Volleyball
vs. MichiganState
Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m.
East Lansing
S
S
Field Hockey
vs. Villanova
Tomorrow, 7 p.m.
Oosterbaan Fieldhouse
After loss, Moeller forced to focus on rest of schedule
By MICHAEL ROSENBERG
Daily Football Writer
The loss to Colorado, it could be argued, was a fluke. The poor effort against
Iowa, one could say, was due to the shock from the Colorado game. But when -
Michigan lost to Penn State Saturday, there were no excuses left. . .
The Wolverines are not the best team in the country.
In fact, they are not even the best team in the Big Ten. They likely won't be
spending winter break in Pasadena. All they can do now is pick up the pieces and
play for respect. ...1(r*1<.n>.,
"I expect them to be Michigan," coach Gary Moeller said of his troops. "There
are alot of things that are going to happen in football. The thing you can control
is your own games."
Among those things Moeller hopes will happen is more than one blemish on .
Penn State's record. If the No. 1 Nittany Lions are somehow upset - twice - . 1 s ^: " W
Michigan could go to the Rose Bowl. "
That prospect doesn't exactly have many Wolverine fans booking flights to ..
Los Angeles, but Moeller is not giving up yet. .u
"(We) haven't earned anything," Moeller said. "But Penn State hasn't either.
I'm not saying, 'This team is going to eatPenn State' or 'Thatt is going to
Thernext stop for the Wolverines is Champaign, where the Fighting Illini have
caught fire since losing to Purdue two weeks ago. Illinois soundly beat Ohio State, A..
@2-010dyagbefore pounding Iowa, 47-7, Saturday.hr°,w .
"Illinois is going to be very difficult," Moeller said. "I know they are going ^t"
t bet eb s de e s weh v pl y dt dae - o wilp a al ye r f ,,Y x There's a big reason for that - four big reasons, actually. Illinois linebackers 4 5 1N1 «
Dana Howard, Simeon Rice, John Holocek and Kevin Hardy form the best corps
in the Big Ten, and probably the nation. Howard and Rice are both contenders for
the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's top linebacker. r a ; ,
Howard, an inside linebacker, is adominant run-stopperinthemold offormer i .. .. f
Illinois great DickButkus.Rice ismore ofapassrusher, aplayer whose speed and < Qa" ,.
size makes teams want to double-team him. 9
But when a team has four great linebackers, you can't double-team anyone.
"You can't just say, 'I'm going to isolate on Rice or I'm going to isolate on .
Howard,"' Moeller said. "They have got a lot of good football players." .
Illinois' stingy defense will give Moeller serious headaches if his team falls
behind early, which it has only done in every game this season.
'That's a concern of mine," he said. "It'll be magnified in a game like that. You
could buy yourself some problems if that happens against Illinois." DOUGLAS KANTER/Daily
MOB SCENE AT PENN STATE: Approximately 10,000 fans stormed the field at Michigan coach Gary Moeller is confident his team is not out of the Big Ten title race just yet, despite Saturday's loss to Penn State. The Wolverines have
See FOCUS, Page 12 another tough test this weekend when they travel to Champaign to play Illinois, while the Nittany Lions are idle before hosting Ohio State in two weeks.
Open tryo
By ANTOINE PITTS
Daily Basketball Writer
Sometimes you can never have
enough players.
Despite having a roster of 16, the
Michigan men's basketball team held
walk-on tryouts last night at Crisler
Arena, looking for a few more people.
Coach Steve Fisher's list of players
includes five walk-ons already practic-
ing with the team.
Chris Fields, Adam Jones, Alex
Lingenman, Neal Morton and Mickey
Zitzmann already work out with the
squad. The coaching staff used last
night to look for players who the team
could use if one of the current walk-ons
decides not to stay with the team or in
case of injury. It was also a chance for
the coaches to see if there was someone
out there better than the current cast.
Assistant coaches Brian Dutcher,
Jay Smith and Scott Perry led the 33
candidates through a variety of drills
before opening up the floor for five-on-
five scrimmages. The coaches used the
same kind of criteria to evaluate the
players that they employ in recruiting.
"You're trying to see if they have
any athletic ability," Dutchersaid. "You
see if they play hard, show intelligence
and follow directions."
Among the group of candidates
were students of all types - some tall,
some short, some in good physical
shape, and others not in the best of
condition. All ofthem gave their best in
trying to catch the coaches' eyes.
"I'm here to show the coaches that
I can play and work hard," said engi-
neering sophomore Joel Pryor, a trans-
fer studentfromMinnesota. "Youhave
to show them that you can compete."
uts offer chance to make it big
'You're trying to
they have any att
ability. You see if
play hard, show
intelligence and f
directions.'
Brian D
assistant bask
The turnout was half of
total. However, Fisher was
eif"You need to show them that you're
See if working as hard as you can," Ditkoff
hletic said. "They're looking for people who
play and practice hard."
The coaches also tried to evaluate
the attitude of the players. They would
011OW not want to bring in someone who
would upset the chemistry of the team.
"We want kids that are going to
utcher come in and help us practice," Dutcher'
said. "They may never see game time
ketball or even dress for a game all year.
coach i"We don't want someone coming
- inthinking they're better than Jimmy
King and should be getting all those
last year's minutes."
definitely LSA freshman Olisaeloka Dallah,
who is on a full academic scholarship,
decided to come out and show the
coaches what he could do.
"I'm here at Michigan for the aca-
demics and also to try out for this
team," Dallah said. "To go back to my
home city and say, 'I'm on Michigan's
team would be the ultimate."'
Dallah and Pryor were among six
players the coaches called over at the
end of the session. Dutcher, Perry and
Smith retrieved some extra informa-
tion from the six to further help the.
coaching staff evaluate the newcom-
ers' chances.
Time will only tell if the Wolver-
ines will need their services.
looking to fill a few more spots at that
time. This year's group tried just as
hard to live the dream of Freddie Hunter.
After making the team, Hunter
captained the Wolverines his senior
year (1990-91).
The walk-on candidates knew that
the team was not in need of anymore
stars, but rather a role player who will
come in and contribute to the team's
practices.
"You have to encourage teammates
and show the coaches that you are a
team player," Pryor said. "Those are
the kinds of players they are looking
for. They already have enough stars on
this team."
LSA junior Howard Ditkoff came
to tryouts for the third straight year.
a
U
JOSH KOLEVZON/Daily
Last night's tryouts provided 33 Michigan students with a chance to show
off their talents to the Wolverine coaching staff.
Irregular
teartbeat
sidelines
Knuble
By BARRY SOLLENBERGER
Daily Hockey Writer
The collective groan you heard yes-
terday came from the Michigan hockey
training room.
Right wing Mike Knuble, a pre-
season Sporting News All-America
Checklist selection, is doubtful for Fri-
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