Detroit Free Press du lieu suivant : Detroit, Michigan • Page 59

DETROIT FREE PRESSMONDAY. PEC. 28. 1987 8D 77 mm Moeller ph ones no as coac .4 7 Charlie Vincent a man who could take this team and probably do as well with it at this stage of the season as Schembechler could. Moeller has stepped in for his friend before: at the 1970 Rose Bowl and after Schembechler's first bypass surgery, in 1976.

And he says there is a certain titillation about the job that lies ahead of him this week. "I'm excited about it," Moeller said, as he headed off to Michigan's first practice here. "I look forward to the challenge but I feel comfortable with it." The job, most likely, could be done now without consulting Schembechler every day, without including him on every decision, without confiding in him on every minor deviation from the way things have been, though Moeller says he will play the game "a lot like Bo would." "One time he'd say, 'You've got to run the ball' and the next he'd say, 'Now make sure you mix it Moeller said, joking about the situation himself. But when you look into his eyes, you see more than a joke. You see a deep feeling that goes beyond won and lost records, beyond flea-flickers and nickel defenses and bowl games.

"I look forward to calling him every day," Moeller says with a sincerity that reveals the bond between the two. "I called him before we left Ann Arbor and I'll call him again tonight. "I just want to talk to him a little bit. It's got to be damn lonely sitting there at home now." This football team is Schem-bechler's, just as every football team at Michigan has been his since he first set foot on the campus in 1969. He knows Moeller is a capable man, Officially, Moeller is in charge this week the man who will call the shots for Michigan's first Hall of Fame Bowl appearance while Schembechler recovers from heart surgery back in Michigan.

In reality, though, there is only one man in charge of Michigan football. Schembechler is never more than a phone call away. It seemed funny to me at first. It would be an easy subject to exaggerate. So I talked to Moeller about it when he stepped off Michigan's chartered 1.1,1 Perles still finds time for recruiting TAMPA, Fla.

I was going to make a joke this morning about what will happen during the next week. I was going to poke fun at Bo Schembechler and Gary Moeller over what has happened the past few days and what will happen until the University of Michigan football team returns to Ann Arbor. I was going to tease them both about the telephone bills they'll run up and about how Schembechler cannot let go of his team. "Hey, Gary, what's going on down there?" "Well, Bo, we've just put in a double-reverse, with Jamie Morris throwing the ball to Demetrius Brown, who then has the option of running or lateraling back to John Kolesar." "You've I'm coming down there. Right now! Millie, get my play-book!" Excitement abounds in Tampa By TERRY FOSTER Free ess Sports Writer TAMPA, Fla.

The word of the day down here was "excited." It was thrown around like quarter tips at a neighborhood bar minutes after the University of Michigan football team's charter plane landed Sunday afternoon. Michigan players Jamie Morris and Doug Mallory said they were "excited" about playing Alabama in Saturday's Hall of Fame Bowl at Tampa Stadium (1 p.m., NBC, Channel 4 in Detroit). Interim head coach Gary Moeller was "excited" about taking the place of Bo Schembechler, who is back in Michigan recovering from heart surgery. And Hall of Fame Bowl officials were "excited" about having two big-name tpns playing in their bowl before a national television audience. team was greeted by 76-degree weather under overcast skies, a six-piece band and a garrison of "excited" bowl officials and city dignitaries.

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Don Can-ham and Moeller were presented with a box of cigars, and bouquets of flowers for their wives. "We are excited about playing in this game," Moeller said. "There will be a lot of people watching this game." Said Morris, who before the season dedicated himself to returning to the Rose Bowl: "We are excited to be here. We are always happy as long as we get to go somewhere warm." Bowl president Jim Kynes was also, you guessed it, excited because the Hall of Fame Bowl features two of the winningest programs in the nation. rien Nevertheless, there will be the daily phone calls this week probably several a day.

The two men will talk of football and of plays and of players. And probably they'll talk a little about each other. Take care of yourself. Yeah, you, too. "He has confidence in us, but I will be keeping him informed, so he'll anticipate what he sees on TV," Moeller says.

