Michigan vs. Penn State, 1999: Fourth Quarter

We go three wide and Brady drops back. It's a setup for another screen to A-Train, but Thomas juggles and then drops it. On 2nd, Thomas does a good job with his blitz pickup, but PSU sends the house and Brady can't find anyone. LaVar Arrington comes flying in to smack Brady on a flying leap at his chin.

Punt. Branch is bottled up on the return, stepping out at the 22. TE John "Rory" Gilmore gets the pass from Thompson for a first down at the 33. Jim Herrmann's moustache sees something and gesticulates wildly as the ball is blown ready for play. Larry Johnson gets the carry up the gut for no gain. Michigan rushes four, but James Hall is spun down and sat on as Kevin Thompson delivers a strike downfield to Gilmore on the seam, 25 yards down to the 41, with another 15 tacked on for a dumb, ineffective roughing-the-passer call on Renes. Gilmore was Dhani Jones's man, who was looking to see if Thompson would scramble and was consequently slow to react as Gilmore blew by him.

First down on the Michigan 26. Fields again with a huge cushion from Howard and he takes the easy 9 yards. Flags before the play, false start on PSU. PSU has rushed 17 times for 14 yards. B.A.D. in at corner. Thompson's pass is batted as Jake Frysinger comes in unblocked. On 2nd, Todd Howard comes on a corner blitz that doesn't come close. Thompson finds Fields on the hash. Terrell's playing tighter coverage, but can't break up the pass. First and ten from the 11. Thompson's fade doesn't come close to Corey Jones, who's still out on the 3 with Whitley. On 3rd down, Drummond has Terrell initially beat on the slant, but the ball is slow in arriving and Terrell gets a solid hand on it to break it up. Penn State kicks the field goal to take their first lead of the game, 20-17. 11:59 remains in the 4th quarter.

Walter Cross takes the ball on the goal line and brings it up to the 16. Play action from Brady, but Terrell is covered and well overthrown. Brady comes down to Thompson on second down for a gain of 14. Thomas tries to run the ball behind the right tackle, but he's been driven back too far for Thomas to get more than 2. On the next play, Brady gets destroyed as Maurice Williams (-2) gets owned by DE Justin Kerpeikis. 3rd and 15, Brady hangs in a pocket that's slowly collapsing and hurls one at Marquise Walker near midfield, where Bhawow Jue picks him off and takes it back for 6. It was a tight window, as Walker ends up between three blue jerseys, and Jue went right to the ball and got some blockers. 27-17, PSU. Their mascot looks like an old carpet sample. Danielson thinks lazy route-running from Walker was the cause of the interception.

Lloyd is not happy with Walter Cross ending up on the wrong side of the 20 and Charles Drake gets the kickoff...and takes it to the 19. Blerg. Shea gets the screen and gets hit immediately. Brady gets hit as he lofts one behind Marquise Walker. 3rd and 8. Trips up at the top of the formation. Brady gets hit as he releases and the closest receiver is a PSU LB, but a flag comes out and Brandon Short, the LB, gets flagged for interference. Against the nickel, A-Train finds a big hole and takes it for 9 yards. Brady takes a timeout. Or doesn't. Delay of game, and he's snowed under on the 2nd down. On third down, he hits Terrell at the sticks for the first. 6:47 left and we get a good shot of the band, including my section leader Lucy.

And now we take penalty off a confused/illegal substitution. Double tight ends and Brady can't find anyone, so he takes off. This time he has room to run and scrambles for 15 yards and a first down. 6:00 left, ball at midfield. Brady steps up and fires a strike to Terrell 20 yards downfield. DT is slow to get up. Brady pumps once, then launches a parabola to Marcus Knight on a slant-and-go. The ball is a bit overthrown, but David Macklin has his hands on Knight's jersey and he gets flagged for PI. 5:12 left. Danielson notes that Terrell is limping as Brady gets his pass attempt batted at the line. A-Train on the sweep to the right side and there's nothing there. Michigan goes four wide. Marcus Knight draws attention away from Marquise Walker, who gets the ball and makes a few yards with his feet before getting caught at the 2. First and goal, 4:20 remaining. Toss sweep to Thomas and he loses three, as PSU saw it coming. Brady again can't find anyone, but the middle of the field has cleared out and Brady just manages to extend the ball into the endzone as he's tackled. Woooo! Michigan draws to within 3, 24-27, 3:26 remaining in the 4th quarter.

