The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 8. 1999 - 5B c Leg hurt, but Williams' playbook still contributes ByRick Freemn y Sports Editor Just because Brandon Williams' left leg kept him out of practice last week didn't mean that his play- book had to sit on the sidelines. Which is why he and Ron Bellamy studied it together after dinner in their West Quad room. On the Sunday after Williams hurt his left leg against Indiana, Bellamy came back to his room. Williams had a message for him. "Coach wants to see you down at Schembechler W all," he told Bellamy. "I think they want you to play DB" They did. And all week, he prepared. After din- ner, he tried to digest a season's worth of defensive plays, too. He skipped the receiver's meetings and sat in with the secondary. After practice every day, James Whitley and Todd Howard, Michigan's start- ing cornerbacks, spent 10-20 minutes lining him up, teaching him hands on. And he still had to learn his plays at receiver. And Saturday, in the second half, they got to *dmire their results. "He did real well," Williams said. "No one beat him deep." And as a receiver, Bellamy just missed a spec- tacular play, leaping up and out to snare a ball with just his fingertips, before it squirted loose on land- ing. Bellamy is the third member of Michigan's deep wideout corps to shore up the cornerback spot. Marcus Knight saw limited action against Purdue, and ever since that game, sophomore David Terrell has been regularly employed as a nickel back and as a backup. Bellamy's promise as a two-way player is still uncertain. Unless you ask Todd Howard. As Bellamy signed autographs for a crowd of fans in the parking lot after the game, Howard noticed that the true freshman was talking to a reporter, too. "Ron Bellamy for Heisman!" he shouted. Maybe not yet. But Michigan's thin secondary will take any warm body it can get. Especially if they play like Bellamy did on Saturday. IS IT BACK?: So what if Michigan's defense sur- endered ground and big plays like nobody's busi- ness in its last three games. Northwestern coach Randy Walker said he noticed something different. He called it a "killer instinct" Carr called it "inten- sity. Whatever it was, Michigan's defense seemed to have a bit of the swagger it hadn't since it held Purdue to 12 points Oct. 3. "They came after us for four quarters," said quar- ter back Zak Kustok, who was sacked twice. "All good teams have killer instincts and they showed it today." Two wAYS ABOur IT: Slimeball move or chance of a lifetime? If you're Zak Kustok, Brandon Kornblue's field goal with II seconds left in Saturday's game was a bit questionable. It's possible he didn't know that for Kornblue, a walk-on senior, it was his first game action ever. As Lloyd Carr emptied his bench late in the fourth quarter, third string quarterback Jason Kapsner drove the Wolverines deep into Northwestern territory. On fourth down, Brady came back on the field. Not to go for the first down - as Carr had tried several times with Drew Henson playing mop-up action - but to hold on Kornblue's field-goal attempt, which was good from 26 yards. "He can die now," said fellow kicker Jeff Del Verne of his teammate's field goal. Kustok suggest- ed that the Northwestern coaching staff might not have done something like that. Kornblue is glad his did, even if he was first announced to the thinning crowd as safety Cato June. The error was soon rectified. "This is the greatest feeling of my life," Kornblue said. "I've worked so hard for this but I wasn't sure that this ever was going to happen. This made all the work worthwhile; this made every practice worth- while." And, for the record, Northwestern coach Randy Walker said he had no problems with the decision. Walker said Saturday's blowout was the worst he's seen in this, his first season as the Wildcats' coach. "It's hard to find anything positive in this," he said. "We'll find out who in this program has some pride. We've never been through this. We've been in every game before this one." CUPCAKE