He will let Schembechler know there'll be no double reverses with halfback passes to his quarterback. Not much razzle or dazzle, just good, hard, fundamentally sound football. Saturday, when Michigan plays Alabama in the Hall of Fame Bowl, it will be just as if Schembechler is on the sidelines. That's the way it should be. And that's no joke.

Hqso r.ctcbcsli "They'll put in new plays for us we'll know in the first three plays," Perles said. "I guarantee the first play of the game will be a new play. It's been that way against us in the 13 years I've been using the stunt 4-3 defense." Oh, brother: Former MSU All-America defensive end Bubba Smith and his brother, Tody, disagree about this Rose Bowl. Ironically, Tody also attended MSU, but transferred to Southern Cal, where he became much better known as a member of the Trojans' "Wild Bunch" defense in the late '60s. That group also included former Lions linebacker Charlie Weaver.

"I agree USC should be favored, they're on their home ground," Bubba said. "It would be different if this game were played in Spartan Stadium. Just make it cold let that shock hit 'em." The Trojans are three-point favorites. "Now we have another excuse, the weather," said Tody, who helps ma-age Bubba's movie-TV career. But Bubba is sticking with the Spar- tans.

"They'll win by 10 points," he said. Tody disagrees. "I haven't seen enough of Michigan State to predict the points, just a victory for the Trojans," he said. "They come out here once every 22 years. We own the Rose Bowl.

They're guests in our town." USC update: Four Southern Cal players allegedly involved in a brawl Dec. 18 outside a movie theater on the opening night of Eddie Murphy's film, will be able to play in the Rose Bowl. Coach Smith said starting flanker Randy Tanner, defensive backs Tracy Butts and Reggie Smith, and reserve wide receiver Gene Arrington will not be suspended. Reserve safety Jeff Maree, scheduled to appear Jan. 5 in Rio Hondo Municipal Court for charges relating to an incident involving his girlfriend, 4 also will not be suspended.

"Based on conversations with authorities and the players' attorneys, there will be no suspensions," Smith said. Freshman center Tom Dabasinskas underwent surgery Thursday for a dislocated shoulder and will not play, but starting cornerback Greg Coauette, who has missed practice because of back spasms, is expected to play, Smith said. flight into Florida's heat Sunday afternoon. But the more I listened to him, the more I began to realize how far off base I had been. These two men have been together 18 years out of the last 21, first at Miami of Ohio, then at Michigan.

When Moeller was offered the head coaching job at Illinois in 1977, Schembechler encouraged him to take it. And when he was fired three years later, Schembechler welcomed him back like a brother. They've talked often since Schem-bechler's surgery a couple of weeks ago. Twice Moeller visited him at the hospital and a couple of more times in his home and they have talked of football and X's and O's, of the Hall of Fame Bowl and of the University of Alabama. Snow man WHO: Percy Snow.

WHAT: Michigan State sophomore middle linebacker, 6-feet-2'2, 224 pounds. BACKGROUND: Born Nov. 5, 1967, in Canton, Ohio. HIGH SCHOOL: Won consensus all-state honors as Ohio's defensive player of the year as a senior In 1985. As fullback and linebacker, he teamed with fellow Spartan Jerome Perrin in leading Canton McKinley to 12-2 record and state runner-up finish.

Voted most valuable player of state playoffs and team MVP. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: This season, led the Spartans with 110 tackles, Including four for 21 yards In losses. Named first-team All-Big Ten by Associated Press and second-team by United Press International. Was AP honorable mention All-America and won MSU's Tommy Love Award as most Improved player. By JACK SAYLOR Free Press Sports Writer NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.

Guess what George Perles checked up on Sunday morning? Recruiting. It's a phase of coaching college football that never stops. Amid the hoopla, press conferences, team meetings, practices and extracurricular activities that are part of the Rose Bowl scene, the MSU coach took a few minutes off to look ahead. Parade Magazine revealed its 1987 All-America prep football team in some Sunday papers. Perles pored over each name to see whether MSU had invited certain ones to visit.

