Wolverines Burn Rice, 38-7

A pattern may be developing with the No. 3-ranked Michigan Wolverines, who play UCLA next Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Either they start with the flourish, or finish with one.

Against Rice, the Wolverines were cooking in the first quarter, scoring a school-record 28 points in a 38-7 nonconference victory Saturday at Ann Arbor, Mich.

A week earlier, they scored 21 fourth-quarter points in a 42-7 rout of Bowling Green.

The star against Rice was Anthony Thomas, who ran for 131 yards and scored two of Michigan’s four first-quarter touchdowns. He has now scored in 10 consecutive games.

So Thomas was pleased, right? Wrong.

“I’m not satisfied,” he said afterward, having scored a touchdown in 10 consecutive games. “I’m all right with what we’re doing so far, but obviously we can get better.”

Bettering their first quarter might be difficult. They scored on their first four possessions to break the school record of 24 first-quarter points against Northwestern in 1991.

John Navarre, a redshirt freshman starting his second consecutive game for injured Drew Henson, completed 10 of 15 passes for 129 yards. His three first-half touchdowns--two to Marquise Walker--helped stake Michigan to a 35-0 lead over the Owls (1-1).

David Terrell finished with 93 yards on five catches in the second meeting between the two schools. In defeating Rice, 37-3, last season, Michigan kept the Owls from crossing midfield until their final drive.

Rice didn’t fare much better Saturday.

Quarterback Corey Evans fumbled the game’s first snap, and Michigan needed only 10 seconds and two play to get its first touchdown--a 10-yard run by Thomas.