Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 69

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Louis 4 p.m. Golf: Buick-Goodwrench Open SPORTS PEOPLE INSIDE OF SPORTS HORSE RACING IP DETROIT FREE PRESS OUTDOORS Irish upend pumchless U-M. 10 12 Final-minute field goal try blocked By MICK McCABE Fret Press Sports Writer ANN ARBOR All of Bo Schembechler's fears about his inexperienced offense came true here Saturday afternoon as the University of Michigan dropped a 12-10 decision to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. The U-M coach knew he had a good defense, but it was his offense that worried him. The Wolverine defense limited Notre txii Gcoigo fw (' I tmmmmmmmmmmliiStfm mm MMlVMfi ill) lillliiliiirin nn "In ilii'i- II i ii I I mini iiiiiwiiii.imiii Dame to four field goals by senior Chuck Male, but that was all the ninth-ranked Irish needed to beat the sixth-ranked Wolverines.

Before the season began Schembechler thought his kicking game would be above average, but that too was a bitter disappointment before the overfolw crowd of 105,111. Bryan Virgil averaged only 29.7 yards on seven punts against the Irish but still had a chance to win the game with six seconds left when he tried a 42-yard field goal. THE FIELD COAL ATTEMPT, however, was blocked by Bob Crable, a sophomore from Cincinnati Moeller High, and gave the Irish the victory in their opening game of the season as U-M dropped to 1-1. The best weapon Notre Dame had was the Michigan offense that set up three of Male's field goals. Offensively, Notre Dame managed onlt 179 yards total offense against U-M.

"The defense played so good it was a shame they had to settle for that kind of offense," Schembechler said. "The defense should have won the game. But if you play offense that way and kick that way there's no way you're going to win. "We did a decent job, not great, in the third period. We got no field position and we started to fade.

We didn't block them, it's as simple as that." It was quite simple, the Wolverines were able to move the ball in the first half, but Notre Dame was able to adjust at halftime. After intermission the Irish defense was awesome until John Wangler led a valiant last-minute drive that set up what could have been the winning points. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING of the game the Wolverines seemed to be in control. A 22-yard pass from B.J. Dickey to Doug Marsh and a 14-yard run by Dickey on the option set up Virgil's 30-yard field goal.

After stopping Notre Dame on four plays, U-M handed the ball back to the Irish when freshman Anthony Carter fumbled a Notre Dame punt on the Michigan 36. Mike Jolly broke up a third-down pass and Notre Dame had to settle for Male's 40-yard field goal late in the first quarter. Again the U-M offense was able to move behind Dickey. The See U-M, Page 5F Photo by Free Press Chief Photographer TONY SPINA Notre Dame's Bob Crable blocks Bryan Virgil's 42-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds. In aftermath of collapse, a smile and joke from Bo ANN ARBOR If there was agony in defeat Saturday, as usually there is, you had to go searching for it with Bo Schembechler.

He smiled. He laughed. He joked. It was as if he had misread the scoreboard. Hey, Bo, it was Notre Dame 12, Michigan 10.

You blew it in the last few seconds and the hour before that. He rubbed his chin, pretending deep and serious thought, but never once did he show the anger that usually follows a loss by his Michigan football team. This is a proud man accustomed to winning every game except the last in almost any football year. Yet, here are his Wolverines beaten merely two games into the season by, of all things, a team kicking four field goals. The old Schembechler would be raging for sure.

But it wasn't happening in the aftermath of Michigan's awful collapse before the Fighting Irish. The Wolverines were so inept on the attack that as the clock wound down and their final chance to save the game was belted away, some of the 1 05, 1 1 1 in Michigan Stadium booed lustily. It's a sound almost never heard in the football citadel, certainly not a sound often directed at the Wolverines. Not even this seemed to shake the strangely temperate Schembechler. His mood was so uncharacteristic he was asked about it.

He said his appearance was deceiving, that though he seemed cool and loose and tolerant of a horrible game played by a team ranked among the nation's top college powers, he was plenty hot inside. "I'm upset, I'm angry," he said. "You're damned right I am." He was smiling when he said it. U-M machine never in gear Maybe it's a new game he's playing. He had said all along the Wolverines were not as -good as everyone was making them out to be.

Now they certainly have proved it, and the coach can have a moment of triumph there he was right about that. Notre Dame took apart the Michigan offense. You do not often see that happen to the Wolverines, but it happened right on their own ground. Given chance after chance to save themselves, they stalled and faltered and finally fell, without yielding a TD RUSH BURIES OREGON Spartans roll, 4147 Top SO teams How the Top 20 teams in the Asso ciated Press ma or college tootcaii pon fared in Saturday's games (this year's records in parentheses): 1 SOUTHERN CAL (2-0) beat Oregon 42-5. By TERRY BOERS Free Press Sports Writer EAST LANSING Michigan State's tailbacks Steve Smith and Derek Hughes earned their stamp of approval from fans and a relieved coach Darryl Rogers Saturday as the quick-striking, opportunistic Spartans raced to a 41-17 victory over the University of Oregon.

