or - w q -- w -.Nf IMF WF IRW 7"" -- 6B - Football Saturday - Saturday, October 7, 2006 PROCRASTINATION STATION Saturday, October 7, 2006 - Football Saturday - 3B Varsity should keep upper hand on rivals MICHIGAN 35 MICHIGAN ST. 21 Before every football game this season, two of the Daily's football writers will take the weekend's matchup to the PlayStation 2 and then let you know what happened. e Play of the game - With Michigan up by 14, Michigan State QB #5 looked to drive his team to a comeback. But his pass was picked off in the end zone by Michigan's CB #29, Michigan's third pick. " Player of the game - Michigan RB #20. The back was "1 did think it was odd that coach Wright was slapping himself in the face during the post-game press conference." "I was a little puzzled when the Spartans got their second touchdown on a pass that went right through CB #14's helmet, but I guessthat'sjust atestament to today's technology." "Looks like I'll just coast into a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup against Ohio State at the end of the year." uns yar sco Spa Mic "I d but love 'toppabe, picking up 18 o ds on the ground and three Michigan State coach Kevin FILE PHOTO res against an overmatched Wright: Senior quarterback Drew Stanton was injured during his last trip to the Big House as a sophomore. He returns to artan front seven. Michigan Stadium this Saturday in hopes of leaving the Spartans to their first win against Michigan since 2001. "The coaches blew it for our kids today. They were playing a heck0 P RE SS of a game and then the coaching e 1 e1 e s 0 CONFERENCE staff didn't get the right personnel B e h i QUOTES: on the field as my field goal got blocked." higan coach Scott Bell: "Coach Bell's defense is impregnable. I don't even think Don't want to sound arrogant, Buster Douglas could beat it." In August, Daily Sports Editor Scott Bell sat down help that team win. I would have definitely loved to have I am absolutely unstoppable. I with a member of each of Michigan's home conference been in there, but I can't assure you that things would have myself." "Oh, Bob Saget!" opponents. This week, we'll look at Michigan State senior been different had I been in there. quarterback Drew Stanton. Stanton is a Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award candidate entering his final year in SB: Do you have friends at Michigan that you talk DAILY SPORTS PROCRASTINATION East Lansing. trash to leading up to and during the game? DS: LaMarr(Wooley) is really the only one that while STATION: CORRECTLY PREDICTING Scott Bell: You've said before that last year's gas e we're playing that I'll talking to, cause he's theonly against Michigan was a game that you should have won, one I really played against a lot. ... other than that, I don't GAMES (SOMETIMES) SINCE 2006. and then everyone knows what happened two years ago. really know anyone well from there that still plays. Vn>r in thiisvr Ie hn nt th bic rivnlr r t By Kevin Wright Daily Sports Editor No love is lost between Michigan and Michigan State. With each team featuring numerous in-state players, some of the Wolverines and Spartans have been suiting up against each other since high school. And the intense nature of the rivalry has showed. There was the extra second game in 2001, when T.J. Duckett caught a Jeff Smoker pass with one second on the clock to lead the Spartans to a 26-24 win over then-No.6 Michigan. Then, after a few years off from competitiveness, the drama returnedin the two hands of Braylon Edwards,who propelledthe Wolverines back to a triple-overtime thriller in 2004. Last year added another extra frame and victory for Michi- gan, who held onto the Paul Bunyan trophy with a thrilling win at Spartan Stadium. As Michigan State limps into the Big House tomorrow, don't be surprised if another instant classic is on its way. Michigan running offense vs. Michigan State running defense The Wolverines have used a potent running attack all season to set up their offense and control the clock. Last week against Minnesota,the Michigan coaching staff did an excellent job run- ning Mike Hart early in the contest (he took the ball on the first six snaps) to move the Gopher defense up and open the second- ary for the deep ball. On the opposite side, the Michigan State front seven didn't look dominating against Illinois last weekend. CHECK OUT OUR SPORTSMONDAY FOR COVERAGE OF THE WEEKEND S re P ies ofCloverta GAMES, STAFFuterildren'sceate I & 2 Bedroor PICKS RESULTS All2apart! All/ apartn AND RESULTS FROM FRIDAY'S FOOTBALL GAME BETWEEN THE MICHIGAN DAILY AND THE STATE NEWS. - (IT'S GOING TO BE A WIN. The Fighting Illini ran for 252 yards with running backs Pierre Thomas, Jr. and Juice Williams each rushing for more than 100 yards. Previously, the Spartans had been stout against the run, holding three of their first four opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground. Still, Michigan brings too much to the table with its running game. Hart has looked nearly unstoppable so far, and the Wolverines are going to come out and run to start the game no matter what. Edge: Michigan Michigan passing offense vs. Michigan State passing defense With Michigan employing its running game so effectively, opposing teams have had to load the box with eight players. That's left a lot of room in the secondary for quarterback Chad Henne and his receivers, especially Mario Manningham. Man- ningham has torched opposing cornerbacks, racking