S -4 -por-tsMoi 4B -- October 27, 2008 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com GAME STATISTICS . TemStER FrstDons Rush/Yds Passing Yards Offensive Plays Total Offense Kick returns/ Yds Punt returns/ Yds Comp/Att/nt Punts/Avg Fumbles/Lost Penalties/Yards Time of Poss PASSING Player RPSHING Player A Minor 1 Thret I McGuffie Totals RECEMNG Player N Clemens Rogers PIeE storm Totals 1 PUNTNG Player N Mesko Totals KICKOFFRETURNS Player Tota PUNT RETURNS Player Odoms Totals TACKLES Player Thompson Mouton Harso am-n Graham Stwr Ten Moosman Moundros Johnson, Z. Johnson, W Totals MI PASSING PaerR Totals RUHING EAM Hoyer Tota RECEVNG Player N White Dell Ringer Martin Hawen Cnngham Rouse Gantt PUNTING * Payer Totas KICKOFF RETURNS Hawken limmrson PUNT RETURNS Player TACKLES - Davis-Cark Weaver Hyde Gordon Kershaw Denson Holmes Gantt Rolf Totals MSU 48/167 257 306 473 4/62 3/2 18/30/0 4/42.8 4/3 7/52 35:18 M I C HIG APN C-A Yds Att Yds Avg 15 55 3.7 14 19 1.4 2 10 5.0 31 84 2.7 MICH 13 31/84 120 168 252 5/127 1/6 13/27/3 8/44.0 2/1 7/70 24:42 TD Int 1 3 Blown call gives Blue first score Lg 20 16 7 20 No. 1 1 13 Yds 29 19 19 163 TD 1 1 ' 0 2 'TD 0 0 Avg 29.0 19.0 s90 13.0 Lg 29 19 19 13s Po. Yds Avg Lg 8 352 44.0 s3 8 3s2 44.0 s3 No. Yds Avg s 12 2s.4 No. Yds Avg 1 6 6.0 1 6 6.0 Solo 7 7 6 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 '2 2 2 1 1 1 -1 1 1 1 0 0 0 56 Asst 3 t _2 2 2 3 1 1 0 0 t t 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 t i i 20 Lg TDo 4 0 41 0 Lg TO 6 0 6 0 Tot 8 8 6 4 4 3 3 1 1 1 16 1 6462 23 0 0 0 3 20 Lg TDO 44 0 13 0 10 0 0 0 24 2, 61 1 24 10 By COURTNEY RATKOWIAK Daily Sports Editor With less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter and Michigan State already ahead 7-0, the Wolverine NOTEBOOK football team needed some momentum. . They got it from the referees. After Michigan free safe- ty Stevie Brown recovered a fumble by Spartan quarterback Brian Hoyer at the Michigan State 18-yard line, the Wolver- ines had a prime opportunity to tie the game. On third down and 11, redshirt freshman quar- terback Steven Threet threw a 19-yard pass to junior running back Brandon Minor in the front left corner of the north end zone. Minor caught the ball in the air before his right foot touched the goal-line pylon and he fell out of bounds. The Michigan student section closest to the goal line was slow to react, and the field referees ruled it an incomplete pass. After review, the call was overturned and the play was ruled a touchdown to put Michi- gan on the board for the first time. "Obviously, he must have, scored," Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said. "He came off, said he hit the pylon. I'm glad he did. They reversed it. That's why they have replay." Section 2, Article lb of the 2008 NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations states that "a player or an airborne player who touches a pylon is out of bounds." "The play was, he caught the ball in the air, touched the pylon first, and was out of bounds," ref- eree David Witvoet confirmed after the game through the Michigan Athletic Department. When told that the touch- down call contradicted the rule, Witvoet said, "I can't really tell you anything else." Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said he agreed with the original call on the field. "Whentheyshowed the replay nobody in the stands thought he was inbounds because we didn't hear a big roar," Dantonio said. "I'm just glad we won the foot- ball game, so we don't have to deal with that." OFF TARGET: Though Michi- gan State's sloppy play in the first half initially kept the game close, Threet's three intercep- tions were what partly prevent- ed the Wolverines from gaining offensive rhythm throughout the game. The Michigan offense was stagnant in the first quarter, tal- lying just 39 passing yards and scoring its only touchdown on the pass to Minor after recover- ing a Spartan fumble. And Threet's statistics only worsened with five minutes left in the first half and the game tied at seven. Threet threw a 33-yard pass to fullback Mark Moundros that was intercepted by Spartan safety Marcus Hyde, giving Michigan State the ball at the Michigan 41-yard line. The Spartans missed a field goal on the ensuing drive to keep the game tied. "That's just mistakes by me,' Threet said. "Not putting the ball where it needs to be, sometimes trying to force it too much, just a matter of making better