tai streets

Previously: Krushed By Stauskas (Illinois 2014), Introducing #ChaosTeam (Indiana 2009), Revenge is Terrifying (Colorado 1996)

This series: Four Games In September I (Boston College 1991), Four Games In September II (Boston College 1994), Four Games In September III (Boston College 1995)

This game: WolverineHistorian highlights

For the first time heading into a game of this series, Michigan and Boston College both hold onto their head coaches. After both teams turned in disappointing 1995 seasons, they're at least afforded offseasons without coaching turmoil. Naturally, the 1996 game and its aftermath are the messiest of the series.

The Wolverines are ranked eighth in the country after opening the season with wins over Illinois and at #5 Colorado. Boston College is giving Matt Hasselbeck his second start after he came off the bench to lead a comeback win in the opener at Hawaii; 1996 Drew Bledsoe couldn't have saved the Eagles from a 45-7 pasting at the hands of rival Virginia Tech in game two.

Third-year head coach Dan Henning, perhaps in an attempt to keep expectations low for his own sake, doesn't exactly give the home team any bulletin board material (via the Michigan Daily archives):

Let's take a peek ahead and see if this gambit worked:

Well, I'll be damned.

[Hit THE JUMP for fumbles, a biblical downpour, Jarrett MFing Irons, and a gambling scandal.]

Previously: Krushed By Stauskas (Illinois 2014), Introducing #ChaosTeam (Indiana 2009)

Michigan's may be the only fanbase outside the old Big 12 that doesn't need to be reminded Colorado was once a powerhouse. There's no need to rehash the reason why. For the purposes of this post, all you need to know is that Michigan was looking to avenge a loss from 1994. If you need further details, the internet will provide them; don't say I didn't warn you, though.

there's also a full game broadcast, which I used for this post

ABC has the broadcast. Keith Jackson is on the call. He welcomes us to Boulder.

“If you’re gonna sell tickets you’ve gotta give them something to watch. Well, coming up is something to watch.”

We certainly get a sight to behold. Michigan's staff could not be wearing outfits that better pinpoint the era:

Magnificent.

Both head coaches are in their second seasons. While Lloyd Carr has been around the block several times as a Michigan assistant, 35-year-old Rick Neuheisel is a fast-rising star who'd spent one season as the offensive coordinator in Boulder before taking over for Bill McCartney—a Bo Schembechler assistant himself.

As for the football itself: buckle up, this is going to be a wild ride.

[Hit THE JUMP, if you dare.]

the base play

The Question:

Ace: After the title game, it's time to wash the bad taste out of our mouths. Thinking back on the 1997 title team, who was your favorite player to watch other than Charles Woodson? Answer should be your choice at the time, so unless you've always been obsessed with line play I'm going to be a little skeptical if one of you answers Steve Hutchinson.

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The Answers:

Alex Cook: I was four-and-a-half years old at the time and have no recollection of this team whatsoever. I'm going to graduate this spring / summer, so, uh, yeah 1997 was a while ago.

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Seth: Dude don't forget people knew Hutchinson and Backus then. Freshman linemen were almost unheard of in recent memory, so Lloyd announcing two would start was a big part of why September expectations were for "another four-loss season."

It's not like two freshman offensive linemen went totally unremarked, Ace.

(The contempt with which I used to say those four words embarrasses me now).

Through that season there were Daily stories and Replay mentions about Hutchinson and Backus: going to Blimpy's for the first time, having to buy Spots for the seniors, boilerplate "pick things quickly" stuff from coaches, yada yada. However I personally read those articles a few years later in the archives, and also developed my appreciation for Rob Renes only after hitting campus in 1998 and being exposed to frat brothers and editors who worshipped him.

As my high school notebooks will attest, I was a fan of Dhani Jones. He was so fast tracking down guys wherever on the field, and always appeared around the ball, and was only a sophomore. He really stuck out in the Penn State game, and I remembered him having a ton of sacks (a Bentley lookup reveals six). And his name was Dhani, and he had a fro, and they said he was a straight-A student, and back then I believed in the student-athlete hooey a lot more. If he had played in the time of YouTube he'd be an MGo-Favorite easily.

Dhani was only marginally ahead of a bunch of that front seven. The way Keith Jackson would say "Clint Copenhaver" you thought Copenhaver was some sort of defensive god. James Hall would chase quarterbacks into their nightmares. Sam Sword and Glenn Steele because it's not enough that we destroy your offense we have to literally send guys named for medieval weaponry at you. Either of those guys would be my pick after Jones (I loved sacks).

And I liked A-Train, a big-time recruit when that was just becoming a thing, and so damn fast. When I bought my jersey freshman year it was between 7 and 32; I went with the former because Henson was my grade.

[After the jump: we loved everybody]