w w w w w w w w w lqw lqmpm T T T qq-w T -W "W- Friday, September 21, 2001 - FOOTBALL SA 6B - The Michigan Daily - FOOTBALL SATURDAY - Friday, September 21, 2001 Return to normalcy: Michigan takes on MAC team h yi riJ -1 PROC S' By Jeff Phillips Daily Sports Editor When big-time programs schedule nonconference games, the majority of schools find teams that are weaker and are willing to take money for what will likely be a loss. Western Michigan is one of those weaker teams.. The Broncos may be a power in the Mid-American Conference - they advanced to the MAC championship game last season - but have yet to show they can play with the national powers. Western Michigan knocked off Iowa last season, 27-21, but it has yet to win a game against a ranked opponent. So, as the Broncos prepare to face No. 20 Michigan this Saturday, the odds are not in their favor - but you never know. MICHIGAN RUSHING OFFENSE VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN RUSHING DEFENSE: The Wolverines looked solid in the running game against Washington before giving it up for passing at the end of the game. Chris Perry got the majori- ty of the Michigan's 37 carries with 24 for 95 yards. The new offensive created holes in Washington's line and made superstar nose tackle Larry Tripplett a non-factor. Michigan will continue to use both B.J. Askew and Perry at tailback and each have shown that they are worthy of the starting position and bring something different to the table. The Broncos return one of the MAC's best defensive line with All-MAC per- formers Anthony Allsbury and Chris Browning. But Western Michigan, in its first real competition of the season, looked paper mache-like in surrendering 271 rushing yards and three touchdowns to a powerful Virginia Tech rushing game last Saturday. Expect more of the same against Michigan, which is averaging over 150 yards rushing per game. Advantage: Michigan MICHIGAN PASSING OFFENSE VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN PASSING DEFENSE: John Navarre has found a go- to receiver in Marquise Walker, who scorched the Washington secondary for a Michigan record 15 receptions en route to 159 yards and two scores. Walker will likely match up against the Broncos' biggest cornerback, the 6-foot-I-inch Joe Bellard. Walker used his superior leaping ability to his advantage against similarly sized foes in Washington cornerbacks Omare Lowe and Roc Alexander. Bellard may get some help from safe- ty Jermaine Lewis - a 6-foot-4, second team All-MAC selection. On the other side, Ron Bellamy will face another second team All-MAC selection in Ronald Rogers. The 5-foot-9 Rogers led the Broncos with four inter- ceptions last season. Despite the experience in the sec- ondary, the big Michigan receivers will be too much for Western Michigan. WESTERN MICHIGAN RUSHING OFFENSE VS. MICHIGAN RUSHING DEFENSE: Western Michigan lost one of the MAC's top running backs, Robert Sanford, and has yet to find a solid replacement. Sophomore Phillip Reed leads the Broncos with just 96 yards in two games and has yet to score a touch- down. Western Michigan's running game was held in check by the Virginia Tech defense, which allowed the Broncos to gain just 34 yards. Larry Foote's return to the defense was felt immediately by the Wolverines. Foote helped the Michigan defense hold Washingtori's rushing combo of Rich Alexis and Willie Hurst to under 70- yards rushing last Saturday, but allowed Miami, (Ohio) spread offense to rush for 127 yards the previous week. Foote's performance earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. But the strength of the team doesn't not lie in the rushing game and Michigan - which is expecting senior co-captain Eric Brackins back from injury - shouldn't have a problem stopping the Broncos. Advantage: Michigan punts for nearly 78 yards and it looked like any one of them could be broken for the score. Curry got tremendous block- ing from his teammates and could again be a factor in the game. Advantage: Michigan INTANGIBLES: What do the Broncos have to lose? They are expected to lose the game and won't face a team as strong as Michigan during conference play. If they pull off the upset, it will be national sports news. From this position, Western Michigan is free to take more chances than it normally would. But the Wolverines are coming off a tough loss and would fall out of the rankings with another one. They will need to regroup and use the game to pre- pare for the beginning of the conference season. But it is at the Big House and with 110,000 Michigan fans, the advantage goes to the Wolverines. Advantage: Michigan ComingI Soon at a quarterback near you AP PHOTO Wide receiver Marquise Walker had a career day - and a record-breaking day - against Washington and should take the Western Michigan secondary to school. By Jon Schwartz Daily Sports Editor The doubters were everywhere. People read that this year's Michigan defense was going to be much better than last year's and they scoffed. They heard how strong the linebackers were going to be and they said they were going to wait and see. So they waited until the Miami (Ohio) game. They saw. And they weren't happy. Larry Foote, one of Michigan's standout linebackers had gotten injured after the first defensive series. He spent the rest of the game watching from the sidelines. Again, the nay-sayers were told to wait until Michigan played another game, until Michigan had a chance to improve on the mis- takes of week 1. They were told how much better the unit would be when Foote returned. So they waited until the Washington game, this time a bit more cyni- ically.. They saw, this time with a far more critical eye. And they were happy. Foote - the senior inside linebacker, who along with Eric Brackins and Victor Hobson should make up one of Michigan's finest line- backer corps ever - was back. And he had taken over. Foote's 12-tackle performance, which included six tackles for a losses totalling 15 yards, was not enough to secure the win for Michigan. What it did was establish himself, and his defensive mates, as a tremendous force. The Big Ten named Foote its defensive player of the week. His performance took so much out of him that he needed an IV after the game due to