Awh , % r I IP OR -MP 8 The 1992 schedule for the Michigan football team. Home games start at 1 p.m. Eastern time, and are listed in CAPS. Starting times are subject to change. SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 12 Notre Dame 3 IOWA 7 Northwestern 19 OKLAHOMA STATE 10 MICHIGAN STATE 14 ILLINOIS 26 HOUSTON 17 Indiana 21 Ohio State 24 MINNESOTA (Homecoming) 31 Purdue The Michigan Daly" VVe've got it all NEWS SPORTS " ARTS PHOTO OPINION If you liked MI-LOANS before you are going to love them now! Fan I .11 '2.ii 1hi 4.?P4 g New 8.4%fixed interest rate ! 15-year repayment period Up to 5 years interest only payment option, available in 12-month segments. Borrow up to $10,000 per academic year, with a $50,000 cumulative program maximum. To obtain a MI-LOAN application contact your Financial Aid Office! Josh Dubow (daky, septnmber 11, 1992 Will the Wolverines have their . A * TERBAC w "H Who understands this darn bowl alliance? own posse 2 Amidst complaints about split champions in college football, a bowl alliance was created to help guarantee a clear-cut national champion. However, instead of an outright champ, these alliances will create outright chaos. Of the 18 bowls, only four have simple matchups. The Silver Bowl matches the MAC champ with the Big West champ - the Big West being the conference that now expands as far east as Louisiana. Fay Vincent has already made out his application for Big West commis- sioner. The Aloha Bowl will pit the third-place Big Eight team against the second-place WAC team. The WAG champ squares off with the Big Ten's third-place team in the Holiday Bowl, while the Rose Bowl remains the same. Now we'll skip to New Year's Day because you need to finish reading this before the kickoff of the Poulan Weed Eater Independance Bowl, which by the way has no tie-ins. Good to see the folks at Poulan sticking with tradition. The New Year's Day bowls - with the exception of the Hall of Fame and Rose Bowls - are part of The Coalition. But you can't group The Coalition into one. There are the Tier I Coalition bowls - Orange, Cotton, Sugar and Fiesta. Tier 2 is the Gator, Blockbuster and John Hancock Bowls, with the Citrus and Freedom thrown in for good measure. The Big Ten's second-place team goes to the Citrus to play the loser of the SEC championship game. Sounds simple. But wait. If another SEC team is rated five or more spots ahead of the champion- ship game loser in the USA Today coaches poll, the Citrus Bowl gets to decide which team it wants. The Orange, Cotton and Sugar Bowls have their traditional tie-ins with the Big Eight, Southwest and Southeast champs respectively. The rest of the Tier 1 teams come from the Pool of Five - ACC champ, Big East champ, Notre Dame and two at-large teams. It's kind of like the heads of the five families in the Godfather with Lou Holtz playing Vito Corleone. Supposedly this system is going to eliminate early commitments to teams before their seasons end. But Notre Dame is guaranteed a Tier 1 bowl and Penn State is already playing in the Blockbuster Bowl, providing each team wins six games. It's better to have commitments before the season starts than before it ends, I guess. Last Jan. 21, this position may have been the greatest source of angst for the Michigan coaches. That's when Heisman Trophy- and-everything-else-winner Desmond Howard announced the inevitable, that he was giving up his final season of eligibility. Yale Van Dyne, the other starting wideout, was graduating, leaving Elvis Grbac the prospect of spending his senior year throwing to a bunch of question marks. The situation remained fairly bleak through spring ball, with a walk-on operating as the No. 3 receiver. As the regular season sets to kickoff, a lack of experience at the position still poses a potential problem, but hopes have been raised considerably. The progress of Derrick Alexander is a big reason why. The junior was poised for a big season last year, but he suffered a knee injury in the opener vs. Boston College and was lost for the season. His absence played a big role in Howard's tremendous season. Alexander, who caught 31 passes for 450 yards in 1990, did not practice in March but is reportedly at 100 percent. If that is the case, Alexander's athletic ability makes him as much of a threat as Howard, and his 6-foot-2, 190-pound size gives him an extra Felman Malveaux (No. 84) and Derrick Alexander (No. 1) will be two of the receivers who try to fill the void created by Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard's departure. dimension. Redshirt sophomore Walter Smith is listed as the starting flanker. He was the third receiver last year, picking up 15 catches for 107 yards. Smith is more of a possession receiver, and his hard- nosed play had coach Gary Moeller buzzing this spring. "Walter Smith is a tough son-of- a-gun," Moeller said. "I don't want to say this, but he plays too hard sometimes; he plays so physical that he's beating himself up. He's as physical a player as we have on our