The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - September 28, 1992 - Page 5
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FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Blowout empties
Wolverine bench
by Josh Dubow
and Albert Ln
Daily Football Writers
With the game essentially over by halftime, coach Gary Moeller began
to insert his second and third-teamers. By the end of the game, over 70
members of the team had seen game action. Only 15 players listed on the
roster did not play, many of them being true freshmen whom Moeller would
like to redshirt.
The coach said his main goal is to win each game, and every decision he
makes is to help his team come out on top.
"The other thing that's very important is the individual player, and that
includes every guy on the field," Moeller said. "I would never hold backup
players in when I feel like I have a game under my belt. They should get an
opportunity, and it worked out that way.
"I'd love to have seen our defense get a shutout - not from a selfish
standpoint, but just for the defense and the defensive coaches. Coach
(Lloyd) Carr would have done it anyway, but I told him, I said, 'Hey, I
wanna see those guys get in there.' I want everybody to get a chance to play.
So if they scored seven, part of that is on the head coach. But you want ev-
eryone to be involved."
FOR THE RECORD: Michigan set numerous records during Saturday's
game. The Wolverines' first record came on the opening kickoff which
Tyrone Wheatley returned 99 yards for the opening score. The return ties
the Michigan record, set by Dennis Fitzgerald at Michigan State in 1960,
for longest kickoff return.
Also, Michigan's 35-point outburst in the second quarter tied a record for
scoring in a quarter. Ten years ago, the Wolverines erupted for 35 points in
the second quarter of a 49-14 victory against Northwestern.
T odd Collins set another record in his second career start. Collins threw
four touchdown passes to tie the Michigan record, held by four others, for
most TD passes in a game. Elvis Grbac has accomplished that feat twice,
against Florida State last year and against Mississippi in the 1991 Gator
Bowl.
Additionally, with Jay Riemersma's touchdown pass, the Wolverines
tied a record for most touchdown passes in a game for the team. The last
time Michigan threw five scoring strikes was in 1989 against Minnesota.
Finally, the 61 points allowed by Houston ties the record for most points
allowed by a Cougar team.
HEISMAN SHOW: Former Heisman Trophy winners Andre Ware and
Desmond Howard were on hand for Saturday's game, cheering on their re-
spective alma maters.
Howard and the Washington Redskins were off this weekend, enabling
him to make the trip to Ann Arbor. Howard paced the Michigan sidelines,
occasionally giving encouragement and advice to the Wolverine receivers.
Rushing
Player Att Yds Avg La
Douglas 3 12 4.0 10
Klingler 2 -15 -7.5 0
Smith 7 52 7.4 14
Sanders 3 1 0.3 1
McPherson 1 2 2.0 2
Totals 16 52 3.2 14
Passing
Player C-A Yds TD I t
Douglas 8-18 45 0 1
Klingler 15-28 179 1 1
Totals 23-46 224 1 2
Receiving
Player No Yds La TD
Good 3 10 10 0
Jack 3 74 58 0
Peters 2 31 25 1
Klingler 1 -3 -3 0
Gilbert 2 11 9 0
Smith 9 65 20 0
Sanders 2 33 25 0
McPherson 1 3 3 0
Totals 23 224 58 1
Punting
Player No Yds Ava La
Ava nts 5 204 40.8 47
Thornburgh_4 120 30.0 34
Tota l 9 324 36.0 47
Punt Returns
Player No Yds Ava Lg
McDonald
3 20 6.7 19
Kickoff Returns
Player No Yds Ava
La
Michigan's Tyrone Wheatly rambled through Houston's defense all day, despite being caught here by Eric Blount.
MICHIGAN
Continued from page 1
of 15 third downs, all three coming
on its lone scoring drive late in the
fourth quarter, with the score already
61-0.
Cougar quarterbacks Donald
Douglas and Jimmy Klingler, who
alternated just about every series in
the second half, had trouble the en-
tire game finding their receivers.
And when they were able to deliver
the ball, a gang of Michigan defen-
sive backs was usually there to greet
the pass-catcher.
"When you're watching on film,
you don't really know how fast, how
strong and how hard they hit," Klin-
gler said of the entire Michigan de-
fense. "They really surprised us with
that. We didn't expect that kind of
speed and quickness."
Underestimating the Wolverine
defense certainly proved to be
Houston's undoing. The Cougars'
longest drives, until the late touch-
down drive, were six-play endea-
vors. Michigan defensive coordi-
nator Lloyd Carr had devised a near-
perfect gameplan, and Houston's
boasts about lighting up Wolverine
defenders provided added incentive.
"That made the game more inter-
esting, because personally, I enjoy
playing against teams that are very
cocky," safety Shonte Peoples said.
"We looked forward to first of all
shutting them up, and then shutting
them out."
The Wolverines were well on
their way to that goal before the of-
fense even took the field. Michigan's
Tyrone Wheatley hauled in the open-
ing kickoff and exploded 99 yards
down the left sideline, not stoppping
until he reached the end zone. It was
a surprisingly easy return for Wheat-
ley, who sped untouched from the
instant he caught the ball. A Che
Foster block turned away the last de-
fender with any chance at Wheatley,
and it was a footrace from then on.
