Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 42

Sunday, November 15, 1998 The Detroit News 9C U-M 27, Wisconsin 10 Game Report U-M meets scrutiny with effort TERRY ifcrl a lis- i j'Ta a 1 -V -v 1 Summary Wisconsin 7 0 0 10 Michigan 14 1 3 27 FIRST QUARTER WISCONSIN Chris Chambers 80 pass from Mike Samuel with 3:38 remaining. Matt Davenport kick. Drive: 80ards, one play. Time of possession: ill. Wisconsin 7, Michigan 0.

MICHIGAN Jerame Tuman 6 pass from Tom Brady with :03 left. Jay Feely kick. Drive: 65 yards, nine plays. Time of possession: 3:35. Key play: Aaron Shea 30 pass from Brady to Wisconsin 6.

Michigan 7, SECOND QUARTER MICHIGAN Anthony Thomas 59 run with 12:04 remaining. Feely kick. Drive: 65 yards, two plays. Time of possession: 0:41. Michigan 14, Wisconsin 7.

MICHIGAN Thomas 15 run with :48 left. Feely kick. Drive: 89 yards, 13 plays. Time of posssesslon: 4:08. Key play: Tal Streets 11 pass from Brady on third down to Wisconsin 4.

Michigan 21, Wisconsin 7. THIRD QUARTER WISCONSIN Davenport 39 field goal with 7:38 left. Drive: -11 yards, four plays. Time of possession: 1:32. Key play: Wisconsin blocks punt for first down at U-M 10.

Michigan 21, Wisconsin 7. MICHIGAN Feely 29 field goal with 5:00 remaining. Drive: 68 yards, six of possession: 2:38. Key play: Clarence Williams 44 run to Wisconsin 21. Michigan 24, Wisconsin 10.

FOURTH QUARTER MICHIGAN Feely 49 field goal with 14:44 left. Drive: 41 yards, eight plays. Time of possession: 3:26. Michigan 27, Wisconsin 10. Attendance 111,217.

TEAM STATISTICS worth savoring for years to come. Sure, they rebounded after opening the season with two losses by beating the likes of Indiana, Minnesota and Iowa. But Michigan appeared so lifeless and mistake prone, what was really won here? "There is no big secret. We just had to come out and play with emotion," U-M tackle Jon Jansen said. "There are a lot of things you can do in the world by just showing up.

But football is not one of those things. You have to play football with emotion." Michigan's running game against the Gophers (minus-23 yards) was so listless it even caused this mild-mannered (wink, wink) columnist to snap. I questioned this team's intensity because I felt the Wolverines were going through the motions. "You not only have to read about how bad we are, but you got some fans who will get on you," Williams said. "And you got people calling you asking what's wrong? It was rough, but that is part of it.

It is fun to go through that. A lot of people don't get to experience that. Write bad about me. It doesn't matter." Michigan is now a team with balance. On offense it rushed for 257 yards and quarterback Tom Brady passed for 202 yards and a touchdown.

The offensive line did not give up a sack. On defense the Wolverines played as if somebody had slapped their mothers. They sacked badgered quarterback Mike Samuel four times and held Wisconsin to 43 second-half yards. When Wisconsin's Tim Rosga blocked his third punt of the season, giving the Badgers first down at the Michigan 10, the Wolverine defenders got testy. Marcus Ray made a touchdown-saving tackle on Dayne, forced Samuel into an incomplete pass and James Hall ended the threat by sacking Samuel for a 15-yard loss.

"We have been running those same plays all year," Brady said. "When you are out there and you have momentum and you have enthusiasm and lots of pride and passion to play those 2-yard gains are going to be 4-yard gains. Those 4-yard gains are going to be 8-yard gains. We are running away with the momentum now. But it is going to be a huge challenge against Ohio State." The final challenge before paradise and Pasadena.

