The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - October 16, 2000-_5B
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Throwing on first down
works to perfection for'
M
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.By Mark Francescutti
,)aihySports Editor
It worked on Tecmo Super Bowl,
it works in the NFL, now it works
.with the Michigan offense.
Passing on first down.
Instead of an Anthony Thomas
draw play for two yards, the
Wolverines aggressively broke out
in their offense and surprised
Indiana on Saturday.
"If you look at the film, they
'probably thought, Oh it's Michigan,
they probably are going to want to
run the ball,"' wide receiver Ronald
-Bellamy said.
Michigan instead passed eight
times out of their first 12 plays on
first down, looking more like Mike
Martz's Rams offense than a tradi-
tional Michigan big, pound-the-ball
onslaught.
Quarterback Drew Henson con-
nected on six of those passes for 161
yards and two touchdowns.
But moreover, coach Lloyd Carr,
thought to be the conservative type
in not running up the score, may
have finally realized that no lead is
safe.
Up 17-0, and one play after an
Antwaan Randle El fumble,
Michigan coaches called a pass over
the mniddle to Terrell for a 27-yard
touchdown.
Ahead 31-0, Carr ran five passing
plays to only four runs, on an 80-
vard touchdown drive.
"We saw from last week that when
complacency sets in, it's hard to turn
it back on when we need to,"
Henson said. "Our theme this week
was to play four quarters of good
offensive football on our part. We
had to remain aggressive."
Coaches finally called it quits on
the final drive with Michigan up 58-
0. Quarterback Andy Mignery ran
the ball himself on the last three
plays, instead of going for the
touchdown or a field goal.
DEFENSE BUILDS STrAvt: On his
Big Ten Ticket show, former
Michigan coach Bo Schembechler
said that the Michigan defense
"should be embarrassed" with their
performance thus far this season,
after giving up 412 yards of offense
in each of the past four games.
This weekend, Michigan respond-
ed, shutting down Indiana for the
most part (Indiana averaged 38.4
points per game in its first five con-
tests). The Hoosiers' biggest threat,
Randle El, was held to a modest 39
net yards on I I carries and only Ill
yards (13-of-27 passing) through
the air.
"We had lost a lot of confidence
from our coaches and our fans,"
linebacker Larry Foote said. "Today,
we really wanted to get after Randle
Ti'oUH tEs: It may have been
the biggest reason Michigan came to
play against the Hoosiers -- an
excruciating tough week of practice.
Coaches ran more tackling drills
and spurred an intensity in players
they haven't seen since the start of
the year - fisticuffs between block-
er and defender even broke out at
times. Carr also kept players for 15
or 30 extra minutes.
On a side note, redshirted quarter-
back Jermaine Gonzales earned the
thespian award thispast week for his
portrayal of Randle El on the option
in practice.
Nor TALKING: It looks like Carr
has already spoken to his team about
bulletin board material.
Linebacker Eric Brackins, when
asked what the Michigan-Michigan
State game means to him -"I'm
not going to say anything," Brackins
said.
Foote, a much more outspoken
linebacker, did have something to
say.
"It's going to be a war - there's a
lot of trash-talking going on in the
summer," said Foote, who sees a lot
of Spartans players at summer
camps. "The state of Michigan is
split up this week. Even at my
church it's half Michigan, half
Michigan State."
INJiRY t PDAITE: Linebacker Eric
Wilson did not play against Indiana
due to a neck injury he suffered in
practice during a basic tackling
drill. Wilson will return this week-
end.
Freshman running back Chris
Perry remains at 70 percent with an
assortment of injuries ranging from
a bruised hip to a bruised rib.
Perry missed last week's game
against Purdue, but returned
Saturday to gain 45 yards on five
carries.
"I couldn't run and I couldn't
even shake," Perry said. "I was real
upset when I watched Purdue. I was
itching to get back on the field."
I'm "no where near 100 percent,
it's just going to take some rehab."
Henson, meanwhile, is in seem-
ingly perfect health.
"I feel 100 percent. There's no
pain" Henson said. "There hasn't
been for two, three weeks now. So
it's not on my mind."
,!e
DAVID KATZ jOD
Junior Marquise Walker chases down his blocked punt on his way to a 41-yard
touchdown return. The play took the wind out of Indiana's sails.
