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Wednesday
October 9, 2002
michigandaily.com
sportsdesk@umich.edu
SPORTS
8
0
Hawks banking on }
QB against Spartans
New Yost P.A. announcer Scott Spooner will take over for Glen Williams this year.
Spooner is a former Michigan graduate.
eers welcome new
announcer to Yost
By Jeff Phillips
Daily Sports Editor
One of the biggest surprises of the
young Big Ten season is Iowa's place
at the top of the conference, tied
with Ohio State at 2-0 and 5-1 over-
all. The Hawkeyes edged Purdue 31-
28 last Saturday
and gave Penn FOOTBALL
State its onlyN
loss on Sept. 28. Notebook
The rejuvena-
tion of the Iowa program has turned
the heads of Big Ten coaches, includ-
ing that of Michigan State coach
Bobby Williams, whose Spartans
face the Hawkeyes this Saturday.
"Iowa is very impressive,"
Williams said. "This team has really
come around and is by far our biggest
test of the season."
That's a pretty strong statement
considering Michigan State's season-
ending stretch that includes games at
No. 13 Michigan, at No. 15 Penn
State and at home against No. 23
Wisconsin.
Williams has plenty to worry about
in stopping Iowa, which has the top
scoring offense in the Big Ten by
averaging nearly 40 points per game
through six contests.
Leading the way is mobile quarter-
back Brad Banks, who leads the Big
Ten and is third in the nation in pass-
ing efficiency with 12 passing touch-
downs and just two interceptions. But
more of a concern for Michigan State
is Iowa's rushing game.
"The biggest thing is that they have
an excellent running attack,"
Williams said. "It is always our prior-
ity to control their running game - I
don't think you can shut down their
running game."
The Hawkeyes have made the most
of what they have since the departure
of Ladell Betts. Junior running back
Fred Russell has rushed for 722
yards, which leads the Big Ten, and
five touchdowns. Sophomore Jer-
melle Lewis also has five touch-
downs. At 5-foot-8 and 185 pound,
Russell doesn't have the typical size
for a big-time running back, but he is
extremely quick with the football.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz knows the
limitations of recruiting to Iowa and
that he may not be able to get the
most physically gifted athletes.
"As' far as his size, we are Iowa,
we don't have one of those bars, like
at an amusement park, where you
have to be so tall to ride a ride," Fer-
entz said. "We are just looking for
good players, and Fred is certainly a
good player."
NO DO-OVERS, YET: The Big Ten
has had its fair share of controversy
regarding officiating in the past, and
this season is no different. Following
the firing of a group of Big Ten offi-
cials that worked the Purdue-Wake
Forest game, the coaches talked
about the possibility of adding
instant replay.
"I think if it is at all feasible, we
should definitely look into it," Wis-
consin coach Barry Alvarez said. "I
would certainly be in favor of it."
The coaches pointed to the finan-
cial strain that instant replay would
put on a school and the Big Ten by
requiring several television cameras
in order to catch the angle of a play
under review. Despite this concern,
Purdue coach Joe Tiller still thinks it
is feasible and has changed his previ-
ous no-replay stance.
"We are all human beings and as
long as humans are involved in the
game, we are going to have a mis-
take here or there," Tiller said. "I
don't think anyone is making an
intentional error, etc., but I think
(adding instant replay) would help
everybody and would eliminate
AP PHOTO
Iowa quarterback Brad Banks has been one of the nation's top signal-callers
thus far, leading the Hawkeyes to a surprising 5-1 overall record.
By Dan Rosen
Daily Sports Writer
When Scott Spooner graduated
from Michigan, he always anticipated
that he would keep his season hockey
tickets. But he had no idea how good
of a seat he would eventually get.
Spooner, the new public address.
announcer at Yost Ice Arena, will
watch all of Michigan's home games
from the scorers table between the
penalty boxes this season. The 29-
year-old native of Battle Creek
replaced Glen Williams, who retired
after 33 years of calling Michigan
home games.
