Houston's Kolb, Middleton to test Wolverine secondary
By Courtney Lewis
Michigan Daily
(U-WIRE) ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Last weekend against Central Michigan, the Michigan defense had a surprisingly tough time stopping the run. The linebackers vowed to improve -- and fast -- but tomorrow it will probably be the secondary that is tested against Houston.
With true freshman quarterback Kevin Kolb directing the offense, the Cougars aired it out in their thumping of Rice last Saturday. Houston put up 48 points and Kolb was responsible for more than half of them.
The quarterback connected on 17-of-22 passes for 246 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and added two more on the ground.
Receiver Brandon Middleton comes into Michigan Stadium having caught at least one pass in each of his last 28 games. He totaled 122 yards in just four catches against Rice, including 47- and 55-yard touchdown receptions.
Houston is developing another receiving threat in redshirt freshman Vincent Marshall, who snagged eight passes for 95 yards in his collegiate debut last weekend.
While the Cougars' offense didn't show its youth last Saturday, tomorrow could be a different story. Michigan fifth-year senior Norman Heuer knows how intimidating a player's first game at the Big House can be.
"I know how I felt when I was a freshman in front of 110,000 [people], and I was not even playing," said Heuer, who didn't have the whole stadium cheering against him, as Kolb will. "For us as a defensive group, we have to get after [Kolb] and force him to make some bad throws and just hit him as much as we can."
Houston runs what Michigan coach Lloyd Carr described as "a very unorthodox offense." Carr said he expects to see a no-huddle offense that uses five wideouts or four wideouts and a tight end.
"It's a good scheme," Carr said. "We're going to have another challenge defensively in terms of no-huddling and being able to substitute and find out where people are."
The Wolverines expect the Cougars to throw the ball often, but Houston's offense is not totally one-sided. Michigan back David Underwood grew up in Madisonville, Texas, and has played with Cougars tailback Anthony Edwards.
"He's fast and quick," Underwood said. "He's got great moves and can shake you in the open field. If he gets loose, he can take it to the house. He's gotten a lot bigger since high school, so I assume he's a lot stronger and can probably break more tackles now."
Carr said shutting down Houston's offense starts in the trenches.
"What we have to be able to do is continue to control the line of scrimmage," Carr said. "Any time you can control the line of scrimmage, that's really where it all begins, because if you can, you have an opportunity to put yourself in good down and distance situations."
Michigan's defense should get a boost from safeties Marlin Jackson and Ernest Shazor. Jackson, who pleaded guilt to an aggravated assualt charge last month, returns from a one-game suspension. Carr would not say if Jackson will start or come off the bench. Shazor, who dressed against Central Michigan but did not play for disciplinary reasons, will play tomorrow and is listed first on the depth chart.
© 2002 Michigan Daily via U-WIRE