Penn state has the regular kick return formation, and Epstein does indeed boot it deep into the endzone. PSU takes a knee. The Nittany Lions still only have 18 rushes for 14 yards, so they go to the air on first down and Thompson throws it out of bounds. McCoo loses three yards on his rushing attempt, bringing up 3rd and 13. Brady's sacrifice of five yards to preserve a timeout bears fruit as Michigan can use one now, with 3:10 remaining. Thompson throws up a parabola to Eddie Drummond as he starts to feel the pressure. It's underthrown and Whitley's in better position for the ball than Drummond.

The punt is a line drive to DiAllo Johnson at the Michigan 42. He makes the first man miss, finds a hole in the middle of the second wave and busts it down to the Penn State 35. Brady's screen is over Shawn Thompson's head, and it wasn't going anywhere even if caught. Brady looks for Terrell at the sticks, but he's not there in time. Brady from the gun, 4 wide. Knight and Walker combine again, this time Knight coming all the way across the formation as Walker sucks the coverage deeper, leaving him wide open. First down at the 19, the ball goes to Thomas on a sweep. Aaron Shea levels his man. Thomas stumbles leaping over him, but it's a gain of 7 with 2:00 left. Brady has a ton of time and MARCUS KNIGHT!!! Knight headed inside a little bit and then busted back out in the endzone and Brady hit him in stride. For what it's worth, Knight was matched up against the same safety he toasted on his earlier touchdown. Michigan takes back the lead, 31-27.

Another touchback from Epstein. No matter they moved the kickers back. Thompson looks for Fields running down the sideline, but Todd Howard (+1) is locked up on him, finally, and has good position. Eddie Drummond finds the hole in the zone between three defenders and gets the ball for a 19-yard gain. Michigan is rushing three again and Thompson fires the ball out of bounds as McCoo broke off his route waaaaay early. 2nd and 10. Michigan threatens blitz pre-snap but one man bails out for a four-man rush. A DE gets vaguely near, but has two blockers to occupy him as Thompson sails one over Eddie Drummond's head near the Michigan 35. With 3rd and 10, Michigan is playing soft and Thompson makes an easy throw to Corey Jones for 5 and then 3 more before Cato June and Todd Howard escort him out of bounds. It looked like Howard was giving his man miles of room again, but I guess Thompson wanted a sure thing. On 4th and 2, they again go to the air. Michigan has a 3-man line and 3 LBs in the box. Whitley falls on his face from Eddie Drummond's block, leaving Drummond wide open on the slant at the Michigan 45 and he runs for another 10.

1st and 10 from the 34. Three man rush again and Thompson has time. He tries to float a ball into Drummond racing down the sidelines, trying to exploit a hole in the zone, but Whitley makes an excellent play, jumping up to tip the ball out of bounds. The yikes part of the play comes from the fact that instead of taking the man, DeWayne Patmon also took the ball and Drummond has a good shot at 6 if Whitley misses. 0:59 left, 2nd and 10 and Michigan sends the house. Ian Gold comes from the blind side and the fullback takes a lousy angle. Gold speeds around and through him, smacks the ball out of Thompson's hands, and Larry Foote falls on the fumble.

The offense comes out, needing to pick up a first down to guarantee victory. Thomas is tackled after a two-yard gain, as newborn children know what's coming up. PSU timeout, 0:47 left. Give to Thomas on a sweep to the left. Shea locks up on his man, so does Thompson. Hutchinson has moved to the second level and Backus is left with no one to block. Thomas runs for an easy first down at midfield. Brady takes a knee and Danielson emphasises that it's now three in a row for the maize and blue. Musberger, meanwhile, calls Tom Brady "the most underrated college quarterback in the country," and boy did that prove out in a big way. Brady takes a knee, and that's the ballgame.

Penn State would lose its next game to Michigan State, 35-28. Though no doubt devastated over the loss of the Land Grant Trophy, the Nittany Lions would destroy Texas A&M 24-0 in the Alamo Bowl. Michigan still had a chance at the Rose Bowl, but Wisconsin destroyed a woeful Iowa team to secure their trip to Pasadena. Instead, Michigan would go to the Orange Bowl, playing the first overtime game in school history, against Alabama.

Michigan vs. Penn State, 1999: Third Quarter

Second half. Walter Cross is back deep for the Wolverines. Gary Danielson wants to remind us he's not as old as Musberger. I think if I ever attended a game in Happy Valley I'd develop a pathological tic due to that roar. Cross wisely takes a knee 6 yards deep in the endzone. Brady fakes the pitch to Anthony Thomas and finds Courtney Brown in his face. Thompson had released too early for the same TE flare that worked in the first half. Danielson disagrees with me, saying it was Bennie Joppru on a crossing route who was his real target. 2nd and 14. David Terrell! He comes upfield on the skinny post to the middle of the field and Brady puts it right on his hands again. Good protection and it's 1st and 10 on the Michigan 42.

