The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com I November 10, 2008 POWER Yes, it was progress. But will it last? MINNEAPOLIS - Vlash back to Saturday morning. If someoe were'to tell you the final score of the Michigan-Min- nesota football game would be 29-6, one team wouldcgo the whole first quarter without a first down, the winning quarterback wouldn't turn the ball over and one team would domi- nate the game... Who would you pre- dict would have won ? IAN Before Saturday, ROBINSON this Michigan football team showed few signs it could put together the kind of complete performance it did at Minnesota. Just a week ago, the defense allowed 48 points in a game the Wolverines needed to win to keep their 33-year bowl streak alive. On Saturday, for the first time in decades, Michigan had no postseason aspi- rations to play for. But the Wolverines also had every- thing to play for. A bulletin board in the hallway of Schembechler Hall last week read, "Seize the day. Play for pride. We are Michigan." With its back against the wall, Michigan couldn't respond to the adversity at Purdue. But with that wall gone, the team played loose, and the final score showed it. The hard question is whether what hap- pened Saturday was because this team had no pressure or because the progress being made in practice finally showed up in the game. And what happened at the Metrodome Saturday afternoon can't be confined to one interpretation. The defense played inspired. The unit allowed just one first down in the first half. After weeks of being run over, the defense stood firm and played physical. Even for a veteran group, the confidence from shutting down the opposition will carry over to the final two games. Lookingforward, will the defense stay inspired? Before this season, no Michigan defense had allowed more than 40 points twice in a season. On Saturday, the defense allowed just a pair of field goals. Big plays have killed the unit all season, but on Saturday, the defense didn't allow a play of longer than 30 yards. It made one wonder where this type of performance was earlier in the year and whether the Wolverines will be able to repeat it in the season's final weeks. The quarterbacks played inspired. Redshirt sophomore Nick Sheridan played within himself. He made good deci- sions, didn't turn the ball over and main- tained his composure when the Metrodome crowd caused him to take two first-half timeouts. Quarterbacks coach Rod Smith said this was the Sheridan he saw in sum- mer camp, the same quarterback that won the starting spot for the season opener. Lookingforward, will the quarterbacks stay inspired? If the Wolverines had that kind of mistake-free football from the quarter- backs earlier in the year, this team probably wouldn't be spending the bowl season on the couch. Sheridan looked much more comfortable and composed running the offense against Minnesota than he had in See ROBINSON, Page 4B Top RODRIOOA/O aiyottom:S AI LSAL AO/aly (Top) Junior wide receiver Greg Mathews grabs a 28-yard catch to convert a third down in the first quarter. (Bottom) Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber lies on the turf after being sacked by redshirt sophomore linebacker Obi Ezeh in the second quarter. 9 Strontg D' keeps Jug InOta hme inAnAro By NATE SANDALS Daily Sports Editor MINNEAPOLIS - Walking off the field at the Metrodome, Stevie Brown held out an old water jug to Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez. "Give it to the seniors," Rodriguez told the junior free safety and called over senior defensive end Tim Jami- son. Jamison and the Wolverines' other senior leaders on defense played a huge role in the team's most complete game of the season, a 29-6 victory over Minnesota. The win ensured the Little Brown Jug would remain in Ann Arbor until at least 2011, when the teams resume their series. "We're a little late, but we came together and we're playing well," fifth-year senior cornerback Morgan Trent said. Already eliminated from bowl contention, the Wolverines arrived in Minneapolis with a struggling defense and an injured starting quar- terback. But Michigan snapped a five-game losing streak, avoiding the longest in-season losing skid in pro- gram history. A week after giving up 48 points and 522 yards at Purdue, the Michi- gan defense came out in its third base formation in as many games: a 4-2-5. In that scheme, Michigan (2-4 Big Ten, 3-7 overall) used just one play, with few variations and blitzes. "I think if we overload them with things, maybe sometimes that slows them down," secondary coach Tony Gibson said. "We basically played one call today. With one call, we got it done." The decision to switch up the defense immediately paid off, as the Golden Gophers (3-3, 7-3) moved the chains just once in the first half. Minnesota gained just 46 yards on 23 plays before halftime. The 188 yards allowed in the game were the fewest by Michigan this sea- son. See GOPH ERS, Page 4B Hogan saves Wolverines' weekend By NICOLE AUERBACH Daily Sports Writer FAIRBANKS - The Michi- gan hockey team wasn't com- fortable with a one-goal lead against Alaska, on Saturday evening in the Carlson Center. The Wolverines certainly had reason to worry after sur- rendering an early lead to the Nanooks Friday night, a lapse from which the team never recovered. But sophomore goaltender Bryan Hogan didn't let that happen again. Hogan was solid in the net, MICHIGAN 1 ALASKA 4I MICHIGAN 3 ALASKA 2 including one save that ended with the sophomore sprawled clutching a defenseman's stick, while his own stick lay a few yards to the right of the goal. His 23 saves guided No. 7 Michigan to a 3-2 victory "I thought it was the best game I've ever seen Hogan play," senior forward Tra- SAID ASALAH/Daily vis Turnbull said. "He played Sophomore Bryan Hogan makes a save against Ohio State on Nov. See NANOOKS, Page 3B Hogan had 23to spur Michigan to a 3-2 win over Alaska. Michigan cruises in regular season finale By CHANTEL JENNINGS best soccer team Michigan (4-1-1 Big Ten, Daily Sports Writer 12-4-2 Overall) has had inits eight year his- tory. Junior forward Peri Marosevic's goal "Statistically, we're the best Michigan with five seconds left against Penn State team that has played because we are the was reflective of the season. team and it's all about the team," senior The 12th- forward Steve Bonnell said. ranked Wol- Coming into Saturday's game against verines had the PENN STATE 0 Penn State (2-4-0, 5-10-3), the Wolverines' game sealed MICHIGAN 2 goal was to finish out the regular season when Marosevic with a win and head into the postseason got the ball and with a surge of confidence. could have just run out the clock. But when And with their 2-0 win over the Nittany Marosevic finally had the ball at his feet, he Lions, Michigan did just that. only had one thought on his mind: score. The Wolverines' first goal came 28 min- "As a forward you always want to score," utes in, when redshirt sophomore Matt Marosevic said. "Whether there's five sec- Schmitt launched a quick shot from the left onds left, even a second left, you always side of the field. Penn State's goalie dove, want to put the game away." deflecting it back into play, but Marosevic He wasn't willing to settle for a 1-0 vic- fired the rebound into the back of the net. tory over Penn State, especially when he The game became more aggressive on could make it 2-0. both ends as the Nittany Lions tried to fight The Michigan men's soccer team has their way back into the game. Less than a had a mentality all season of never settling. minute after Marosevic's first goal, Michi- And that mentality that has produced the See NITTANY LIONS, Page 6B