The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Small stuff
could be big

ByKEVIN WRIGHT
Daily Sports Editor
With the role that kickers play
in determining the outcome of
rivalry games, we'll examine who
has the edge in special teams and
intangibles in the final installment
of our three-part breakdown of the
Wolverines and Buckeyes.
Michigan special teams: The
Indiana game last Saturday may
have been just what fifth-year
senior Steve Breaston needed. The
wide receiver recorded his first
two scores of the season - a touch-
down catch and a punt return for
a touchdown. Before that game,
many wondered whether Breaston
had lost his burst. It got so bad
for the return man that Michigan
coach Lloyd Carr replaced him
with Brandon Minor for one kick-
off against Northwestern.
But Breaston has responded and
now has momentum going into
Columbus after taking a punt 83
yards back to the house in Bloom-
ington.
In the kicking game, Garrett
Rivas had been having a great year,
missing just three attempts, two of
which were blocked. But Rivas has
struggled occasionally. He missed
an extra point attempt last Saturday,
and doesn't appear to have the plus-
50-yard range. Still, he has been reli-
able inside 40 yards, even winning
Big Ten Special Teams Player of
Week award two weeks ago.
In a rivalry game, especially
one of this magnitude, you have to
have confidence in your kicker, and
Rivas has performed well enough
* this season to warrant Carr's trust
in a clutch situation.

Redshirt freshman punter
Zoltan Mesko has performed bet-
ter than expected this season. He
shared punting duties with fifth-
year senior Ross Ryan to begin
the year, but slowly moved his way
into the starting role and emerged
as a fan favorite. Mesko can boom
the punts deep and also has a good
touch on the ball to down it inside
the opponent's 20 on pooch punts.
But Mesko has a tendency to get
nervous during big games, such as
when Michigan traveled to Beaver
Stadium to face Penn State. Mesko
had one of his worst nights of the
season punting the ball in the hos-
tile environment. He ended the
night averaging 38.8 yards on five
punts.
Ohio State special teams: Just
as - if not more - electrifying as
Breaston, Buckeye return man
Ted Ginn, Jr. could turn the tide
of this game with just one touch
of the ball. He did it back in 2004
when he was a freshman, and even
though he has just one return for
a touchdown this season, there's
always the chance he could break
another one.
Ohio State also boasts a reliable
kicker in the form of Aaron Pettrey,
who has converted8-of-11fieldgoal
attempts. But the most impressive
aspect of Pettrey's kicking game is
his strength and power. He's made
2-of-3 from beyond 50 yards.
Usually, a big game comes down
to special teams' play. Which
team's cover unit will give up the
big return? Will Breaston or Ginn
break one?
With Breaston's confidence at
an all-time high coming into Satur-
day's game, the Wolverines appear

Steve Breaston is coming off his best game this season for the Wolverines.

