The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 16, 1995 - 13

Easy week
By A idy Knudsen
Daily Sorts Writer
o. 2 Ohio State and No. 5 North-
western are both fighting to stay atop
the igTen. But this weekend the Buck-
eyes and Wildcats will have to prove
theifr piight in an eating contest:
WTkaoes a better job of devouring a
cupdal
GCatd, cupcakes in the Big Ten are
still respectable foot-
ball t sts, at least now Aroun
that'B4 Wildcats have
clawedheir way out-
of thiheellar.
Bit{'ndiana and
Puridudre not going
toposethreattoOhio
States4gstined glory
or ( ir believe I'm
saying*his) the domi-
natiot of Northwest-
ern
Althugh there
won't be;any shuffling in the top spot,
thereWill be battles determining sixth
and seventh place in the conference, for
anyonewho is interested.
lowa-will try to prove that it can beat
someone other than South-Southwest
lowa4T ch when they travel to Wiscon-
sinand the farming faithful will cel-
ebrate 4-H Day at Illinois as it hosts
Mifonnsdta.
Indiana (0-6 Big Ten, 2-7 overall)
at Ohio St. (6-0,10-0):
CQmparisons have been made all year
betwven the Buckeyes of this year and
the should-have-been national cham-
pion Nittany Lions of last year.
l'l0.aboutthis: Last year, Penn State
lost its top spot when Indiana scored a
fluke touchdown ,on the final play
against the Penn State's second-string
defense to make the Nittany Lions'

:end for Big Ten's best

id

margin of victory a measly six points.
Ohio State pulled its first-stringers
for the entire second half against Iowa;
and expect to see Eddie George and
Bobby Hoying showered and back in
street clothes by the fourth quarter Sat-
urday.
But could sophomore tailback Alex
Smith go Hoosier-wild in the second
half against the Buckeye backups, and
make this one look
the close like they did to
Penn State last year?
Not a chance.
Indiana boasts the
No. 12 defense in the
nation, but take a
closer look. In their
last three games, the
Hoosiers have surren-
dered 31, 45 and 34
points.
George is third in
the nation in rushing,
averaging 159.2 yards per game, and
Hoying is second in passing effi-
ciency.
Indiana's "this isn't abasketball; how
am I suppose to hold this thing?" ball-
handling policy compounds its troubles.
The Hoosiers are last it the Big Ten in
turnover margin, averaging a net two
giveaways per game.
Ohio State 56, Indiana 20
Northwestern (7-, 9-1) at Purdue
(1-4-1,3-5-1):
It's Fan Appreciation Day in West
Lafayette, but the only thing they'll
have to appreciate is being a part of
Northwestern's fairy tale season.
The Wildcats ae tenth in the confer-
ence in total offense, so how have they
done it?
Defense. Northwestern is third na-
tionally in scofing defense, giving up

only 13.2 points per game, and is 17th
in passing defense.
Purdue's rushing offense, ranked 11th
in the nation, will recover from last
Saturday's disaster. Fullback Mike
Alstott will get his usual 100-plus yards.
But it won't make the Wildcats roll
over and meow.
Darnell Autry will show that he is the
only Heisman Trophy candidate in the
stadium Saturday as he continues to be
the only player in the nation to rush for
over 100 yards in every game played
this season.
We all laughed at Gary Barnett and
the Wildcats in August. However,
they'll get the last laugh, as they'll
survive the Big Ten season unscathed.
Northwestern 28, Purdue 14
Iowa (2-4, 5-4) at Wisconsin (3-3,
4-4-1):
Iowa coach Hayden Fry wins the
Class Act of the Week award for send-
ing a letter to injured Northwestern
linebackerPat Fitzgerald, who will miss
the rest of the season.
But class doesn't get you back in the
polls, Hayden.
On the other sideline, the Badgers
have done whatever it takes this year to
be unpredictable.
They were demolished by Colo-
rado, then beat Penn State in Happy
Valley, only to be shutout by North-
western and beaten by Purdue. Last
week they beat Minnesota by only
seven points.
The Badgers would be very vulner-
able to an Iowa attack, if one existed.
The Hawkeyes looked like they were
following in the footsteps of North-
western to the top of the conference
after they started their season 5-0.
But Iowa quickly learned that wins
over Northern Iowa and New Mexico

ELIZABETH LIPPMAN/Daily
With a win over Purdue Saturday, Northwestern will run away with a perfect conference record.

