Hockey vs. Colorado College Today and tomorrow, 7 p.m. Yost Ice Arena S S Football at Illinois Tomorrow, 3:30 p.m. (ABC) Champaign 4 Ilhm set to spring another upset *Wolverines face difficult challenge in Illinois defense - By BRETT FORREST Daily Football Writer How many wake-up calls can one squad be expected to give another? Illinois did more damage to Michi- gan (2-1 Big Ten, 4-2 overall) than it probably should have done the past two seasons. The Illini (2-1, 4-2) tied Michigan at 22 in 1992 and beat the ,olverines, 24-21, last season. Illi- nois was a tremendous underdog in both matchups and came away from Michigan Stadium with positive re- sults. The two teams line up againsteach other at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow at Me- morial Stadium. Even after lastweek's loss to Penn State, No. 11 Michigan is bound to be cognizant of Illinois' old on the Wolverines. "Illinois has a great defense - one of the best in the country," Michi- gan quarterback Todd Collins said. "We never seem to score a lot of points against them." Illinois coach Lou Tepper tried to downplay the game's importance. "Michigan's not a red-letter game," he said. "We've had success ',e past two years, but prior to that it sed to be ared-letter game. We would focus on Michigan for 10 minutes a day in spring practice." But after limiting Michigan's All-American tailback Tyrone Wheatley to just 56 yards on 15 carries in last year's game, the Illini knew they could compete with the Wolverines. "I think we have their respect now," Illinois linebacker John Holecek said of the Wolverines. "When you beat a team 10 years in a row (Michigan went 8-1-1 in the de- cade leading up to the 1992 game), you tend to overlook the opponent." Illinois' linebacking corps (Simeon Rice, Kevin Hardy, Holecek and Dana Howard) lead the nation's> No. 2 defense.t Howardisthebest of what is widely consideredthetop collection of line- Howard backers in the country. After last week's 10-tackle performance in Illinois' 47-7 blowout of Iowa, Howard now has a team-high 77 stops. "I think Dana is the premier candi- date for the Butkus Award," Tepper said. "He has the ability to turn games around. He's really come along as a pass rusher. I've coached a number of NFL players but I don't think there's been anyone better than Dana," Rice (36 tackles, 12 sacks), Holecek (33 tackles) and Hardy (36 tackles) are not too shabby themselves. To say the least, Wheatley and Tshimanga Biakabutuka should en- counter difficulties with Illinois' 3-4 set. "By far, Illinois is the best defen- sively we've seen and the best we'll see all year," Michigan coach Gary Moeller said. On offense, Illinois relies on jun- ior quarterback Johnny Johnson. Af- ter a rocky 1993 and difficult 1994 early on, Johnson has found some stability. "Last year it was like spinning a roulette wheel. Now (Johnson) is one of the more consistent quarter- backs in the country," Tepper said. "He takes control of the huddle and the audibles. His efficiency has sky- rocketed. I'm proud of the way he's come along." Johnson ranks fifth in the nation and second in the Big Ten in pass efficiency with a rating of 155.1. He is also in the midst of an interception- free streak of 168 pass attempts, dat- ing back to last year. For the season, Johnson has thrown for eight touch- downs and 1,205 yards. "He was inconsistent earlier in the season," Moeller said of Johnson, "but now he seems to be making a lot of plays." So if Johnson continues to make plays tomorrow, Michigan can hardly be surprised. .UGULASANIT^" 'ily Tyrone Wheatley and the Wolverines look to break a two game winless streak against the Fighting Illini. Illinois won last year's game 24-21 and the schools tied 22-22 two year's ago. Defense gives Wolverines advantage over Illinois By RACHEL BACHMAN Daily Football Writer If Michigan was waiting to break outofits wait-'till-the-second-halfscor- ing trend, Saturday's the time. Since Illinois has allowed its opponents an average ofjust over two points in the entire second half, the Wolverines must make some major changes. Here's how Michigan stacks up gainst the Illini defense, and against he other parts of Illinois' game: Michigan running game against Illinois rush defense: This is a dream Big Ten matchup. Tailbacks Tyrone Wheatley and Tshimanga Biakabutuka have com- bined for 1,020 yards and 13 touch- downs. Wheatley is averaging two uchdownspergameandisMichigan's Vl-time leader in touchdowns with 48. Illinois, however, has the second- bestdefensein the nation behind Wash- ington. The Illini also feature four re- turning starters at the linebacker posi- tion, three of whom who are Butkus Award candidates for the nation's top linebacker. Inside linebacker Dana Howard is the team's top rush defender and one of oe best in the nation. The All-Ameri- can inside linebacker has 77 tackles, 40 of them solo. Howard's 522 career tackles leads Illinois' all-time list. Just how good is he? Howard has more than twice as many takedowns as any one of his fellow defensemen, who make up one of Illinois' best defenses of all time. John Holecek, a preseason Butkus andidate, will line up at the other inside position. He has 33 tackles in just four games. His backup, David James, has 