Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 33

The Detroit News MICH! V'i 1 it- v- i a I Today in Sports College Basketball Brian Ellerbe, left, is a temporary solution for U-M, but problems remain. Page UD Tomorrow in Sports Figure Skating Tara Lipinski is just 15, but she might be ready to strike Olympic gold in Nagano, Japan. Section Sunday, October 26, 1997 Bob Wojnowski Marlins9 Leylaed grabs spotlight -f Ajt: CLEVELAND VS. FLORIDA (All games on NBC) Florida leads series, Series update Complete coverage of Saturday night's scheduled World Series game can be found on Detroit News Online at http detnews.comcurrentsports. Or call News Now at (313) 962-1020 and press 4979.

game to be played, Leyland was ready to vent. The difference between Leyland and diplomatic managers, however, is that he did. When was the last time a manager went out on a limb by saying, "we contradict ourselves a lot in baseball. We're trying to get the youth back but most are sleeping by 9 o'clock. "And so is the guy who works from seven in the morning to four or five in the afternoon.

The blue collar guy is tired. I think it would be good for baseball if we started earlier." It's a battle that can't be won because networks want to strike a balance between Eastern and Pacific time. But at least Leyland saw fit to fight it. By Tom Gage The Detroit News MIAMI Will Jim Leyland be remembered for what his Marlins did in this World Series? Or for his honesty? Probably both. In the Series spotlight for the first time in his career, Leyland was as direct at the microphone as he was in the dugout.

Identify the problem and address it. When Livan Hernandez appeared to be on the brink of self-destructing after the first two innings of pivotal Game 5, Leyland sent in the troops. He had every Spanish-speaking player or coach on the Marlins try to calm him down. And as Leyland said, "I don't know The times are a touchy subject. According to a TV columnist here, it was so touchy NBC stayed away from it throughout its entire coverage Thursday night.

But that's because NBC dictates the starting time. It also didn't help Leyland's mood when a television reporter, looking for feature material, asked Leyland about Cuban food before Game 5. "He said, "what the hell are you talking said Rich Donnelly, the Marlins' third base coach. Tm the field manager. This is the fifth game of the World Series.

I don't care about food." At that point, having read his fill about how shabby a Series it's been and being asked questions which have nothing to do with preparing for the which one hit home, but one of them did" So it should have come as no surprise that it was Leyland who took major-league baseball to task for the starting times of the games while also ripping into anyone bemoaning the absence in the Series of higher-profile teams. Such as the Yankees and Braves. Howard a hero Chris Howard's 51-yard run late in second quarter turned out to be a game-breaker for U-M. Page 10D Ml U-M slows Irvin Sedrick Irvin almost stole the show early on, but was smothered by U-M defense in second half. Page 9D 'Ml HE GAME Michigan vs.

Michigan State Associated Press Purdue's Kendall Matthews is wrapped up in first half by Robert Jackson of Illinois. COMPLETE COLLEGE FOOTBALL COVERAGE 5-100 SCOREBOARD Missouri 51 Oklahoma St. 50 After blowing a 30-7 lead, Missouri rallies in two overtimes. Page5D i Purdue 48 Illinois 3 Iowa 62 3-2. Game 1: Florida 7, Cleveland 4.

Game 2: Cleveland 6. Florida Game 3: Florida 14, Cleveland 11. Game 4: Cleveland 10, Florida 3. Game 5: Florida 8, Cleveland 7. Game 6: at Florida (N) x-Today: at Florida, 7:35 p.m.

x-if necessary Kevin Brown is on a mission and the Marlins have plenty of faith in their ace. Page 2D. 6 INTERCEPTIONS SHUT DOWN MSU'S OFFENSE Spartans' touchdown comes on pass to Irvin following fake field goal By Dave Dye The Detroit News EAST LANSING Michigan's top-rated defense didn't just dominate Michigan State on Saturday. It put the Spartans tsl in a state of rTTTi ii denial. Illl 1 1 I The No.

5 Wolverines made six interceptions and held MSU to 95 yards rushing. The Spartans didn't score in the final three quarters, and their touchdown came on a fake field goal. They didn't even get a first down in the third quarter, when the Wolverines took control en route to a 23-7 victory at Spartan Stadium. "It was kind of frustrating," MSU offensive tackle Flozell Adams said. "We did it to ourselves.

Michigan's defense didn't do it to us." Huh? "They have a great team, but it wasn't so much what they did or what we did," Spartans running back Sedrick Irvin said. "It was the penalties. We shot ourselves in the foot." True, the Spartans (5-2) self-destructed with 11 penalties, including personal fouls and holding calls at crucial times. But Charles Woodson and company had a little bit to do with the six turnovers. The Wolverines (7-0) have been shutting down teams all season.

They lowered their points-allowed average from 8.3 to 8.1. Woodson, who made two interceptions, had a different perspective on Saturday's rout. 'We took the crowd out of the game," he said. "I couldn't hear those guys. You could even hear a pin drop in there.

"We knew that to get in the end zone, they had to trick us somehow. "You could see it toward the end of the first half. They didn't really want to run the ball. We were beating those Please see U-M, Page 10D "The 6.0 seems really generous," Eldredge said. "I really wasn't getting into the program, to be honest.

I really couldn't use my right arm. I'm just glad I skated as well as I did especially under the circumstances." Eldredge, first after the short program, won easily. Plushenko, a 14-year-old Russian, fell twice and finished second. Russia's Alexander Abt was third, and American Scott Davis fourth. U-M defense, led by Woodson, picks MSU clean with six interceptions for new highlights film EAST LANSING It was there for the taking, so Charles Woodson went up and up and up and took it.

