i r - --Ai - -- -m w -MI IVA ANNE- 6 Saturday, October 13, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com w w 0 Saturday, October 13, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com FS B. Englemon S. Brown CB M. Trent B. Harrison WILL C. Graham B. Logan DE T. Jamison A. Patterson 2007 depth chart MIKE J. Thompson 0. Ezeh WR M. ManninghamL J. Hemingway LT J. Long P. Dorrenstein KR PR B. Harrison G. Mathews J. Hemingway D. Warren STAFF PICKS The Daily's football writers and a studentY guest do their best to predict what happens for this weekend's slate of games. LG A. Kraus J. Ciulla DT T. Taylor B. Gallimore C J. Boren T. McAvoy QB C. Henne R. Mallett RB M. Hart B. Minor DCT W. Johnson J. Ferrara RG T. McAvoy C. Zirbel FB M. Moundros V. Helmuth SAM S. Crable M. Pollock DE B. Graham G. Banks RT TE S. Schilling C. Butler M. Ortmann C. McLaurin SS J. Adams C. Stewart CB D. Warren D. Dutch WR A. Arrington G. Mathews KO B. Wright P K Z. Mesko K.C. Lopata RODRIGO GAYA/Daoi wide receiver Mario Manningham should take advantage of a Purdue secondary that allowed Ohio State to score through the air twice in the first half. Tight matchup could come down to the wire Freshman cornerback Donovan warren will have to be at his best today in order to shut down Dorien Bryant, Curtis Painter and the Boilermaker passing attack. Scott Daniel Bell Bromwich jacKn rv Herman Wright Chald Gerencer MICHIGAN (-6) vs. Purdue Michigan Purdue Michigan.Michigan Purdue LSU (-9.5) vs. KENTUCKY Kentucky Louisana State Louisiana State Louisiana State Louisiana State CALIFORNIA (4) vs. Oregon State California Calitornia- Calitornia California California OHIO STATE (-30.5) vs Kent State Ohio State Ohio State Ohio State Ohio State Ohio State ,..:..BC (-13.5) vs. NO.RE DAME Boston College Boston College Boston College Boston College Boston College. SOUTH FLORIDA (-12)vs. Central Florida South lorida South Florida South Florida.South Florida South Florida OkahoAaMA .s.issouri ssour.Okah Missouri Missouri Missouri South Carolina (-7) vs. UNC North Carolina South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina OREGON (-8) vs. Washington State Washington State Oregon Oregon Oregon Oregon SOUHEYN CAL (-21) vs Arizona Southern Cal outhern Cal Southern CalSouthern Cal Southern Cal Virginia Tech (13) vsg DUKE VirginiaTech ArginiaYech irginia Tech Virginia Tech ARIONASTATE12vs.Washinton Arizona State Arizona State Arizon Staeae ............N........STA TE.......................)......... W ashingto.. ............ ................................................ . . . . . .A rizona.................. ....,......State ......... CINCINNATI (-10.5)vs.Louisville Louisville Cincinnati Cincinnati Louisville incinnai Hawa i19)vs.SAN JOSE STATE Hawaii Hawaii Hawa .ala Hawaii Illinois (-3.5) vs IOWA Illinois llinois Illinois Illinois Illinois Wisconsin (+7) vs. PENN STATE Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin . KANSAS (-25.5) vs. Baylor Kansas Kansas Kansas Bayfor Kansas Flrida State -6) vs.A(E FOREST Florida State Wake Forest Florida State Wake Forest Florida State Auburn (+3) vs. ARKANSAS Arkansas Arkansas Auburn Arkansas Auburn Texas (-6) vs. IOWA STATE IwStote Teoas 'Teoas Iowa State Teoas Georgia.(-).s YANDERBlLT Vanderbilt Georgia gisi Georgia Tennessee -7) vs. MISSISSIPPI ST Mississippi State Tennessee ssissippiState Tennessee Mississippi State Indiana (+4.5) vs. MICHIGAN ST ndiana Michigan State Indiana ichigan State Indiana Minnesota (7) vs. NORTHWESTERN orthwesteorthwestern Northwestern orthwestern Northwestern Best Bet Northwestern Virginia Tech Northwestern Wisconsin Boston College Last week's record 11-9-0 (1-0) 10-10-0 (0-1) 7-13-0 (0-1) 8-12-0 (1-0) 1010-0 (0-1). Overall Record 72-53-4 2-3 6659 4(3 2 65-60-4 (1-4) 6-59-4 (4-1) 65-60-4(1-4) By DANIEL BROMWICH and yards every game t KEVIN WRIGHT topped 150 four tim Daily Sports Editors ing the nation in r than 100 yards. Props to the Big Ten Network. Purdue's rushc Two weeks ago, the network been bad, allowing announced it would air - the game. But it's tough Michigan-Purdue game, and the how good it is bec announcement was met with dis- ermakers have play belief that a game featuring a tough game so far t then-undefeated Boilermakers loss to Ohio State l and a surging Wolverine squad due gave up 181 ya didn't find a way onto national against the Buckey television. running back Chris Well, after last Saturday, it's a age almost five yard little easier to see