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Thursday, September 7, 2000 - Kic
LETHAL WEAPON
S
RUNNING BACKS
RECEIVERS
F
C
ANTHONY THOMAS had
301 carries, 1,297yards, 17
TD (301 carries good for
second place all-time)
Thomas averaged 4.3 yards
per carry, serving at times
as Michigan's only back. He
also returned kickoffs.
Deflected mild NFL pressure
to return for his senioi sea-
son. Will start at tailback
and share carries with Justin
Fargas.
A back that blocks and
catches well, Thomas is
looked by Carr as a "team"
player. He had 108 carries
and a touchdown this past
weekend.
JUSTIN FARGAS has recovered
completely from the
broken leg suffered against
Wisconsin that ended his
1998 season and caused
him to miss the entire '99
campaign.
Was Michigan's best kickoff
returner with a 19.4-yard
average his freshman season.
Arrived on the scene with a
120-yard performance in the
driving rain at Northwestern
in '98.
Fargas shook off the jitters
of a first-carry fumble to run
for 70 yards on eight carries
against Bowling Green.
MARJORIE MARSHALL/Da ly
MARQUISE WALKER has
made some big catches
in his Michigan career to
date. Walker had 37
catches last year, good
for fourth on the team.
RoN BELI.aM is highly
regarded and will field
punts in addition to play-
ing flanker. He shined
against the Falcons with
two touchdowns.
CALVIN BE. is a freshman
that will see more time
returning punts than at
wideout.
Amidst all the Terrell talk,
Michigan's other wide
receivers are relatively
underappreciated.
w
BRAD QUINN
/Daily
WALTER CRoSS had a 104-yard game in garbage time against Syracuse
in 1998. Hasn't done much since. The junior had just 67 yards on 30
carries last season, but nevertheless figures into the mix.
Cross also serves as a kickoff returner on special teams.
B.J. ASKEW is a sophomore slated to take over for Aaron Shea at full-
back. Played in all 12 games last year, both as a back and as a cov-
erage man on special teams. Askew showed his prowess as a receiv-
er, catching three passes for 87 yards against the Falcons.
CHRIS PERRY was immediately singled out by coach Lloyd Carr. Carr said
to "remember" the name of Perry, a freshman who attended Fork Union
Academy last year. His 40 has been timed in 4.4 seconds. He had 103
yards and a touchdown in cleanup duty this past weekend.
TIGHT END
Junior SHAWN
THOMPSON, hero of
Michigan's Orange
Bowl victory after
catching the game-
winning touchdown,
injured his left knee
fast weekend and is
out for the season.
Sophomore Bennie
Joppru will help fill
the void.
MICHIGAN'S HEISMAN CANDIDATE
A member of themedia ask
would be disappointed if he
candidate.
"You know I would be," Terr
gathering into roaring laugh
Never one to hide his emotic
some of the emotional slack
golden opportunity to show
qualities he has.
Thompson
SPECIAL TEAMS
i
it
-By Chris Duprey
Dally Sports iltor
A shanked 30-yard .field goal by
Dan Stultz that - would have given
Ohio State a 10-point lead late in the
third quarter at Michigan.
And of course, the famous missed
extra point that sealed the Wolverines'
Orange Bowl victory over Alabama.
Both were special teams plays that
backfired last season. Neither of
those were miscues made by
Michigan. And7
each was a key
play that resulted
in the victory for
the Wolverines. e
Coach Lloyd
Carr can again
take comfort in
his special teams
roster this season,
left him with minimal options for kick
returns. The result was overuse of tail-
back Anthony Thomas, tiring him out
and puting him at risk for injury.
"We will be better than we were a
year ago," Carr said of the kickoff
return game. "Walter Cross was solid
down the stretch with a big return
against Penn State. Chris Perry could
factor in there, Anthony (Thomas) is
back and (Justin) Fargas.
"If we stay healthy our return game
should be more effective than a year
agio.
Michigan has capable backups
everywhere on special teams. While it
appears Epstein will handle both
kicking and punting chores, seniors
Jeff Del Verne and Cory Sargent pro-
vide capable legs at both positions,
respectively.
Wide receiver Ron Bellamy will be
given a chance to field punts, Carr
said. James Whitley, who was shaky
returning punts as a sophomore in the
1998 season, and freshman Calvin
Bell may have an opportunity as well.
Carr said David Terrell might be
called upon also. Terrell starred at
wide receiver last year for the
Wolverines, and played some corner-
back. So the addition of punt return
duty could be Terrell's third responsi-
bility.
Any of the aforementioned four
punt returners could help Michigan
-- the Wolverines were last in the
conference in that category, averaging
just eight yards per return.
"We will look at some different
guys in the first two games," Carr
said. "We want to give as many guys
experience as we can."
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Epstein
if only because RII
junior Hayden Epstein is back with
his distance foot.
Epstein alone will give the
Wolverines the edge in special teais
almost every Saturday. Even though
Michigan was last in the Big Ten in
punting average with a 33.3, Epstein
averaged 40.1 on his kicks. He also
recorded 29 touchbacks on kickoffs.
Toss in the increased depth in the
kick return game, and the usual com-
plement of hard-hitting specialists
that find their way onto the
Wolverines' coverage units. It's not a
stretch to expect that Michigan's spe-
cial teams will produce one positive
play each game that has a factor in the
outcome.
Carr grew to appreciate the impor-
tance of depth last season, as injuries
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