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sportsdesk@umich.edu
FRIDAY
OCTOBER 26, 2001
8
4
Wolverines' power lies in the
trenches against Hawkeyes
By Jeff Phillips
Daily Sports Editor
Iowa has been the surprise of the young Big
Ten season. Coach Kirk Frentz has done a noble
job in turning around the Hawkeyes, and at 4-2,
his team could reach its first bowl game since
the 1998 Sun Bowl.
But this dramatic turnaround is deceiving, as
Iowa's two Big Ten wins have come against Penn
State and Indiana - 10th and 11th in the confer-
ence, respectively.
With an upset victory over Michigan, which
has had trouble in recent years after the bye
week, the Hawkeyes could jump into the national
spotlight.
MICHIGAN RUSHING DEFENSE VS. IOWA RUSHING
OFFENSE: Iowa's Ladell Betts is a workhorse back
who is averaging over 80 yards per game and has
four touchdowns this season. Last week against
Indiana, he ran over the Hoosiers for more than
170 yards and a score.
But the Michigan rush defense is at least five
times as good as Indiana's and hasn't allowed a
100-yard rusher all season. Don't expect that to
change for Larry Foote and company.
Edge: Michigan
of animal and the Wolverines may need some
time to adjust.
Edge: Iowa
MICHIGAN RUSHING OFFENSE VS. IOWA RUSHING
DEFENSE: Defense has been the pride of Iowa this
season as it leads the conference in total
defense, allowing fewer than 290 yards per
game.
But 130 yards of that comes on the ground
and the Hawkeyes allowed Antwaan Randle El
and Levron Williams to run all over them last
week.
With a healthy Chris Perry and offensive line,
the Wolverines' rushing offense should be too
strong for Iowa.
Edge: Michigan
MICHIGAN PASSING OFFENSE VS. IOWA PASSING
DEFENSE: Iowa is first in the Big Ten in pass
defense and is allowing just 160 yards through
the air. But it has yet to face a receiver as strong
as Marquise Walker.
Walker is having one of the best seasons ever
for a Michigan wide receiver, and he has been a
security blanket for quarterback John Navarre.
This is too close to call and could be decided
by each team's supporting class.
Edge: Even
In the end, Michigan will again have too many
weapons for its opponent. With another solid
game, the Wolverines should retain their No. 7
spot in the BCS and keep their hopes'up for a
Rose Bowl berth.
Michigan 28, Iowa 17
Resurgent Iowa
looms for Varsity
By Arun Gopal
Daily Sports Writer
Two years ago, Kirk Ferentz suffered through a nightmarish first sea-
son as Iowa's football coach.
The Hawkeyes went 0-11 in Ferentz's inaugural campaign, and bright
spots were few and far between for a once-proud program.
Fast forward two years to this season. In his third year at Iowa, Fer-
entz has transformed the Hawkeyes from Big Ten doormats into a poten-
tial bowl team.
When No. 8 Michigan (3-0 Big Ten, 5-1 overall) takes the field at
Kinnick Stadium tomorrow against Iowa (2-2, 4-2), the Wolverines will
see a vastly different squad than they faced three years ago. For one
thing, it will be the first time that they see the team under Ferentz's lead-
ership.
Behind efficient play from senior quarterback Kyle McCann and
tough running by senior tailback Ladell Betts, the Hawkeyes have
demonstrated an overpowering offense and have opened some eyes by
winning both of their nonconference games.
Consecutive conference losses at Michigan State and Purdue tem-
porarily slowed Iowa's momentum, but the Hawkeyes rebounded nicely
last week by defeating Indiana, 42-28, at home.
"Winning last week makes this game a little more interesting," Fer-
entz said. "It ought to be a great environment. This game will be a meas-
uring stick in the development of our team."
Tomorrow's game - which will be regionally televised on ABC -
will give Iowa a chance to make a real statement to the rest of the nation.
Ferentz realizes that for his squad to win, it will have to play a near-
perfect game against the Wolverines.
"Michigan is an outstanding football team," Ferentz said. "It is going
to be a great challenge, and we are looking forward to it."
