4B - Monday, October 23, 2006
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
THE BLITZ Football
GAME STATISTICS Blue'ssfreshCfrosh
eam~~tatsr esw MrHIu e oe
T
Rush/Yds
OffnivePlays
Total Offen
Comp/Att/Int
PuntsI/Avg
Fbles/Lost
Pnaties/Yards
TieofPoss
14
24/41
197
15/30/A
7/264
3/1
3/18
25:37
19
39/88
203
23/33/1
5/215
1/0
4/35
fills in nicely for
injured Riley
M I C H I G A N
C-A Yds
23-33 203
23-33 203
By SCOTT BELL
Daily Sports Editor
RUSHING One of Saturday's scarier plays also
Player Alt Yds Avg Lg TD served as a steppingcstone for one of Michi-
Hart 3112 82110 2 gan's future stars.
T 1 - 10 0o 0 Freshman Justin Boren saw substantial
Henne 4 -31 -7.8 1 0 time on the offensive line in the second
Totals 39 88 2.3 10 2 half, filling in for an injured teammate four
years his elder.
ECEVING N.With Michigan holding onto a three-
Playr No Yds Avg g TD point lead. in the
Arrington 79 9.9 15 0 NOTadOtK
Breaston' 7 49 7.0 11 0 third quarter, quar- NOTEBOOK
Buter 3 42 14.0 17 0 terback Chad Henne
Mathews 3 16 5.3 6 0 was sacked and fumbled at Michigan's
8ats 2 11 85 10 0 30-yard line. Right tackle Rueben Riley,
Totals 23 203 0,8 17 0 whose man beat him and caused the fum-
PUNTING ble, streaked across the field to recover the
Player No. Yds Avg Lg ball for a 12-yard loss. He then limped to
Mesko 5 215 43.0 57 the sideline, where he stayed for the rest
1oas S 215 43.0 91 of the game.
KICKOFFRETURNS Riley first tweaked his leg during the
Player No. Yds Avg Lg TD final seconds of the first half. He fell to the
Breaston 1 64 64.0 64 0 ground and didn't immediately get up, but
Minor 1 4 4.0 4 0 eventually limped off after getting help
as 68 34.0 64 0 from a trainer.
PUNT RETURNS After watching the first five plays of the
Player No. Yds Avg Lg T O second half from the sideline, Riley tried
Breaston 2 4 20 5 giving it another chance. But his first play
Brown 1 0 0.0 0 0 back was when his man sacked Henne and
Totals 3 4 13 5 0 forced the fumble, and Riley knew it was
DEFENSE time to hang it up for the afternoon.
Player Solo Asst Tot "I couldn't go anymore, soI had to yank
Adams 6 0 6 myself," Riley said.
Trent 4 1 5 Starting right guard Alex Mitchell
Tyr 4 0 4 shifted to Riley's right tackle spot and true
Graham 3 1 4 freshman Justin Boren stepped in at right
Hall 3 1 4 guard.
Crable 3 0 3 Some were critical of Michigan coach
Burgess 3 0 3 Lloyd Carr for burning Boren's redshirt
Wodle 3 0 3 during the late stages of the Michigan
Sears 2 0 2 State game. But Carr defended his deci-
Branch 2 0 2 sion, citing that the team was just an inju-
Jamson 1 1 2 ry away from needing someone young to
van Alstyne 1 1 2 step up.
0 1 That time came on Saturday, and the
Butler 1 0 1Saudy
Germnany 1 0 1 true freshman did everything he was
Harrison 1 0 1 called uponto do in his first extensive play-
ingtime of the season.
The Wolverines didn't hesitate to test
Boren's abilities, either. They ran right
behind him on his first play in the game:
BIG TEN STANDINGS a run to the right where junior Mike Hart
picked up five yards thanks in partto a pan-
cake block from Boren.
Team Big Ten Overall "It's really goodto see the young guys get
in there," Mitchell said. "I'm really happy
for him, and he did a great job. He's still got
some things to work on, but for stepping in
at a game like Iowa, he did a great job."
Boren also got Hart's endorsement,
which isn't surprising considering the
junior running back gained the majority of
his 126 yards while Boren was on the line.
"Boren did a great job today," Hart said.
"I've always had confidence in him because
he's a great player. He's strong and smart,
so he did a great job out there (Saturday)."
Trouble ahead?: Internetreports leading
up to Saturday's game indicated that wide
receiver Adrian Arrington might be sus-
pended against Iowa for an off-field issue.
The Detroit Free Press reported that a
police report exists regarding Arrington
and an assault, but that charges were not
filed.
Carr chose not to suspend the sopho-
more for the game, and just briefly talked
about the situation during his post-game
press conference.
"I'm going to be very brief," Carr said.
"There's an issue, and I'm not going to dis-
cuss it except to say I take any allegation of
this type very seriously. But I do not think
the allegation is supported by the facts."
Arrington was not made available for
comment following Saturday's game. He
finished the contest with eight catches for
79 yards.
BO KNOWS FOOTBALL: Former Michi-
gan coach Bo Schembechler was hospital-
ized Friday after experiencing dizziness
while taping a radio show on Friday.