"Our kicker put it on the left side,
and our coverage team played it like
it was kicked to the middle of the
field," Cougar coach John Jenkins
said. "And Wheatley was just a puff
of smoke. They should have waved a
checkered flag when he went by."
Wheatley's return to action did
not signal the end of the game, but
when the Wolverines finished their
! offensive and defensive onslaught,
Jenkins may have wished it had. The
seven quick points gave quarterback
Todd Collins - making his second
start in place of the still tender-an-
kled Elvis Grbac - a boost of con-
fidence, and he went out and tied a
Michigan record by throwing four
touchdowns passes.
"As the quarterback, you're re-
sponsible for getting your team in
the end zone," Collins said. "And
getting seven points right of the bat
is definitely going to make you feel
a little bit better and more comfort-
able."
Houston's defensive scheme gave
Michigan receivers the chance to
show off their skills, and Collins was
able to get them the ball. He made a
few mistakes early on - getting in-
tercepted in the end zone and under-
throwing a wide-open Derrick
Alexander - but he settled down by
the end of the first quarter.
Because of a tough time estab-
lishing the run, Moeller called for
the pass again and again, despite his
better judgement - "You have
some success (throwing), so then
you can't say, 'I'm not gonna throw'
just to be completely stubborn, al-
though I've tried that a few times"
- and his offense came through.
"They were running all types of
man coverage, and if someone slips
or someone gets beat, there's no one
left because they don't have a zone
(defender) to counter for it," Collins
said. "That's why the guys were left
open."
One of those guys proved to be
tight end Tony McGee, who had his
third straight impressive game.
McGee caught only two passes, but
both were for touchdowns and both
came before the game reached
blowout stages.
His first grab came on Michi-
gan's initial scoring drive. The de-
fense held Houston inside the 20,
and a short punt gave Michigan pos-
session near midfield. Following two
short Ricky Powers runs, Collins
.looked to Alexander for a first down.
Wheatley then picked up 16 yards on
three carries, and on first down
Collins threw an 18-yard strike over
three defenders to an outstretched
McGee to make it 14-0.
"You gotta have that air of confi-
dence about yourself and about your
teammates, that they'll block and
execute the plays so things like that
can happen," McGee said.
Alexander provided more thrills
in scoring Michigan's fifth touch-
down, maybe the most exciting of
the game. Houston punted out of its
own end zone, leaving the Wolver-
ines with great field position at the
Cougar 30. Powers then gained
seven yards on first down. Moeller
cailed Alexander's number on the
next down, but he came down out of
bounds.
So the coach devised another way
to get him the ball, running him left-
to-right on a reverse. Alexander was
nearly brought down for a loss at the
27, and it appeared the Houston de-
fense slowed up. Alexander was able
to break away from the grasp of cor-
nerback Steve Harris, cut inside and
burst into the end zone.
Good 6 92 15.3 19
Sanders 1 16 16.0 16
McPherson 2 19 9.5 1.1
Total 9 127 14.1 19
Defense
Player Tac. Ast Tot
Davis
Bell
Ventress
Blount
McCoy
Mucho
McGaughey
Harris
Pezman
Dixon
Williams
J. W. Brown
Harrison
LaBay
Newhouse
Clarke
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DEPARTMENT OF
RECREATIONAL
SPORTS
INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM
TRACK & FIELD MEET
(Team and Individual)
Entry Deadline:
Tuesday 9/29
4:30 p.m.
IMSB Main Office
Meet Date: Wednesday 9/30
For Additional Information Contact IMSB 763-3562
KRISTOFFER GILLETTE/u0ily
Heisman Trophy winner and Washington Redskin Desmond Howard visited
his alma mater during his team's off week. He attempts to quiet the fans
after their realization of his presence drives them into a frenzy usually
reserved for the Pope and world-renown rock stars.
FIRSTS: Freshmen wide receivers Mercury Hayes and Amani Toomer
had their first career touchdown receptions Saturday. Hayes had a 43-yard
touchdown in the second quarter. He caught a pass from Collins on the left
sideline and sprinted 30 yards for the score.
Toomer's touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a slant pattern.
Riemersma fired a pass which Toomer pulled down for a 14-yard touch-
down. That was also Riemersma's first career touchdown.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jason Carr -- defensive coordinator
Lloyd Carr's son - received his first game action Saturday. Carr relieved
Riemersma in the fourth quarter and led the Wolverines on their final scor-
ing drive. Carr also had his first career completion on a 10-yard pass to
Hayes.
Redshirt freshman running back Ed Davis saw action for the second
straight game. Davis scored the final touchdown against Oklahoma State
last week, and yesterday he had a career day. He led the team in rushing
Saturday with 105 yards on only 11 carries. Davis almost broke loose for a
score in the fourth quarter and had to settle for 32-yarder, but he made up
for that by making it to the end zone on an 11-yard scamper four plays later.
TOUCHDOWN TONY: Senior tight end Tony McGee continues to have
a big year. McGee added two more catches - both for touchdowns - to
the nine receptions he made the first two games. The TDs were the first of
McGee's career.
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