I if ANN ARBOR The heat of public scrutiny blazed in their faces. The challenge of battling three ranked teams threatened their season. But the Michigan Wolverines did not melt and they did not run scared. Instead they responded like champions. Michigan shed the label of Team Unemotional and slipped into the armor of a squad bent on rising to great heights.

The Wolverines (8-2 overall, 7-0 in the Big Ten) rose from the ashes by eliminating dumb penalties, turnovers and bad play. They've been darn near flawless the last two weeks against their biggest challenges of the conference season. After humiliating Penn State a week ago, the Wolverines smacked around gigantic Wisconsin 27-10 at Michigan Stadium Saturday, proving the old adage "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." The Badgers (9-1, 6-1) fell from the world of the unbeatens and officially ended any hope of a national title. Now all that stands in the way of a Michigan Rose Bowl is next week's game at scatterbrained Ohio State. Notebook ames Borchuck The Detroit News Mike Samuel and Wisconsin were at a loss against linebacker Sam Sword and the Michigan defense.

Rose picture If Michigan defeats Ohio State next week, Michigan goes to the Rose Bowl as the outright Big Ten cham- pion. If Ohio State wins next week, and Wisconsin loses to Penn State, Ohio State goes to the Rose Bowl (the first tie-breaker is head-to-head record). If Ohio State and Wis-1 consin win next week, Wisconsin goes to the Rose Bowl because Ohio State went more recently i (third tie-breaker). Note: The second tiebreaker is overall record; Ohio State and Wisconsin would have the same overall record. FOSTER Michigan beat the Badgers in the most important battle in football.

The Wolverines big guys beat up the Badgers bigger guys up front. I low else do you explain the Wolverines outrushing Wisconsin 257-58? I low else do you explain twin 100-yard rushing games from Clarence Williams (22 carries, 121 yards) and Anthony Thomas (13-105)? I low else do you explain the pathetic numbers of the Great Dayne? Wisconsin's Ron Dayne was held to 53 rushing yards on 16 carries, nearly 100 yards below his season average. The Wolverines won with toughness and emotion. They won by taking away the Badgers' horrible attempt at option and power football. More importantly, they won with a smart game plan and with players playing with brains as much as brawn.

The Penn State and Wisconsin games were character victories 1 Vt sit Fargas update Freshman running back Justin Fargas was admitted to the University of Medical Center Saturday because of what U-M Coach Lloyd Carr said was a dislocated right knee. Fargas had not played until late in Saturday's game against Wisconsin when he carried six straight times. On his final carry, he was hit for a 2-yard loss by freshman linebacker Nick Greisen with 3:54 remaining. Fargas was on the ground for several minutes in pain and was taken off the field on a cart. "I am very concerned," Carr said.

"He dislocated his knee. Until they do some do some work (at the hospital), we're not going to know for sure. But hopefully it will be positive news. That's a real downer on this day, I'll tell you that." Rosy reminder Fullback Aaron Shea, who will be remembered for his block of three Wisconsin defenders on Anthony Thomas' 15-yard touchdown run, has kept a Rose Bowl rose on the left lapel of his blue blazer for the last year. It is one of the many keepsakes he has from the Wolverines' magical co-national championship season.

Shea can add a rose to his other lapel if Michigan wins at Ohio State this Saturday. "1 haven't taken it off," Shea said. "It's a little reminder to get where we to go." Buckeye-ready Junior quarterback Tom Brady will make his first start in Ohio S.tadium next Saturday, and he is eager to see if he can help the Wolverines clinch a trip to the Rose Bowl by beating Ohio State. "The Big Ten championship is on the line, and that's all you can ask for as a quarterback," Brady said. "They've got a great team, and they're going to be fighting for what we are, the Big Ten championship and a berth to the Rose Bowl." Ohio State, the nation's top-ranked team until losing last week to Michigan State, is 6-1 and Michigan is 7-0.

