Last Week October 2, 1999 - Fo 3F - The Michigan Daily - Football Saturday - October 2, 1999 Last Week Michigan 21, Wisconsin 16 Terrell first to test celebration rule Forward Defense shuts out Davne in second half progress ly Andy Latack )aily Sports Editor MADISON - For Ron Davne, start- ng the game with 88 first-half rushing ards is impressive. Finishing it with the ame numbers isn t. The Michigan defense didn't allow )avne a single rushing yard in the sec- )nd half, leading the charge as the Aioixerines defeated Wisconsin.21-16, m Saturdav. After taking an early 14-0 cad. No. 4 Michigan (1-0 Big Ten, 4-0 Ovcrall) survived a late Wisconsin ouchdown to come away from Camp andall Stadium with a win in its Big Fen opener. Michigan quarterback Tom Brady ilaved one of the best games of his :areer, completing 17 of his 27 passes br 217 yards and two touchdowns. He eft the game after sustaining a vicious ourth-quarter hit. In the first quarter, with Michigan's unning game still stagnant, Brady took .ontrol of the passing attack. Ile threw for his first two touchdowns >f the season, including a third-quarter trike to DiAllo Johnson that was the lifference in the game. "It was a typical Michigan-Wisconsin aotball game," Michigan coach Lloyd .arr said. "I thought it was very physi- al and hard-hitting. Wisconsin did a remendous job against us defensively, iarticularly against the run." The 1 7th-ranked Badgers (0-1, 2-2), tuffed Michigan's rushing attack, vhich struggled for the third straight same. orty-five of Michigan's 94 total yards m the ground came courtesy of wide eceiver David Terrell, who scored vlichigan's second touchdown on a pectacular double-reverse that caught he Wisconsin defense off guard. With 1:19 remaining in the first quar- er, Brady pitched the ball to Anthony Fhoinas, who began running around the ight side with fullback Aaron Shea as a cad blocker. Thomas then handed the >all to a streaking Marcus Knight, who vas sprinting in the opposite direction, naking the play appear to be a reverse. Just as the Wisconsin defense began )ursuing Knight, he handed the ball to Ferrell, who had come around from his ;plit end position and was running right. Jsing the downfield blocking of Shea tnd Thomas, who had continued in the Jirection in which they started, Terrell lanced untouched into the end zone, giving Michigan the early 14-0 lead. "Thomas and Shea gave me two key blocks downfield, and that really sprung t open," Terrell said. "Coach Carr could've walked in the end zone on that ne " It was another standout game for Terrell, who caught seven passes for 88 yards in addition to his run on the reverse. But Terrell, never one to con- ceal his emotions, was flagged for an excessive celebration penalty after a tremendous 40-yard grab over' Wisconsin cornerback Jamar Fletcher in the third quarter. The penalty moved the ball from the Wisconsin 23 - where Terrell made the catch - to the Wisconsin 38, placing Michigan out of field goal range. The Wolverines would not score on the drive, and Carr was not pleased with his upstart receiver. "David is an emotional guy, but when it hurts our team, I'm mad about it," Carr said. "He cost us a good chance at three points." Terrell and the rest of Michigan's steady receiving corps "vere key ele- ments in the win. Carr, refusing to wait for the running game to get. on track, opened the contest with an uncharacter- istic emphasis on the pass. Pinned at their own 10-yard line after stuffing Wisconsin on its opening pos- session, the Wolverines went to the air early and often on their first scoring drive. Brady converted four straight third-down possessions as he marched the team downfield and also displayed some elusiveness, twice evading the rush and throwing completions on the run. The second of those hurried attempts came on a third-and-three at the Wisconsin eight-yard line. Brady stayed in the pocketuntil it collapsed, then took a few steps and lofted a pass to Shea, who had shed his defender in the left corner of the end zone, giving Michigan the 7-0 lead and early momentum. Brady sat out the second quarter while Carr continued to alternate him and Drew Henson during first-half quarterbacking duties. But Brady's effi- cient first quarter - 9-of-13 for 79 yards - earned him the job for the sec- ond half. Then, just minutes after his touch- down pass to Johnson, Brady would get a scare. With II minutes left in the fourth quarter, Brady was leveled by Wisconsin linebacker Chris Ghidorzi as he released the ball. Ghidorzi drove Brady into the artifi- cial turf, where he lay prone for a few seconds. He then attempted to sit up, only to stop and