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Tuesday, September 2, 2008 --11A

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Tuesday, September 2, 2008 - hA

FELDMAN
From Page 1A
posted), just Rutgers in 2002 av-
eraged fewer yards per play in a
season. The shotgun and multiple
wide receivers didn't exactly pro-
vide multiple long touchdowns.
On the other hand, Utah run-
ning back Matt Asiata lined up
at quarterback several times, on
consecutive plays no less, and ran
the ball down Michigan's throat.
Entering the game, the Wolverines
knew Asiata would line up behind
center, and even that he would run
a counter or a power run from that
formation. But that didn't mean
they could stop him.
And Barwis?
After the game, redshirt fresh-
man center David Molk said he
could play another one right then.
The Wolverines were probably
better conditioned than in years
past. But they aren't invincible.
By controlling the ball for more
than four minutes more and getting
10 more first downs than Michigan,
Utah wore down the Wolverine de-
fense in the first half.
Michigan was nearly helpless as
the Utes scored on 5-of-6 first-half
possessions. No defense can be on
the field that long and be success-
ful, even with Barwis training it in
supercharged practices.

So, typical Michigan fan, you
didn't get what you wanted Satur-
day, but there's no need to panic.,
Although most teams will get bet-
ter as the season progresses, the
Wolverines have more room for
growth because they're learning a
new system. But that was no help
against Utah on Saturday.
"We're not good enough to play
bad and win," Rodriguez said. "I
don't care who it is we play. We're,
right now, a program that's gotta
play well and execute well to win
the game. It's as simple as that.
We can't go out there and mess
around."
Daring play calling; a spread of-
fense and Barwis aren't magical
fixes. There are no wizard hats or
snake oil to use. The Wolverines
have their work cut out for them
this season, more so than any time
since Bo Schembechler took over
in 1969.
Just 70,183 fans saw Bo's first
game at Michigan Stadium, a 42-
14 win over Vanderbilt, but atten-
dance grew in the next 21 years.
Most of the 108,421 in atten-
dance Saturday arrived earlyto see
the early stages of the transition.
Just because it wasn't as pretty as
in 1969, don't leave the Rodriguez
bandwagon early.
- Feldman can be reached at
danfeld@umich.edu.

DRINKING LAWS
From Page 1A
said the nation's drinking laws sim-
ply don't work.
"When you have a law that says
you may not consume alcohol until
you turn 21, and when just about
everyone affectedEby that law is
violating it routinely, we have to
ask ourselves, 'Are we truly a nation
of lawbreakers or is this just a bad
law?' "McCardell said.
Though that law did not cre-
ate a national age requirement, it
mandated result in a 10-percent re-
duction in highway transportation
funding for states where the legal
drinking age is lower than 21.
The 1984 act comes up for reau-
thorization in 2009, meaning law-
makers will decide whether to do
away with the financial incentive
and give states the chance to make
their own law without the threat of
losing federal funding.
The petition, sent td every U.S.
college and university president in
June, has been signed by 129 top

college officials, includingthe lead-
ers of Ohio State University, Duke
University, Dartmouth University
and Johns Hopkins University.
UniversityofMichiganPresident
Mary Sue Coleman declined to add
her signature to the list.
During her stint as president
of the University of Iowa, Cole-
man was a founding member of
the Presidents Leadership Group,
an organization that seeks to raise
awareness about drug and alcohol
problems on college campuses.
During the group's first year, Cole-
man co-authored "Be Vocal, Be
Visible, Be Visionary: Recommen-
dations for College and University
Presidents on Alcohol and Other.
Drug Prevention" - a guide to
prevent student alcohol and drug
abuse.
"Just because her name isn't in-
corporated on the petition doesn't
mean it is not an issue the Univer-
sity takes seriously," University
spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham
said in a written statement. "The
University is committed to address-
ing alcohol issues, including the as-

sociated legal issues, and we engage
students in this dialogue as they ar-
rive on campus every year."
McCardell said he hopes the ini-
tiative will spur discussion in Con-
gress to bring about policies that
reflect today's social and cultural
norms.
The petition is called the Am-
ethyst Initiative, after the gem be-
lieved in Greek mythology to ward
off intoxication.
Even at smaller schools like
Butler University in Indianapolis,
where, according to Marc Allan, the
school's associate director of public
relations, there "isn't really a binge
drinking problem on campus," the
petition is being taken seriously.
Allan said the the university's pres-
ident, Bobby Fong, still considered
the petition a priority for Butler's
roughly 4,400 students.
"Dr. Fong thinks that if students
were allowed to, for example, have
a drink with a professor and talk
about the day's events, it would be
more likely that students would
learn to drink properly and in mod-
eration," Allan said.

Supporters of the higher drink-
ing age cite statistics showing
that the change contributed to a
decrease in the number of drunk-
driving deaths nationwide. Last
year, 12,998 people nationwide
were killed in alcohol-related driv-
ing accidents.
Those who back the proposal
believe the current drinking law
is unfair, because 18-year-olds are
considered legal adults in all other
ways, like voting, taxation and mili-
tar-y service.
LSA sophomore Elle Masten-
brook said she thinks the drinking
age should be lowered to 18.
"I have friends who are 21 who
say they don't drink as much as
they did because there isn't the
thrill; she said. "They don't drink
to get drunk. It's safer.'
Engineering sophomore Emily
Matula said lowering the drinking
age isn't enough, but it's a step in
the right direction.
"You can't just lower it, you have
to maybe start programs to educate
people about drinking responsibly,"
she said.

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