The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 28, 2004 -11
Key games ready to shake up AP PHOTO
By Daniel Bromwich
and Ian Robinson ,
For the Daily
Entering the heart of the college football schedule,
week six features two big SEC games between top-25
teams, and two games between traditional rivals that
should be fun to watch.
No. 8 AUBURN (4-0) AT No. 10 TENNESSEE (3-0),
SATURDAY, 7:45, ESPN
Auburn and Tennessee come into this game with
opposite situations at quarterback. Tennessee is pla-
tooning two true freshmen quarterbacks, while Auburn
is starting senior Jason Campbell.
Auburn is a popular pick to win the
SEC and Campbell's performance
is critical in making that become
a reality.,
Campbell lost three road
games to SEC opponents last
year and this is his first major
road test of the year.
Tennessee's youthful duo
of Brent Schaffer and Erik
Ainge has been sur-
prisingly effec-
tive in the team's
first three games.
Despite the inex-
perience of the
quarterbacks,
the team
is still
unde-
feated,
includ-
ing
a bigP
home
victory AP PHOTO
against Flor- Air Force s
ida. Anthony'
While Ten- Butler
as the Big House" - Neyland Stadium. Look for
missed extra point to be a factor in this game just as
has in so many others this year.
Auburn 24, Tennessee 23
a
it
No. 13 LSU (3-1) AT No.3 GEORGIA (3-0), SATURDAY, 3:30
P.M., CBS
At the beginning of the college football season,
many experts would have deemed this weekend's game
between defending national champion LSU and Geor-
gia the "game of the year."
The two were ranked No. 3 and No. 4 in the nation
prior to the season, but both teams have failed to live
up to expectations so far this year. LSU already lost to
conference rival Auburn and needed unranked Oregon
State to miss three missed extra points, including a
game-ending one in overtime. After barely squeaking
by the Beavers, people already started jumping off the
Tiger bandwagon. The loss to Auburn only confirmed
some pollsters' thoughts.
Georgia was unimpressive in its season-opening win over
Division I-AA Georgia Southern, allowing the Eagles to
remain within two scores deep into the third quarter.
Heisman hopeful David Greene has
not been able to get on track yet,
completing barely 50 percent of his
passes, and the Bulldog offense has
not been able to put points on the
board.
Georgia managed just 13 points
against a Marshall team that tradi-
tionally plays very little defense, and the
Bulldogs have managed just three offen-
sive touchdowns in their last two games.
Georgia has been forced to win games
with its defense, which is ranked 12th in the
nation. LSU has also been winning with its
defense, and it has had to, as its offense has
not been able to get going.
The starting quarterback spot is still up for
grabs, and leading passer JaMarcus Russell has
completed less than 50 percent of his passes.
The Tigers' offense is ranked fifth in the
SEC, something LSU coach Nick Saban has
to consider unacceptable for a team trying
to defend its national title.
The game should be close, with both
teams struggling to establish any sort
of offense against these tough defenses.
Expect a lot of turnovers and an overall
sloppy game.
Georgia is coming off a bye week,
which may have helped Greene find
his groove, and it has had more
time to prepare for this game
than the Tigers have.
A low-scoring affair is in order, and an extra point
will be the difference - just because.
Georgia 13, LSU 12
NAVY (4-0) AT AIR FORCE (2-2), THURSDAY, 7:30 P.M.,
ESPN
Air Force hosts Navy this week in the first
leg of the competition for the Commander-in-
Chief's Trophy. This year's game has more
interest than normal because Navy is enter-
ing it with a 4-0 record behind its quarterback
Aaron Polanco. After,.beating Vanderbilt 29-
26, the Midshipmen finally received votes in
the AP Top 25 this week for the first time since
1996. A win over the Falcons might actually earn
them a ranking.
Polanco ran for 85 yards and threw for 176 yards
last week against the Commodores. Navy also runs
behind its Doak Walker Award candidate, fullback
Kyle Eckel. Last year, Eckel ran for a career-high
176 yards against Air Force.
Air Force is coming off of a tough 49-35 loss
to conference rival Utah. Freshman quarterback
Shaun Carney leads the Falcons. Last week, the
Falcons amassed 302 rushing yards, headlined by
Carney's 95.
