Game No. 1: Colorado Michigan Stadium Coverage from The Michigan Daily Monday, Sept. 15, 1997

For starters

Michigan's flawless game leaves Buffs without a prayer

	Michigan 27
	Colorado 3

No last-gasp, Hail Mary pass was needed Saturday. With Michigan playing vicious defense and methodical, mostly mistake-free football, Colorado hadn't a prayer to end the game like the previous two between these teams, and the 14th-ranked Wolverines rolled over the eighth-ranked Buffaloes, 27-3, before 106,474 at Michigan Stadium.

Quarterback Brian Griese, a fifth-year senior who wallowed in a backup role most of last season, nearly opted for real life after graduating in May. But he came back, and after he won the starting job from junior Scott Dreisbach this fall, he got the

WARREN ZINN/Daily Michigan running back Chris Howard dives into the end zone for a touchdown against the Buffaloes in the Wolverines' 27-3 victory.

chance to complete 21 of 28 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns while his father, Bob, announced the game nationally on ABC Sports.

His lone interception, which deflected off wide receiver Tai Streets' hands in the first quarter, was Michigan's only turnover of the game.

"I'm very proud of our football team," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "Our defense was outstanding, and offensively, considering we have four young guys in there starting, we made some typical first-game mistakes. But we showed signs that we can have a pretty good offense."

Most of Griese's success came behind a young - and much-penalized - line on high-percentage passes to tight end Jerame Tuman, who had a career-high five receptions for 126 yards. Michigan's dominant defense provided plenty of support, hassling Colorado quarterback John Hessler so badly that he threw four interceptions and was close to throwing more. The Wolverines "could have had eight," said Michigan All-America cornerback, Charles Woodson, who intercepted Hessler to kill the Buffaloes' second drive of the game.

"We got our tails whipped," Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel said. "Things didn't go well, and (the Wolverines) played their butts off. Griese played well, they got the running game going, and the play-action stuff with the tight ends just killed us."

Neuheisel said earlier this week that "nerves were a factor" for Hessler in a 31-21 victory over Colorado State last weekend. And Saturday, before the seventh-largest crowd in Michigan Stadium history, Hessler seemed to buckle. Three of his interceptions led to a combined 17 points for the Wolverines.

"It was a frustrating day," said Hessler, who was 15-of-40 for 141 yards and was sacked three times. "They were all over me."

As Hessler was interviewed after the game, Neuheisel pulled him into a secluded area and spoke with him for five minutes.

Hessler emerged with tears in his eyes, and Neuheisel, who once played quarterback for UCLA, defended him. "I threw four interceptions against Georgia back in 1983 and ended up coming back and having a decent year," Neuheisel said. "He'll bounce back."

The Wolverines (1-0) rotated several players into their strong secondary, giving Hessler different looks. Carr said he didn't have a great defense last season because of its inability to create turnovers and "negative plays."

But Saturday, that defense swarmed all around the Buffaloes (1-1), allowing just 49 yards rushing and 175 passing while limiting them to their lowest point total since they were shut out by Nebraska in 1988. Michigan ran for 142 yards and passed for 284.

"We were practicing all week and during two-a-days, saying all the time that we wanted to be vicious, to hit their quarterback hard and stop them all," said Woodson, who also returned three punts for 13 yards and had a 29-yard reception. "The defense on this team wants to make things happen."

Woodson's first-quarter interception spawned the Wolverines' first touchdown. After Woodson picked off Hessler, Griese hit Tuman for 53 yards, setting up a first-and-goal situation. Two plays later, fullback Chris Floyd punched in the ball from one yard out to give Michigan a 7-0 that it would never relinquish.

"It's been a great series," said Neuheisel. "I wish we could have given them a better game. They are a fine football team, a fine football program. It's a shame that these games are becoming a dying breed, because certainly they are exciting."

11-22-97