The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - September 30, 1996 - 58
GAME STATISTICS
Oense steps up, but let's all
wait on tkis undefeated stuf
PASSING
Plaer
Mc own
Buck
Totals
RUSHING
Player
S. Hicks
McNown
Buck
Price
Totals
C-A
8-27
2-4
10-31
Yds
39
23
62
Avg
L 5.9
4.7
t 2.0
0.0
14.5
TD
0
0
0
L9
49
16
2
3
49
e chant rose from a portion of
TMichigan Stadium somewhere in
the middle of freshman John
Anes' eight-straight carries to finish off
Saturday's ball game.
Michigan led UCLA, 38-9, and was
about to move to 4-0 on the season.
And the students knew it.
"Undefeated, undefeated."
So what?I
I don't mean to
rain on the
parade, crash the
party, or throw
out any more
cliches, but what Y
does being unde-
feated at this RYAN
point really WHITE
mean? White on
I'11 tell you. Target
It means the
Wolverines have
beaten three teams they were supposed
to, and one they weren't, but should
have been able to play with.
That's it, and there's not a whole lot
more.
One only has to go back to last year
to realize that a little caution is in order
here.
Michigan opened the season with
five straight wins before dropping four
of its last eight games. The great start
was completely overshadowed by the
mediocre finish.
There is still a long and unpre-
dictable conference road to be traveled,
and there will be plenty of chances for
Michigan to wind up on a detour going
in the opposite direction of Pasadena.
Now, if you'll allow me to flip-flop
like a presidential candidate, let's wel-
come the Michigan offense to the 1996
season.
Quarterback Scott Dreisbach said last
week that the Wolverines were close to
being a great offense.
This week we know the Wolverines
are one step closer. They're not great -
yet - but they are good.
And there seems to be a load of
potential there.
Michigan cranked out 559 yards in
total offense, and tailback Chris
Howard had an easier time going
between UCLA's tackles than he does
going from class to class.
It was a good game for an offensive
breakthrough since Michigan's defen-
sive philosophy (allow three plays and a
punt) was really beginning to get boring,
and we needed something new to watch.
A lot of things finally went right for
Michigan.
Dreisbach began to hit the long pass
plays he was missing in the previous
three games, and his receivers began to
prove that when the ball is there, they'll
catch it.
On the ground, the Wolverines sim-
ply stuffed the ball down UCLA's
throat. Michigan had 300 total yards on
the ground, Howard had four touch-
downs and three different backs had at
least 14 carries.
The biggest difference between the
Michigan offense that put 20 points on
the board against Boston College and
the Michigan offense that put up 38
against the Bruins is simple, however.
Saturday, the Wolverines took advan-
tage of their opportunities. They took
advantage of the field position; they
took advantage of the turnovers; they
took advantage of UCLA's mistakes.
Michigan did what it was supposed
to do. So now we wait to see if that
trend continues.
The Wolverines will be favored next
weekend against Northwestern. The
same will be true in the following weeks
when the opponents are the likes of
Indiana, Minnesota and Michigan State.
It's no different than last season when
everyone around here expected
Michigan to cruise undefeated into the
Penn State showdown.
The same is being expected now, and
there is no reason why it shouldn't hap-
pen. Then again, there doesn't necessar-
ily have to be.
A loss could just sneak up on the
Wolverines, if they're not careful.
As the Wolverines left the field
Saturday, some one yelled that the
Wildcats were next; that Michigan
owed them for last season's loss.
The Wolverines owe paybacks to a
couple of teams coming up on the
schedule, but they owe themselves the
opportunity to face Penn State and Ohio
State with the Rose Bowl on the line.
This is a good Michigan football
team. It is getting better and could be
great before the year is out.
As for that undefeated stuff, we'll
talk in December.
- Ryan White can be reached over
e-mail at target(gaumich.edu.
Aft
2
7
2
3
24
Yds
71
33
4
0
108
Int
3
0
3
TD
0
0
0
0
0
RECEIVING
Player No.
McBride 2
Ayers 1
Clark 2
Pierce 1
S. Hicks 1
Price 3
Totals 10
PUNTING
Player
Sailer
Yds
28
8
8
8
7
3
62
Avg
14.0
8.0
4.0
8.0
7.0
3.0
6.2
Lg
21
8
5
8
7
2
21
Avg
37.6
9 L9
3 2
) 28
4 28
No. Yds
9 338
KICKOFF RETURNS
Player I
K. Brown
R. Roques
Total
No.