After all, Lorenzo White, Mark Nichols and Greg Montgomery are finishing their MSU careers in the Rose Bowl. Somebody has to replace them. Rose repeat: Spartans defensive coordinator Nick Saban is making his second trip to the Rose Bowl. "I was out here witL Ohio State, but in a little different capacity," Saban said. "I had just been hired by Earle Bruce so I wasn't coaching, just hanging around, observing." Saban watched as Southern Cal nipped the Bucktyss, 17-16, in the 1980 Rose Bowl.

"Ohio State was No. 1 going in and USC was No. 4 Ohio State would've won the national championship if they'd won." hissing Trojan: Southern Cal will be without junior tailback Steven Webster, who suffered torn knee ligaments in the Pac-10-clinching victory over UCLA last month. Webster missed the season-opening game against the Spartans a 27-13 loss with a sprained ankle. "We missed him that first game, no question," said USC coach Larry Smith.

"I feel this time, though, our two younger backs (Scott Lockwood and Ricky Ervins) have gained a lot of experience in 1 1 games and they've got a good feel for our offense." No longer is USC the tailback-oriented team for which it became famous. Now, the Trojans bank on quarterback Rodney Peete, who set 1 1 school records and was fourth in the nation in passing efficiency, throwing for 2,460 yards and 19 touchdowns. "He's a key guy," Smith said. "He can audible and he can be effective as a runner. We used Peete more in the passing game than they do with (Bobby) McAllister." Perles anticipates new wrinkles from USC this time, though.

MARY SCHROEDERDetrolt Free Press Michigan State linebacker Percy Snow is considered the leader of the defense. Snow on New Year's Day MSU linebacker expected to stand out in Rose Bowl After practice, we take a trip back to the future Michigan leads the nation with 683 victories and Alabama is fourth with 632. Even the matching 7-4 1987 records matter little to Kynes, who expects at least 50,000 at the game. About 45,000 tickets had been sold by Sunday morning. "With a couple bounces of the ball, both teams could be 8-3 or 9-2," Kynes said.

"Both teams have a great tradition and we think it is going to be a great draw. "I've looked at the matchups of other bowls with teams with better records and I wouldn't trade this one for anything in the world. Both teams have great traditions, which makes this a great draw." After a press conference at the airport, the Wolverines had a light workout before being honored at a reception at their hotel. Michigan players have renewed a theme to win the game for Schembechler. Morris and Mallory visited Schembechler before leaving and he told them to make sure the team acts in a gentlemanly manner.

"He told us to watch out for the younger players," Morris said. "He said to make sure they are in on time. And no bars." SCHEMBECHLER HAD looked forward to coaching against Alabama because the two schools have never met. But he will probably watch from home. Schembechler wanted to peek in on practices in Ann Arbor, but doctors advised against it.

The teams are similar. Both have small and quick defenses, young quarterbacks and were prone to mistakes. But the most-watched feature is the battle of the tailbacks. Alabama has All-America Bobby Humphrey and Michigan's Morris is the all-time rushing leader in school history. Notebook: U-M's plane flew through rocky skies, but that didn't dampen the moods of players.

Whenever the plane hit a dip, players held their arms in the air as if they were on a roller coaster and screamed "Whee!" Michigan is practicing daily at the University of Tampa while the Crimson Tide will practice at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' facility. I in that first game," Snow said. "In fact, our whole defense is better now than it was in that first game. "It's easier for me now to get into the flow of the game. I don't worry as much about getting guys in the right position to do what they have to do that's up to me to see they're in the right spots." Saban praises Snow for his attitude.

"It's hard to single out one guy on this defense and Percy plays within our scheme very well," Saban said. "We've had a lot of guys play extremely well Tim Moore, Kurt Larson. Our front four has always been good so we count on our perimeter defense being good because of our scheme. The better we are in the secondary and at linebacker, the better we can be." Which comes back to the middle linebacker. "Players make plays," Saban said, "and Percy is a player." Perles merely smiles when Snow is mentioned.

"I'm just glad he's only a sophomore," the coach said. Snow has done his homework, watching films of the Southern Cal offense in games played since their first meeting. "(Rodney Peete) is the big key in their improvement," Snow said of the Trojans quarterback. "He got them out of holes a lot of times, running and passing. He'd break containment and look like he was going to run, then throw for a long gainer.

