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8A - Friday, October 5, 2007

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Frosh take ice
for first time

Hart, Blue hoping for 32

By SCOTT BELL
Daily Sports Editor

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By NATE SANDALS
Daily Sports Editor
When the Michigan hockey
teamhits the ice tomorrownight
for the annual Blue and White
scrimmage,MichigancoachRed
Berenson and his staff will have
barely seen
more of the Blue/White
squad than
you have. Scrimmage
College Matchup: Blae
hockey insti- vs. White
tuted a com-
mon start When: Satur-
date this day 7:35 p.m.
year, mean- Where: Yost
ing, up until Ice Arena
tomorrow, the
coaches have
been allowed to spend just two
hours a week on the ice with
their team.
Michigan skates out 14 fresh-
men, that's alotofteachingto do
in just two hours a week. It's a
lot of names to learn, too.
"I'm not sure yet," senior
Chad Kolarik said when asked
if Berenson knew all the fresh-
men's names.
With or without the names,
the coaches and players know
it will be important to take the
scrimmage, and Sunday's exhi-
bition against Western Ontario,
seriously, especially considering
the difficult schedule Michigan
will face in the following weeks.
Without the coaches on the
ice, it's been up to senior captain
Kevin Porter, Kolarik and junior
alternate captain Tim Miller to
lead practice. During captain's
practices, the past few weeks,
the team has worked on all
aspects of the game, but no one
will know how this team gels
until it hits the ice on Saturday.
STAFF PICKS
The Daily football
writers do their best
to predict what happens
in the 2007 college
football season.

"All the little things are hard
to duplicate in practice," Beren-
son said. "So we need to get into
some good game habits."
A scrimmage against team-
mates might not be the most
exciting way to start a season,
but the Wolverines are look-
ing forward to going up against
Western Ontario.
Michigan is 9-0-0 all time in
exhibitions against Canadian
schools, and none of the Wol-
verines want to have the dubi-
ous distinction of breaking that
record.
Michigan last brought in a
large freshman class two years
ago, when 11 first-year players
graced the roster. That group
included first-round NHL draft
picks Jack Johnson and Andrew
Cogliano - both jumped to the
NHL after last season. Of the 11-
member class, just six remain.
That class had big names,
but this year's freshmen are no
slouches either. Six were select-
ed in this year's NHL draft -
including first-round pick Max
Pacioretty.
As one would expect, even a
scrimmage and an exhibition
are excitingto the freshmen.
"I just can't wait to put on the
jersey," Pacioretty said. "I've
heard so much about the tradi-
tion but I don't really feel like a
part of it yet."
NOTES: The Wolverines will
be without one key part of the
freshman class. Goalie Bryan
Hogan came down with mono-
nucleosis last week. Hogan was
expected to compete with junior
Billy Sauer for the starting job,
but it will take him a few weeks
to return to form. Inthe interim,
freshman Shawn Hunwick will
backup Sauer.

Thirty-two.
For Michigan fans, it's
the number of consecu-
tive bowl games their
team has made - a streak
that looked in jeopardy of r
continuing to after Mich-
igan's dismal start.h
For gambling addicts,
it's the number of points
the oddsmakers in Las
Vegas expected Michigan
to beat Eastern Michi-
gan by when they set they
spread this week._
And for senior running
back Mike Hart, it's the
number of yards he needs
to reach Anthony Thomas
(who donned the No. 32
jersey at Michigan) on
top of the team's all-time
rushing yardage list.
But no matter the
number-driven narrative,
Michigan is more focused
on avoiding a certain let-
ter than obtaining a cer-
tain number.
An L.
The Wolverines (3-k
2) hope to extend their
win streak to four games
after an embarrassing 0-24
start.
"Obviously we had a
slow start," said senior
quarterback Chad Henne,
who returned last week RODRIGO GAYA/Daily
from a knee injury. "Hav- Senior tailback Mike Hart is 32 yards away from tying Anthony Thomas as the school's leading rusher.
ing so many good players on
our offense and notcgoing out of what happened in its season opener, Michi- e
and performing like we should was difficult to gan doesn't expect to make the same mistake Eastern Michigan
see. It was more hurting ourselves than having twice. opportunities for H
a team beat us." "We saw what happened against Appala- heavy workload-inl
Going into the season, the words Eastern chian State- we came out there and didn't play of action.
and Michigan next to each other on the Wol- to our capabilities and we got beat," sophomore But Hart's 30-ca
verines' schedule were the closest things to the wide receiver Greg Mathews said. "I think end showed Michig
word bye - except, of course, for Appalachian we've all learned from that game that you can't ue carryingthe loa
and State. Eastern Michigan (2-3) hasn't played take anybody lightly.... You have to go out there That means Hart
in a bowl game in more than two decades. and prepare like every game is a championship ries per game tomo
But with the team still constantly reminded game." 32.