CITY: Next season, Michigan could play an unranked non-conference schedule for the first time since 1976. Last week, Michigan agreed to open the season against Bowling Green on Sept. 2, which will be the first time the two schools a 45- minute drive apart play each other. UCLA and Rice are Michigan's other opponents, and neither is likely to be ranked. Michigan's oppo- nents the last time their non-conference foes were unranked? Stanford, Navy and Wake Forest. GAME RECAP FIRST QUARTER: Taking the ball at his own 17-yard line, quarter- back Tom Brady hits wide receiver David Terrell on a series of passes to move Michigan down wthe field. The drive concludes when Brady finds Terrel behind Northwestern cornerback Shegun Cummings-John for a 26-yard touchdown strike. Hayden Epstein misses the extra point wide left. Michigan 6, Northwestern 0 SECOND QUARTER: Michigan gets the ball after a Northwestern punt and drives to the Northwestern 45 behind a 12-yard run by running back Anthony Thomas. On the next play, Brady fakes a reverse and throws deep to wide receiver Marcus Knight, who makes a finger-tip catch and is dragged down in the end zone. Michigan 13, Northwestern 0 Northwestern puts together an ugly series, with quarterback Zak Kustok fumbling a snap on sec- ond down and tripping while dropping back on third down. On a fourth-and-33 from their own 45, the Wildcats punt the ball away. On Michigan's next possession, Thomas takes a pitch around the left side, breaks a tackle and cuts upfield. He eludes Northwestern defenders and scampers down the left side for a 60-yard touch- down. Michigan 20, Northwestern 0 Backup quarterback Drew Henson, who played for one series in the quarter, lines up in shotgun formation on fourth-and-nine, but pooch punts the ball inside the five-yard line. Terrell hustles downfield and downs the ball at the Northwestern three. Seeing time at cornerback on third-down situa- tions against the Wildcats, Terrell gaugeska Kustok pass and intercepts it for his first pickoff of the season. With less than a minute remaining in the sec- ond quarter, a DiAllo Johnson reception puts the ball at the Northwestern one-yard line, Thomas plunges over left guard for a one-yard touchdown on the next play. Michigan 27, Northwestern 0 THIRD QUARTER: Michigan continues its push after halftime, using rushes by Thomas and fullback Aaron Shea to move the ball down to the Northwestern 11-yard line. On the next play, Brady rolls right and finds tight end Bennie Joppru for an 11-yard score. Michigan 34, Northwestern 0 The Wildcats put together their best drive of the day - a 11-play, 72-yard effort. They get on the board with a 37-yard field goal by Tim Long. Michigan 34, Northwestern 3 FOURTH QUARTER: On a second-and-10 from the Northwestern 37, Henson rolls right and and lobs a pass for reserve wide receiver Ron Bellamy: The pass just grazes Bellamy's fingertips near the goal line as the freshman narrowly misses a spectacular div- ing catch. On the next play, a Henson pass intended for wide receiver Kevin Bryant is deflected toward a wide-open Bellamy at the five-yard line, but it is just out of reach of the diving receiver. With reserves in for most of the fourth quarter, many other Wolverines get their first chance to shine as well. Piacekicker Brandon Kornblue kicks the first field goal of his career. Kornblue's 26-yard boot ends the game's scoring. MCn'lgan I.Nortwestern s AUSON CANTOR/Daily Northwestern coach Randy Walker said he noticed a "killer instinct" from linebacker Victor Hobson and the rest of the Michigan defense. STAFF PICKS All picks made against the spread. Home teams in CAPS. Correct picks in bold. MICHIGAN (-25) vs. Northwestern PURDUE (-1.5) vs. Wisconsin MICHIGAN STATE (-6) vs. Ohio State PENN STATE (-14) vs. Minnesota illinois (-7) vs. IOWA NEBRASKA (-13.5) vs. Texas A&M Arkansas (-1) vs. MISSISSIPPI Virginia Tech (-19) vs. WEST VIRGINIA TENNESSEE (-95) vs. Notre Dame FLORIDA (-29.5) vs. Vanderbilt FRESNO STATE (-2.5) vs. Rice SYRACUSE (-17.5) vs. Temple KANSAS