Brady shines in Spring

Saturday's spring football game had the feel of an early season Michigan football contest - actual referees, hard-hitting, sizable crowd, the band, a pleasantly sunny day and even a close game.

The only things missing? One - an opponent, two - a scoreboard; and three - law enforcement officials with mace and billy clubs to prevent fans from rushing onto the field after the game.

Doing the best they could to simulate fall game conditions despite having 17 people injured, the Wolverines played to a 20-17 final score. The score was a little tricky to figure out - offensive players sported blue while defensive players donned white.

The Wolverines were then divided into one squad coached by assistant Mike DeBord and another coached by assistant Terry Malone.

JOHN KRAFT/ Daily Tom Brady put on a solid performance in the spring game, connecting with Tai Streets for two long touchdowns.

DeBord's team came out on top after a 21-yard Kraig Baker field goal with 59 seconds left in the game, played in front of an estimated 35,000 people.

But that's not all. With all the injuries, the offensive and defensive linemen did not leave the field and remained the same for both teams.

Confusing? Well, the point of early spring scrimmages is not so much the outcome of the contest but to see how far along players are.

"I'm pleased with this spring practice," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "It's not a real good test for us as a team, but it allows us to see if individuals know their assignments."

The brightest star of the afternoon was the man who arguably had most eyes on him. Tom Brady started for Malone's squad at quarterback in the beginning of what should be a summer-long battle for the starting position. And Brady didn't disappoint, outshining Scott Dreisbach - the starting quarterback for DeBord's team.

On his very first play from scrimmage, Brady hit wide receiver Tai Streets with an 85-yard touchdown strike.

"I've been working on just about everything right now," Brady said. "I still need to improve a lot to be at that championship level Brian (Griese) was at this point last year."

For the other squad, Dreisbach had a somewhat rough start, being flushed from the pocket and forced to scramble on many occasions. Wide receiver DiAllo Johnson made Dreisbach look good in one instance, however. After grabbing a short pass and eluding several would-be tacklers, Johnson sprinted away for a 45-yard score.

All four quarterbacks played on Saturday, including Jason Kapsner and walk-on Mark Bergin. Kapsner completed 6 of 8 passes for 52 yards.

But the ground game had a little more trouble gaining ground, due in part to injuries at key positions.

"With four tight ends out, it was tough to run the ball," Carr said.

Running back Clarence Williams ran well throughout the game, however, compiling 77 yards on 13 carries for a 5.9 average.

The spring game is used as a barometer, more or less, for individual players, Carr said.

But the one thing that might be misleading about these games is the absence of the incoming freshman class.

Ranked as the top recruiting class in the country by a variety of scouting publications, the Michigan newcomers will undoubtedly have an impact on the lineups witnessed on Saturday.

The one name most bandied about was Drew Henson, a Brighton High School senior considered the top prep quarterback in the country.

"We all know this guy is talented," Carr said. "He's already learned some offense and terminology. I expect him to compete from the first time he gets here."

04-20-98