20A-- The Michigan Daily - SportsWednesday - September 5, 2001
MICHIGAN 31
, MIAMI (OHIO) 13
0
«.riii' w. ri
GAME
Team Stats
First Downs
Rushes/Yards
Pass ng-Yards
Offensive Plays
Total Offense
Return Yards
Comp/Attllnt
Punts/Avg
Fumbles/Lost
Penalt ies/Yards
Time of Pass
M I
PASSING
Player
Navarre
Gonzales
Brinton
Totals
RUSHING
Player
Askew
Bell
Perry
Underwood
Cross y
Navarre
Totals
RECEIVING
Player
Bell
Walker
Seymour
Bellamy
Askew
Edwards
Perry
Dubuc
Joppru
Totals
PUNTING
Player
Epstein
Totals
12
2(
At
20
2
11
3
47
STATISTICS
MICH MIAMI
22 18
47/189 29/127
214 223
81 73
403 350
60 157
20/34/0 22/44/3
6/35.5 7137.1
1/1 1/0
> 2/20 6/55
32:44 27:16
C H I G A N
C-A Yds TD Int
9-32 205 1 0
1-1 9 0 0
0-1 0 0 0
0-34 214 1 O
t Yds Avg Lg TO
94 4.7 30 1
2 36 18.0 24 1
32 2.9 12 0
5 19 3.8 8 0
5 15 2.5 8 1
3 -7 -2.3 4 0
7 189 4.0 30 3
Yds Avg Lg TO
26 5.2 9 0
44 14.7t 39 0
36 12.0 14 0
34 17.0 19 0
29 14.5 30 0
22 11.0 13 0
12 12.0 12 0
10 10.0 10 0
1 1.0 1 1
214 10,7 39 1
No. Yds Avg Lg
6 213 35.5 49
6 213 36.5 49
VS
o. Yds Avg Ig TO
1 9 9.0 9 0
1 27 27.0 27 0
2 36 18.0 27 0
o. Yds Avg Lg TO
4 24 6.0 13 0
4 24 6.0 13 0
No.
5
3
3
2
2-
2
1
20
i
Surprise!1
Askew lines
UP at tailback
By Jon Schwartz
Daily Sports Editor
As a true freshman last year, tailback Chris
Perry turned quite a few heads.
Backing up Anthony Thomas, who would
become Michigan's all-time rushing leader,
Perry played in all but two of the Wolverines'
games, carrying the ball 77 times for 417 yards
and five touchdowns.
Coming into fall practice, Perry was expected
to pick up the torch that Thomas left behind
when he was drafted by the Chicago Bears of the
NFL. With the numbers to back up his potential,
it seemed like a sure thing.
Meanwhile, it looked as though junior B.J.
Askew would come into the season at fullback,
after picking up 40 yards on 11 carries and catch-
ing 18 passes for 257 yards in the 2000 cam-
paign.
So it was a bit of a surprise to some fans when
Askew started the Miami game lined up behind
quarterback John Navarre in the tailback posi-
tion, where he played as a freshman in 1999.
It was a bit more of a surprise when Navarre
handed' ff to Askew in each of the first four
plays for 12 yards.
By the end of the game, the surprises had land-
ed Askew 94 yards on 20 carries and two catches
for 29 yards. He also ran for a touchdown.
"He ran tremendously," Navarre said. "He has
been working hard all through the spring and
summer, and had a tremendous training camp. So
he ran really hard and that's what we needed
from him. He pounded the ball up the middle and
broke some tackles and got the yardage he need-
ed to get."
Askew was able to pick up the big plays on
two other occasions to set up touchdowns, one
catch for 30 yards toward the end of the first half
to set up the Bennie Joppru's. game-winning
touchdown catch from the two-yard line and a
run for 30 yards in the fourth that led to Calvin
Bell's 12-yardarun on a reverse.
"I love running the football," Askew said.