Despite its three
straight wins, Michigan
isn't returning to Ann
Arbor with too much
momentum.
Against Northwestern
last weekend, the Wolver-
ines played flat in the first
half, allowing more than
300 yards on defense and
failing to score after their
first drive.
Even though players
on both sides of the ball
stepped up in the second
half, the team knows it
has to start putting full
games together before it
reaches a tougher part of
the schedule.
"Now, what we've got
to learn how to do is play
60 minutes and not give
up big plays," Michigan
coach Lloyd Carr said.
"We have to do a better
)ob in the running game,
there's no doubt about
that."
Carr made that com-
ment Monday. Just a day
later, the Detroit Free
Press reported wide
receiver Mario Man-
ningham is suspended for
tomorrow's game, making
the running game an even
bigger priority.
That's fine for Hart,
who needs 33 yards to
eclipse Thomas as Mich-
igan's all-time leading
rusher.
Last week's Northwest-
rn contest and tomorrow's
game were supposed to be
tart to rest after taking on a
Michigan's first three week
rry performance last week-
an may need him to contin-
d the rest of the year.
t could near his average car-
rrow - which, of course, is

6'
aI
0i

Scott vamei
Bell Bromwich

Jack Kevin
Herman Wright,

Chad
Gerencer

MICHIGAN(-31.5)vs. Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan Eastern Michigan Michigan Eastern Michigan
No. LOUISIANA ST (-9)vs No.9 Florida Florida Florida Louisiana State Louisiana State Louisiana State
No.2 USC (33.5) vs. Stanford Southern Cal Southern Cal Stanford.Southen Cal Southern Cal
No.4 Ohio St. (-7) vs. No. 23 PURDUE Purdue Ohio State Ohio State Purdue Purdue
No. 5 Wisconsin (+2.5) vs. ILLINOIS Illinois Wisconsin Wisconsin Illinois Wisconsin
No.6 SS. Florida (-15.5) vs. FLORIDA ATL South Florida South Florida South Florida South Florida Florida Atlantic
No.7 BC (20) vs. Bowling Green.Bowling Green Boston College.Bowling Green.... Bowling Greet Bwling Green
No. 8Kentucky (+35) vs. NoulS.CAR South Carolina.South Caalina...... .South Carolina.... . . South Carolina South Carolina
No.10 Okla.(11) vs. No. tOTexas ....Oklahoma.. Oklahoma ..Texas Oklahoma Oklahoma
No12 Georgia (t2)vs. TENNESSEE Georgia Tennessee Georgia........ ... . Tennessee .Tennessee
No. 13W. Virginia(-26.5) vs SYRACUSE . West Virginia West Virginia Syracuse Syracuse.. Syracuse
No.1 5Va. Tech (+6) vs. No. 22CLEMSOI Virginia Tech Clemson Clemson Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech
No.16 Hawaii (-39) vs. UTAH ST .Utah State Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii. Utah State
No.18 Arizona St. (-9) vs. WASH. ST Washington State Arizona State Arizona State Arizona State Arizona State
No 20 Cincy (+3.5) vs. No. 21 RUTGERS Cincinnati R eRutgers Rutgers
No. 24 KANSAS ST. (3) vs. Kansas Kansas State Kansas State Kansas State Kansas State Kansas State
No. 17 MISSOURI (-7) vs. No. 25 Nebraska Nebraska Missouri Nebraska Nebraska Missouri
Minnesota (+13.5) vs. INDIANA Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana Indiana
Northwestern (+14.5) vs. MICHIGAN ST Michigan State Michigan State Northwestern Northwestern Northwestern
Iowa (+9) vs. PENN ST Penn State Penn State Iowa Penn Stae Penn State
Best Bet . Eastern Michigan Kansas State. SouthFlorida............... .Illino Purdue
Record Last Week .12-1(3-(0)-151-0).~.2..........2-12-0.(1-0) N/A
14x1..1..r ..._...... 1214-( (1) 10 (1-0) 5-4-4(13.5-4-4(31.5-4-4(13
Overall Record 61-44-4 (1-3) 56-49-4 (3-1) 5-47-4 (1-3) S8-47-4 (3-1)S-4-(13

6

Procrastination
station
E. Michigan 12
Michigan 27 A

Before every football game
this season, two of the Daily's
football writers will take the
weekend's matchup to the Play-
Station 2 and then let you know
what happened.
- Play of the game - With East-
ern Michigan driving late in the
fourth quarter, trailing just 20-12,
QB #12 dropped back on 4th and
10. He found WR #3 wide open on
a curl route just past the marker.

WR #3 caught the pass, but when
he tried to make his move, he
stepped back over the first-down
line and was immediately tackled,
ending up short of the first down.
With just 1:30 remaining in the
game, RB #20 sealed the deal
with a 78-yard touchdown run.
Player of the game - Michi-
gan's QB #7 (8-of-15, 208 yards,
two total touchdowns). Even
though he missed a wide-open

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WR #13 on several long passes, blocks look cool."
he found WR #80 on one long
pass in the first half and WR #13 "It wasn't a pretty win, but I guess
on a bomb in the second. it wasn't as ugly as that Jack
Herman kid."
It helped that every time Michi-
gan went deep, Eastern's corner- Eastern Michigan coach Dan-
backs decided the best method iel Bromwich: "I don't think my
of defense was to wait until the receivers have hands. Seiously.
receivers were past them, and They might not possess the nec-
then chase from behind. essary body parts to make catch-
es. Nine drops? Come on!"
- Press conference
Michigan coach Scott- Bell: "It "I don't think it's fair that Michi-
didn't help that I didn't have WR gan injured starting QB #8 early
#86 or WR #16. But it did help in the 4th quarter. That defense
that Eastern is just plain awful." was playing dirty, hitting him
after the throw on every play.
"Every member of both our spe- Don't believe me? Nine roughing-
cial teams units needs to have the-passer penalties were called,
his scholarship revoked. Five and I even declined one. An injury
blocked kicks? What the hell? I was bound to happen."
think our offensive line tried get-
ting the kicks blocked on purpose "At least I coached better than
because they knew the kicker former Michigan coach Jack Her-
would miss anyways. At least man. He sucks."
WONDERING WHO THE DAILY WRITERS THINK
ARE THE BEST ALL-TIME MICHIGAN
RUNNING BACKS?
CHECK OUT THE FOOTBALL SATURDAY INSERT
IN TODAY'S PAPER.

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