deci- sions and getting guys the ball." But Threet's most deflating pick came in the fourth quar- ter. On Michigan's first offen- sive play after the Spartans took a 28-21 lead, Threet threw a 13-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Toney Clemons, who was completely covered by the Spartan defense. The pass was picked off by Spartan cornerback Chris Ruck- er and Michigan State scored on its next drive to break the game open. Late in the game, the Spartans intercepted another Threet pass before Michigan right guard David Moosman forced a fumble 16 yards later. Threet had just three inter- ceptions on the season before doubling his total Saturday. I C H I G AN S TAT E C-A Yds TD 17-29 282 3 1-1 24 0 18-30 306 3 Att 37 1 5 48 No. 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 Yds 194 25 1 -8 -45 167 Yds 143 72 25 10 10 24 12 7 4 -1 306 Avg 5.2 25.0 1.0 -2.0 -9.0 3.5 Avg 35.8 24.0 12.5 5.0 S.0 24.0 12.0 70 4.0 -1.0 170 6 e 6 L 4 2 1 t t t , t w Junior running back Brandon Mno 1 "Inconsistent like it alw sis," offensive coordinator Ca t Magee said sharply when as -about Threet's play. "We j gotta get better. That's it." NO GOOD: Michigan S - kicker Brett Swenson ente - Saturday's game with a progri record streak of 15 consecu i field goals made, a streak thatu fourth-best in Big Ten history - That meant his first mis field goal against the Wolveri seemed like a fluke. His sec could be considered uncharac - istic. But after missing a t straight field goal, his- per mance could be described as s s ply disastrous. s The Spartans' kicking w I started with eight minutes lef z the second quarter on a SO-y attempt. With the wind to - back, Swenson's kick fell shor Five minutes later, Mi gan linebacker John Thot RTANS m Page 1B - won't walk the alleys, we can k in the street," Dantonio said. olverine coach Rich Rodri- z became the fifth straight higan head coach to lose his : game against Michigan State. 'he loss means Michigan (1-3 Ten, 2-6 overall) will need to its final four games to become r eligible, and sends the pro- o to its worst record since a 2-7 paign in 1962. fichigan stopped the Spartans , 7-2) on that third and one late he game, but its performance third and long decided the it. Beside the kneel to finish game, the Spartans were 8-of- n third downs of at least five s and scored two touchdowns hose situations. A couple of touchdowns that Ten in pass defense, allowinga average of 243 yards per game. Despite the struggles, don expect any big personnel chan es for this week's game at Pu: due. "We're playing the best gul we think right now can help t win, we're going to continue 1 do that," Gibson said. J The defensive backfield struggles have been somewh; surprising considering the unit experience. But opposing offenses as still slicing the secondary fi big plays, and the group is sti searching for answers. "I was just telling the gul we've got to communicate ot there," Warren said. "That the main thing, is communica- every play." Whatever the stumblir block, Michigan will have I address it quickly. Purdue second in the conference in pa offense. ays son blocked Swenson's 32-yard lvin attempt. Michigan sophomore ked cornerback Donovan Warren just tried to make a play but picked the ball up and fell, giving the late Wolverines no yardage on, the red return. am- Warren said his choice to pick live up the ball in the end zone was was "instinctive." . "I see the ball on the ground, sed try to pick it up and make some- nes thing happen," Warren said. "I ond shouldn't have touched it, they ter- said, but being me, I seen the ball on the ground and I just tried to hird do something with it." for- After Swenson missed a im- 24-yard attempt wide left with 7:48 left in the third quarter, oes Dantonio decided not to take any t in more chances with his usually- ard reliable kicker. his Though he insisted Swenson's t. track record Saturday didn't chi- affect the Spartans' decision to mp- go for it on a critical fourth-and-1 they got on us, we practiced allv week," defensive coordinator Scott r Shafer said. "Make it in practice,y got to make it in the game. It's as i simple as that." The Spartans averaged more 1 than 11 yards per play on thirdd down. V Entering the game, the question C was whether Michigan's defen- sive line could contain Ringer ande pressure Michigan State fifth-year senior quarterback Brian Hoyer. a Penn State running back Eric F Royster averaged more than 