4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 11, 2002 MICHIGAN 41, MINNESOTA 24 GAME STATISTICS Team Stats First Downs Rushes/Yards Passing Yards Offensive Plays Total Offense Return Yards Comp/Att/Int Punts/Avg Fumbles/Lost Penalties/Yards Time of Poss MICH 22 48/253 225 74 74/478 108 15/26/0 3/47.3 1/1 7/67 34:28 MINN 23 36/127 209 73 73/336 71 18/37/3 4/34.5 1/0 2/25 25:32 Blue continues Jug dominance Linebacker Kaufman out for the season with an injured knee a By Jeff Phillips Daily Sports Editor M I C H I G A N PASSING Player Navarre Totals RUSHING Player Askew Perry Underwood Bellamy Bracken Navarre Totals RECEIVING Player Bellamy Edwards Joppru Gonzales Askew Perry Totals C-A 15-25 15-25 1 Att 11 19 13 1 2 2 48 No. 5 4 3 15 PUNTING Player Finley Totals KICKOFF RETURNS Player No. LeSueur 2 Bracken 2 Totals 4 PUNT RETURNS Player I Curry, M. Woods Totals No. 1 Yds 126 60 42 18 8 -1 253 Yds 50 75 58 24 10 8 225 No. 3 3 Yds 59 33 35 Yds 4 12 30 Solo 7 5 4 5 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 48 Yds 2 0 0 0 0 2 Yds 225 225 Avg 11.5 3.2 3.2 18 4.0 -0.5 5.3 Avg 10.0 18.8 19.3 24.0 10.0 8.0 15.0 TD 2 2 Lg 59 16 12 18 7 3 59 Lg 17 36 25 24 10 8 36 Int 0 0 TO 2 0 O 0 0 3 TD 1 0 0 0 0 2 Yds Avg Lg 142 47.3 54 142 47.3 54 DEFENSE Player Diggs Sarantos Shaw Stevens LeSueur Hobson Lazarus Kaufman Orr Jackson Williams Curry Rumishek Hueur Bowman Drake Spytek McClintock Avant Stewart Massaquoi Totals Avg Lg 29.5 30 16.5 20 23 30 Avg Lg 4.0 4 12.0 12 7.5 13 Asst 0 2 3 ! 1 ! 0 0 .O 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 14 MINNEAPOLIS - Saturday's Michigan-Minnesota game ended the same way the past 13 had: With the Wolverines running onto the field, dancing around while holding the Little Brown Jug. Michigan now holds a 65-23-3 record in this lopsided rivalry and has won 31 of the last 33 games between the two schools. A big, old, reddish-brown jug inscribed with the results of each of the teams' meetings is hardly the " prettiest trophy in football. "It is an ugly trophy, but it is FOOTBALL something that means a lot," captain Victor Hobson said. Notebook Despite the Wolverines' domi- nance and the trophy's lack of attractiveness, the Little a Brown Jug has lost no prominence with the team. "I really respect the tradition of the Little Brown Yr. Jug," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "It's one of the W greatest traditions in college football and we were able - to hold onto it." The fact that the trophy is the oldest in college foot- ball is the major reason the teams covet it. "The history of the trophy makes it very important to our program," fullback B.J. Askew said. K'. For Minnesota native Bennie Joppru, who played the Gophers for the final time, winning the trophy has extra significance as a captain. "Six months ago, if you would have told me I would t be carrying the Jug for the team when we go back to (Minneapolis) ... It's something that when I was elect- '~ ~ ed captain I was looking forward to, if I had the oppor- k tunity," Joppru said. Michigan has never lost the Little Brown Jug under 'N, Carr, who is now 6-0 against Minnesota. SURF ON TURF: With the win, Michigan is now 9-0 against Minnesota in the Metrodome. The turf in the . stadium is thinner than the FieldTurf that most schools AP PHOTO are now playing on and that the Wolverines are consid- Michigan defenders Shantee Orr and Cato June celebrate another win over Minnesota by parading ering installing next season. Illinois and Wisconsin on the field with the Little Brown Jug. Teammate Tony Pape accused Orr of being a "jug hog." already play on the innovative surface. Michigan takes advantage : u7.ME". The thinner turf meant that the game speed was accelerated, something that the Michigan slayers believed worked to their advantage. "The turf is obviously a fast surface. We enjo3 play- ing on the surface and we felt we had the advmtage there," Hobson said. "Playing on turf is fun sometimes - you feel alittle bit faster, a little bit quicker on turf," offensive line- man Tony Pape said. "I think it gives the advantge to the faster team and we were the faster team today. STILL MORE INJURIES: Already weakened by injiries, the Michigan defense took another blow against Min- nesota, when linebacker Zach Kaufman was lost for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury. Kaufman is the third linebacker to be lost fa the season, joining Roy Manning and Lawrence leid. Redshirt freshman Joey Sarantos stepped up nicely, but the depth of the team is still being tested. "We are not a very healthy football team right rmw," Carr said. Safety Cato June returned