State don't boost a team nearly as much
as a victory in South Bend.
Wisconsin kicker John Hall was
named Special Teams Player of the
Week for his 60-yard field goal against
Minnesota. His 92-yard attempt on Sat-
urday will be just wide right, but the
Cheeseheads, er ... Badgers, will still
prevail.
Wisconsin 27, Iowa 21
Minnesota (1-5, 3-6) at Illinois (2-
4, 4-5):
Illinois' defense got all the hype be-

fore the season. Yet the Fighting Illini
find themselves tied for seventh in the
conference with two games left.
The problem is that their players seem
to be scared of the end zone. Or maybe
it's that the offense doesn't want to
spend too much time on the field think-
ing that they're stealing Simeon Rice's
screen time.
In any event, the Illini are tied for
last in the conference in scoring of-
fense, averaging only 15.8 points per
game.

Fortunately for Illinois, Minnesota
has been giving up 30.6 points per game
(last in the Big Ten).
Gopher quarterback Cory Sauter is
18th in the nation in passing efficiency
and Chris Darkins is averaging 108.7
yards per game.
But after being embarrassed by Ohio
State's George for 314 yards last week,
the Illini defense will clamp down
enough to ensure an Illinois victory in
front of the 4-H-ers.
Illinois 24, Minnesota 17




TONYA BROAD/Daily

Kern Hale and the Wolverines take on the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions at Canham Natatorium tonight.
o ie to e tre
Winded Wolverines prepare for meet against Iowa, Penn State
By Chris Murphy
Daily Sports Writer t
For the Michigan women's swim- I'm really not concerned about
ming team, the story seems to be the who wins the meet."
same every week.4
Day in and day out, the Wolverines - Jim Richardson
live by one simple cliche: Hard work Michigan women's swimming coach
pays off.
The hard work comes in the form of
five grueling months of training. The ines will probably enter tonight's meet cess of developing the team.
payoff will be an NCAA berth and tired. Michigan's problem, as has been "My impression is that Trish is try-
perhaps a national title. the case much of this year, is that its ing to build a tight-knit team,"
The Wolverines have already com- opponents will be well rested. Richardson said.
peted in five meets, and they are cur- "It doesn't make it any easier when "And I think at this point, she's a
rently in thepart oftheschedule where you have teams resting for you," little more concerned about develop-
training takes precedence over wins Richardson said. "Theirkids arejump- ing a kind of mind-set that she would
and losses. ing arjund. They have so much en- like to see."
Tonight the Wolverines will look ergy, and our kids just want to get the Tonight's match should be a re-
to continue their development as they session done." union of sorts. Richardson coached
face Penn State and Iowa at Canham So wins don't come easily, but Meyer when he was an assistant at
Natatorium at 6 p.m. again, the team hopes payoff comes Iowa in the early 1980s.
Michigan will be coming offa week in the postseason. Regardless of the competition, the
and a half of workouts. The Wolver- Against Penn State, Michigan will Wolverines will simply be looking to
ines" meet against the U.S. National face a team that finished sixth in the continue the training process by
Team, scheduled for last weekend, conference meet last year. However, matching up against league competi-
was canceled. that finish was the Nittany Lions' tion.
While it may seem that the cancel- worst since they joined the Big Ten. The team might not like losing, but
lation mray have given the Wolverines They are usually among the league's all the swimmers are aware of the
some much needed rest, that certainly best and ranked in the top 25. potential payoff. After all, Michigan
isn't the case. "We know that they're shaving and came within points of taking a na-
Michigan coach Jim Richardson has tapering their non-U.S. Open com- tional title from Stanford at last year's
continued to put the team through its petitors, so those kids we expect to NCAA meet.
paces and is happy with the results. step up and swim really fast," "I'mreallynot concerned about who
"I'm really pleased with their ag- Richardson said. wins the meet," Richardson said. "I'm
gressiveness despite the level of fa- "I think that it's another case where really interested in how well we race,
tige," Richardson said. "They are we'll really work even though we're how smart our races are, and how we
really doing a fine job." tired." perform."
In terms of the team's growth, it Richardson has pegged three
seems that the they might be a little Nittany Lions that should give Michi-
behind where they were at this time gan some trouble. hr