have his head crash back onto the turf. He lay on the field for a while before coming out of the game, not seriously injured but his bell rung nonetheless. After the game, Brady said his jaw still hurt. "He's shaken up, but Brady's as tough as they come," Carr said. "He'll be okay" By Andy Latack Daily Sports Editor MADISON - Michigan coach Lloyd Carr has been supportive of this year's stricter NCAA rules on player celebrations. Before his team was slapped with one of the 15-yard penal- ties. The same rule that gave Michigan a head start on its game-winning drive against Notre Dame worked the other way on Saturday, when wide receiver David Terrell was flagged for excessive celebration after one of his many impressive receptions. Leading 14-9, the penalty was detri- mental because it moved the Wolverines out of field goal range and they did not score on a possession when points would have been crucial. So, how about the rule now, coach? "Sportsmanship is important, and I think the college game is trying to set an example for young kids," Carr said. "I think the intent of the rule is good, but you hate to see a game impacted because of it." Terrell, one of the more flamboyant members of the team, had just made a leaping catch on the right sideline when he drew the flag. After the catch, he stood up, placed his hands on his hips and saluted the Camp Randall crowd. Flags followed shortly thereafter. "It all happened pretty quick," Terrell said of the play. He also half-heartedly offered that he was just reaching to put his mouthpiece in his facemask, rather than saluting - a claim that replays clearly disprove. An angry Carr came out to meet Terrell before he had even reached the sideline. "I was mad, I'm still mad and I'm going to be mad," Carr said. "Thus far, we've been a very disciplined football team, and David's penalty is not charac- teristic of our team." Terrell, despite his strong showing, had the sound of someone who was in the doghouse after the game. "I live and learn off of it," Terrell said. "I'm in trouble, though." DIALLO DELIVERS: Wide receiver DiAllo Johnson, quiet so far this sea- son, came up with a big play on Saturday. Johnson, who had offseason knee surgery and one reception coming into Saturday's game, caught the decid- ing touchdown pass from Michigan quarterback Tom Brady in the third quarter. It was a slant-and-go route, with Johnson faking a quick slant pattern, receiving a pump fake from Brady, and then running deep. It worked to perfec- tion, as Wisconsin cornerback Mike Echols bit on the fake and couldn't catch up with Johnson in time to bat down the 23-yard toss. "They had been coming up on the slants the whole game," Johnson said. "We were just begging Coach Carr to call the slant-and-go." BARRY IN THE Box: Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, hobbled by knee surgery earlier in the week, was forced to coach his team from the pressbox. And Alvarez, just four wins away from AZ, tI LOUIS BROWI David Terrell a penalty for unsports game has been ineffective. After ing for 132 yards in the season o against Notre Dame, running Anthony Thomas was held to ji yards on 22 carries - an average yards per carry. This area continues to be a co for Carr, especially as the weather ens and passing the ball becomes difficult. "You're going to come to a where you have to run the ball, said. Celebrating this 40-yard reception earnedI like conduct in the third quarter. becoming the Badgers' winningest coach, had a tough time not being down on the field with his team. "It's very difficult," Alvarez said. "I just have so much energy pent up because I can't walk around. I haven't spent my emotions." "Those kids are used to seeing Barry down there," Carr said. "Because they're accustomed to that, it might be tough (not to have him down there).' RUNNING WOES CONTINUE: For the third straight game, Michigan's ground Breaks go Blue's way yet again LOUIS BROWN / Daily Michigan's defense held Wisconsin's star, Ron Dayne, in check last week. But can they do the same to Purdue's Drew Brees? Thegood and bad of the QB -rotto.n MADISON - One play, one perfectly executed tackle by Chris Ghidorzi, and Lloyd Carr's meticulous- ly monitored quarterback situa- Rick tion could have Freeman come come crash- ing down the sec- ond Tom Brady's head hit the turf. The replays showed it again and again - he broke into Michigan's back- FREEMAN OF field untouched, EPE lowered his shoul- der, and took off. Brady doesn't remember much after that. What everyone else saw was Brady, motionless on the Camp Randall Stadium field. He lifted his head for a moment, and then it fell I hard back