STATE (-16.5) vs. Colorado Georgia Tech (-7) vs. VIRGINIA Best Bet This week Overall T.J Berka Rick Freeman Northwestern Purdue Ohio State Minnesota llinois Texas A&M Mississippi Virginia Tech Tennessee Vanderbilt Rice Syracuse Kansas State Georgia Tech Virginia Tech 5-9(0-1) 67-56-3 (1-8) Michigan Purdue Michigan State Minnesota Illinois Texas A&M Arkansas Virginia Tech Tennessee Vanderbilt Rice Syracuse Colorado Georgia Tech Tennessee 7-7 (1-0) 62.61-3(5-4) Josh Kleinbaum Andy Latack Northwestern Michigan Wisconsin Purdue Michigan State Penn State Illinois Texas A&M Mississippi Virginia Tech Tennessee Vanderbilt Fresno State Syracuse Kansas State' Georgia Tech Illinois 7-7(1-0) 61-62-3(4-5) Ohio State Minnesota Illinois. Texas A&M Arkansas Virginia Tech Tennessee Florida Rice Syracuse Kansas State Georgia Tech Illinois 4-10(1-0) 63-5&3(54) LATACK Continued from Page 18 a little fire under Carr. If he thinks there's some competition for the wide receiver's services, he might start going to the sophomore more than he does. Which is what needs to happen if Michigan is going to win its remaining two games and assert itself in the sud- denly wide-open Big Ten bowl picture. I am confident that the Wolverines can beat Penn State next week, but they need a big game from Terrell to do it. When Saturday's contest was still in doubt - and it was, for a short while Michigan went to Terrell with steady efficiency. On its first scoring drive of the game, Michigan quarterback Tom Brady threw to Terrell four times for 72 yards, including a 26-yard strike for a touchdown. Terrell also snagged his first career interception in the game. Against the lowly Wildcats, Michigan didn't need Terrell for long. But to beat Penn State and Ohio State, Michigan has to go to the wide receiv- er early and often. There have been many instances this year when Terrell was the best player on the field, and he knows it. He exhibits that thrilling combination of someone who is admittedly cocky but talented enough to justify being so. As much as Terrell has carried the receiving load this season - he has 53 catches, 22 more than anyone else - Michigan should be going to him even more. Throw him some jump balls, because he'll come down with them. Get him the ball on a reverse; you saw his touchdown run against Wisconsin. Let him throw a few passes. Terrell just has too much ability not to be used more frequently. If he sticks around, he could be one of the better receivers in school history. But Michigan has to start using him as much as humanly possible. Penn State can't stop him. Neither can Ohio State. In fact, I haven't seen any team that has been able to lock up Terrell for a sustained period of time. Michigan's success this season rests largely in his agile hands. And Dave, if Carr doesn't start get- ting you the ball more, you know where you can find me. We play on Sundays, so there's no reason why you can't make it. I'll be holding your spot for you. -Andy Latack realizes that there are regulations prohibiting David Terrell from playing IA!flag football. But he 0 figured it was worth a shot. E-mail him at latackjumich.edu. Top 25 Virginia Tech survives Mountaineers, stays undefeated Tennessee, Florida keep pace in rankings with victories, Georgia Tech shocked by Virginia' FINAL SCORE: Michigan 37.,Northwestern 3 BIG TEN STANDINGS MORGANTOWN, W. Va. - Shayne Graham kept Virginia Tech in the national championship picture. Graham's 44-yard field goal as time expired lifted the third-ranked Hokies (4-0 Big East, 8-0) to a 22-20 victory over West Virginia on 4aturday. "I was on the sidelines saying, 'Give me a chance, give me a chance," Graham said. "I had an opportunity like that last year against Miami and I didn't convert. I had the confidence in myself this time that I would." Coupled with Minnesota's 24-23 upset of No. 2 Penn State, Virginia Tech's lackluster victory could throw }me Bowl Championship Series ""tandings into a free-for-all. The standings determine which teams will meet for the national champi- onship