4
1
5
r
MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
yOrds against the Bruins. His touchdown total was one short of the school record set
the feat in 1992.
DEFENSE
PlayerS
Wilimer
Cobbs
Guidry
Magee
Neufeld
Ward
McCullough
Kirschke
A. Roques
Colbert
Forde
Huma
Thompkins
Williams
Atkins
Cline
Holland
Serwanga
Smith
PASS DEFENSE
Player Int1
Ward 2
Williams 0
Yds
69.
28
97
Solo
12
9
9
3
4
4
6
2
3
2
2
2
1
1
0
2
1
2
1
Yds
59
0
Avg
17.;:
28.C
19.4
Asst
3
0
0
6
4
4
1
4
3
2
2
1
2
2
2
0
1
'0
1
TD
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
s L9
50
g TD
7 0
8 0
8 0
Tot
15
9
9
9
8
- 8
7
6
6
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
I IiIOM / IA
BRUINS
Continued from Page 16
junior rushed for four touchdowns and
a career-high 109 yards on 16 carries.
"Chris played the best he's played at
Michigan," Carr said. "I think you saw
today the back he's capable of being."
Howard scored on runs of 31, 10,
six and seven yards as the Wolverines
built their 35-3 lead.
Michigan quarterback Scott
Dreisbach also had a superb day. The
sophomore completed just two of his
first 1 I passes, but rebounded to finish
13 of 25 for 236 yards with a touch-
down and an interception.
His counterpart, Cade McNown,
had a horrendous outing. The UCLA
::..: ;.U" ..
quarterback was eight of 27 for a
minuscule 39 yards and three intercep-
tions. The Bruins only touchdown
came on Philip Ward's 42-yard inter-
ception return on the first play of the
fourth quarter.
UCLA is now 1-2, and the road
doesn't get any easier for first-year
coach Bob Toledo. The Bruins travel
to Oregon next week and host No. 5
Arizona State on Oct. 12. A 1-4 start
seems likely.
"We are not about to point our fin-
gers at anyone," UCLA coach Bob
Toledo said. "Everyone needs them
pointed at them. (Michigan) is a real
physical football team, and I think
some of their skilled players showed
up today."
If the blowout had a key series, it
took place midway through the second
quarter with the Wolverines leading,
14-0.
UCLA running back Skip Hicks
had given his team a first-and-goal
at the Michigan four-yard line with a
49-yard run. The Wolverines'
defense stiffened, and three plays
netted negative three yards. The
Bruins had to settle for Bjorn
Merten's 25-yard field goal, cutting
the lead to 14-3.
On their next possession, the
Wolverines went 67 yards in five
plays. Howard's 10-yard scoring
jaunt and Remy Hamilton's extra
point made the score, 21-3, with
under two minutes remaining until
halftime.
Michigan put the game out of reach
on its second possession of the second
half.
Faced with a third-and-four at the
UCLA 37, the Wolverines ran a reverse
to Charles Woodson.
The sophomore faced a wall of
Bruins and a probable 10-yard loss on
the left sideline, so he cut back to his
right and raced 31 yards to the UCLA
six. Howard scored on the next play and
the Bruins were done, trailing, 28-3.
"You have to give them credit,"
McNown said. "They played hard and
OPU
stuffed us in nearly every aspect. But it
was one of those things when we
stopped us more than they did."
The small amount of UCLA fans
who made the trip must have won-
dered if they were actually watching
their volleyball team in football jer-
seys. The 29-point loss was the
Bruins' worst in nearly four years.
All this from a team that gave then-
No. 2 Tennessee trouble before losing,
35-20, three weeks ago
"I thought it would be a much clos-
er game, from looking at them on
film," Woodson said. "We didn't really
know what to expect."
Michigan held UCLA to 108 yards
rushing, with the majority of that total
coming on Hicks' long run.
The mismatch allowed Carr to go to
his bench midway through the third
quarter. Brian Griese and Tom Brady
both saw time at quarterback. Griese
completed two-of-three passes for 10
yards, and Brady was one-of-two with
an interception. Neither quarterback led
a touchdown drive, although the game
ended with Griese behind center and
the Wolverines on the move.
"In the fourth quarter, we got to play
a lot of guys," Carr said. "I think we're
in position right where we want to be in
this Run for the Roses."
