The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com I November 22,2010

Blue steamrollede
bypower run game

Stonum makes big
second-half catches

By RYAN KARTJE
Daily Sports Editor
As senior offensive lineman Ste-
phen Schilling headed to the locker
room at halftime of the Wolverines'
matchup with Wisconsin on Satur-
day, it all seemed familiar.
Little offensive production. Zero
points. No rhythm. A huge, seem-
ingly insurmountable deficit. It all
felt like Michigan's 2008 matchup
with the Badgers - one in which
the Steve Threet-led Wolverines
overcame a three-score halftime
deficit to give Michigan coach Rich
Rodriguez his first signature in the

maize and blue.
"We had come back from just
about this much before," Schilling
said after Saturday's game. "We
got out to those first two touch-
downs in the second half, and the
thoughts were definitely there."
But the 24-0 halftime deficit
proved too much for Michigan's
porous defense and its too-little-
too-late offensive push, as Wis-
consin (10-1 overall, 7-1 Big Ten)
absolutely pounded the Wolver-
ines on the ground - tallying the
most rushing yards against Michi-
gan all season - to win 48-28. The
See BADGERS, Page 3B

By NICOLE AUERBACH
Daily Sports Writer
Each Saturday, the receivers
have treated the Michigan football
game like their own personal con-
test.
Who's going to have the most
catches? The most yards? The most
touchdown receptions?
Essentially, it's a question of who
gets to have the big game and the
headlines.
Against Wisconsin, it wasn't the
receiver with the most catches or
yards who stood out. It was junior
Darryl Stonum, who made the two
biggest catches of the game.
After Michigan's offense limped

through a scoreless first half on
Saturday, it was in need of a spark
entering the second half.
So the Wolverines opened the
third quarter with a methodical
march through Wisconsin territo-
ry, and then, on second down with
seven yards to go, sophomore quar-
terback Denard Robinson floated
a ball toward the right side of the
endzone. Stonum snatched it for
Michigan's first touchdown of the
game.
And 24-7 felt much more sur-
mountable than 24-0.
Three plays later, senior Jonas
Mouton recovered affumble and the
Wolverines got the ball back.
See STONUM, Page 3B

# r
(TOP) Wisconsin wideout Nick Toon breaks a tackle from Michigan freshman
cornerback Coartney Avery (BOTTOM) SeniorlinebackerJonas Mouton tries to
tackle Wisconsin's lames White in Saturdays 48-28 lsss.AK ,RMM/Daily)

Meram continues tear Michigan moves on to Sweet 16


* tnrougn postseason,
scores equalizer in win

By ZACH HELFAND
DailySports Writer
As the No. 19 Michigan men's
soccer team entered the second
half of its second-round NCAA
Tournament game against Cen-
tral Florida yesterday trailing by
a goal, the quickly approaching
reality of a premature end to the
season began to dawn upon the
2,791 in attendance at the U-M
Soccer Complex.
Michigan coach Steve Burns
said he expected the crowd to be
a little nervous.
But not his team, and espe-
cially not senior forward Justin
Meram.
"I actually thought we were
going to put one or two away in
the first half. We were just down
their throats after they scored,"

Meram said after the victory. "At
halftime, Coach said, 'It's gonna
come, just stay composed and
let's not worry about it and justgo
into the second half at 0-0.' And
that's what we did."
It was Meram, after all, who
eased some of the tension for the
Michigan faithful when his shot
in the 50th minute found the
back of the net to knot the score,
1-1. For a player known for cre-
ating goals with his fancy foot-
work, this goal came naturally
for Meram.
A perfect lead pass from senior
midfielder Alex Wood found
Meram one-on-one with UCF
keeper Shawn Doyle. All that was
left for Meram to do was finish.
Meram has been doing a lot
of that lately- letting the goals
See MERAM, Page 3B

By MATT SLOVIN didn't bunker in and just launch
Daily Sports Writer long balls and absorb," Michigan
coach Steve Burns said after the
In 2003, the Michiganmen's soc- game. "They looked to find that
cer team upset Notre Dame in the second goal against us."
second Dtie to stingy defense and a 31-17
round CENTRAL FLORIDA 1 edge in total shots for the Wol-
of the MICHIGAN 2 verines, that go-ahead goal never
NCAA came for Central Florida.
Tournament on penalty kicks. At halftime, the team made sev-
Seven years later, the hunters eral changes - some more trivial
have become the hunted. But the than others - to help stimulate a
outcome for the Wolverines is the comeback.
same. Senior forward Justin Meram
Overtime heroics by Michigan felt that a new pair of shoes was
doomed Central Florida, which just what he needed to have a more
was hoping to upend the 10th-seed- fruitful second half.
ed Wolverines (15-4-3). "I just wasn't feeling it," Meram
Michigan will now move onto said of his previous pair. "It was a
the Sweet Sixteen. The team plays good change-up."
its next elimination matchup Indeed, it was.
against host South Carolina next Not even five minutes into the
Sunday. half, Meram sprinted towards a
The Knights (12-5-3) took a 1-0 lead pass from senior midfielder
advantage into the locker room, Alex Wood and punched it in from
despite being noticeably outplayed 18 yards out, just past the extended
by Michigan in the first half. arms of Knight goalkeeper Shawn
"To Central Florida's credit, they See SWEET 16, Page 3B

The Michigan men's soccer team celebrates in its 2-1 win over UCF on Sunday.

LAKE STATE-MENT RUN AWAY, BULLDOGS
U After going winless in four straight Friday U Darius Morris got it going in the Wolver-
games, the Wolverines took care of busi- ines' rout of Gardner-Webb yesterday as the
ness on both nights to sweep Lake Superior Runnin' Bulldogs were no match for Michigan's
State. Page 2B "__ balance on offense. Page 2B