30 tackles in six games. Advantage: Even Michigan passing game against 1llinois pass defense: 1' %-OF Two words: Simeon Rice. TheIllinois linebackerhas amassed 12 sacks in six games for -81 yards. That'smore than Michigan tailbackEd Davis has rushed for this year. Rice also has 13 tackles for loss for a total of 85 yards. With him posting those kinds of numbers, there's a good chance Rice will add to Michigan quarterback Todd Collins' eight-sack total. Outside linebacker Kevin Hardy, who has 36 tackles, joins Rice on an Illinois squadranked 11thinthenation in pass defense. Collins has passed for over 200 yards in 13 games, a Michigan record. But Illinois will be his toughest test to date. This battle's deciding factor will be the ability ofMichigan receiversAmani Toomer and Mercury Hayes to get open. Advantage: Illinois running game against Michigan rush defense: The Illini have two fairly solid run- ning backs of similar ability. Freshman Robert Holcombe has three touch- downs and is averaging 73.8 yards per game; sophomore Ty Douthard has five and averages 70.8. The experience edge goes toMichi- gan, which boasts two proven inside linebackers. Captain Steve Morrison led the Wolverines with 15 tackles against Penn State. He also leads the team in tackles with 66. Just two tackles behind him is fel- low insiderJarrett Irons, whose sopho- more status hides his team-leading tack- ling performance last year. Michigan's defense has coming under fire recently. Look for these two to take responsibility for that criticism, beginning with stopping the Illinois run. Advantage: Illinois passing versus Michigan pass defense: Collins isn't the only Big Ten QB racking up yardage: Illinois' Johnny Johnson is averaging just over 200 total yards per game. Michigan, on the other hand, ranks ninth in the Big Ten in defense, largely due to lapses in the secondary that have allowed several big pass plays. Illinois receivers Jason Dulick and Jasper Strong lead the Illini with three and one touchdowns, respectively. If his foot is completely healed, Michigan outside linebacker Matt Dyson could have his best game of the season. Look for Jason Horn, whose four-sack total leads the team, to bother Johnson as well. Advantage: Special Teams: On kickoff returns, Illini Marquis Mosley is averaging 28 yards, five more than Michigan leader Seth Smith. But since the Wolverines' longest re- turn is Hayes' 47-yarder against Notre Dame, they're due for a long runback, maybe for a TD. Michigan Field goal kicker Remy Hamilton is 14 for 17 through six games. Considering Michigan's difficulty scor- ing touchdowns once in the strike zone, Hamilton's consistency may make the difference Saturday. Advantage- Overall advantage: Michigan PRINTING HIGH QUALTY mW PRICFS University of Michigan School of Music Thursday-Sunday, October 20-23 Life Sentences, by Richard Nelson Group Theatre of Michigan, directed by John Russell Brown Trueblood Theatre, Frieze Building Thurs.-Sat., 8p.m.; Sun., 2p.m. Tickets: $10 general, $7 with U-M ID; $4 students (764-0540) Thursday-Sunday, October 20-23 The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams Theatre and Drama Production Tickets: $16, $12, students $6 (764-0450) Power Center Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2p.m. Friday, October 21 PLEASE NOTE: Edward Parmentier's faculty harpsichord recital has been postponed until next term Dance Guest Artist Series: Heidi Durning Tickets: $8, $5 (763-5460) Betty Pease Studio Theater, Dance Building, 8 p.m. University Choir Jerry Blackstone, conductor Works by Mendelssohn, Martini, Finzi, Chorbajian, and others Hill Auditorium, 8p.m., free Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble Fritz Kaenzig directs both light-hearted and serious music for brass Recital Hall, School of Music, 8 p.m., free Saturday, October 22 Wind Ensemble Classics U-M Wind Ensemble; H. Robert Reynolds, Gary Lewis, and Dennis Glocke, conductors; Michael Webster, guest conductor * Kurt Weill: Little Threepenny Music * Paul Hindemith: Konzertmusik, op. 41 " Igor Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1947 version) " Antonin Dvorak: Serenade for Winds, op. 44 Rackham Auditorium, 8 p.m., free Sunday, October23 Michigan Chamber Players: Music Inspired by Martha Graham For the Martha Graham Centenary Festival, U-M faculty perform: " Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring (chamber version) * Zoltan Kodaly: Lamentations " Gian Carlo Menotti: Errand into the Maze (Stephen Rush, solo pianist; Stanley Sussman, guest conductor) Rackham Amphitheatre, 4 p.m., free Friday, October 28 OctubaFest '94 Euphonium/tuba recital: W. Roy Mitchell's Jazz Suite for solo tuba and rhythm, Strauss's Horn Concerto on euphonium, and more Recital Hall. School of Music. 8 p.m.. free THE FOLK ART OF LATIN AMERICA OCTOBER 16-JANUARY 15 Featuring more than 275 vibrant, colorful objects from 17 countries. The Toledo Museum of Art 2445 Monroe St., one block off 1-75 Organized by the Museum of American Folk Art, New York The exhibiton and its national tour are made possible by a' oa tie e I *- . * What o expct o testday 1994 Ohio Forum of the Ohio Humanities Council in collaboration with The Humanities Institute of The University of Toledo m