Lng
42
0
Brk-up
0
2
TD
1
0
UCLA
Sept. 7 Tennessee
Sept. 14 NE LOUISIANA
Sept. 28 Michigan
L 35-20
W 44-0
L 38-9
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
5
12
19
26
2
9
16
23
Oregon
ARIZONA STATE
Washington
California
STANFORD
WASHINGTON STATE
Arizona
USC
HOME GAMES IN CAPS
MRK FREDMAa'i" l
two-way player since 1964.
Fot fis111
Oarterback Tom Brady would prob-
ably like to forget all about his first
career pass.
Under heavy pressure, Brady fired
the ball toward the right sideline and
into the arms of UCLA's Phillip
Ward.
Ward rumbled 42 yards to the end
zone for the Bruins' only touchdown
of the day.
A BETTER START: Freshman full-
*ck John Anes had a much better
debut for the Wolverines.
Anes found his way into the line-
up in the second half a carried the
ball a team high 17 times for 83
.yards. His performance put him sec-
ond on Michigan's rushing list for
Up next
Who: Northwester (1-0 Big Ten, 3-1 overall)
Where: Dyche Stadium, Evanston
When: Oct. 5, 12:30 p.m., EDT (The game will be
televised, but the station will be announced pend-
ing the Major League Baseball playoffs.)
At a glance
Key Performers
For Michigan, Chris Howard rushed
for 109 and four touchdowns.
Howard missed last week's game
against Boston College with a rib
injury. Aside from having two inter-
ceptions, defensive back Charles
Woodson had a 31-yard run on a
reverse.
For UCLA, linebacker Ryan Neufeld
recorded 15 tackles, 11 solo, on
what was a very busy day for the
UCLA defense.
Key Play
With Michigan up, 7-0, in the second
quarter, the Wolverines drove the
ball down to the UCLA 31-yard line.
After quarterback Scott Dreisbach
threw deep and incomplete to receiv-
er Tai Streets on first down, tailback
Chris Howard took a second-down
hand-off 31-yards for the Wolverines'
second score.
Big Ten Standings
Team CoOf. overall
Michigan 10 4.0
Michigan State 1-0 2-2
Northwestern 1-0 3-1
Penn State 1-0 5-0
Minnesota 0-0 3-0
Ohio State- 0- - 3-0
Iowa 0-0 2-1
Illinois 0-1 1-3
Indiana 0-1 2-2
Wisconsin 0-1 3-1
Purdue 0-2 1-3
Se ': Michigan leads all-time 41-12-1
The sixth-ranked Wolverines return to the Big Ten portion of their schedule with
something tq prove. Last season, Northwestern made Ann Arbor just one more
stop on its way to the Rose Bowl. The Wildcats handed Michigan its first loss
of 1995 with a 19-13 win. It was Northwestern's first win in Michigan Stadium
since 1959. Northwestern returns top players on both sides of the ball. Darnell
Autry ran for 1,675 yards last season and, despite a late-season injury; line-
backer Pat Fitzgerald finished the year with 130 tackles.
MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
UCLA quarterback Cade McNown is pursued by David Bowens on Saturday.
Too strong: Buckeyes roll over Notre Dame
The Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Ohio State
showed coach John Cooper that his
third-ranked team really is as good as
he thought after a 29-16 win over No. 5
Notre Dame.
"They were pretty good (Saturday),"
Cooper said of his team. "We iust need
ing kickoff, which Dimitrious Stanley
returned for 85 yards before being
dragged down at the Irish 13. Four
plays later, Pepe Pearson scooted three
yards into the end zone.
PENN STATE 23, WIsCONSIN 20
Brett Conway's 25-yard field goal
with 1:23 remaining lifted Penn State
yards for Penn State.
NORTHWESTERN 35,INDmLANA 17
Darnell Autry rushed for 128 yards
and three touchdowns and D'Wayne
Bates caught two touchdown passes as
Northwestern used big plays and big
Indiana mistakes for a 35-17 victory.
Indiana (2-2. 0-1) came in ranked
yards and scoring three touchdowns as
the Boilermakers beat North Carolina
State, 42-21, Saturday.
The Boilermakers (0-1, 1-3) accu-
mulated 493 yards in avoiding their
worst start since 1982. The Wolfpack
(0-3) nearly matched Purdue's produc-
tion. finishing with 436. but didn't seri-
i