Clocked by Orange

Record crowd witnesses thrashing

A record-setting 111,012 fans packed the Biggest House in the nation Saturday expecting everything to be new:

* A new stadium, expanded by 5,000 seats and a multicolored halo.

* A new scoreboard, sporting video replays during the game.

* And, definitely, a new team, one that would bounce back with a stellar effort after falling at Notre Dame a week earlier.

WARREN ZINN/Daily Justin Fargas is corraled Saturday by Syracusae linebacker Keith Bullock. Fargas carried three times for 13 yards and returned five kicks for a total of 96 yards.

Well, two out of three ain't bad.

Michigan, before a capacity crowd, gave a second-straight uninspired performance and got waxed by Syracuse, 38-28.

To hear Michigan coach Lloyd Carr tell it, it's hardly a game to remember for the defending national champions.

"Syracuse did an outstanding job and beat us in every phase of the game," he said. "They are a good team, (Donovan) McNabb is as good a quarterback as we have seen."

That sweeping indictment by Carr basically summarized a game that was not nearly as close as the final score indicated.

With the defeat, the Wolverines fell from both of the major polls for the first time since Oct. 1993, when they carried a 4-4 record.

Combined with last week's loss to Notre Dame, Michigan's slippery slope began with an 0-2 record, the first time since the 1988 season, when a 31-30 loss to No. 1 Miami (Fla.) created the same scenario.

In this game, Michigan scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter - garbage time as far as this outing was concerned - to make the final tally appear respectable.

But respectable hardly covers the first three quarters, as the 'talented' Michigan offense mustered just one touchdown, compared to Syracuse's three first-half scores.

Carr's assessment of his team and the Orangemen centered around Heisman Trophy candidate McNabb and his uncanny ability to avoid the Wolverines.

Never was that elusiveness more evident than in the first quarter. Syracuse won the coin toss and McNabb - the surgeon - proceeded to slice and dice.

Once they received the ball at their own 22 yard line, the Orangemen began their methodical march down the field. On a textbook 78-yard drive, McNabb completed five passes, pitched a few underhanded tosses and ran for a first down on an option keeper.

All in all, it typified the entire first quarter. Michigan could do nothing right, punting successfully twice, getting one blocked and tossing an interception. The offense's ineptitude troubled Carr to no end.

"We're not a good offense," Carr said. "We can't run the ball."

Obviously, Carr is speaking from experience.

Michigan finished the first half with 37 yards rushing - total - with 25 coming from Anthony Thomas. The running attack's lack of production was hampered as Clarence Williams left early in the game with a bruised back.

At quarterback, the only bruises may be to the leader's confidence.

Carr played quarterback roulette in the game, pulling starter Tom Brady twice - the first instance coming halfway through the second quarter - and replacing him with freshman Drew Henson each time.

After the first 15 minutes the Wolverines dug themselves a 17-0 hole, a margin larger than expected for a team that entered the game as a 10-point favorite.

Any psychological advantage drawn from predictions most likely no longer exists, according to Carr.

"It's a lonely time now," Carr said. "And we understand that. But we've got to dig back."

Trailing 24-7 at the half, Michigan fans had little reason for optimism, but with last season's 14-point rally against Iowa in mind, the possibility for a comeback existed.

Those fleeting hopes were dashed at the end of the third quarter as the Orangemen extended their lead to 38-7.

Minor signs of life came with Carr's decision to insert Henson for the second time, with less than two minutes to play in the third quarter.

Henson led three scoring drives in the final quarter - albeit mostly against second-string Syracuse defenders - to close the gap on the Orangemen and the final margin.

In that final flurry, freshman Walter Cross broke out for Michigan's first long run of the season, scampering 66 yards to set up one of the scores. Cross ended the game as Michigan's leading rusher with 10 carries for 104 yards - an impressive statistic considering he didn't even touch the ball until the fourth quarter.

Despite praise for Cross and the late-minutes offense, Carr was reluctant to blame his defense after the game, instead seeking to praising the opposition.

"I don't know how anybody's going to stop the (Syracuse) offense," he said.

But as talented as McNabb and Co. are, the Michigan defense - widely regarded as the nation's best last season - has hit the skids, allowing 68 points in two games.

It took 10 games last season for opponents to reach that total.

"I expected us to be a much better defensive football team than we are," Carr said.

The vaunted Michigan defense allowed Syracuse 27 first downs compared to just 16 for their own offense.

In the first half alone, the Orangemen ran over Michigan for 255 yards of total offense.

09-14-98