"You throw out the records," U-M nose tackle Rob Renes said. "This is Michigan-Ohio State. This is why anybody who goes to Michigan or goes to Ohio State, that's why they go to their respective schools. That's why they make it the last Big Ten game, and that's why everyone wants to watch it." Where's this from? Michigan's offense, particularly the running game, has come alive the last two games since rushing for minus-23 yards at Minnesota. Is it that the interior line has been stabilized by Steve Fra-zier starting at right guard? Have the running backs started running harder? "It's a little bit of everything," Wis.

U-M FIRST DOWNS Total 9 21 Rushing 6 10 Passing 3 10 Penalty 0 1 3rd-downeff. 314 817 4th-down eff. 00 01 RUSHING NoYds 3158 53257 Avg. rush 1.9 4.5 PASSING AttCmps 239 2516 Interceptions 2 1 Avg. per pass 5.7 8.8 SackedYds lost 00 433 Passing yards 132 219 Total yards 190 476 PUNTS No.Avg.

1044.5 637.3 Kick returnsyds. 348 16 Punt returnsyds. 12 325 Int. returnsyds. 125 26 Penaltiesyds.

220 320 Fumbleslost 00 10 Time of poss. 26:14 33:46 WISCONSIN 'STATISTICS RUSHING Att Yds Avg Lg TO Dayne 16 53 3.3 10 0 Kavanagh 1 15 15.0 15 0 Faulkner 1 1 1.0 1 0 Samuel 13 -11 -0 8 24 0 PASSING Att Cmp Yds TD Int Samuel 17 7 126 1 1 Kavanauflh 6 2 6 0 1 RECEIVING NO Yds Lg TD Dayne 3 14 9 0 Grams 2 17 11 0 Martin 2 11 9 0 Chambers 1 80 80 1 Faulkner 1 10 10 0 PUNTING No Yds Lg BL Stemke 10 445 69 0 PUNT RET. No Yd Lg TD Davis 12 2 0 KICK RET. No Yds Lg TD 'Faulkner 1 22 22 0 TACKLES Solo Ast Sacks Tot Thompson 8 3 0 11 Adamov 4 6 0 10 Echols 6 1 0 7 Greisen 6 0 0 '6 Doering 6 0 0 6 Fletcher 6 0 0 6 Mahllk SO 0 5 Burke 5 0 0 5 Kolodziej 3 2 0 5 Favret 4 0 0 4 Llsowskl 4 0 0 4 Knight 3 0 0 3 Taylor 2 1 0 3 Bryant 2 0 0 2 Herbert 10 0 1 Chambers 10 0 1 Mueller 10 0 1 Merrltt 10 0 1 MICHIGAN STATISTICS RUSHING Att Yds Avg Lg TD Williams 22 121 5.5 44 0 Thomas 13 102 7.8 59 2 Fargas 6 17 2.8 6 0 Brady 6 7' 1.2 6 0 Terrell 1 7 7.0 7 0 Feely 1 2 2.0 2 0 Cross 4 1 0.3 6 0 PASSING Att Cmp Yds TD Int Brady 24 15 202 1 1 Drelsbach 1 1 17 0 0 RECEIVING No Yds Lg TD Streets 5 51 15 0 Knight 3 60 32 0 Shea 2 39 30 0 Williams 2 17 18 0 Tuman 2 10 6 1 Campbell 1 25 25 0 Bryant 1 17 17 0 PUNTING NO Yds Lg BL Vinson 5 219 48 0 PUNT RET. No Yds Lg TD Knight 3 25 13 0 KICK RET, NO Yds Lg TD Fargas 1 6 6 0 TACKLES Solo Ast Sacks Tot Sword 8 3 0 11 Gold 6 2 18 Hall 4 3 2 7 Hendricks 6 0 0 6 Jones 3 2 0 5 Feazell 3 0 0 3 Schanski 2 0 0 2 Ray' 2 0 0 2 Whitley 2 0 0 2 Frysinger 11 0 2 Howard 10 0 1 Jansen 10 0 1 Brooks 10 11 Renes 10 0 1 Weathers 10 0 1 Jordan 10 0 1 Peterson 10 0 1 Wilson 0 1 0 1 Todd Mclnturf The Detroit Sews Michigan's Josh Williams and Andre Weathers turned Mike Samuel upside down.