But Schembechler, known for his legend-
ary stubbornness, lived up to his reputation
when Carr visited on Friday night.
"His doctor came in, and Bo said,'I want
to go home tomorrow morning because
then I'll be able to watch the game on my
big-screen TV,' "Carr said. "He was com-
plaining before that, 'They're not going to
let me watch the game tomorrow,' because
his heart was racing.
"I said, 'Well Bo, there are a few things
more important than this football game
tomorrow. Staying alive is one of them."'
Schembechler also made sure to have
an announcement made in the press box
during Saturday's game that he was indeed
watching the game. He is staying at the
university's cardiovascular unit, and may
stay for a couple more days.
Rueben Riley left Saturday's game with a leg injury, and freshman Justin Boren saw significant time.
I SEE RED: Touchdown continues to
be a four-letter word for the Wolverine
defense.
Iowa made it to Michigan's red zone
three separate times on Saturday, but each
time, the nation's top rushing defense kept
the Hawkeyes out of the end zone.
"When they're in the red zone, our
coaches came up and talked to us and said
'You can't let them in, you can't let them in,'
" nickelback Brandon Harrison said. "So
we just all looked at each other and made
sure we wouldn't let them in."
Going into the game, Iowa prided itself
on its reputation as a tough and physical
team. But this distinction didn't help the
Hawkeyes in the trenches whenthey need-
ed it the most on Saturday..
"They said they were the bully of the
Big Ten," defensive tackle Terrance Tay-
lor said. "We knew they wanted to come
out there and prove that, but we wanted to
prove (ourselves), too."
Added linebacker Shawn Crable: "They
saidthey were somebullies, andtheyplayed
physical and all, buthey, scoreboard."
To kick or not to kick: With one second
left in the first half, Michigan opted to go
for a long pass instead of attempting a 51-
yard field goal.
"I always want a shot," kicker Garrett
Rivas said. "I'm always readyto hit that. I'll
be ready, and Coach (Carr) knows that. He
just decided to go with that play at the end
of the half."
The Hail Mary pass fell incomplete, and
Michigan was flagged for illegal procedure
as well on the half's final play.
Rivas was a perfect 2-for-2 on the day
both on his field goals (20 and 37 yards) and
extra points.
INJURY REPORT: Michigan was with-
out its top two tight ends, Tyler Ecker and
Mike Massey, because of injuries.
Ecker is still hobbled by an ankle injury
suffered against Minnesota, and Massey
donned a sling on his right arm. The two
joined Mario Manningham on the side-
lines, who was on crutches and in street
clothes during the game.
Starting safety Ryan Mundy did
not play on Saturday, either. Brandent
Englemon got the start in his place,
making four tackles and a pass break up
in the process.
Carr did not elaborate on Mundy or any-
one else's status following the game.
Michigan
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Penn State
Purdue
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan State
Illinois
Minnesota
Northwestern
S
4
4
3
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
8 0
8 0
7 1
5 3
4 4
4 4
5 3
4 4
2 6
3 5
2 6
THIS WEEKEND'S RESULTS
MICHIGAN 20, Iowa 6
OHIO STATE 44, Indiana 3
Michigan State 41,NORTHWESTERN 38
PENN STATE 26, Illinois 12
Wisconsin 24, PURDUE 3
MINNEsoTA 10, North Dakota State 9
AROUND THE NCAA
LONGHORNS SHUCK HUSKERS IN
FINAL MINUTE: Trailing 19-14 in the
fourth quarter, Nebraska opened up its
bag of tricks and dialed up a halfback
pass for a 25-yard touchdown. But the
two-point conversion attempt failed
and, after a lateCornhusker fumble,
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, in a
drive that would make Vince Young
proud, let his team inside the five to set
up walk-on kicker Ryan Bailey's game-
winning field goal, The Longhorns
pulled a page from the Nebraska come-
back in the 2005 Alamo Bowl to steal
one from the Cornhuskers. The win
keeps the defending national champs
slim shot at a repeat alive.
QUINN, SAMARDZIJA SLIP PAST BRU-
INS: For nearly 60 minutes, UCLA
looked impressive at Notre Dame
Stadium, holding mastermind Charlie
Weis's offense to just 13 points. After a
Bruins punt, Notre Dame had the ball
on its own 20 yard line with 55 seconds
remaining. But then UCLA remem-
bered itris from the Pacific 10. The
Bruins proceeded to let Notre Dame
march 80 yards in three plays, com-
plete with a 45-yard touchdown pass
from Brady Quinn to Jeff Samardzija.
It seemed the entire UCLA secondary
missed at least one tackle, Once again,
Weis proves he is clearly the best coach
in the nation,
COWBOYS KICK AWAY WIN: Texas
A&M quarterback Stephen McGee
threw a touchdown with seconds left
to send the game into overtime, The
Aggies needed just three plays to find
the end zone to start off the extra
frame, and Oklahoma State responded
with a four-play touchdown drive of its
own to keep the game going. Or so the
Cowboys thought. The Aggies blocked
the ensuing extra-point attempt (Ala-
bama fans feel sick reading this after
what happened to the Tide in the
Orange Bowl in 2000) and stole a one-
point win from the Cowboys.
