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PRiTiSgN Eilg
FRIDAY
OCTOBER 6, 2000
It's Drew vs. Drew -but can
Michigan's 'D' adjust in time?
Curtain ns
drama, ho
By Arun Gopal
Daily Sports Writer
By Mark Francescutti
Daily Sports Editor
Another week, but a totally different oppo-
nent.
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr stressed after the
Wisconsin game that his defense now had to
throw everything they'd learned the week
before out the window.
From a power running offense against the
Badgers to the Breesing pass attack of the
Boilermakers, the Wolverines will have to
switch pretenses on defense to stopping an all-
out passing onslaught tomorrow when
Michigan (2-0 Big Ten, 4-1 overall) takes on
Purdue (1-1, 3-2) in West Lafayette.
Purdue's offense, which sometimes doesn't
even put a running back or a lead blocker in, is
better than ever, leading the Big Ten in total
offense. The Boilermakers are No. 1 in third-
down efficiency completing 55 percent on third
downs.
But even more surprising - Purdue leads the
Big Ten in defense.
Purdue averages 484 yards a game while
allowing only 274 yards. A large enough differ-
ence to scare Carr this week.
"Evervbody knows how good offensively
they are, Carr said. "There were questions that
surrounded the defense, but (now) they are the
best defensive Purdue team I have seen in
years.
The Boilermakers may be 3-2, but their two
losses were extremely close and could have
gone either way. Special teams were the main
culprit in both losses. The first, a 28-24 setback
at Notre Dame, saw a blocked punt that set up a
See PURDUE, Page 13
The 2000-01 season starts with a bang
tonight for the Michigan hockey team as
it hosts the fourth annual Ice Breaker
Invitational at Yost Ice Arena.
The tournament begins with No. 9
New Hampshire
facing off against
No. I North Dakota,
the defending
national champion.
After the Wildcats
and Fighting Sioux
clear the ice, the
Yost rowdies will
get what they came
for as No. 2
Michigan skates
11 - - , ....g v
TONIGH
YOST ICE AR]
Game 1: No.1 N. Dak
No. 9 N.H..5:05 p.m
GamIe2No.2 Michig
No. 16 Colgate 8:35
IV/Radio: UM1V 22,
88.3 FM, WTKA 105
Tickets: Still availabl
games. Call the ticke
Purdue's Drew Brees (left) and
°Michlgan's Drew Henson could get
in a shootout this weekend in
West Lafayette.
ALEX WOLK/Daily
Even with ground advantage, Varsity rushes into a stiff Brees
David Den Herder
Di)ly Sports Editor
it could be raining cats and dogs in
West Lafayette tomorrow - but even if
it's sunny, the Wolverines will still be
swimming in underdog status.
Offering more perspective on the
legitimacy of college football polls,
Vegas oddsmakers have made unranked
,urdue a two-point favorite over No. 6
ichigan tomorrow at Ross-Ade
Stadium.
"They are so dynamic in the way that
they do things," said Michigan defensive
lineman Dave Petruziello of the
'oilermakers.
Cleariy not dynamic enough to win
last week. Or three weeks ago.
But-Drew Brees and his band of
rogues-stiil make up the most dangerous
team in the Big Ten.
"No lead is ever safe against Purdue,"
.Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said.
But since the Wolverines have played
from behind each of the last three weeks,
maybithey don't have to worry about it.
MICmGAN RUSHING VS. PURDUE
RUSHING DEFENSE: If the strategy will be
to wear down the already-suspect Purdue
front seven, this is the matchup to exploit
for Michigan. The Wolverines' numbers
on the ground are very impressive -
although, in fairness, Michigan tailbacks
get plenty of carries to make it happen.
Last week, every play of Michigan's first
drive was a handoff to Anthony Thomas.
Chris Perry's ability to turn the corner is
a nice complement. Purdue will run the
4-3 but, as Carr points out, will bring up
a safety up to give the defense more of a
four-up, four-back appearance.
The Boilers are anchored in the box
by redshirt frosh linebacker, Landon
Johnson - not to be confused with our
36th president, also from Texas. Johnson
has 32 tackles and two sacks, but like his
teammates, will be ineffective against
Michigan's O-line, which Illinois coach
Ron Turner called the best in the country.
And he would know
Advantage: Michigan
receiving corps faced arguably the best
defensive secondary in the Big Ten. And
the Wolverines proved one thing: Even if
the coverage is perfect. thev can still
make the plays. .lamar Fletcher did an
admirable job on David Terrell and pre-
vented a couple of game-busting plays.
