BELL: MARIO IS MISSIN
The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com I October 8,2007
Record falls as
Hart pumps 'M'
By SCOTT BELL the Wolverines led East-
Daily Sports Editor ern Michigan by just two
points.
What was supposed to During that span, the
be the afternoon's only real Eagles returned a kickoff 86
drama took place about 11 yards, blocked and returned
minutes into Michigan's 33- a Michigan extra point for a
22 win over Eastern Michi- two-point conversion, inter-
gan Saturday afternoon. cepted a Chad Henne pass
SeniorrunningbackMike and successfully recovered
Hart, the 5-foot-9 Heisman a surprise onside kick.
Trophy candidate, shifted Was Michigan's new all-
and cut his way through the time leading rusher a little
defense for a 14-yard run. nervous his record-break-
The carry put him ahead of ing day might be tainted?
Anthony Thomas and into "I wasn't really worried,
the No. 1 spot atop Michi- because we were dominat-
gan's career rushing yard- ing the whole game offen-
age list. sively," Hart said. "We were
But, aside from some con- moving the ball ... I wasn't
gratulatory hugs and hand- worried at all."
shakes from teammates and The Wolverines (4-2)
coachesthe real celebration finally woke up, posted 17
couldn't begin for a couple unanswered points and
more quarters. pulled away for their fourth-
Nearly 30 minutes after straight win.
Hart's record-breaking run, Despite the third-quarter
scoring barrage, Michigan's
mistakes continued.
By game's end, the
Eagles (2-4) had recovered
another onside kick, inter-
cepted Henne once again
and posed more questions
for a Michigan team that
has rarely played well for an
entire game.
"We're obviously not
where we want to be," line-
backer Obi Ezeh said. "We
want to be at a spot where
we can come out and play a
full 60 minutes."
As the fourth quarter
came around, Michigan's
offense turned it up and
Hart had played his final
snap. His 22-carry, 215-
yard, three-touchdown per-
formance was enough not
only to put Michigan ahead
by a comfortable margin,
but also give him the record
See EAGLES, Page 4B
Excuses? Please
ike Hart shattered the
Michigan career rush-
ing record on Saturday
by tearing
through the
Eastern Michi-
gan defense.
But after the
game, no juke,
spin, stiff arm
or any other
Hart creation
could elude the JACK
can't-believe-
we-have-to- HERMAN
ask-this-again On
question.
Can you tell Tap
us why Michi-
gan got off to another slow start?
"No, I can't," Hart said. "I don't
know."
Luckily, while Hart gathered
215 yards, his teammates - resting
squarely upon his back - had time
to think of excuses.
"It's difficult when you have 10
guys that are injured," quarterback
Chad Henne said following the 33-
22 win.
Against Ohio State, that seems
reasonable. Against Northwestern,
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
But against Eastern Michigan, um,
well, how to put this lightly ... No!
This is an Eastern Michigan team
that lost to Vanderbilt by 23 points.
A team that lost to Pittsburgh by 24.
In other words, a team that should
not trail Michigan by just two points
midway through the third quarter.
Yes, redshirt freshman Steve
Schilling's move to right guard cre-
ated some extra pressure in the
backfield. And there were three fill-
ins on defense. But despite Michigan
coach Lloyd Carr's best try in Satur-
day's post-game press conference,
injuries just don't explain the prob-
lems that have continually plagued
the Wolverines this season.
Injuries are not the reason Michi-
gan keeps throwing away touch-
down opportunities. They're not
the reason the defense keeps sleep-
walking through the first half. And
they're not the reason Michigan
keeps making bad-enough-in-the-
first-game-but-inexcusable-mid-
way-through-the-season mistakes.
Henne says a defender hit him
while he released the ball on his first
interception. OK, but why did the
senior throw into double coverage
in the first place? And in the third
quarter, why did he kill another
deep drive with a pick? (Actually,
he blamed tight end Carson Butler
for that one. Did anyone catch the
license plate number on that bus?)
