Michigan at Michigan State Preview

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, September 30, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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According to the lore of the north woods, there's nothing more dangerous than a wounded wolverine. Or, in the case of the angry and struggling University of Michigan football team, Wolverines.

"We sucked," snarled Michigan WR Jason Avant after last Saturday's 23-20 loss to Wisconsin that dropped the Wolverines out of the Top 25 for the first time since 1998.

A team meeting was held the following day, with the UM seniors reminding their teammates that the Wolverines also lost two early games in 2003, but wound up in the Rose Bowl.

Still, Michigan drags a 2-2 record to 11th-ranked Michigan State for the annual Big Ten battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy and state gloating rights. The Michigan State Spartans, meanwhile, have beaten Kent State, Hawaii, Notre Dame (who had ambushed Michigan a week earlier) and Illinois (61-14). John L. Smith's team is averaging 49 points a game, and junior QB Drew Stanton has thrown for 1,184 yards and 13 touchdowns -- decent full-season stats in the normally run-oriented Big Ten.

In fact, the team with the most rushing yardage has won this game 33 of the last 35 years. Last year, though, it was a lights-out aerial performance by then-freshman QB Chad Henne that gave Michigan a triple overtime victory. The Wolverines have won the last three Bunyan Trophy games and 10 of the last 14.

The good news for the Michigan Wolverines is that 2004 leading rusher Mike Hart may return to the lineup after missing two games and most of a third with a hamstring pull. This would take some of the pressure off Henne, whose slight letdown this season has already forced coach Lloyd Carr to give him a public vote of confidence.

Avant is Michigan's leading receiver, Steve Breaston one of the nation's most elusive punt returners.
Stanton, the national leader in pass efficiency, has been aided by backs Javon Ringer, Jehuu Caulerick and Jason Teague and wideouts Kyle Brown, Matt Trannon and Jerramy Scott.

Kickoff is at noon in East Lansing, and the game has been sold out for weeks.
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