain his praises for the grad- uating class. "I've got as fine a group of kids as any man could want to coach," Moeller said. "I don't have any guys that I have to handle with care and worry about. They all come to work, and they all work hard in practice. They are a beautiful group of kids." To see a career that took five years to build end in a matter of hours seems anticlimactic But the seniors came into the game with the idea that it would be a culmination, rather than a letdown. "We knew it was our last game, and we didn't want to leave any- thing on the field," Anderson said. "We wanted to let it all go." After the game, Elliott was un- able to appreciate the full magni- tude of the situation. "Some time tonight, it's going to hit me that this was my very last game at Michigan Stadium," Elliot, said. Defensive end Mike Evans also had trouble comprehending that this was his last game in Ann Arbor. "It still hasn't sunk in yet," Evans said. "On the bus ride from the Campus Inn, I was looking at all the fans yelling, 'Good luck,' and I started to realize, 'This is it.' "All I can say is I'm glad I went out a champion." Nelson Walton Patillo Harper Herman Gurd M Williams G Smith Tovar Lease DeGraffenreid Frimel Simmons Foster Kacherski Spellman Passing 3 5 3 8 2 1 2 0 6 1 1 2 2 1 4 4 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 5 3 8 3 2 3 1 9 1 1 3 2 1 4 5 Player C-A Yds TD Int Herbstreit 8-11 82 0 0 K Graham 5-14 42 0 1 Totals 13-25 124 0 1 Receiving Player No Yds La TD Edwards 1 17 17 0 Galloway 1 11 11 0 Snow 4 33 11 0 By'-not'e 1 -5 0 0 S Graham 1 7 7 0 Stablein 2 24 15 0 Ellis 3 37 14 0 Totals 13 124 17 0 Rushing Player Att Yds Ava gL Herbstreit 4 5 1.3 17 Galloway 1 8 8.0 8 Cothran . 1 3 3.0 3 K Graham 5 -4 -0.8 6 Snow 24 54 2.3 9 By'not'e *"6 11 1.8 6 Harris 4 9 2.3 3 S Graham 7 23 3.3 10 Totals 52 109 2.0 12 Punting Player No Yds Avg Lg T Williams 4 178 44.5 50 Punt Returns Player No Yds AvgLg * Michigan defensive lineman Mike Evans forces Ohio State quarterback Kent Graham to fumble. RENNIE Continued from page 1 And while only Howard can take credit for his unreal heroics, Moeller certainly should be com- mended for giving Howard the op- portunity to shine. Take Howard's famous fourth-and-one catch against Notre Dame. With most coaches, Howard would have been standing on the sideline, watching the place- kicker attempt a field goal. Charting keys to each Michigan victory this season is usually as easy, as looking at Howard's stat sheet. But lurking beneath the statistics is at least one gutsy call by Moeller. Often, it's not as glamorous as the fourth-and-one call. Instead, it's something simple, like throwing from his own end zone or going on fourth down early in the game. He couldn't do it without the players who pull it off, but he's not the only coach with talent. Saturday's fake field goal was just the latest edition in Moeller's Moeller decides his fourth-down play selections the way most of us decide what we want on our "pizza. And his calls always seem to work bravery. Before the play, the score was still tied between these two traditional rivals. Conventional wisdom said kick the field goal - take the easy points, because who knows how this game will go. However, Moeller knew the fake would work, just like every other risk he's taken this season. His unflinching confidence in his players can lead to nothing but posi- tive results. If players see a coach who hesitates when making a tough call, they start to wonder them- selves if the play is going to work. "It's like I tell our offense sometimes, 'Look, I didn't call this play with the intention of it not working,"' Moeller said last week. Thankfully for Moeller, his plays have been working more often than not this season. Now, he has a trip to California as a reward. He probably made his reserva- tions in September. AROUND THE BIG TEN Spartans find rare brlght spot vs. Associated Press Illini Michigan State upset Illinois, 27-24, Saturday to end its season at 3-8 overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten. The Spartans turned three of seven Illini turnovers into 17 points during a 3:46 span of the third quarter to notch the victory. Safety Darrin Eaton returned a fumble 24 yards for a touchdown, fullback Tony Rollin scored from one yard out, and Jim DelVerne booted a 49-yard field goal. Eaton's fumble return cane after Ty Hallock jarred the ball loose from Illini Kameno Bell on a punt return. On the next Illinois possession, Michigan State linebacker Chuck Bullough stopped tight end David Olson after he caught a 4-yard pass