Old movies ticket to win 1 4 Badgers couldn't counter the counter By John Niyo The Detroit News ANN ARBOR Plain and simple, Michigan's 27-10 victory Saturday was a counterattack. Play after play. Big gain after big gain. The Wolverines ran a counter play and Wisconsin couldn't stop it. "They must have had 200 yards on that one play," Badgers Coach Barry Alvarez grumbled after the game.

"We only saw it about 200 times (on film) this week." Alvarez blamed his corner-backs and his linebackers. The cornerbacks and linebackers blamed each other. The Wolverines just sat back and smiled. "If something's working," laughed Michigan's Jerame Tuman, "you'd be a fool not to keep running it" Something definitely was working Saturday. The Wolverines piled up 257 yards rushing against a defense that was allowing an average of just 134 rushing yards in the Big Ten.

Actually, the Badgers including their nonconference schedule boasted the nation's top-ranked run defense. Six of their nine opponents had been held to fewer than 100 yards on the ground. But Michigan had two 100-yard rushers Saturday Clarence Williams' (121 yards on 22 carries) and Anthony Thomas (102 yards on 13 carries). "We just had a good scheme and our guys were making the blocks," quarterback Tom Brady said. It was only slightly more complicated than that.

"When I watched Wisconsin on film, it looked like their linebackers had a tendency to overrun at times," Williams said, proving that a little homework can go a long way. On Michigan's final scoring drive of the second quarter the one that made it 21-7 and broke the Badgers' spirit the counter play was the only play the Wolverines needed. First it was Williams breaking free for 20 yards to the Wisconsin 15. "I just kind of shook my shoulders and cut," he said, shrugging. Then it was Thomas' turn, waltzing around right end for a 15-yard touchdown as fullback Aaron Shea essentially blocked three Badgers all caught overpursuing on the counter play.

"I think Wisconsin thought it was an off-tackle play or something," Shea said. "They were playing it inside and we saw that we could get outside on that play. It was just a matter of sealing them in and then Clarence and Anthony reading it outside. And they did." Said Wisconsin linebacker Donnel Thompson: "They just kept running the ball right past us. We didn't have any answers." Mike DeBord, U-M's offensive coordinator, said.

"We just weren't clicking and offense takes a while. We have had a tendency the last couple of years to get stronger toward the end." The Wolverines rushed for 257 yards on a Wisconsin defense that led the nation against the run, holding teams to a 63-yard average. Clarence Williams rushed for 121 yards and Thomas gained 102 yards and scored two touchdowns against an aggressive Badgers defense that tended to over-pursue. Big-time run Thomas gave Michigan a 14-7 lead on a 59-yard touchdown run the third-longest run of the season for U-M early in the second quarter. "It's been a long time since we've had a long touchdown run like that," said Thomas, who has eight touchdowns this season.

"It was supposed to be a sweep, but 1 saw a hole inside, so I cut inside. Luckily, the linebacker overpursued, and I cut back under and it was just me and the corner-back (Jason Doering) then. It was a foot race." Attendance record Since Michigan Stadium was expanded by 5,500 seats in the off-season, it is only fitting Michigan has set an NCAA attendance record. There were 111,217 at Saturday's final home game to bring the six-game season total to 665,787. That's an average of 110,965 to set the record.

Tennessee set the average-attendance record of 106,538 last season at Neyland Stadium. Michigan's previous best was an average of 106,448 last year. Giving them Hall Junior linebacker James Hall had two sacks for the second straight game and leads the team with eight. Hall had seven tackles, and he also had his first career interception. Angelique S.

