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BARRY SOLLENBERGER Sollenberger in Paradise |
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BOULDER, Colo. - For a minute, it seemed like 1994 all over again.
Kordell Stewart had snuck in at quarterback for Colorado. Michael Westbrook was in the slot at wide receiver. And Gary Moeller patrolled the sidelines.
For many Michigan fans, their memory of the Michigan-Colorado rivalry centered on one play.
Stewart back to pass (again) ... he heaves it into the end zone (again) ... the ball is tipped (again) ... it's caught by Westbrook for the touchdown (again)!
But in reality, it didn't happen. For Michigan fans, Hail Mary part I is now just a bad memory.
On Hail Mary part II, the actors were different. And so was the result.
Quarterback Koy Detmer's desperation heave in the direction of receiver Rae Carruth fell incomplete. And bonehead Michigan coaching - this time by Lloyd Carr - did not cost the Wolverines a victory over the Buffaloes.
"I was thinking, 'Here we go again,'" Carr said of the final play. "The ball went up in the air, and I held my breath."
Michigan quarterback Scott Dreisbach took the blame for giving the Buffaloes one last chance. He fell on the ball on fourth down at the Michigan 37 yard-line, turning the ball over and stopping the clock with five seconds left. But it is Carr's responsibility to make sure his quarterback knows that the clock stops on every change of possession.
But by whatever means, the Wolverines won the ballgame. They beat the No. 5 team in the nation on its home turf. They stuffed one of the most potent offenses in the nation. And they exorcised at least some of the ghosts that have haunted them since September 24, 1994 - the date of Hail Mary I.
But most importantly, the Wolverines, 8 1/2-point underdogs coming into Folsom Field, changed the direction of their season by stunning the Buffaloes.
Before Saturday, Michigan had shown no signs that it would be able to improve on the four-loss seasons of the past three years. The Wolverines were sluggish in their opener, a 20-8 win over Illinois two weeks ago. Southern Cal showed just how unimpressive Michigan's victory was by destroying the Illini in Champaign, 55-3, last weekend.
Many thought the Wolverines were headed for blowout city in Colorado. The Buffaloes appeared likely to go 11-0 or 10-1, depending on their game at Nebraska.
Now the Wolverines will hear the national championship chatter again. The win vaulted them into The Associated Press top 10 and, with a glance at the schedule, optimistic Michigan fans have the Wolverines at 9-0 when Penn State comes to town Nov. 16.
But if you are Carr, that's looking way too far ahead.
"We have a long way to go, and a lot of improving to do," he said. "This is a big win, and now everybody's going to tell us how good we are."
Carr is right to be cautious. Just because they beat an excellent team on the road, doesn't mean the Wolverines deserve to be mentioned in the same breath with the Nebraskas and Tennessees of college football.
They still have an inexperienced quarterback behind center and no true stars at the skill positions. But they have a defense. And that was what beat Colorado.
"I just thank God that it came down to the defense to win it," Michigan linebacker Jarrett Irons said. "Just for the record, we used the same defense this time that we did two years ago. If you looked out there today, you saw that we played as a team, not as individuals."
In recent years, Michigan has followed up big victories with disappointing losses. Two years ago, the Wolverines beat Notre Dame and then lost to Colorado. Last season, they beat Ohio State and then fell to Texas A&M.
And while Boston College should pose few problems next weekend, UCLA should be all Michigan can handle Sept. 28. Then the Big Ten season starts for real at Northwestern on Oct. 5.
But the Wolverines aren't worried about any of that right now. They are more concerned with enjoying this victory. A victory that earned them some new-found respect. Respect that was lost with three straight four-loss seasons.
A victory that was two years in the waiting.
"This was definitely one of the biggest wins we will have all year," Michigan tailback Clarence Williams said. "We redeemed ourselves today. I hope when we play Colorado next year, they will show today's play."
Long after Detmer's last-gasp pass had hit the turf, hundreds of Michigan fans stayed to cheer each Wolverine as he got on the bus.
A driving rain had settled in, but that didn't matter.
For them, the Colorado-Michigan rivalry had a new memory. And that was worth the soaking.
Detmer heaves it into the end zone ... the ball is tipped into the air and! ... it's incomplete ... Michigan has stunned Colorado ...
- Barry Sollenberger can be reached over e-mail at jsol@umich.edu