2 - February 7, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 28 - February 7, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Michigan tops Fighting Illini I cheered for Woodson on Super Sunday. O nthis Super Bowl Sun- day, a day full of athletic pageantry and a pure American love of sports, I can't help but look back at my first vivid sports mem- ory.. I was eight years old, and I had, in = that moment, x almost instan- RYAN taneously KARTJE decided who my favorite athlete of all time would be. He wore No.2. I had just watched him make an electrifying punt return and intercept a pass near Michigan's endzone against Ohio State. And as the game came to end - my dad jumping up and down in our living room - he iconi- cally put the rose in his mouth, giving me a memory I would never forget. Sure, I didn't know what that meant more than many other eight-year-olds around, but I knew who my favorite football player was. And I knew that Charles Woodson had made me a Michigan fan. Thirteen years later, Woodson is still my favorite athlete of all time. His defensive presence on Michigan's 1997 National Cham- pionship team is, in my opinion, the most dominant season by a defensive player in the history of college - and maybe even pro- fessional - football. And as we embark on the most exciting and important day in all of sports (sorry, but there's no arguing this), I feel it's my civic duty to honor one of the best Michigan football players of all time and one of the best cornerbacks in the history of the National Football League on his second Super Bowl Sunday. Woodson is a remnant of what Michigan football, and football in general, used to be. If you take a look at the statis- tical breakdown from the 1997 Wolverine team, you'll under- stand what I mean. Brian Griese, the quarterback of Michigan's national champi- onship team only threw for 2,293 yards and 17 touchdowns in the Wolverines' magical season. For comparison's sake, that would rank him 42nd nationally in passing yards and touchdowns in 2010. So, think Wisconsin quar- terback Scott Tolzein. And yeah, how many of you would see Tol- zein asa national championship quarterback? Chris Howard, the running back of Michigan's national championship team, would've been 45th nationally in rush- ing yards and 47th nationally in touchdowns if he played in 2010 with 938 yards and seven touch- downs to lead the Wolverines. Those are numbers quarterback Denard Robinson almost doubled this season. Those offensive numbers probably wouldn't hold up in today's NCAAfootball landscape. But a quick look at the defense, led by Mr. Woodson, shows that the moniker of "defense wins championships" absolutely rang true in 1997. The Wolverines had five first team All-Big Ten defensive starters - three of which were also first team All-Americans. They allowed just 8.8 yards per completion, still an NCAA FBS record (Thanks, Charles), led the Big Ten in total defense (222.8 yards per game) and allowed just 9.5 points per game. Those last two marks haven't been beaten in the Big Ten in the last quarter of a century. And on that defense - boast- ing future NFLers James Hall, Glen Steele, Sam Sword, Dhani Jones, Ian Gold, Tommy Hen- dricks, Marcus Ray and William James - Woodson was the most feared of all. A great deal was made of Woodson's matchup in that 1997 Ohio State game with David Boston, one of the NCAA's most dominant wide receivers at the time. But Woodson was far from intimidated. He and Boston exchanged jibes all week long, and unlike any Michigan player since, he came through on all of his guarantees. There's one player who has renewed my love for football. Aside from a late 56-yard touchdown catch, Boston was held to just two catches for 12 yards total. And like any great cornerback, Woodson spent much of the day getting inside his head. "The first time I jammed him and told him he was soft," Woodson said of Boston. "Every time I lined up against him, I told him nothing would come easy. I was like a father chastis- ing his son for running his mouth to the wrong people. He made one catch for a touchdown, it was a great catch. Except for the touchdown I gave up, it's the all- around game I wanted." At Michigan, Woodson repre- sented everything that football should be: hard-nosed defense, mild trash talk, big plays and no- excuses results. It's something the Wolverines haven't seen in awhile, and something Michi- gan fans should hope for as the regime changes. So I'll be rooting for the Pack- ers on Super Bowl Sunday - even though the game will be long over by the time you read this. Because as much as I love the Steelers' Lamarr Woodley, there's one player who has, on multiple occasions, renewed my love for the game of football. And that's Charles Woodson. By KEVIN RAFTERY Daily Sports Writer It would be difficult to think of a worse way for the Michi- gan women's basketball team to start off the game on Sunday against Illinois. After winning the tip, the Fighting Illini had the ball for 64 seconds straight, ILINOIS 59 fueled MICHIGAN 69 by an unheard-of five offensive rebounds in one possession. On its fifth try, Illinois finally con- verted the first bucket of the game. "When there's five offensive rebounds off the bat, you figure, 'Oh boy, here we go,"' Michigan coach Kevin Borseth said after the game. "But fortunately the game is 40 minutes long, not 50 seconds." Led by senior guard Veronica Hicks' 24 points, the Wolverines eventually recovered from the horrendous start en route to a 69-59 victory over visiting Illi- nois. But it took Michigan (7-4 Big Ten, 14-9 overall) some time to get going. Three minutes into the con- test, Illinois led 7-0 and the Wol- verines had barely even touched the ball. That's when Hicks took over. She went on an a tear, scoring Michigan's first eight points of the game. The Fighting Illini (2-9, 7-17) simply didn't have a way to stop her. "My teammates did a great job of moving the ball around and found me a couple of times," Hicks said. "I was able to get to the rima couple of times and fin- ish, unlike last game." Hicks darted in and out of the Illinois defense with ease, fin- ishing nearly every shot she took - both in and outside the arc. She finished the first half with 18 points - just six away from her career high for a game. But she wasn't completely alone in the first frame. With junior guard Courtney Boylan struggling, sophomore forward Kate Thompson was called on earlier than usual. "We needed to get a bigger hand on (Illinois guard Amber Moore)," Borseth said. "(Moore) got a couple shots off early on us, so we put Kate out there. She got a hand up and blocked a couple shots, and then altered a bunch because of her length." Thompson was successful on the offensive end, too. She went into the break with 8 points on 3-for-4 shooting from the field. With Hicks and Thompson leading the way, Michigan head- ed into the locker room with a 38-29 advantage. For much of the second half, Illinois wouldn't go away. Every time it seemed like the Wolver- ines were on the verge of pulling away, the Illini responded with a bucket. And after Illinois sophomore forward Karisma Penn, who torched the Wolverines for 23 points and 11 rebounds, hit a' free throw with 9:21 remaining, Michigan's 10-point lead was down to just two. That was the closest the Illini would get - Thompson and sophomore forward Rachel Sheffer combined for Michi- gan's next 13 points to increase the lead back to double digits. The Wolverines were nearly flawless from the charity stripe down the stretch, and they fin- ished the game 18-for-22 from the line. Sophomore forward Kate Thompson scored 13 points in the Michigan win. "Before the game, Coach was saying that we'll be successful if we get to the line," Thompson said. "(We knew) it would put them in trouble." Sheffer, who was 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, reached dou- ble digits in points for the sixth- straight game and has been pivotal to the success of this young Wolverine squad. "I don't know if (today) was one of her better games, but she's developing into a postplay- er down there," Borseth said. "She's scoring against kids that are bigger than her, and she's learning in the process." With a rematch against Big Ten-leading Michigan State looming next Sunday, the Wol- verines will have a week to digest this one and prepare for what will arguably be their most important game so far this sea- son. But first, there was a football game to watch - at least for coach Borseth. "Right now, we're gonna go watch the Super Bowl," he said. "That's what I'm gonna do. Then we've got to get ourselves energy, because Michigan State is a big game that we want to be 0 Senior gaurd Veronica Hicks tied her career-high with 24 points on Sunday and tallied 18 points before the break in Michigan's 69-59 win over Illinois. Hicks's4 propel Blue to win By EVERETT COOK Daily Sports Writer Senior guard Veronica Hicks was about a half-second away from a new career high in points. She banked a deep 3-pointer in May 201 GraduMates! Michigan College Advising Corps is now hiring UM Grads for full-time, paid service positions as college advisers Apply Now! The Michigan College Advising Corps seeks new graduates to serve as college advisers in underserved high schools across Michigan Application deadline: February 21, 2011 For more Information and an application packet visit wwwceo.u m chedulmcac SP ING I' 1111IIs I " JAMFEST live Concerts "YIP Partie "BeautifulBeaches ".CliffiJumping .Spectacular Sunsets TRAVEL - SERVCES 1.800.648.4849 w .STTRVL0o the Wolverines' last possession that didn't count due to a shot clock violation. But fortunately for the Michi- gan women's basketball team, that was about the only thing that went wrong for Hicks all game. Hicks scored the Wolverines' first eight points to bring them out of an early chasm and led them to a 69-59 victory over the Fighting Illini:Coming off a slug- gish loss to Penn State, Hicks made sure Michigan didn't lose its' third straight game. She tied a career high with 24 points, including nine from beyond the 3-point arc, while shooting 64 percent from the floor. Hicks also grabbed eight rebounds and four assists and played some of her best defense of the season, nabbing four steals andsforcing countless poor Illini shots. "She played within herself, which was really good," Michi- gan coach Kevin Borseth said after the game. "Obviously, she got things done when she had to." It's an understatement to say Hicks has been vital to Michi- gan's success this season. She leads the team in points, with close to 12 per game, as well as rebounds, with just over five per game. the W have b Aft from t Lions, going on her the gi kept n almos it had scored first-h Michi eight. In Sunday's game, though, "When you're around long rolverines definitely would enough, your days get num- een in trouble without her. bered," Borseth said. "Roni er shooting just 33 percent (Hicks) is playing like there's no he floor againstthe Nittany tomorrow right now, which is it seemed like Hicks was really good." to carry the Wolverines Hicks's play overshadowed the r back against Illinois from struggles of the starting unit, as et-go. Play after play, she she scored more than the other Michigan in the game, and four Michigan starters com- t single-handedly ensured bined. The backcourt tandem the lead at halftime. She of sophomore Jenny Ryan and 1 18 of the Wolverines' 38 junior Courtney Boylan com- alf points, while no other bined for one point. And though gan player had more than the frontcourt of junior Carmen Reynolds and sophomore Rachel - Sheffer combined for 19 points, they did it on 33-percent shoot- ing. Sophomore forward Kate '(Hicks) is Thompson had a nice game off the bench, scoring 12 points, but Ala in like without Hicks, Michigan would J C have seen a loss. there's no "You get in the gym and you shoot," Hicks said. "It's just com- omorrow." ing out here and doing it now on the court." Aside from the 3-pointer called off late in the game, Hicks ks is the team's only senior, also missed a free throw late in as taken an enormous lead- the game that would've given role for the young squad. her a new career high in points. only five games left before "I knew I was close to my g Ten tournament, it seems career-high," Hicks said. "I had licks is treasuring her final some opportunities, but I'm just as a Wolverine. glad to come out with a 'W.'" 0 p t Hic and hr ership With the Bi that H games S 0