14 - The Michigan ily -(ckof '97 -.Septem 11-13 Without Smith, Cameron 'na takes Hoosiers to the air " 'Qa Gn T GU ±jL -T' !! BIG TEN u AO I MW -MW . -1w W- 7- _#_ PosIT19F PREVIEWS -W z epiemoer ii- 4 - nic 1 2w Barnett faces tough task if Northwestern is to repeat Woodson anchors spectacular secondary; if only he could kick If you think a new coach and a new offensive scheme is going to make Indiana rise from the depths of the Big Ten cellar, think again. Even though first-year coach Cam Cameron plans to change the Hoosiers' offensive attack from the ground to the air, the only success they will have this year will probably be on the hardwood. Cameron arrived in Bloomington to replace Bill Mallory and revamp an offense that relied on an exhausted, heavy running game. Despite tailback Alex Smith and fullback Steve Lee, the porous offen- sive line forced the Hoosiers to sputter to a dismal 3-8 overall record last sea- son, their second-straight losing sea- son, and a tie for ninth place in the conference with Illinois and Minnesota. Enter into the equation Cameron, who spent 10 years as an assistant at Michigan. He was brought aboard to make the Hoosiers more pass-oriented and they just might be ... but probably not for another year or so. Smith, the Hoosiers' top rusher last season, is gone, leaving the backfield on shaky ground. Jason Spear returns, and he rushed for 226 yards on 59 car- ries last year. If academically eligible, Levron Williams could make a big splash. But a depleted offensive line does not help matters. If Cameron wants to take the Hoosiers airborne, success rests in quarterback Jay Rodgers, who passed for 600 yards last season. But Cameron has had plenty of offensive success and is responsible for converting Gus Ferotte into a legit- imate NFL player as quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins. Indiana's strength, if any, lies in its defense, which might just be a double- edged sword. The Hoosiers return six starters, but they are the same six who allowed at least 27 points to every league oppo- nent except Purdue last year. The Hoosiers are still a few years away from doing any damage in the con- ference, but with Cameron on the side- lines, they might be well on their way. - Danielle Rumore Last year was Northwestern's opportunity to show that its break- through season of 1995 wasn't a fluke. A 9-3 overall record and a tie for first place in the Big Ten with Ohio State proved that. This year is Gary Barnett's oppor- tunity to show that he is the type of coach who warranted the lucrative, long-term contract extension he received last year. Barnett will have to adjust, maneu- ver and finagle his Wildcats, as the great coaches do, if they are to cop a third straight conference title. That's because no other Big Ten coach has lost as much of the heart and soul of his team as Barnett. Starting on offense, the Wildcats will have to replace their top four spe- cialty players. Quarterback Steve Schnur and full- U I IEE PASS . \I " "F 1FF G O B L U E IOE GOOD FOR jr 1 ONE VISIT I FEATURING: " 20,000 lbs. of available weight * Quint * This area's largest workout floor " MAX1 * State of the art ICARIAN free * TECT weights & machines AWAI J4 D'Wayne Bates: out for the season. back Mike McGrew both graduated, tailback Darnell Autry left early for the NFL Draft, and D'Wayne Bates, the conference's top returning receiv- er, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in fall practice and is out for the sea- son. On the other side of the ball, two- time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Pat Fitzgerald has moved on to the pros, along with his inside line- backer partner Tim Scharf an4 tackles Joe Reiff and Matt Rice. The defensive line is strong, with defensive ends Casey Dailey, the team-leader with eight sacks a year ago, and Keith Lozowski (106-tack- les) returning. Still, there is talent remaining on this team, which includes receiver Brian Musso, kicker Brian Gowins and a sec- ondary that returns three starters. Even though this team has shocked many during its two-year renaissance, including Michigan both years, the Wildcats are often prone to letdowns (they have lost to lowly Wake Forest in the non-conference season both this year and last and narrowly escaped with a victory against Big Ten doormat Illinois), which make this team an enigma. The Wildcats, however, may have to sacrifice a season that will be a notch or two below the standards it set the previous two. A season w-e the Wildcats drop back to the middle of the Big Ten pack won't go to waste, though. This year's herd of freshman is the best recruiting class in- school history, which will get Northwestern back to the top of the conference next season. -Alan Goldenbach Secondary Charles Woodson. Charles Woodson. Charles Woodson. Charles Woodson. Expect to hear the name a lot. That is, unless, opposing quarterbacks continue the advisable strategy of throwing away from him. Still, one gets the feeling you'll hear the pame quite a bit anyway. The junior Heisman Trophy hopeful and Jim Thorpe Award finalist