Smith, a 5-foot-8, 181-pounder enjoyed his best day as a collegian, rushing for 154 yards on 23 carries and scoring one touchdown as MSU piled up 425 yards of total offense. Hughes, who alternates with Smith on every down, turned in the most electrifying play of the afternoon a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Hughes' dash was a new MSU record breaking the old mark of 98 yards set by Russ Reader against Wayne State in 1946 and it also gave Michigan State the oomph it needed. Rogers, who started out the question and answer session by asking the score of the Michigan-Notre Dame game, was quick to point out how much Hughes' bolt meant "THAT REALLY lifted us out of the doldrums," said Rogers, in between sips of a Coke. "That definitely was the key point for us." Hughes also rushed for 50 yards and tacked on two more touchdowns, the first from two yards away and the second from three yards out.

"We certainly improved both offensively and defensively," said Rogers. "But I'm not yet close to being satisfied particularly because down the road it's going to get ex tremely more difficult." 2 ALAIAMA (1-0) did not play. 3 OKLAHOMA (1-0) beat towa. 21-e. 4 TEXAS (0-0) did not play.

I PURDUE (1-1) lOSt to UCLA, 31-21. AP Photo MICHIGAN (1-1) Oregon ballcarrier Vince Williams is going nowhere as a Spartan defender sneaks up from behind for the tackle. lost to Notre Dame, iz-io. 7 PENN STATE (1-0) beat Rutgers, 45-10. NEBRASKA (1-0) beat Utah State, 35-14.

NOTRE DAME (1-0) beat Michigan. 12-10. touchdown. Schembechler blamed his blockers for failing to do their bit, and suggested Michigan will continue to have trouble because key linemen still are mending injuries. There's more to it than that.

For much of the first half, the Wolverines had Notre Dame on the ropes. They ran well and passed effectively and had the Irish down 10-3 and set up for a knockout punch. They didn't get it done before the half expired, and then it was too late. Notre Dame changed during the intermission. The legends of Notre Dame have Lit tm i Tiger, Yank hurlers get split 10 MICHIGAN STATE (2-0) beat Oregon, 41-17.

11 MISSOURI (1-0) beat Illinois, 14-6. 12 GEORGIA (0-1) tost to wane Forest, 2z-zi. 11 HOUSTON (2-0) Bo Schembechler beat Florida, 14-10. 14 WASHINGTON (2-0) The Spartans accomplished the two things Rogers wanted the most: To control Oregon quarterback Reggie Ogburn and to keep the Ducks' Gold Rush off quarterback Bert Vaughn's back. "We did both," Rogers said.

"We knew that he (Ogburn) was bound to get some yards off us in the air, but we weren't going to let him get them on their option." And how did the Spartans do that? "We just didn't give 'em any option," Rogers answered, finally breaking into a smile. And the Michigan State offensive line dominated the whole day, stopping defensive ends Neil Elshire and Terry Dion in their tracks. See MSU, Page 4F beat Utah, 15 OHIO STATE (2-0) beat Minnesota, 21-17- By BRIAN BRAGG Free Press Sports Writer NEW YORK The Tigers scrambled back from a three-run disadvantage to win the opener of a Saturday doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, but a trio of New York hurlers gave up just four hits in the nightcap as the Bronx Bombers gained a split. In the opener, Alan Trammell's RBI single in the fifth inning snapped a 3-3 tie, and Pat Underwood and Aurelio Lopez turned in slick relief jobs to beat veteran southpaw Tommy John, 4-3. The Yankees, however, exploded for five runs in the second inning of the second game, at the expense of rookie Mike Chris, and rolled to a 7-1 victory to end the Tigers' four-game winning string.

Righthander Jack Morris (14-7) was the victor in the opener, despite giving up a run in the second and two more in the third the latter on Jim Spencer's wrong-field home run, which banged off the screen of the leftfield foul pole 312 feet from the plate. "It's nice to get that 14th," grinned Morris, who had failed in two previous starts. "I love Mom, and I love Dad and I love Pat Underwood and Aurelio Lopez." Morris' 14 victories are tops on the staff. THE TIGERS BEGAN pecking away at John (18-9) in the fourth after the 36-year-old lefty had pitched three perfect innings. A base hit by Jerry Morales drove in Ron LeFlore with the Tigers' first run, and gave the swift leadoff man his 100th run of the season the third year in a row he has scored in triple figures.

The Tigers erupted for three runs in the fifth, and that turned out to be all they needed to keep John winless (0-3) for the month of Septembers See TIGERS, Page 7F 11 PITTSBURGH (1-0) beat Kansas, 24-g. 17 ARKANSAS (1-0) beat Colorado State, 36-3. 11 FLORIDA STATE (2-0) beat Arizona State, 31-3. 11 NO. CAROLINA ST.

