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Looking for someone to blame for the Les Miles Fiasco? Look no further than Michigan's AD. Page 2 '1
The Michigan Daily I michigandailycom I December 3, 2007
Mobile QB awaits Carr and Co.
By JACK HERMAN
Daily SportsEditor
Michigan still doesn't know who
will coach it in its first game next
season, but at least it now knows
where Lloyd Carr will coach his last
one.
In a matchup between two teams
embroiled in a National Champion-
ship controversy last year, the Wol-
verines will play No. 9 Florida in the
Capital One Bowl in Orlando at 1
p.m. on New Year's Day.
"Certainly for this team, we've
had some obstacles and we've
had some difficult times, but it is a
group of outstanding leadership in
that senior class," said Carr, who
will lead the Wolverines into their
NCAA-leading 33rd straight bowl
game. "For me, certainly, I'll just
be one of them, one of the guys that
will be involved in his last game at
Michigan. So we're all, I think, look-
ing forward to that."
Michigan (6-2 Big Ten, 8-4 over-
all) was invited after Illinois accept-
ed a bid to play in its first Rose Bowl
since 1984.
No. 1 Ohio State will play a Les
Miles-coached Louisiana State
See page 6B for a complete
schedule of every Bowl
Game this season
team in the National Championship
game.
Although Michigan's coaching
search will receive the most interest
leading up to the game, last year's
bowlisituation makes for an interest-
ing subplot. Florida jumped Michi-
gan the final week of the season to
move into the National Champion-
ship Game against Ohio State.
A number of voters seemed to
make an effort to put Florida in
the title game, dropping Michigan
artificially low in the rankings. One
voter in the Harris poll ranked the
one-loss Gators first on his ballot,
ahead of undefeated Ohio State.
Last year, Carr not-so-subtly crit-
icized Florida coach Urban Meyer's
actions leading up to the final vote.
"I just think that based on some of
the comments the Florida coach has
made in the last two weeks - cam-
paigning strenuously for a berth in
the championship game - and mak-
ing some statements about Michigan
that I think were inappropriate,"
Carr said on "Michigan Replay" last
year before the BCS standings were
released.
Florida beat Ohio State, 41-14, to
win the title. In to the Rose Bowl,
Michigan fell 32-18 to Southern Cal.
But Carr had nothing but praise
for Meyer during a conference call
with reporters last night.
"He's -one of the guys that I've
always liked and a guy that repre-
sents all the positive things in col-
lege football," Carr said.
Michigan won the teams' only
previous meeting, 38-30, in the
2003 Outback Bowl. It also marks
the last time Michigan won a post-
season game.
To send Carr off with his sixth
bowl win, the Wolverines will have
to stop a Florida team (5-3 South-
eastern Conference, 9-3 overall) led
by Heisman Trophy frontrunner
Tim Tebow.
Luckily for them, Chad Henne
and Mike Hart will play, Carr said.
This is the first time since 2001
Michigan has played in the Capital
One (then the Capital One Florida
Citrus Bowl). The Wolverines lost
45-17 to Tennessee.
Frosh
step up
in tough
weekend
By NATE SANDALS
Daily Sports Editor
It was his team's first setback in
seven weeks, but Michigan coach
Red
Beren- MICHIGAN 4
son saw OHIO STATE 2
enough
issues to warranta significant line-
up overhaul following the Wolver-
ines' 3-2 loss to Ohio State Friday
night.
"I think we have to be willing
to change," Berenson said. "Some-
times change is better than staying
the same. We were having a pretty
good roll there for a while. And I
think we have tobe able to adapt in
terms of who's playing well, who's
improving, who's not."
Berenson adjusted three of his
four lines, and, for the first time
this season, skated a line of all
freshmen.
The changes-paid off, and Mich-
igan bounced back to defeat Ohio
State, 4-2, Saturday night in a game
marked by end-to-end action.
The trio of freshmen on Michi-
gan's second line - Carl Hagelin,
Matt Rust and Aaron Palushaj
- got the Wolverines off to a fast
start Michigan was shut out for
57 minutes Friday night, but the
second line struck twice in the
opening eight minutes Saturday,
ensuring the scoring drought
wouldn't be repeated.
Rust scored Michigan's first
goal, bouncing a puck off Ohio
State goalie Joseph Palmer and
into the net from behind the goal-
line.
Hagelin followed up with a
goal less than four minutes later,
tapping a puck in from the goal-
mouth.
Palushaj didn't register a goal,
but he had the three assists and
nearlybeat Palmer on a spin around
backhander in the third period.
"The line of Aaron, Matt Rust
and Carl Hagelin played unbeliev-
able," freshman Max Pacioretty
said. "They had two quick goals
that got us going. Hopefully that
gives us some confidence, and we
See BUCKEYES, Page 4B
Michigan coach John Beilein didn't promise anything his first season in Ann Arbor. But no one saw aloss to former Wolverine coach Tommy Amaker's Harvard squad coming.
Ugly doesn't describe it:
Blue upset by Harvard
Remember Tommy?