And then he took it again. And then, as Michigan State's offense unraveled, Michigan's defense took some more. If the Spartans didn't get the memo, the one about not throwing the ball toward Mr. Woodson, U-M's spectacular cornerback delivered it personally, snatching two interceptions. The rest of U-M's defense delivered it repeatedly.

The Wolverines took what they wanted, leaving MSU quarterback Todd Schultz picked clean, leav ing no questions and no doubt. The Wolverines took it all, grabbing six interceptions in the 23-7 pounding of MSU Saturday. They easily regained control of this bitter rivalry and took a big step toward returning to the Rose Bowl. And at 7-0, they edged closer to national title contention. This defense is that good.

Woodson is that important, harboring a rare mix of speed, agility and confidence. Supreme confidence. "They threw the same play at me twice, I couldn't believe it," he said. "I was kind of insulted. Any time the ball comes my way, I feel I should make a play, somehow, some way." Woodson had interceptions on consecutive possessions in the second half, as U-M was twisting the noose.

The first will become a highlight regular, a leaping one-handed grab. The second was simple thievery, as he stepped in front of receiver Octavis Long. Both were aggressive plays from an attacking, selfless defense, blunting MSU's comeback hopes. Marcus Ray also had two interceptions. The Wolverines added two sacks, applied relentless pressure and didn't allow MSU its second first down of the second half until 3:56 remained.

U-M's defense hasn't allowed a touchdown in the second half pr a point in the fourth quarter all season, largely because it's loaded with speed and knows Jiow to use it. "Our goal was to get (Schultz) rattled, turn the defensive line loose, turn the linebackers loose on blitzes and let the secondary make plays," Ray said. "I'm not surprised how it turned out. I know one thing trick plays and talking don't win championships. You've got to line up and play the game." Oh, the Wolverines talked after this one, and they earned the right.

MSU's only points came off a fake field goal. Lloyd Carr has his team playing with a healthy chip, which allows us to forgive his conservative play-calling. At one point, the Wolverines ran on 18 of 19 first downs behind their underrated offensive line. Brian Griese didn't turn the ball over and Schultz did, but if you think this was just a case of MSU throwing the ball away, you weren't watching. I nc wuivciuica iuur an ay, with end Glen Steele regularly beating banged-up tackle Flozell Adams.

Once linebacker Sam Sword shut down the shifty Sedrick Irvin, the Spartans were done. That left it to Woodson, the best defensive player in college football, a man who's taking his shots and not taking his time. "We were beating them up," Woodson said. "We were making them lay on the ground longer than they needed to." When the Spartans get up, they'll know what hit them. If the Wolverines keep attacking, a lot more people will know it, as well.

You can leave a message for Bob Wojnowski at 313-223-4648. DO Line was fine Wolverines' rebuilt offensive line a former 'question mark' dominates line of scrimmage, allows one sack. Page 8D of motion. "Obviously, it hurt a great deal to move it. I was going to try it anyway.

If it hurt too much, I was going to stop." Eldredge's second set of marks, for presentation, included a 6.0 from Canadian judge Mary Claire Heintz-man. It was his first perfect score for presentation. He also had three 5.9s and three 5.8s. His first set of scores, for technical merit, ranged from 5.6-5.8. Mr -'ti ''WVV -m Xv A- 'OY'y -s, "'vV." i t' 7 7'uJjMcnlur 1 tie ttetroit News Indiana 0 Texas Tech 16 Texas 13 Wayne State 35 Mich.

Tech 28 Sag. Valley 30 Grand Valley 27 Hillsdale 43 Northwood 40 Ashland 27 NMU 22 Toledo 35 B. Green 20 Notre Dame 52 Boston Coll. 20 Ohio State 49 Northwestern 6 Albion 49 Kalamazoo 0 A late field goal deflected off upright defeats the No. 20 Aggies.

Page 50 Sean Wynn kicks a 34-yard field goal in the third overtime for Hillsdale. Page6D Ron Powlus throws for 267 yards and two touchdowns. Page 60 Skate America M's Sam Sword, left, and James Hall help Charles Woodson, right, celebrate an interception. Eldredge wins men's title despite injuring shoulder in practice his first 6.0 for presentation. Eldredge was skating in the Zam-boni end at Joe Louis Arena, across from the visiting team's bench, when he hit a chunk of ice.

He fell on his right shoulder and kicked the ice in frustration and anger. Those nearby heard Eldredge scream in pain. He remained on the ice for four minutes. He was helped off, diagnosed, and returned to perform the 4'a-minute free skate. Scheduled to be the second skater after the sec ond warm-up, following Evgeni Plushenko, Eldredge was performing about 15 minutes after being injured.

The injury was diagnosed as a subluxation or partial dislocation. "I was just trying to steer away (from the chunk of ice)," Eldredge said. "I felt my shoulder go right away. Then I turned over, and I felt it slip right back in. When I went backstage, the doctors did some mobilization exercises to check my range By Vartan Kupelian The Detroit News Todd Eldredge injured his right shoulder Saturday, but it didn't prevent him from winning the men's title at Skate America International '97- Eldredge who is the 1996 world champion and a member of the Detroit Skating Club opened the season in style, and tossed in plenty of drama, when he shook off a spill during warm-ups and earned.