dehydration. "My defensive linemen did a great job for me," Foote said. "They get a lot of credit for all the plays I was able to make." As a whole, the defense gave up just nine points to the Huskies on three field goals. Washington's two touchdowns came on a field goal block that was returned 77 yards and a 21-yard intercep- tion return. Foote's performance against model that will influence in a positive way the young guys." His performance cer- tainly has been a positive influence It's nearly impossible to assume that younger play- ers weren't watching in, amazement as Foote took the defense under his wing two weeks ago. His sixr tackles for loss ties Michigan's single-game record. His previous high was three, against Bowling FILE PHOTO Green last year. Larry Foote is now in the best shape of his Also, while such projec- life and is leading the Michigan defense. tions are probably prema- ture, he is on pace to record 36 tackles for loss, 10 more than the record set by Mark Messner in 1988. But Carr knows that Foote is capable of achieving almost anything this season. "He's in the best condition of his life," Carr said. "He worked hard this summer, but his greatest asset is his movement, his mobility, his enthusiasm for the game. He's always had good mobility but he want- ed to be faster and he's worked hard to do that." Michigan's offense is not as strong this year as it has been in the past. Because of that, Foote's contributions are going to be extremely important as the season goes on. After all, as Michigan learned last weekend, great defense is sometimes not good enough. "We want, on the defensive side, to keep doing what we're doing," Foote said. "You have to be perfect some days in college football." WESTERN MICHIGAN PASSING OFFENSE VS. MICHIGAN PASSING DEFENSE: Western Michigan's quarter- back Jeff Welsh earned honorable men- tion All-MAC honors last season and hopes to improve upon that this year. Thus far he has struggled, passing for just 430 yards and five touchdowns. The majority of Welsh's stats came against Division I-AA Illinois State, while he was put on lockdown by the Hokies. Michigan has played admirably thus far, but has had trouble against bigger receivers. The Wolverines allowed the Huskies' 6-foot-4 receiver Reggie Williams to go for 134 yards in his first college game. Luckily for Michigan, the Broncos tallest starter is the 6-foot Micah Zuhl and there shouldn't be too many match- up problems in the secondary. Miami (Ohio) showed that the Wolverines are still weak in covering the spread offense, so Western Michigan should use it whenever possible. But there is just too much athleticism on the Michigan defense for the Broncos. Advantage: Michigan SPECIAL TEAMS: The Wolverines' missed blocking assignment on a field goal was costly against Washington and was something that Michigan worked on this week in practice. Both teams are solid overall in special teams, but what makes the difference in this category is the play of Julius Curry. The junior cornerback returned four The Broncos enter the game without pressure. But Michigan should win this game - and it shouldn't be close. The Wolverines have too many weapons and too much experience for Western Michigan. Western Michigan will need to rely on its passing game to have a chance against Michigan. Michigan 37, Western Michigan 14 MIC H IGAJ WESTERN Before every football ers Jeff Phillips and . matchup to the Plays For this week's matc and Schwartz took th Play of the game - advantage of untimel Western Michigan's Wolverines' DT No. 9 first half. Michigan th score at 21-7 at theI recover. Most unrealistic pla) caught off guard in a seconds left in the g by throwing a touchd Player of the game - rarely used slot rece secondary, accumula touchdowns. Michigan key stats Passing: QB No. 16 Rushing: RB No. 23 receiving); RB No. 8 Receiving: W R No. A 3 receptions, 144 ya Defense: 2 forced fu Western Michigan k Passing: QB No. 12 Rushing: RB No. 23 Receiving: WR No. 8 WR No. 4 - 4 recei Defense: 1 blocked PRESS CO Western Michigan hea I knew we were in trc ball bounced off RB r' team - but hey, wha The other fumble and Turnovers were the ki When we blocked his cheating. What a joke My guys blew it toda: know if they had anyt Give me the athletes happen. That isn't to Michigan head Coach I'd like to think that n Cheating never wins. they want, but if we n Truly a tremendous inside and outside of1 it on fourth-and-long' satisfaction of blocki I like WR No. 19. He got him the ball more wasn't fazed by the r night game at Michig I could tell, other tha We don't quite know I can tell you for sure that is affected.. -7 (TIX Oo- B-f STAFF PICKS WEEK 2 SEECTIONS ALL PICKS MADE AGAINST THE SPREAD. HOME TEAMS IN CAPS... 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Best bet Wisconsin Illinois Northwestern Michigan State Washington is just what Michigan needed after a disappointing performance against Miami (Ohio). But in that first game, Foote didn't play, and neither did Brackins, who defensive lineman Jake Frysinger will return for the Western Michigan game. After two games this season, Foote already has 12 tackles and six for loss (he did not register any stats in week 1.) What's more important is that he has the chance to stand among the best Michigan linebackers of all time. Six Michigan linebackers have been named All-Americans in the last 30 years. Their names are tacked atop Michigan's record books. On paper, Foote's numbers don't compare with the other six. Even with a tremendous season, Foote will most likely not crack the top 15 in tackles (Steve Strinko, No. 15 on the list, has 297, while Foote, to date, has 142.) But statistics mean little if Foote can rally this defense around his efforts and leave Michigan the way coach Lloyd Carr thinks seniors should. "He understands that when you get to be a senior, on your way out, it's more than about yourself. It's about giving back to your teammate, being the leader, role Record last week Season Record (Best bets) 11-4 11-4 (1-0) 7-8 7-8 (1-0) 7-8 7-8 (1-0) 12-3 12-3 (1-0) FILE PHOTO Michigan coach Uoyd Carr compared Foote favorably to former Michigan linebackers Dhanl Jones and Ian Gold, both who are now playing In the NFL. Advantage: Michigan