Brady shows poise in 'M' debut

NOTRE DAME - The swagger absent from the majority of the Michigan team in its 36-20 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday remains secure within the leader of the offense.

From his initial entrance onto the field, Tom Brady led the Michigan charge.

He led the quarterbacks in their pre-game running, guided the signal callers out of the tunnel during pregame introductions and took the first snap under center.

That was the moment Michigan fans everywhere anticipated. How would Brady - an untested junior who spent more time healing from an appendix surgery than on the field last fall - fare in competitive game action?

Brady answered the question emphatically, passing for 267 yards on 23-of-36 attempts and solidifying his position as Michigan's No. 1 quarterback.

MARGARET MYERS/Daily Despite taking a sack here, quarterback Tom Brady was calm at the helm in his debut for the Wolverines. The junior signalcaller passed for 267 yards and completed 23 of his 36 passing attempts.

From Michigan's first offensive series, Brady sought to establish a game plan of short passes and continued movement. And so he did, marching the offense 57 yards in 15 plays, only to settle for a field goal.

The ensuing drive, which covered 64 yards behind a 14-play effort, secured Brady's effectiveness - at least in the middle of the field.

"That was our game plan, to come out, move the football and get ahead," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said.

But trouble inside the 20 yard line appears to be Michigan's early-season undoing. Four drives ended with missed field goals and, despite 472 yards of total offense, Brady guided the Wolverines to just one touchdown.

Carr said things have to change for Michigan to win.

"There isn't any question we need to score in the red zone," he said, after reaffirming Brady as the starter this week against Syracuse.

The start for the San Mateo, Calif., native has been a long time coming.

He spent three years riding the bench behind Brian Griese and Scott Dreisbach, only seeing mop-up duty last year after Dreisbach was injured. But ever since being named the leading candidate to start when spring practice began, Brady has remained the front-runner in this season's Michigan quarterback derby.

Entering the game, the scouting report on Brady was pretty simple. He is a smart quarterback who, despite limited mobility, was a heady leader with a big arm.

The knock on Brady - that he has slow feet - caused offensive coordinator Mike DeBord to install a third-down option play for short-yardage situations - with senior Dreisbach at the helm. The former starter took just two snaps, and fumbled on his first option attempt.

Brady, on the other hand, appeared determined to silence the critics. On a scramble in the first half, he held onto the ball, scampering for 17 yards after being flushed from the pocket.

After the game, though, Brady only wanted to vent his frustration for the team's overall performance.

"To practice as hard as we have, for as long as we had, and to play as we did - it doesn't feel too good," he said.

While all the Wolverines were disappointed with the game's final result, the blowout did give Carr an opportunity to see freshman Drew Henson in live action.

Dressed for his first college game, Henson spent much of the afternoon following. He stood at the end of the quarterback line for drills and while running laps, realizing his place in the hierarchy of veterans.

But once he entered the game with 4:09 left in the fourth-quarter rout, he turned some heads, completing 5 of 8 passes for 80 yards.

Henson led the Wolverines through Notre Dame's prevent defense, picking it apart to score Michigan's final touchdown with just 2:09 to play.

09-08-98