0
0
0
0
0
0
22 Kickoff '93
Friday, September 10, 1993
Fry looks
New rules this season in the
Big Ten allowjunior college trans-
ferstobeginplayingimmediately
rather than having to sit out a
year. The action may become
more popular
with the
NCAA's re-
cent trend to "
'reducing the
number of scholarships a school
can give. Iowa has jumped right
in, bringing in 10 junior college
Mike Dailey (38)is one of eight returning starters to the Iowa Hawkeye dse seplayers, making it appear that
new statute should be called the
r. 'i
to transfer to bowl
"Hayden Fry rule."
One reason Coach Fry needs
an influx of talent - wide re-
ceiver Harold Jasper is the only
returning Hawkeye who started
more than three games for the
offense last season. While the
transfers may not all start this
year, they will be expected to
break into the two-deep line-up.
Secondly, Iowa only won five
games last season and missed a
bowl trip for just the second time
in the previous 12 seasons.
"The last two times we missed
going to a bowl game we bounced
right back and went to the Rose
Bowl," Fry said. "That might be
asking a little much of this group
but I think we can get back on the
winning track (this year)."
Last season's woes may in-
deed help the Hawkeyes win.
Because of an injury to starting
quarterback Jim Hartlieb, Matt
Eyde and Paul Burmeister
started two and three games, re-
spectively.
After losing to Purdue and
Ohio State when Eyde started,
Fry turned to Burmeister.
Burmeister responded with two
wins out of three tries. His team-
mates responded by voting him
tri-captain this season.
Ryan Terry will taking
handoffs from Burmeister. As a
backup, Terry gained 429 yards
in 1992. Jeff Anttila, Jasper and
Terry will all be catching passes
from Burmeister. Jasper, the
leading returning receiver had
469 yards to Anttila's 299.
The offensive line is of serious
concern for Fry. After graduat-
ing the entire line, the slated
starters and their backups aver-
age less than one varsity letter
between them.
The defensive line on the other
hand, returns three starters and
averages nearly two varsity let-
ters between the slated starters
and the second-team players.
Larry Blue and Mike Wells, a
first-team All-Big Ten player,
headline the down linemen. The
twosome combined for 19 sacks
and were each among conference
leaders in the category. Return-
ing nose tackle Maurea Crain
also chipped in four sacks among
his 84 tackles.
The linebacking corps returns
intact. The secondary lost its most
decorated performer, cornerback
Carlos James. Fortunately for the
Hawkeyes, All-Big Ten honorable
mention strong safety Jason
Olejniczak returns to lead this
year's bunch.
Iowa's biggest challenge will
be integrating the newcomers to
its system.
-Andy De Korte
Does Michigan starting quar-
terback Todd Collins have the
confidence and attitude to guide
Michigan toward a sixth straight
Big Ten title?
In a word, yes. And Collins
has had that confidence since he
Quarterbacks
.
CHA
arrived on campus in 1990, when
he announced to a town used to
grind-it-out, off-tackle football,
"I didn't come here to run the
running game. I came to run a
passing offense."
This may not sound brash on
the surface, but considering
Michigan's traditionally ground-
oriented offense, a switch to the
air would not be taken lightly by
the Wolverine faithful. Surely the
redshirt junior from Walpole,
Mass., was foolish to expect a
significant change. Maybe not.
Coach Gary Moeller has been
gradually shifting the offensive
emphasis. Graduated Wolverine
Elvis Grbac showed that Michi-
gan can, in a sense, have it both
ways, maintaining the running
game while adding the zest of a
passing offense.
Michigan looks to do much the
same with its new starter, as
evidence by his numbers in the
team's opener against Washing-
ton State. In a little over three
quarters of action, Collins com-
pleted 19 of 29 passes for 265
yards. He also threw for three
touchdowns and had no intercep-
tions.
Collins, however, is no
stranger to the starting position.
When Grbac was sidelined early
last year, the 6-foot-4 political
science major stepped in and did
well enough that some called for
him to remain at the helm even
when Grbac returned.
Collins put his strong right
arm to work in his first career
start against Oklahoma State,
completing 29 of 42 passes and
setting Michigan single-game
records for both attempts and
con
ron
I
wee
tou
cisi
(
the
aga
wai
'
ing
on
wh(
wha
two
u
son
cou
Elv
coa4
hay
can
we'
yea
I
Rie
bot
tim
Fre
wal
son
Bol:
Starter Collins coi
as new 'M' signal
Need an educational loan?
MI-LOAN may be your answer!
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.
SHARON MUSHER/Daily
After two years at backup, Todd Collins (10) assumes the role of Michigan's
starting quarterback this fall.
