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.