"Some people have a love for what they do, and
that is where my heart is, so I would love to get
more carries."
Left watching was Perry, who could compile
only 32 yards on I1 carries.
"B.J. did a great job," Perry said. "I think I
Sc',
MIAMI
Continued from Page VA
duress - and think he would like to
have those plays back," Carr said.
Michigan again capitalized on the,
Miami turnover with a 70-yard scoring
drive just before the end of the half.
The Wolverines quickly moved the
ball down field on the shoulders of
Askew, who had a 15-yard run and a.
30-yard reception on the drive.
But Michigan ran into trouble again
inside the five-yard line. After three
rushing attempts produced a total of:
one yard, Michigan finally hit paydirt
on fourth down with a fake handoff to
Askew and a rollout pass from Navarre
to tight end Bennie Joppru with 30 sec-
onds left in the half.0
The first possession of the second
half by Miami marked the beginning of
an offensive struggle that lasted the
entire quarter.
In total of eight possession com-
bined, both teams crossed 50-yard line
just once, with the longest drive being
a nearly 30 yard drive by the Red-
Hawks. Of Michigan's four posses-
sions, three were three-and-out.
"The third quarter was an absolute
disappointment offensively - we just
left our defense out there the whole
quarter," Carr said.
In the fourth quarter, Miami's final
chance to get back into the game was
foiled by another interception by the
Michigan secondary. Jeremy LeSueur
picked off Roethlisberger's pass in the
endzone.
"It was a horrible decision on m
part," Roethlisberger said. "I thought
that I could get it to Jason and let him
jump - he's already big enough as it
is. He can out-jump anyone. I just did-
n't have the arm strength to get it
there."
The Michigan offense stormed down
the field in a three-minute, 80-yard-
drive. Another long run by Askew set
up Bell's second reverse of the gam*
for the touchdown.
After another Miami punt, the
Wolverines ran over Miami's demoral-
ized defense. Freshman David Under-
wood saw his first action in a Michigan
uniform and combined with senior
Walter Cross for 40 yards rushing on
the drive. Cross scored on a one-yard
touchdown run.
Miami tacked its second touchdown.
in the waning minutes to put the scot
at 31-13.
KICKOFF RETURN
PlayerN
Orr
Howard
Totals
PUNTrRETURNS
Player 1N
Curry
Totals
DEFENSE
Player
Drake
LeSueur
Kaufman
Jackson
Diggs
Hobson
June
Curry, J.
Curry, M.
Spytek
Casseus
Williams
Frysinger
Rumishek
Stevens
Heuer
Howard
Bowman
manning
Parson
Orr
Jordan
Epstein
Shaw'
PASS DEFENSE
Player
Willians
Diggs
LeSueur
) aufman
Orr
Shaw
Totals
A' f:: }. fr.
;:;
Solo
6
6
5
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Yds
1
11
0
0
0
0
12
Asat
O
0
0
1
0
O
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Tot
6
6
5
5
4
4
4
8
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
TO
0
0
0
0
0
0D
O
Many people expected B.J. Askew to start at fullback for the Wolverines this season. But instead he opened the
season behind John Navarre at tailback, his position during his freshman year.
could have run a little bit harder, kept my eyes
up and used my vision a little bit better. It will
all come."
Perry got his chances. In the late third quarter
to early fourth quarter, Navarre gave him the ball
on several occasions as he picked up about 20
yards. But soon after, Askew returned to the
game and broke his 30-yard run.
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said that Askew's
return to the tailback spot was based on a
tremendous fall practice, where he outshone
Perry and senior Walter Cross.
"He has really made strides as a pass blocker
and seems to be developing into the same mould
as Anthony Thomasdid," Carr said. "He can
catch, block and run. He just needs to continue to
do it over the length of the season. A good run-
ning back is a guy that can go every week
throughout the season, hang onto the ball while
he is tired and play through some pain. It's not a
two-game evaluation.
