The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - November 3, 1997 -58
d for 'M'
as ribs heal
GAME STAT1SICS
'k PASSING
ry mark - those are the kinds of little
things I'm talking about.
"But I'm not really worried about
the running game at all. We just need
to be able to rotate all three backs back
there. That's when we're at our best."
Howard is averaging just 79.5 yards
per game - about 20 yards short of
his goal of 100. But considering his rib
injury and the emergence of freshman
Anthony Thomas, Carr can't ask for
much more of Howard.
While fifth-year senior quarterback
Brian Griese is the unquestioned
leader of the offense, there is no doubt
how much leadership Howard has lent,
especially to Thomas.
"I can't say enough about Chris
Howard," Griese said. "He brings a
whole lot to our offense running the
ball and catching it. He might be our
most consistent player."
Now Howard just hopes Michigan's
running game can regain some of the
consistency it enjoyed in previous sea-
sons. The Wolverines have caught
By the numbers
Howard's game by game statistics
Game Rush Yards Receptions
Colorado 40 5
Baylor 112 2
Notre Dame 91 0
Indiana 14 T
Northwestern 90 2
Iowa 81 1
Michigan State 110 3
Minnesota 98 4
some flak for not having a more pro-
lific offense.
Without a deep passing threat,
opponents are starting to focus on
stopping the run. Howard has no ill
will, but admits that makes it tough on
Michigan's running backs.
"Minnesota brought their safety up
into the box, and that pretty much bot-
tled up any long runs we might break,"
Howard said.
"But that's okay, we've got work to
do, but our running game we'll be all
right."
Player
Sauter
Cockerham
Totals
C-A
3-8
4-3
3- U
Yds
12
0
12
TO nt
0 0
0 0
o 0
RUSHING
Player Att
Evans 17
Hamner 10
Bean 1
Cockerham 8
Sauter 4
Totals 40
RECEIVING
Player No.
Atwell 1
Leverson 1
Hamner 1
Totals 3
PUNTING
Player
Rindels
Team
Totals
Ydi
8
2E
C
-1
9
Ydh
1F
-E
-.12
No.
8
1
9
s Avg
2 4.8
5 2.6
D 0.0
2 -0.3
5 -4.0
D 2.3
5 Avg
5 15.0
3 3.0
5-6.0
2 4.0
Yds
308
0
308
Lg
37
8
0
7
1
37
TD
0
0
0
0
0
0
Lg TD
15 0
3 0
0 0
15 0
Avg Lg
38.5 42
0 0
34.2 42
There were no signs that Chris Howard was bothered by the rib injury he sustained
against Iowa, as he led Michigan's ground attack on Saturday with 98 yards.
Penn State win assures Paterno his 30th
winning season in 32 years as head coach
EVANSTON (AP) - Joe Paterno
doesn't count victories. He just enjoys
them, breaks them down and looks for
ways his team can be better.
Maybe that's why the Nittany Lions
have been so successful for so long.
When Penn State reached another
milestone of sorts on Saturday by beat-
ing Northwestern (1-5 Big Ten, 3-7
overall), 30-27, Paterno wasn't really
interested that it was the school's 400th
victory since he joined the coaching
staff in 1950.
"That's nice," he said. "I really
haven't given it that much thought."
Paterno now has 296 victories in 32
years as a head coach and is ensured of
his 30th winning season in that role. His
current team has the nation's longest
Division I-A winning streak at 12
games.
Curtis Enis was effective, as usual.
He gained 153 yards on 27 carries, his
fourth straight game of 100 yards.
Anthony Cleary had two short touch-
down runs for the Nittany Lions (4-0, 7-
0), including a one-yarder with 5:23 left
to wrap up a drive that consumed 8 min-
utes, 36 seconds.
No. 9 OHIo ST. 37, No. 21
MICHIGAN ST. 13
Gary Berry turned two Michigan
State mistakes into touchdowns in a
2:07 span of the first quarter as No. 9
Ohio State beat the No. 21 Spartans, 37-
13, on Saturday.
The Spartans (2-3, 5-3), who turned
the ball over six times in a 23-7 loss to
Michigan last week, gave up two inter-
ceptions and a blocked punt against the
Buckeyes (4-1, 8-1), who kept alive
hopes for a return trip to the Rose Bowl.
The Spartans' dream of an upset fell
apart when Ohio State scored 17 points
in the final 3:17 of the first quarter.
No. 15 IowA 35, No. 18 PURDUE 17
Rob Thein came off the bench to
score three touchdowns and No. 15
Iowa shut down Purdue's vaunted pass-
ing attack to beat the Boilermakers, 35-
17, on Saturday.
Receiver and punt returner Tim
Dwight, who played with Thein in high
school, said he was glad to see his
friend make the most of his opportunity.
"He's been doubting himself lately
because he has not gotten in there a lot,"
Dwight said.
Purdue must be doubting itself, too.
