2B - November 22, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 40 2B - November 22, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom 6 Goodbye to the Big House, don't forget the good times As a left my house for the Big House before the final home game of 2010on Saturday, the nostalgia hit me like a brick wall. Instead of y. taking Fifth Street straight ' toward the sta- dium, I took a-RYAN detour. It was a KAT pretty special KARTJE day after all - my lastgame in the Big House as a student, every senior's last game in the Big House as a student - soI headed for State Street. Like many of you seniors, my mind immediately flashed back to freshman year. The first time I saw State Street at its finest. The first time I walked past Bongo man. The first time I took a beer bong from the third story of a stranger's apartment. It was still the spectacle on Saturdaythat it was before that first game, when we all excitedly walked to see Michigan - the No. 5 team in the nation at the time - blow out a 1-AA school from Boone, North Carolina that I'd only briefly heard of during the 2000 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. And when that didn't happen, we all survived Black Saturday. We survived when Michigan lost the next game to Oregon and started its season 0-2 for only the second time in our lifetime. And we sur- vived when we lost one of the ugli- est Ohio State games in the history of the rivalry. And to think, Michigan finished that season 9-4. We've all done a whole lot of surviving in the past four years. And none of it has been easy. When Lloyd Carr left, it was supposed to be Les Miles who held the reins of Michigan's most beloved athletic program. Then, it was supposed to be Greg Schiano. But finally, it was Rich Rodriguez, Fir Is The Michigan football team has compiled a of the program. a spread offense genius from the heart of Appalachia. It was a fiasco of a coaching search that left us all wonder- ing where Michigan football was going. Then, when we saw the direction, most of us wished we could turn back. The next few seasons went by at a painful snail's pace. We sur- vived a 3-9 team led by a quarter- back who didn't fit in Rodriguez's offense and a defense that looked like it couldn't get worse. And then Tate Forcier, an 18-year-old signal caller from San Diego, was deemed "savior" of the program. He led Michigan to a4-0 start last season as a true fresh- man. He was on Heisman watch lists all over the country. And we all watched as the wheels fell off in the season's second half. 5-7. Two straight seasons of below-.500 football, and we were still there when Michigan kicked off against Connecticut this sea- son. Still there when they lost to SAM WOLSON/Daily 16-14 record at Michigan Stadium, shown here from a helicopter, in the last four years Michigan State, then Iowa, then Penn State. And as we left the Big House for the final time on Satur- day, we left having endured four of the most painful years in Michigan football history. But we made it. Now that the experience is over, there's absolutely no reason to sulk. So what if Michigan finished 16-14 at home during your four years. With the exception of a few Sat- urdays in the last football season (I'm looking at you, Northwestern 2009), you probably had a great time at Michigan Stadium, win or lose. Sure, the football team owes us, its loyal following, a whole lot of appreciation for the last four years. But what would your college expe- rience have been without Denard Robinson? Without a 112-point, triple-overtime win over Illinois? or without a last-second failed two-point conversion to beat Wis- consin in 2008? What would it have been with- out the "We Own Penn State" chant when we beat the Nittany Lions in 2007? Or Tate's final drive to beat Notre Dame last season? Or the look on Tim Tebow's face when Michigan smashed Florida into the ground in the Capital One Bowl? I know there's little hope of me convincing you that the last four years have been a success. Even I would be kidding myself if I told you that. But when all is said and done and the Wolverines leave Colum- bus next week, win or lose, don't feel sorry for yourself. Don't talk about how unlucky you were to see the worst four years in Michigan football history. Instead, remember those few moments when that team, your team, made you feel like no other sports team can. Because, in the end, win or lose, few others have fought as hard as we have tobe Michigan fans. And for that, you should be pretty damn proud. ARELcBOND/Daily Sophomore Kevin Lynch had two goals on Saturday, including the game-winner. Since being reunited with his line, he's scored four goals in four games. Balanced'0' leads Blue to ee With members of Fab Five in attendance, Morris leads Wolverines to blowout victory By LUKE PASCH nin' Bulldogs (3-2). Daily Sports Writer Sophomore guard Darius Mor- ris spread the ball effectively at The Michigan men's basketball the point, registering the team's team kicked it old school on Sun- first double-double of the season day after- with 21 points and 10 assists. He noon. GARDNER-WEBB 58 also shot an impressive 80 percent In MICHIGAN 80 from the field. game two Michigan coach John Beilein of the Legends Classic against continued to praise his young Gardner-Webb, the team paid floor general for improved transi- homage to a few of the program's tion play - Morris did a fabulous greats by donning their maize jer- job pushing the ball up the court seys along with black sneakers and throughout the contest. He also socks, a look that was popular- showed off his range, as he was ized by the "Fab Five" in the early 2-for-2 from 3-point territory. 