Howard leads surging offense

Without penalties, offense starts to look as imposing as defense

By John Leroi
Daily Sports Editor

STATE COLLEGE - All week, Chris Howard had to show his teammates he didn't have Enis envy. Saturday, he proved to everybody in Beaver Stadium that he was the bigger man.

"I told Chris all week, we've been reading about this Enis all year long and we know he's a great back, but aren't you getting a little tired of that?" Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "He has been an underrated player at Michigan."

Almost as underrated as the Wolverines' offense, which has purred right along for most of the season but exploded in Michigan's 34-8 thrashing of previously unbeaten Penn State.

All of a sudden, it wasn't just Michigan's defense winning the ballgame. The offense marched down the field every time it got the ball. The Wolverines scored on four of its first five possessions.

SARA STILLMAN/Daily Chris Howard's 29-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter pretty much put the game out of Penn State's reach. Howard saved his best game of the season for the right time, rushing for 120 yards and outgaining Penn State's Heisman hopeful Curtis Enis by 17 yards.

A lot of the credit goes to Howard who outgained Enis, 120-103, on the ground and caught four passes for 41 yards. Enis caught just two passes for five yards and a large chunk of his 103 yards came on Penn State's final drive, when the game was well out of reach.

"I knew there were questions as to whether our offense could play up to others' expectations," Howard said. "I think we answered some of those critics today."

With Clarence Williams sidelined with a pulled hamstring, Howard and freshman Anthony Thomas shouldered most of the offensive burden. Thomas carried 12 times for 40 yards. The Wolverines outgained the Big Ten's best offense, 416-169.

Howard has been Michigan's workhorse all season, leading the team in rushing yards and catches. But until Saturday, Howard was the only bright spot in an otherwise bland offense.

Enter quarterback Brian Griese, who not only connected for two touchdown passes on 14-of-22 passing, but carried five times for 46 yards, including a 40-yard scamper that even Howard had to envy.

Howard deflected most of the credit to the offensive line, which turned in its most impressive performance of the season. Not only did the Wolverines control the line of scrimmage, but the linemen all but eliminated offsides and holding penalties, the one thing that Carr said was holding the offense back.

"Penalties have been killing us all season," Howard said. "They're known as drive killers. But our offensive line was just dominant today, you couldn't have asked for anything more."

But some of the credit has to go to Howard, who played his best game at the most opportune time. His 29-yard touchdown run in the second half put Michigan up, 31-0, and stomped out any hope for a Penn State comeback.

"This was his last game against Penn State and he wanted to go out with a win," Thomas said. "As an offense, we felt we had something to prove, but the young guys are really coming together right now and Brian Griese and Chris Howard are a big part of that."

11-10-97