University of Virginia Library

Wolverines Overwhelming

Michigan Embarrasses Cavaliers, 56-0

By RANDY WERT

by Saxon Holt

Sophomore Kent Merritt Returned Two Kickoffs For 41 Yards Each Against The Wolverines

Dancing, Darting Runs Few And Far Between Bright Moments In Last Weekend's 56-0 Game

Virginia's gridiron ego
learned a lesson in flexibility in
Ann Arbor Saturday as the
Wahoos absorbed a relentless
56-0 pounding at the hands of
the powerful University of
Michigan.

Billy Maxwell kicked off to
the Michigan four yard line to
open the game but sophomore
signal caller Kevin Casey
proceeded to drive the home
team 86 yards in 14 plays in a
series which consumed eight
minutes of the first period. One
of Michigan's five attempted
passes clicked for a key first
down on a third and four
situation on the Wahoo 42
yardline. All-American
candidate Billy Taylor took it
in from ten yards out for the
first of his two touchdowns to
open Michigan's offensive
onslaught.

Probably one of the few
bright spots in Virginia's
afternoon was second year
running back Kent Merritt's
two 41-yard kickoff returns.
The first came the initial time
the Cavaliers received the ball
when Merritt gave Virginia
excellent field position on its
own 45. Greg Dickerhoof,
leading rusher for the 'Hoos'
with 48 yards, went over right
guard for eight on second
down, but Harrison Davis threw
out of bounds over the head of
Brian Kitchen to force the first
of eight Maxwell punts.

Although the Virginia
defense held Michigan on its
next series, Dickerhoof
fumbled on the first play from
scrimmage after the punt to set
up a 29 yard ramble to the
Cavalier eight. Taylor again got
the touchdown call and Dana
Coin notched the second of
eight placements he was to
successfully convert.

Three more scores went on
Michigan's side of the board in
the wild second quarter as Fritz
Seyferth went one yard to cap
a ten play drive from the
Wolverine 38. On its next
possession, Michigan went 68
yards with second string Tom
Slade at the controls,
Ed Shuttlesworth going in from
four yards out with only
fourteen seconds remaining in
the half.

At this point, Michigan,
which manages to feature one
freak scoring play each game,
came up with the "game breaker
of the week" as the Cavalier
deep backs watched the kickoff
bounce into the end zone while
Dave Elliot recovered the free
ball for the fifth Wolverine TD
without the clock ever having
moved.

Sophomore tailback Harry
Banks scored touchdowns from
four and five yards in the third
period to swell the score to
49-0 as the Wolverines went 54
yards in five plays and then
went in from the Virginia 46
after a 19 yard punt return.