The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
November 12, 2012 - 3B
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MICHIGAN
ATHLETICS
SCOREBOARD
I L AST W EEK
MONDAY (NOV. 5)
Men's basketball: Michigan 76 Saginaw Valley
State, 48
Wrestling Central ichigan 21, Michigan 16
WEDNESDAY (NOV. 7)
Men's soccer: Michigan1, Wisconsin O
Wmen's XC: 1st place
Men's XC: 2nd place .
Women's basketball: Michigan70, Detroit 62
Volleyball: Michigan3, Wisconsin 0
Icehockey:Michigan5, MichiganState
Men's basketball: Michigan 100, Slippery Rock 62
Men'ssoccer: Michigan 3, Northwestern S
SATURDAY (NOV. 10)
Football: Michigan 38, Northwester31
Volleyball:Michigan3, Minnesota 1
Ice hockey: Michigan State 7, Michigan 2
Women'ssoccer: Michigan2, Central Michigan1
Feld hockey: OldDominion6, Michigan1
S U NDAY ( NOV. 11)
Wrestling: Michigan16, Pittsburgh 15
Men's soccer: Michigan State 2, Michigan 1
N E X T W E E K
MONDAY (NOV. 12)M
Women's basketball: Michigan vs. Xavier, 7
* TE(')
Men's basketball: Michigan vs. IUPUI, 9 p.m. ()
T U ESDAY (N OV. 13)
Men's basketball: Michigan vs. Cleveland State or
Bowling Green, 8 p.m. (')
T HURSDAY (N OV. 15)
Ice hockey: Michigan vs. Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m. ()
FRIDAY (NOV. 16)
Men's swimming: Purdue Invitationa,10 a.m.
(WeDE LaEayete)
WoOens swm ring: Purdue Invitational, 10 a.m.
(West Lafayette)
Women'ssoccer:Michigan vs.Portland, 2p.m.
(State College) ,
Women's basketball:Michigan at Utah, 4:30 p.m.
(Salt Lake City)
Volleyball: Michigan at Northwestern,7 p.m.
(EanstDon)
Wrestling: Michigan at Oregon State, 7 p.m.
(Corvalis)
Ice hockey: Michigan vs. Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m. ()
SAURDAY (NO00 1OT
Men'sswinming Purdue invitationa,0 m am.
(West Lafayette)
Women's swimming: Purdue Invitational, 10 a.m.
(West Lafayette)
Warmen's cross country: NCAA Championships, noon
* LoS IE
Football MicianR vs Ioa DooR (M
MeT's ErREs ountry NCAA Championships,1:15 pm
(Loisville)
Volleyball:MichiganatIinois, 7 p.m..(Champaign)
SU NDAY (NOV. 18)
Women's swimming: Purdue Invitational, 9a.m
(West Lafayette)
Men's swimming: Purdue Invitational10 a.m.
(West Lafayette)
Wrestling: Michigan at Stanford, 2 p.m.
(Palo Alto)
Women's soccer: NCAA third round, TBA
-*)All home events are eligible to earn points for
the Athletic Deportment's H.A.IL program.
BIG TEN
STANDINGS
Legends Division Bg Ten Overall
Nebraska 5 1 a 2
Michigan 5 1 7 3
Northwestern 3 3 7 3
(owa 2 4 4 6
Minnesota 2 4 6 4
Michigan State 2 4 5 5
Leaders Division Big Ten Overall
Ohio State 6 0 10 0
Wisconsin 4 2 7 3
Penn State 4 2 6 4
Indiana 2 4 4 6
Purdue 1 5 4 6
Illinois 0 6 2 8
THIS WEEKEND'S RESULTS,
MICHIGAN 38, Northwestern 31
NEBRASKA 32, Penn State 23
WISCONSIN 62, Indiana 14
PURDUE 27, Iowa 24
MINNESOTA17, Illinois 3
FOLLOW
US ON
TWITTER
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FORA GOOD TIME
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SPLIT
From Page 1B
a one-timer, to make it 3-0 just
seven minutes into the game.
