The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com I October 21,.2009
Why isBrow
thinking roses.
t's such a far cry from last season that it just feels sort of
weird, and a tad too soon.
Is Michigan - the same program that went 3-9 last year -
flirting with the Rose Bowl?
Really? Well, no. But senior linebacker Ste-
vie Brown is shyly trying out for the part of
Nostradamus.
"Strange things have always happened,"
Brown said. "I feel like maybe if we can win
out, there's a good chance we could get to the
Rose Bowl."
A hell of a lot would have to go right for
Michigan to be in that situation, to say the
least.
First off, Michigan would have to beat MICHAEL
schools that its scout team couldn't beat. EISENSTEIN
(Sorry, Delaware State.) We're talking about
teams like No. 13 Penn State, Wisconsin and
No. 18 Ohio State.
See EISENSTEIN, Page 3B
arters rest,
By RUTH LINCOLN
Daily Sports Editor
According to senior Stevie
Brown, everyone on the Michigan
football team likes to give scout
teamer Ohene Opong-Owusu a
hard time.
Brown said the Wolverines will
poke fun at the fifth-year senior
for his body shape and walking
style. But in Michigan's 63-6 win
over Delaware State, the Wolver-
ines (1-2 Big Ten, 5-2 overall) were
all smiles when Opong-Owusu
saw the field for the first time in
his career on special teams.
"They got a biglift out of the Big
O running down there," Michigan
coach Rich Rodriguez said Mon-
day. "The first one, I didn't know
if he got a tackle or he got a JOP,
I call it a JOP, jump on the pile.
But then the second one, he got a
nice hit on a guy that was trying
to block him, then he got a piece
of the tackle."
Opong-Owusu was one of 84
Wolverines to garner playing time
against the Hornets (1-2 MEAC,
1-4), including one of nine to make
their first collegiate appearance.
"Everybody but the freshmen
we are planning to redshirt got a
chance to go in there," Rodriguez
said. "To see the smiles on their
faces and to see how excited their
teammates were to get them out
there was pretty neat."
Second stringers and beyond
gave Michigan 688 yards of total
offense against the Hornets,
contributing to the Wolverines'
school record 727 total yards of
offense. True freshman tailback
Vincent Smith led the Wolverines
with 166 yards on 17 carries. Red-
shirt freshman Michael Cox and
sophomore MichaelShawfinished
with a combined three scores and
155 yards on the ground.
But even with 73 percent of
Saturday's dress list participat-
ing, Rodriguez said the Michigan
depth chart is staying put.
"I think some guys, we're get-
ting more confidence in," Rodri-
guez said Monday. "But there
wasn't really a situation where,
'Geez, this guy really deserves
to be the starter and that guy
deserves to be his backup.' We
didn't have that jump out at us."
Senior tailbacks Brandon
Minor (ankle) and Carlos Brown
(concussion) also didn't play Sat-
urday. But probably the most
important Wolverine to rest was
freshman quarterback Tate Forci-
er. Last Saturday, Forcier started
the game and completed two
passes, but roamed the sidelines
after his one drive.
After injuring his shoulder
against Indiana and suffering a
mild concussion against Iowa,
Forcier's bodyhas been banged up
and he has struggled on the field.
In the four games before injuring
his shoulder, Forcier completed
an impressive 62.1 percent of his
87 passes. In the three games
since, his completion percentage
has fallen to 50.9 percent.
In Forcier's place last Saturday,
fellow freshman Denard Robin-
son stepped in fluidly, complet-
ing three of his four passes. Often
typecast as a pure runner, Robin-
son threw his first career touch-
down passes, connecting with
redshirt freshman slot receiver
Kelvin Grady and junior tight end
Martell Webb. The freshman also
ran for a score.
See HORNETS, Page 3B
Michigan takes top-ranked
Penn State to wire but falls short
MEN'S SOCCER
With small but loud
crowd,Akron zips
aroundWolverines
By MARK BURNS
Daily Sports Writer
P Michiganvolleyball coachMark
Rosen put it best: Friday night was
a heavyweight fight for the Wol-
verines.
Michigan was an undersized,
overmatched and less acclaimed
Big Ten opponent than No. 1 Penn
State, the best team - hands down
- in the country.
But none of that mattered to the
11th-ranked Wolverines (5-3 Big
Ten, 17-4
overall), PENN STATE 3
whowent MICHIGAN 2
toe-to-
toe with the top-ranked Nittany
Lions at Cliff Keen Arena for two
hours.
And after four sets, the two
prized fighters were locked at two
apiece.
It was the first time the Nittany
Lions had been taken to five sets in
regular-season play since Sept. 15,
2007 against Stanford.
"That game was definitely a
confidence booster for us, because
we could hang with the No. 1 team
in the country," senior outside
hitter Veronica Rood said. "We
proved to the country that we're a
really good volleyball team."
But after falling behind 6-2 in
the final frame, the Wolverines'
bid for an upset slowly evapo-
rated inside a sold-out Cliff Keen
Arena.
Michigan lost the third set
15-12 in what may have been Penn
State's toughest regular-season
match during its 52-match win-
ning streak in conference play.
"We're trying to not just focus
on the end product," Rosen said.
"We've been more concerned with
how are we performing. Are we
controlling the ball, and are we
doing the things that we need to
do to be successful? (Friday) night,
we did that and we lost. But at the
same time, if you look at the pro-
cess, we did everything we want-
ed to do."
Last year, when Michigan faced
See NITTANY LIONS, Page 2B
By JAKE FELDMAN
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men's soccer
teambattled No.1 Akronyesterday
at the U-M Soccer Complex, but if
you had sat in the stands with your
eyes closed, you wouldn't have
known you were in Ann Arbor.
A small pack of Akron enthu-
siasts overpowered the lethargic
Michi-
gan AKRON 5
crowd, MICHIGAN 1
hoot-
ing and hollering every time the
Wolverines slipped up or the Zips
made a play.
Unfortunately for Michigan,
they had a lot to hoot and holler
about.
The Zips pummeled the Wol-
verines 5-1 in one of Michigan's
poorest performances of the sea-
son. Akron (14-0-0) pressured
Wolverine defenders and forwards
alike, forcing errant passes that
often translated, into Michigan
turnovers. The Zips were equally
as aggressive on the attacking
half, moving the ball quickly and
catching the Wolverines out of
position.
"We knew we were going to be
up against a good team," senior
captain Julian Robles said. "I
don't know why, maybe we just
gave them too much respect and
didn't play our game."
Akron's stingy defense has
surrendered just three goals on a
mere 25 shots on goal this season.
Nevertheless, Michigan (1-2 Big
Ten, 9-4-1 overall) hung with the
top-ranked Zips early on. In the
10th minute, freshman forward
Hamoody Saad sent a perfect pass
See ZIPS, Page 2B
REID: NO MORE FCS WOMEN'S SOCCER
Michigan absolutely dominated Delaware The Michigan women's soccer team hasn't
State Saturday, but FCS teams have no scored in 383 minutes but still managed to tie
business visiting the Big House. Page 2B. Big Ten foe Indiana. Page 2B.