From Michigan's standpoint, this game is an opportunity to get the
inside track on the Big Ten title and the BCS bowl bid that comes with
it.
Behind the undefeated Wolverines lie three teams with one confer-
ence loss: Purdue, Illinois and Ohio State. But the Wolverines have
already beaten Purdue and Illinois, so in effect, Michigan has a two-
game advantage on both of those schools.
If Michigan can knock off Iowa, the Wolverines will be in very good
shape for the second half of the Big Ten season. Alas, beating the
Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium is a lot easier said than done, something
of which Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is well aware.
"I'm impressed with (Coach Ferentz's) teams because they don't beat
themselves," Carr said. "Our team knows this is going to be a big game
for us:'
MICHIGAN PASSING DEFENSE VS. IOWA PASSING
OFFENSE: Iowa quarterback Kyle McCann leads
the Big Ten in passing efficiency with a 146.7
rating, and until he threw four interceptions in a
loss at Michigan State, he was second in the
nation behind Florida's Rex Grossman. He found
his form again last week by completing 12-of-16
passes and throwing for three touchdowns.
Big-play wideout Kahlil Hill also had a great
day against the Hoosiers with three catches for
93 yards and two scores.
Michigan has limited the passing attacks of
Illinois and Purdue this season, but both of those
were home games.
Road games in the Big Ten are a different kind
D/ANNY UMULUOMH ./UDiy
Michigan Senior wide receiver Marquise Walker will need
another big day on the road against the Hawkeyes.
N . Mkchijan at loui
Tomorrow, 3:30 p~mL
Tomorrow, the Wolverines (3-4 g T -
overafl) face towa (2-2, 4-2) fr the
three years. Michi n is looking to r
alone atop the Bige n as i ed oKnik
This will be the first time that Michigan fa
Iowa under its new coach, Kirk Ferenti, who
replaced the legendary Hayden Fry in 9.
Elsewhere, Michigan sports will e very s
active this weekend, For previews
women's soccer, men's swimming and fekd
hockey, go online to wwwmichigandat.sprt
PROC RASTINATION
STATION
Before every football game this sea-
son, Daily football writers Jeff Phillips
and Jon Schwartz will take the week-
end's matchup to the Playstation 2.
For this week's matchup, coach
Phillips led the home Hawkeyes and
coach Schwartz took the helm for the
Wolverines.
Michigan key stats
Passing: QB No. 16 - 11-24, 280
yards passing, 2 TDs
Rushing: RB No. 23 - 13 carries,
24 yards, 1 TD, 2 fumbles, 1 lost
Receiving: WR No. 4 - 3 recep-
tions, 68 yards, 1 TD
Defense: SS No. 26 - 12 tackles
Iowa key stats
Passing: QB No. 4- 13-of-24, 215
yards passing, 2 TDs
Rushing: RB No. 46 - 21 carries,
141 yards, 3 TDs
Receiving: TE No. 35 - 8 recep-
tions, 100 yards, 2 TDs
Defense: LB'No. 30 - 1 sack, 3
tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble
MICHIGAN 28,
IOWA 38
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES:
Michigan coach Jon S$tiwartz: I have
just one thing to say. HB No. 23 will
never play another game in the maize
and blue. I hope that he's humiliated.
Questions?..
I think that my players were rattled by
the fact that they can't catch. I think
that inability got into their heads and
made them even worse ...
QB No. 16 spread the ball around well,
but no one wanted to catch it ...
Today, I consider myself, the coach of
the worst team on the face of the
earth.
Iowa coach Jeff Phillips: Too much RB
No. 46. He is fast, he is strong, he is
the best back Ive ever coached.s
Coach Schwartz had no answer for
him, only questions like, "What the
hell?" and "What play was that?"
STAFF PICKS
WEEK 8 SELECTIONS
ALL PICKS MADE AGAINST THE SPREAD.
HOME TEAMS IN CAPS.
