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 .... . ... ...