from Jason Verduzco, and defensive end Juan Hammonds stripped the ball from Olson. The Spartan drive stalled and DelVerne booted the field goal to give Michigan State a 20-10 lead. The following Illinois drive ended after two plays, when defensive end Aaron Jackson batted a Verduzco pass to defensive end John MacNeill. Five plays later, Rollin dove in to make it 27-10. INDIANA 24, PURDUE 22 Trent Green broke Indiana's season record for total offense and the Hoosiers salvaged a 24-22 victory over Purdue when Joe O'Leary missed a 35-yard field goal with 24 seconds to go. Indiana led, 24-6, at halftime but turned the ball over on its first four possessions of the second half. O'Leary, who made a 22-yard field goal in the third quarter, missed three times in the final period, spoiling the Boilermakers' repeated chances off turnovers. Green, who passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns, was intercepted three times, twice in the second half. Indiana needed the victory to get a chance to play Baylor in the Dec. 31 Copper Bowl in Tucson, Ariz. IOWA 23, MINNESOTA 8 Matt Rodgers returned from a knee injury to throw three touchdown passes at Kinnick Stadium to give Hayden Fry his IXWth win as the coach of the Hawkeyes. Iowa finished alone in second place in the conference and will face Brigham Young in the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl. Minnesota finished with its sixth-worst record ever. It was the last game for Golden Gopher coach John Gutekunst, who announced his resignation earlier last week. WISCONSIN 32, NORTHWESTERN 14 First-year tailback Terrell Fletcher rushed for a career-high 112 yards as Wisconsin rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat Northwestern. After scoring a pair of touchdowns in the final 1:42 of the first half to take a 15-14 halftime lead, the Badgers pulled away in the second half. Wisconsin quarterback Tony Lowery had his best game of the season, completing 10 of 21 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown. Sta blein 1 0 0.0 0 Kickoff Returns Player No Yds Avg Lg Lee 4 47 11.8 24 Snow 2 32 16.0 20 Totals 6 79 13.1 24 Scoring Summary 2nd Quarter: T Williams 50-yd field goal, 12:32. Michigan 7, Ohio State 3 Cornerback Lance Dottin runs back' Ohio State. HOWARD Continued form page 1 "It was supposed to be," Howard confirmed to the media. Moeller may not have caught Howard's little impersonation. And he may not believe that Howard did it. Or even liked that he did it. But Moeller knows and ap- preciates a deserving candidate. "I feel that if I was voting for the Heisman I'd give Desmond con- sideration. No, I'd mark the thing 10 times, 'Desmond Howard,"' Moeller said. "I mean there isn't any question. Maybe I should get on the phone and find out who has the votes and try to help him. But I'm really jacked on him today." After his record-breaking, spec- tacular season, Howard shouldn't need much hype from Moeller to stay in contention for the Heisman. Howard has hyped himself plenty with his 23 scores, his knack for the big play, and his ability to make the defense change. "There shouldn't be any contest his first-half interception against for the Heisman," Ohio State coach John Cooper said. Many observers think that Howard's Heisman dance was his last touchdown celebration in Michigan Stadium, and that Saturday marked his final collegiate game there. But Howard, who ex- 'There shouldn't be any contest for the Heisman' - John Cooper Ohio State football coach pects to receive a degree in commu- nication in May, claims he will re- turn to use his final year of eligibil- ity next fall. "I think I'll definitely be back," Howard said. "At this point, I'm just trying to get my degree in May and win the Rose Bowl." Howard's plans for next season shouldn't be a big worry right now. His more immediate concern should be planning his Dec. 14 celebration in New York. FINAL STANDINGS Michigan Iowa Ohio State Indiana Illinois Purdue Michigan Stat Northwestern Wisconsin Minnesota Conf. Overall W L WL1 8 0101 t 7 1 101 t 5 3 8 3' 5 3 6 4 4 4 6 5( 3 5 4 7 e 3 5 3 8 2 6 3 8' 2 6 5 6 1 7 2 9 T 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Team Statistics Michiaan Ohio State -i IWON 11 w7 LaL1it Llf;a Iw114naayw8 vxvvv vawav First Downs R Third Downs N Rushing A Passing A Total Offense P Interceptions N Punts N Iun/Pass/Other/Totals Dumber/Complete/Percent Ott/Gain/Avg Ott/Comp/Yd s/I nt 'I a ys/Yd s/Avg Vumber/Yds Vumber/Avg 9/4/0/13 11/1/9.0 39/198/5.0 15/9/125/0 54/323/6.0 1/18 4/36.0 8/8/3/19 18/8/44.4 52/109/2.0 25/13/124/1 77/233/3.0 0/0 4/44.5