1990s. "I will tell you all year long - And the Wolverines (3-0) played that young man shot a lot of shots like it was the early '90s, showing in the offseason," Beilein said after little mercy on either end of the the game. "And he's very often the court in an 80-58 rout of the Run- last one out on the court. ... That's a big thing for us. Last year, when people starting guarding him dif- ferent and doubling off of him, that changed a lot of the ways we can score. (But) they have to respect him right now." Freshman center Jordan Mor- gan dominated underneath and continued to assert himself as the team's top center option. Morris targeted him in the paint often against a weak Gardner-Webb frontcourt, and Morgan tallied a season-high 20 points and eight boards. The Detroit native showed much improvement in his ability to finish off opportunities, as he scored both over defenders in the paint and falling away from them in the post. I THE UNITED STATES & GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: POLITICS, POLICY, & PRIORITIES A 2010 CITIGROUP FOUNDATION LECTURE "He's come a long way," Beilein said. "He's learning how to fake, he's feeling the people around him and he's a very intelligent player. He's an engineering student, doing very well. I like his growth." Morgan looked solid on the defensive end as well, stifling a number of drives to the hoop. Late in the first half, Gardner-Webb forward Josh Henley received a pass in the paint, but Morgan was right there to blanket him. As Henley struggled to find options, he was called for a 3-second viola- tion, and Morgan earned a stand- ing ovation from the Wolverine faithful. Freshman forward Tim Hard- away Jr. also had a solid day with 15 points, including two buckets from behind the arc. But for the second straight game, he found himself in a bit of foul trouble early on. Just a couple minutes into the game, he picked up his first personal foul and temporarily checked out of the game. "I'm not getting frustrated - it's just a learning process," Hardaway said. "(The coaches) probably just want to teach me a lesson to not foul because that was a stupid foul." Ironically, the Wolverines shot a season-high 52.4 per- cent against the Bulldogs, even though their veteran leader - junior shooting guard Zack Novak - was 0-for-4 from the field. Then again, Beilein said all offseason that the team would embrace a wide variety of scor- ing options following the depar- ture of All-Big Ten stars Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims from the program. "It's a good feeling," Novak said. "I think that just helps everybody to be that much more relaxed when they're shooting because you know if you're not hitting, it's going to be tough to stop everybody on this team from hitting." With the win, Beilein picked up his 600th career victory, with Michigan greats Jalen Rose (1992-94), Jimmy King (1992-95) and Ray Jackson (1992-95) of the infamous "Fab Five" in atten- dance. Lynch's threeg lead the way a 12 forwards rec point in sei By CASANDRA PA Daily Sports Write When freshman def Jon Merrill buried a p hole on Lake Superior Sta man ' goalie LAKE SUPERI Kevin MICHIGAN Kapalka for the LAKEtSUPERI first MICHIGAN of the game on Friday, the c Yost Ice Arena roared. Fans of the No. 10 1 hockey team haven't se lamplighters on Frida this season, but Merri less than five minutes first period rejuvenated verines and the crowd a Getting the first goa weekend series with th was impor- tant, but how Michigan responded after the Lak- ers netted the is equalizer less than a minute sto: later was more noteworthy. The Wol- verines (7-2-1- 0 CCHA, 8-3-3 overall) didn't just respond with anot They exploded offensive ing their second sweet season after beating La rior State 7-2 on Friday on Saturday. Friday night's victo the Lakers snapped Mi streak of tying or losinj four game-one matchup "Last year, we start little bit slow and we w change that around th sophomore forward Lynch said. "A couple o night losses, we didn't make it another last year this weekend is a steppi for the games to come." Lynch, who only ha goals this season head the weekend series, his career best with two Saturday's game after t goal and an assist on Fri But Lynch wasn't t Wolverine who found1 this weekend. Every Michigan forw played in the weeken recorded at least on' while Merrill and def junior Brandon Burlon out the balanced scorin with a goal apiece. After this weekend's Michigan now has a four for the team lead in goal junior forward David V and senior forwards Ca lin and Scooter Vaughan six goals this season. "We know we play a ter with the first goal," goals said after Friday night's victory. "And even though they got one s all back right away, we stuck with the game plan and played hard ord a all night." The Michigan coaching staff es challenged the Wolverines in practice this week to turn up GNI their speed and intensity and ,r to play three full periods each night of the weekend. enseman And Michigan proved it was uck five up to the task, scoring four even- tefresh- strength goals in the first period on Friday - its first four-goal 3R ST. 2 period of the season en route 7 to notching its 500th victory at Yost Ice Arena. R ST. 2 The Wolverines didn't stop 3 there, though. They outshot the Lakers 77-60 on the weekend fortheir first home sweep of the rowd at season. Michigan's goaltenders dichigan deserve due credit for the vic- en many tories, as well. Senior netmind- y nights ers Shawn Hunwick and Bryan ill's goal Hogan gave up two goals each into the and made a combined 56 saves to the Wol- keep the Wolverines in the game like. both nights. i in the "That's a big win for (Hun- e Lakers wick), too," Michigan coach Red Berenson said after Friday's game. "A lot his weekend of the Friday night, Satur- a stepping day night talk is centered ne for games around goal- ies. And I try to come." to diffuse that because I don't think that's been the case, but it's her goal. still a reality. We've got to win ly, earn- on Fridays." p of the On Saturday, the Wolverines ke Supe- took a one-goal lead into the and 3-2 third period but kept the puck in the Laker zone for most of the 'ry over frame, keeping Lake Superior ichigan's State (3-6-1-0, 5-7-2) from pull- g its last ing their goalie in the final sec- s. onds and getting a chance at the ed off a equalizer. anted to "I thought they had one good 0 is year," scoring chance in the third," Kevin Berenson said. "Our team played f Friday better defense. We played hard. want to We played team hockey. That r. I think last shift was a great way to fin- ng stone ish the game. You just don't let the other team pull their goalie d three and get the extra man on the ing into ice." matched The Wolverines face road goals in tests at No. 15 Wisconsin and allying a Minnesota this Friday and Sun- day. day. Taking care of business at he only Yost and getting six points on his shot the weekend comes as a relief for the Wolverines, who don't have ard who a true home game - besides The d series Big Chill at the Big House - until e point, their Jan. 8 matchup against enseman rival Michigan State. rounded "We were so mad about the ig attack Friday night games, so I was a little concerned about how we sweep, would respond to a Friday night r-way tie win," senior alternate captain s. Lynch, Louie Caporusso said after Sat- fohlberg urday night's win. "I was pretty rl Hage- happy with it. It wasn't great, all have that's for sure, it was still sloppy in the first period, but at least lot bet- we got the win, and that was the Hagelin biggest thing."