up over 100 yards receiving in each of the last three games of the season. Now, Adrian Arrington has emerged as a possession receiver. He collected the first two touchdown catches of his career last week. Meanwhile,the Spartan secondary didn't wow anyone, but it hasn't been the laughing stock of the Big Ten. Michigan State collected five interceptions in five games and allowed just Notre Dame to pass for more than 300 yards. But if the Spartans have to stack the box with an extra man to stop the Michigan ground game, Henne and Manningham should have their names con- tinually called over the loudspeaker. Edge: Michigan Michigan running defense vs. Michigan State running offense Defensive coordinator Ron English's players are at the top of their game, and they know it. Even though they say all the right things about opposing offenses, deep down this group - led by a talented front four featuring future NFLers Alan Branch and LaMarr Woodley - knows no one can beat them with the run. What's worse for Michigan State is that starting running back Javon Ringer won't be suiting up. (He's rushed for 438 yards in five games). That leaves Jehuu Caulcrick as the starter, and the Michigan defense salivating. The squad hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher yet this season, and don't expect it to happen tomorrow. Edge: Michigan Michigan passing defense vs. Michigan State passing offense In the fourth quarter against Minnesota, the Michigan second- ary looked more than mortal. Gopher quarterback Bryan Cupito found seams in the middle of the field and along the sidelines to bring Minnesota within eight yards from making the contest closer than it should've been. And even though Michigan coach Lloyd Carr expects Morgan Trent to start, he is still just a week removed from thumb surgery. On the other side, Michigan State has one large question mark: Will quarterback Drew Stanton play? Stanton, the spark of the Spartan offense, left the Illinois game with bruised ribs. While he's expected to play, rumors have been circling around that Stanton hurt more than the ribs. But if Stanton plays and starts for Michigan State, he should be able to exploit a recently shaky Michigan secondary, especially with See BREAKDOWN, page 7B S moky's Fine Cigars Ann Arbor's Newest and Best Tobacconist Featuring Michigan's Finest Selection of Premium Cigars Huge Selection of Imported Ciggs, Cloves, Pipe Tobacco and RYO We also Carry a Large Selection of Hookah Supplies Spectacular Walk-In Humidor and Cigar Lounge! Davidoff Cigars Now in Stock!! --Show Your ID and Save-- [734-222-002211423 E. Stadium @Packard next to Caribou Coffee rou re a senior: inis is your iast snot at ne Dg rivary game. Can you just talk about what the Michigan game will mean to you this year? Drew Stanton: Obviously I'm looking forward to it, but like I've said before, there are over a handful of games before that that we have to worry about before going to Ann Arbor. We have to take care of business first. But an in-state rivalry is always something special, especially with it being my last chance to go down there and play, it's going to be something I'm definitely looking forward to. SB: Do you embrace going into places like Michigan Stadium and playing? DS: I love it, I love going everywhere in the Big Ten. The great thing about the Big Ten is you get a chance to defend your home turf, but you also get a chance to go on the road.... That's what makes Big Ten footballso great, the stadiums we have, the traditions we have and just that the gameplay is second to none. SB: I'm sure you don't like looking in the past, but do you ever wonder "what if' had LaMarr (Woodley) not driven you into the ground (when the Spartans led Michi- gan by double digits in 2004, and eventually lost in triple overtime after Stanton left with a shoulder injury)? DS: No, I don't think about it much, and I don't think it's a guarantee we would have won if I was healthy. I still think Damon (Dowdell, Stanton's replacement when he got injured) did everything he could have possibly done to SB: Do you look at the Michigan game as more of a friendly rivalry, or something that is more personal? DS: Everyone wants to play it up (in the media). Every- body has a different storyline going into the weekend. Yeah, I want to beat them, but I don't want to beat them any more than I want to beat Ohio State or Penn State. I don't think there's a difference there, it's still just a game. SB: So the rumor going around is that you picked up yoga in the offseason. Does it really help, or is it a way to pick up girls? DS: I go with my girlfriend and one of my other friends who used to play on the team, so it's not a way to pick up girls. It actually helps a lot with my agility. It's been a great experience overall and my flexibility has increase tremen- dously, with my hamstrings and my quads and things like that. There are some things my hips can't do though, like having both of my legs go over and do pretzel. That's just not happening. SB: What are some of the weird positions you've learned there? DS: I still don't have all of the names down, but they have like the up dog and down dog and all that stuff, and the half moon, there's just a whole bunch of weird names like that. A lot of the times I don't know what they're doing, so I just look over at the person next to me and do what they're doing. w Apartments starting a nent homes newly remodeled! AMPTONS LincolnUPines