Losing Green hurts
Hoosiers' hopes
Depth gives Moeller,
offense room to pass
Injuries, the oldest problem
known to football coaches, ran-
sacked three key players on both
sides of Indiana's depth chart
last season. The casualties caught
up to the Hoosiers with three
weeks remaining in the season
and resulted in a three-game skid,
ruining coach Bill Mallory's sea-
son.
"We tailed
off there at
the end and I
was disap-
pointed,
Mallory said.
"We have to
be more pro-
ductiveinside
the 20-yard
it
in common with Green - second
team All-Big Ten wide receiver
Thomas Lewis, and no dominant
rusher.
Lewis tallied 11 touchdowns
and 1,266 yards receiving in the
past two seasons. He also aver-
aged 25.1 yards returning kick-
offs last season and has 733 yards
in career returns.
Brett Law picked up 541
yards, but his three touchdowns
are less than can reasonably be
expected from a starting tailback.
Michael Batts actually ended
spring practice ahead of Law on
the depth chart.
A healthy Beauchamp, a pos-
sible All-American, can only help
a defense that ranked third
among Big Ten teams in both
total defense and scoring allowed.
With a passing defense al-
ready second in the Big Ten last
season, Indiana returns three out
of four players in the secondary
and eight of 11 overall. Mike
Middleton, the missing
cornerback, will be replaced by
three-year letterman Jason
Orton.
All-Big Ten punter Jim
DiGuilio set an Indiana record
by averaging 44.3 yards. The
Hoosiers will be aided by their
schedule.
-.Andy De Korte
When looking at the Michigan receiving
corps, its almost difficult to comprehend
how deep it really is. Ross Perot's pockets
aren't this deep. James Earl Jones' voice
isn't this deep. Heck, Sigmund Freud's
thoughts weren't this deep.
Yet for Gary Moeller, depth at the
wideout positions provides the perfect foil
to the Wolverines' strong ground game,
giving Michigan's offensive attack a flex-
ibility that
Receivers is the envy
of many col-
lege pro-
grams. The
quintet of
Derrick
Alexander,
F FeLm an
Malveaux,
.eM IEWalter
CHA Smith,
Mercury
Hayes and Amani Toomer all return
from a year ago and each has the confi-
dence of their head coach entering the new
season.
"You're probably going to see a few
more passes than you would have seen
against a lot of the teams we played last
year," Moeller said. "And I want to throw
the ball because I think I have good wide
receivers and I want to get them into the
game."
Wolverine fans witnessed Moeller's
luxury last Saturday in Michigan's open-
inggame, a41-14victory overWashington
State. While catching a 42-yard pass on
the first play from scrimmage, Alexander
suffered a sprained ankle which forced him
to miss most of the game. Enter Hayes,
who stepped right in and had career highs
in catches (8), yards (105) and touchdowns
(2).
"Coaches always tell you you have to be
ready, so when I have an opportunity, I try
to make the best of it," Hayes said after the
game against the Cougars. "We've got a
five-man rotation with good guys who go
out and work hard every day at practice.
You never know whose going to be the
guy."
The lone senior ofthe group is Alexander,
the 6-foot-2 All-America. Coming off a knee
injury which forced him to redshirtin 1991,
the Detroit native returned last fall and
led the Wolverines in receptions with 50
and touchdown catches with 11.
Alexander's 18 career TD grabs puts him
third on the all-time Michigan touchdown
reception list, behind only Anthony Carter
and Desmond Howard.
In addition, Alexander teamed up with
Todd Collins 15 times in the new signal
caller's two previous starts, a fact which
the receiver doesn't overlook.
"We always have confidence in Todd,"
Alexander said. "It's good to have played a
couple games with him."
Next in seniority come juniors Malveaux
and Smith, who both saw their playing
time increase in 1992. Smith caught 25
passes a year ago, yet his most exciting
play may have been a 46-yard reverse he
ran for a touchdown against Minnesota.
See REcmvEts,-Page 26
4
To obtain a MI-LOAN application,
contact your Financial Aid Office!
line - the so-called red zone.
That's wherewe fell outlastyear."
Time has healed All-Big Ten
candidate DE Charles
Beauchamp, LB Saute Dean and
FB Sean Glover, among others.
However, time cannot help
Mallory with his red-zone woes.*
In fact, time ran out on Trent
Green, one of Indiana's best quar-
terbacks.
His replacement, John Paci,
won his only start in last season's
road game at Minnesota. His ex-
perience allowed him to move
smoothly into the starting role
during the spring practice ses-
sions. Paci will have two things
Mercury Hayes is one of five weapons Coach Moelier can call o