The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, October 2, 1995 - 76
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44
Griese takes advante of opportuni
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By Ryan White
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan quarterback Brian Griese didn't know until last Wednesday that he
would start against Miami (Ohio). But Griese had been preparing for the game
since August.
Griese had lost his battle with Scott Dreisbach for the Wolverines' No. 1
quarterback position, but he decided not to dwell on it.
And when Dreisbach went down early last week with a thumb injury, Griese had
his chance.
"I just prepared myself mentally and physically so that when my opportunity
came I would be ready," Griese said after Michigan beat Miami, 38-19, Saturday.
"And that's what happened today."
Griese took full advantage of his opportunity by leading the Wolverines to a 31-
0 lead in the first half.
He was 10 of 13 for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the first 30 minutes. For
the game, he finished 14 of 24 with 192 yards.
Miami coach Randy Walker wasn't surprised with the success Griese had.
"I didn't expect him to crap in his britches," Walker said.
Dreisbach's injury guaranteed that Griese will start at least the next two
games - and probably three - but it wasn't the reason he started Saturday
against Miami.
Michigan coach Lloyd Carrplanned on playing Griese, regardless of Dreisbach's
status, so that Griese could get more experience.
"I thought Brian was very sharp in the first half," Carr said after the game. "He
threw the ball very well, and we expected him to throw the ball very well."
Carr also went out of his way, much like he did with Dreisbach, to make sure that
Griese wasn't looking over his shoulder.
"He knew I had confidence in him," Carr said. "I told him, 'If you make a
mistake, don't worry. There's no one behind you."'
Griese's confidence was also boosted by the way he began the game.
He hit receiver Mercury Hayes for four yards on his first pass. On Michigan's
next possession Griese completed his second pass; again it was to Hayes but this
time it was for 33 yards.
Both of those drives led to Remy Hamilton field goals and put the Wolverines
up 6-0.
Griese threw his first touchdown pass with 44 seconds left in the first quarter
when he hit Amani Toomer over the middle for 22 yards.
It was exactly the way Griese had hoped to start the game, and every other game
he plays in for that matter.
GAME STATISTICS
Player
Ricketts
Dough 'ty
Totals
C-A Yds TD Int
12-24
2-6
14-30:
127
13
140
0
0
0
1
0
1
I
PASSING
MARK FRIED\MN Da iy
Scott Dreisbach (second from left) was in a sling and on the sidelines Saturday.
"I like to come out and set the stage for the game." he said. "And that's what
happened today."
Griese's first start was aided by a Miami team that did what Griese expected
defensively.
Griese also knew, going into the game, he would have time to throw.
"Their (defensive) front four is not as strong as our offensive line," he said. "i
knew all I had to do was make the reads and hit Amani, Mercury and Jay
(Riemersma)."
Griese appears to have followed the advice he received Tuesday from his father
Bob, an NFL Hall of Famer.
The elder Griese simply told his son to take advantage of the opportunity he had
gotten.
If Griese continues to be successful, questions will inevitably begin to swirl
about who should start once Dreisbach returns.
Griese, however, wants no part of that.
"I don't want to talk about a quarterback controversy," he said.
RUSHING
Player Att Yds Avg Lg
McCu'gh28141 5.0 47
King 8 29 3.6 9
Dough'ty 1 1111.0 11
Banks 1 (-)5(-)5.0 0
Ricketts 1 (-)9(-)9.0 0
Hend'son 1(-)14(-)14 0
Totals 44148 3.3 47
TD
2
0
0
0
0
0
2
RECEIVING
Player No. Yds
MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
m to quarters and held Miami quarterbacks
N Miami fumbles.
Banks 4
King 2
Hen'son 2
Adkins 2
Hall 1
McCu'gh 3
Totals 14
32
30
28
26
12
12
140
Avg
8.0
15.0,
14.0
13.0
12.0
4.0
10.0
LgTD
10 0
25
21
21 0
12 0
6 0
25 0
"I didn't expect
(Griese) to crap in
his britches,"
- Randy Walker
Miami football coach
Hamlton passes 1-Sheikh
in Wolverines' record book
PUNTING
Player
Cheney
Totale
No. Yds AvgLg
6 28146.8 54
6 28146.854
By Scott Burton
Daily Sports Writer
Ali Haji-Sheikh may be the most famous Michigan field
goal kicker of all time. However, after the Wolverines' 38-
19 victory over Miami (Ohio) Saturday, he's got someone to
look up to - Remy Hamilton.
Haji-Sheikh, who kicked 31 field goals in his Wolverine
career (1979-82), was usurped of third place on Michigan's
all time field goal list by Hamilton Saturday. Hamilton, a
junior, kicked three field goals against Miami to give him 34
for his career.
Mike Gillette (1985-88) is No. I on the list with 57 field
2
3
0 19
10 0
4 TOT
0 19
7 38
yes catch)
n kick)
F0tball
Notebook
goals.
Hamilton's emergence as a premier
placekicker in 1994 broke a string of
unreliable Wolverine kickers following
the graduation of J.D. Carlson in 1991.
He converted 14 of 15 field goals be-
tween 30 and 39 yards, and 25 of 30
total, as a sophomore.
This season, the All-America candi-
date has been successful on 8 of 10 field
goal attempts, including a career-best
49-yard boot against Illinois, Sept. 2.
But Hamilton is not the only Wolver-
for a quarterback to read defenses and make pinpoint passes
when he's got a 300-pound boogieman chasing him down.
"It makes our job easier because they're pressuring the
quarterback and we don't have to cover as long," junior
Chuck Winters said. "I think the defensive line has made the
defense.
A perfect example of Winters' notion came in the first
quarter. Freshman defensive end Rasheed Simmons busted
the offensive line and got in quarterback Sam Ricketts' face,
As a result, Ricketis threw a poor pass to Eric Henderson
which Winters intercepted and returned for a touchdown.