(2-0) beat Virginia, 31-27. 20 SOUTHERN METHODIST (2-0) beat Texas Christian, 27-7. Football Fans Panel trains on Lions the Irish beseeching old saints of the gridiron for help, and receiving same. This time, coach Dan Devine helped himself. He adapted the Notre Dame defense so that it flowed along the line, pursuing Michigan's Stan Edwards on his sweeps, penetrating and cutting off quarterback B.J.

Dickey whenever he sought to run or pass on his option plays. Dickey, who sparkled in his debut as Rick Leach's replacement when Michigan routed Northwestern, 49-7 last week, stung Notre Dame by completing six of 10 passes for 86 yards and ran for 60 more in the first half alone. Shut down in the second half, he could complete merely three of eight passes for 20 yards, and he ran seven more times for only seven yards. The pursuing Notre Dame defense overwhelmed him on almost every effort he made, and soon the Irish had turned the game around and Michigan was on the ropes. Others may copy stratagem The Wolverines could do nothing about it.

The Irish seemed to have their number and as they put their muscle to Michigan, the Wolverines faded in confusion and frustration, one scoring chance after another failing. They were whipped. They were outsmarted on the bench and overpowered and outplayed on the attack, which is where games are won. "That's the disturbing thing," said Schembechler, still smiling. "Our defense played well enough to win; I fully expected to win even though Notre Dame is a fine football team.

"But when you can't kick the ball and the offense can't move you off your own ground, you've got trouble." He had trouble all right, enough to suggest that others in the weeks ahead will look at the way Notre Dame kept the Michigan attackers away from the sidelines, in the middle of the field and available to all pursuers, and maybe they will copy. "We've had problems offensively," said Schembechler, "and obviously these problems still exist. We don't have many veterans out there. "The problem was we weren't blocking 'em and when you start running laterally instead of pushing forward, you're in trouble. And then when you can't kick the ball more than 20 yards He has an answer for the latter.

"I'll kick myself," he said. He never used to be so funny. But then, you don't often see Michigan so feeble, either. Fred Maiolatesl Detroit Kathy Ronwlck Northville Leo Mots Sault Ste. Marie Gary Henderson Bloomfield Theartls Cochran Detroit By TOM HENNESSY Free Press Sports Editor Hang on, Monte Clark! Help is on the way whether you want it or not.

The five members of the Free Press Football Fans Panel have been selected and will convene in the Pontiac Silverdome for next Sunday's contest between the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons. For the remainder of the pro football season, the panelists will critique the Lions' performance after each home game and their views will appear in the Free Press the following Tuesday. The Tuesday morning quarterbacks, selected from several hundred entries in the panel contest, are: Theartls S. Cochran, a Detroit grocery worker who is working toward a bachelor of science degree at Wayne State University. Describing himself as a "highly opinionated" Lions fan, Cochran says, "I like my football exciting and very wide open.

The kind of football where a team gets their three downs and then punts in hope of getting a break is a turn-off." Gary Henderson, a 1 7-year-old senior at Lahser High School In Bloomfield. An editor on his school paper and a sports reporter and disc jockey for a Bloomfield radio station, Gary is usually in attendance at Lions' home games. "I have found that the players I most admire are Bubba Baker and Dexter Bussey," says the Lahser senior. He aims at a career in communications and views his membership on the panel as a chance to pick up some pointers toward that goal. Fred Maiolatesl, a 70-year-old retired fruit and vegetable Moss.

While he admits the Lions have his "undying loyalty," Moss vows that as a panelist he will not hesitate to "speak up and say what I think on controversial issues." Kathy Renwick, a 31-year-old Northville housewife who says, "In our household, I'm the football fanatic. My husband belongs to the almost unheard of minority known as football During fail and winter on Sundays mornings, he does the weekly shopping while I settle down for a great afternoon of football." Mrs. Renwick maintains she can quote scores from 1950, and adds, "Although it takes a whole team to make the game great, I'm still awed by super quarterbacks like Danielson and Bradshaw and super moves by the likes of Simpson, Swann and Campbell." Inspector and a Lions' season ticket holder since 1951. In those 28 years, Maiolatesl has seen every Lions' home contest and numerous road games. Maiolatesl, a Detroiter, recalls, "I was credited by the Oakland Press as the first paying fan to enter the Silverdome on Sunday, Aug.

24, 1975, when the Lions opened the stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs." Lee M. Moss, 42, of Sault Ste. Marie. Moss is employed by the Eastern Upper Peninsula Mental Health Board as the director for Chippewa and Mackinac counties. Says Moss, "Football for me is a great way to relax and forget the troubles and emergencies in peoples lives." "I first saw the Lions play San Francisco in Detroit in 1952 and have been hopelessly hooked on the Lions ever since," says ut it.