Freshman RB Hart chooses jeers over cheers

Michigan's star tailback loves road games.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Some athletes thrive off the energy their fans provide during home games.
Mike Hart is just the opposite.
Michigan's diminutive running back knows he'll be regarded as an enemy Saturday at Ohio State and he's looking forward to the experience.
"I love being booed. To me, there's nothing better than that," Hart said. "I'd rather get booed. It gives me a lot more incentive."
Listed at 5-foot-9 and 194 pounds -- though he might not be that tall or heavy -- Hart is used to being doubted, jeered and taunted.
"I just like going into situations that are against you," he said. "It's probably because of my little size."
If Hart can do what he's done for much of the year for No. 7 Michigan against the Buckeyes, their rowdy fans might be quieted.
Averages
The freshman averages a Big Ten-best 131.1 yards rushing a game -- ranking ninth in the country -- despite carrying the ball just eight times in the first two games and not starting until the fifth game of the season.
He also leads the conference with 150.5 all-purpose yards a game.
"He came in and surprised a lot of people," Ohio State's linebacker, A.J. Hawk, said. "He's a great running back. He's not a huge guy, but he breaks a lot of tackles.
"It's a pretty big challenge to stop a guy like that because if a couple of defensive guys are out of place, he'll find the mistake and hit the crease and make you pay."
Hart ran for 151 yards in Michigan's 42-20 win over Northwestern last week for his school-record fifth straight 150-yard game.
Against the Wildcats, he also moved past Ohio State's Maurice Clarett (1,237 yards) into third place on the Big Ten list for single-season rushing by a freshman. Just Wisconsin's Ron Dayne (2,109) and Minnesota's Darrell Thompson (1,376) ran for more.
Hawk said Hart's vision is similar to Clarett's.
"Both can see the hole and know when to cut it back," Hawk said.
Replacing Perry
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr knew he would have to replace Chris Perry, now an NFL rookie in Cincinnati, but he didn't envision it would be his recruit from upstate New York.
"This is a guy that came out of a very small high school and a lot of people questioned whether his competition was strong enough," Carr said. "I can't say to you that I thought he would be leading the Big Ten in rushing this late in the season, because I didn't. But I didn't have any question that he was the kind of kid that was going to be successful here."
Hart has piled up impressive statistics without the benefit of long runs.
His 34-yard TD last week was his longest run of the year and it was like many of his 33 gains of at least 10 yards. He started up the middle, but ended up bouncing to a hole to the right.
"He has the ability to make the play when the play isn't there," tight end Tim Massaquoi said. "Certain players have that. He sees something that everybody else doesn't."
Hart also doesn't seem to have a big head despite the buzz he's created locally and the publicity he's had nationally.
"I respect him for that," senior defensive end Patrick Massey said. "He is levelheaded and his ego hasn't gotten out of hand."