Griese fools Colorado four times on play-action passes to Tuman

This is why football teams have 10-member coaching staffs. This is why there are video cameras set up all over the field. This is why there is halftime.

So that teams, to borrow a phrase from The Who, don't get fooled again. And again. And again.

But for some reason, Colorado was not able to solve what seemed to be a basic play-action bootleg play that Michigan quarterback Brian Griese and tight end Jerame Tuman were able to work to perfection four times throughout the game.

it to him.

WARREN ZINN/Daily Jerame Tuman hooked up with Brian Griese five times on the play-action route. Both wondered why Colorado didn't adjust after the first two times.

The first time Michigan unleashed the play came immediately after Charles Woodson's spectacular interception less than five minutes into the game. With the ball at the Michigan 45, the Wolverines went counter to their typical run-first game plan and ran the play-action on first down. Griese faked to Chris Howard, rolled out and hit Tuman about 15 yards downfield. The junior then rumbled and stumbled all the way down to the Colorado two-yard line. All told, a 53-yard pickup.

The key, though, to the play's success is the effectiveness of the running game. A good running game, of which Michigan showed periodic flashes of during the game, keeps the defense honest.

"There are different variations of that play," Tuman said. "It's not designed to mainly go to me. It's something that makes them be true to both the run and the pass.

"But you can't play nine guys to the ball on the run. So in order for it to be successful, you have to run the ball. Fortunately for us, they didn't make any adjustments."

Michigan ran the ball well when it needed to, gaining 141 yards on 41 carries. Although statistically speaking, 3.5 yards per rush is not a particularly efficient rate, the occasional Clarence Williams reverse for nine yards or a Chris Floyd second-and-one carry that went for 11 yards, showed the Colorado front seven that the Wolverines' running game was as capable as Griese-to-Tuman.

"That's a tremendous play," said Michigan tailback Chris Howard, who was often the one pulling off the initial fake on those plays. "Especially, when you have a defense like Colorado's that tends to over-pursue."

Over-pursuing is exactly how Colorado got caught four times. Three times Griese called Tuman's number on the first play of a drive. Each instance occurred on what would be a typical running down for a run-happy and generally conservative Michigan offense.

And each time, not only was Griese able to fake out an over-pursuant Colorado defense, but he fooled it so badly that there wasn't a Buffalo within five steps of Tuman.

Which in that case, Griese says, "You don't miss him. When that guy is that wide open you got to hit him."

Hit him, again and again and again.

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