to the ground. Anthony Thomas motioned frantically for a trainer, and help came rushing out. As they ministered to Brady, Drew Henson stepped on the field and hur- riedly began warming up. Suddenly, having two starter-caliber quarterbacks seemed a better idea than ever. Less than two hours before, it had never seemed worse. The ugly side Michigan's offense started off the the game on its own 10-yard line. It tried to establish the running game early. It went nowhere. A personal foul called on Wisconsin kept the Wolverines alive. And then, Brady came alive. He engineered a 90-yard drive that ended with his first touchdown pass since January, a floater to Aaron Shea. Although Michigan's second'touch- down came on the ground, on the sec- ond play of a drive; Brady had clearly played his best opening quarter of the year. He completed nine passes - enough for some entire games at Michigan. On his final drive, he threw two incompletions, and just before the quarter ended, Michigan punted. But the drive began with 49 seconds left in the quarter. At similar points against Syracuse and Rice, Henson would come onto the field, because most of that drive would be played in the sec- ond quarter. In this case, Brady got the nod. Maybe Lloyd knew the drive would end just before the quarter did. Maybe. Brady may have earned himself the extra 49 seconds, but the second quar- ter could not be his. There was a plan. Lloyd could not deviate. Henson came in, and Michigan's offense lost the wave it seemed to ride See FREEMAN, next page By Rick Freeman Daily Sports Editor MADISON - Call it luck, call it get- ting the breaks, call it whatever you like. Michigan can call it a big help after Saturday's game. ' It's just possible that plain luck favored Michigan on Saturday - and went against Wisconsin for the second week in a row. In the second quarter, with Wisconsin deep in Michigan territory, Chris Chambers, wide open in the corner of the end zone, dropped a pass that had six points all but written on it. Chambers, almost as wide open as Notre Dame tight end Jabari Holloway was three weeks ago, was facing the sun as he tried to make the catch. "He said he didn't see the ball" his coach, Barry Alvarez, explained after the game. "He got on the phone immediate- ly to tell me." Alvarez, who is on crutches after knee surgery last week, coached Saturday's game from the press box. Michigan safety Tommy Hendricks, who was on the field and the only player even remotely close to Chambers, saw things a bit more clearly. Chambers was Michigan cornerback Todd Howard's man, but he fell down on the play. "I jammed (Nick) Davis hard at the line, and I think I pushed him into Todd," Hendricks said after the game. "That's really how they designed the play, as a pick. We got lucky when he dropped the ball." Michigan's first touchdown drive was- n't a product of luck, but a good break helped the Wolverines. On their first possession, they ran, ran, ran. And got nowhere fast. On the drive's third, play, quarterback Tom Brady scrambled for five yards, which put him well short of the first down until one Badger too many piled on. Wisconsin was whistled for the per- sonal foul and Michigan had a free set of downs to work with. Michigan coach Lloyd Carr made the most of them. After handing off to Anthony Thomas once more (for no gain), Carr went to the air. The next five plays were passes, and 54 yards later, on the Wisconsin 14, Michigan ran yet another rushing play - good for one yard. Two more passes, and Brady had his first touchdown pass of the year, Michigan had a 7-0 lead. The Wolverines had that late-hit call back at their own 12 to thank for keeping the drive alive. This is not the only time this season that Michigan was lucky. In fact, it seems in every one of the Wolverines' three close victories, they've been helped by a few good breaks - espe- cially disputed personal foul alls. In fact, the only time they were penal- ized on Saturday with a personal foul was in the third quarter. While trying to extend Michigan's 14-9 lead, Brady completed a pass to David Terrell at the Wisconsin 22. From there, a field goal would be 39 yards - within range of the ubiquitous Jeff Del Verne. After the play, though, Terrell stood up, faced the Camp Randall crowd, put his hands on his hips, and then gave a tiny, fingertip salute with his left index finger. The result: fifteen yards and out of field goal range. "I'm in trouble," Terrell said after- ward, when his alibi - that he was reaching for his mouthpiece - was debunked. So far this season, his team hasn't been. Michigan linebacker Larry Foote, on a fourth-quarter blitz, droppinj