WOMEN
Continued from Page 12
team from New Zealand. The game is
being held at Crisler Arena tonight at
7 p.m.
Center Pollyana Johns and point
guard Jennifer Kiefer have fully recu-
perated from injuries and will start
tonight.
Johns played in nine games before
suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Kiefer was a medical redshirt due to a
torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered
before the 1994-95 season.
Rounding out the starting lineup
will be Jennifer Brzezinski at power
forward, Silver Shellman at small for-
ward and either Molly Murray or Amy
Johnson at shooting guard.
Having Johns and Keifer in the start-
ing lineup excites Roberts. The Michi-
gan coach can't wait for Johns to get
out on the court.
"Pollyana is the most important
player to this team," Roberts said.
"She gives a different dimension with
her jumping ability and she is able to
run the floor as a post player. She is
the best post player on our team."
Last year's center, Jennifer
Brzezinski, will move to power for-
ward to make way for Johns.
Brzezinski led the Wolverines in
scoring and rebounding last year, av-
eraging 12.4 points and 9.3 rebounds
per game. The senior from Warren
posted 13 double-doubles, highlighted
by her 22-point, 15-rebound effort
against Illinois Feb. 5.
Brzezinski should be looking for-
ward to having Kiefer return tonight.
The junior point guard will look to
get the ball to Johns and Brzezinski in
the post.
But opponents better not leave
Keifer open, because a quick pass
back from the post could lead to a
open jump shot. She is an outside
threat.
In her freshman year, Keifer led the
conference in 3-point field goal per-
centage' (.485). She also tied the
single-game record for most 3-point-
ers made with five treys against Min-
nesota.
But Roberts knows that Keifer's
role is not only to take the outside
shot, but to take the team under her
wing.
"Jennifer is a quiet leader who plays
under control," Roberts said. "She
learned a lot just by watching from
the bench last year."
Last Friday, Michigan scrimmaged
the Michigan Free Agents, a team
consisting of basketball alumni in the
Michigan area.
From free agents to international
club teams, the Wolverines are begin-
ning this season with unusual compe-
tition.
Waikato began its eight-game tour

We need to
work on our
- Trish Roberts
Michigan women's
basketball coach

in the United States with wins over Dec. 3 at Ohio University 3 p.m.
Ball State and Central Michigan and a Dec. 6 Eastern Michigan 7:30 p.m.
loss to Butler. - Dec. 8 at Nebraska 7 p.m.
The New Zealand squadplayed West- Dec. 10 at Kansas St. 2 p.m.
ern Michigan last night and will face Dec. 19 Houston 7:30 p.m.
Michigan State, Toledo, Akron andKent Dec. 21 Canisius college 6 p.m.
State before it heads back home. Dec. 27 at Wisconsin 7:30 p.m.
And now Waikato's American tour Dec. 29 Iowa 7:30 p.m.
stops in Ann Arbor. Dec. 31 at Northern Illinois 2:05 p~m.
Keifer and the Michigan guards Jan. 5 at Michigan St. 7:30 p.m.
must keep an eye on Waikato point Jan. 7 at Northwestern 2 p.m.
guard Leanne Walker, who has aver- Jan 14 Penn St. 2 p.m.
aged 16.5 points in the first two games Jan. 19 at Illinois 7:30 p.m.
of the team's tour. Jan. 21 at Ohio St. 2 p.m.
Waikato uses an up-and-down style Jan. 26. Minnesota 7:30 p.m.
of play that will challenge the Wol- Jan.28 at Indiana 2 p.m.
verines' quickness and defense. Feb. 2 Purdue 7:30 p.m.
To counteract the Waikato's style, Feb. 4 illinois 1. p.m.
Michigan will display a run-and-gun Feb. 9 at Penn St. 7:30 p.m
style of its own. Feb. 16 Northwestern 7:30 p.m.
"We need to work on our running Feb. 18 Michigan St. noon
game," Roberts said. "We need to run Feb. 23 at Iowa 7:30 p.m.
the break well and get our transition Feb. 25 Wisconsin 2 p.m.
game going."
The entire Wolverine squad will Mar. 1-4 at Big Ten Tournament
see action in tonight's exhibition, in-
cluding the newcomers. Mar. 16-31NCAA Tournament
After an eight-person freshman
class last year, guard Ann Lemire and
center Anne Poglits are Michigan's
only freshmen this season.
Michigan also got one transfer stu-
dent. Guard Kelly McEnhill attended
Aquinas College in 1992-94 before
transferring to Michigan. She sat out
last season and is eligible to play two
more years.
McEnhill adds to a deep backcourt,
leaving Roberts with many options.
Along with Keifer and Lemire, the
Wolverines have Akisha Franklin and
Mekisha Ross. All of them played at
point guard at one time last season.

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