MICHIGAN'S HART AND SOUL DIMINUTIVE HALFBACK PUTS UP BIG NUMBERS.Byline: KEVEN CHAVEZ Staff Writer BEVERLY HILLS Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. - With a Rose Bowl championship and a potential top-two national ranking on the line Monday afternoon, the Michigan football team will be thinking big this New Year's Day New Year's Day, among ancient peoples the first day of the year frequently corresponded to the vernal or autumnal equinox, or to the summer or winter solstice. In the Middle Ages it was celebrated among Christians usually on Mar. 25. . USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. has similar goals in mind. But the Trojans, and their defense in particular, are thinking small. Small -- as in a 5-foot-9, 198-pound force named Mike Hart, who has zipped, dipped and darted through defenses the past three seasons as the Wolverines' featured running back. ``He's a real small guy; he hits the holes hard,'' USC linebacker Keith Rivers Keith Rivers (born May 5, 1986) is an American football linebacker from Lake Mary, Florida. Rivers plays college football for the University of Southern California Trojans. College Career USC linebacker coach Ken Norton, Jr. said. ``He's a really smart running back with a good fullback in front of him.'' Trojans linebacker Oscar Lua Oscar Lua (born May 9, 1984 in Indio, California) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. High school career Lua attended Indio High in Indio, California. said: ``He looks practically untacklable sometimes when he's in the hole. They swarm on him, but he just bounces off like a pinball.'' Hart, a junior who has already stated his intention to remain in school for his senior season, has always been a bit smaller than the rest of the pack. But behind Michigan's gargantuan gar·gan·tu·an adj. Of immense size, volume, or capacity; gigantic. See Synonyms at enormous. gargantuan Adjective huge or enormous [after Gargantua, a giant in Rabelais' offensive line and its effective zone- blocking technique, he's been able to use his size to his advantage. The blockers slide, Hart picks his spots, and he's gone. Well, he might leave behind a word or two for those fallen defenders. ``When he's excited and when he's talking and being all hyper,'' Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long
Jake Edward Long (born May 9, 1985) is an American football offensive tackle for the Michigan Wolverines. said, ``that`s when everybody on the offense and the whole team really feeds off that, and it just gets going.'' Hart, a Syracuse, N.Y., native, has been going all season, rushing for 1,515 yards and 14 touchdowns, both career highs. He's the only back in the nation to rush for at least 90 yards in every game this season, and he finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy Heisman Trophy Annual award given to the outstanding college gridiron football player in the U.S. The trophy was instituted in 1935 by New York City's Downtown Athletic Club and was officially named the following year for the club's first athletic director, the player-coach . They're very big accolades for such a small guy. ``I've always been small,'' Hart said. ``I've never played as a big player so I don't think it's hindered me. I guess me being a small back I've had to work harder than the bigger backs to show people I can go out there and be as good.'' Hart became Michigan's primary running back in just his third game as a freshman. He rushed for 1,455 yards that season and was the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year. Even in an injury-interrupted sophomore season in 2005, Hart has been the focal point focal point n. See focus. of the Wolverines' offense. And in a run-oriented offense like Michigan's, it's easy to see why opponents are so worried about a Hart attack. ``We're concerned about their running game because they do it so well,'' USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt said. ``They stay with it and stay with it, and they pick at you, pick at you, and you might be effective against them for a while, but lo and behold you break down and they'll get you.'' Despite all of Hart's big accomplishments, there have been occasions in which he -- just like his team -- has come up small. Michigan is 0-3 in its past three bowl games, including Rose Bowl losses to USC in 2004 and Texas in '05 and an Alamo Bowl loss to Nebraska lastseason. Hart played in the most recent twolosses, gaining just 83 rushing yards against Texas and 74 against Nebraska. His yards-per-carry average in bowl games (3.9) is down one full yard from his career average (4.9), and he's yet to score a touchdown in postseason play. ``You work so hard for something four or five weeks on one team,'' Hart said. ``I want to win all the time but especially in a bowl game.'' It's not that Hart is hung up on his individual statistics, but he's well-aware of his role of offensive sparkplug spark·plug tr.v. spark·plugged, spark·plug·ging, spark·plugs Informal To inspire or energize (an endeavor, for example). . Michigan has a 17-2 record when Hart rushes for 100 yards. ``As long as we win, that's cool,'' Hart said. ``But obviously I want to rush for more than 100 yards because it gives the team a better chance to win.'' keven.chavez@sgvn.com (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2239 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Mike Hart is looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. his first bowl victory with Michigan as it plays USC on Monday at the Rose Bowl. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images |
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