Snatching State pride

Offensive dominance will carry this team

It was that simple. So he made his intentions clear when he took the field for his first handoff.

"I told (the linemen) on my first play going in that, 'The quicker we score, the quicker we get to rest,'" he said.

Minutes later, after busting through a hole the size of Sedrick Irvin's ego, Thomas powered down the right sideline for a 69-yard touchdown.

And suddenly Michigan's offense was in rare form: It was working.

Interesting ... Rest + motivation = success. Seems simple enough.

Whether or not Thomas was chasing a seat under the Cool Zone, he sparked the Michigan offense to a season-best performance. He carried the game's momentum with him into the end zone - and in this contest that was no small feat.

The Michigan-Michigan State rivalry is rarely marked by exceptional football on either side of the ball. As Lloyd Carr said, "neither team played great football," but the intensity was there.

That intensity turned into fire for Michigan. When asked where the Michigan offense came from, Thomas was frank.

"It was the rivalry," he said.

For the first time all season, Michigan executed its offense as Carr imagined, compiling 414 yards.

Why it took this long remains somewhat of a mystery, though.

One possible explanation is the strength of the backfield. If Carr decided that Thomas would be the primary tailback, his choice was rewarded.

Thomas' lengthy touchdown run brought the crowd to its feet and got the offense rolling. When Carr saw the final stats, his team ran over the Spartan defense for 206 yards, with Thomas accounting for more than half.

All should be perfect in the tailback world, but Carr's search for one lead back still exists. While Thomas ran wild in the first half, after the break, Clarence Williams handled the bulk of the duties, carrying the ball nine times to finish with 88 yards.

In contrast, after weeks of controversy, there is no such problem under center. Tom Brady, Carr's original choice as the starter, played with uncanny calm and demonstrated a fine touch on some thread-the-needle passes. Michigan wide receiver Marcus Knight - Brady's favorite receiver thus far - said he "trusts" that Brady will put the ball where it needs to be.

In this postgame, there was more of a supportive atmosphere among the offense than in past weeks. The Wolverines are beginning to demonstrate faith in their leader, and he is responding in kind.

Despite throwing an interception on his second pass, Brady hung tough. Carr is big on being "mentally strong," and on Saturday, Brady kept his cool.

This week's game was all Brady. He played the whole game, and healthy heir apparent Drew Henson watched wearing a baseball cap, not a helmet.

Though Brady's numbers were unspectacular (15-of-26, 208 yards), he effectively marched the offense when necessary, and spread the ball around, throwing a beautiful fade pass to Tai Streets for a touchdown in one instance, while connecting with Knight on a 48-yard bomb a different time.

It was the first time the Wolverines looked like his team. So, after four games, it's time for an update.

We're well into the regular season and the offense, which has an entirely new backfield, is carrying the team. The run-pass balance is nearly even and most important, the threat exists on both ends.

Michigan is gaining confidence

09-28-98