"B.J. has good balance. He is not an easy guy
to knock off his feet. He may not have some of
the moves as (former Michigan running back)
Tim Biakabutuka, but if he maintains his focus
and doesn't get distracted then he can be a great
back for us."
At this point in the season, it's obviously pre-
mature to assume what will become of Perry's
role. His talent is as expansive as his potential,
and it's hard to tell whether he'll have to wait a
game, a month, a season or two before he gets
the chance that he was expecting this year.
"Hopefully, we can be a one-two punch,"
Perry said. "Or even be a dombination with Wal-
ter (Cross) and Dave (Underwood). Whatever
happens, happens, so we'll see what happens
next week."
I nt
0
0
3
Lg
10
0
0
0
01
Brk-up
2
7
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Although Miami (Ohio) managed only 13 points
against the Wolverines on Saturday, Michigan did not
play strong defense. The Red Hawks made several
mistakes that prevented them from putting more
points on the board:
First Quarter
Miami quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throws a
strike right into the hands of Michigan linebacker Carl
Diggs.
Second Quarter
0 Roethlisberger is intercepted on the Michigan 29,
killing a possible scoring drive.
Third Quarter
RedHawks are penalized 10 yards for holding on a
third-and-11 from the Michigan 47.
Another hold negates a 60 yard touchdown from
Roethlisberger.
Fourth Quarter
Michigan cornerback Jeremey ILeSueur locks in the
win with an interception in the end zone.
Ryan Hawk scrambles 14 yards for a late touch-
down, but has it called back on another holding call.
UDVID ROtAwINL/Daiy
Although Michigan's B.J. Askew ran for 94
yards, Miami was hurt by its own mistakes.
SCHWARTZ
Continued from Page 17A
Hawks were inexcusable. With all due respect to Miami,
Michigan's defensive line - heralded as much-improved
from last year's unit - should not miss tackle after tackle
against MAC players. The offensive line, even a young
offensive line, should be able to lead tailback B.J. Askew
one yard forward on fourth-and-one from the 49-yard line.
"I think the defense as a whole expects a lot from our-
selves and we don't expect to miss tackles like we did
against Miami," linebacker Victor Hobson said. "I think on
Saturday we missed a few tackles we should have made and
I think we gave up a few big plays that we shouldn't have.
That's going to happen in a first game, but we expect a lot
from ourselves and expect that not to happen."
It can't happen in Seattle.
Husky Stadium might be the toughest place in the country
for visitors to win. And Michigan coach Lloyd Carr knows
the issues that the rabid Washington fans can cause.
"I have said through the years that there are lots of stadi-
ums in this conference that are loud, but the loudest stadium
I have ever been in was at Washington," Carr said. "I don't
know what year that was but they get tremendous fan sup-
port and they really get into the game. Sometimes that can
create problems."
Carr is right - winning in Husky Stadium is difficult for
a weathered and experienced team. But the bigger concern is
how a young and mistake-prone team, which the Wolverines
-'...,....1f ~ ...«4+ -D A T A fYl n~lA+ on -c
scider beatable.
"I think (Navarre) was correct when he said you learn a
lot about a team's character in a game like Washington,"
defensive lineman Dan Rumishek said. "It's very good to
learn about it early in the season because then you know
what you are working with for the rest of the year."
By no means will winning in Washington be easy. And
for all intents and purposes, the game that the Wolverines
played against Miami is not going to cut it at all. If the same
team shows up this'weekend, things could get ugly.
But should Michigan clean off the rust and perform like
the No. 12 team in the country, it could do what only five
visiting teams have done in the past 47 games at Husky S4
dium - win.
"We have some things to work on and we have some
things to correct," Navarre said. "The good thing is a lot of
them are correctable, and we can get better. The team is con-
fident that we can play better football than what we did on
Saturday. All in all we feel good."
Jon Schwartz can be reached at jlsz@umich.edu
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