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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Even after the most prolific opening
quarter in Michigan history, Anthony Thomas saw room for
improvement.
|  | | The Owls had trouble stopping Michigan running back Anthony Thomas, who carried 14 times for 131 yards and two TDs Saturday in the Wolverines' 38-7 victory. |
Thomas, dragging and juking Rice defenders, ran for 131 yards
and scored two first-quarter touchdowns as Michigan rolled to a
record start and 38-7 victory.
"I'm not satisfied," Thomas said afterward, having scored a
touchdown in 10 consecutive games. "I'm all right with what we're
doing so far, but obviously we can get better."
Bettering their opening 15 minutes Saturday might be a hard act
to follow. The Wolverines (2-0) scored 28 points on their first
four possessions, breaking the school record of 24 first-quarter
points against Northwestern in 1991.
John Navarre, a redshirt freshman starting his second straight
game for injured Drew Henson, completed 10 of 15 passes for 129
yards. His three first-half touchdowns -- two to Marquise Walker --
helped stake Michigan to a 35-0 lead over the Owls (1-1).
"We got ahead (quickly)," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "That
was pretty much the game."
David Terrell finished with 93 yards on five catches in the
second meeting between the two schools. In beating Rice 37-3 last
year, Michigan kept the Owls from crossing midfield until their
final drive.
Rice didn't fare much better Saturday.
Owls quarterback Corey Evans fumbled away the game's first snap,
and Michigan needed just 10 seconds and two plays -- runs of 8 and
10 yards by Thomas -- to reach the end zone.
After Ron Bellamy returned a punt 48 yards to Rice's 36, Navarre
capped a 56-second, three-play drive with a 6-yard scoring pass to
Walker.
"We gave up 14 points before we could move," said Rice coach
Ken Hatfield, who hoped to control the ball to keep Michigan's
offense off the field. "We had a good game plan -- it just didn't
work.
"They didn't turn it over or give us chances."
On Michigan's next possession, in fact, Navarre threw 20 yards
to Terrell, and Thomas rumbled 27 yards on the next play to make it
21-0.
And Michigan was off and running, just the way Walker said the
Wolverines had mapped out.
"We were focused on getting a quick start and came out with
that mind set and did it," he said.
Michigan closed out its first-quarter blitz with a 65-yard,
eight-play drive. Thomas had two 15-yard runs, and Navarre an
11-yard TD pass to Walker.
Navarre hit Terrell again from 20 yards out to make it 35-0 with
16 seconds left in the half.
Navarre, the Big Ten's offensive player of the week after
throwing four touchdown passes in the season-opening victory
against Bowling Green, has completed 74 percent of his passes and
tossed seven touchdowns with no interceptions in two games.
Without speculating when Henson might return, Carr said he's
quite pleased with the two-sport star's stand-in.
Carr credits Navarre with adapting well to the Owls' defensive
nuances and handling pressure in the pocket, including taking a
teeth-jarring hit after tossing one touchdown.
That play, Carr said, "he just stood in there, looked right
down the barrel and threw (before being knocked to the turf). That
said a lot about the way he played."
Hayden Epstein closed out Michigan's scoring with a 27-yard
third-quarter field goal.
Rice's only score came on a 68-yard touchdown pass from
quarterback Ben Wulf -- a converted running back -- to Adrian Sadler
with 7:10 to play. It was the Owls' first touchdown pass of the
season and accounted for a chunk of the Owls' 271 total yards, 164
of it coming on the ground.
While calling Michigan a national contender, Evans said the Owls
will benefit from lumps taken Saturday.
"Playing a team like this can only help make us better," he
said.
Michigan plays at UCLA next Saturday before opening the Big Ten
season at Illinois. Rice returns home to play Tulsa in its WAC
opener.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Rice Clubhouse
Michigan Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Anthony Thomas fights his way 10 yards for the touchdown.
avi: 569 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Anthony Thomas show why they call him the "A-Train" on this 27-yard TD run for Michigan.
avi: 688 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
John Navarre throws 20 yards to David Terrell for the touchdown.
avi: 580 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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