Courtney Brown beats Backus and flows to the hole to bring down A-Train after a gain of three. Brady has nobody and a collapsing pocket. He gets a couple, but there are flags aplenty. Again it's Courtney Brown forcing the issue. Holding on Michigan, 2nd and 17. Brady drops back, launches downfield to Marcus Knight, who can't bring it in. CA-, 2. Brady doesn't like what he sees and calls a timeout. After the break, Brady finds Terrell exploiting a soft spot on the sideline in a rare zone from Penn State and converts the first down.

Thomas has no luck creasing the PSU line and gets maybe a yard. Brady discusses having Henson eager to stab him in the back and steal his job. Marcus Knight takes off on the same skinny post Terrell ran, absolutely smoking his man, and Brady hits him in stride for a beautiful touchdown. Michigan, 17-7! Michigan exploited Knight's matchup against a strong safety in man coverage.

Watson breaks a pair of tackles on his way up to the 22 and gets a bonus 15 for unnecessary roughness on Charles Drake. Eddie Drummond is open on a screen. McCoo gets the handoff and goes nowhere. Whitley gets there right as the ball arrives and breaks up the 7-yard pass to Fields. Terrell is in as a DB. Thompson can't find anyone and tries to run for the first. He slips one tackle, but gets pounded between a pair of Michigan defenders. An excellent punt and lucky bounce leaves Michigan at their own 4.

The give is to A-Train with a small hole and he stumbles for 3 or 4. A-Train again for less. 3rd and 5. Brady can't find anyone and gets rid of it rather than take a sack on the 1. The snap almost goes over Epstein's head and he has to get rid of the ball quickly as someone (Eddie Drummond?) comes flying in, almost getting the block. Naturally, it's a crappy punt, going out of bounds near the 30. Musberger thinks it's because we're trying to avoid Branch, but whatever.

McCoo gets a long run in, relatively speaking, going 4 yards. The FB Mike Cerimele catches a pass for 4 more. On 3rd and 2, McCoo runs up the gut and is stopped nowhere near the first. Travis Forney in for a 39-yard attempt and it's good. Michigan 17, Penn State 10.

Cross should've took another knee. Michigan starts at the 16. Brady drops back and finds Marcus Knight for 4, where he's hit immediately. LaVar Arrington comes across to bring down A-Train after a couple more yards. 3rd and "3". The pass is incomplete, but PSU was clearly offsides, so it's immaterial. Brady is swarmed and sacked back at the 20 as the line collapses on the blitz. On 2nd, Thomas takes the ball up the gut for 5, bringing up 3rd and 13. Brady from the gun. Looks like Terrell was coming across, but not deep enough for the first and the ref set and effective pick. Epstein boots it back to the 34.

Thompson back to pass, pumps and finds Fields wide open on a similar route to his big first-half catch. Todd Howard comes flying in to bring him down, but he was beat like a drum/rug/Todd Howard. Eddie Drummond gets 5 yards, as a matchup with Ian Gold favors him. Whitley helps clean up. Fields again, another huge cushion from Howard on a shorter route to the sideline. PSU is trying to work a hard count aainst Renes. Eddie Drummond fights James Whitley on a fly route and beats him. Whitley can't find the ball up in the air and it's an easy catch for Drummond in the endzone. Tie game, 17 all. 2:09 remaining, 3rd quarter.

Cross takes a knee on this kick. It's loud in Beaver Stadium. Shea gets the handoff and gets nothing. On second, screen to Thomas. Chris Ziemann on the turf gets just enough of LaVar Arrington to open the play up for a 24-yard gain, but there's a flag on the play, likely on Ziemann's grab, especially since it's a spot foul. 2nd and 12. Arrington looks like he's coming dead in on a blitz from Brady's blind side, but actually tries to come between the tackles, but there's no hole for him. Instead Brady finds Terrell on the 30 at the numbers. David Macklin slips as he tries for the pickoff and Terrell races to midfield for another 20 yards. Anthony Thomas and LaVar Arrington collide like Japanese movie monsters and fall to the turf. Thomas loses a yard, but Arrington is shaken up and has to come off the field. So ends the 3rd quarter.

Michigan vs. Penn State, 1999: First Half

The year: 1999. Joe Paterno, a young and spry 73, leads his Nittany Lions (9-1) against a 7-2 Michigan team that had dealt with back-to-back losses against MSU and Illinois by escaping from Indiana with a 34-31 victory and then thrashing Northwestern 37-3.

