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'Bo' Worries About Iowa, Not Pasadena

'Bo' Worries About Iowa, Not Pasadena image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
November
Year
1969
Copyright
Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Michigan's Rose Bowl hopes got a big boost, here, yesterday, but Bo Schembechler says there'll be no thinking about the Bowl for the Wolverines until after next Saturday's game with Iowa in Iowa City.
"Iowa is a very dangerous club," said the Michigan coach following the record-setting thrashing of Illinois, 57-0.
"We aren't going to think about Rose Bowl until after the Iowa game. Ohio, Purdue and Michigan all have two tough final games. It's going to be an interesting finish."
The game ball went to sophomore Bruce Elliott whose 40-yard touchdown run with an intercepted pass brought on as much cheering from what was left of the 35,270 fans as if Illinois had done the scoring.
Elliott, son of former Michigan All-America quarterback Pete Elliott who coached the Illini for seven years, played his high school ball here.
"Bruce's interception and run excited our guys more than anything in the game," said Schembechler.
"He's a great kid. A good football player and a real competitor.
"I can sympathize with Jim Valek (Illinois coach)," said Schembechler. "In 1957 I was an assistant at Northwestern and we didn't win a game all year. It was awful."
Illinois' losing streak now has stretched to 10, counting two games at the end of last season.
Over in the Illinois dressing room, Valek was understandably glum, both about the game with Michigan and the next two games on the Illini schedule with Indiana and Iowa.
"You might as well put our whole squad on the injury list," said Valek. "We had 11 players injured in the first half and seven others in the second - 18 different players overall."
Valek called the motorcycle accident on Friday which resulted in a broken jaw and surgery for linebacker Bruce Erb, a damaging blow.
"Erb's accident triggered a chain reaction," said Valek.
"First thing we did Friday was move Oscar Sliva back to linebacker. We had worked all week on plans to use four linebackers against Michigan. Erb goes down, then Veto Santini gets hurt in the first half - then Moe Kelly gets a dislocated shoulder and we end up with Dan Darlington, Rich Kristak, Norris Coleman and Sliva as linebackers in the second half. The first two haven't had game experience at the position and the other two were playing with injuries."
"Losing Erb was demoralizing. The team came to practice Friday in high spirits. Then they heard the news and they're all worrying and talking about how bad their Co-Captain is. They no longer have their minds on the game as they should.
"There's no question, but this is as bad as we've played all season."
Michigan's sophomore tailback Billy Taylor had his third outstanding game, rushing for 155 yards and scoring on an 84-yard scamper.
Junior quarterback Jim Betts, who looked good substituting for Don Moorhead, was the Wolverines' second leading ground gainer with 51yards. He completed six of nine passes for 106 yards while Moorhead had eight of 15 for 90.
"This was a tough game to play - against a team which hasn't won all year," said Schembechler. "It was one you know you should win but you also know you could get upset, too.
"We didn't play well in the first half," he continued, "our defense was not sharp, neither was our offense. With another week of practice we should be in top form. Glenn Doughty is getting better each week."
Michigan's only injury of consequence appears to be guard Bob Baumgartner's knee bruise.
Meanwhile it was also a big game for Michigan fullback Garvie Craw, who scored four touchdowns. He is known as a workhorse who can get the job done in efficient but unspectacular fashion.
His 24 points against the Illini gave him 60 for the year on 10 TD's, tops on the team. But despite Saturday performance, Craw was about as humble as he could be.
"I wouldn't have scored all those touchdowns if the coach didn't call the plays," Craw said.