Chengelis Result L.36 20 38-28 29-17 W.12-9 W.12-6 21-10 15-10 W.27-0 27-10 Time Noon Midnight Attendance 80,012 111.012 110,438 111,238 70,397 47,129 110.863 41,310 111,019 111,217 Series leader U-M, U-M, 1-0 I JMSk James Borchuck The Detroit News Clarence Williams waded through Wisconsin's defense to pick up 122 yards on 22 carries, an average of 5.5. Film study of 1997 remind Wolverines Badgers are hitters. By Angelique S. Chengelis and John Niyo The Detroit News ANN ARBOR The film of choice for the Michigan defensive players last week was vintage 1997. It wasn't classic, but it sent a message.

The Wolverines watched last year's 26-16 victory at Wisconsin to remind themselves just how physical the Badgers could be, even without bruising tailback Ron Dayne who missed the 1997 game. "We watched that game tape several times," U-M nose tackle Rob Renes said. "We almost wore it through." What the Wolverines did Saturday was wear down Dayne and the Wisconsin offense. Dayne came in with eight straight games of 100 yards or more rushing since missing the season opener, bnt he was held to 53 yards rushing on 16 carries in a 27-10 loss to Michigan. An obviously irritated Dayne was asked if the Michigan defense was the best he had faced.

"Yeah, I guess so," Dayne said. Wisconsin entered the game averaging 219 yards rushing, ranking the Badgers 13th nationally. They left Michigan Stadium having rushed for only 58 yards. "He was their offense going into it, and our kids took that challenge," said Jim Herrmann, Michigan's defensive coordinator. "Even though they came in and tried a couple different things, we were dead set on stopping him, and our kids did a helluva job." Senior linebacker Sam Sword, playing his final game in Michigan Stadium, led the defenders with 11 tackles.

Ian Gold had eight tackles, including a sack, and James Hall had two sacks. The Badgers did have a high M's offensive coordinator said. Shea limping Fullback Aaron Shea, Michigan's converted tight end, was limping after the game. He suffered a hip pointer on his right side when he landed awkwardly after catching a crucial 30-yard pass late in the first quarter. He also had a sore left shoulder.

After getting treatment for the injury at halftime, Shea took a helmet to his left hip on a 9-yard reception on the final play of the third quarter. "I went my first three years here without getting any injuries and now I'm getting banged up," Shea said. "Fullback's a tough position to play. But I love it." Quick hitters Dayne attributed mix-ups in the Wisconsin backfield Saturday to crowd noise. "And I've got an ear infection, so I can only hear out of one ear," he said.

Quarterback Mike Samuel hasn't completed more than passes in a game all season. He was 7-of-i7 for 126 yards with an interception Saturday. Michigan schedule moment offensively in the first quarter when Mike Samuel hit Chris Chambers with an 80-yard touchdown pass from scrimmage. But after that, the Michigan defense took over. The Badgers were held to 43 yards in the second half, a number that surprised even Herrmann.

"I wouldn't have guessed that going into it," said Herrmann, whose defense had gone from a ranking of 96th to nth going into the Wisconsin game. "But after seeing what they did early, I knew the kids were sky high and they were going to play hard." Their 10 points are a season-low for the Badgers, who had been averaging 34.4 points. Nice touch Fifth-year senior quarterback Scott Dreisbach, the Wolverines' starter in 1995 and 1996; came in for the final series of the game. Dreisbach, who has played this season on the kickoff return team, completed one pass attempt for 17 yards. "It was a nice gesture by Lloyd," said Mike DeBord, U- Date Sept.

5 Sept. 12 Sept. 19" Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct.

17 Oct 24, Oct. 31 Saturday Nov. 14 Date Nov. 21 Nov. 28 Opponent at Notre Dame Syracuse Eastern Mich.

Michigan State at Iowa at Northwestern Indiana at Minnesota Penn Wisconsin Opponent at' Ohio Stale at Hawaii Todd Mclntu rfThe Detroit News Anthony Thomas breaks free for the first of his two touchdowns, a 59-yarder in the second quarter. rl i.