why. Most of last seasi Ohio State destroyed Purdue returned for the in West Lafayette, and Michigan which would usua eked out a home win against an thing. But Purdue Eastern Michigan team that lost to the nation's 114tB Vanderbilt by 23 points. defense last year. So, will this game draw more If Michigan's< attention to the Big Ten Network comes to play, Hart with a close score, or will turn into his 100-yard streak. a lopsided blowout? Look at the matchups, and see Edge: Michigan for yourself. his season, has Purdue's pass de ies and is lead- are mostly irrelev ushing by more ing the caliber of of played (excluding O defense hasn't But it's safe to 137 yards per quarterback Chad h to tell exactly most experienced a ause the Boil- the Boilermakers h yed in just one with wide receives his year, a 23-7 niogham returning ast week. Pur- game suspension to rds of rushing threats Adrian Ar es and allowed Mathews and tigh Wells to aver- Butler, the Wolv Is per carry. have what they way on's front seven ing game. Boilermakers, lly be a good Edge: Michigan finished with h-ranked rush Purduerushoffs igan rush defense offensive line Purdue operates should extend offense, so most of be similar to those fense statistics 'ant consider- pponents it has hio State). say Michigan Henne is the nd best passer ave faced, and r Mario Man- from a one- join downfield rington, Greg t end Carson erines should nt in the pass- ensevs. Mich- out of a spread f its runs will Michigan has should help the Wolverines' rush going to bring fir defense. the Big House, a Ohio State held the Boilermak- questions will h ers to four total rushing yards, but secondary that c the Buckeyes' defense is probably contain a potent B well ahead of Michigan's at this ing attack spear point. Linebackers Chris Graham receiver Dorien E and John Thompson might return terback Curtis Pa from injuries that held them out last week, and their return would Edge: Purdue help Wolverines shut down Pur- ve-wide sets into nd the same old aunt a Michigan an only hope to Boilermaker pass- headed by wide Bryant and quar- inter. due's run attack. But even with- out them, the Boilermakers will most likely try to do more damage through the air. Edge: Michigan Purdue pass offensevs. Mich- iganpass defense Every week, the Michigan defensive players field the same questions: How do you feel facing the spreadPHave the early noncon- ference games better prepared you for future spread offenses? And defensive coordinator Ron Eng- lish's answer has been to eliminate the term "spread offense." Instead, the defense is focused on playing its game rather than using the dif- ferent packages for the spread. Well, the new plan may need tweaking, especially with suspect first halves against Northwestern and Eastern Michigan. Purdue's Special teams Plainly, the Wolverines special teams are a mess. Even with a solid 2-for-2 performance from new kicker K.C. Lopata last Saturday, Michigan still had a point-after- try blocked and returned for a two-point conversion. Not to men- tion, Eastern Michigan returned a kickoff 86 yards to start a drive inside the Wolverines' 20-yard line, and freshman Donovan War- ren made some of the most excit- ing one-yard returns the team has seen this season. One continual bright spot has been punter Zoltan Mesko, and he'll need to drive up his hangtime to limit the speed and quickness of Purdue's Dorien Bryant, who has already made a name for him- self as a dangerous punt returner. Meanwhile, Purdue kicker Chris Summers is 8-for-10 with a 44- See PURDUE, Page 7B Michigan rush offense vs. Purdue rush defense Purdue coach Joe Tiller told the Lafayette Journal and Cou- rier that the Boilermakers' biggest challenge will be to stop running back Mike Hart. Uh, you think? Harthas gained more than 100 Michigan pass offense vs. Purdue pass defense The Boilermakers picked off Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman three times last week, all in the second half, But-they also let him toss two touchdown passes on the first two drives of the game to put the Buckeyes up 14-0. faced against Appalachian State, Oregon, Northwestern and East- ern Michigan. The Wolverines say they are improving at understand- ing the spread offense, and while it's hard to tell against opponents like the Wildcats and Eagles, that. seems to be the case. Defensive tackle Will Johnson returns after a one-game absence, and redshirt freshman Marques Slocum made his debut last week. Both certainly