T hin at
tight end-,
Butler
bolsers
By STEPHANIE WRIGHT
Daily Sports Editor
With Michigan's top two tight ends sidelined
on Saturday, Carson Butler got his long-awaited
chance to shine.
And the redshirt freshman proved he was
ready for the spotlight (
In just his second start (and first in a single-
tight-end set), Butler nabbed three catches for 42
yards, both career highs. All ofButler's receptions
came in the second quarter, which made him the
Wolverines' leading receiver at halftime.
"I take my hat off to Carson Butler because as a
young player, you're always wanting to play more,"
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "Three or four
weeks ago he was frustrated because he wasn't
playing. ... I've tried to tell him on a week-to-week
basis, 'Look, your time is going to come.' "
Butler's start likely came sooner than either
he or Carr expected. Michigan's starting tight
end, Tyler Ecker, injured his right ankle against
Minnesota three weeks ago and hasn't suited up
since, which moved Butler into the No. 2 spot
behind Mike Massey.
Then Massey hurt his shoulder on a first-
quarter catch against Penn State last week.The
junior refused to take himself out of that game,
but he missed Saturday's contest while nursing
the injury.
All of a sudden, Butler's time had arrived.
"When guys go down, everyone has to step up
his game," Butler said. "It's a great opportunity.
I'm just having fun out there."
Massey said Butler "knew all week that he
was going to be the guy." So the Detroit native
stepped up his effort in practice to make sure
he'd be ready for Saturday.
His hard work paid off. on Michigan's first
drive of the second quarter, Butler caught a pass
near the Iowa sideline and then stretched for
extra yards as he was pushed out of bounds,bgiv-
ing him a 13-yard reception, the longest of his
That personal best didn't last. Butler grabbed
a 17-yard pass on the Wolverines' next offensive
series, one of two receptions he contributed to
their first scoring drive.
"(Butler did) nothing I didn't expect him to
do," Massey said. "He played well. He didn't get
nervous or uptight. ... I think he just played his
game, which is going pretty well right now."
Butler wasn't the only tight end who had to
step up with Ecker and Massey out of the lineup.
Fifth-year senior Brian Thompson also earned
some of his most extensive playing time of the
IA
ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL
This weekend's action resulted in very little movement in the
top 25. Texas, Tennessee, Notre Dame and California all pulled
out close wins against lower-ranked teams to stay in the top 15.
Clemson arguably had the weekend's most impressive win; the
Tigers destroyed then-No. 13 Georgia Tech, 31-7. Oregon took
the poll's biggest fall, dropping nine spots to No. 25 after its 34-
23 loss to Washington State. Making nearly every college foot-
ball fan's day, Ohio State and Michigan remained undefeated
and, more importantly, stayed on track for an historic No. 1-No.
2 matchup when the rivals face off next month.
TEAM LAST WEEK THIS WEEK
1. Ohio Stale heat Indiana Minnesota
44-3
2. Michigan beat Iowa 20-6 Northwestern
3. Soathern Cal. Idle atlOregon State
4. West Virginia beat Connecticut Idle
37-11
S. Teoas heat Nebraska at Teoas Tech
22-20
6. Louisville beatSyracuse Idle
28-13
7. Aaburn beat Tulane 38-3 at Mississippi
8. Tennessee beat Alabama at South Carolina
16-13
9. Florida Idle Georgia
10. Clemson beat Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech
31-7
11. Notre Dame beat UCLA 20-17 at Navy
12. California beat Washington Idle
31-24
13. Arkansas beat Mississippi Louisiana-Monroe
38-3
14. Louisiana State beat Fresno State Idle
38-6
15. Boise State beat Idaho 42-26 Idle
16. Rutgers beat Pittsburgh 20-10 Connecticut
17. Wisconsin beat Purdue 24-3 Illinois
18. Boston College beat Florida State Buffalo
24-19
19. Oklahoma healtColorado at Missouri
24-3
20. Nebraska lost to Teas 22-20 atOklahoma State
21. Georgia Tech lostlto Clemson Miami
31-7
22. Texas A&M beat Oklahoma Stale at Baylor
23 . Missoouri beat Kansas State Oklahoma
41-21
24. Wake Forest Idle at North Carolina
25. Oregon lost fa Washiogton Portland State
State 34-23
Games updated through Oct. 9.
season.
Even though Thompson didn't record a catch,
the former fullback made his presence felt. Left
tackle Jake Long said both tight ends excelled in
run blocking this weekend.
"(Butler and Thompson) were very physical in
the blocks I had with them," Long said. "I could
definitely tell they wereublocking hard and work-
ing hard.... They're both great players, and they'll
do whatever they need to do to help the team."
That might include cutting back on false start
penalties, which have plagued Michigan's tight
ends, especially Butler, all season. On Saturday,
Butlerhwas whistled for his third false start of the
year.
Both Massey and Butler attributed their false
start woes to lack of focus, though neither seemed
to doubt their ability to fix the problem.
If Butler could wait for his chance to carry
more of the offensive load, then he should have
no trouble waiting for Henne to snap the ball,
too.