HAYDEN RETRNS: Kicker/'punter
I layden Epstein knocked in his first
field goal since the UCLA game
with a 24 and a 33-yarder, both
coming in the fourth quarter
"It felt really good," said Epstein,
who also set a career long in punts
with a 67-yard blast in the first
quarter. "It builds up my confidence
a little bit.''
Epstmcii said that coaches told him
this week that lie will take any long
kicks, most likely past the 40-to=45-
yard threshold. Shorter kicks will
continue to be handled by fifth-year
senior Jeff Del Verne.
Minnesota stuffs Bucks; State still winless
EVANSTON (AP) - Purdue had
the perfect cure for Northwestern's
Rose Bowl fever: Drew Brees.
The Heisman Trophy hopeful threw
for 239 vards and five touchdowns
Saturday and ran for another 56 yards
as No. 21 Purdue earned a 41-28 vic-
tory over No. 17 Northwestern.
It was the first Big Ten loss for the
ildcats (3-1, 5-2), whose surprising
start had them flashing back to their
1995 Rose Bowl season.
"Drew gets an A-plus with the win,,'
'-iid Vinny Sutherland, who caught
two of Brees' scoring passes.
+ Brees is only 168 yards shy of tving
Iowa's Chuck Long for the Big Ten
record for passing yards (10,461). It's
the only major passing record left for
- Brees, who already has set marks for
touchdowns (81), completions (897),
attempts (1,459) and total offense
(11.021 yards).
"He's a special player,"
Northwestern coach Randy Walker
said. "He makes a couple of shots and
you lust go, Wow.'
And there's more to Purdue's
offense than Brees. Montrell Lowe
rushed for a career-high 174 yards,
including a 50-yard run on Purdue's
very first series. Sutherland caught
eight passes for 84 yards, and John
Standeford had six catches for 74
yards and three touchdowns.
Zak Kustok was 18-of-28 for 260
vards and two touchdowns, but he also
threw two interceptions. Damien
Anderson, who'd rushed for 685 yards
in the last three games, was held to
just 55 yards on 17 carries.
MINNEsOTA 29, Onto Sixi 17:
Minnesota ended 50 years of frustra-
*tion. Ohio State's might just be begin-
ning.
"It's almost unbelievable,"
Minnesota coach Glen Mason said
after his Golden Gophers earned a
shocking 29-17 victory over No. 6
Ohio State on Saturday. "After the
game they said. 'Coach, you're on top
of the Big Ten.' I don't know if we can
handle that. I mean, we are what we
are.
Minnesota's last win in Columbus
was in 1949, with Ohio State winning
the last 15 times the Gophers came to
town. The Golden Gophers had lost 16
in a row to the Buckeyes and 28 of the
last 29.
Maybe the next streak to fall will
be Minnesota's 29 years without a
trip to the Rose Bowl. The Golden
Gophers (3-1, 5-2) are one of five
teams with only one- loss in the Big
Ten race.
"This program is not turned around
yet," Mason said. "But we're getting
better.,"
After the game, the entire team ran
to the tiny corner of Ohio Stadium
reserved for visiting fans and lined up
to shake hands and wave to the cheer-
ing, clapping crowd. 4
After a week of daydreaming about
BCS rankings and polls, the Buckeyes
(2-I, 5-1) again saw a season of
promise turn to ashes against another
"M" school.
11AANOis 31, Iowa 0: Kurt Kittner
threw for 248 vards and three touch-
downs as Illinois bounced back after
two losses with a 31-0 victory over
Iowa on Saturdav. .
The Illini (1-2, 4-2), who allowed
35 points to Michigan and 44 to
Minnesota in its losses, dominated the
lawkeyes by forcing four turnovers
and recording five sacks in posting
Revenge
The Wolverines have rebounded well
from losses to Michigan State.How the
Wolverines have fared following a loss
to Michigan State in the '90s:
1990: Michigan State 28, Michigan 27.
1991: Michigan 45, Michigan State 28
1993: Michigan State 17, Michigan 7
1994: Michigan 40, Michigan State 20
1995: Michigan State 28, Michigan 25
1996: Michigan 45, Michigan State 29
1999: Michigan State 34, Michigan 31
LOOKING AHEAD
Five teams in the Big Ten have
one loss and are still dreaming of
roses.