to the field, but for only two plays. Carr said this was a last resort move as the secondary is even thinner thannthe linebacer corps. June said he would take more than two sips against Wisconsin next week. Michigan will need him to, as cornerback Zia Combs and safety Julus Curry's season status is still up in the air. Safety Ernest Shazor also did not play against the Gophers after coming down with turf toe in practice. Ofi:-n- sively, lineman AdamStenavich is expected tbe back next week. JACKSON SETS RECORD: Against Minnesota, comer- back Marlin Jackson notched his 16th pass breakup of the season, breaking Charles Woodson's school record. But the breakup might be remembered more for the touchdown that never was than the record-breaker. The play came in the second quarter when Gophers quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq overthrew his receiver and Jackson nearly picked off the ball, but he could not keep control of it. Had he intercepted it, tiere would have been little Minnesota could do to stop the return from earning Michigan six points. TD TO 0 0 TD O 0 0 Tot 7.0 TO 6 5.5 5.5 3.5 3.5 3.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.5 55 TD 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 6 0 4 4 PASS DEFENSE Player Sarantos Shaw LeSueur Jackson Massey Totals Int 1 0 3 Lg 2 0 0 0 0 2 Brk-up 1 2 6 of Minnesota' GOPHERS Continued from Page 11B and got one foot down to give Michigan a 27-17 lead. "(The blocked punt) was definitely the biggest play of the game for us," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "There are always some plays that change the momentum for a team and that block did so in many ways for us." "(The blocked punt) put a dent in us," Burns said. "It was deep in our territory, it put them on the 10-yard line. It really hurt us." Michigan (5-1 Big Ten, 8-2 overall) rode fullback-turned-tailback B.J. Askew for the final 15 minutes. Askew pounded away at a decimated Minnesota defense, scoring two touchdowns - one on a 59-yard run - to give the Wolver- ines an insurmountable 41-17 lead. Askew finished the game with 126 yards rushing on 11 carries to garner his second straight 100-yard rushing per- mistakes M i n n e s o t a formance, as the Wolverines rolled to their highest rushing output (259 yards) of the season. "We came into the game emphasizing the run, and I thought we did a good job of sticking with it," Askew said. "Our offensive line did a great job of block- ing for us." Minnesota (3-3, 7-3) was able to run and pass the football on the Michigan defense for most of the night, but three interceptions and errors in the kicking game signaled the death of the Gophers. "They definitely weren't stopping us," Abdul-Khaliq said. "Anything that hap- pened that was bad was because of something that we did." "It's field position," said Minnesota coach Glen Mason, who has never beat- en Michigan in his tenure as head coach. "You get a punt blocked, a snap over a guy's head. You can't play Michi- gan on a short field - they're too good." PASSING Player Abdul-Khaliq Gruening Totals RUSHING Player Jackson Abdul-Khaliq Mathews Tapeh Mays Totals RECEIVING Player Burns Patterson Utecht Ward Hosack Baugus Mathews Mays Totals C-A 17-36 1-1 18-37 Y 1 2 Atn 19 13 1 1 1 36 No. 7 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 18 PUNTING Player Team Gruening Totals KICKOFF RETURNS Player No. Burns 1 Mays 2 Total 3 Yds 89 67 13 0 -4 127 Yds 69 40 23 28 20 17 10 2 209 No. 1 3 4 Yds 17 37 54 Yds 17 17 Solo 13 6 5 5 52 Yds O 0 O S 0 Yds 181 28 209 Avg 4.7 5.2 13.0 0.0 -4.0 3.5 Avg 9.9 10.0 11.5 28.0 20.0 17.0 10.0 2.0 11.6 Yds O 138 138 Avg 17.0 18.5 18 TD 2 0 2 Lg 28 12 13 0 0 28 Lg 27 17 15 28 20 17 10 2 28 Int 3 O 3 O 0 0 -4.0 1 TD O 0 0 0 0 0 2 Sarantos & Co. step up and become November s champs AP PHOTO Michigan defensive lineman Pierre Woods breaks through the Minnesota line to block a punt in the third quarter. Avg Lg 0.0 0 46.0 51 34.5 51 Lg 17 22 22 PUNT RETURNS Player I Upchurch Totals N.o. 2 2 Avg Lg 8.5 11 8.5 11 TD 0 0 O TD 0 0 DEFENSE Player Ward Campbell West Losli Totals As Lng 0 0 0 O 0 ,st Total 5 15.5 3 7.5 2 6.0 1 5.5 22 63.0 Brk-up TD 1 O 1 0 1 0 1 0 4 '0 HORN Continued from Page 1B for a guy who was.getting his first shot with the first defensive unit. His interception was one of three for Michigan; each killed an important Min- nesota drive, and each came from a guy who hadn't nabbed one yet this season. LeSueur and Shaw were the other two thieves. The biggest play of the game came courtesy of Woods. When Minnesota tied the game at 17, Michigan responded with an Adam Finley field goal. On the