SPO T' T', The Michigan Daily - Orientation Edition 2006 - 31 'Kl. ..~ 0 FOOTBALL 'M' shucked in Alamo Bowl Controversial rap By Ian Herbert ever played in. Some Michigan play- "I can't fumble the ball," Avant Dec. 28, 2005 ers claimed that Titus Brothers, the said. "I never fumble the ball.... I put player who tackled Ecker, was not a lot of blame on me because that took SAN ANTONIO - It resembled California vs. Stanford in 1982 - but without the fairytale ending. Down by four with two seconds left, Michigan lined up on its own 36- yard line. Michigan never considered throw- ing a 60-yard pass, instead opting for a hook-and-ladder-style finish. Chad Henne to Jason Avant to Steve Breaston, and so on. All Michigan's key offensive players were involved, including Mike Hart and Mario Man- ningham, but in the end - with players and coaches, fans and media members all on the field - Tyler Ecker, who was tackled 13 yards shy of the goal line, was the last player to touch the ball. The Wolverines went home losers of their third straight bowl game - this time a 32-28 defeat in the Alamo Bowl at the hands of Nebraska. The game capped off a nightmare season for Michigan (5-3 Big Ten, 7-5 over- all), which ended the worst football season in more than 20 years with two straight losses. "Things happened at the end that need to be looked at on film," Michi- gan coach Lloyd Carr said. "Our play- ers deserved better." Avant, a senior co-captain, called it the most poorly officiated game he'd originally a part of the final play, but review showed that he was in fact one of Nebraska's deep defensive backs. But even without the confusion at the end, Michigan had its chances. After a seven-yard touchdown run by Henne early in the fourth quarter, Nebraska trailed by 11. It looked as if the game was out of reach. With less than 12 minutes to play, the Wolver- ines needed to protect the football and move the chains to pick up their first bowl game win in three years. But that proved to be a monumental task. First, it was the Michigan defense giving up a 31-yard touchdown run to running back Cory Ross, who finished with 165 yards and a score en route to offensive MVP honors. Then, Nebraska made it a three- point game, 28-25, on a suc- cessful two-point conversion. On the ensuing possession, the Wol- verines drove down the field and into Nebraska territory - bouncing back, but only for a moment. Avant, after finding a seam in the Nebraska zone and picking up a first down, fumbled the ball. And even though the Cornhuskers were forced to punt just a few plays later, Avant said he put a lot of blame for the loss on himself. away field position and momentum and gave it to Nebraska." Henne also lost the pigskin, a mis- take that put Nebraska on Michigan's 17-yard line and set up the final score. It was a 13-yard strike from Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor to sophomore receiver Terrence Nunn that put the Cornhuskers ahead by four and forced Michigan to attempt a last-minute, come-from-behind drive for the sixth time this season. The Wolverines' drive included five complete passes - all to Avant - along with runs by Hart totaling 24 yards and three incomplete pass attempts inside the 20. Hart finished the game with 83 yards but no touchdowns. He strug- gled to find seams early in the game but finished with 40 yards in the final quarter. Henne finished strong as well, but it was his earlier heroics that stood out. He tied Alamo Bowl records with three passing touchdowns and four total touchdowns - one rushing. He was 21-for-43 with one interception, and also had a handful of long runs for first downs. "I haven't seen the stats, but I think Chad did some great things," Carr said after the game. "He gave us a chance to win at the end." By Scott Bell Feb. 24, 2006 The athletic department is investigat- ing a derogatory rap song about a female University student allegedly recorded by three Michigan football players. Athletic department spokesman Bruce Madej has confirmed the investi- gation, but would not comment on who is suspected to be involved. Juniors Jerome Jackson, Tyrone Jor- dan and Landon Smith are allegedly members of the group that recorded the song, according to several sources. Madej said no players have been dis- missed from the team. "We will pursue all appropriate disci- plinary action," he said. Jackson refused to comment. Jordan and Smith could not be reached. But friends of the players said the rap was created, in part, as a response to Xanga.com journal posts that some have construed as threats by the woman who is the song's subject. The friends said the song stemmed from personal conflicts between the two parties. The song, titled "Measly Penny," was brought to the athletic department's attention sometime this week. The Michigan Daily has also obtained a copy of the rap, which alludes to threats against the female student. The group calls itself the "Mean Team." Jackson is a three-year letter winner for the team. He scored the game-win- ning touchdown in overtime against Iowa last October before recording i&si only career 100-yard rushing game, against Northwestern. Smith has seen action in three games during his career at Michigan. Jordan has played in one. The University's Statement of Stu- dent Rights and Responsibilities, which all students are expected to follow, prohibits "sexually harassing another person" and "stalking, or harassing another person." A similar incident at the Uni- versity of Miami grabbed national headlines last fall. Miami suffered a blow to its reputa- tion when a song surfaced by the 7th Floor Crew, which included several members of the 2004 Hurricane foot- ball team, along with at least one player still on the team. The 7th Floor Crew's song con- tained multiple offensive comments about women and minorities, as well as references to group sex and other demeaning topics. - Jack Herman and Karl Stampfl contributed to this report. Some iformaon mauer more than others ... YOU S HlfEP, up BITD WT AT LEST NNE MILIONOT HE For University matters that matter to YOU: muwstLIiumaflsr R ...d<.. . . x .x_., , ua < .. oa. .. ti a .s.. : .