Michigan Answers, Barely Misses a Beat Without Wheatley : College football: Fill-ins Davis and Biakabutuka score three times in 34-26 victory.

Say this about Michigan’s 34-26 victory against Boston College Saturday: The fifth-ranked Wolverines proved they could win even with one sling tied behind Tyrone Wheatley’s back.

Life without Wheatley, a Heisman Trophy favorite sidelined because of a separated right shoulder, officially began with the Wolverine hero dressed in civvies and perched atop a Michigan Stadium sideline bench. From there he saw Boston College take a 12-0 lead, only to be answered by five consecutive Wolverine touchdowns.

So much for upsets and early talk that Michigan was doomed without Wheatley at tailback. Instead, the Wolverines simply turned to quarterback Todd Collins and wide receiver Amani Toomer for two of the scores, and tailback replacements Ed Davis and “Touchdown” Tshimanga Biakabutuka (otherwise known as Tim) for the three others before a crowd of 105,936.

The visitors never knew what--or who--hit them. Wheatley did. Ever since suffering a shoulder injury Aug. 23, Wheatley had been hyping his backups. Davis was as dependable as a Michigan Stadium sellout, he said, and Biakabutuka, born in Zaire and raised in Longueuil, Canada, was the quickest thing to hit campus since Bo Schembechler’s temper.

He was right, of course. Davis plugged away for 50 yards and two touchdowns, and Biakabutuka finished with 128 yards and one touchdown in 12 carries. Afterward, Wheatley gloated.

“What did I think?” he said. “I think I was excited to see them play more than anyone else.

“They’ve been waiting for this opportunity and they got it.”

Wheatley wouldn’t mind a similar chance this Saturday against third-ranked Notre Dame, but it probably won’t happen. By all accounts--his and teammates’--Wheatley will be sidelined at least until Sept. 24 against Colorado.

“But the tailbacks,” said Collins, “that wasn’t a concern for us.”

You wouldn’t have known it by the opening minutes of the game.

First play: Eagle quarterback Mark Hartsell, making his first start, connected with flanker Greg Grice on a 74-yard touchdown pass play. It was 7-0 before the band played “Victors” for the first time.

Second Michigan offensive series: Wolverine left tackle Trezelle Jenkins nearly wrestles linebacker Kerwin Waldroup to the ground on a third-and-nine situation at the Michigan two-yard line. Since the holding penalty took place in the end zone, Boston College was awarded a safety.

Later, with 10:48 to play in the second quarter, David Gordon kicked a 28-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 12-point lead. You could have heard a pom-pom drop.

Meanwhile, Collins stifled a yawn. Panic? Against this team?

“I hoped we’d get down to Boston College, seven-nothing . . . . 14-nothing,” said Collins, who finished with 17 completions in 24 attempts for 258 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. “The guys didn’t get nervous.”

Instead, they started taking turns throwing to Toomer or handing off to Davis and, a little later, to Biakabutuka. By halftime Michigan was ahead, 14-12. By the end of the third quarter, the score was 21-12. Late in the fourth quarter, it was 34-12.

Toomer did most of the work. He caught seven passes for 179 yards, most of which came after catching the ball. Boston College insisted on playing him man to man, which was fine with Toomer.

“I just don’t think you can play our receivers completely . . . . one on one,” he said. “We’ve proven in the past that it’s not going to happen if you do.”

Boston College tried and look what happened. The Eagles loaded guys on the line and took their chances in the secondary. Maybe they forgot Wheatley was out. Then again, maybe they knew Biakabutuka was in.

Biakabutuka, a sophomore, was minding his business on the Wolverines’ third team when Wheatley suffered the separated shoulder. That’s when Michigan backfield coach Fred Jackson told Biakabutuka that his days as a caddy for Wheatley were temporarily finished.

Biakabutuka felt a fainting spell coming on.

“When Ty got hurt, I got scared,” he said. “When Coach Jackson told me (the news) I said to myself, ‘I got to learn my plays. I got to be more focused in meetings.’ ”

Biakabutuka, whose parents brought him to Canada when he was 6, didn’t know the blocking schemes. He didn’t recognize defenses. He was a little short on subtleties.

But he knew how to run. In fact, there are still Boston College defenders frozen in the Michigan Stadium turf from Biakabutuka’s jukes and moves. Biakabutuka’s average gain on the day: 10.7 yards.

“I got to lay down,” he said afterward. “I’m tired.”

First, he needs to learn a few things about next week’s game against Notre Dame, where he’ll see the ball more than 12 times. A history lesson might be a nice start.

“The first game I saw was Michigan or Notre Dame,” he said proudly. “The ‘Rocket,’ or somebody like that.”

As in, Rocket Ismail, one of the best wide receivers ever to wear an Irish uniform.

And the Gipper?

“What is it?” said Biakabutuka.

Knute Rockne? Frank Leahy?

“Uh, no,” he said, drawing a blank.

Touchdown Jesus?

“I knew Touchdown Jesus,” he said. “That’s basically all I know. You see pictures of Jesus like this (holding his arms outstretched), but he never scores touchdowns.”

Michigan scores them. Lots of them Saturday. And that’s all Boston College knows.

By now, they might even know how to spell Biakabutuka.