'85 Mich vs South Carolina on BTN
December 31st, 2012 at 12:39 PM ^
December 31st, 2012 at 12:54 PM ^
December 31st, 2012 at 1:09 PM ^
Let's see...beat ND...check. Beat MSU...check. Beat Ohio...check. Bad-ass All-American QB...check. Big Ten Title...(*hiccup*...screw you, Hayden Fry)...New Year's Day Bowl win...check. Final ranking, #2 behind a Big 8 Penitentiary -er, POWERHOUSE, I mean. Pretty solid effort.
December 31st, 2012 at 1:28 PM ^
in the Fiesta Bowl that year finished #2 in polls.
Terrific team.
...and that was coming off the 1984 disaster when Chris Zurbrugg and Russ Rein had to QB the team because Harbaugh was injured.
December 31st, 2012 at 1:45 PM ^
Is anyone else seeing that the South Carolina punter punts with his bare foot? Positively absurd.
December 31st, 2012 at 1:54 PM ^
Punters used to do that all the time back then. They're a weird bunch.
December 31st, 2012 at 5:11 PM ^
No one was ever able to give a good explanation as to why this was. But it was strictly an '80's thing.
December 31st, 2012 at 10:14 PM ^
ESPN's Page 2 weighed in on this a few years ago:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=klosterman/061016
I tried a barefoot punt once in the backyard. The ball didn't go any farther, but my foot hurt a lot more. Maybe they were trying to be tough?
Same game, Michigan's place kicker is also barefoot!
December 31st, 2012 at 2:01 PM ^
I remember watching this as a 15-year old kid, being all nervous about the game having remembered losing to South Carolina and George Rogers years before. Michigan kicked their ass on both sides of the line--I miss those days.
December 31st, 2012 at 3:19 PM ^
It's funny when you listen to the broadcast, Keith Jackson constantly refers to our players as "Michigan Men". I think that is where all that started, before Bo AD declaration concerning the basketball coach.
December 31st, 2012 at 3:27 PM ^
The "Michigan Man" thing goes back to Yost, if not further.
December 31st, 2012 at 2:46 PM ^
I attended this game. We had a nice tailgate before the game, so my memories are somewhat clouded by beer. Here are my random (some might say scattershot) recollections of that afternoon:
- Williams Brice Stadium kind of looks like a space ship from a distance.
- It was a very warm afternoon. So warm that a couple of Gamecock band members passed out on the field before the game, standing and waiting to do their "2001 Space Odyssey" music for the teams entrance.
- The stadium was very loud and the fans were very friendly. Of course, this was pre SEC days for SC.
- The SC fans I talked to considered this a very big game for them.
- Harbaugh and Morris were very good, as was Thomas Wilcher.
- Paul Jokisch was very tall.
- The fans remained friendly, even when Michigan was up 20 plus points in the second half.
- Michigan basically manhandled the Gamecocks. O and D lines were dominant.
December 31st, 2012 at 3:32 PM ^
December 31st, 2012 at 4:31 PM ^
For all the hype that Harbaugh and Morris get, the offense is what held that team back.
December 31st, 2012 at 11:37 PM ^
Great Fiesta Bowl vs. Bugeaters. Thought Paul Jokisch would be great receiver in NFL with Joe Montana. Game versus S. Carolina one of M's most dominant games on road for ever almost.