Thomas puts fumble behind him, earns Citrus MVP honors

ORLANDO - When Michigan tailback Anthony Thomas left the field following his third quarter fumble in the Citrus Bowl, Michigan's 24-10 halftime lead appeared in jeopardy. And despite eventually winning game MVP honors, Thomas was well on his way to goat status.

"I went up to him after the fumble and said, "This game's going to be won by running the football and you've got to put that (fumble) out of your mind," Michigan running backs coach Fred Jackson said.

The Razorbacks had momentum enough to storm back with 21 unanswered points and were surging ahead until Lloyd Carr laid down the ground rules.

MARGARET MYERS/Daily Anthony Thomas fumbled in the third quarter to give Arkansas hope of winning the Citrus Bowl. But Thomas snuffed out that hope with 133 yards rushing and three touchdowns in Michigan's 45-31 triumph.

"I told (Michigan offensive coordinator) Mike DeBord to stick with the (running) game plan," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said.

Handoffs to Thomas became the recipe of choice as Michigan went back to its workhorse to regain control of the game.

On Michigan's 14-play comeback drive, when the Wolverines stared down a 31-24 deficit with 12 minutes to play, Thomas carried the ball eight times, including the one-yard touchdown run that tied the score.

"If they want to put me in the position (of assuming the burden) that's fine with me," Thomas said.

His moderate success in the first half - 10 carries for 51 yards - demonstrated the threat, but his achievements in the last month created his coaches' optimism.

"The last four weeks of the season, starting with the Wisconsin game, he started getting healthy, he started running tough, he started playing hard," said Jackson, referring specifically to Thomas's 182-yard, four-touchdown effort at Hawai'i. "I think he's going to be a good football player."

With fellow backfield mate Clarence Williams graduating and freshman Justin Fargas in rehabilitation for a broken leg, Thomas will be expected to carry the load once again in the fall.

"Anthony Thomas is very, very good back," Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. "He's solid, he runs hard, has great power and they've got a good scheme for him."

Thomas gave credit to his offensive linemen - a patchwork group that evolved slowly as the season progressed - but attributed most of his 64 fourth quarter yards to the Arkansas secondary.

"The defensive backs would just stick their hands out and allow me to run through them," he said.

Buoyed by technically sound football, Thomas's effort in the fourth quarter proved crucial as Michigan surged back with a 21-point run of its own to close out the victory.

"Late in the game he had about five carries in a row and that's when he had the ball high and tight," Jackson said, contrasting Thomas's fumble carry when the swung the ball loose. "To me that's what you've got to do."

01-06-99