Spooner doesn't think his arrival
will have any drastic effect on the
atmosphere at the arena. As a Yost vet-
eran, he's well aware of what drives the
Wolverine crowd.
"Glen wasn't a real flashy type
announcer and I'm not either," Spoon-
er said. "I'm not going to sit there and
be like a cheerleader for the crowd. I
think the crowd does that well enough
on its own. They don't need somebody
to lead them."
Spooner arrives at Michigan via the
Ice Cube in Ann Arbor, where he has
been calling United States National
Team Development Program hockey
games for the past four years. When
his former colleague at the Cube,
Ryan Rezmierski, who is now Michi-
gan's video coordinator, encouraged
him to apply for the opening at Yost,
Spooner decided that he would give it
a shot. His booming voice impressed
Williams and the Michigan staff
enough that they offered him the job.
Spooner will continue to work the
games at the Ice Cube this season
when Michigan's schedule allows it.
But he was excited about the chance to
work at place with more crowd energy.
"At the Cube we get about 200 fans
each game," Spooner said. "So it's
quite a step up to go to 7,000 fans
every night and a lot of crowd partici-
pation, especially with a minute to go."
As far as the exhibition between
Michigan and the US-NTDP team on
Nov. 1 goes, Spooner says he will be a
little bit torn.
"That's going to be the one game
that's going be tough," Spooner said
"And I hope that the students will
indulge me a little bit. I'll probably do
the USA introductions the same way
that I would do them at the Cube
because it's basically a home game for
them too."
Before he departed, Williams was,
able to pass on a bit of advice to
Spooner.
"Basically (he told me) just to relax,
and he told me that I needed to slow
down when I speak because I get nerv-
ous and I get going faster and faster,"
Spooner said.
He will rely on that advice the most
late in the period when the traditional
interaction between the crowd and the
announcer occurs.
"They're all counting on me to tell
them how much time is left," Spooner
said. "If I miss that, you know every-
one will let me know it."
Working at the Cube last season,
Spooner also had a chance to get a
close look at Michigan's new freshman
goalie Al Montoya - who played for
the US-NTDP last season. He was
impressed with the Glenview, Ill.
native and warned that his stats last
year are not a fair indication of how
good he is.
"Al's going to turn 18 this year and
he's competing against 20-21 year
olds," Spooner said. "It's that way for
the whole team. (He had) 16 or 17-
year-old defenseman in front of him.
So the stats aren't going to be as
impressive. I think Al's going to be
real good for us."
From his new vantage point at Yost,
Spooner will certainly be able to see if
his prediction comes true.
some postgame debate."
But not all coaches are in favor of
a change. Penn State coach Joe
Paterno would prefer to remain
faithful to tradition, despite his pub-
lic dissatisfaction with officiating.
"I am such a traditionalist, it just
doesn't seem right that we can't live
with some calls made by officials,"
Paterno said. "I'm very leery of
instant replay - I'm just not sure if
that's the way to go."
TAKING A PASS ON PASS DEFENSE:
Traditionally the Big Ten has been
known for its strong defense and
powerful running game. This sea-
son, the Big Ten has shown a solid
running game, but lacks any bite
defensively, especially against the
pass.
Entering this week, four Big Ten
teams - Michigan, Penn State,
Ohio State and Iowa - are among
the nation's 20 worst teams at stop-
ping the pass, allowing more than
250 yards per game.
What does all this prove? You
don't necessarily need .to stop the
pass to win -- the four teams are a
combined 19-3 this season.
Shodw nteSunshine
Stt:Maisstriea at 27
By Brad Johnson
For the Daily
This weekend features a plethora of show-
downs, with six of the nation's top 10 teams fac-
ing one another in contests that will have huge
national title game implications.
