2 - Thechigan Daily - Footballi-ray - October 11,190
CONTENTS
-GAME ~EVE
Qtober 11, 1997 - F
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- INSIDE FOOTBALL SATURDAY -
Second nature
Last weekend, No. 6 Michigan
demonstrated its new-found
killer instinct and didn't suffer a
letdown against lowly Indiana,
winning, 37-0. The Wolverines
scored 28 points in the second
quarter after a sluggisl start and
distributed the ball evenly on
offense. Nine players caught at
least one pass; 12 rushed at least
once.
4-
Other Sports
Daily Sports Editor Jim Rose
says new Athletic Director Tom
Goss's first big decision - what
will happen with Steve Fisher -
will speak volumes about the
kind of deparment he is going to
run. On the ice, goaltender Marty
Turco faces a potentially tumul-
tuous senior season. With his
solid defense gone, he will face
more shots than ever before.
- 6 -
Getting their kicks
Michigan's kicking game has
been an interesting sideshow so
far. With walk-on punter Jason
Vinson having success, place-
kicker Kraig aer has settled
into his role. Kickoff specialist
Jay Feely has put an astounding
number of his kicks through the
end zone. The offense, on the
other hand, has been in the spot-
light constantly, versatile and
punishing, led by bruising full-
back Chris Floyd.
-7-
Quick info
The depth charts for both teams
on offense, defense and special
teams, as well as complete
Michigan statistics.
Plus, the Daily's football writers
offer their picks for all the Big
Ten games this weekend along
with some big non-conference
matchups.
-8 -
The Rosters
Complete numeric roster
information for both teams,
including Michigan's retired
numbers.
-10-
The Matchups
Daily Sports Editor Alan
Goldenbach breaks down the
matchups on offense, defense and
special teams for today's game.
11-
game Preview
Gone are several of the stars that
made Northwestern one of the
most intriguing stories in college
football the past two seasons. Te
resurgence, and the Wildcats' Big
Ten championship reign, seems
to be over.
'Cat-nipped
I
Wildcats became Blue
nemesis with turnaround
But loss of stars hurts drive toward Big Ten repeat
FILE PHOTO
This Chris Howard fumble set up a Northwestern field goal during a 17-point fourth
quarter last year. Once ahead 16-0, the Wolverines lost, 17-16.
COVER PHOTO BY WARREN ZINN/Daiy
By John Leroi
Daily Sports Editor
Once the easy team on Purdue's
schedule and the purple creampuff
the Big Ten's better teams used to
beat up on, Northwestern has turned
its program around.
In the process of winning or shar-
ing the conference title each of the
past two years, the Wildcats- have
become something even more
unthinkable than Big Ten champi-
ons: the Wolverines' nemesis.
Twice Michigan has entered the
Northwestern game with an unblem-
ished record and a No. 6 ranking.
Both times the Wolverines were
favored. Both games ended in
Michigan losses.
In 1995 it was a 19-13 shocker in
Michigan Stadium that proved that
the Wildcats were for real. Last year,
it was a 17-16 miracle win after
Michigan blew a 16-0 lead in the
fourth quarter.
Tomorrow, the picture is eerily
similar. Michigan (1-0 Big Ten, 4-0
overall) will host Northwestern
again undefeated and with a No. 6
ranking. For the third-straight time,
the Wolverines are favored to win -
and to win big.
"Certainly, because of what has
happened in the past, this game has
a lot of meaning for us," Michigan
coach Lloyd Carr said. "We're play-
ing the Big Ten champions, and I
expect them to play like the Big Ten
champions."
The only problem is the Wildcats
(0-2, 2-4) haven't played anything
like Big Ten champions so far. They
don't even resemble them. Gone are
tailback Darnell Autry, linebacker
Pat Fitzgerald, guard Justin Chabot
and quarterback Steve Schnur - all
All-Big Ten selections. To make
matters worse, All-Big Ten receiver
D'Wayne Bates suffered a season-
ending injury before the Wildcats'
season even began.
So Northwestern coach Gary
Barnett, still known as the savior of
football in Evanston, has had little
to work with and little to show for it.
Barnett incited such a revolution in
Northwestern football that the
school renovated its field adding
extra seats to accommodate alumni,
once ashamed of the program, who
now want a piece of the action.
And what have the Wildcats done
on sparkling new Ryan Field - for-
merly known as Dyche Stadium -
but disappoint their newly acquired
"faithful" and drop consecutive
home games to Rice and Wisconsin.
Barnett even conceded the Big Ten
title after only two conference
games.
"The Rose Bowl is certainly out
of the question at this point,"
Barnett said. "You have to adjust a
little bit. Rather than being down
about it, we have to take something
away from the" Wisconsin game last
week.
Barnett knew the Wildcats'
offense wouldn't be anywhere near
as potent as last year's - the loss of
Bates made the-situation even worse
- but Northwestern's defense was
expected to be solid. The Wildcats
were ranked in most preseason top
25 polls. Everyone in Evanston
expected a bowl trip.
But Northwestern's performance
has been disappointing. The loss to
lowly Rice was reminiscent of the
meek Northwestern teams of the
past. Barnett said the Wildcats had
lost their passion.
The loss to Wisconsin last week
was a heart-breaker - a last-second
field goal from 45 yards did the
damage - but Barnett said he saw
something that had been absent in
the three weeks before. Unlike the
debacle against Rice, the Wildcats
played rather well, and they played
with an intensity that hadn't been
seen since last season.
"We were more disappointed in the
games that we won," defensive end
Casey Dailey said. "If we had played
the way we played against Wisconsin
the whole season, we'd be 6-0."
"I've never been around a team
that has lost that feels so good about
going to play the next game,"
Barnett added.
"It's like we've found ourselves,
and we're back to playing the way
that we have the last two years."
Now Northwestern enters a
treacherous portion of the schedule
that starts with Michigan.
Barnett said the Wildcats are play-
ing better now than in those two
ugly losses, but even that might not
be enough.
Barnett said that this is the best
Michigan team he has seen since
entering the league five years ago,
and he's even comparing Michigan
quarterback Brain Griese's poise
and leadership to Schnur's.
Michigan is after the Big Ten title
that was once Northwestern's, and
while history is on his side, Barnett
knows that this year's game may not
end as well as before.
The Wildcats season certainly
won't be as successful. The Big Ten
champions of yesteryear may be
gone for quite some time.
"That was a special group of kids,
but they had two years before they
really understood what it takes to
win the Big Ten title," Barnett said.
"Right now, we're playing kids who
watched those two seasons but did-
n't play a whole lot."
Without star running back Darn
as good a position to sully Mich
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