10 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 30, 2005
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STAFF PICKS
Predictions against the
spread for 10/1/05
Gabe
Edelson
No. 14 Michigan (+5.5) at Michigan State Michigan'
No. 1 Southern Cal (-16.5) at No. 14 Arizona State Arizona State
Ian Matt
Herbert Venegoni
Stephanie Former All-American
Wright Ed Muransky
No. 2 Texas (-15) at Missouri
No. 3 Virginia Tech (-10.5) at West Virginia
No. 4 Louisiana State (44.5) at Mississippi State'
No. 5 Florida (-3.5) at No. 15 Alabama
Syracuse (+21.5) at No. 6 Florida State
South Florida (+20.5) at No. 9 Miami
Mississippi (+22) at No. 10 Tennessee
No. 13 Notre Dame (+3) at No. 22 Purdue
Kansas (+17.5) at No. 16 Texas Tech
Indiana (+18) at No. 17 Wisconsin
No. 18 Minnesota (-3) at Penn State
No. 19 Virginia (-3.5) at Maryland
Washington (+21) at No. 20 UCLA'
Florida Atlantic (+38) at No. 24 Louisville
Illinois (+17.5) at Iowa
Best Bet
Overall
Texas
Virginia Tech
Mississippi State
Florida
Florida State
South Florida
Tennessee
Purdue
TexasTech
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Virginia
UCLA
Florida Atlantic
Iowa
Texas
241'9.2f(1-2)
Michigan State
Arizona State
Texas
Virginia Tech
Louisiana State
Florida
Florida State
Miami
Mississippi
Purdue
Texas Tech
Indiana
Minnesota
Maryland
UCLA
Louisville
Iowa
Louisiana State
26&-2 (L2)
Michigan
Southern Cal
Texas
Virginia Tech
Louisiana State
Florida
Florida State
Miami
Mississippi
Notre Dame
Texas Tech
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Virginia
UCLA
Louisville
Iowa
Virginia Tech
24492(1-2)
Michigan
Arizona State
Texas
Virginia Tech
Louisiana State
Florida
Florida State
Miami
Tennessee
Notre Dame
Texas Tech
Wisconsin
Minnesota.
Virginia
UCLA
Louisville
Iowa
Texas
251&2(3-0)
Michigan
Arizona State
Texas
West Virginia
Mississippi State
Florida
Florida State'
South Florida
Mississippi
Purdue
Texas Tech
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Maryland
UCLA
Florida Atlantic
Illinois
Florida
21-22-2 (1-2)
Former Wolverine great
Muransky makes picks
Ed Muransky started 33 straight
games at offensive tackle for the
Wolverines from his sophomore
through senior years, 1979-
81. The towering 6-foot-7,
320-pound lineman was a key
member of the 1980 Wolverines,
Bo Schembechler's first bowl-
winning team - the victor in
the 1981 Rose Bowl. In his final
season in Ann Arbor, Muransky
was named an All-American,
while also making the All-Big
Ten, Academic All-Big Ten
and Academic All-American
teams. Muransky was drafted by
the Los Angeles Raiders in the
fourth round of the 1982 NFL
draft. After playing in roughly
20 games over three years
for the Silver and Black -
including the 1983 Super Bowl-
winning season - Muransky
left for the Orlando Renegades
of the USFL. When the league
folded, he decided to retire and
enter the business world. Now
married and a father of three,
Muransky resides in Ohio.
.
. .. ..... ..... ... ........... .. 1. I'll"..-I,
NOTES
Double-overtime
game ends in 2-2 tie
For more than 62 minutes, the Michi-
gan soccer team was locked in a 2-2 tie
with Dayton. But at 75:19, Wolverines
forward Steve Bonnell scored to give
Michigan a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately
for the Wolverines, Dayton's Jonathan
Welsh notched a goal just three minutes
later to send the game into overtime.
Twenty minutes later, after two over-
times, the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
Michigan's Kevin Savitskie got off to
a fast start, scoring the Wolverines' first
goal 10 minutes into the game. Mid-
fielder Adam Bruh notched the assist.
Dayton responded less than three min-
utes later when Terry Alvino scored an
unassisted goal.
STATE NEWS
BETTER WATCH OUT.