With four games left for most of
the teams in the Big Ten, it's time
to take a look ahead and find out
which matchups are left on the
schedule.
Michigan (3-1): Michigan State,
at Northwestern, Penn State,
at Ohio State
Minnesota (3-1): at Indiana,
Northwestern, at Wisconsin, Iowa
Northwestern (3-1): at Minnesota,
Michigan, at Iowa, Illinois
Purdue (3-1): at Wisconsin, Ohio
State, at Michigan State, Indiana
Ohio State (2-1): at Iowa,
at Purdue, Michigan State,
at Illinois, Michigan
GAME PROGRESSION
FIRST QUARTER:
After a Jeff Del Verne field goal
for Michigan, Todd Howard
hauled in a tipped Antwaan
Randle El pass for an intercep-
tion
The Wolverines pi Gir imptly marched
71 yards in nine plays culminat
ng in an Anthony Thomas run
from seven yards out for
Michigan's first touchdown of the
day.
Michigan 10, indiana 0
SECOND QUARTER:
Indiana was moving the hall well
until a bad snap by center Craig
Osika put the Hoosiers in a 3rd-
and-45 situation.
After a failed quick kick. Indiana
had its punt blocked by flanker-
special teamer Marqu is Walker,
who returned it 41 yars for the
touchdown
Michigan 17, Indiana 0
After a recovered fumble,
Michigan struck quickly. Drew
Henson threw over the middle to
David Terrell for a 27yard touch
down
Michigan 24, indiana 0
Michigan stopped the Hoosiers
and got the ball ba ck in seemingly
harmless field position at1 its own
19.
Henson then found Walker on a
streaking sideline route for 75
yards. Thomas was the benefici
ry of Walker's catch-and-run,
punching in the touchdown from
six yards out.
Michigan 31, Indiana O
The Wolverines quickly got the
bali back and marched down the
field, taking nine plays to go 80
yards. Chris Perry rushed off left
end for 22 yards and the score to
culminate, the drive of 3:31
Michigan 38, Indiana 0
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr con-
tinued his newfound aggressive-
ness. Henson connected with
Terrell for a 43-yard scoring
strike.
Michigan 45, Indiana 0
THIRD QUARTER:
Michigan stopped Indin and
began to move the ball on the
ground. Thomas played his final
drive of the afternoon and helped
Michigan move 64 yards in nine
plays.
Thomas' six-yard touchdown run
at left guard was his third of the
day.
Michigan 52, Indiana 0
Randle El took Indiana down the
field for what would be the
Hoosiers' best attempt to break
the shutout. But on 4th-and-.
Randle El's throw to the end zore
was tipped and fell incomplete
The Hoosiers came away without
points.
Michigan then set to work on a
drive that would last 8:02.
FOURTH QUARTER:
Perry and Walter Cross carried as
the Wolverines pounded out the
yardage and the clock The drive
stalled and culminated in a 24-
yard field goal by Hayden Epstein.
his first attempt since being
relieved of his placekicking duties
by Carr during the Illinois game.
Michigan 55, indiana O
A second Epstein field goal
closed out the scoring.
Final: Michigan 58, Indiana 0
WHO'S NEXT:
Thanks to help from Minnesota and
Purdue, Michigan's win over Indiana has
lifted it into a tie for first in the confer-
ence race.
Now the Wolverines must face a down-
trodden Michigan State team that is
winless in the Big Ten - a statistic
that, in these kind of games. is relatively
meaningless.
THE CONCERNS: Michigan's run defense
against the Spartans' only weapon, run-
ning back T.J. Duckett; The Wounded
Animal Theory.
BIG TEN STANDINGS
AP PHOTO
Minnesota made history with its 29-17 bucking of Ohio State in Columbus. After an
0-1 start, Minnesota has moved into position with three straight conference wins.
their first shutout since 1995.
Two of Kittner's touchdown passes
went to Aaron Moorehead, who had
four catches for a career-high 125
yards.
Iowa (1-2, 1-6) did not have a good
day a week after beating Michigan
State for its first victory. Freshman
Jon Beutjer threw two interceptiols
and fumbled once to set up three of'
Illinois' touchdowns. Ladell Bctts ran
for I 15 yards forI owa.