The defense says it knows it can't
keep continue these sluggish starts.
But the Wolverines said the same
thing last week against Northwest-
ern. Thanks, guys, and O.J. Simpson
has a reputation problem. But what
are you going to do to fix it?
Carr says offensive tackle Jake
Long swears Eastern Michigan
jumped offsides on the first extra-
point returned for a conversion in
Michigan history. But Carr can't
blame anyone but his team and
coaches for the 14 players Michigan
fielded on one punt. Or the seven silly
penalties ranging from an improper
formation to a Donovan Warren
personal foul. Or the 86-yard kick-
off return that almost ended in the
Michigan end zone.
At times this season, the offense
has looked unstoppable. The Henne-
led first drive against Northwestern
looked nearly flawless, the three
receivers pose a terrific triple threat,
and well, Mike Hart is Mike Hart.
But Henne can't keep making mis-
takes on the field, wide receiver
Mario Manningham can't keep
making them off it and Michigan
needs a reliable back-up halfback
before Hart's legs fall off.
At times this season, the defense
has looked impenetrable. Look no
further than Saturday with cur-
nerback Morgan Trent's break-
ups, defensive lineman Brandon
Graham's bone-crushing sack and
safety Brandent Englemon's fumble-
inducing hit. But the Big Ten season
brings much stiffer competition than
Eastern Michigan and South Bend
Junior High, and the defense can't
keep relying on alate-game surge.
And at times this season, the spe-
cial teams has looked ... actually, let's
just say they'll have to work on that.
Muchlike on Saturday, when Hart
stuck up for Manningham in his
press conference, the senior running
back has covered up his teammate's
mistakes all seasons. Six consecutive
100-yard games will do that.
But when Michigan faces a night
road game against an Illinois team
looking much scarier each week,
Wisconsin in the terrifying Camp
Randall Stadium and, of course,
Ohio State, there are going to be a lot
more questions.
And, as Michigan learned twice
early this season, there are some
things that even Hart can't answer.
TOP:ANGELA CESERE BOTTOM: EMMA NOLAN ABRAHAMIAN/Daily
- Herman can be reached TOP: Mike Hart set the Michigan career rushing record Saturday. BOTTOM: Fresh-
at jaherman@umich.edu. man Troy Woolfolk and the second-string defense allowed a late touchdown drive.
Face in the crowd leads the way
By MARK GIANNOTTO
Daily Sports Writer
EAST LANSING - Fresh off an
appearance in Sports Illustrated's Faces
in the Crowd,-
it would have MICHIGAN 2
been under- MICHIGAN ST. 1
standable ifa
senior Lucia Belassi fell victim to the
dreaded SI jinx.
But, by scoring the game-winning
goal in overtime of No. 6 Michigan's 2-1
win over No. 7 Michigan State, Belassi
not only proved the superstition wrong
- she also might have secured the Wol- away."
verines a Big Ten regular-season title in The win puts Michigan in control of
process. its own destiny as it concerns the Big
After Michigan was awarded a pen- Ten regular-season crown. Michigan is
alty corner four minutes into the extra the lone Big Ten team with an unblem-
period, junior Michaela McDermott fed ished conference record.
Belassi at the top of the shooting circle. And with games remaining against
The seniorthenunleashed ashot, which conference doormats Northwestern
deflected off a Michigan State defender and Indiana, it appears a title is within
and past Spartan goalie Elissa Unger. the team's grasp.
"Thank God (the jinx) didn't hap- "This was like the game for usto win,
pen today," said Michigan coach Nancy especially for the Big Ten regular sea-
Cox after the game. "It's a very hard son," Belassi said.
task having the ball on your stick in an It didn't come easy, though.
overtime period and being able to put it See FIELD HOCKEY, Page 6B
1P
MAX COLLINS/Daily
Freshman Carl Hagelin scored three third-period goals to propel Michigan past Western Ontario, 5-1, at Yost
Ice Arena yesterday.
