Michigan faces another test, in South Bend
Katie McVoy
The Observer (U. Notre Dame)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (U-WIRE)
— On Saturday, Michigan will en
ter Notre Dame Stadium, and not
one of the players will have ever
played on Notre Dame turf. The
defense may not be so worried.
Michigan’s has been touted as one
of the strongest defensive units in
the country. But what about the
Michigan offense?
The Wolverine offense will be
facing a very solid Notre Dame de
fense, one that has shut down two
teams’ passing game and one
team’s running game. They will
face off against a veteran defense.
And they will face off amidst the
yells and screams of a green stu
dent section and an alumni sec
tion that wouldn’t put Michigan
high on its list of favorite schools.
So who can they depend on?
They will all tell you: John Navarre.
“I have had confidence since he
got here and took over for Drew
Henson in 2000,” senior tight end
Bennie Joppru said. “He is playing
with more confidence now, and I
think that is very dangerous.”
Navarre, the senior quarterback
from Cudahy, Wis., has started the
last 16 games. After taking over for
Henson in 2000, he started all 12
games last season, attempting a
record 385 passes.
As he enters this Saturday’s
game, Navarre is just a little more
than 500 yards short of reaching
the 4,000-yard mark. He would be
only the eighth quarterback
in Michigan football history to reach
that landmark.He is eighth on the
Michigan career passing yards list
and seventh on the career touch
down list with 32. If he continues to
play well this season, he could move
all the way to second on that list,
finishing 2002 behind Elvis Grbac’s
71 touchdowns record.
But those stats aren’t as key this
weekend when Michigan comes to
Notre Dame as the fact that
Navarre has game experience.
“I think, anytime, you would
rather have a guy that has some
experience in (road games),”
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said.
“In terms of this game, I think that
the fact that John has played in a
lot of big games on the road will
help him, certainly.”
Navarre started this season with
a career-high 286 yards against
Washington. But he hasn’t faced a
secondary like Notre Dame’s. If he
wants to add any more yards to
that 3,460, he’s going to have to
protect the ball.
“(Protecting the ball) is a big pre
mium every game — but especially
against a team that is dangerous,”
Navarre said. “With the speed that
they have and what they have done
in the past couple of games, you
have to be especially careful.”
Navarre, who threw 13 intercep
tions last season, would hate to add
one more to the two-interception
total this season. Navarre took some
heat last season, and losing the ball
was a contributing factor. But his
team is focused on helping him
keep the ball this season, even
against a defense like Notre Dame’s.
“I think (Navarre) has a lot
more confidence,” junior running
back Chris Perry said. “Last year,
he took a lot of heat that he didn’t
deserve. But the supporting cast
didn’t help him out too much ei
ther. Everyone is a lot stronger,
and we know our assignments,
which in turn makes everyone
look a lot better.”
But before he can focus on pro
tecting the ball, he needs to just fo
cus on the ball. The question
buzzing around the weekly Michi
gan press conference on Monday
was whether Navarre could focus on
the game despite the distractions of
playing in Notre Dame Stadium.
It goes without saying that the
crowd will be hyped for this game.
And, although Notre Dame Stadi
um doesn’t rival stadiums like Ne
braska’s for its noise, the crowd
will do its best to be a distraction.
“You cannot look at the big pic
ture and all the surroundings and
noise,” Navarre said. “You have to
focus on what you are doing and
what your offense is doing.”
As Navarre looks to better his
58.3 career completion percentage
amidst the hoots and hollers
of Notre Dame stadium, Carr is
worried about just one thing
— communication.
“The question is, if you have guys
that can hear — and sometimes you
can’t hear,” the coach said. “There
are stadiums out there where you
can’t hear, and you have to feel the
guy next to you.”
So is Navarre ready for this game?
Is he preparing any differently?
“You have to ask John that ques
tion,” senior offensive lineman
Tony Pape said. “He prepares
every game like any other game.”
And if you ask him, he’s just fo
cused on getting his job done.
“If we play like we did on Satur
day,” Navarre said, “if we control
the ball and stop the defense like
we did last week, things will take
care of themselves.”
Vandals
continued from page 2
yards on 40 carries. He has carried
the ball into the end zone once, but
his longest run so far is 11 yards.
That’s a fact not easily lost
on Gable.
“We got dominated on the line of
scrimmage. Period. End of story,”
Gable said after the loss to Washing
ton State in which Idaho gained just
85 yards on 34 attempts, an average
of 1.5 yards per carry. “In Division I
college football, particularly who
we’re playing, you’ve got to play big
up front, and we just didn’t do it.”
The Ducks’ ground and air at
tacks are primed for a big day
against the Vandal defense. Oppo
nents have averaged 236.5 yards
per game running and 273.5 per
game in the air against Idaho.
A Vandal has managed to snag
one interception —junior corner
back Rod Bryant’s against Wash
ington State — but will find the go
ing tougher against the Ducks’ star
receivers.
“They have some really good re
ceivers in Sarnie Parker and Keenan
Howry, who are very, very good,”
Gable said. “I don’t know that any
team we play has two guys like
them with that kind of speed and
play-making ability.”
Overall, the Ducks and Vandals
have met 57 previous times, al
"We got dominated on the line of scrimmage.
PeriodEnd of story... In Division I college football,
particularly who we're playing, you've gor to play
big up front, and we just didn't do it."
Tom Cable
Idaho head coach
though the two schools have played
just twice since 1970. The Ducks
lead the all-time series 50-3-4, and
Idaho’s last victory against Oregon
came in 1950.
With the ever-changing climate
of the NCAA, Idaho could soon
find itself relegated to Division I
AA. Beginning in 2004, all Division
I schools must average at least
15,000 fans per game and play at
least five home games against fel
low Division I schools, among oth
er guidelines regarding other
sports. Last season, the Vandals
averaged 16,230 in attendance and
this season will play five home
games, one against Division I-AA
powerhouse Montana.
But for Gable, the time is in the
here and now, the future be darned.
Against Oregon, Idaho will have to
bring its “A” game.
“The bottom line is we have to
play at a very high level and then
play at that level consistently to
have a chance to be successful,” Ga
ble said. “It’s another big, big test for
us, but all we can do is worry about
us and continue to get better and try
to put some consistent play together
that’s of high quality.”
Contact the sports reporter
at hankhager@dailyemerald.com.
014758
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