Boo Nieves finally got the
Wolverines on the board dur-
jog a man advantage later in the
period.
In rapid succession, fresh-
man defenseman Jacob Trouba
and junior forward Luke Moffatt
missed shots from the bottom of
the slot, only to have the puck
skirt out to Nieves who eagerly
slammed it home to cut into the
deficit.
Berry scored his second of the
night on a Spartan power play
off a loose puck near the crease.
The period ended with Michigan
State leading4-1.
In the second period, Michi-
gan came out with significantly
more firepower, but couldn't
capitalize on an early power-play
opportunity.
The Wolverines finallyopened
the period's scoring at the 11:52
mark when junior defenseman
Mac Bennett sailed a perfect pass
from blue line to blue line. Senior
captain and NCAA goals leader
A.J. Treais was on the receiving
end of Bennett's pass, and fin-
ished to pull Michigan to within
two.
But Berry completed the hat
trick, the first of his career, just
minutes later on a Spartan odd-
man rush to extend the Michi-
gan State lead to 5-2, which is
COMEBACK
From Page 1B
the Big Ten title should Nebraska
falter.
"When I'm looking at them
on the sideline, there was never
a doubt that they were going to
win the football game," Hoke
said.
An air of despair swirled
around the Michigan football
team's fan base a week ago when
it was announced that Robinson,'
recovering from an ulnar-nerve
injury, wouldn't start against
Minnesota. Gardner shifted
back to quarterback and led the
Wolverines to a 35-13 victory.
When the same announce-
ment was made on Saturday
prior to Michigan's kickoff
against Northwestern, there
were few reservations. And
Gardner didn't disappoint.
He ended the day 16-for-29
passing with 286 yards, two
touchdowns and an intercep-
tion. He added another 47 yards
and two touchdowns rushing.
"I think he managed the game
PAUi SHERM
Frehman goalender Jared Rutledge started both garnes of the weekend for the first time in his Michigan career
how things stood at the second on during Saturday's game, it
intermission. became clear that there wouldn't
The Wolverines outshot the be a comeback for the Wolver-
Spartans, 16-6,
frame, but
faced the
same-sized
deficit they
had overcome
last weekend
at Northern
Michigan
to salvage a
shootout win.
in the second ines.
"They ji
over the
As the third period wore
well," Hoke said. "He made some
good decisions."
The narrative that held for
much of the game, though, was
Michigan's inability to slow
down the Northwestern offense.
Northwestern quickly proved
to be a formidable foe on Satur-
day. After tailback Venric Mark
gave the Wildcats an early lead,
Northwestern quarterbacks
Kain Colter and Trevor Siemian
continued to attack with up-
the-gut plunges from Mark and
passes to the flats, slowly gashed
'the defense. After touchdown
runs by Gardner and sopho-
more tailback Thomas Rawls put
Michigan up, 14-7, in the second
quarter, Northwestern tied it up
heading into halftime with a pic-
ture-perfect two-minute drive
and didn't slow down. In the first
drive of the second half, Colter
found receiver Dan Vitale for a
quick-strike touchdown.
And just when it looked like
the Wildcats would do it again,
Michigan finally made its stand.
It was just enough.
With Northwestern looking at
a third-and-goal at the Michigan
eight-yard line, senior defensive
Five min-
- utes into the
frame, star
ust took Spartan fresh-
man Matt
game." DeBlouw
ripped a one-
timer from
just inside the
point past Rutledge to make it
6-2.
end Craig Roh exploded into the
backfield to sack Colter and force
a short field goal, keeping Michi-
gan within 10 points.
"Had that not happened and
they went gone in and scored
seven ... the outcome (of the
game) probably would have been
different," Demens said.
Gardner took to the air, draw-
ing a defensive pass interference
and then hitting junior receiver
Jeremy Gallon streaking down
the right side for a gain of 42
yards. The next play, Toussaint
took a dump pass from Gardner,
slipped a tackle and tip-toed
along the sideline for a 28-yard
touchdown.
