Record-Setting Taylor Receives MVP Honor

Taylor

Record-Settin

Receives MVP Honor

Wi

By Wayne DeNeff

Billy Taylor, who else?

That has to be the answer
to the question of who was
Mi fh iron's most valuable
iir the 1971 season.

T^'lur, the senior from
Barberton, Ohio, whose ca-
reer rushing record of 2,990
yards toppled records previ-
ously held by All-Americans
Ron Johnson and Tom Har-
mon.

Tayor's teammates showed
their affection and high re-
gard last night by naming
him the most valuable player
of a team which won the
Big Ten championship, went
undefeated (11-0) and won the
big games on its schedule,
Michigan State and Ohio
State.

Goals still remaining are a
victory over Stanford in the
Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 and all
they themselves can possibly
do toward being named na-
tional champs.

"There is nobody I would
rather see with the ball under
his arm than Billy Taylor,"
said Coach Bo Schembechler
a number of times during the
season and the Wolverines
echoed that sentiment last
night. They particularly liked
the manner in which Taylor
covered those last 21 yards in
the come-from-behind, 10-7,
victory over Ohio State in the
closing minutes on Saturday.

Taylor was the top ball-car-
rier on a team which empha-
sized the run like no other
team in Michigan history.

He also set a Michigan ca-
reer record of 555 rushing at-
tempts.

This year he carried 217

BILLY TAYLOR

times for 1,215 yards and an
average of 5.6 yards per car-
ry. He scored 13 touchdowns
to run his career record to 32,
one short of Harmon's total.

Here is a rundown on other

PincJkney Places
2 On All-League

Two members of the Pinck-
ney High football team have
been named to the all-Ingham
County League squad.

They are Scott Towsley,
who was chosen as a defen-
sive lineman, and Dave Beck-
man, a linebacker. Bath, Per-
ry and Fowlerville dominated
the selections with five play-
ers each named to the team.

The Pirates finished the
season with a 2-6 record, win-
ning their last two after los-
ing six in a row.

records set by the 1971 Wol- |
verines. |

Individual records:

NCAA . . . consecutive extra
points kicked, 54 hv Dana Coin
(old record, I Lima-
helu of San ...to^ State in
1969).

Big Ten Season . . . Extra
points kicked, 36 of 36 by Coin
(old record, 31 of 35 by Mar-
cos Melendez of Iowa in 1968).

Michigan Career . . . Most
field goal, 12 by Coin (ties rec-
ord set by Tim Killian in 1969).

Michigan Season . . . Most
punts returned, 26 by Bruce
Elliott (old record, 22 by Lo-
well Perry in 1951).

-Most points after touch-
is; vvn kicked, 54 of 54 by Coin
told record, 52 of 57 by Jim
Prieske in 1947).

—Most field goals, seven
by Coin (tied record set by
Tim Kililan in 1969).

Michigan Single Game —
Most points after touchdown
kicked, nine of nine by Coin
(ties record set by Brieske in
1947).

Team records:

Big Ten Season — Rushing
attempts per game, 69.2 (old
record, 65.7 by Ohio State in
1969).

—Average rushing yards per
game, 341.8 (old record, 320.4
by Ohio State in 1968).

Michigan Season — First
downs, 255 (old record, 242 in
1969).

—Rushing first downs, 213
(old record, 154 in '' '

—Rushing alien; r ; ^old
record, 668 in 1969).

—Rushing yards, 3,714 (old
record, 2,916 in 1969).

—Most points scored: 409
(old record, 394 in 1947).