The Boilermakers, fourth nationally
and leading the Big Ten in total offense
with 480 yards a game, were held to
324.
Purdue also came into the game with
the conference's best passing attack at
287 yards a game, but quarterback Billy
Dicken completed only 14-of-35 for
269 yards and a touchdown with two
interceptions.
The Hawkeyes (3-2, 6-2) won their
second straight game while No. 18
Purdue (4-1, 6-2) lost for the first time
in seven games and fell out of a first-
place tie with Michigan.
INDIANA 23, ILLINOIs 6
Indiana finally scored a touchdown
and finally found an even worse Big Ten
football team.
Indiana had gone almost five games
without a touchdown but broke the
streak with a one-yard run by freshman
De'Wayne Hogan in the second quarter
to beat winless Illinois, 23-6.
Hogan rushed for a career-high 164
yards, safety Kywin Supernaw had a
90-yard interception return for a touch-
down and Andy Payne added three field
goals for the Hoosiers (1-4, 2-7).
The Hoosiers had been shut out in
three of their past four games, getting
only two field goals by Payne over that
span.
Illinois (0-5, 0-8), having its worst
season since an 0-10 record in 1969,
managed only two field goals by Neil
Rackers and went down to its 14th
straight loss over two seasons, the
longest current losing streak in NCAA
Division I-A. The last Illinois victory
was, 46-43, in two overtimes against
Indiana last year.
KICKOFF RETURNS
Player No. Yds
Atwell 1 29
Harden 1 15
Total 2 44
PUNT RETURNS
Player No. Yds
Atwell 1 3
Total 1 3
DEFENSE
Player Solo
P. Williams 11
Hoffman 8
Carter 8
L. Williams 5
Richard 5
Dimmy 5
Mezera 4
Smith 3
Baylor 3
Scruggs 3
Jordan 2
Wyrick 2
Russ 1
Cemoch 1
Wasurick 1
Cross 1
McManus 1
Rodgers 1
Dalton 1
Grate 1
Graham 0
PASS DEFENSE
Player Int YdsI
Wyrick 1 0
Hoffman 0 0
L. Williams 0 0
Dimmy 0 0
Rodgers 0 0
Avg
29.0
15.0
22.0
Avg
3.0
3.0
Le TD
29 0
=50
20
3 0
3 0
At
1
2
3
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Tot
12
10
9
8
6
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Up next
Who: No. 2 Penn State (7-0 Big Ten, 4-0 overall)
Where: Beaver Stadium (93,967 cap.)
When: Nov. 8, 3:30 p.m., EDT (The game will be
televised on ABC as the national college game of
the day)
Series: Penn State leads all time, 3-1.
Michigan's lone victory over the Nittany Lions was during the 1993 season, the
first time the two teams ever played each other. Michigan won that game, 21-
13, in Happy Valley. The Lions have topped the Wolverines in their previous
three meetings. This week's game is the first time both teams are fighting for
sole control of first place in the Big Ten. In the four previous meetings,
Michigan has had at least one loss. In 1994, the Wolverines had one non.con-
ference loss to Colorado before tarnishing a perfect conference record with a
31-24 loss to the Lions.
I0w
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
Minnesota
Aug. 30 Hawaii L17-3
Sept. 13 IOWA STATE W 53-29
Sept. 20 Memphis W 20-17
Sept. 27 HOUSTON 14543
Oct. 4 Michigan State L 31-10
Oct. 11 PURDUE L 5943
Oct. 18 Penn State L 16-15
Oct. 25 WISCONSIN L 22-21
Nov. 1 Michigan 124-3
Nov. 8 OHIO STATE 4 p.m.
Nov. 15 INDIANA 7 p.m.
RUMORE
Continued from Page 16
Let's be fair and realistic - the game against
Minnesota was merely something the Wolverines had
to do on their way to the game that holds all of the
cards, the game they are truly focused on playing, the
game they have fought for the entire season.
It's the battle between two undefeated teams for con-
trol of the Big Ten. Almost everything the Wolverines
have worked for this season comes down to this game.
"We definitely have something to go into Happy
Valley and fight for," Michigan quarterback Brian
Griese said.
Although the players and coaches are hesitant to
admit it, you know they looked past Minnesota to the
game against the Nittany Lions. It's a natural thing to
do. The difference this season, unlike in past years,
Michigan can be flat and still win and avoid a letdown.
Everyone has been thinking about this week's game,
but nobody has talked about it. Now that the Minnesota
game is over, the Wolverines' can safely talk about the
game without being accused of losing focus or risking
a letdown. They can shift their full attention to the big
game - and I mean BIG - which can make or break
everything the Wolverines have worked for this season.
They have earned the right to revel in this game.
The winner of the game will be the only undefeated
team in the Big Ten. The game finally gives everyone
the right to talk about the bowl picture. The hush-hush
surrounding that giant stadium in California will be
gone for good.
Just admit it, Michigan knows the season almost
entirely comes down to Saturday's game - Minnesota
was just in its way.
