The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 9A

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, September17, 2009 - 9A

Gators ready to whup Kiffin'sVols

By RYAN KARTJE
Daily Sports Writer
Many first-year coaches
want to believe that their
team's play on the field will "do
the talking."
But Lane Kiffin is not like
many first-year coaches.
Before his Tennessee Volun-
teers team even took the field,
Kiffin felt it necessary to trash
talk one of the Southeastern
Conference's most established
coaches, Florida coach Urban
Meyer.
* "Just so you know, when a
recruit's on another campus,you
can't call a recruit on another
campus," said Kiffin in Febru-
ary of the recruitment referring
to NuKeese Richardson. "I love
the fact that Urban had to cheat
and still didn't get him."
The comments caused a
firestorm of media attention
including NCAA reprimands
and a demand for a Kiffin
apology fromi Florida Athletic
Director Jeremy Foley.
But the Gators still have a bad
taste in their mouth, and Lane
Kiffin is still as smug as ever.
This Saturday, Kiffin gets
a chance for his coaching to
catch up with his talking as the
Vols take on the top-ranked
Gators in The Swamp.
The Gators have made it no
secret that Kiffin's comments
are providing them with extra
incentive to win this week's
game. That must be terrify-
ing for the Volunteers. Kiffin's

comments pissed off Heisman
winner Tim Tebow, who has
the whole world, media and
other various mystical powers
rallying behind him. If I recall
correctly, the last time Tebow
was riled up -- following Flor-
ida's lost to Mississippi last
year -- the Gators rattled off 11
straight double-digit wins.
So strap in, Lane Kiffin. I
hear Tebow is a big fan of "an
eye for an eye."
RATING:

the other hand, will rely a great
deal on quarterback Jacory
Harris to carry their offense
like he did against Florida State
two weeks ago.
It's been awhile since the
Hurricanes have been relevant
on the national stage. But if
they can get a big win on Thurs-
day Night Football, a return to
prominence could come sooner
than later.
RATING:
NO.2 TEXAS VS.
TEXAC TCH1

NO.14 GEORGIA TECHV
AT NO.20 MIAMI Itwasthemostglo
It wasn't very often that the in Texas Tech footba
Atlantic Coast Conference saw After Colt McCo
an offense like Paul Johnson's. give the Longhors
Before last year, that is. against Texas Tech
The second-year Georgia in a highly anticip
Tech coach runs a strict triple down, he was forc
optionchock full of fullback from the sidelines
dives and fake handoffs and Crabtree, the Re
pretty much devoid of a rel- Biletnikoff Award v
evant passing game. a tackle and scort
But when your offensive down with one sect
attack is the nation's fourth- ing on the clock to
best in rushing and boasts a It's probably safe
Doak Walker Award candidate Texas' absence fio
like Jonathan Dwyer, the triple National Champiot
option suddenly becomes a ter- rival Oklahoma to(
rifying uncertainty.raaOstTeowando
The job of stopping the Yel- against Tebow and
low Jackets falls to Miami So with Crabtree
coach Randy Shannon, who NFL, the Longhoi
has probably spent the major- looking for redemp
ity of the short week trying to RATING:
figure out Johnson's complex
running patterns.P
The Hurricanes' offense, on

rioussecond
ll history.
y rallied to
ns the lead
last season
ated show-
ed to watch
as Michael
d Raiders'
winner, shed
d a touch-
ond remain-
win.
to attribute
tm the 2009
nship game
ead, Big 12
ok the field
the Gators.
gone to the
rns will be
tion.

cHRIS DzoMBAK/Daily
Sophomore Courtney Mercier played all 90 minutes in Michigan's 2-0 win over Oakland, the team's first shutout in almost a year.
Wolverines blank Grizzli eS

Redemption game for MSU, ND

By TIM ROHAN enough of her head on the ball
Daily Sports writer to direct it to the back of the
net.
A Michigan women's soccer "That's typical of Jackie,"
player shouted to sophomore Michigan coach Greg Ryan
Courtney Mercier, "Go for- said. "(She) puts it in the right
ward, Courtney, go forward." place. We make the right runs.
She may have been yelling about We've got a lot of tall girls, and
field it's tough for a goalie when you
position, MICHIGAN 2 play a ball in that deep that
but her OAKLAND 0 well."
words After the Wolverines took
became the theme of the night. the early lead, sophomore goal-
An aggressive style paired tender Haley Kopmeyer was
with better ball movement busy preservingit. She had two
helped Michigan defeat Oak- nearly identical saves, one in.
land 3-0 last night at the Mich- each half.
igan Soccer Complex, a big step In each case, an Oakland
for the young team. player shot from outside the
"In the past we've played box, aiming high. Each time,
more of a defensive game," Kopmeyer skied for the ball
junior forward Amanda Bow- and extended an arm to barely
ery said. "But now we're trying tip the ball out of its path to the
to change that and get attack- goal.
ing, because we're never going "That's been one thing we've
to win a game if we can't score been working on a lot lately,"
a goal." Kopmeyer said. "Getting back
The Wolverines (4-5) to our line, then just get your-
jumped out to an early lead. self into position. Then as they
Just over 10 minutes into the go up, I just kinda jump and
game, junior Jackie Carron was pray I get a finger on them."
fouled and awarded a free kick Kopmeyer finished the game
within striking distance of the with seven saves to make her
goal. She promptly launched fourth start of the season a
an arching pass into the box memorable one. It was the first
right in front of the goalkeeper. . shutout for the Wolverines
Freshman Holly Hein got just since-,euY4 8 when they