Of course, the secondary also has a lot to do with the fact
that Michigan has cut its passing-yards allowed per game
by 46 yards in 1995. The Wolverines have nine intercep-
tions this season, one more than they had all of last season.
But Winters wants to allocate some of the credit for the
improvement of the secondary, and that of the defense
overall, to Michigan's coaches.
"Our success can be attributed to the coaches," Winters
said. "And us having the confidence in ourselves - I don't
think we had the confidence in ourselves last year. And I
think now we believe in the coaches and we'll do anything for
them."
SCARY MOMENT: Miami quarterback Neil Dougherty
broke his left fibula after getting sacked by Glen Steele in
the third quarter. After Steele's hit, Dougherty laid on the
playing field for at least five minutes and was driven off
in a cart.
Dougherty's parents, who were in the stands, joined their
son in Miami's lockerroom after being paged over Michigan's
P.A. system.
This is not the senior's first serious injury of the year:
Against Northwestern Sept. 16, Dougherty tore his plantar
facia muscle and didn't return until Saturday.
RECEIVING ACCOLADES: Michigan wide receiver Mercury
Hayes continued his assault on the Wolverines' record books
with 107 yards Saturday. He moved past Jim Smith for 7th
on Michigan's list of career receiving yards (1,687 yards).
Hayes also has another 100-yard receiving game this
season (179 yards against Virginia), which could put him in
position to challenge Michigan's record for most 100-yard
games in a season. Anthony Carter owns that mark with five
100-yard games in 1982.
Player
Taylor
Banks
Totals
KICKOFF RETURNS
Player No.Yds Avg Lg TD
Hen'son 3 83 27.7 31 0
King
Banks
Totals
1 18 18.0 18
5108 21.6 31
PUNT RETURNS
0
0
0
No. Yds Avg Lg TD
1 5 5.0 5 0
1 33.0 3 0
2 84.0 5 0
..t - .. I
n return (Hay
per (Hamiltor
(Hamilton kick)
ine booter making an impact this season. Freshman Jay
Feely is handling the kickoff duties and was particularly
sharp Saturday. Of his eight kickoffs, three were downed in
the endzone and only one was returned past the 30-yard line.
"I think we are setting a standard that hasn't been here for
a couple of years," Hamilton said. "The kicking game is a
vital part of football and it can win games."
Hamilton should know - he kicked a game-winning, 42-
yard field goal against Notre Dame last year with seven
seconds left on the clock.
IT TAKES TWO TO PASS-DEFEND: It's no secret that
Michigan's secondary was a beleaguered bunch last sea-
son. But things have changed for the Wolverines' pass
defense in 1995, thanks in part to the emergence of a
dominant pass rush.
In game after game this season, Michigan's line has made
a living off of pressuring the opposing quarterback and
flushing him out of the pocket. It is obviously quite difficult
DEFENSE
Player
Perry
Osbourne
Williams
Taylor
Plummer
Morgan
Harper
Carlisle
Holmes
Abel
Stepp
Armour
Havens
Miller
Palcic
Adkins
Cheeks
Martin
Marut
Purcell
Solo
10
11
7
8
3
4
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
Ast
3
0
3
0
3
1
2
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Tot
13
11
10
8
6
5
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
I
kick)
failed)
in (Hamilton kick) I
mhess in Happy Vall
tc's 20-game win streak with 17-9 upset
by Terry Glenn, and beat No. 15 Notre Mexico State.
e Dame, 45-26, Saturday in the first meet- The Hawkeyes stym
ing of the schools since 1936. Ledbetter, the nation's lea
If Northwestern 31, Indiana 7 while amassing 612 yards in
g Darnell Autry gained 100 yards for a to 3-0 for the first time sinc
d fifth straight game, Brian Musso set up a Aggies (1-4) lost their fourth
n touchdown with an 86-yard punt return Shaw gained 102 yards an
- and Casey Dailey scored on a fumble Tavian Banks, added 136y
return Saturday as Northwestern beat In- touchdown as the Hawkeyes
r diana, 31-7. yards.
h Northwestern's victory in the Big Ten Purdue 35, Ball State 13
e opener before a small crowd of 29,223 Mike Alstott set two Pur
e gives the Wildcats a 3-1 start for the first Saturday, running for 100 y
:c time since 1963. fourth consecutive game an
Sophomore running back Alex Smith 30th rushing touchdown as
r gained 136 yards on 23 carries for mndi- makers defeated Ball State,3
? ana (0-1, 2-2) but was carried off the Purdue (2-1-1) pulled aw2
x: field on a stretcher with 9:32 left after halfwhen Lee Johnson return
he was tackled and suffered broken 99 yards for a touchdowna
ribs. Winston returned an intercep
ey~
ied Cody
ding passer,
n improving
e 1991. The
:h straight.
dhisbackup,
yards and a
s ran for 350
rdue records
yards for the
d scoring his
the Boiler-
35-13.
ay in the first
ned a kickoff
and Derrick
tion 23 yards
nthe Mid-
remains
INTERCEPTIONS
Player
Taylor
Totals
MIAMI
A31
S9
S16 at
S23
S30
07 at B
014
028 at
N4
N11
N18
No. Yds TD
1 12 0
1 12 0
SCHEDULE
BALL STATE
at Kent
Northwest'n
CINCINNATI
at Michigan
owling Green
TOLEDO
C. Michigan
E. MICHIGAN
at Ohio
AKRON
15-17
39-0
30-28
23-16
19-38
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
r Iowa 59, New Mexico State 21
Matt Sherman threw three touch-
downnasses and SedrickShaw scored
for another score.
Ball State (3-2), from
American Conference
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