Michigan coach confident QB will learn from mistakes

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2005 | 10:02 a.m.

SUN WIRE SERVICES

Chad Henne took his medicine Saturday.

Michigan's sophomore quarterback faced the media after the 17-10 loss to Notre Dame and admitted he caused many of the offense's mistakes.

On Monday, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr examined Henne's afternoon, pointing out that he did not follow the offense correctly, failing to look to different receivers often enough.

"That's very, very unlike him," Carr said. "But he's a sophomore. I think we're all surprised. I was surprised. And yet, I shouldn't be. He's a young kid.

"We are a different football team without Michael Hart in there. Michael Hart's really special, so Chad had some people in different positions in there. He didn't have Massaquoi. There's an inexperience factor that impacted him.

"He made some great plays. He'll settle down, and he'll learn from this."

Tailback Mike Hart left Saturday's game with a hamstring injury. Tight end Tim Massaquoi didn't play because of a broken arm.

Henne finished 19-for-44 passing for 223 yards and threw a costly interception at the Irish 1 on the second half's opening drive. His best throw probably came on a 25-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown to freshman Mario Manningham.

Henne also mishandled a snap at the Notre Dame 1, fumbling into the end zone for a turnover.

"He knows exactly what he did wrong," said Carr, who said he never considered taking out Henne. "The interception to start the third quarter, his first read was the tight end. The tight end was almost immediately a no. Had he (decided) no and gone to the second read, Jason Avant was wide open.

"But he forced the ball. The best will do that, the best. That's what he did."

Alonzo Horton, a New Orleans native, said he learned Sunday night that his family members were alive after calling a cousin to tell them of the boys' deaths.

Bobby Moreau was the official who made a controversial personal foul call against Gators receiver Dallas Baker in the closing moments of the Vols' dramatic 30-28 win in Knoxville.

Officials also mistakenly stopped the game clock after the penalty with 55 seconds left in the contest, which gave Tennessee more time to drive for James Wilhoit's game-winning 50-yard field goal with 6 seconds to play.