A missed field goal and failed
fourth-down conversion killed
Illinois' first two drives inside the
Iowa 20.
But the Illini scored first in the sec-
ond quarter on two Kittner passes to
Brian Hodges. Ie caught a 21-yarder
at the- Iowa I and, two plays later,
caught another in the end zone.
WiscoNsiN 17, MINIcCAN STXTE
10: It was easy to see why Wisconsin
and Michigan State entered Saturday's
game without a Big Ten win.
Both teams ruined chances to score
while giving the other team opportuni-
ty after opportuniy, just as they had
done in previous games.
Wisconsin's backup quarterback
Jim Sorgi, seizing a final chance to
break open a game tied at 10, threw a
45-yard toLChdown pass to Lee Evans
with 29 seconds left as the Badgers
beat Michigan State 11-I0 on
Saturday and ended a three-game los-
ing streak.
Wisconsin (1-3, 4-3) kept the
Spartans (0-3, 3-3) from winning their
first conference game for new coach
Bobby Williams.
Sorgi, who grew up in the Detroit
suburb of Fraser, was surrounded by
family and friends after the game.
"This is like a dream come true,"
Sorgi said. "To play my first game,
back in Michigan, at Michigan State,
with my family and friends here, and
to throw the winning touchdown pass
with a minute left. It doesn't get any
better than that."
Team
Michigan
Minnesota
Northwestern
Purdue
Ohio State
Illinois
Indiana
Penn State
Iowa
Wisconsin
Michigan State
BIg en
3 1
3 1
3 1.
3 1.
2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 3
0 3
Overall
5 2
5 2
5 2
5 2
5 1
4 2'
2 4
2 5
1 6
4 3
3 3
f
WEEKEND'S BEST
HOW THE AP TOP 25 FARED
Associated Press Poll for week of October 9.
Games updated through October 15.
NEW AP
TOP 25
BucK LUCK ENDS:
Minnesota hadn't won in Columbus
since 1949. As 10.5-point under-
dogs, not many expected the
Gophers to compete well in
Saturday's game either.
With junior-college transfer Travis
Cole making his first career Big Ten
start on the road, Minnesota
marched to victory at Ohio Stadium
on Saturday, knocking off the
Buckeyes 29-17.
WIScoNSIN WEIRDNESS:
(first-place votes in parentheses)
PTS PvS
1. Nebraska
2. Kansas State
3. Virginia Tech
4. Miami (Fla.)
5. Clemson
6. Ohio State
7. Florida State
8. Oklahoma
9. Oregon
10. Florida
1 W alshinotnn
beat Texas Tech 56-3
lost to No. 8 Oklahoma 41-31
beat West Virginia 48-20
idle
beat Maryland 35-14
ost to Minnesota 2917
beat Duke 63-14
beat No. 2 Kansas State 41-31
beat Southern Cal 2817
beat No. 19 Auburn 38 7
heat Ariznna State2 1-15
vs. Baylor
vs. Texas Tech
at Syracuse
at Temple
at North Carolina
at Iowa
vs. Virginia
idle
vs. No. 22 Arizona
idle
vs. California
TEAM
1. Nebraska (66)
2. Virginia Tech (1)
3. Oklahoma (4)
4. Miami (Fla.)
5. Clemson
6. Florida St.
7. Oregon
8. Florida
9. Washington
10. Kansas State
11. TCU
19r~o~a
6-0
6-0
6-0
4-1
7-0
6-1
5-1
6-1
5-1
6-1
5-0
5 -
1,770
1,656
1,603
1,546
1,523
1,439
1,290
1,242
1,147
1,118
1,042
SAS
1
3
8
4
5
7
9
10
11
2
12
14
THIS WEEKEND'S RESULTS
MICHIGAN 58, Indiana 0
Wisconsin 17, MiCHIGAN STAOE 10
Minnesota 29, OIO STATE 17
Purdue 41, NcRTnWEslTEN 28
ILLNois 31, IoWa 0
SATURDAY'S GAMES
Michigan State at Michigan, 3:30
Ohio State at Iowa, noon
Illinois at Penn State, 12:10 p.m.
Purdue at Wisconsin, 12:10 p.m.
Minnesota at Indiana. TBA
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