The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com November 19, 2007
<MICHIGAN 3
M' falls to
Bucks again
By JACK HERMAN
DailySportsEditor
Michigan's all-time leading passer
returned from injury to play with
Michigan's all-time leading rusher
in an attempt to cement their lega-
cies in front of Michigan's all-time
second largest crowd.
But in their final game at Michi-
gan Stadium, a group of the Wolver-
ines' finest seniors failed once again
to do what it couldn't do three times
before. And coaching his final game
in the rivalry, Michigan coach Lloyd
Carr failed once again to top Ohio
State coach Jim Tressel.
By losingto Ohio State, 14-3, Chad
Henne, Mike Hart and others did
more than lose a final trip to the Rose
Bowl, the Big Ten Championship and
the chance to cap off an improbable
turnaround of a season.
Instead, the senior class marred
its legacy with two haunting figures:
0 and 4.
"We had a chance to win the
championship here, and we didn't,"
senior safety Jamar Adams said.
"That should say it all."
And if it doesn't, the game's statis-
tits sure do.
In a performance harkening back
to Michigan's Snow Bowl victory
over Ohio State in 1950, the Wolver-
,/Dli ine offense mustered just 91 yards.
Yes, the offense many believed would
eiors
son job, though.
Henne and Hart were nowhere near 100
percent, but they weren't dropping the balls
Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington
were.
Even with a missed assignment or two,
Long was by far the most stable force on an
offensive line that was physically dominated
all afternoon.
The whole team failed to do its part to give
the leaders a proper sendoff.
Michigan gained more yards in one play
last week than it did in its biggestgame of the
season. Ohio Staterunningback Beanie Wells
gained more than twice the number of yards
the whole Michigan team did Saturday.
And the Michigan offense had 11 three-
and-outs. That's more than enough inef-
ficiency to guarantee the senior class a
four-and-out - a quartet of games against
Ohio State with nothing but losses to show
See BELL, Page 4B
be unstoppable managed merely a
field goal in its biggest game of the
season. In the second half, it had the
ball past midfield just once.
Quarterback Chad Henne, who
willed the team to three victories
this year, suffered from his own
shoulder injury and his receivers'
dropped passes to an 11-of-34 per'
formance. Running back Mike Hart,
who sparked the team with a guar-
antee earlier this year, carried the
ball 18 times for just 44 yards. And
tackle Jake Long, who held together
an offensive line battling injuries
all season, allowed a rare sack and
saw his teammates pulverized by
the Ohio State defensive line nearly
every drive.
"We didn't get anything done,"
senior center Adam Kraus said. "So
it's all on us. Defense played great.
Played their butt off. And we hung
them out to dry."
That defense held an Ohio State
team content pounding the ball into
the line to 14 points. Gripping to
an 11-point lead for the final seven
drives of the game, Ohio State drove
no further than 36 yards on any of
them.
But it was only the first drive
(quick as it was) of the half that mat-
tered.
After an illegal block in the back
negated an Ohio State punt return
See BUCKEYES, Page 4B
Ohio State sophomore Donald Washington celebrates Ohio State's Rose Bowl-clinching, 14-3 win over Michigan at the Big House.
No happy ending or Carr, s
! Big Ten Title. A Rose Bowl berth. A
shot at redemption. The most sto-
rybook of endings imaginable, con-
sidering how the season began.
They were there for
the taking.
Michigan could've
had it all- and salvaged
a once-unsalvageable
season in front of the
second-largest crowd
in college football his-
tory. w
But instead of a
happy ending, Satur- SCOTT
day's loss further blem- BELL
ished the senior class
and Michigan coach Too
Lloyd Carr's already Soon?
damaged legacies.
Many students had
planned to chant Carr's name to show their
appreciation for the 13-year coach in his final
game at Michigan Stadium.
But the only Carr-directed cheers that
reverberated through the Big House came
from the scarlet-and-grey-clad fans intent
on mocking the coach as the seconds ticked
down to Ohio State's third straight Big Ten
Title.
"Keep Lloyd Carr."
"One more year."
It was the most unfitting ending for every-
one involved.
For Carr, the man who gave 13 years to the
most stressful post at the University. Who,
despite rampant criticism from all kinds of
fans, gave Wolverine Nation its first National
Championship in 49 years.
For Chad Henne, Jake Long and Mike
Hart, who have been the faces of the program
for almost their entire time in Ann Arbor.
The trio that turned its back on millions of
dollars and the NFL for a chance to finish
their Michigan careers the right way.
And for the supporting cast, the unsung
members of the team. The group that did
all the little things to help make the stars on
Michigan into what they are today.
But on Saturday, those stars dug their own
graves.
