BACK TO THE BULLETS After the NBA voided Juwan Howard's con- tract with the Miami Heat, the former Michigan standout signed a seven-year $100 million deal with the Washington Bullets, his orginal team. SPORTS Wednesday 13 August 14, 1996, Defense expected to'. play lead role in '96 * Irons spearheads experienced, deep defensive unit By Will Mccahill Daily Spsrts Editor "We just don't want to lose another championship, plain and simple." With those words, senior center Rod Payne kicked off another season of Michigan football. The team convened last Friday at Schembechler Hall to meet the media and pose for pictures before heading to Michigan Stadium to introduce them- selves to fans. As the Wolverines head into the 117th season of Michigan football, head coach Lloyd Carr handed the lead- ership of the team over to the defense. With nine returning starters - led by senior inside linebacker Jarrett Irons - Carr said the unit will be counted on to keep the Wolverines competitive in games until the offense comes together. "Our defense is going to have to lead this team early in the season," Carr said. Senior nose tackle Will Carr and sophomore defensive end Juaquin Feazell are expected to anchor the line. Junior Ben Huff's chances to play are questionable with a back injury. Behind the line is another bastion of strength and experience in the lineback- ing corps. In addition to All-American defensive captain Irons, junior Rob Swett and sophomores Clint Copenhaver and Sam Sword all bring significant experience. "We have excellent depth at the line- backer position," Carr said. Irons downplayed the expectations surrounding the defensive unit this sea- son. "It's easy now," Irons said of the two- a-day practice sessions. He added that- the crush of the campaign will show the true character of the team. "We'll see throughout the season what kind of team we will have," Irons A LE Michioan c!ninr larrptt Irnnc and the Wnlverine defense are Innkin¢ to wran nn the emmnetitinn and stnn the nnnnnents' offenses in their tracks this season. Irons Michigan 1 void at offe y Ryan White Daily Sports Writer With nine starters returning from one of the top defenses in the country last season, the 1996 Michigan football team is looking at a solid defensive squad. The question is how long will it take for the offense to come around and pull its share of the load? "Hopefully it won't take until the ourth quarter of the first game," joked quarterback Scott Dreisbach, referring to the opening game of last season when the Wolverines came back from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Virginia on the final play of the game. One gets the feeling, though, that t Michigan coach Lloyd Carr will be happy if the offense comes together that fast. "Our defense is going to have to lead -the team early in the season;' Carr said Friday at the Wolverines' annual media day. Carr must find replacements for run- ning back Tshimanga Biakabutuka, receivers Mercury Hayes and Aman Toomer, and offensive linemen Joe Marinaro and Jon Runyan. Biakabutuka and Runyan both gave up their final year of eligibility to turn pro. Sophomore Clarence Williams appears to have the upper hand in the race to replace Biakabutuka. As a freshman, Williams carried the ball 60 times for 227 yards and one touch- e'"ne Ueene ' eI'" nI i w up i""'e 'U"'"?"' L L"' M " n" ""sl"op" le ""n'" was named a pre-season All-American at inside linebacker. )oks for players to fill nsive skill positions down. The Michigan media guide lists Williams at 170 pounds, but that isn't quite right. "As I looked around the country I saw backs that were bigger and stronger," Williams said. "That motivat- ed me to get in the weight room and get bigger" It apparently worked, since Williams says he is now up to 196 pounds, and hasn't lost any of his quickness. Carr said he hopes to use Williams in an added role this season, one in which Biakabutuka wasn't utilized much last season. "He is an outstanding pass receiver," Carr said. "We will find ways to get him the ball both as a receiver and as a runner." That said, Carr is hoping to find a few other people to replace the 92 catches and 1,681 yards of receptions for which Hayes and Toomer combined last year. The top returning pass-catchers are sophomores Todd Brooks, Tyrone Butterfield and Tai Streets. All three remained in Ann Arbor for the summer and worked daily with Dreisbach. Carr is also looking at a number of new players such as freshman Aaron Wright and junior Russell Shaw who transferred to Michigan from El Camino Community College in Torrance, Calif. Carr said he feels it is going to be important to get both the running and the passing games up to speed as quick- ly as possible. "You have to have both," he said. "In this conference, if you don't stop the run you're not going to win. "If defenses are willing to commit eight or nine guys to the line to stop your running game, you have to have speed and skill at wideout to counter that" The key on offensive line will be the See OFFENSE, Page 14 Wolverine tailback Chris Howard is expected to help fill the hole left by the depart- ed Tshimanga Blakabutuka, Michigan's leading rusher last season. I Don'tPani c! A 410U If you think you're pregnant... call us-we listen, we care. EYE EXAMS & EYE GLASSES PROBLEM PREGNANCY HELP 1%w(R i L AUREN GIORGIO ARMANI -6-783CALVIN KLEIN Any time, any day, 24 hours. ey e wea r Fully confidential. STU D EN T T DISCO U N TS Serving Students since 1970.1*""