Michigan got the ball back at
its own eight-yard line, trailing
24-21 early in the fourth quarter,
and Gardner wasted no time in
the shadows of his own end zone.
He found Roundtree twice, Gal-
lon once and Dileo once to put
Michigan in the red zone, the
finished the drive with a touch-
down pass to true freshman right
end Devin Funchess.
Northwestern responded
quickly, as Siemian found Tony
Jones up the seam for a touch-
Michigan State added one
more on a goal from senior for-
ward Kevin Walrod to close out
the scoring and seal the 7-2 blow-
out win over Michigan.
After Rutledge's stellar per-
formance in net the nightbefore,
Berenson opted to ride the hot
hand, but Rutledge, and the
defense in front of him, paled in
comparisonto the thrashing they
delivered only one night prior.
"We had no battle on this team
tonight," Berenson said. "And
they just took over the game."
down pass to take a 31-28 lead
with just under four minutes left
in the game. But Gardner would
give the ball right back on the
next snap by throwing a long
interception.
The Wildcats couldn't quite
run out the clock, and that
doomed them. Michigan got the
ball back with 18 seconds and the
Hail Mary to Roundtree set up
the game-tying kick.
In the end, Gardner shared the
spotlight with Roundtree. The
much-maligned receiver, who
toppled Notre Dame in the final
seconds last fall, played hero
again. He made five catches for
139 yards.
Maybe the script was right all
along. It just depends who was
writing it.
As he walked with his wife,
Laura, into the bowels of Michi-
gan Stadium, she turned to him.
"Did you know you were going
to win?" she asked?
"Yes," Hoke said.
Hoke never had a doubt.
"No way," the second-year
coach said.
And why's that?
"Because of those kids."
GARDNER
From Page 1B
so I can't blame you guys for not
knowing."
Indeed, Gardner has
impressed in his first two starts
this season, and he has put fans'
minds at ease in Robinson's
absence, especially after redshirt
freshman Russell Bellomy's mis-
erable performance when he ini-
tially replaced Robinson in the
Nebraska game a couple weeks
ago.
Gardner said that he had full
confidence in the offense at the
end of the game when it got the
ball back with 18 seconds left
in regulation and needed three
points to tie.
"There's no option but to go
score," Gardner said. "We've
worked way to hard to this
point to not get the score. We
have time on the clock, and the
defense gave us a place to stand.
(Fifth-year senior cornerback
J.T. Floyd) told me, he said, 'We
gave you a chance, so let's go.
Let's get the touchdown."'
Michigan wound up settling
for a field goal, but he was enough
to extend the contest and even-
tually win in overtime, 38-31.
In a good mood from the win,
Gardner fooled around with the
media. When one reporter asked
fifth-year senior Roy Roundtree
whether the Wildcat defensive
back tipped the pass that he
caught to set up the game-tying
field goal, Gardner chimed in,
"Hey, that's neither here nor
there."
KOVACS HONORED WITH
LEGEND PATCH: Prior to kickoff,
Kovacs was announced as the
newest recipient of a Michigan
Football Legend patch, and he
will wear No. 11 for the remain-
der of his career.
"I've worn No. 32 for quite
some time, I think I'll always be
"I think I'll
always be
No. 32."
No. 32," Kovacs said. "ButI think
it's a great opportunity to recog-
nize our legends."
The No. 11 jersey was worn by
the Wistert brothers - Francis,
Albert and Alvin - for different
Michigan teams beginning in
1931.
The eldest, Francis, played on
back-to-back national champi-
onship squads, and he was also
a Big Ten MVP for the Michigan
baseball team.
Francis later played for the
Cincinnati Reds before coming
back to Ann Arbor to be an assis-
tant football coach.
The middle brother, Albert,
played from 1940-42 for head
coach Fritz Crisler, and he went
on to be a decorated offen-
sive tackle for the Philadelphia
Eagles in the NFL.
