First, it was Anthony Thomas off right tackle. Next, it was Thomas over right guard. Then, it was Thomas off right guard again. Then, in a surprise move, it was Thomas off right guard one more time.
It was the kind of creative play-calling you'd expect from any Michigan football team.
It was also a touchdown.
It was, in its entirety, the Wolverines' first drive of the game against Eastern Michigan. And more importantly, it was a preview of things to come for the Wolverines, who rolled to a 59-20 victory in front of 110,438 at Michigan Stadium on Saturday.
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| MARGARET MYERS/Daily Freshman wide receiver David Terrell scores the first of his two touchdowns on Saturday. Terrell led the charge for the Wolverines with four receptions for 65 yards, as the Wolverines ran to a 59-20 victory over Eastern Michigan . With the win, Michigan heads into next week's contest against rival Michigan State with an unexpected 1-2 record. |
The Wolverines finally got their running game in gear against Eastern Michigan, thanks in large part to the fact that they were playing Eastern Michigan. But whomever the opponent, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr was no doubt happy to finally put a notch in the win column. You wouldn't catch him saying it, though.
"We gave up too many big plays and we didn't tackle well at times," he said. "We still have a lot of improving to do."
And despite his team's lopsided victory, Carr's concerns were legitimate. Once again, Michigan's defense struggled.
The Wolverines were aided by Eastern quarterback Walt Church's four interceptions, but Church nonetheless gave Michigan's secondary fits. He completed 32 of his 45 pass attempts for 343 yards and a pair of touchdowns - and, like Jarious Jackson and Donovan McNabb before him, looked at times like a world-beater against Michigan's defensive backs.
"We competed better than I'd thought we would," Eastern coach Rick Rasnick said. "When you move the ball 80 yards on Michigan's defense, you must be doing something right. That's pretty good."
Tom Brady played the majority of the game for the Wolverines at quarterback, going 14-for-19 for 128 yards and guiding the offense on five separate scoring drives. Freshman Drew Henson saw limited action until the fourth quarter, but completed 3 of 6 passes, one of which was a 32-yard touchdown pass to another freshman, wideout David Terrell.
Terrell had his best game as a Wolverine, making four catches for a total of 65 yards and two touchdowns. Seven other players had receptions as well.
For the first time this season, Michigan was able to consistently run the ball on offense. The 237 yards on the ground nearly doubled Michigan's season total after two games. Thomas, who had just 46 yards after the first two games, called Saturday's performance "a great confidence boost."
Two of Michigan's four interceptions - by William Peterson, who wasn't expected to play, and Anthony Jordan - were returned for touchdowns. The other two interceptions were by Andre Weathers and DeWayne Patmon. The only other time Michigan returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game was in 1975.
Although the four takeaways tilted the scales in Michigan's favor, the secondary actually struggled quite a bit - for the third week in a row. Using short drops and his receivers' quick routes to his advantage, Church consistently picked on the Wolverines' defensive backs. Eight different Eagles caught passes, led by Kenny Christian (10 catches for 60 yards) and Jermaine Sheffield (five catches for 111 yards).
"We didn't cover very well when we played man-to-man," Carr said. "I think some that was the ability of their receivers. I also thought Church did a good job, and found his receivers
09-21-98
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