Musberger makes a reference to "putting Minnesota behind them", as the Nittany Lions had lost to the Gophers the week before, 24-23. CB Jeremy Miller takes a knee. In an interview, QB Kevin Thompson talks in despairing tones of the loss ruining PSU's national championship dreams. Uh, Kevin? Don't look now, but...

Eric McCoo carries it nowhere as safety Tommy Hendricks comes up to stop him. McCoo tries the same thing again, but James Hall takes him down after a couple yards. Musberger calls Todd Howard "the corner to watch". Diplomatic, that Brent. FUUUMMMBLLLEEE! The exchange is dropped, Rob Renes drives his man straight back more than two yards, allowing Ian Gold to pounce on the ball.

Michigan ball at the 22. Brady drops back, looking for David "B.A.D." Terrell down the sideline, but his man is in good position and the ball falls harmlessly out of bounds. Brady pitches to Anthony Thomas heading up the right side for four yards. Aaron Shea is the tailback on an obvious passing down, and Brady wings one wide of Terrell, who shows up his QB by giving the universal "What was that?" signal. PSU deploys that stupid lion roar. Hayden Epstein boots it through to put Michigan up 3-0.

12:42 remaining in the first. Another deep kick, but Watson brings this one out to the 25. Dhani Jones and Ian Gold blitz straight up the middle. Both are cut, but Thompson doesn't move and Ian Gold reaches up and grabs his leg to drag him down. 2nd and 15. Renes jumps across to give those five yards back. Chafie Fields is getting a huge cushion from Todd Howard, who compounds the error by backing off further when Fields turns to the sideline on his flag route. Easy throw and catch. First and ten from the 45. McCoo gets the carry and goes for good yardage until he's hit by Cato June. June puts his helmet on the ball and it pops out. It looks like the Lions have it back initially, but it's Michigan coming up with the ball. It looks like NT Eric Wilson came up with it.

A Train gets the call, running inside of the right tackle. Brady gets mauled by LB Brandon Short coming free on a blitz. On 3rd and 15 from about the M 40, Terrell takes off on a skinny post and Brady delivers a perfect strike to the hash, only to have Terrell absolutely smoked by James Boyd. Miraculously, he holds onto the football. Amazing catch. After the play, Brady goes off to the sidelines and Musberger suspects he's injured as Henson comes to the line. First and ten on the PSU 43. He throws a long handoff to DiAllo Johnson who steps and throws it right back to him. It's a prototype for the Navarre Water Buffalo Stampede of '03 and Henson takes off down the sideline with a wall of blockers. He rumbles down to the 21. Wooooo! DiAllo Johnson: Also a high school QB.

Thomas gets the handoff on a counter and Steve Hutchinson blows up a guy in the second level. Thomas delivers the hit down at the 3 for an 18-yard gain. TE Bill Seymour moves early to back things up 5 yards. Thomas gets the ball again and drives down to the 5. Thomas again, getting the pitch. He probably could have cut it up behind Jeff Backus, who was owning his man, but instead heads outside where he's tackled by a couple Penn State players at the 2. Same play, run to the other side. Thomas cuts it up and heads into the endzone untouched. Touchdown! Epstein hits the extra point to make it 10-0. Fun fact: This is the last time the full MMB traveled to Penn State.

We now move ahead in the action. 11:14 left in the 2nd quarter, Michigan still leads 10-0 and has the ball on its own 25. Brady finds Shawn Thompson on that TE flare route for an easy 15 after he disengages from his man. A Train tries to bounce it outside, but loses three. On 2nd and 13, Brady looks downfield and delivers a perfect ball right on the hands of David Terrell, but B.A.D. flat-out drops it. Maybe he was afraid of getting destroyed again, but he had the CB beat. On 3rd and 13, Brady can't find anyone and is under pressure. He moves up in the pocket to avoid the sack, but has no chance to pick up a first down with his feet.

Epstein punts it away and Bruce Branch takes it near the sideline, immediately cutting back across the field, and he's gone. A couple bad angles and that's all Branch needs to take it to the house. Apparently Michigan had already taken two halo violation penalties and Danielson thinks that affected our tepid punt coverage.

And so ends all action from the first half, according to ESPN Classic. Penn State was held to a meager 6 yards of rushing in the first half on 7 attempts and neither QB completed a pass for more than 20 yards.