CHIGAN (5.) at lowa
WISCONSIN (-4.5) vs. Michigan State
PURDUE (-6 ) vs Nrhwestern
OHIO STATE (-7) vs. Penn State
NEBASA (4) vs. Okiahoma
UCLA (-7.5) at STANFORD
STONCOLEGE f3) vs. Notre Dame
FLORIDA STATE (-8) vs. Maryland
FLORIDA (-19) vs. Georgia
TENNESSEE (-7.5) vs. South Carolina
TEXAS AM (-.5)vs, Iowa State
VIRGINIA TECH (-17.5) vs. Syracuse
Clemo -7. t WAKEFOREST
Oregon (-2.5) at WASHINGTON STATE
LOUIS ANA STATE(-10.) vs, Mississippi
Best bet
Record last week
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Raphael Arun Jeff Jon
Goodstein Gopal Phillips Schwartz
Michig .ih.a Mchgn.:hia
Michigan State Wisconsin Wisconsin Michigan State
*t... :r...: :. :rr ., ......:: ..r..:::....:.... . - .. 44 r ..,.
Northwestern P r ,rw.
Ohio State Ohio State Ohio State Ohio State
Oklahoma~ Nebraka kaoaOlhm
UCAUCLA UCLA Stanford
Boston -College BotnColg <o oleeBsonCe e<
Florida Stat Florida State Florida State Maryland
Florida Georgia Georgia .Florlda
Tennesse Tennessee Tnnessee South Carolina
Texas A&M, : j T0x a A&MA;owa Stat T4asA&
... ,....3.}h4/.t:
Syracuse Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Sy racuse
Oregon Washington State Oregon Oregon
Boston College W isconsin Clemson Boston College
6
9-6 (0-1)
53-37 (4-2)
9-6 (0-1)
47-43 (3-3)
6-9 (0-1)
44-46 (3-3)
6-9(0-1)
48-42 (4-2)
Record to date (Best bets)
I
Pesky Wildcats, Kowalski pose threat to 'M'
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By Naweed Sikora
Daily Sports Writer
Entering its two-game series against
Western Michigan last weekend, the
No. 6 Michigan hockey team (1-1-1I
CCHA, 2-2-1 overall) was hoping to
answer some of the lingering questions
about its defense and scoring.
But the split with Western Michigan
did the opposite, creating even more
unknowns.
With the injury to junior defenseman
Mike Roemensky in Saturday night's 5-
3 victory over the Broncos, the Wolver-
ines are now in need of another
defenseman to fill the void left behind.
"Mike's been a solid contributor and
a great leader out there, so we will feel
his loss on defense," Michigan associ-
ate head coach Mel Pearson said. "But'
we have players ready to step up and
fill his spot, and they should add some-
thing in their own right."
One of these players is freshman
Nick Martens. Martens took Roemen-
sky's spot in practice this week.
"It's a big loss for us with Mike
going down," Martens said. "But I think
that we have a lot of depth on defense,
and hopefully I will be able to step up."
Scoring is another question. With
the exception of the first line, which
features juniors Mike Cammalleri, Jed
Ortmeyer and freshman Jason Ryznar,
Michigan has yet to settle upon defi-
nite combinations for the other three
lines.
"Offensively, we are not playing as
well as we'd like," Pearson said. "You'll
see a couple guys you didn't see this
past weekend playing. The lines are not
set, but we are looking to find the right
line combinations for our players."
Tonight, Michigan will get a chance
to solve some of its unknowns as
Northern Michigan (1-0-1, 1-0-1)
comes to town for a two-game series.
The Wildcats are the only CCHA
team that Michigan has never been able
to sweep in a two-game series.
"They have always played us tough,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson said.
"We have always had close, hard fought
games with them. The teams should be
pretty even this weekend."
Led by coach Rick Comley, the only
head coach in Northern Michigan histo-
ry, Berenson feels the Wildcats could
emerge as a true force in the league.
"I picked Northern to finish in the
top four (in the CCHA)," Berenson
said. "They have a couple guys up front
who know how to put the puck in the
net. If they get the goaltending they
expect from (Craig) Kowalski, they will
be strong."
So far this season, Kowalski has risen
to the challenge, posting a 1.92 goals
against average and a .926 save percent-
age in Northern's first two games.
"Craig will have to prove that he can
be a No. 1 goaltender," Comley said. "If
he does that, we can be competitive."
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