~20A'- The Michigan Daily - SPORTSTuesday -- Tuesday, September 3, 1996%O L G O T A L Hot Spartans stewam Boilerm-- akers, 52-14 The Associated Press It's small solace, but if you're going to have to play mighty Nebraska, it's nice to come off a strong first-game performance like Michigan State is. The Spartans, behind a talented ~freshiman tailback named Sedrick fr~yin, trampled Purdue, 52-14, -Saturday. Now it's on to No. I N~ebraska, which figures to be a :touagher test. - "We'll see how good we are next a Lwek;' said a calm Michigan State q, ch Nick Saban. "We're going to see Wapons that are real weapons next lek 4'There are a lot things we can do ensively to improve, to be a little 4isper and sharper and have a little l~tter tempo in the game," Saban said. f Jlhink most teams improve quite a bit j~ mthe first game to the second game ,adhopefully that will be true of this ~'hs is just one step for us in trying -to develop the goals we have for the sjeson." If Saban was nonchalant about the victory, Irvin was only a little more excited. And he had just run for three touchdowns and grabbed a pass for another, while sparking the Michigan State attack with his speed, moves and catches. After the first score, Irvin said, he was thrilled. After the second, he thought, "This is kind of easy." And after the third, "I had to pinch myself." "Purdue didn't have respect for me," he said. "Niot that they should have, but I think they didn't have me in their game plan." Not only did Irvin score four times, but he led the Spartans in rushing with 73 yards and in receiving with seven catches for 59 yards, while establish- ing a record for touchdowns scored by a freshman. The Spartans also may have lost wide receiver Derrick Mason for at least a few games. The senior, who is making a run at the NCAA kick returning record this season, broke his wrist on a first-half return. He returned to the game after a cast was placed on his hand but was later removed ground on a routine tackle. Placekicker Chris Gardner added field goals of 37, 49 and 43 yards. The Spartans opened up a 28-0 halftime lead, and Purdue never posed a threat to make it a contest. "There are 13 more weeks of foot- ball,"Purdue coach Jim Colletto said. "It is a real learning experience and I think there will be more interest in practice in what we're trying to tell them. "It's important to go back and figure out which players are going to play at a high caliber" Coletto said. "We need to find the guys that are going to do what we practice." He noted that Bill Dicken had replaced Rick Trefzger at quarterback, bringing some belated life to the Purdue offense. "We are going to go back and decide who's the best quarterback and he's going to play," Colletto said. "There is no controversy." AP PHOTO Michigan State running 1-maek Sedrick Irvin set a school record for freshmen, scoring four touchdown in the Spartans' 52-14; trouncing of Purdue on :1 0turday in East Lansing. Quarterbacks dinec onl swee~ts ii cupcake warmups y M lanning, Wueriel and Detmer have little trouble with opening day opponents; all 9 ranked teams in action win The Associated Press In three weeks, Tennessee's Peyvtcvrk Manning and Florida's Danny Wuerfffl will battle for Southeastern Conferenc~a supremacy and the inside track to th'a, Heisman Trophy. Both began preparatiotiii with light workouts Saturday. Manning was I 8-of-24 for 298 yards an di a touchdown and ran for a score in ju;St ov4i a half as th second-ranked Volunteers blei~v past Nevada-Las Vegas, 62-3. Wuerfft il split time with backup lFria i Schottenheimer, completing 1 5-of-27 pas,;- es for 224 yards and a touchdown as th e fourth-ranked Gators routed Southwester n Louisiana, 55-21. All nine ranked teams playing on oollegev football's first full weekend posted winms;. Fifth-ranked Colorado got three sconiia g passes and a touchdown run from Koo y Detmer in a 37-19 defeat of Washingto t State. Tennessee, a 54-point favorite, did1 " expect a challenge from UNLV and didrt get one. The Vols broke open a scorelei~ts game with three touchdowns in a 3:13 span in the first quarter and poured on 41 una! i- swered points after a field goal by tl Rebels, Rushing touchdowns by Jay Crraha i sandwiched a 63-yard scoring pass fr~ln Manning to Joey Kent, who had six catch- es for 151 yards, In Gainesville, Ike Hilliard caugl't touchdown passes from both Wuerffel axwkd Schottenheimer in a 28-point second quar- ter, which also saw defensive back's Lawrence Wright and Fred Weary retutrn fumbles for scores. The four touchdowiis came in just 7:04. Southwestern Louisiana scored a pair o~f touchdowns in the third quarter, sandl- wiched around an interception return for :a score by Florida's Teako Brown, The Gators' Jdefense wNas manhandled by Nebras ka in last seas on s Fiesta Bowl and defens ive coordinator Bob Stoops was hired aw=ay from Kansas State to improve the unit. De -tmer also had a short day, playing less th an three quarters in Colorado's sixth straighrlt season-opening win. The newly- wed was 20-of-33 for 254 yards and stered the Buffaloes to a 31-6 lead mid- way through the third quarter, Detmer, who missed most of last year with a torn knee ligament, was particularly sharp in the second quarter, when he accounted for three touchdowns in nine minutes. Colorado also was tough on defense, allowing just five rushing yards. Eighth-ranked Texas routed Missouri 40- 10 in the season and Big 12 Conference opener for both schools. Quarterback James Brown threw for two touchdowns and Ricky Williams ran for two more. The Longhorns were playing on grass at Memorial Stadium in Austin for the( first time in 27 years and the game was delayed for 45 minutes in the third quarter by lightning