No. 9 FLORIDA STATE AT No. 1 MIAMI, NOON,
ABC: Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden put it
best when he spoke to ESPN.com regarding this
week's rivalry game: "It's
Miami, and then the rest of
the world. We're not at that ACROSS
level yet." The Nation
Indeed, Florida State prob-
ably stands a better chance
against the rest of the world than it does against
Miami on Saturday. The Hurricanes look like
the team to beat this year, possessing the
nation's longest winning streak at 27 games, and
two offensive weapons in quarterback Ken
Dorsey and running back Willis McGahee. Last
week, Dorsey threw for 216 yards and three
touchdowns in little more than one half of work
against lowly Connecticut. To make matters
worse for the bespectacled Bowden, Miami
boasts a very strong defense this season.
Things in Tallahassee are slightly amiss these
days, with a minor quarterback controversy
brewing between starter Chris Rix and backup
Adrian McPherson, who saw considerable
action in last week's victory over Clemson. The
'Noles (and their fans) have little confidence in
Rix at the moment, and the only player who has
stepped up for.them thus far is star running
back Greg Jones.
Miami has won two in a row against Florida
State, including a 49-27 romp in last year's
meeting. Look for the romping to continue Sat-
urday at the Orange Bowl as the Hurricanes roll
on towards Tempe.
Miami 34, Florida State 14
See NATION, Page 10
4
Florida State quarterback Chris Rix will try to stop
Miami's 27-game winning streak on Saturday.
I
p
For 'M', it's not easy beating Green
In only one Middle Eastern Country are
popularly elected Arab members of the
Parliament allowed to speak freely.
Israel.
Invest in Democracy.
Invest In Peace.
Invest in Israel.
By Gennaro FlIlce
Daily Sports Writer
Last season, the Wolverines fin-
ished the year with a solid 10-7-1
overall mark, elated by talk that they
had an outside chance to make the
NCAA Tournament for the first time
in program history. But when the
Michigan soccer team was denied a
bid to the prestigious 48-team "big
dance," overwhelming devastation
struck the team, and the lingering
memory of a rainy Thursday evening
in October retur'ned to the forefront
of Michigan coach Steve Burns'
mind.
"Last year we lost to Bowling
Green 1-0 in a game that we domi-
nated," Burns said. "It was a game
where they scored a 'cracker' of a
goal in one of their few chances. We
couldn't equalize, they won, and it
was the game that really tipped the
balance because we weren't selected
to the NCAA Tournament."
Tonight, the Wolverines look to
erase any memories of last year's
'mud bowl,' and triumph in what
Burns calls "a must-win game."
"Two years in a row now, Bowling
Green has beaten us," Burns said.
"And it is one of our goals this sea-
son to make sure that doesn't happen.
again."
Although Bowling Green enters
tonight's match with a 2-8 record, the
Falcons' two wins have come in their
last two outings. Junior forward Paul
Dhaliwal, who leads the team with
seven points in 2002, engineers
Bowling Green's 3-5-2 set. Freshman
forward Robert Aouad has also
proven his offensive prowess by
accumulating the team's second
highest total in points (6). Burns
Sponsored By the Israel-Michigan Public Affairs Committee
ELBEL FIELD
Who: Michigan (3-5-1) vs. Bowling Green (2-8-0)
When: 7 p.m.
Latest: The Wolverines look to get a foot in the
door in the series standings as Bowling Green
has won the only two prior matches between the
programs.
feels that inexperience on both sides
of the ball will play a big part in the
match.
"They are young this year," Burns
said. "So in terms of having youth on
the field for both teams, it will be a
youthful game. That means it's a
game where there's a lot of work and
a lot of energy, and it's going to be
the smarter team that wins this."
For the Wolverines, playing smart
on the offensive side of the ball
could be as simple as feeding the ball
to sophomore Mychal Turpin. Hav-
ing scored in six out of nine games
this season, Turpin leads Michigan
with 17 points. Defensively for
Michigan, sophomore keeper Joe
Zawacki has never looked better,
coming off a career high 10-save per-
formance against Indiana.
Although the Wolverines have an
A
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STATE PRIDE MATCH
Michigan vs. Michigan State
Wednesday, October 9
7 "T * r-l& ISif gin droesa
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The University Of Michigan Depression Center
and the Department of Psychiatry
are pleased to host
National Depression Screening Day
October 10. 2002
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