The Vault: 2000 Orange Bowl - Fourth Quarter

Alabama starts with a shortish punt from their own 34 and DiAllo Johnson returns it up to the Michigan 40. Bennie Joppru sighting! The 'Bama pass rush is turned aside, leaving a big hole in the middle of the field. It looks like Brady's going to scramble for good yardage, but he spots Joppru well downfield between the safeties and just does that thing where his MIND LASERS guide the ball in for a 24-yard gain. Thomas goes nowhere, because 'Bama has remembered we're allowed to do that. Hey, penalty flags. I remember you. Alabama jumped across the line on the hard count and made contact. OH YES! Brady drops back and fires down to Marquise Walker at the 2. Walker jumps high for it and makes a sweet body adjustment in mid-air to come down with it.

Everyone knows what's coming next, so Thomas gets a big welcoming committee. He may have lost a yard. Brady rolls out on play action, but Bennie Joppru is a victim of defensive holding. First down. Nice shot of the band here, especially the bones. Thomas leaps over the line, the ball comes loose, and Alabama recovers. Someone clearly got a helmet on it. Oy.

Zow's still in at QB. Alabama must think he's the steadier QB, because Watts was gashing us on those scrambles. Handoff to Alexander, but the line has held and James Hall cleans up for no gain. Zow is hit by Hall as he fires downfield and the pass is low, though Patmon was beat. 3rd and 10 is a slip-screen to an electron-sized guy who snakes downfield for the first at the 36. They try it again with Milons on the other side, but the pass is incomplete. Brandon Williams spots something going on in the Alabama backfield as Milons motions in, and sure enough it's a toss to Milons, looking to pass, but Whitley is on his case. He rolls to the sideline and gets rid of it and 'Bama is flagged for holding. Carr is screaming that it should be a spot foul (seriously!), but they're only pushed back to the 25. Quickly, they pick up a false start to make it 2nd and 25. Whitely unloads on Zow as he dumps it off to Terry Jones, the tight end, who makes 15 out of it. Zow hits tight end Shamari Buchanan for the first, but this is coming back on another holding call. Zow then finds Milons over the middle for less than the first, but another flag comes out and Michigan surprisingly accepts. 3rd and 30. Zow can't find anyone and scrambles for some yards, but well short of the first. On the punt, Johnson fields it behind the 40, slips the initial tackle, and makes it beyond the 45.

Brady hits Terrell on a screen, but he's hit immediately and loses a couple. Pitch to Anthony Thomas and he gets the corner on the sweep, taking it up to midfield. A boyish Tom Brady talks about perseverance and his pride in playing for Michigan. He threads the needle for Marquise Walker at the 'Bama 38, but it's coming back on ANOTHER offensive facemask. Looked a little cheap. Brady finds Walker streaking down the sidelines and he can't pull it in off his fingertips. Epstein's kick is a high one and it takes a nice Michigan roll down to the 'Bama 26.

Alexander takes the handoff and runs for 7 between the hashes, but he steps off the field for a breather. Watts has to take a timeout, the RB switch took too long. Bohanon takes it outside to the first, and Alexander comes back in. Watts rolls out to his right and finds Buchanan a yard short of the sticks on the sideline. The young line then takes a false start to make it 2nd and 6. Alexander takes the handoff on a draw play with four wideouts and takes the ball for the first at the M 49. He picks up a couple on the ensuing handoff, taken down by Hall. Under 4:30 remaining. Watts takes off scrambling, but Ian Gold makes a magnificent shoestring tackle as he blows by, tripping him up a yard behind the line of scrimmage, saving what would have been a big gainer. 3rd and 9. Watts takes off again, gets the first, but another flag is down for holding. It's a weak call on Alexander as James Hall goes by. Whitley then takes Watts's helmet off and as he sacks him back at the 20. James Tapia is rocking the goatee as the band plays "Temptation". Alabama gets a nice roll down to the Michigan 31.

Brady hits Walker for 6 on a quick out. We're under 1:40 to go as Brady finds a wide open Marcus Knight on a crossing route, but Knight drops the ball. 1:33 left. Out of the gun, 4 wide, and Walker takes it for the first at the 45. 1:29 left, Brady sails it out of bounds. 1:23. Penalty flag flies as 'Bama goes offsides for their 18th penalty. Marcus Knight would have had four yards, but we take the call. 1:15 left. Marcus Knight barely holds on to the pass long enough on the long out at the Alabama 45. He's tackled in bounds, but the clock stops at 1:05 momentarily. Brady rolls out and hits Shawn Thompson coming down a seam to the 19. 0:49 left! Somthing's hinky here, because the clock is still stopped on the snap. A-Train runs into the line and the Tide burn a timeout. ABC continues to run the clock, however. Oh! ABC just forgot to debit Alabama a timeout on the last first down. Brady runs over to Lloyd to get the play, but it's irrelevant because the QB sneak doesn't do anything. The ball is spotted at the 26, Brady holds, and 'Bama decides to ice Epstein. The kick is blocked! Brady then tries to throw a pass, but it's useless. Of course, we have more flags for ineligible receiver downfield, which is declined. 28-28, end of regulation.

