Michigan's Challenge: 'Get The Football!'

MICHIGAN’S CHALLENGE: ‘GET THE FOOTBALL!’

Ball-Controlling Badgers Here Saturday

By Wayne DeNeff

“Get the football!”

That, no doubt, will have to be Michigan’s primary objective on Saturday when it takes on Wisconsin in a game which will keep the victor in the thick of the struggle for the Big Ten title and enhance its chances of playing in the Rose Bowl.

The Wolverines and Badgers stand 2-1 in the conference—in a five-way tie for second place behind unbeaten Ohio State (3-0).

Wisconsin’s victories over improving Iowa (23-17) and title-challenging Indiana (36-34) were based largely on ball control. And this would appear to be the No. 1 challenge for the Wolverines on Saturday—to keep the ball themselves or get it back quickly against a team which ran 97 plays to 61 for Iowa and 94 plays to 72 for Indiana.

It was said before the season started that the Badgers, who had finished last in the Big Ten in 1967 and 1968, would turn the corner in 1969 and that’s exactly what has happened.

Following losses to a couple of the nation’s better football teams, Oklahoma (48-21) and UCLA (34-23), and then Syracuse (43-7), the Badgers upended Iowa and Indiana sandwiched around another surprise, a 27-7 loss to Northwestern.

There is no doubt about the Badgers’ ability to run, pass and catch the football, in fact they are a lot like the Hawkeyes and Hoosiers in that respect, while the defense has some catching up to do.

The Badgers do a good job of controlling the football through the running of sophomore fullback Alan Thompson (646 yards in 141 carries) and senior tailback Joe Dawkins (453 yards in 79 carries) and the slick passing of sophomore quarterback Neil Graff (61 completions in 128 attempts for 705 yards and six touchdowns).

Dawkins is coming into Ann Arbor with his finest game as a Badger just behind him.

He ripped the Hoosiers for 129 yards in 20 carries—including a 56-yard dash—plus catching a nine-yard scoring pass.

Thompson gained 100 yards in 18 tries and reeled off one run of 43 yards. He also was on the receiving end of a TD pass covering 17 yards.

Graff, recruited by Coach John Coatta from Sioux Falls, S.D., also had his finest day by completing 13 of 20 passes for 229 yards and four TDs, setting an all-time Wisconsin school record.

Graff also will run the ball when he has to and carried 26 yards in eight tries.

Graff’s favorite target is the veteran end Mel Reddick who has 22 catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns but Graff, 6-3 and 190 pounds, also has connected with eight other receivers indicating a diversified aerial attack as well as a good mixture of passing and running.

Playing against the Hoosiers in one of the wildest games so far this collegiate season, Reddick caught four passes for 64 yards and end Stu Voight nailed three passes for 48 yards. Sophomore Al Hannah, Reddick’s replacement, had four catches for 91 yards and two TDs.

Admittedly, the Badgers had a couple of sub-par performances against Syracuse and Northwestern but otherwise they’ve been advancing the ball for lots of yardage against some pretty good teams.