Monday August 16, 2004 sports.michigandaily.com sports@michigandaily.com SPORTS 0 14 It's all on the line I 0 ! JASON COOPER /Daily Michigan has two holes on offensive line and three on the defensive line that need to be filled before the September 4th season opener against Miami (Ohio) at the Big House. Plugging holes in the trenches key to season's success By Seth Gordon lines has been overlooked. Despite the Daily Sports Editor lack of hype, these vacancies present head coach Lloyd Carr with unique With much of the attention being obstacles to overcome on both the paid to newcomers in high-profile offensive and defensive lines. The positions - most notably junior quar- extent to which Michigan can reload terback Matt Gutierrez and senior run- in the trenches will help to determine ning back David Underwood - how whether the Wolverines defend their the Wolverines will fill holes on the Big Ten championship and contend for a national title. Michigan has experience on the offensive line with three returning starters but must find a new center and right tackle, as All-Big Ten performer Dave Pearson and second team All- American Tony Pape have moved on to the NFL. Last season, the offensive line was crucial to the success of an offense which scored 460 points in 13 games - second most in school history behind Fielding Yost's "point-a-min- ute" squad which racked up 644 points in 1901. The line opened holes for Doak Walker Award-winner Chris Perry and gave John Navarre plenty of time to distribute the ball to his receivers. This year's line will feature three seniors, led by returning All-American guard David Bass, guard Matt Lentz and left tackle Adam Stenavich. Their job this season may be more impor- tant than last year because the offense will feature new starters Gutierrez and Underwood. In order to succeed, the trio must incorporate new starters and develop backups - all of whom have little game experience - into a cohe- sive unit. The good news is that there are sev- eral capable candidates to step in and perform at both positions. The battle for the starting center position has come down to senior Leo Henige and junior Mark Bihl. Carr spoke highly of Henige after spring practices and lauded his efforts over the summer. "We worked him with the No. 1 group, and he's a very, very powerful guy," Carr said. "You know, I think he's training as hard as he can, and I don't know how it's going to turn out but I wouldn't bet against him." Unlike at center, the competition for the left tackle spot is wide open, with several players vying for playing time. Among the players with the most buzz is 6-foot-7, 331-pound sophomore Jake Long, who impressed coaches this spring by playing through a turf- toe injury. "Jake Long is young, but he's huge and strong," defensive tackle Gabe Watson said. "As soon as he gets his hands on you it's hard to get away from him and hard to get past him. He's going to be real good." Senior Dave Schoonover and juniors Mike Kolodzieg, Ruben Riley and Mike Barishai all have some experi- ence on the line, but none of them have emerged from the pack to take the starting spot. With so many bodies in I competition for one starting spot, depth at tackle will actually be a strength for the Wolverines. "We've got great competition at the tackle position," Lentz said. "Jake Long's health is very good. He's going to be something special. But, we've got Stenavich, Kolodziej, Riley and Long, and we've got four guys that are very competitive. They all have good mobility, so that's another position in terms of starting. They will all play a role, but it is a position at this point that we've got good depth." The situation for the front four is almost opposite of their practice partners across the line of scrim- mage. There are clear-cut and talented replacements for defensive end Larry Stevens and tackles Grant Bowman and Norman Heuer, but the glaring weakness will be depth. Stepping in for Stevens will be sophomore LaMarr Woodley, who saw significant action at the end of last year after being one of the top recruits in the nation in 2002. Senior Pat Massey, the See LINEMEN, Page1S5 HEALTHY, MEDICATION-FREE VOLUNTEERS, AGES 18-45, ARE NEEDED FOR A RESEARCH STUDY INVOLVING VISITS TO THE HOSPITAL AND BLOOD DRAWS. COMPENSATION MAY BE UP TO $200. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL AMY AT 647-8354.