GAILY SPORTS
Schmucker succeeds as senior
By Danielle Ravich
Daily Staff Writer
Michigan women's golf co-captain Amy
Schmucker has led her team at both tour-
naments this season. But the senior's suc-
cess might seem mysterious to some.
The first week, she tied for seventh with
a four-over par 220 at the Lady Northern
Tournament and placed 11th with a 224
54-hole total at the Mary Fossum Invi-
tational at Forest Akers West Course the
weekend before.
"Finishing within the top 15 at these tour-
naments is something to be really proud of"
Michigan coach Kathy Teichert said.
Schmucker's first two years as a Wolver-
ine were difficult - she wasn't playing her
best and knew it. But Schmucker has been
improving consistently: During freshman
year she averaged 79.17, and improved just
slightly sophomore year, averaging 78.39.
Last year she averaged 77.42.
"I was used to going to my golf pro for a
quick tune-up, but when I played here I had
to work on my swing and stance by myself,"
Schmucker said. "I let the little shots get in
the way but I learned to adopt a positive
outlook and push the bad thoughts out."
Perhaps she finds comfort in some of her
newly developed superstitions. For exam-
ple, Schmucker always carries four tees in
her pocket; two small and two tall. She also
marks her ball with a Canadian quarter,
bear-side facing up.
"The tees are a practical thing," Schmuck-
er said. "I always want to have an extra one
in my pocket just in case one breaks."
But the quarter ritual began during
a tournament when a Canadian team-
mate offered a Canadian coin to make her
mark. The tournament turned out to be
one of Schmucker's better performances,
and the next time she used it, she did well
again. Another of her strange superstitions
includes not eating any seafood before a
tournament. Schmucker maintains a no pre-
match seafood policy because she went to a
seafood restaurant with her family before
two different rounds and did horribly dur-
ing both.
"My dad was joking around and said that
I didn't do well because of the seafood."
Schmucker said.
Since then, seafood has been off the
menu for pre-tournament gatherings.
These habits may seem peculiar, but to
Schmucker, they are confidence-boosters.
Most importantly, it has been
Schmucker's hard work, dedication and
passion for golf that have carried her
along.
"All of my experiences led me to where
I am now," Schmucker said. "I really strug-
gled during my first two years."
After a summer of working on her
mental game, Schmucker has made some
major improvements.
"Amy has really stepped up her game,"
Teichert said. "She keeps her high confi-
dence and is able to score even when she's
not hitting the ball as well as she would
have liked to. When she doesn't hit the ball
well, she stays focused and grinds it out."
It takes both physical and mental abili-
ties to be a great golfer.
"Golf is an extremely mental game and
to be a successful player, you have to be
mentally strong" Schmucker said. "It is
also important to maintain composure
and not get frustrated with previous shots.
If you believe you can hit it, you'll make
it. But if you're not focused, you can hit
way off the lead."
With fortune on her side and an improved
mental game, Schmucker has become an
integral part of the Wolverines' roster.
SPARTANS
Continued from page 9
Special Teams:
Remember the years when Michigan special teams caused nau-
sea? Those years appear to have passed. Garret Rivas has connect-
ed on all 11 of his extra points and 6 of his 7 field goals. Redshirt
junior Ross Ryan has consistently put the Wolverines' opponents
in bad field position with his punts and kickoffs. But Michigan's
return game has not been as good as advertised. Redshirt junior
Steve Breaston has averaged just 16 yards on kick returns and 10
on punts. But he showed everyone what he was capable of with his
72-yard return against Eastern Michigan.
The Michigan State unit is somewhat of an unknown - kicker
John Goss has attempted just three field goals, connecting on two.
But the Spartans return game is definitely a strength. Junior Kyle
Brown has shown he can be an explosive return man and has given
Michigan State good field position.
Edge: Push
Intangibles
Michigan has won more than two-thirds of the games between the
two teams - and seven of the last 10. Most of the students in Ann
Arbor have never seen the Spartans beat Michigan, but none of them
have ever seen Michigan State ranked higher than Michigan either.
It's always difficult to win on the road in the Big Ten, but Michigan
coach Lloyd Carr has only last back-to-back games five times. Plus,
the Wolverines literally have nothing to lose.
Edge: Michigan
Michigan State 34, Michigan 31
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