The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Thursday, November 20, 2008 -5A
Facing familiar
foe,'M' confident
SETH PERLMAN/AP
Ohio State freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, pictured here against Illinois last week. The Buckeyes won the game, 30-20.
This Saturday, we'll all
be thinking 'what i...'
By NATE SANDALS
Daily Sports Editor
f the question hasn't already
Ipopped into your head this
fall, it probably will on Satur-
0 day:
What if Ter-
relle Pryor had
chosen Michi-
gan?
It's been
hard to avoid
that "what if"
this season,
especially as NATE
the Wolverine SANDALS
offensehassput-
tered under the
direction of quarterbacks Steven
Threet and Nick Sheridan.
Less than a month into the sea-
son, Pyror elevated himself to the
top spot at Ohio State over return-
ing senior starting quarterback
Todd Boeckman. If Pryor had the
talent to win the job over Boeck-
man, there's little doubt he would
have started the season for Michi-
gan, even with just a few weeks of
fall camp.
The scary thing is that Pryor fits
better in Rich Rodriguez's offense
than he does in Ohio State coach
Jim Tressel's. Pryor is a true dual-
threat quarterback. He has the size
and speed to succeed not just at the
college level, but as a professional,
too.
Weknowthisnow because we've
seen it on the field all fall - a much
more convincing display than his
high-school highlight reel.
Just take a look at the numbers:
1,125 yards, 10 touchdowns and
three interceptions passing; 116
carries for 560 yards and six touch-
downs.
Those are some great stats,
especially for a freshman, and even
more impressive when stacked up
against Threet and Sheridan (1,631
yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 inter-
ceptions combined).
Certainly, Pryor has benefited
from an extremely experienced
Ohio State offense, in particular
the offensive line. The Buckeyes'
veteran group stands in stark con-
trast to Michigan's unit.
Pryor has experienced help
at skill positions, too, including
senior running back Beanie Wells,
an outside Heisman Trophy con-
tender.
In the Buckeyes' 30-20 win
over Illinois last week, Pryor
threw just 10 passes. But he also
rushed the ball 10 times for more
than 100 yards and a touchdown.
It's Pryor's breakout potential on
the ground that could have made
the biggest difference for the Wol-
verines.
There's no denying Pryor's
speed (at or close to a 4.4 second
40-yard dash) would have been a
key asset to Michigan's offense.
The offense Rodriguez wants to
run at Michigan, the one he had
so much success with Pat White
at West Virginia, is the spread
option.
To be truly explosive, that
offense needs a speedy quarter-
back like Pryor or White. When
Threet or Sheridan keeps the ball
on the option, they sometimes
break for a first down, but except
for a 58-yard Threet rush against
Wisconsin, they haven't broken
free for much more than that.
That's why freshman Justin
Feagin has seen the field this sea-
son. Despite his weak arm, he can
break for a big run to invigorate
the offense.
Don't bother asking Rodriguez
to explore this hypothetical. Time
and time again he's avoided talk-
SCHILLING QUESTIONABLE FOR OHIO STATE GAME
By Dan Feldman, Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan football team INJURY UPDATES: Redshirt
obviously faces a daunting freshman quarterback Steven
challenge as three-touchdown Threet didn't practice Tuesday,
underdogs at Ohio State on Sat- and Rodriguez confirmed red-
urday. The Wolverines (2-5 Big shirt sophomore Nick Sheridan
Ten, 3-8 overall) already have will start.
the most losses in school his- Rodriguez said he likely
tory, and thel10th-ranked Buck- wouldn't know Threet's avail-
eyes have won four straight ability for Saturday until Thurs-
against Michigan. day.
