Northern Connections

University of Michigan alumni isn't the only group returning to Ann Arbor, Mich., for Homecoming this weekend.\nWhen the Hoosiers and Wolverines meet at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Michigan Stadium, coach Cam Cameron, several players and two assistants are also returning home.\nIU has 16 players on its roster who played high school football in Michigan. The Hoosiers have more players on their rosters from Michigan than any other state, except Indiana. Ohio ranks third with 12 players on the roster and Florida and Kentucky are tied for fourth with seven.\nCameron started his coaching career as a graduate assistant under legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler in 1984. In 1986, Cameron became a full-time assistant, coaching the Wolverines' wide receivers and quarterbacks. He was part of six Big Ten championship teams and two Rose Bowl winners at Michigan.\nDefensive line coach Ted Daisher and outside linebackers coach Dick Flynn also have connections to the state. Daisher graduated from Western Michigan in 1978 and started his coaching career at Kalamazoo Christian High School. Flynn graduated from Michigan State in 1973 and was the head coach at Central Michigan in 1994-99.\nReserve freshman punter Tyson Picken is the lone Hoosier from Ann Arbor. Five players come from Detroit and two from Grand Rapids, while the others come from smaller towns such as Redford, Lansing, Troy, West Bloomfield, Hadley, Plymouth, Redford and Bloomfield Hills.\n"I love to go back to Michigan and play,\" said sophomore left tackle A.C. Myler, who is from Detroit. "It's extra special to go back to Michigan and have a chance to play against some guys I played against in high school."\nUnlike most kids attending high school in Detroit, Myler wasn't a big Michigan or Michigan State fan. Instead, Myler spent much of his childhood in South Carolina rooting for Clemson.\n"I didn't hate Michigan, but they weren't my team," Myler said. "A lot of times I rooted against Michigan because everybody else rooted for them. A lot of my friends are die-hard Michigan fans."\nMyler is one of the three Hoosiers with Michigan connections who will play a significant role Saturday. Junior defensive end Kemp Rasmussen and redshirt freshman linebacker Scott Genord should also see extensive playing time. Genord is normally a reserve, but senior linebacker Joslin Goodman's thumb injury could allow Genord to see more action than normal.\n"I'm looking forward to going home," Rasmussen said. "Two years ago, we were at Michigan and Michigan State. It's a good time. You get to see your family members after the game. You get to have a big fan section."\nWhile many Hoosier players will have their own cheering blocks Saturday, IU is in enemy territory. Whatever noise the Hoosier fans could create might be quickly drowned out by the expected 110,000 Wolverine fans at the "Big House."\nThe Hoosiers managed to play tough against the Wolverines in their last trip to Ann Arbor in 1998, before losing 21-10. That game was also played on Homecoming. Last year, the Wolverines defeated the Hoosiers 34-31 at Memorial Stadium in the final minutes.\n"This is, by far, the best and most-talented team we've played so far this season," Cameron said. "We've got to focus on what we need to do with our ball club."\nA dream day for Rasmussen, Myler, Cameron and the other Hoosiers would include bouncing back from last week's disappointing 52-33 defeat at Northwestern on national television -- Saturday's game is being carried live by ABC -- and upsetting the Wolverines in their own stadium. But the odds are stacked against the Hoosiers. IU has defeated Michigan twice in the teams' last 27 meetings, and IU hasn't won in Ann Arbor since 1967.\n"This is a huge opportunity for us," Rasmussen said. "We played Michigan tough the last two years. I'm expecting to go up there and play them tough again. It's an ABC game against Michigan in the 'Big House.' It doesn't get much tougher than this"