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Sept. 25, 1999 By Dennis Dodd SportsLine Senior Writer |
MADISON, Wis. -- The Big Ten race now comes to down this basic question: Will anyone be left standing?
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| T O P N E W S | |
Check the vacant stare in the eyes of Michigan quarterback Tom Brady. He wobbled off the field in the fourth quarter after being drilled by Wisconsin linebacker Chris Ghidorzi while throwing a pass. Michigan officially listed Brady, who watched the waning minutes of Michigan's 21-16 victory from a tunnel underneath the stands, as "woozy."
Definition: some kind of head injury, though not considered serious.
Wisconsin icon/tailback Ron Dayne was doing a wobbling of a different kind, mostly off the pedestal set up for him by his adoring fans to help him reach the Heisman Trophy. An unimpressive 88 yards -- all in the first half -- and a fumble to set up a Michigan touchdown will do that to a candidacy.
Despite a pounding from the Wolverines, Dayne's body is healthy. The same can't be said of his or his teammates' spirit. Heisman? Gone. Defense of the Big Ten co-championship? Doubtful. No. 20 Wisconsin (2-2) proved that the Cincinnati loss was no fluke and looks unlikely to repeat.
Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez was uncomfortable enough without having to witness the loss confined to the press box for the first time because of his ailing knee. It doesn't get any better when he goes in for a knee replacement in two weeks. No. 4 Michigan (4-0), though, is making it look like 1997 all over again
No Woodson, no Griese, just a bunch of Maize and Blue drones with no apparent stars.
"Heisman, schmeisan," Michigan linebacker Ian Gold said. "It's just an award that goes to, supposedly, the best player in NCAA football for that given year. I'll let the voters decide that."
Michigan's defense decided it with one signature play in the fourth quarter. Trailing 21-9, Wisconsin was driving after an interception. The Badgers reached the Michigan 25, fourth and one. The entire free world knew who was going to get the ball.
Wisconsin ran its one and only option play of the game. Michigan sniffed it out like it had memorized the Wisconsin playbook. Dayne was stuffed for a loss of three.
That was it. Two big hits -- one by Michigan, one by Wisconsin -- basically decided this Big Ten opener. Brady got up. Dayne's team didn't.
"I'd love to see Ron win awards but it's about winning games," Alvarez said.
The stuffing of Dayne told the world with some finality that this year's conference title probably will not go through Madison.
"When you're a running back and defense constantly hits you play after play, I think that takes a toll on you mentally," Gold said. "Definitely, there was something that kicked inside of his (Dayne's) head that said, 'Hey, these guys are getting after me a little bit.' "
Dayne looked ready to pile up some serious numbers after a 34-yard touchdown run cut the Michigan lead to 14-9 3½ minutes before halftime.
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| Michigan holds Ron Dayne to zero yards in the second half. (AP) |
From that point on, things changed drastically. Dayne carried eight more times and netted zero yards.
Dayne's four-touchdown performance against UCLA in the Rose Bowl nine months seemed like a distant memory. Take that game away and Dayne is not exactly a big-game back. Michigan has held him to 141 yards in two games. In 11 career games against ranked teams, Dayne has averaged 95.1 yards per game. He has averaged 137 yards against unranked teams.
"When the defense gets an opportunity to play against maybe one of the most highly touted backs that ever played in the Big Ten, it brought out the best in them," Carr said. "That's the challenge that Ron has because every time he lines up every defense he plays against is trying to do that to him."
Meanwhile, Ghidorzi's fearsome hit leaves Brady's status up in the air, although Michigan coach Lloyd Carr expects him to be ready for Purdue on Saturday.
"He's shaken up," Carr said. "Brady's as tough as they come. He'll be OK."
While he was upright, Brady quietly put up some of the best numbers of his career. Playing almost three quarters, the senior completed 17 of 27 for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns. Carr wouldn't admit it but Brady might have been close to becoming the full-time starter before his injury.
"I'm not saying absolutely anything," said Carr on whether he will go with Brady or alternate him with Drew Henson -- the other half of the two-headed quarterback monster -- next week against Purdue. "I wish they would give me some reason (to go with one)."
Who knows, Ghidorzi's hit might clinch it for Carr. The senior caught Brady in a vulnerable position just as he threw. Brady landed on his left shoulder and stayed prone on the turf for a couple of minutes before slowly being led off the field.
"I got up and he looked a little woozy," Ghidorzi said. "I probably hit him pretty good but I wanted him to get back up. I don't ever want to hurt anybody. I felt bad about hurting him. I hope he's all right."
Brady directed all three scoring drives throwing touchdown passes to Aaron Shea and DiAllo Johnson. Receiver David Terrell scored the other touchdown on a double reverse.
But Henson arrived as scheduled to play the second quarter. He directed an effective 64-yard drive that ended in a blocked field goal.
It was that type of game, a grinder. There were a combined 14 punts, three turnovers and 18 penalties. Not much, it seemed, for either team to feel good about. Except that when Michigan checked its title hopes and starting quarterback, both were left intact.