Maybe he wasn't so bad
By DAN FELDMAN
Daily Sports Writer
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Don't say he
didn't warn you.
Since being hired in April, Michigan
men's basketball coach John Beilein has
preached his team is young and that
learning his system will take time.
He said things would get ugly at
times.
But this ugly?
A 62-51 to Harvard in cozy Levites
Pavilion Saturday night ugly?
A Harvard, that has beaten just 18
major conference teams in the program's
96 seasons.
A Harvard, that lost 82-50 to the Wol-
verines last year and was picked to fin-
ish sixth of eight Ivy League teams this
season.
And of course, a Harvard now coached
by Tommy Amaker, who Michigan fired
after last season.
"I don't think things like this are
(unexpected)," Beilein said. "Are they
unexpected in the long range of the
program? Absolutely. But I don't think
they're that unexpected right now in col-
lege basketball."
Beilein has maintained from the get-
go that supporting his team this year
shouldn't come down to wins and losses.
Fans should look forward to the develop-
ment of younger players and to the excit-
ing, up-and-down style he brought with
him from West Virginia would be fun to
watch.
But missing 42 shots, including 15 3-
pointers, isn't fun.
See CRIMSON, Page 5B
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -
When the final buzzer sounded
Saturday night it became
obvious -
firing Tommy Amak-
er was the worst
decision Michigan's
Athletic Department4
could've made.'
In eight games
- which is plenty
of time for one man
to completely turn
around a struggling H. JOSE
program - Michigan BOSCH
coach John Beilein
has failed to do that. The Bosch
Just look at what Watch
happened Saturday.
Amaker's Harvard
squad, which has established itself as
a juggernaut with four wins in eight
games, defeated Beilein's Wolverines.
This clearly means the Crimson and
Amaker are destined to become a greater
program than Beilein's Michigan squad.
If you couldn't watch the game, trust
me. The Wolverines were simply out-
coached.
Remember the finger twirl? With
several swift spins of his index finger,
Amaker's infinite coaching wisdom was
on display for all to see.
Amaker, now Harvard's coach, used
it against Michigan. He twirled it up on
four consecutive possessions near the
end of the game, and Harvard proceeded
to finish the contest on an 11-0 run.
Figures. Even when he's the oppos-
ing coach, Michigan loses when Amaker
See BOSCH, Page SB
Welcome to the Sweet 16: 'M' takes care of business
By CHARLES CLINTON
Daily Sports Writer
This weekend, the Michigan vol-
leyball team hosted the first and
second rounds ofthe NCAA Tourna-
ment for the first time in its history,
and Crisler Arena was unwelcom-
ing to opponents as the Wolverines
advanced to the Sweet 16 of the
tournament for the first time.
The berth came thanks in part to
a combined 33 kills in both games
Pfromosenior Ratie Bruzdzinski ond a
combined 77 assists from freshman
Lexi Zimmerman.
In the first round, Michigan met
Miami (Ohio) - the Mid America
Conference Champion. The Wol-
verines came out strong after a slow
start in game one with a 13-3 run
to take a solid 22-12 advantage that
they would never let go of, eventu-
ally stomping the RedHawks 30-16.
Game two was more competi-
tive early on with five lead changes
before either team had 10 points.
But Michigan quickly pulled away,
building up a 24-12 lead going into a
Miami (Ohio) timeout. The Wolver-
ines would close out the RedHawks
with a 30-18 win. Bruzdzinski and
junior Beth Karpiak had five kills
each in the game and finished with
19 and 13 kills on the night, respec-
tively.
Michigan jumped out to a 13-S
lead in game three, but then Miami
(Ohio) gradually started to creep
in. The RedHawks started to take
advantage of the Wolverines' mis-
takes, eventually cutting their
deficit to 23-22. Bruzdzinski then
reenergized the Crisler crowd with
a service ace to give Michigan a 26-
23 lead, which gave it enough of an
edge for a 30-27 win.
"In the third game, we didn't get
nervous," Michigan coach Mark
Rosen said. "We just got a little
relaxed and they were at a point
where they had nothing to lose,
which put pressure on us. Katie did
a good job of serving us back into
the game."
Michigan took on No. 21aColora-
do State Saturday night in a match
expected to be much closer. The
Rams won the Mountain West reg-
ular season and conference tourna-
menttitles.
Michigan jumped out to a 15-
9 lead in the first game and never
trailed at any point throughout the
game. Helped out with four kills
fromBruzdzinski and four digsfrom
senior Stesha Selsky, the Wolverines
controlled the tempo on their way to
a 30-24 win that took less than half
an hour to finish.
In the second game, the Wolver-
ines pounced on the Rams, build-
log a seven-point lead, 20-13, but
Colorado State didn't go quietly.
The Rams scored six-straight poit
and eventually took . 27-26 lead.-
The Crisler crowd, which was con-
siderably smaller than the previous
cLIF REEDER/Daily
See VOLLEYBALL, Page 4B Senior Katie Bruzdzinski led the Wolverines to their first Sweet 16 appearance ever.