Terrell talks about how Epstein lived for that kind of a moment, and how he still got a chance to redeem himself. BTN Voice of Doom talks about how Michigan will try to accomplish something they've never done before: Win an overtime game.

SPOILER ALERT. BTN Fast Facts totally gives away the outcome of the game AND jinxes us for the future by noting that we're now 5-0 in OT. Brady, Renes, and Hutchinson come out for the coin toss, but Alabama wins it and Alexander selects defense. Lloyd Carr is incensed by something, possibly the defiance of this metal blank. Brady spots Shawn Thompson downfield on a deep slant and lays the football over the linebacker's head and right onto Thompson's hands at the 15. Terrell locks up his man on the goal line, Thompson turns it downfield and just like that Michigan takes the lead in OT. Epstein's PAT makes it 35-28 and Michigan has its first lead of the night.

First and ten, Alexander gets the handoff from the shotgun and goes outside for about four before Todd Howard and Cato June bring him down. Timeout Zow. Play action, Zow rolls to his right and finds an impossibly open Erick Locke in the endzone as everyone bit hard on the play fake to Alexander. It looks like Tommy Hendricks was the primary goat here, as he lets Locke go right by him in favor of the run fake and someone who has to be Whitley can't get there in time. And Pflugner just pushes the PAT dead right. He is just destroyed. 34-35, Michigan. Lloyd Carr wins 10 or more games in three consecutive years. Weirdest bowl win I've ever seen.

Bruce Madej talks about how you don't watch an extra point; it's like an intentional walk and what a shock it was to win that way. Brady set the Michigan record in a bowl game with 369 yards passing and 4 TDs, while Terrell had 10 catches for 150 yards and 3 of those TDs.

I'd never watched this game before. I was a freshman that year and I didn't make the bowl block, so instead I went to the Barenaked Ladies concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The concert ended as Michigan was down two touchdowns and started mounting its comeback. We nearly drove off the road several times while heading back down I-75 listening to the radio, rushing inside the house just in time to watch the missed extra point. It was unbelievable.

The Vault: 2000 Orange Bowl - Third Quarter

The Tide get the ball to start the second half. Epstein boots this one high and deep to the one. Milons is brought down at about the 25, but there's another flag on the field. Lynn Swann interviews Carr coming out the locker room. The players keep slapping him on the back as they run by. He's disappointed about stopping ourselves with penalties, but I guess the speech didn't take because the refs tacked 15 onto the end of that return.

Then Renes leaps across the line and takes an offsides penalty. He must have seen something there that the refs didn't. Then another flag. Jebus. A false start rolls that one back. Finally, they fake the end-around and pitch to Alexander, but the ball flies over his shoulder as a parade of Wolverines try unsuccessfully to corral the ball before it slips out of bounds. Unreal. 'Bama goes deeeep, but the receiver trips and they have to punt and DiAllo Johnson takes it up to the Michigan 41.

First play is a screen to Shea who gets hit and fumbles the ball! It rolls harmlessly out of bounds. Brady takes the snap, barely sidesteps one defender who can't spin him down and manages to avoid the cleanup man and fires downfield to no one in particular. On the very next play, David Terrell heads 20 yards down the right sideline, takes a couple steps toward the middle of the field and Brady puts it right on the number. Terrell immediately shakes the corner and he's gone. The deep safety enters the picture on the goal line, but is in no position to make the tackle. It turns out Marcus Knight held position well enough that the safety couldn't get around him quickly enough to make a play. And just like that it's tied up at 14-14.

Epstein kicks off and makes the tackle, but it's not that dire as the Tide start from their own 28. Watts seems to be the more effective quarterback even if he specializes in high looping passes. This one goes to Alexander at the 40 on play action, where Whitley stops him immediately. Watts has time to make his next pass up to Milons despite a pair of Wolverines in his face. 3rd and 1, and obviously Alexander's going to get that, but you don't expect him to break four tackles on his way to the endzone. Dude is a beast in this game. 21-14.

Cross takes another kickoff up to the 25. Another fullback screen for no gain. False start brings it back five more. Brady from the gun for another screen, this one to Thomas. Griese points out the lack of efficacy here as the MMB rolls up "Duel of the Fates". Brady looks downfield and holds it, holds it, holds it, and gets sacked. PUNT! It's a nice kick, but Milons has a ton of room to snake through the punt return unit all the way to paydirt. Griese thinks this game might've just broken open with the Tide up 28-14.

