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

This game: WolverineHistorian highlights, box score, covered in our 1991 "The Teams" podcast with Tyrone Wheatley and Erick Anderson

I can't find why Michigan played a four-game series with Boston College between 1991 and 1996 but it ended up more competitive than anyone anticipated. I'm sure the people who scheduled it in the first place didn't foresee the changes we'd see on the sideline, either, as both programs ended up in periods of transition. There's enough for three or four posts and, well, I don't see much else happening at the moment.

Seth dug up a potential reason for the series—Michigan had been recruiting Massachusetts harder than we'd ever see in Ann Arbor until Don Brown came along:

Massachusetts gave Michigan such 1980s standouts as Jamie Morris, Greg McMurtry, and Bob Perryman. The 1990 recruiting class included Tom Lemming's #8 quarterback, Walpole's Todd Collins, and #2 tight end, Lynn's Gordon Laro. The 1991 Wolverines featured Cambridge native Lance Dottin as a senior standout at cornerback; freshman Joe Marinaro, hailing from Andover, would become a three-year starter and co-captain.

We begin on September 7th, 1991. Bryan Adams's "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" is in its seventh and final week atop the Billboard singles charts. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is on its way to becoming the first film to make over $300 million at the box office internationally. The Big East, of which Boston College is a member, is in its inaugural season as a football conference—because prior scheduling obligations take precedence over conference games, they won't award a conference title until 1993. 

Boston College has already lost to Rutgers in a rare late-August contest. Michigan, a 24-point favorite in Vegas, expects this to be their tune-up opener before a showdown the next week with Notre Dame. Brent Musburger is on the call. He sets the stage and—wait, is that Tom Coughlin?

On Nov. 27, Jack Bicknell was fired as the coach at Boston College following a 4-7 season. The school immediately targeted Coughlin to replace him. Coughlin was the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach from 1981-83 (when he coached 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie). But he rejected the initial overtures, because he didn’t want to disrupt the Giants. ...

After at least two other candidates turned down the job, Boston College came back to Coughlin. This time he accepted and was hired on Dec. 27, three days before the Giants’ regular-season finale and exactly one month prior to Super Bowl XXV.

The More You Know.

[Hit THE JUMP for the actual game.]

In the early going, Boston College feeds off a passionate home crowd and a little luck to threaten an upset. On the opening drive, the Eagles drives into Michigan territory, then Dottin picks off future New York Jet Glenn Foley and nearly brings it all the way back—but BC regains possession because a Michigan defender had lined up offsides. Foley fires a laser-guided missile to Keith Miller on the next play to give BC a 7-0 lead.

"We've got an Elvis sighting here in Chestnut Hill," says Musburger as Michigan quarterback Elvis Grbac takes the field. He's way too proud of himself for saying this. After Derrick Alexander and Desmond Howard receptions move the Wolverines into scoring territory, the Eagles stuff Ricky Powers on third- and fourth-and-short, juicing the crowd even more.

Again, Foley throws a pass that initially looks like an interception when Dwayne Ware snags a tipped ball on the sideline. After some discussion, the officials—it appears correctly—rule Ware didn't possess the ball. (Replays in 1991: not great!) Foley again recovers on the next play, converting a third-and-nine to set up a field goal.

Boston College gets more good fortune when a spectacular 59-yard touchdown run by Ricky Powers is largely negated by an unnecessary clipping penalty well downfield. After one quarter, it's a shocker: 10-0, Boston College.

Five seconds into the second quarter, Desmond Howard's Heisman campaign begins:

That stands as the only additional score before halftime; both teams had one more drive into opponent territory with each ending in an interception. Boston College has the yardage edge, 239-217, and a 10-7 lead. The latter doesn't survive the second-half kickoff as Howard's Heisman campaign continues in spectacular fashion:

The third quarter drives go thusly:

• BC punt
• M punt
• BC punt
• M punt
• BC punt
• M fumble
• BC interception
• M punt

Gross! At least Corwin Brown laid the wood on some poor receiver somewhere in there:

To open the fourth quarter, the Eagles draw within a point on a field goal. This doesn't fully break the monotony, as the ensuing two drives end in punts. A seemingly fed-up Ricky Powers, who finished with 176 yards on 27 carries, rips off a 33-yard run up the right sideline to start Michigan's next drive. The Wolverines grind their way inside the ten, then BC decides to single-cover Howard, which goes as you'd expect:

"Single-cover" might be generous.

At this point, Michigan stops concerning themselves with a potential upset and takes aim at the Vegas line, even while Musburger and his announcing partner discuss the second-ranked team's potential tumble in the polls. (They'd drop all the way to #3.) The defense forces another punt, Powers and a talented freshman named Tyrone Wheatley move the team into the red zone, and you'll never guess who Grbac finds in the end zone:

"Heisman Trophy written all over that one," Musburger says about Howard before the announcing team praises Grbac's pinpoint throw under pressure. Musburger is correct, even though he's annoyingly attempting to make "Magic Man" happen. Stop trying to make "Magic Man" happen.

The first play of BC's ensuing drive is also the last. Playing minutes from home, Dottin gets the pick he should've had in the first quarter, then brings it back all the way for good measure:

His family and friends are pleased (and easily identifiable):

While Michigan falls three points short of the cover, they get a more acceptable final score than they were on track to have for three quarters. A final of 35-13 will do fine with Notre Dame coming to Ann Arbor the next week, giving the Wolverines a chance to solidify their national standing and Howard the opportunity for a Heisman moment.