Schembechler Revisits Strategy

Asked to predict the outcome of today’s Rose Bowl game between Michigan and Texas, former Wolverine coach Bo Schembechler got old-school.

“I don’t know how the game will come out,” he said this week at Home Depot Center. “But one thing I do know is that the team that can do the best job of stopping the run will win, if it doesn’t have turnovers or make mistakes.”

However, the man whose Michigan teams went 194-48-5 from 1969 to 1989 acknowledged that by “stopping” the run he no longer felt that meant holding the opponent to fewer than 100 yards, a target for many teams back in his day.

That would be an unrealistic goal today, he said, especially against Texas, which has dual running threats in running back Cedric Benson and quarterback Vince Young.

“But I’ll tell you this,” Schembechler said, “if Texas gets 300 yards rushing, they will win the game. You can’t give up 300 yards rushing and expect to win.”

The Longhorns, second in the nation in rushing, are averaging 302 yards a game. Benson is averaging 160 yards.

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Another speaker was former Texas coach Darrell Royal, whose Longhorn teams went 167-47-5 and won three national championships from 1957 to 1976.

Asked about critics who contend the Rose Bowl game should be reserved for Big Ten and Pacific 10 champions, he thought for a moment before replying:

“I just hope they get over it, because we’re damn glad to be here.”

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Asked how many rushing yards the Wolverine defense would like to hold Benson to, linebacker Roy Manning said it would ideally be well below his average.

“I don’t want to put a number on it,” the fifth-year senior said. “But we try to keep guys down as much as we can and that’s where the challenge lies for this game.”

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Cornerback Marlin Jackson, whose physical play against receivers is one of his trademarks, also figures to be instrumental in helping to limit the running effectiveness of Benson and Young.

“I’ve got to be ready to come up and support the run [defense] at any time,” he said. “Not only that, but I have to be careful of not biting on the play-action [pass]. We also have to be ready for the passing situation at all times. But we’re ready for it. We’re prepared for anything they’re going to throw at us.”

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Jackson, reflecting on his four years as a Wolverine, including a rocky 2003 season in which he was suspended for one game after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge and missed several others because of injuries:

“Basically, my transformation was from a boy to a young man, going through life and life’s lessons. And growing up not only on the football field but off the field as well, and becoming a better person as well as a better player.”