"This (the Minnesota game) is one of those types of
games where you know you're supposed to win, and
everyone is really not that fired up," Michigan corner-
back Charles Woodson said. "We still came out and
played hard. Don't worry about us coming out flat next
week."
Ever since Michigan defeated Michigan State last
week, talk shifted to the battle of two undefeated teams
in Happy Valley. And even though they won't admit it,
that's probably when the coaches got nervous because
they knew that their team - and themselves, to an
extent - would look ahead, beyond the present task at
hand.
That's entirely understandable, but that's also when
the coaches needed to find a way to keep their players'
heads in the current game to avoid an upset.
"There was no emotion in that lockerroom before the
game, at half-time or after the game," Michigan coach
Lloyd Carr said. "As much as you try to stay focused,
you do have a tendency to peek ahead."
It's not a secret that the Wolverines weren't at their
emotional peak Saturday, but how can you blame them?
A win means Michigan is just two games away from
its first Rose Bowl trip since 1992. It means that a
national title is not such a crazy idea anymore. Keep in
mind that No. 3 Florida State plays No. 5 North
Carolina and No. i Nebraska also plays a hot Missouri
team this week. One team has to lose in each of those
games, and that could break the top five wide open.
You better believe Michigan is thinking about that.
They wouldn't be human if it didn't at least cross their
minds, and that's okay. The problem arises when you let
outside distractions get in the way of what you need to
do now. Michigan didn't allow that to happen this week.
"I think the measure of a good football team is one
that can find a way to win even when they're not play-
ing at their emotional peak," Carr said.
Carr is correct, but it wasn't always that way. It has
been said before, but Michigan used to be the type of
team which won a big game and then embarrassed them-
selves the next week losing to a team like Minnesota.
That didn't happen this time. The ability to win
despite playing a little flat is a good sign.
So break out the bands and talk about how great
Saturday afternoons in the fall are, especially when two
of the most storied teams in the history of college foot-
ball, who just happen to be undefeated, battle in one of
the most energetic, yet hostile, stadiums in the country.
Michigan will not be looking past this game, that's
for sure. Emotion will not be a problem.
The Wolverines have avoided letdowns all season and
have stayed relatively focused despite the hoopla that
goes along with having their best start since 1986. They
have waited and bullied lesser opponents to tackle all of
the pressure and excitement that the big game holds.
"A lot of people are talking about the Rose Bowl,
national champs and stuff like that;' Michigan running
back Chris Howard said. "Of course, we're close to that
goal, but we have to realize we're just one slip away
from not attaining that goal."
So far, it seems that the Wolverines know how to
keep their balance.
- Danielle Rumore can be reached via e-mail
at drumore@umich.edu.
on Ray's might as well join the party as well."
n just fine. Since Ray has joined the party, he
ical terms once again, trails only Woodson for
a receiver the team lead in interceptions. How's
I have to that for leadership, young fellas?
them are As Michigan hits the stretch run of
its schedule, the temptation of thinking
the sec- ahead to opponents like Penn State or
him get off Ohio State, or the opportunity of play-
Nov. 22 Iowa
2:05 p.m.
HOME GAMES IN CAPS
At a glance
Key Perormers
For Michigan, linebacker Sam Sword
had 11 tackles, including 10 solo
and five for loss, and two sacks to
lead Michigan's vaunted defense,
which paved the way for the
Wolverines once again. Running back
Chris Howard had 98 yards on the
ground and 40 in the air.
For Minnesota, Marc Williams had
12 tackles, including 11 solo.
Key Play
After missing a field goal in the first
quarter, the Wolverines scored a
touchdown on a 33yard run by
Charles Woodson. Then, lmost
seven minutes later, the Wolvrins
scored a 12-yard touchdown receo.
tion from tight end Mark Campbell,
to make the score, 14-3.
RAY
Continued from Page 163
"He and Charles are both very
close and I think their friendship has
helped them both become the kind of
players they are today," Bedford said.
"Marcus has worked extremely hard
in improving each year, not only on
lege football fan in the country, but
Ray's improvement
remotely documented
isn't even
in the same
this season by Michigan.
I said going in, their defense is a cut
.ve," Minnesota coach Glen Mason
I. "I don't just mean a cut above
manner, even though he has
improved by leaps and bounds and
has the Heisman hopeful rallying for
him in his corner.
"I don't think people realize how
good he is," Woodson said.
Instead, people focus
leadership, which suits hins
"I don't think in statist
the way a tight end or;
does," Ray said. "For me,
make plays and many of
measured by statistics."
But his teammates in
ondary aren't ready to let h
Big Ten
Team
Michigan
Penn State
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Purdue
Iowa '
Michigan Stat
Northwestern
Indiana
Minnesota
conf. OQ d
4-0 7-0
4-1 &1
4-1 7-2
4-1 6r2
3-2 S-2
e 2-3 5.3
1-5 37
1-5 2-7
0.5 2-7
I