"I actually had the opportu-
nity to meet Albert yesterday,
and he said that when he was
first given 11, he was so humbled,
and he was so excited and it was
a huge honor for him," Kovacs
said. "He prayed before every
game that he put it on that he'd
be worthy enough to wear it. So
that's kind of my approach."
The youngest brother was
Alvin, who played defensive
tackle for' the Wolverines at
age 30 after serving in the U.S.
Marine Corps in World War II.
He was an All-American in 1948
and 1949.
ROUNDTREE
From Page 1B
much progression at all. The
coaches have continually praised
Roundtree's attitude and down-
field blocking, but as a receiver,
Roundtree sputtered then stag-
nated. It took him three games
to find the end zone, and com-
ing into Saturday's game, he had
gone another six weeks without
scoring. It took him five weeks to
reach 10 total receptions. It took
him an additional week to break
100 total yards for the season.
Freshman tight end Devin
Funchess had been a more pre-
ferred target. Redshirt junior
receiver Jeremy Gallon was the
main threat for several games.
Drew Dileo hauled in more cru-
cial receptions than Roundtree.
Even Gardner himself was more
impactful before he moved back
to quarterback last week.
Though Roundtree remained
the No. 1 receiver, he never com-
manded attention. Perpetually
laid back, perpetually smiling, he
never demanded the ball.
Then senior quarterback
Denard Robinson got injured
against Nebraska two weeks ago.
Gardner, who just one week prior
had been a member of the receiv-
ing corps with Roundtree, would
need to convert back to quarter-
back against Minnesota. That
left Michigan without one of its
better targets, and there was
almost no semblance of a run-
ninggame to rely on.
But against the Golden
Gophers, Roundtree baileddout
Gardner on a long heave, a diffi-
cult catch in double-coverage
Against Northwestern this
week, Roundtree said, "I told
(Gardner) all game, just put the
ball up there and I'm gonna go
get it for you."
Roundtree finished the first
half with just one reception,
but the long catch and run set
Michigan up on Northwestern's
29-yard line. Then, Roundtree
drew a pass interference penalty
in the end zone, which led to a
Michigan touchdown.
After a quiet third quarter,
Roundtree caught four passes for
107 yards in the fourth quarter
and overtime. Two receptions
on a drive in the fourth quar-
ter ultimately led to a Michi-
gan touchdown. On that drive,
Roundtree made a tiptoe grab
near the Michigan sideline. At
other times, he attacked the ball,
beating defensive backs on 50-50
throws.
"Roy really, I think on a couple
balls today, really had great focus
and great intensity in what he
was doing," said Michigan coach
Brady Hoke.
Roundtree finished with five
receptions for 139 yards. It was
his first 100-yard receiving game
since 2010 and his most yardage
since Nov. 6 of that year, when
he recorded 246 yards in a slug-
fest against Illinois. For Michi-
gan, Roundtree was the first
receiver to break the 100-yard
plateau since Gallon in week one.
(Funchess, the tight end, also
broke 100 yards in week two).
But after a Northwestern
touchdown and a Gardner inter-
ception in the fourth quarter,
the Michigan offense had time
for only one or two heaves. The
Wolverines took over from their
own 38 with 18 second remain-
ing. They knew which play they
would run. Gardner chucked and
Roundtree waited.
After Roundtree's catch, the
Michigan sideline would erupt.
Roundtree's teammates would
sprint to the line to spike the ball,
as Funchess dove across the side-
line to get off the field in time.
Dileo would salvage a bad snap to
get a good hold for the tying field
goal.
In overtime, Roundtree would
have another big reception, and
Michigan would win, 38-31. His
teammates would tackle each
other in the end zone and chase
each other in celebration and
Robinson would search the field
for Roundtree yelling "Tree!"
and smiling wide.
But in the moment as the ball
came closer, Roundtree had a
defender draped over his back.
He jumped, received a bump and
tipped the ball up. As Roundtree
fell, the ball did too.
Roundtree attacked it.
"My mind said, 'I gotta go up
and make this play,' " Roundtree
said.