Fresh start for Frosh 'Wonderful' night as Blue rolls in three
,.... .._.. _. s ._..,. ... ...._. ... ....,. .._ _... ._.... I -- - --__ __ -- ____.-
By COURTNEY RATKOWIAK
Daily Sports Writer
For the young Michigan hockey team, it was
a Swede start to the season.
The 10th-ranked Wolverines defeated West-
ern Ontario 5-1 in an exhibition game high-
lighted by freshman
and Sweden native W. ONTARIO 1
Carl Hagelin's third- MICHIGAN 5
period hat trick.
Hagelin's heroics came just a day after Mich-
igan's top defensive lines bettered Wolverine
goalie Billy Sauer and the top offensive lines 6-
3 in the annual Blue-White scrimmage.
After two periods yesterday, the Wolverines
had outshot the Mustangs 19-10 but led by just
one. But four goals in the third period, includ-
ing three in fewer than three minutes, put
the game away and highlighted the Wolver-
ines' offensive talent against a fading Western
Ontario squad.
Hagelin made a splash in his across-the-
ocean collegiate debut, netting three goals in
the third period to lead the Wolverines' offen-
sive surge. The freshman converted a perfect
pass from sophomore Steve Kampfer and found
the back right-hand corner of the net a minute
and 50 seconds into the period.
After Michigan and Western Ontario scored
one quick goal apiece, Hagelin notched his sec-
ond tally two minutes later on the Travis Turn-
bull-Louie Caparusso line that contributed
three of the Blue team's six goals in the previ-
ous night's Blue-White scrimmage.
Hagelin's third goal came with 3:11 remain-
ing in the game as he wrapped around the back
See OPENER, Page 3B
By ALEX PROSPERI
Daily Sports Writer
No. 16 Michigan made short work of
intrastate rival Michigan State, sweep-
ing the Spartans (30-21, 30-25, 30-23)
in a mere one hour and 41 minutes.
Emerging from the locker room after
a hot and humid Cliff Keen Arena on
Friday night, senior Stesha Selsky was
brief in her comments regarding the
win over the Spartans: "Oh, wonder-
ful," Selsky said.
The Wolverines (3-3 Big Ten, 15-
3 overall), who swept their weekend
games with a win over Northwestern (1-
5, 10-7) on Sunday (30-24, 30-19, 30-22),
wasted notimeonFridaynight,jumping
out to a 14-6 lead midway through the
first game. Shortly thereafter, Michigan
sealed game one behind four kills from
senior Lyndsay Miller and three apiece
from sophomore Veronica Rood annica
Rood and junior Beth Karpiak (who
became the third Wolverine on the ros-
ter to surpass 500 career kills).
In game two, Michigan didn't let
down toward the end of the game - a
good indication Michigan is steadily
improving. Committing untimely
errors toward the latter part of games
has been one of Michigan's weaknesses
during its recent three-match skid. But
leading 23-20, the Wolverines finished
the stanza with a 7-5 run, capped by a
textbook bump-set-spike from Rood to
freshman Lexi Zimmerman and then
back to Rood for the kill.
"We limited our errors," Selsky said.
"We are avery high-error teamrecently."
Michigan State (1-5, 10-8) had com-
munication problems all evening. More
than once, a handful of Spartans simply
watched the ball fall to the ground after
its setter launched the ball into the air.
Two picture-perfect Zimmerman
sets leading to Miller kills early in the
third game made it clear that Michigan
was on top of its game. After a Michigan
State timeout and another point to cut
the score e Spartans looked primed for
a comeback. But Rood put all hopes of a
comeback to rest as she put the finish-
ing touches on a long rally with a thun-
derous kill.
The Temperance native, who has
struggled with inconsistent play, had
one of her best games of the year.
"I thought Rood was very good
tonight," Michigan coach Mark Rosen
said. "We spent a lot of time this week
working on things to help her do bet-
See VOLLEYBALL, Page 6B
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