-'MAlrbgu Tdw PORTS Sports desk: 647-3336 sportsdesk@umich.edu SECTION B I I --- - --- -- -- Var sity blanks Michigan State, 14-0 A cathartic victory for the Wolverines: They remember here was no need for a two-point conversion this year. No on-sides kick attempt. No sideline passing route to kill the clock. Watching Michigan and Michigan State go back and forth as the press-box shadow crept slowly over the field Saturday, it seemed as though neither team was really winning, and neither was really losing. But after the daylight expired, and with the game clock preparing to do likewise, it happened that Michi- gan had 14 points and - Michigan State had none. Michigan's points came in the form of two Anthony Thomasx touchdowns - the sec- ond of which featured, Thomas cutting, break- ing tackles and drag- DAVID ging various Spartans DEN HERDER 30 yards into the end- Double zone for a marshmal- Down low shower. Maybe the biggest offensive play of the afternoon, reporters swarming Thomas after the game asked him to describe all the tucks and weaves that earned him the touchdown. "It's hard to relive." Thomas said frankly. "It's something that just happens." Ever since watching ABC pan out from the brick smokestack behind Spartan Sta- dium my freshman year - anxious about undefeated Michigan, wishing I were there to smell it - I realized the latter to be true. This rivalry is something that just hap- pens. It happened when my friend was Desmond Howard on the playground, it happened when my high school history teacher had to sing "The Victors" on a bet, it will happen every year I have the chance to reminisce the autumns I spent in Ann Arbor. But Thomas is wrong about one thing. It is not hardto relive in the slightest. Not a single detail of last year's 34-31 Michigan State victory escapes me. I can remember every detail - and softly clos- ing my eyes, every haunting image is at my fingertips. I remember the slightly damp astroturf, and how the upper deck was invisible behind a thick, erie fog only two hours before kickoff. I remember ESPN's set in the north endzone, I remem- ber Lee Corso putting on a Spartan hat and I remember the students going wild. I remember Drew Henson's interception, I remember his touchdown pass and I remember exactly how Plaxico Burress looked falling out of bounds on his final reception. Every word I yelled inside the stadium, and every painful taunt yelled at me on the way out - I remember it all. I think Thomas remembers every moment of that touchdown run. And no matter who tries to tell you Sat- urday was just "another win," don't believe them. Not after the block 'S' has been hang- ing in the Michigan lockerroom for an entire year. Not after second-teamers have been wearing make-shift State helmets in practice all week to incite spirit. Not after Lloyd Carr tells you exactly where he sat for the Michigan-Michigan State game in 1969 - and perfectly describes the expression on Bo Schem- bechler's face. Saturday's game was a cathartic victory for Michigan. And while it may have looked like the Anthony Thomas show, the playbook was open wide enough. Michigan is selling the play-action fake, and Henson is playing smart on the rollout. His accuracy and cool head once again kept Michigan out of trouble - even if the completion percentage wasn't as high as in recent weeks. The quick-slant and tapdance, Michigan's new favorite play, was again effective for clutch first-downs - and has yet to be intercepted. Meanwhile, the performances of Victor Hobson and Larry Foote on Michigan's third-quarter goal-line stand were nothing short of unforgettable. So hail to the Avengers. Michigan set- tles into its bye week not undefeated, but refreshingly vindicated. On the other side of this oasis, three opponents who have vivid memories of their own - opponents who can remem- ber every second of "The Victors" being belched into their stadiums, opponents who remember every detail of a winged helmet being raised in the air. Rest up, Wolverines. Michigan State was the biggest game of the year. But only so far. - David Den Herder can be reached at dden@umich.edu PETER CORNUE/Daily Michigan running back Anthony Thomas set a school record for rushing touchdowns this weekend. Story Page 4B. MMM9 .,:.:: , Bowling Green not up to icers' challenge SUBWAY SERIES Clemens hurls two-hitter, bat in 6-5 victory FRIDAY: N 6, 1 YESTERDAY: N4, 'L4,3 MORE HOCKEY COVERAGE: PAGE 3B By Jon Schwartz Daily Sports Writer BOWLING GREEN - Just outside the door to the Bowling Green locker- room, a sign implores the team to over- achieve and show the CCHA's coaches that its team is better than its preseason No. 9 ranking in the coaches poll. "Prove them wrong," the sign pleads, printed over the CCHA logo. The Falcons were unable to do that this past weekend, but the Wolverines were able to legitimize the coaches No. I rank- ing with two victories, 6-1 and 4-3. In the meantime, the Bowling Green players were able to prove that While they may not be ready to beat a national power like Michigan right now, they can com- pete with what may currently be the best team in the league. The wins pushed the Wolverines to 4-0-2 on the young season and 2-0 in the CCHA. The Wolverines attacked early and often throughout the course of the series. "I thought it was a good team effort," Michigan coach Red Berenson said after Friday's victory. "We kept them off bal- anced in the first part of the game and we made them play in their zone more than they wanted to." The Falcons could muster only seven shots combined in the first period of the two games. Michigan countered with 37. The Wolverines made the red light glow four times in the opening frames while Bowling Green could only sneak one first period shot past Michigan goalie Josh Blackburn all weekend. "Scoring early was important, and car- rying a lead throughout the game was good for our team," Berenson said. Over Michigan's first four games, the team often found itself playing from See FALCONS, Page 3B BRENDAN O'DONNELL/Daily Sophomore Mike Cammalleri scored a goal and added two assists in Michigan's sweep of Bowling Green this past weekend. Field hockey nets No. 1 Big Ten seed By Benjamin Singer Daily Sports Writer This Friday's matchup had more than postsea- son implications - it was winner takes all. The Big Ten's field hockey leaders faced off with No. 6 Michigan (5-0 Big Ten, 15-3 overall) at No. 5 Penn State (4-1 Big Ten, 13-3 overall). Pennsylvania native April Fronzoni scored with first-round bye for the Big Ten Tournament. Even with a loss next week in its final Big Ten game and a Penn State win, Michigan would win the head-to-head tiebreaker. Though both teams were undefeated in confer- ence play, the Wolverines were coming off two losses against tough ACC opponents while the Nittany Lions were riding an 11-game winning streak. "I think it helped us prepare in many ways," senior co-captain Kelli Gannon said. "They're good competition and quicker." North Carolina and Wake Forest had 12 and 13 shots on goal respectively - that's easily more than the minimum of six Michigan has limited every other opponent to. While Tobacco Road proved too much last weekend for the Wolverines, they got back to SITTING ON THE TOP The Michigan field hockey team earned at least a tie for the Big Ten title with a 1-0 victory over Penn State. The Wolverines do have the tiebreaker over the Nit- tany Lions, giving them the No. 1 seed at the Big Ten Tourna- ment which will be at home this year. A win over the Spartans on Friday would hand Michigan it's first Big Ten title. Remaining schedule: SI I ,