Thursday, November 16, 2006 - 9A
From the bottom,
the best o times
Last year's Michigan squad pointment is the stuff of legends.
seemed destined for success The entire team dedicated itself
before the season. to getting in shape, adhering to a
But the Wolverines fulfilled little revamped diet and exercise regimen
of that promise en route that helped the Wolverines
to their worst year since - especially the defense -
1984. slim down and play faster.
Michigan's 7-5 season First-year defensive
has been called frustrat- coordinator Ron English
ing, disappointing and simplified the defense, tak-
embarrassing, among ing advantage of his play-
other things. ers' improved strength
I think it was the best and speed by letting them
thing to happen to the STEPHANIE get out there and make
program in a long time. u plays.
The Wolverines New offensive coordi-
wouldn't be 11-0 and WrightoTart nator Mike DeBord imple-
playingOhio State for g n mented a zone-blocking
a Big Ten title and a chance at a scheme, designed to breath new
National Championship without it. life into Michigan's running game,
Michigan isn't supposed to lose which struggled in 2005.
five games. I know that. You know With the new Xs and Os in place,
that. And the players and coaches Carr turned to "Cinderella Man"
definitely know that. The Wolver- during training camp to inspire his
ines are supposed to be far too tal- players even more. The Wolverines
ented to let that happen. saw themselves in the story of a
So when it did, Michigan was once-successful boxer who had fall'
forced to take a nice, long look at en on hard times but fought his way
itself and figure out exactly what back to the top.
went wrong -and howtomake sure Usually a heavy favorite, Michi-
this year would be different. gan embraced the disrespected
That wouldn't have happened if underdog role and strove to prove its
the Wolverines had finished 8-4 or critics wrong.
9-3. Needless to say, the efforts paid
In the last 10 years of Michigan off - and then some.
football,the Wolverineshaverecord- "Everybody counted us out, we
ed eight- or nine-win seasons four came in ranked 14th and here we are
times. Those seasons were widely (playing) for the Big Ten champions
regarded as off years, something all ship," center Mark Bihl said. "That's
great programs inevitably face from where we wanted to be."
time to time. And they could be playing for
Last year was a little different. even more.
The Wolverines were just one loss Even though Michigan is a seven-
away from their first .500 season in point underdog this week, hardly
more than 20 years. anyone would dispute that the Wol-
They dropped three home con- verines have a legitimate shot of
tests. beating the Buckeyes and earning
They lost to rivals Notre Dame spot in the National Championship
and Ohio State for the second game.
straight year. That's quite a turnaround for a
And they suffered their third team that seemed tobe falling apart
straight bowl-game defeat in a 32-28 just10 months ago.
loss to Nebraska, a squad that wasn't And it wouldn't have happened
even bowl eligible in 2004. if Michigan had simply had an off
You can't chalk that up to an off year.
year, and Michigan knew it. It took a 7-5 collapseto compelthe
"There's no question that when Wolverines to change. As strange as
you had the type of season we had, it sounds, the Maize and Blue faith-
thatyou're either going to back down ful should thank Michigan for last
... or you're going to get up and fight," season - because they wouldn't be
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "I on this fairy-tale ride without it.
don't think there's any question that Win or lose, the Wolverinen
it motivated all of us, and that's what comeback should be seen as nothing
it should have done." less than a smashingasuccess.
Eleven wins later, it's clear the Let's hope they never need that
Wolverines decided to get up and kind of motivation again.
fight.
Michigan's determination to - Wright can be reached
bounce back from last year's disap- at smwr@umich.edu.

to have the edge in this category.
Rivas has the tendency to miss
extra-point attempts but converted
83.3 percent of his attempts. Mesko
has problems coping with the pres-
sure of big games, but could boom
a punt at any time. Plus, Michigan
brings more to the table with Dar-
nell Hood and its cover team show-
ing marked improvement as the
season progressed.
Edge: Michigan
Intangibles: It's clear nei-
ther team needs motivation for
Saturday's game. Winner goes to
the National Championship game
- it's that simple. Both teams
mentally lapsed down the stretch
run, but had strong showings last

week. With two teams as evenly
matched on paper as these two, the
determining factor comes down to
home-field advantage.
Since the Buckeyes are at home
in the Horseshoe - one of the
unfriendliest places to play in the
nation - Ohio State coach Jim
Tressel will have his troops ready
to take the victory.
And Buckeye quarterback Troy
Smith has a Heisman Trophy wait-
ing for him if he plays like he has
all season against the Wolverines
on Saturday.
Edge: Ohio State
Look for our score prediction in
tomorrow's special football sec-
tion.

Finally, Wolverines get out of town

By IAN ROBINSON
Daily Sports Writer
The poet Robert Frost wrote
about the benefits of taking the
road less traveled.
This year, the Michigan hockey
team has barely traveled on any
roads.
Through 10 games, the Wolver-
ines have played at Yost Ice Arena
nine times. Their lone away con-

test was the 7-4 loss in front end of
a home-and-home weekend series
against Michigan State.
"For the most part, (starting the
season with 9-of-10 at home) might
be a disadvantage because you
get too comfortable," sophomore
Andrew Cogliano said.
With the Wolverines playing
five games in the next nine days
- including four on the road -
Cogliano and his teammates better

get used to the wake-up calls and
white hotel towels that come with
being away from home. The stretch
starts this weekend at Ferris State,
a place where no current member
of the Michigan team has won,
continues against No. 4 Michigan
State at home on Tuesday and con-
cludes with the College Hockey
Showcase at No. 13 Wisconsin and
No. 1 Minnesota next weekend.
Playing on the road requires a

different mindset than skating in
the friendly confines of Yost. As
visitors, the Wolverines need to
come out strong but also focus on
defense because it's more difficult
to come from behind with thou-
sands of fans cheering against you.
"You can't expect or rely on
the fact you can score four or five
goals," Michigan assistant coach
Billy Powers said. "We're stressing
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