COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL REPORT : ROSE

Howard will be the seventh Heisman Trophy winner to play in the Rose Bowl. Three were on winning teams--USC’s Charles White in 1980, Stanford’s Jim Plunkett in 1971 and Georgia’s Frankie Sinkwich in 1943.

Losers were Ohio State’s Archie Griffin in 1975 and ’76 and USC’s O.J. Simpson in 1969.

Greg Skrepenak, Michigan’s 322-pound offensive tackle, also was recruited by several other schools as a 6-foot-8 basketball center.

“I decided on football when I realized that instead of growing taller, I was growing wider,” he said.

“It’ll be like two trucks smashing head on into one another,” Michigan linebacker Brian Townsend said of the impending competition battle along the line of scrimmage between Washington the Huskies and the Wolverines.

Michigan’s line has given up only nine sacks in its last 23 games, covering two seasons. By contrast, the Wolverine defenders have made 27 sacks this season, with Townsend getting a team-high six.