European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 29, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday August 29,1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 College pro tall 87 Midwest Powers Start with test wolverines open against Irish with trouble at ebon defense Jim mania loot for another 1,000 Rahing Vudi. By Harry Atkins Ann Arbor. Mich. A Michigan s Chance of earning another trip to the Row bowl Slans with diminutive tailback Jamie Morris. Morris chances however Slart with an offensive line thai averages 280 pounds per Man. Those Art numbers when you re like Morris who s Only 5-fool-7and 179 pounds. The wolverines earned a trip to Pasadena Slih an 11-1 record in 1986, bin the Rose bowl loss to Arizona stale dropped Michigan to no. 8 in the final poll. Michigan opens its season sept. 12 against Noire Dame and its defense of the big ten Crown begins oct,3 against Wisconsin. Roth will be Home games. This year s offensive line will be led by tackle"jumbo1 John Elliott a 6-7, .106-Pounder considered a Likely first round pick in the next nil draft and Cen Ter John Vitale a 6-1, 289-Pounder. Both Are seniors although Vitale has two years of eligibility remaining. Elliott and Vitale arc both great linemen said coach to Schembechler the Dean of big ten coaches who is beginning his 19th year with the wolverines. I think Vitale will wind up being the Best Center we Veever had at Michigan and that s saying a lot because we be had several Alt americans at that position. And Elliott is your big All american giant. The rest of our offensive line has some experience and is Bui it s Morris who brings a gleam to Schembechler j Eye the Little big Man has Fraldy stolen the grizzled old coach s heart. Jamie has really done a terrific Job for us schem Bechler said. Every coach should have an Opportunity to coach a kid like Jamie. Not just because of his great skill. His enthusiasm attitude and leadership Are out standing. He s just a great great moms a senior whose brother Joe is a running Back for the super bowl Champion new York giants has a Chance to become the first rusher in Michigan history id gain 1,000 Yard three successive seasons i recruited him to return kicks. I told him that Schembechler said "1 did t think he was big enough to be a tailback in the big ten conference and he gained 600 Yards As a freshman. Irish will find o Way to win9 Bykens Mcdill South Bend ind. Up Lou Haiti has Given dozens of speeches in h is two years at notre Dame and has used the same Tine in almost every Post dinner address. None of them Are in the Hall of Fame Holtz tells notre Dame s legion of faithful fans. That line refers to the two recruiting classes Holtz has assembled. Each class has been crowned one of the Best in the nation fueling the eternal fires of Hope among Irish football fans. Bui Holti keeps reminding everyone thai the kids in those two classes Are Only sophomores and freshmen. We be got a definite numbers problem with upperclassmen so our freshmen and sophomores will have to play a lot a Lolly warns. While Holly tries o keep preseason Hopes realistic he also knows this year s club will be better than last year s. Notre Dame went 5-6 in 1986, but lost five games by a Iota of 14 Points. Thai was also the first season under Houtz and familiarity alone should make his second edition Riili a winning club. At the same Lime the schedule is roughly the same tji Cepl Boston College and Miami of Florida replace Southern methodist and Louisiana state. An s-3 re Cord would be a vast improvement and ii a definite possibility but will not satisfy National Lilc Liun Gry fans. "1 think sometime people want Loo much from Noire Holu said. Noire Dame has a kit image Heisman trophy candidate in flanker Tim Brown who gained i.v37 All purpose Yards last season As a Junior with nine touch Downs two on Kickoff returns. Holt said he Hopes Brown has More punt returns for touchdowns than lick off returns but says he will again be used in every possible Way. Well hand it to him and Well let them kick it to him Hollis id. Unfortunately for Holtz Brown docs not taste the Center snaps. That Job this season goes to senior Terry Andryszak who played behind the graduated Steve Buerlein. Andrysiak attempted Only 30 passes in 1986 and completed 17. Brown is the Only starting receiver coming Back which will make him even More of a target for double teaming. However the offensive line is almost intact from a year ago when notre Dame Oul rushed almost All its opponents. Holtz used a half dozen backs in 1986 and none rushed for More than 400 Yards. This season Holtz wants somebody to Lake charge with Mark Green and Alonzo Jefferson the leading candidates a tailback. The defense has Only four starters Back so a Lolly Hopes the offence can score More while the defense holds itself into a team. It is on defense where the Blue Chip recruits of hs6 and 1187 will get the Best Chance to display their talents. The chemistry is gtd. And the fundamentals Are getting better Holt said of inc defense on which he concentrated personally during Spring drills. Holt Hopes notre darm1 Rabid Fani have a Dir picture of what is ahead. This is not ihi1 National championship season fur the Irish Hui. We be got a lot of Rubli is to air come. Bul i guarantee you Nourr Dame will find a Way to a Lolly said. We Are not that far a a from by ing i Good football learn. We re not there Jet Bui we re getting closer to where we want to Ife came Back with Back to Hack 1,000-Vard sea sons even though he misled a game or two Lasi Yea because of injury. If he has a season this year hell be the greatest ground gainer in the i ilor of Michigan football. In t that marvelous thai a kid that you underestimated can come Back and play that kind of football so i m very High on him. Thai hell have a great s biggest concern will be finding a quarterback to replace Jim Harbaugh the no. I draft pick of the Chicago bears. The candidates arc senior Chris Zurbrugg. Who started five games in i h4 after Hartsaugh broke his Arm and red shirt sophomores Demetrius Brown and Michael Taylor. I m not sure whom we re going to Slart schem Bechler said. We be just got to pick the Best one Inglart against notre Dame. I d like to Reserve judgment on that until i Sec what happens in the fait whoever inherits he quarterbacking Job will find a outstanding corps of receivers. The wolverines will return Junior flanker John Kulcsar and wide receive Greg Mcmurtry plus a pair of impressive 240-Puund Light ends in a cock Walker and Jeff Brown. We have a youngster by the name of Tripp Wel Bourne coming in Tio s in the category of any of the great receivers we be Ever had at schem by Chlor said laying Oul the Carpel for the player he Hopes will be the next Anthony Carter so we Coul j conceivably be playing another freshman there As redid Mcmurtry a year Welbourne a prep All american from Greensboro,n.c., is a 6-1, 185-Poundcr with 4.4 Speed in the 40 Yard dash. When a icam is 11-2, As the wolverines were last year it s hard to believe defense is a problem. But twas then and will be again this year. Cone Are two starting linebackers and three of the four starters in the secondary. To make matters worse. Brent while an outstanding pass rusher lore up his knee in an automobile Accident and will miss the entire season. That will put a big Burden on defensive tackles Mark Mossner an All league selection and Dav Folkertsma and nos guard Billy Harris. But we do have some people Schembechler said. Irish s Terry andr Valal jumps into Surti f nil 11 a a