10y yards per carry against the Wol- verines last week, and the defen- t sive line hadn't registered a sacka since the Wisconsin game. Addz on Graham's victory guarantee, E and this highly touted group had t plenty of motivation to save its t - reputation. At times Saturday, the defensive t line appeared to make the game- changing play. Graham led theg Ss ZACHARY MEISNER/Daily cored the Wolverines' first touchdown. late in the fourth quarter, it like- ly made the decision easier. "We'd already missed a couple of field goals, bad snap, whatever the case," Dantonio said. "Didn't want it to come down to that." INJURY UPDATE: Freshman running back Sam McGuffie was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with what Rodri- guez called a "shot to the head." McGuffie was hit hard on . a Wolverine third-and-seven and fumbled. Though Michigan State gained possession, Michigan recovered the ball on the next play to set up its first touchdown of the game. "They got him," running backs coach Fred Jackson said. "They got him. That's why he didn't know if he had the ball or didn't." - Redshirt freshman safety Michael Williams also left the game with a concussion. way with three sacks, but it didn't attle Hoyer, who threw for 281 yards, three touchdowns and no nterceptions. "We put a lot of pressure on Hoyer today, but the pressure didn't get to him like I thought it was, but he made some big plays," Graham said. The line couldn't stop Ringer, either. For the first 27 minutes, it appeared as if it had contained Ringer, limiting him to about three yards per carry. But then he broke a 64-yard ouchdown run, scampering almost untouched into the end zone. Redshirt sophomore Obi Ezeh called it a "backbreaker." In he second half, Ringer continued to pound away, taking 20 carries for 85 yards and the go-ahead ouchdown. "They deserved to win," Rodri- guez said. "We didn't." No. Ts AA g Lg 4 11 428 E 4 No. Yds Avg Lg TD 2 20 10.0 18 0 2 42 21.0 2s 0 4 62 15.5 25 0 No. Yds Avg Lg TD Solo Asst 8 2 4 3 4 0 3 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 0 0 3 2 0 2 0 2 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 40 16 Tot 10 7 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 56 CIF REEDER/Daily Junior defensive end Brandon Graham tried to live up to last week's victory guarantee by recording three sacks in the Wolverines' loss. BIG TEN STANDINGS, Team Big Ten Overall Penn State Ohio State Michigan State Minnesota Northwestern owa litnois Michigan Wisconsin Indiana Purdue 5 4 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 a 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 9 7 7 7 6 5 4 2 4 3 2 0 2 2 1 2 3 4 6 4 5 6 SECONDARY From Page 1B Spartans had 306 yards and three touchdowns through the air. On Michigan State's second offensive drive,Brownand fifth- year senior cornerback Mor- gan Trent were on the sideline, replaced by fifth-year senior safety Charles Stewart and freshman cornerback Boubacar Cissoko. It was a particularly odd spot for Trent, who made his 29th straight start. Trent declined to speak with report- ers after the game. Throughout the game, those pairs rotated on and off each series. "(We were) just rotating all the guys, seeing who's going to make plays," Michigan defen- sive backs coach Tony Gibson said. Missed tackles were the big- gest problem for Michigan's sec- ondary and plagued the group most on third downs. Michigan State finished the game 9-of-18 on third-down conversions, with seven of them coming through the air. Those seven passing conversions went for, an average of 32 yards and accounted for almost three quarters of the Spartans' entire passing offense. "It's real frustrating, they just keep happening over and over," sophomore cornerback Dono- van Warren said of the big plays. "It's not like it's on the coaches. It's on us. We've just got to make plays and tackle when we've got them in space." Considering how much Michigan's pass defense, has struggled this season, perhaps Warren shouldn't have been so exasperated with his unit's play against Michigan State. Entering the game, the Wol- verines ranked 10th in the Big THIS WEEKEND'S RESULTS Michigan State 35, MICHIGAN 21 INDIANA 21. Northwestern 19 Minnesota 17, PURGUE 6 Penn State 13, OHIO STATE 6 WISCONSIN 27, Illinois 17 CLIF REEDER/Daily Sophomore cornerback Donovan Warren is part ofla Michigan secondary that is currently ranked second to last in the Big Ten in pass defense. x £ A