Who quarterbacked the last
Michigan team to turn the
ball over five or more times
in a single game?
(For answer see page 2)
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Sloppy
Running game
'gets on track
Their aim was to relieve themselves of some frustra-
tions. A tie had basically pre-empted the season's true
beginning. It was as if they hadn't even played yet. 17-
17. It hung over their heads all week long.
No one took solace in the fact that, one game into
the season, the Wolverines hadn't lost yet. They hadn't
won yet, either.
Now they have. And it was a convincing victory.
Those who watched it left convinced that Michigan's
defense is for real, that the seemingly endless assembly
line of wide receivers is very talented and that there is
plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future -
immediate and distant. Remember, Todd Collins is our
backup quarterback.
'
cleans
house,
35-
3
John
Niyo
But those same people who
watched Saturday's game also
left convinced that Oklahoma
State is no Notre Dame.
That makes the coaching
staff's job a little harder. Was
there progress from game one?
Did they improve? It's hard to
compare the season's first two
contests. The quick answer (and
probably the correct answer) is,
"Yes, they did improve." But
that answer comes with some
Collins outguns
inept Cowboys
by Jeni Durst
Daily Football Writer
Three things seemed to characterize Michigan's 35-3
romp of Oklahoma State Saturday: turnovers, yellow
flags and Wolverine quarterback Todd Collins.
Michigan (1-0-1 overall) dominated OSU, scoring
five touchdowns over three quarters of play. The
Cowboys (1-1) fate could have been worse, though. The
Wolverines missed two touchdown opportunities and
kicker Peter Elezovic failed to convert his two field
goal attempts, a 32-yarder in the first quarter and a 19-
yarder that ricocheted off the left upright in the
fourth.
Both the Wolverines and the Cowboys had five
turnovers apiece, the most for Michigan since it gave up
the ball seven times against Michigan State in 1987.
The Wolverines fumbled four times, including one
at the goal line in the third quarter, and Collins threw
one interception at the Oklahoma State 7-yard line in
the second. OSU committed two fumbles, losing pos-
session once, and threw three interceptions.
"You can't turn the ball over offensively like we
did," Michigan coach Gary Moeller said. "When you
have a fumble in the end zone and you have four (three)
other fumbles and an interception, you can't turn the
ball over offensively like that and have a good football
team.
"I want to win and I'm not complaining about the
score or anything like that, but I want to play that
flawless football ... Anytime you give anyone the ball
on this football team they have a valuable responsi-
biltiy and that's to hang on to it."
Penalties also plagued the two teams. Yellow flags
flew all afternoon in Michigan Stadium, as the two
teams racked up 135 yards on 16 penalties. Oklahoma
State registered a whopping ten of those, while one of
Michigan's six, a holding call, denied the Wolverines a
touchdown in the second quarter, calling back a
Collins' pass to Derrick Alexander.
"Their defense was pretty good, but we hurt our-
selves," Oklahoma State tailback Rafael Denson said.
"There was talk we wouldn't be able to run the ball
against them. taut if we had executed we would have
been able to. We would get five or six yards on first
down, but then we'd take a penalty and give it right
back."
Yet Collins provided a definite positive to help
See MICHIGAN, Page 4
Blame IV apprehension.
There was the small matter of
the scoreboard disagreeing with
much of what Michigan accomplished on the field
Saturday afternoon - at least until some late scores
padded the final tally. The final score, had it not been
for the key miscues, would have been much greater.
Like 49-3. Or 52-3.
"You can't turn the ball over like that and have a
good football team," coach Gary Moeller said, after
admitting what everybody else was feeling - that a
win is a win.
But that doesn't mean you have to be completely
satisfied. Ricky Powers wasn't.
"We just made too many mistakes," he said. "I
dropped one ball, so I was a part of that problem.
There's no excuse for that."
But we will excuse him after watching him run like
the old Ricky Powers in the second half. Gaining noth-
ing on five carries in the first half was a scary extension
See RUNNING, Page 5
KIiTbOmER GILLE TTE/aily
Michigan quarterback Todd Collins shined in his debut Saturday as the Wolverines defeated Oklahoma State, 35-3.
Search
and
Destroy
Alfie Burch keys
aggressive DBs
by Josh Dubow
Daily Football Writer
Warning: Opposition receivers beware. This is a
new Michigan secondary. Strap on your helmet and
prepare for a collision. Don't enter its sites unless
you are prepared to pay the price.
uw5This is how this year's Michigan defensive
backfield operates. Every Friday, secondary coach
Billy Harris gathers his troops in a meeting to watch
a film. Not last week's game film or a scouting report
of this week's opponent. But a film called "Search and
Destroy." This is a highlight film of the Houston
Oilers when Jerry Glanville was the coach and hard-
hitting, trash-talking, speed-burning defensive backs
were the norm. Teams were afraid to enter Houston's
House of Pain.
Commander Alfie Burch - starting wide
cornerback on the Wolverines - would like to give a
tour of Michigan's own House of Pain.
"It's a new age of defensive backs at Michigan,"
Burch said. "It's a new type of athlete Michigan's
recruiting. There's gonna be a lot of fireworks and a
lot of banging around back there.
"We want to make it exciting for the fans. We
want people to feel they got their money's worth.
What better way to create excitement than to snap
somebody's neck back or take the ball away. Flying
around and collisions are the name of the game.
"If receivers want to come into our secondary they
have to pay. That's the truth. I believe that. This is the
first year I've really believed that. They know if they
catch the ball, they better have eyes in the back of
their head."
When Alfie Burch came to Michigan four years
DOUG KANTERDaily
The Michigan volleyball team defeated Miami (Ohio) and Maryland before
falling to host Kentucky in the Conference Challenge this weekend.
M'sikers stumble
against entucky
by Scott Burton come to mind to describe the loss
to
Upon initial look, it would be
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the Wildcats.
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