and a driving ra,-instorm, Texas has joined the Big 12 Conference, leaving behind 81 years in the Southwest Conference, The Big 12 features the Big Eight teams along with former SWC mem- bers Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor. At the Liberty Bowl, 11 th-ranked Miami overcame a rash of suspensions for a 30-7 victory over Memphis as Magic Benton scored on a 67-yard un return early in the second half and added a 73-yard touch- down catch. Benton, a sophomore, found time as a receiver when Jammi German was sus- pended for the season, Yatil Green was dis- fned indefinitely and Omar Rolle was ed. He grabbed nine passes for 14I+. fs in his first extensive action. t Legion Field in Birmingham, backup ren Foust threw a six-yard scoring pass farce]ll West late in the first half to give 13 Alabama a surprisingly tight 21-7 over Bowling Green. The Crimson failed to score on their season-open- possession for the first time since rastate rival Auburn also had a case of blahs, going three quarters without a -hdown in a 29-0 Victory ove. ama-Birmingham, which was making Division I-A debut. .Jaret Holmes ed five field goals, including a career- 5-yarder, for the 1 6th-ranked Tigers. eve Sarkisian is headed for another big for 19th-ranked Brigham Young, which ;d to a 58-9 rout of Arkansas State. rkisian, who threw six touchdown es against Texas A&M last wee,r d four mrore Saturday night whle" wing for 259 yards. the first Big 12 game, 21st-ranked as State held on for a 21-14 victory Texas Tech. Brian Kavanagh ran for a e and threw for another and the scats survived a late fumble, breaking adeep iburth-down pass by Tech's )e Lethridge. >p-ranked Nebraska, which is seeking nprecedented third straight national pionship, opens its season September ainst MAchigan State, which rolleg- Purdue~, Saturday, 52-14. Third* ed Floridat State plays its season open- ,xt week against Duke and No. 6 Notre fe opens at Vanderbilt on Thursday t. . 25 Kansas beat Ball State, 35-10, in pener Thursday night, Dreisbach and the inexperience of those he was throwing to didn't lead to impressive day as far as the numb were concerned, but given a little time the Wolverines should be just fine. So hold off judgement of this team based solely on what was shown Saturday, because hidden in the bore- dom was much more good than bad. And the best news for Michigan is, for the time being at least, it is in the Big 'An lead. The Wolverines couldn't have asked for a better looking start to the season - No Ryan White hasn 't graduated yet. He can still be reached over e- mail at target ~umich.edu. a Hamilton 27-yard field goal Woodson, who saw action at wide receiver, and Dreisbach were the Wolverines' leading rushers in the first half. Through the air, Dreisbach was just 5-of-12 for 55 yards. "This is a young football team," Carr said, "I thought our kids did a very good job despite how disappoint- ing we played in the first half" For the game, Michigan outgained the Illini in total offense, 3 64-267 A __ ..... .. .. ...a 1A ....1.4_ .ind quarterback Koy Detmer, Colorado rolled over Washington State, 37-19, on Saturday. mmm"Im STU DENT HEALTH INSURANCE You Can't Afford To B Without It! 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ANNUAL PREMIUMS Student Only: ............................................... ...$565.00 Student, Spouse or Qualified Domestic Partner .........$1,974.00 Student, Spouse Qualified Domestic Partner& Child(ren) $2,828.00 Student & Children .......................................... $1,992.00 Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Benefit.......$10.00, DISCOUNDENTA PROGRAM -There isavoluntary dlseountdental program, MIDA, available for students and theirteligible dependents. WHITE Continued from Page 13A Michigan teams do, about the tradition of going to the Rose Bowl, of how Michigan isn't Michigan if it isn't in Pasadena. But these Wolverines mean it. You can see it in there eyes and hear it in their voices. And you can definitely see it in the play of seniors like co-captain Jarrett Irons. For these Wolverines there couldn't have been a bigger game Saturday. So if you want to draw anything from the game, draw this - Michigan won. The Wolverines are 1-0 in the Big Ten, and now have th-ree non-confer- ence games befciie they face Northwestern in Evans ton on Oct. 5. An even bigger plus for IVtchigan is that it has two weeks to woik~ out the kinks before it travels to Tloualder to face Colorado. The bottom line on Saturday's game - Michigan won. And while it would be easy, based on gam(,- No. 1, to say the Rose Bowl drought (will conlti-nue for the Wolverines, it woulId also be wrong. Yes, the Wolverines can't aifford to have two field goal attempts blocked, as they did Saturday,a against Colorado. They will have to convert on their opportunities. And, for all the hype surrounding his return, Scott Dreisbach looked like, well, a young quarterback playing in only his fifth game. There were some promising signs for Michigan, however, A young offensive line that was han- dled by Illinois' defense early came together in the second half and opened some holes for Clarence Williams. And Williams, who hit the weights and put on 18 pounds since last year's Ohio State game, proved that the added weightu hasn't cost him a lick of speed. Mich+igan also looks like it has some receivers. The combination of a rusty ILLINOIS Continued ftrm Page 13A the Michigan sideline. Irons and sophomore Charles Woodson were there to meet him, allowing only a yard. The Illini were forced to kick a 20- yard field goal. "1 think (a touchdown) would have added to our confidence'" Illinois coach Lou Tepper said. "That was a Home Or Aw v.. A Great Placeio'.Sta..