Michigan starts at their own 28. Brady immediately goes deep, but it skips off Terrell's fingertips on a skinny post. Quick drop to Terrell for a gain of 8. From the gun, to Terrell again for the first and not much more. Another quick out to Terrell with a little bit of YAC yields 7. Brady bombs it deep from the 47, but overthrows Marquise Walker by a fair bit. Shea comes over the middle on a crossing route to pick up 14 and the first. Michigan tries to switch it up by running Thomas between the tackles, but we're still waiting for that line to impose its will so he only picks up 2. Brady drops back from under center and Terrell picks it out of the air over his head while being tackled on the 20. Nice catch from B.A.D. Another simple-looking out, but the corner has overcommitted and Terrell can just shift around him. With a nice block from Marcus Knight, Terrell stalks into the endzone. Surprisingly, there's no flag. 28-21 and it's a ballgame again with 5:32 left in the 3rd.

Epstein with a nice, deep kick and Milons takes a knee. Zow is falling over as he makes the handoff to Alexander, who's immediately snowed under. Renes (+2) blew up the play by bulldozing the center back onto Zow's leg. Screen pass to Milons for 15. Whitley knocked him sideways at the end of the play, but it was also Whitley who totally missed him at the line. Whitley and another blitzer are handled as Zow steps up from the gun, but his WR drops the ball. The high punt is fair-caught at the Michigan 41.

Brady's pass is behind a stock-still Terrell, who can't dive back for the catch. "GO!" "BLUE!" is heard as Shea takes another screen and rumbles through a tackle for 7. Brady completes the first down to Shawn Thompson up at the 'Bama 47 or so. Brady then hits Terrell, who makes a nice shift, but this corner forces him inside, where help is on the horizon. When B.A.D. cuts back again to the outside, he makes the tackle, limiting the gain to about 8. On the next play, Brady unloads, but Marcus Knight has his fingertips two inches too close to his body. Shea comes up on a crossing route, Brady hits him, and Shea keeps trucking through the 'Bama secondary to the 15. Finally, A-Train gets on track, running just inside his right tackle for exactly 10. Thomas trips as he hits the hole and can only make 2 on his next attempt. Play action pass by Brady to a wide open TE Bill Seymour, but a stretching Seymour can't reel it in. On 3rd and goal, Thomas gets the handoff and walks into the endzone. We have a tie ballgame, folks! 28-28.

Bruce Madej praises Brady's ability to keep the team calm, and the man has a point. This is the Brady that the rest of the world would come to know as a Patriot and starlet-impregnator.

Epstein boots it high and short and Richards takes it from the 12 to up near the 27. Alexander strings the play out along the left side of his line, threatening to turn upfield and then just racing up the sideline for 8. Milons gets the handoff on the end-around, but nobody's surprised and he loses a yard. They send Alexander up the middle for no gain. So ends the third quarter.

The Vault: 2000 Orange Bowl - Second Quarter

After a -1 yard run by Anthony Thomas, Michigan holds the ball on the Alabama 48 with 2nd and 11 and a 0-0 score. A false start makes it 2nd and 16. We get creative, bringing Terrell around on a reverse. Brady throws a solid block, but there's a hold in the mix and we're going the wrong way. 2nd and 27 and Brady gets sacked. Yikes. 3rd and 35. Make it 3rd and 40 with delay of game. Good grief. A completion over the middle to Marcus Knight helps some, and Epstein's punt is a deep one.

'Bama opens up from their own 24, and on the first play Shaun Alexander gains the corner after a nice block on a LB (41) and it's 31 yards downfield where Whitley finally gets him. An illegal snap backs the Tide up to the M 49, but Alexander breaks a tackle and storms for 14. Apparently Brian Griese and Scott Dreisbach were the ones trying to recruit him when he took his official visit to Michigan, where he almost committed. The next run takes a while to develop and goes for minimal gain, but it's enough for the first. 'Bama Alternate QB Watts does what running QBs do, and scrambles on successive plays to take the Tide down to the 7 yard line. Alexander picks up about 3, and then takes it to the house on the next play. Michigan just can't fight through the blocks on the outsdide and there's no help available. Pflugu makes the PAT. 7-0, Alabama.