in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4. No. 4 TENNESSEE 38, No. 24 NOTRE DAME 14: Unlike last year, No. 4 Tennessee needs some help in which teams play for the national championship. No. 5 FLORIDA 13, VANDERBILT 6: A Florida quarterback dropping back to pass used to be one of the most feared sights in college football. It was scary as usual Saturday, but for all the wrong reasons. On a day when their quest for the national title got a boost, the talk seemed out of place as the fifth- ranked Gators had to fight to the end against Vanderbilt for a victory. No. 6 KANSAS STATE 20, COLORADO 14: After so many easy victories, No. 6 Kansas State got what it probably needed most the week before Nebraska - a big scare. For worried players and white- knuckled fans, Saturday's victory over Colorado brought back haunt- ing memories of last year's double- overtime 36-33 loss to Texas A&M, when Kansas-State wasted a 13- point lead in the fourth quarter of the Big 12 title game and lost a shot at stunning victory. "It's what you dream of," the junior from Augusta, Ga., said, "just given the chance to come out and play against Georgia Tech. And it's icing on the cake that they were the seventh-ranked team in the country. It's amazing." No. 9 NEBRASKA 37, No. 21 TEXAS A&M 0: Nebraska avenged last year's loss to Texas A&M in a big way. The No. 9 Cornhuskers scored four touchdowns in the second half and used a dominating defensive per- formance to hand Texas A&M its first shutout in I 1 years. No. 11 TEXAS 34, OKLAHOMA STATE 21: Big games from Hodges Mitchell and Major Applewhite are difficult enough for Texas opponents to handle. When the Texas defense also plays well, it can make for a long afternoon. Oklahoma State found that out Saturday. Mitnnllranfnr 1,10laO ~c and.~ three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth-quarter score Saturday as the Thundering Herd extended the nation's longest major-college win- ning streak to 13 with a victory over Kent. No. 13 BRIGHAM YOUNG 30, SAN DIEGO STATE 7: Thanks to guys like Hans Olsen and Rob Morris, Brigham Young's defense is starting to get some notoriety. Olsen, a nephew of Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, returned a fumble 24 yards for a touchdown and Kevin Feterik threw for two touchdowns as Brigham Young beat San Diego State 30-7 Saturday night. No. 14 ALABAMA 23, LOUISIANA STATE 17: When it was finally over, Alabama was looking for a medic and Louisiana State was looking for an explanation. Tyler Watts threw two touchdowns and Alabama stopped Louisiana State at the 1-yard line on the final play to beat the Tigers 23-17 Kenny Kelly ran for a touchdown and threw for one and the Hurricanes pulled away with a 23-point fourth quarter in a blowout victory Saturday over Pittsburgh. The Hurricanes (3-0 Big East, 5- 3) rallied from deficits of 28 points and 13 points to win the previous two weeks, but another comeback wasn't needed after Kelly's one-yard sneak put them ahead 10-3 in the second quarter. No. 23 Mississippi 38, No. 24 ARKANSAS 16: Inspired by the mem- ory of Walter Payton, Deuce McAllister had another all-around game and No. 23 Mississippi got revenge against Arkansas. McAllister returned the opening kickoff 100 yards and rushed for 125 yards and two more touchdowns as Ole Miss (4-2, 7-2) Southeastern Conference) beat Arkansas 38-16 Saturday. Before the game, Ole Miss coach- es challenged the players to envision nnp .n,nr thpv n ,ntnrItitonl'nv likfn Team Wisconsin Penn State Michigan State Michigan Ohio State Minnesota Indiana Purdue Illinois Northwestern Iowa Big Ten 6 1 5 1 4 2 4 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 2 4 1 5 0 6 Overall 8 2 9 1 .7 2 7 2 6 4 6 3 4 5 6 4 5 4 3 6 1 8 THIS WEEKEND'S RESULTS Michigan 37, Northwestern 3 Minnesota 24, Penn State 23 Illinois 40, Iowa 24 Michigan State 23, Ohio State 7 Wisconsin 28, Purdue 21 NEXT WEEKEND'S GAMES Michigan at Penn State Illinois at Ohio State Indiana at Minnesota Iowa at Wisconsin Michigan State at Northwestern erammm~s m