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-The Michigan Daily -
14-The Michigan Daily -Kickoff '95 - Thursday, September7, 1995 -
Conference prepares for
centennial season of play
By Antoine Pitts
If you thought Windows '95 re-
ceived a lot of hype, you haven't seen
anything yet.
In celebration of its 100th year as a
conference, the Big Ten has planned nu-
hmerous events to remind everyone of the
centennial celebration.
The league will have television and
radio spots as well as advertising
supplements in Time and Sports Illus-
trated. There is also a special centen-
nial logo.
"We're excited about the 100th year
of the Big Ten," commissioner Jim
Delany said.
The league has been especially
strong over the years in football. Among
the credentials are 10 national titles, 11
Heisman Trophy winners and 273 con-
ensus All-Americans.
Numerous players and coaches have
made names for themselves in the con-
ference from Red Grange, Tom Harmon
and Fielding H. Yost to Archie Griffin,
Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, to
name just a few.
The schools look to uphold the
long tradition in the 1995 season.
There are several teams which hope to
be in the running until late November
for the Rose Bowl berth. This year's
bowl marks the 50th season of the Big
Ten and Pac-10 agreement with the
Rose Bowl. The current contract runs
through 2000.
Two new coaches - Michigan's
Lloyd Carr and Michigan State's Nick
Saban -join the conference this year.
Both are familiar with the Big Ten, being
ure in the voting.
There is no odds on favorite to win
the league this year, but many are leaning
toward Penn State to repeat as champion.
Ohio State and Michigan should figure
into things with Illinois just a step below
those teams.
"It's a heck of a league," Illinois
coach Lou Tepper said. "I think it's a
very competitive league.
"The last two years have proven that
without a doubt, we're one of the most
competitive leagues in the land. There's
no one in this league that you can take
lightly."
Wisconsin, Michigan State and
Purdue will jockey for position in the
middle of the pack. Fighting to stay out
of the cellar are Iowa, Minnesota, Indi-
ana, and Northwestern.
"The Big Ten conference once
again, I think, will be a really, really
strong balanced conference from top to
bottom," Minnesota coach Jim Wacker
said. "That will make it tough for ev-
eryone."
The Big Ten has tie-ins to four addi-
tional bowls this season: the Florida Cit-
rus, Outback, Alamo and Sun Bowls.
That all should make for a memo-
rable centennial season of Big Ten foot-
ball.
Talent<
aidck
By Antoine Pitts
The Wolverines have
return men and an All-A
highlight the special tear
Remy Hamnilton set;
field goals and kicking p
and sealed a Michigan w
with a late-game field go
Redshirt freshman
handle the kickoff duties
Seniors Amani To
cury Hayes are two
of the most talented
returners in the
game, but coach
Lloyd Carr cautions
about overusing
them.
"The reality
though is that be-
hind those two
guys at wide re-
ceiver, we have
nothing but inex-
perience," coach
Lloyd Carr said.
"I'm concerned
about that. I'd like
to have them both
back there on re-
turns but I worry
about injury, so
you could see a lot
of guys back
there."
:
:
former assistants at their respective
schools.
There are a few legitimate candi-
dates to win the league's first Heisman
Trophy since Michigan's Desmond
Howard in 1992. Purdue's Mike
Alstott, Illinois' Simeon Rice and
Minnesota's Chris Darkins should fig-
Minnesota's Bronko Nagurski, Purdue's Bob Griese and Illinois' Red Grange
(clockwise from left) are among the greatest of all Big Ten players.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Kicker Remy Hamilton Is a preseason All-America after a standout year kicking field goals for Michigan.
Wnters regroups secondary
Among those you'l
turns are redshirt fre;
Butterfield and true fry
Williams.
"This kid is really
guy," Carr said of Willi
going to have a lot op
By Darren Everson
Michigan's secondary was a belea-
guered group in 1994, starting with the
very first play from scrimmage. When
Boston College's Mark Hartsell hit Greg
Grice for a 74-yard touchdown pass, you
knew the defensive backfield would be a
weakness all year.
But if first impressions continue to hold
true with this group, the defensive backs
will be a dependable bunch this season.
It wasn't just that Virginia (and Illi-
nois) never burned the Wolverines deep.
The defensive backs - especially free
safety Chuck Winters - were all over
the place in the opener. Winters doesn't
take all of the credit, though.
"I thought we had good pressure (on
the quarterback)," he said after the Virginia
game. "We didn't have to cover so long."
The Cavaliers did hit some passes on
Michigan, including a 15-yarder on
third-and-14 late in the game.
"We made a mistake in a stunt up
front," coach Lloyd Carr said. "It's not
always the coverage."
It sure looked like it was the
coverage's fault last year. The Wolver-
ines allowed an average of 237 yards
passing per game; Boston College (344)
and Minnesota (394) put on air shows at
Michigan Stadium.
Winters seemed to be at the epicenter
of these disasters. He finished third on
the team with 67 tackles but as the free
safety, he was often the one to blame
when opponents sprung big plays.
"I'm more confident than I was last
year, (both) in the unit and in myself,"
Ilowr+f i w
said Winters, who started three games at
strong safety last season. "It comes from
learning from experiences last year."
Winters has the most experience of
the group, as he is the only player start-
ing in the same spot he started in last
year. Corners Ty Law and Deon
Johnson are gone, and junior Clarence
Thompson switches to cornerback af-
ter starting at safety last year. True
freshman Charles Woodson is right
behind him at that short-side corner
spot.
"Woodson, I thought, did a very
good job (against Virginia)," Carr said.
Woody Hankins will push Th-
ompson and Woodson for playing
time. Hankins is 5-foot-9, but his sec-
ondary mates are quite tall for defen-
sive backs, which should come in
handy. Eight of Michigan's 11 backs
are 6-foot or taller. Tyrone Noble and
Jean-Agnus Charles are a shade
shorter at 5-foot-11.
Noble is the starting weak-side cor-
ner, with Charles and redshirt freshman
Andre Weathers backing him up.
Meanwhile, Steve King takes over
Thompson's strong safety position.
r
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