team - bar none." The other receiver assured of seeing action also has loads of talent but is considerably more green. "I think the best receivers in the Big Ten are the ones we have at Michigan -'Derrick Alexander, Walter Smith and then Felman Malveaux," says senior safety Corwin Brown, who has seen his .share of top wideouts. "Felman is going to surprise a lot of people this year. The speedy Malveaux is a definite deep threat. The slender Texan played sparingly last season, catching only two passes, but was impressive during the spring. He is projected as a starter despite his lack of game time. Moller says these three will form his principal receiving corps - Michigan's own version of the Posse. Playing Howard's Redskin role as fourth receiver is true frosh Amani Toomer. Toomer comes to Ann Arbor with every possible prep accolade and was the consensus top wideout in the country. The California native turned down Notre Dame, UCLA and Washington to come to Ann Arbor. He supposedly has every trait you look for in a receiver -size, speed and good hands. As a senior, Toomer caught 70 passes for 1,204 yards and 12 TDs. Look for fellow recruit Mercury Hayes to see time only if someone else is injured. -AlbertLin No doubt wJ Elvis Grbac is as firmly type entrenched in this position as any has t starter could possibly be. There simply is no question wvho will dire( direct the Michigan offense this posi season. Grbac started four games as Gary a redshirt frosh in 1989 and is the entering his third year as the No. I quarterback. Grbac led the nation in passing efficiency last year and is on the verge of establishing every school passing record he has not already put his name to. With essentially a new set of receivers to throw to, Grbac will carry much of the burden of the passing game on his ample shoulders. At 6-foot-5 and 224 pounds, he is big and strong enough to deliver the ball anywhere on the field. But his size also means limited mobility. Coach Gary Moeller says the team will take advantage of its plethora of tailbacks and run a bit more this season, .so that should relieve some of the pressure. But the expectations are still there - he is projected as a mid-first round pick in next year's NFL draft. "Elvis is the best (quarterback in the Big Ten); it's not a mystery," say says Indiana signal-caller Trent quar Green. "I'd be giving him a hard posi time, 'What are you gonna do som without Desmond? You could throw goin darts into the endzone and he'd get and them.' But he's gonna do fine.... I I do not feel sorry for Michigan." Coll Teammates say the quiet Grbac Grb has been more assertive during limi practice and may have finally mop emerged, albeit reluctantly, into the I it. t Continued on Page 12 I " Come watch MICHIGAN football on our GIANT screen " 4 different games at once- choose your fave from 4 TV's " Distinct beer selection-12 different drafts on tap " Great food variety--Buffalo wings, burgers, salads, pizzas " SUNDAY SPECIAL--Save your Michigan ticket stub and receive 5 FREE wings with purchase of a meal. 1220 South University For Carry-out, call 665-7777 lw . t LINE Continued from page 13 choice. The left guard is sophomore Shawn Miller, the only non-senior on this year's line. Miller, 6-4 and 275 pounds, played very little last season but was impressive during the spring and has developed quickly. However, if he should falter, Marc Milia is ready to step in. The junior played nine games last year, and probably would have played all 12 if not for an injury. Milia goes 6-3, 268 pounds and is also the No. 1 backup to Everitt. At left tackle is Doug Skene, also the beneficiary of an Elliot move to center because of an Everitt injury. The 6-6, 294-pound Skene started four games at guard last year in place of the departed Elliot and also saw extensive action in the remaining eight contests at both guard and tackle. Pushing him for playing time will be 6-7, 298-pound Trezelle Jenkins. "Tree" enrolled at Michigan early and advanced to backup left tackle last year as a true frosh, but did not have to play and was redshirted. Moving over to right tackle is Rob Doherty, who faces the task of replacing the 322-pound Skrepenak. Doherty comes close in size at 6-6, 298 pounds, and also brings some expereience, having started every game last year on the left side. - Albert Li WHAT'S H APPENING RECREATIONAL SPORTS PROGRAMS INCLUDE: " DROP-IN " CLUB SPORTS * INTRAMURALS " OUTDOOR RECREATION " CHALLENGE ROPES YOST ICE ARENA - FALL PUBLIC SKATING HOURS Mon.- Fri. 12:00-12:50PM Thur. 7:00- 8:50PM Sat. 1:00- 2:50PM, 7:00-8:50PM (Except UM Football days) Central Campus Recreation Building 401 Washtenaw 763-3084 North Campus Recreation Building 2375 Hubbard 763-4560 Intramural Sports Building 606 E. Hoover 763-3562 Sun. 1:00- 2:50PM Yost also offers hockey and skating classes for students I I ii y.;,;_y Li Facilities available to all currently enrolled students I . For more information, call 764-4600 . L 14 ',-~ - ''4,' 337 East Liberty ? * I x 4 1* 1 ) , I