Page 4 -The Michigan Daily- Sports Monday - October 26, 1992
LI
C
H
I
0
A
6
3
Rushing
Plaver Att
Yds Ava La
s a .v naa a V t W1 a =
Wheatley 24
Davis 16
Johnson 11
Smith 1
Foster 4
Leg ette 4
Riemersma 1
Buff 2
Powers 2
Grhae - 1
148
66
65
46
29
17
7
5
5
-7
6.2
4.1
5.9
46.0
7.3
4.3
7.0
2.5
2.5
-7.0
30
24
13
46
16
5
7
3
3.
-7
Total 66 381 5.7 46
Passing
Player C-A Yds TD lnt
Grbac 14-19 208 4 0
Collins 3-4 32 0 0
Totals 17-23 240 4 0
Receiving
Player No Yds Ava TD
Alexander 7 130 18.6 4
Hayes 4 39 9.8 0
.Toomer 2 22 11.0 0
Johnson 2 20 10.0 0
McGee 1 24 24.0 0
Wheatley 1 5 5.0 0
Totals 17 240 14.1 4
Punting
Player No Yds Avg La
Stapleton 3 107 35.7 40
Punt Returns
Player No Yds Avg La
Alexander 1 6 6.0 6
Hayes 2 24 12.0 17
Total 3 30 10.0 17
Kickoff Returns
Player No Yds Avg Lg
Hayes 1 28 28.0 28
Wheatley 1 27 27.0 27
Smith 1 11 11.0 11
Total 2 66 22.0 28
Defense
Player Tac Ast Tot
FOOTBALL
Continued from page 1
Even when things seemed to be
going awry for the Wolverines, the
outcome remained positive. Walter
Smith's touchdown in the third
quarter proved that point.
Smith took a handoff from Jesse
Johnson on a reverse and appeared
to be stopped in the backfield for a
15-yard loss by Minnesota's Dennis
Cappella. But Smith shook off the
would-be tackler, switched direc-
tions and headed down the left side-
line 46 yards for the score.
"He did a good job," Moeller
said. "He played the reverse well.
He's a strong runner and I think he
showed that."
Moeller was also pleased with
one other aspect of Michigan's per-
formance: the team's lack of penal-
ties. The Wolverines were whistled
for three infractions for a total of 34
yards Saturday. They came into the
game as the most penalized team in
the conference.
"As long as we execute, I don't
think there's anybody who can beat
us (in the Big Ten)," Alexander said.
"Maybe not in the country, either."
Moeller, try as he might, is find-
ing that statement hard to dispute.
But he keeps pushing.
"I keep asking the kids this:
'How good do you wanna be?"'
Moeller said
The rest of the Big Ten is finding
out, one-by-one.
"I wasn't feeling sorry for them,"
said senior co-captain Corwin
Brown, when asked about the team's
motivation. "If we're supposed to
blow them out, we want to blow
them out."
And that simple theory is why the
Little Brown Jug is staying in Ann
Arbor for another year.
"You don't realize what that
means until you see the other team
carry that jug off," Moeller said.
"That's happened to us a few times."
Elvis Grbac looks to complete a pass over the middle in the second quarter.
Morrison
Law
Wallace
Henderson
Dobreff
Walker
Collins
Ag hakhan
Maloney
Peoples
Foster
Powers
Steuk
Blankenship
Charles.
Dyson
Elliott
Horn
D. Johnson
Ware
Brown
Dudlar
Elezovic
Stanley
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
DURST
Continued from page 1
be unsportsmanlike. They don't
want to run the score up on lesser
teams, but it seems in order not to do
so, they'll have to find much worse
players to fill out the bench.
Of course there are many fans
who wish the scoring differential
was even greater. The more
humiliation their Michigan team can
dish out to all the unworthies, the
better. My dad particularly favors a
Wolverine blowout -- he likes to be
able to nap during the second half.
But the question arises how all
these blowouts affect Michigan's
motivation. The coaches and players
are certain the focus and hunger are,
and will continue td be there. The
opportunity for revenge from last
year's Rose Bowl and a fifth con-
secutive Big Ten title hang as
proverbial carrots on the end of
Michigan's stick.
"We don't want to lose," free
safety Corwin Brown said. "You
want to come out and smash every
team, win every game, and go back
out to the Rose Bowl."
Still it's questionable how a team
that "smashes" its opponents with
seemingly no effort can't become
complacent. The squad and coaches
claim that to avoid that complacency
they must look for things to improve
upon. But how much can a coach
yell or a player get down on himself
about such things after burying a
team by 50 points? Not a whole lot.
If lack of motivation becomes a
problem, it could pose problems for
Michigan if it finds itself in a close
game. The Wolverines have only
been involved in one such game this
season, with Notre Dame. Michigan
responded with a tie. But it was the
first game of the year for the Wol-
verines, and a lot has changed and
matured since then.