But Terrell's silly TD catch in the fourth
quarter, along with Marquise Walker's
double-coverage grab in the first, prove
that Michigan's flankers are almost
impossible to nullify.
How much they are incorperated into
tomorrow's game plan is another ques-
tion. Stuart Schweigert, a Saginaw
native, will probably start at free safety.
He leads the Boilers with two picks, but
as a true freshman is no match for
Michigan's big three receivers.
Advantage: Michigan
PURIUE: RLSHING VS. MICHIGAN
RUSING DEFENSE: I ere's the thing:
Purdue doesn't really run the ball. On
purpose, anyway. Brees' scrambling is
good enough to make him second on the
team in rushing. He has three touch-
downs and averages 43 yards per game.
Leading sophomore Sedrick Brown, in
five games, has 265 Yards. Total. But
watch out for Vinny Sutherland on the
end-around, coach Joe Tiller's favorite
gimmick.
Whether Purdue can get anything
done on the ground may hinge largely on
who Michigan decides to play. Larry
Foote went down early in the first half
last week, but should play, and Carr said
he expects that Eric Wilson, down since
the UCLA game, might also return.
There are enough variables in this
matchup to almost offer no action, but
we can still make a safe call.
Advantage: Michigan
PuRIUE PASSING vS. MICHIGAN PASS-
ING DEFENSE: There is little question
where the advantage lies here. Purdue's
See MATCHUPS, Page 13
against No. 16 Colgate in the nightcap.
For the Wolverines, this tournament
represents a tremendous upgrade in
competition from last week's opponent,
Wilfrid Laurier. But, coach Red
Berenson sounded confident that his
team would be ready for all comers.
"I'm feeling all right about our team
Berenson said. "You're always a little
worried about every game, but health-
wise, I think we're ready to play, and I
just hope we can get off to a good start."
Several Michigan players (captain
'Geoff Koch, Mark Kosick and Jeff
Jillson) have been battling nagging
injuries and ailments over the past week,
but they should all be ready for tonight's
iatchup against Colgate.
The Red Raiders should be familiar to
fans of Michigan hockey - the
Wolverines knocked Colgate out of last
year's NCAA Tournament in a heart-
stopping 4-3 overtime thriller.
Colgate coach Don Vaughan felt that
fans could expect a similar style of game
tonight.
"Michigan always plays- a real up-
tempo kind of game," Vaughan said. "I
don't expect to see anything different --
if anything, I think it'll be more up-
tempo in this building."
Despite the devastating manner in
which the Red Raiders' season ended
'es on Yos
ckey year
last year, revenge doesn't appear tobea
big motivating factor for Colgate..
"We haven't talked a lot about-ihe
revenge thing," Vaughan said. "We re4l
ize that this is a new season
The day's first game - Iev
Hampshire versus North Dakota - h>
a similar theme to the Michigan
Colgate tussle.
iT : Last year, the
ENA Wildcats trounced
kotavs. the Fighting Sioux;
6-2, and the two
gan vs. teams were set for a
p.m. rematch in an
WCBN NCAA West
DAM HRegion quarterfinal
efor this weekend's But, those plans
t office at 764-0247. were put on hold
when New
Hampshire was shocked by tourney
newcomer Niagara.
"They beat us 6-2 last year" Nort
Dakota coach Dean Blais said. "
we're hopefully going to get revenge.
them and show those Wildcats."
Adding intrigue are the memories of
the Fighting Sioux' last visit to Yost I
Arena in 1998.
In what was one of the most merio
rable games ever played at Yost,'aq
upstart Michigan squad came back fro i
a 3-1 third-period deficit to stun No 1,
North Dakota, 4-3 in an NCAA West
Region quarterfinal.
"Coming back here, I definitely hakc
some bad memories,' Blais said, a
which point he began humming "T4&
Victors." "That was a real tough loss. ii
most of the year, we were the No. I te'
in the country, and then to come in here-
and have to play Michigan, and the
went on to win the national title."
The weekend's games promise to.
exciting for the fans and the players,,
the overall mood of the coaches was
haps best summed up byN>
Hampshire's Dick Umile. -
"There's an awful lot we need to work
on, quite honestly," Umile said. "I
early, too early to play a game, but nit
everybody's in the same boat, so let's
out and see what happens"
MICHIGAN PASSING VS. PURDUE PASS-
ING DEFENSE: Last week, Michigan's
I
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CHICAGO
HUMANITIES
FESTIVAL XI
NOVEMBER 2-12, 2000
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