ensuing Minnesota drive the defense forced a quick punt, which was emphatically blocked by Woods. A wildly acrobatic Braylon Edwards touchdown reception gave Michigan a 10-point cushion, and the Wolverines did not look back. LeSueur's interception came off the next Minnesota possession, and Michigan scored again. The big plays from these otherwise quiet defensive competitors were what kept Michigan afloat and the Wolverines engaged on Saturday night. It was the dif- ference between a team playing for a BCS at-large bid and one that has to answer questions about folding against meager opposition. They were the save-the-day plays that may be forgotten years later by fans, but will never be forgotten by the players and coaches. They were the plays that make Michigan football players Michigan men. "I grew up a Wolverine fan," Sarantos said. "Both my parents went here, my grandparents went here, my sister went here. I grew up the biggest Maize and Blue fan you can imagine. When I finally got to come here it was like a dream come true. Now that I'm playing here, being out there on defense, it's a dream come true. "I can feel that (actually being a Wolverine) is more real." Champions are made in November? Michigan won't be national champion this season, and it won't be champion of the Big Ten. But in a game that could have been an unnecessary black eye on the 2002 campaign, Sarantos and company certainly became champions in their own right. David Horn can be reached at hornd@lumich.edu. Askewt answers the call at tailback By Joe Smith Daily Sports Editor MINNEAPOLIS - Michigan offensive coordinator Terry Nalone may have finally found himself a durable starting tailback. And he didn't have to look very far. Senior fullback B.J. Askew has made quite the campaign fir the position throughout the pa;t two weeks while tailback Chris Peiry has been hampered by an injured akle. Askew rushed 11 times fcr 126 yards Saturday night, markig the second straight game the Cincinnati native has rushed for more than 100 yards. Askew's hard running and con- sistency has the Michigan coaching staff tempted to use the versatile back even more. "If he keeps running the way he is, he's going to keep getting the ball," Malone said. "I would think that as long as Chris (Perry) is not 100 percent, I kind of like the idea of B.J. playing tailback for us. I think he has an amount of toughness that you need in these Big Ten games. He's constantly pouring it up the field." Askew's ability to break tackles and hold onto the football (just one fumble all season) has helped make him the recent go-to guy in the Michigan backfield. Askew is also the Wolverines' fourth-leading receiver with 28 receptions, making him an intricate part of Michigan's offense. This is nothing new to Askew, who served as Michigan's starting tailback last season, rushing for more than 900 yards and 10 touchdowns. "If there's a more valuable player, I don't know who it is," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "Because he's really played a wonderful role on our football team. And he's done it all year long." Before this season, Carr tought this was the year Perry would finally carry the load for the Wolverines. The injury-plagued junior started out strong, compiling nearly 700 yardsin his first eight games. But a sore ankle has limited Perry's effeaive- ness and playing time the past two games, as he's rushed for just 109 yards over that span. Saturday, after carrying the bal 17 times in the first half, Perry limped off the field early in the third quarter and played sparingly thereafter. That's when the opportunistic a d. PASS DEFENSE Player West Isom Williams Montgomery Totals int O O 0 PLAYERS OF THE GAME: Safety Jon Shaw was one of a number of unsung Michigan players that stepped up in the Wolverines' win.. 4 Ohio State president encourages tolerance from fans COLUMBUS (AP) - Go ahead, boo Michi- gan. Just be nice about it. Ohio State University officials, not wanting to ban tailgating or, other game-day fun, are encour- aging football fans to be more respectful. Iniversity President Karen Holbrook has tion, of setting a tone of tolerance." Ohio State officials also are trying to quiet the wild parties that have occurred in recent years near campus. When large off-campus parties led to property destruction last soring, the university joined includes foul language, lewd T-shirts and taunt- ing fans and coaches of opposing teams - works against the university's attempt to promote aca- demics. She said Ohio State has a chance to be a national leader in tackling the issue. "The kind of story I'm trying to tell is we have AN