Carr fell to Jim Tressel for the sixth time
in seven tries. He played the John Cooper
role to Tressel's Lloyd Carr.
Hart was held under 100 yards for the first
time this season. He didn't even make it half-
way, gaining just 44 yards on 18 carries.
Henne completed fewer than 33 percent
of his passes. After courageously playing
through the pain against Illinois and Michi-
gan State, Henne's ability to walk on water
disappeared.
Even Long was beaten by Ohio State's Ver-
non Gholston. The Lombardi Award finalist
allowed a sack for the first time all season.
Digging a grave is more than a three-per-
MORE COVERAGE
* Column: Scott Bell says Carr will
be missed, pg 2B
* Henne and Hart's injuries hinder
Michigan, pg 4B
* Detroit native plays strongfor
Ohio State, pg 4B
'M' extends historic streak
CHANEL VON HABSBURG-LOTHRINGEN/Daiy
Goalie Billy Sauer had 34 saves on Saturday, a season-high total that showcased his
consistency between the pipes this season.
Saner strong In
sloppy sweep
By ANDY REID
Daily Sports Writer
SAULT STE. MARIE - There
was nothing crisp, smooth or
pretty about the Michigan hock-
ey team's effort this weekend. It
was downright ugly.
That may be true, but the sec-
ond-ranked Wolverines still com-
pleted a weekend sweep against
Lake Superior, 6-2 and 5-1.
While nothing from this week-
end will make the Michigan
highlight reel, the Wolverines did
win their 10th game inarow, cur-
rently the nation's longest win-
ning streak.
Michigan has rallied for its
first-ever 8-0 conference start,
but Michigan coach Red Beren-
son wasn't exactly pleased with
how his team got there.
"I'm not that happy about this
game," Berenson said after Satur-
day's game. "I'm happy about the
win on the road. I'm happy with
the sweep. I'm not happy with the
way we played."
The sloppy play started imme-
diately Saturday night. The
Wolverines were called for 16
penalties in the game and found
themselves on the short end of 5-
on-3 situations twice during the
game.
Each time the Wolverines (8-
0-0 CCHA, 11-1-0 overall) took
back momentum and rhythm,
they committed another penalty.
The Lakers took advantage of
Michigan's inability to get into its
comfort zone to the tune of a 2-1
lead at the first break.
"I think we took too many
undisciplined, unnecessary pen-
alties on the verge of stupidity,"
Berenson said. "You can't play
like that. Thatlput us on our heels
right from the get-go in the first
period.
"There's always going to be
some accidental penalties. We
took a tripping penalty, that's
accidental, but when you take a
slashing penalty and unneces-
sary roughness-type penalties,
that's not good."
But the explosive Michigan
offense caught fire in the second
period again - this time netting
three goals in fewer than three
minutes - to gain a lead it would
not relinquish.
Although the Wolverines
looked slightly better Friday, it
still took a period for them to pull
away from Lake Superior.
A bigger, more physical Laker
squad made a pointto playagainst
the boards for much of the first
period. Trapping Michigan was a
tactic to combat the Wolverines'
speed and skill with the puck in
open space.
The Michigan offense loked
disoriented for the entire opening
frame, and Lake Superior jumped
out to a 1-0 lead.
"We knew we need to come out
and play the body more," senior
captain Kevi6 Porter said. "They
took it to us in the first and outhit
us pretty bad. We needed to start
playing the body and get a quick
See LAKERS, Page 2B
By ANDY REID
Daily Sports Writer
SAULT STE. MARIE - After all
the criticism goalie Billy Sauer took
lastseason forhis inconsistency, the
junior has come
back to be one of NOTEBOOK
the most consis-
tent players on this year's edition of
the Michigan hockey team.
Once again, Sauer deflected
nearly everything that came his
way in two games against Lake
Superior this weekend, including a
season-high 34 saves Saturday.
of the 61 shots the Lakers fired
at Sauer, the Walworth, N.Y., native
stopped 58 of them (95 percent),
even with the 18 penalties enforced
against Michigan during regula-
tion.
"It starts with your goalie, obvi-
ously," Michigan coach Red Beren-
son said of Sauer's ability to kill so
many penalties. "Billy was sharp,
and he had tobe sharp."
Sauer played hesitantly early on,
allowing goals in the first period of
both contests - the Lakers scored
once Friday and twice Saturday.
But Sauer didn't allow a single goal
in the second or third periods of
either contest.
With the Wolverines playing
from behind early in both games,
it was crucial for Sauer to keep the
See SAUER, Page 2B
JENNIFER KRON/Dail
Senior Kevin Porter had four goals this weekend, including the game-winner on Fri-
day, and helped Michigan's first line continue its dominance against CCHA teams.