blanked Ohio State at home.
With its new attacking men-
tality, Michigan scored with
less than two minutes left in
the first half. Hein was deep in
Golden Grizzlies territory and
slid a pass to redshirt junior
Alex Jendrusch who pocketed
the ball smoothly right into the
net.
Because his team was still
tired from last weekend's
games in California, Ryan
changed formations and made
it simpler for his team in the
second half.
The Wolverines controlled
the ball and maintained pos-
session, but their new strategy
only led to one more goal.
In the 61st minute, the Wol-
verines strung together four
touches, and senior quad-cap-
tain Amy Klippert notched the
game-clinching goal.
Bowery saw the ball move-
ment on the field as a sign of
progress.
"We've gotten a lot better
especially since when (Ryan)
came here two years ago,"
Bowery said. "Our ball control
has gotten so-much better, and
every day (we're) womkine on

By MIKE FLOREK
Daily Sports Writer
As the Michigan football
team heads into this weekend,
fans already feel like their for-
tunes have turned.
With an upset over Notre
Dame, atop-25 rankingand two
straight games where the Wol-
verines are likely to be favored
by double-digit points, all signs
point to a breakthrough season.
But around the Big Ten, the
questionsthathaunted the Wol-
verines ayear ago - quarterback
play, whether or not they were
legitimate contenders and head
coach job security - have been
passed to their brethren.
This week's slate of games
will go a long way to answering
some of those concerns.
MICH. STATE AT
NOTRE DAME
The Spartans head to South
Bend with the same blank
expressions that the Irish wore
last week, as both teams try to
figure out what happened in
their previous last-second loss-
es. They both know they can't
afford another. The loser of this
game will probably head into a
downward spiral for the rest of
the season.
Michigan State coach Mark
Dantonio continues to field
the most prominent question
posed to Michigan's coach Rich
Rodriguez: Who is the starting
quarterback? Kirk Cousins took
a majority of the snaps in the
loss to Central, but Oklahoma
transfer Keith Nichol has the
legs and arguably more talent.
Whoever plays the majority
of the snaps willbe forced to put

up some big numbers to make
up for a weak secondary that
gave up 352 passing yards to the
Chippewas. If Notre Dame can
get huge performances from
their two NFL-caliber wide-
outs, Michael Floyd and Golden'
Tate, the Irish could go beyond
the 400-yard mark again.
Even with all that offense,
expect this one to still be hard-
hitting as both teams fight for
their seasons.
RATING:
NO.8 CAL AT MINNESOTA
Minnesota has chosen to go
down the path Michigan took
last year.
The Wolverines upset ninth-
ranked Wisconsin at home, and
many wondered whether it was
a sign of things to come or a
lucky outcome against an over-
rated team.
If Minnesota can beat No. 8
Cal approximately a year later,
many of those same people will
wonder about which way the
season will go.
On paper, Cal's Jahvid Best
should run around, over and
through Minnesota's defense.
However, the Gophers have
all upperclassmen starters
on defense, and no piece of
paper can value veteran lead-
ership. Look for them to make
life tough for Cal quarterback
Kevin Riley.
In addition, it will be the first
big game in the newly-opened
TCF Bank Stadium, which
means the crowd will be as
loud as it has ever been for the
Gophers. Throw in the jet lag

the Bears are sure t
after anear cross-c
and this has all the
an upset.
RATING:

o experience
ountry flight
makings for

ARIZONA AT IOWA
Even in a matchup of 2-0
teams, both coaches face a
dangerous question: are they
secretly on the hot seat?
Arizona's Mike Stoops is in
his sixth year with the Wild-
cats but has given them just one
season over .500. On the other
sideline is Kirk Ferentz. After
two conference titles in three
years, the Hawkeyes have fallen
into Big Ten mediocrity.
The expectations were high
this year, with many pundits
predicting a top-three confer-
ence finish for Iowa. That fin-
ish, along with Ferentz's job
security, could be in jeopardy
after needing two blocked kicks
to squeak out a one-point vic-
tory over Northern Iowa.
Both teams are in similar situ-
ations with young squads trying
to replace star players. Iowa's
Shonn Greene has jumped to
the NFL only to be replaced by
Adam Robinson at runningback.
Arizona must replace its three-
yearstartingquarterback,Willie
Tuitama, with sophomore Matt
Scott. Scott threw just 11 passes
a year ago.
The game might be close, and
it certainly matters, but it prob-
ably won't be well-played.
RATING:
I4


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