And Michigan's chances of Freshman Justin Feagin
pulling off the upset dimmed a is the backup right now, but
little more Tuesday. Threet would assume that role
Redshirt sophomore right if healthy.
tackle Stephen Schilling, the Rodriguez also said junior
Wolverines' only returning running back Brandon Minor
starter on the offensive line will play.
from last season, tweaked his "He's such a tough guy,"
knee in practice and is ques- Rodriguez said. "I don't know if
tionable for Saturday. he's going to be 100 percent, but
Schilling is one oftwo return- he's going to battle and compete
ing offensive starters from last in there."
year and the only- one on the Freshman running back Sam
offensive line. Michigan coach McGuffie attended a funeral
Rich Rodriguez described him Wednesday, and Rodriguez said
as "the rock" of the unit. He has he hoped the Cypress, Texas,
started every game this year. native would be back that night.
Redshirt freshman Perry McGuffie could be available
Dorrestein, Schilling's backup, Saturday, but he won't play as
has started three games at left much as the players who prac-
tackle this season. ticed all week, Rodriguez said.
For more information, log on to www.michigandaily.com
By JASON KOHLER
Daily Sports Writer
With 14 minutes left to go in a
game last December, Michigan was
leading the No. 8 team in the nation.
A team that would later go on to
make its third consecutive Final
Four appearance. A team that has
won a record 11
NCAA National
Championships: Michigan
UCLA. at UCLA
Although the Matchup:
Wolverines hung Michigan 2-0;
with the Bruins UCLA 2-0
for most of the
game, they were Ton
outscored 41-18 in
the final 14 min- Where:
utes.'Madison
"That's the best Square Garden
4-8 team in the TV: ESPN2
country," UCLA
coachmen Howland said of Michi-
gan after the game. "They are going
to be very good."
Michigan didn't live up to How-
land's praise, racking up a school-
record 22 losses last season.
Tonight, the Wolverines will get
another shot at the Bruins in the
semifinal round of the 2K Sports
Classic. But they will face a vastly
different squad. No. 4 UCLA lost
four of its top players fromlast year's
squad, including do-it-all big man
Kevin Love, who dominated Michi-
gan with 17 points and 16 rebounds
last season.
Lastyear, the Bruinsoutrebound-
ed Michigan by 19, but they also lost
their top four rebounders. The Wol-
verines have also struggled in the
paint and in their first two games
against lower-tier opponents, they
were outrebounded by 15 on the
offensive glass. A lack of experi-
enced rebounders for UCLA should
give Michigan's frontcourt a better
chance.
Despite the roster differences,
the coach on the UCLA bench is the
CENT
SAID ALSALA H/D
Sophomore Manny Harris, seen here against Northeastern, averages 28 points a
game heading into the Wolverines'matchup with No. 4 UCLA tonight.
same man Michigan coach John
Beilein has faced throughout his
career.
Beilein has played UCLA each of
his the past three seasons. He won
his first two matchups while at West
Virginia, and then almost upset the
Bruins last year.
"The offense that he runs is very
intricate," Howland said. "There's
a lot of nuances that ... players
who have been in the system for
more than a year pick up. It's really
advantageous and very difficult to
defend."
The Wolverines won their first
two games by an average of 21
points, while the Bruins snuck by
Miami (Ohio) 64-59 to advance to
Madison Square Garden. The Wol-
verines aren't just looking to hang
around the elite teams like UCLA.
They want to beat them.
"UCLA, Duke, North Carolina,
those all teams that when you look
at them 'Selection Sunday' they
want to know who you played,"
junior forward DeShawn Sims said.
"Those are teams are always going
to be a key win."
Beilein knows that after last year,
the Bruins won't overlook Michigan.
"I think our kids will have a little
bit more to believe in themselves
as they go in there," Beilein said.
"At the same time, I think UCLA
would never take us lightly because
of that."
Regardless of how UCLA views
the matchup, the Wolverines are
confident. They've played the Bru-
ins before and almost pulled off the
upset.
"You live for games like this,"
sophomore forward Manny Har-
ris said. "They're a good team, but
we've gotten' a lot better than last
year, and anything can happen."
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