Business as usual

Blue deals trash-talking Wisconsin another blow

PETER CORNUE/Daily

Victor Hobson and the Michigan defense proved dominant, only allowing the Badgers 10 points. By Mark Francescutti

Daily Sports Editor

David Terrell said, "If you want to call yourself a great receiver, you have to make great plays."

After Saturday, there's no doubt you can call him great.

Terrell made two acrobatic catches on the game-winning touchdown drive, one on third-and-eight, the other a jump ball in the endzone, to save the Wolverines in a 13-10 victory over Wisconsin.

"There were several plays in that last drive that were big," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "That last play, that is what you want to do in that kind of situation, where one guy can make a play. And David made a great catch, there is no doubt about that."

The winning score came on a broken play, where Henson ran loose out of the pocket to the sideline and lobbed it into the endzone. Terrell towered over four players and snatched it away from all of them, including teammate Ronald Bellamy.

"I saw Drew roll out and break the pocket and I just went to the corner of the end zone, went up and got it," Terrell said. "I didn't know Ron was in the area - I was just so focused on the ball and catching it I pretty much blocked out everything else."

Both teams may want to block out a messy, sloppy first half. Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger threw two interceptions. On the other end, Drew Henson fumbled the ball twice - once on a questionable call.

"I don't know if I dropped it or if it just hit me," Henson said about the first fumble.

On the second: "I thought I was throwing. You usually get that call."

While Michigan was able to run the ball with some success in the first half, and Marquise Walker had his first giant game, the Wolverines couldn't punch the ball in for six.

"It was a frustrating day when you have the yards, but you can't get into the endzone," Henson said.

Fifth-year senior Jeff Del Verne split a pair of field goals, missing from 29 and hitting from 33, to tie the game at halftime, 3-3.

The Michigan defense held strong throughout the game, despite the loss of Larry Foote early in the game and the absences of Eric Wilson, Jake Frysinger and Norman Boebert. Julius Curry, Eric Brackins and Victor Hobson led the Wolverines with seven tackles each. The trio also held Michael Bennett to just four yards per carry, after he averaged six against Northwestern.

Del Verne provided the first points in the second half, hitting his second field goal in the third quarter.

Wisconsin took a 10-6 lead on a 13-play, 71-yard drive, culminated by a five-yard screen from Bollinger to fullback Chad Kuhns.

Down by a touchdown, the Wolverines spread their offense, abandoned the running game, looked for number one and tried to stay away from number two.

At issue - the marquee matchup of Terrell and top defensive back Jamar Fletcher, which eventually ended in the receiver's favor, despite Fletcher halting Terrell in man coverage for most of the game.

Before the first play, Fletcher and Terrell shook hands. They trash-talked. They fought hard, and for more than three quarters it looked as if Fletcher would finally earn his victory in the matchup.

But after only two catches in the first two quarters, a frustrated Terrell decided to break out on Michigan's touchdown drive grabbing three passes for 56 yards.

"I was open all day," Terrell said. "I don't think he was on me that well."

The prettiest catch may not have been the touchdown. Instead, Terrell leapt sky high to grab a ball on a crucial third down play to keep the drive going.

"I can't dunk, but I gotta pretty good vertical," Terrell said.

"When you're out there, sometimes you make plays that you normally can't."

Then the climatic touchdown not only gave Michigan a 13-10 lead, its 800th win (only two away from all-time leader Yale), and a 2-0 conference record to take to Purdue.

All on a prayer into the endzone.

"There was no diagram," Henson said. The coaches " were saying 'Put the ball up and make a play' It wasn't a perfect throw.

"But that's why you have 'great' receivers."

PETER CORNUE/Daily

David Terrell shows star cornerback Jamar Fletcher (2) his skills by out junping him, another Badger and teammate Ronald Bellamy for the teams only touchdown.