is, as everybody knows, Michigan's most dynamic player. And while his athleti- cism allows him to dabble in receiving, kick returning and even rushing, defense is still Woodson's top duty. Opponents fear him, the magazines adore him and his teammates absolute- ly love him. Nobody doubts his abili- ties. "It's great having Charles back there," Michigan safety Marcus Ray said. "He can take one side of the field, and the other 10 of us can take the other." That's hardly an exaggeration. Michigan's coaches have so much faith in Woodson, they let him take the oppo- nent's best receiver one-on-one virtual- ly every play. Rarely are balls thrown his way - the primary reason Woodson didn't have more than the five intercep- tions he snagged last season. Woodson's Heisman bid is stronger than most defensive players' because he plays offense and returns punts as well. And while Woodson said he probably 'von't be striking the Heisman pose on the field anytime soon, he admits that thoughts of winning the award have crossed his mind. "That would be something that is very nice for me," Woodson said. "But it's not the first thing I think about in the morning." Even without Woodson, the Wolverines have one of the best secon- daries in the Big Ten. Ray and free safe- ty Daydrion Taylor may be the Big Ten's best pair of safeties. Both are vicious hitters and have All-Big Ten potential. Taylor has had some injury problems in fall practice, but sophomore Tommy Hendricks is a capable backup at either free or strong safety. The only question mark is at the cor- ner opposite Woodson. Junior Andre Weathers will probably get the nod in Michigan's first game; but the coaches are also high on true freshman James Whitley, who Woodson said "has better skills than I did when I was a freshman." - John Lerci Special teams The only thing special about Michigan's special teams this season may be how many players get to see action away from their natural positions. With little or no experience at either of the kicking positions, Michigan's special teams could be exposed early in the sea- son as a big weakness. Last year, Brian Griese temporarily silenced his critics when he was able to display an effective use of another limb when Carr installed him, as a pooch- punter. Griese performed quite effective- ly in that role, placing half of his kicks inside the opposition's 20-yard line. As for the regular punting duties, that job is up in the air, and probably will remain that way for much of the season. Projected starter Cory Sargent hurt his back during the summer and has been slow to recover. Whether he will is any- one's guess. In the interim, junior walk- on Jason Vinson and senior Kraig Baker, who is also competing for the placekick- ing job, will fight it out. Baker hasn't seen game action since 1994 and Vinson hasn't ever. On the contrary, Michigan would love to show off Charles Woodson in his role as punt returner. Although he didn't take over the role until the 10th game last sea- son, Woodson performed up to his exceptional standards, averaging almost 10 yards per return. Undoubtedly, he will bring excitement to the position and could be the most effective player in the role since Derrick Alexander. Clarence Williams enters the season as the only kickoff returner with any game experience. Maybe more disturb- ing for Carr is that Williams isn't terribly experienced in this area - returning only three kickoffs last year, all against Ohio State. Woodson did see some action here, but Carr doesn't intend to overuse him. Thus, he will complement Williams with one of two true freshmen, JXX :GOB From Your Ne Maple at ladC James Whitley or William Peterson. For three years, Remy Hamilton, the most prolific field-goal kicker in school history, was a staple in the Wolverines' offense. Now that he's graduated, the battle for the job is between Baker and kickoff specialist Jay Feely, neither of whom has ever attempted a field goal in a game. -Alan Goldenbach Special teams The starters Pos. No. Name Yr./Elig. PK 49 Jay Feely Sr./Jr. or 48 Kraig Baker . Sr./Jr. P 38 Jason Vinson Sr./Jr. or 48 Kraig Baker Sr./Jr. PR 2 Charles Woodson Jr./Jr. KR 33 Clarence Williams Jr./Jr. KR 5 James Whitley Fr./Fr. The backups PR 86 Tai Streets Jr./Jr. KR 19 Aaron Wright So./Fr. KR 23 William Peterson Fr./Fr. P 14 Brian Griese 5/Sr. Charles Woodson gets all the headlines, b might be the best safety in the Big Ten. p Pantry Phani *Layaway * Mai Hai Now Accepting 7 Equal Opportum :on 3.0 Clubtra Treadmills CLIMB Steppers TRIX - Bike Max Bikes RD WINNING * Non-Slip rubber flooring * 15-foot high ceilings e Pro-Shop (clothing, supplements, drinks) Phone: (313) 761-855 ****EXPERIENCED TRAINERS*** (Free of Charge) (($i//6 A Student Rates: One Semester Only $89 Sept. 1, 1997 - Dec. 31, 1997 School Year $169 Sept. 1, 1997 - May 1, 1998 Michigan Ave. Roundtree Village Ellsworth Rd. = washtenaw Ave. N Trips: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Dog Sledding, Canoeing Rc "Champion's Gym - For the Champion in You!!" 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