"If we play them man-to-man, we've gotta stick with our men and contain Rodney Peete. It's not just the defensive ends' job, but everybody's. "In the Big Ten, he'd compare mostly with Minnesota's Rickey Fog-gie but we didn't play Minnesota. He's more of a running quarterback, but he's just as dangerous throwing." Snow realizes Southern Cal is a different team that the one MSU met the first time. "Everybody has some ups and downs at the start, then they get better as a team after playing together," he said.

By JACK SAYLOR Free Press Sports Writer NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. The forecast for the Rose Bowl is Snow, probably lots of it er, rather, him. Percy Snow is the middle linebacker of the stout Michigan State defensive unit and the University of Southern California can expect to see plenty of him all Friday afternoon, especially where the ball is. The 224-pound sophomore from Canton, Ohio, tends to be lost in the middle of the team-oriented MSU defense, but he led the team with 1 10 tackles. "He's as good as there is in the Big Ten," Spartans coach George Perles said.

"It's not just that he makes the tackles, but when he gets there, he hits with such great thunder he's going to cause fumbles." Snow has impressed not only the opposition, but his own team. "I've only played against him in practice, but he's the best linebacker I've ever played against," said Tony Mandarich, the Spartans' star offensive tackle. "I think next year and the year after, he'll be like Brian Bos-worth was at Oklahoma without the haircut." Mandarich also told a little story that reflects the self-confidence Snow has accumulated in just one full season of starting. "Somebody asked Percy what he thought of (Chris) Spielman he had no answer. He just screwed up his face and made a noise with his lips," Mandarich said, then verbally demonstrated a "raspberry." Spielman is the All-America linebacker from Ohio State, in whose shadows Snow has labored.

Even in high school, Spielman had his picture on a Wheaties package while prepping at Massillon High, which is near Snow's hometown. "Every time I ever went anywhere, it was Chris Spielman this, Chris Spielman that," Snow said. "But I'm used to it. I know what I've got to do to get a job done so I just go out and do it. I don't think anybody in Jb Shurmui Eose diary the Big Ten was better than me at the end of the season." NOW SNOW has a chance to play on national TV (5 p.m., NBC, Channel 4 in Detroit).

Spielman, ironically, was shut out of a post-season bowl. "If there's a key guy in our defense it's Percy it's always the middle linebacker," said MSU defensive coordinator Nick Saban. "He's got to be a heck of a player for us, physically and mentally, and Percy had a hell of a year and made a lot of big plays some plays a lot of guys probably couldn't make. "You have to have some guys that play over coaching we can only coach them so far. They have to take it from there." Snow was handed the position on the graduation of Shane Bullough and started every game this season, beginning with a 27-13 victory over USC on Labor Day.

"I'm a better linebacker now than Michigan State center Pat Shurmur is keeping a daily diary of the Rose Bowl scene with Free Press sports writer Jack Saylor. Shurmur, an honor student pursuing his master's degree in business, is a fifth-year co-captain from Dearborn Divine Child who has started since his sophomore season. NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. The team took a trip to the Universal Studios Saturday that was a lot of fun although it got cold late in the afternoon. Blake Ezor did one of the stunts in the sound room.

He got in a spacesuit from "2001: Space Odyssey." He was hanging on some cables and "walked in space." We nominated him for the job because they wanted a big kid. Actually, at 185 pounds he was just about the only one light enough for the cables. After dinner, most of us went downtown not LA, but Newport Beach and Balboa Island. The people here are great. They took us where we wanted to go in a hotel shuttle van.

I went to some spots with Greg and Steve Montgomery, Rich Gicewicz, Rob Stradley, Vince Tata and Tim Ridinger some nightclubs, places like that. It was a nice break from practice. I thought it was tough for the first day. We did a lot of individual and group work to get back in the swing. It was trying.

But the weather was super and the field at the University of California-Irvine is great. Can you imagine a team with the nickname of Anteaters? After practice Sunday we went to Lawry's for the "Beejf Bowl" dinner..