Syracuse takes over the Big House
McNabb runs wild as Michigan drops record to 0-2
Posted: Saturday September 12, 1998 10:50 PM
| |
Jack of all trades: McNabb completed 21 of 27 passes for 233 yards and ran 18 times for 62 yards Vincent Laforet/Allsport |
ANN ARBOR, Michigan (AP) -- Big numbers are nothing new for Donovan
McNabb. Saturday, he had the power to silence the largest football
crowd ever to gather on a college campus.
McNabb, rambled, scrambled and passed No. 19 Syracuse to a 38-28
win over No. 13 Michigan, dropping the Wolverines to 0-2 for only
the second time since 1959.
McNabb, who has led Syracuse to 26 regular-season wins and
triumphs in two of three bowl games in his three years as a
starter, passed for three touchdowns and ran for another.
"It was great to look up in the fourth quarter and see that
some of the fans had left," said McNabb, who completed 21 of 27
passes for 233 yards and ran 18 times for 62 yards.
The Orangemen (1-1) completely dominated Michigan, scoring the
first three times they had the ball on their way to a 38-7 lead
before 111,012 fans in Michigan Stadium. The biggest previous crowd
on a college campus was 107,608 to see Florida play in 1996 at
Tennesee's Neyland Stadium, which has 102,654 seats.
"We wanted to take the crowd out of it," Syracuse defensive
back Phil Nash said. "With 112,000 people in the stands, it is
like a 12th man."
The addition of 5,000 seats during the offseason raised the
official capacity to 107,501, making the Big House the largest
college-owned stadium in the country.
Michigan became the first defending national champion to lose
its first two games since Penn State started 0-3 in 1983.
"When the ship sinks, it goes down fast," offensive tackle Jon
Jansen said. "We have to find out where those holes are and get
them patched fast.
Lloyd Carr hopes his team can rebound like the team that started 0-2 in 1988, that team finished 9-2-1 after a victory over USC in the Rose Bowl AP | |
"If you had told me this summer that we'd be 0-2 at this point,
I'd have said there was no way."
Tom Brady tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Tai Streets in the
second quarter. Michigan added three scores in the final seven
minutes against Syracuse's reserves.
"We were surprised they didn't come out with more emotion and
try to fight back more," Syracuse defensive back Jason Poles said.
"We knew we could play with them. We knew we were a good team, but
we expected it to be a bit closer."
Syracuse, apparently brimming with confidence after watching
tapes of the Wolverines' 36-20 loss to an option attack at Notre
Dame in their opener, took command right from the start.
Syracuse won the coin toss and elected to take the ball - and
McNabb quickly took command of the game. The Orangemen scored the
most points against Michigan since Florida State beat the
Wolverines 51-31 in 1991.
On the opening drive, McNabb completed all five of his passes
for 39 yards and ran twice for 17 yards in a 78-yard, 11-play
drive. Kevin Johnson scored the touchdown on a 6-yard run for a 7-0
lead.
"I expected Syracuse to take the ball," Michigan coach Lloyd
Carr said. "They probably felt they could mount a drive and
establish some field position -- and that's exactly what they did.
They thought they knew what they could do, and they did it."
On Michigan's second snap of the game, David Byrd intercepted
Brady's first pass attempt, giving Syracuse the ball at the
Wolverines' 31 yard line.
Three plays later McNabb found Rob Konrad wide open in blown
coverage. Konrad caught the ball in the left flat and went in
untouched to complete a 26-yard scoring play. The Orangemen were up
14-0 and there was still 8:28 left in the first quarter.
| |
Flag day: J.R. Johnson paraded on the turf of Michigan Stadium after the Orangemen's dominating win AP |
The Wolverines failed to make a first down on their second
possession and Syracuse needed only six plays to score again.
McNabb, who completed his first eight passes, hit Stephen Brominski
for a 28-yard gain in a 44-yard drive that ended in Nate Trout's
33-yard field goal.
Michigan got a break when Trout missed a 35-yard attempt after
McNabb drove the Orangemen to Michigan's 18 yard line on their next
possession.
But McNabb wasn't finished.
His greatest play probably came with 5:36 left in the second
quarter on an apparent pass play. McNabb brought the ball down,
then zigged and zagged his way through a broken field for a 17-yard
touchdown run that left defenders flat on their faces all over the
field. Defensive back Marcus Ray was the last to miss him, near the
goal line, as Syracuse took a 24-0 lead.
"You blitz him and he just turns into Superman," Ray said.
"He makes guys miss him."
McNabb tossed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Johnson and a 9-yard
touchdown pass to Konrad, building a 38-7 lead, in the third
quarter.
"He is the head of that football team," Ray said. "He's a
great leader. But, I'll tell you, he had a lot of help today.
That's a great football team over there."
Walter Cross, who had a 56-yard run, scored on runs of 1 and 5
yards for Michigan. Drew Henson added a 16-yard touchdown pass to
Marcus Knight with three seconds left.
The last time Michigan started 0-2 was in 1988. That team went
on a tear, finishing 9-2-1 after a victory over USC in the Rose
Bowl.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
MULTIMEDIA