Both of these programs run an option-style
offense, so expect a hard-nosed, physical battle. This
game will answer the question that many are asking
themselves: "Is Navy for real?" The answer is "I don't
know." But the Navy running game is seen as one of
the best in the country, and Air Force will not be able
to contain Eckel, just like it could not contain him last
year.
Navy 20, Air Force 16
COLORADO (3-0) AT MISSOURI (2-1), SATURDAY, 3:30
P.M., ABC
League play begins in the Big 12 for both Colorado
and Missouri at Faurot Field. The Buffaloes come into
the game with a surprising 3-0 record, having beaten
in-state rival Colorado State, Pac-10 power Washing-
ton State and patsy North Texas.
The Buffaloes were not picked by many to be a factor
in the Big 12 this year, but their fast start has turned
some heads.
The offense has been scoring plenty of points, aver-
aging 33 per game. Colorado has already scored six
rushing touchdowns this year. Quarterback Joel Klatt
is fourth in the conference in passer rating, and tail-
back Bobby Purify has rushed for four touchdowns in
three games.
The Colorado defense is also stingy, allowing just over
100 yards per game on the ground, but will have a tough
time against quarterback Brad Smith and Missouri, which
is averaging just under 200 rushing yards.
is on pace
to grab a
couple of
career mile-
stones, for
both rushing
and passing. He
has passed for close
to 5,000 yards in his
career, and is 82 rushing
yards short of 12th place
on the NCAA's all-time
quarterback rushing yardage
list. Tailback Damien Nash is
also tough to stop, averaging 12
points per game on his own.
This game should be a high-scoring, enjoyable
event, typical of a Big 12 game. Even though Colo-
rado is coming off of a bye and has played well thus
far this year, Smith should be too much for the Buf-
faloes to handle.
Missouri 38, Colorado 21
BADG ERS
Continued from page 104
Still, the Wolverines continue to
train vigorously, hoping - without
much passion - that David could
possibly beat Goliath.
"It's a long shot of us beating
Wisconsin. at the Big Ten, but any-
thing can happen," freshman Mike
Woods said.
Senior speed demon Nate Bran-
nen has seen his squad fall to its
conference rivals all three of his
years at Michigan and doesn't seem
too confident in his team's chances
this season.
"It's unlikely we'll beat Wiscon-
sin this season - they're ranked
first in the country," Brannen said.
"If we race well and snag the team
title, it'd be great.
"But they'll win unless they lose
it for themselves."
But some of the runners seem to
be more optimistic than others.
Sophomore Todd Iacovelli is
looking to make his mark on the
team and on the nation by becom-
ing a legitimate contender for
Michigan.
"It's important for us to finish
high in every meet, not just the Big
Ten Championships, but we can't
control what other teams do," Iacov-
elli said. "We have a solid core of
people all working hard.
"And with that, good things will
happen."
The Wolverines look ahead to the
Big Ten Championships and will
test their skills at their first scored
meet of the season this Friday at the
Great American Cross Country Fes-
tival in Cary, N.C.
SCHICK
Continued from page 10
teams to forfeit the games due to
fan rioting.
But recent events have increased
not only in frequency but ferocity.
Houston Rockets' Vernon Maxwell
attacked a fan who was heckling him
about his deceased daughter in 1995.
New York Giants fans pelted
San Diego Chargers players with
snowballs in 1995, injuring an
equipment manager. The aftermath
was 175 fans were ejected and 14
arrested.
And in two successive seasons,
Chicago White Sox fans attacked
the Kansas City Royals' first base
coach in 2002, then an umpire in
2003.
Most recently, it appears that a
college football rivalry might have
played a part in a player's death.
Idaho cornerback Eric McMillan
was murdered following an alterca-
tion last Monday after the Vandals
game against Washington State.,
While the detoils are still unclear,
police believe the suspects were
Cougars fans and attacked McMil-
Ian simply because he was playing
for the wrong team.
McMillan's murder is the most
recent and most tragic example
of fans taking their passions for
their teams to the extreme. While
players and coaches love it when
the crowd creates a hostile emvi-
ronment for the opposing team, it
shouldn't make the players afraid
to play on the road.
Brian Schick can be reached at
bschick@umich.edu.
U 1
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