Vitamin 'D'

Defense holds for third win

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The crowd in the Carrier Dome didn't shut up all game. Even when Syracuse needed them to.

No. 5 Michigan battled the raucous crowd and a stingy Syracuse defense Saturday night, escaping with a 18-13 win over the Orangemen. And although the noisy fans made things difficult for the Wolverines all game, they ended up making things pretty hard on the home team as well.

On a crucial third-and-eight, with Syracuse threatening to take the lead with just over two minutes remaining, the Orangemen motioned for the crowd to be quiet so they could hear quarterback Madei Williams' signals.

LOUIS BROWN/Daily Michigan cornerback Todd Howard lunges at Troy Nunes during MIchigan's 18-13 victory. The Wolverines won despite just 66 yards of total offense in the second half, largely because of a defense that stopped the Orangemen and produced a third-quarter safety.

But the crowd cheered on. Before the snap, left tackle Mark Baniewicz moved early. The penalty moved Syracuse back to third-and-13, and their next play netted nine yards. Rather than having a first-and-goal, the Orangemen were faced with a fourth-and-four at the nine. They failed to convert, ending their chances of beating Michigan for the second straight year.

As much as penalties hurt the Orangemen - they committed 12 for 94 yards - it was a flag not thrown that had them upset as much as anything.

On Syracuse's final play of the game - the fourth-and-four that never should have been - quarterback Madei Williams threw a pass intended for receiver Pat Woodcock in the left corner of the end zone. The pass was overthrown, but there was contact between Woodcock and Michigan cornerback James Whitley as the ball sailed by. No penalty was called, and the Orangemen were out of chances.

"I thought there should have been a flag at the end," Williams said. "I thought the ref would throw the flag."

Even without the penalties, it was a sloppy game marked by offensive inefficiency on both sides. Michigan (3-0), after gaining 232 yards in the first half, managed just 64 yards of offense in the game's final two quarters.

For the third straight game, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr played senior Tom Brady for the first quarter and sophomore Drew Henson in the second.

But, unlike Michigan's first two games, Henson's second-quarter performance impressed Carr enough to earn him the start in the second half.

As brilliantly as Henson played in the second quarter - completing nine-of-14 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown - the Michigan offense sputtered for most of the second

half. The Wolverines, after leading 13-7 at the half, managed just one scoring drive the rest of the game - a Jeff Del Verne field goal late in the fourth quarter. Before

Del Verne's 31-yarder, Michigan's previous five possessions had ended with four punts and one interception.

"They made some adjustments at halftime," said Henson, who finished with 151 yards on 16-of-28 passing. "They were busting through the line and disrupting things. The Syracuse secondary is one of the toughest I've ever seen."

While Syracuse's defense put the clamps on Michigan in the second half, its offense was woefully ineffective. The Orangemen demonstrated the downside of a two-quarterback system, with Williams and Troy Nunes each struggling to find a rhythm and completing just 13 of their 30 attempts.

Michigan's defense almost outscored its offense in the second half, registering a safety when Nunes - making the game's most bone-headed play - was called for intentional grounding from his own end zone.

On a series that looked more like it belonged on a Sony Playstation, Nunes scrambled around for ages in the Syracuse backfield, eluding Michigan defenders while searching for an open receiver. Finally, in his own end zone, 25 yards behind the line of scrimmage and with Michigan linebackers

James Hall and Ian Gold bearing down upon him, Nunes heaved the ball far out of bounds, drawing the flag.

"Everybody was running around in pursuit," Hall said. "I was hoping somebody was going to get him."

After the safety, Michigan led 15-13 and got the ball at the 40 after Syracuse kicked off from its own 20.

But the Wolverines couldn't take advantage of the good field position, and would be forced to attempt one of their seven punts in the contest.

Although he had difficulty moving the offense in the second half, Henson's poise in the second quarter performance provided Michigan with the momentum going into the break. After his first drive stalled, Henson led Michigan on scoring drives on its final three possessions of the half. The first two resulted in field goals, but Henson's final charge down the field was masterful.

Taking the ball with 4:07 left in the half and Syracuse enjoying its first lead of the game,7-6, Henson engineered a five-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a 22-yard touchdown pass to fullback Aaron Shea with :54 seconds remaining.

During the drive, Henson displayed the athleticism that has had Carr drooling the entire season. Henson routinely scrambled away from defenders, finding wide receiver David Terrell on a series of crossing patterns and marching the Wolverines quickly downfield.

On the score, Henson deftly avoided the Syracuse pass rush and dumped the ball to Shea in the right flat. Using solid downfield blocking, Shea scampered untouched into the end zone, giving the Wolverines a 13-7 halftime lead.

09-20-99