A bad scenario would be
Michigan kicking the stuffing out of
Purdue, Northwestern, and Illinois,
then letting down and dropping a
heartbreaker at the hands of the
Buckeyes in the season finale. A far
worse scenario may be blowing
through the rest of the conference
and suffering another humiliation at
the Rose Bowl.
The factors missing in this
horrible equation go by the names of
Brown, Steve Everitt, Elvis Grbac,
Chris Hutchinson, Doug Skene, and
many others - the seniors who
know what it feels like to play in a
close game and lose it. And they
don't want to experience that feeling
anymore. Embarrassing their
opponents isn't a concern. The only
worry on their minds is winning.
An alumni cheerleader points the way for Derrick Alexander on his 52-yarn
Alexander I
Minnesota coach Wackern
by Josh Dubow
Daily Football Writer
If last season was magical for the Michigan
football team, than this season has been just
great. Junior wide receiver Derrick Alexander
has filled the shoes of departed Heisman Trophy
winner Desmond Howard admirably thus far.
Saturday, "Alexander the Great" - as
Michigan's junior wide receiver has been
dubbed- had a record-setting performance. He
had seven receptions for 130 yards and a school-
record four touchdown receptions.,
"I didn't know about the record until I got
back into the locker room," Alexander said.
"Now that I think about it, it's pretty exciting."
Minnesota was extremely impressed with the
Wolverines as a whole, but Alexander especially.
"Alexander the Great was Alexander the
Great," Minnesota coach Jim Wacker said fol-
lowing his team's 63-13 loss. "I'd vote for him
for emperor of Greece, Rome or anywhere. He
was just great."
Alexander had an electrifying first quarter for
the Wolverines. He caught three touchdown
passes from Elvis Grbac, which set a Michigan
record for most TD receptions in a quarter.
Alexander opened the scoring for the Wolverines
on the fourth play of the game. He ran a stop-
and-go route on Gopher cornerback Derek
Fisher, and Fisher stopped and Alexander went.
Into the end zone, that is, for a 52-yard score.
"He gave a little hesitation move and ran right
by us," Wacker said. "I can't understand it."
Later in the quarter, Alexander scored on two
fade routes in each corner of the end zone. This
was a trademark play for Grbac and Howard last
season, but this year the Wolverines have had
trouble connecting on it.
The- first was a 13-yard strike on which
Alexander beat Gopher cornerback Drinon Mays
to the left corner of the end zone. He finished his
first-quarter barrage by beating Justin Conzemius
to the right corner 1i
"We've been wori
last couple of weeks;
just a matter of gettinr
On each of those ti
was all alone in the en
"It looked like we I
route," Wacker said.-
that he was open, but
guys up on the line.'
Geez, oh petes!"
Alexander's fourtl
Wolverines' first drivi
hit Alexander on a.se
He ran across the fieJ
from Walter Smith, a
side and into the end z
Alexander has conr
tions people might ha
Wolverines would ml
seven games, Alexaft
opposed to Howars
Alexander has also",
Howard's 17.
While Howard's-
year's Michigan tearW
one close game, whic
production.
Michigan coach }
tremely pleased with
play thus far. Enterin
also a bit wary about
Howard. He felt no
Howard, but rather it
the entire team. How
close.
"Early in the year 1
Moeller said. "Now 4
the improvement. Bui
cused."
The biggest questi
ing into this season w
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER:.
Alexander 52-yd reception
from Grbac, (Elezovic kick)
13:09.
Michigan 7, Minnesota 0
Alexander 13-yd reception
from Grbac, (Elezovic kick)
7:35.
Michigan 14, Minnesota 7
Alexander 3-yd reception
from Grbac, (Elezovic kick)
1:33.
Michigan 21, Minnesota 7
SECOND QUARTER:
Wheatley 7-yd run, (Elezovic
kick), 8:32.
Michigan 28, Minnesota 7
Davis 24-yd run, (Elezovic
kick), 3:20.
Michigan 35, Minnesota 7
Who needs a masco
THIRD QUARTER:
Alexander 32-yd reception
from Grbac, (Elezovic kick),
12:28.
Michigan 42
Minnesota 13
Smith 46-yd run, (Elezovic
kick), 10:55.
Michigan 49
Minnesota 13
Wheatley 2-yd run, (Elezov
by Rachel Bachman
Daily Sports Writer
their
On Oct. 14, as Michigan fans watched
Wolverines punish the Spartans, they may have noticed
something missing on the Michigan sideline.
Michigan State's entourage was all there: the play-
ers, the band, and the cheerleaders, and Sparty - the
team's mascot.
Where was the wolverine?
mascot was dur
named "Biffy"
chewing his Wa)
The main re
fuzzy fellow rc
never been mue
"Ninety pere
mascots hav
see any advan
ic
.... . ... ...