The TV angle is weird, but it looks like Cross would've been advised to let the kick sail out of bounds. Instead, we start from the 25. Brady sails a pass out of bounds to Walker. A-Train runs up the gut for a nice 7 yards thanks to some good second-level blocks. Brady from the gun throws to Thomas in the flat, but a block in the back call brings it back. DiAllo Johnson, that was USELESS and OBVIOUS. Marcus Knight comes across the middle and is dropped about five yards in front of the marker. Epstein's punt gives Freddie Milons a chance to return it and burns around the corner for a good gain, increased when Epstein gets called for a late hit (...I know).

Starting from the 31, the first play of the drive is an underthrown ball to the Michigan 9, but it connects and two plays later Shaun Alexander is in the endzone again. 14-0.

Present-day Terrell tells us they used to call Brady "Tomas".

Audio difficulties drop out the color team as Walter Cross takes the kick out to the 27 this time. Walter Cross: When you absolutely, definitely need to take a kick 5-10 yards longer than you'd get on a touchback. Drew Henson is shockingly the QB on the next series, throwing to A-Train for a short gain. Thomas takes the next handoff for nothing, then Henson from the gun pulls it down and scrambles for nine yards. Epstein punts again, a high kick that's fair-caught at the 20.

Bruce Madej talks about that sinking feeling you get when watching this type of Michigan football game. Bruce is everywhere on these retrospectives, and always does a great job walking the line between being the face of the athletic department and just being a Michigan fan.

4:40 left in the second quarter. Alexander picks up two, but it's laundry day and it's coming back. 1st and 19. Alexander should be caught five yards behind the line, but skates out of it for no gain. Watts is back in as Alexander leaks downfield in a pillowy soft part of the zone, but this one's coming back on yet another hold. From the 4, they give it to the fullback McClintock for a couple. ANOTHER flag, a very late one, and Victor Hobson's hanging with the zebras. Offsetting personal fouls. 3rd and 25. Alexander runs it up the middle, terrifyingly gets through the first group, but the second wave brings him down. DiAllo Johnson signals for the fair catch at the 50, but it's a halo violation (remember those?), so Michigan starts at the 'Bama 45.

Tom Brady is back in the ballgame and there's 2:36 to go. From the gun he hits Marquise Walker down at the 37. Thomas goes nowhwere on 2nd and 2. From the gun again, and it's Walker again on the same play. From the 30, quick out to DiAllo Johnson, who gets leveled for no YAC. 1:04 left, TO Michigan, 2nd and 7. Brady has loads and loads of time to find David Terrell on a seam. It's a perfect pass and Terrell hauls it in over his shoulder and takes one step into the endzone.

Terrell talks about how Brady makes everyone around him feel so confident, like he "injects" it in you.

14-7 after the PAT, and Terrell just smoked that safety. Great protection, great pass, nice catch by DT. The MMB is playing "Zoot Suit Riot", from our swing show that year for the Penn State game.

Epstein's line drive kick looks worrying, but 'Bama can't get past the 22. The Tide give it to Alexander again, because why not? Bob Griese reminds us of what a comeback team the Wolverines were in '99, how 9 of our games were within a TD. The half closes without anything important happening. Bring on Gladys Knight!

The Vault: 2000 Orange Bowl - First Quarter

Welcome back, my friends, to another edition of The Vault. Today we look at Tom Brady's greatest game in a Michigan uniform, the 2000 Orange Bowl. Michigan entered 9-2, having lost a lackluster game to MSU up in East Lansing and then letting a game against Illinois unravel the next week. A rocking 24-17 victory of Ohio State ended the regular season, and the #8 Wolverines prepared to meet #5 Alabama, SEC Champeens, in the Orange Bowl, amid Y2K hilarity. Without further ado, here we go.

Walter Cross handles the short opening kickoff and looks like he has a shot at a decent return, but he can't break through the wedge and Michigan starts with average field position.

On the first play, Michigan goes to the pass, which may have something to do with Alabama's #2-ranked rushing defense. It's a screen pass from Brady to Aaron Shea at fullback. Shea slips the first tackle, but is brought down after a five-yard gain. An ineffective Anthony Thomas run later, DiAllo Johnson can't reel in a Brady's pass 20 yards downfield and Michigan punts.

Alabama's return man, Freddie Milons, looks dangerous as he brings Hayden Epstein's punt back 17 yards, out to the 37.

'Bama's first possession, but the Tide QB goes all Brian Hoyer in overthrowing his man on a HORRENDOUSLY blown coverage. They pick up 5 on second, but Michigan knows a wide receiver screen when it sees one and Dhani Jones drops the third down man for no gain. The Million Dollar Band is already annoying.

Michigan's next possession begins at the 20 with a play-action pass to Shea as Brady sees 3 red shirts coming at him. The play loses a yard. A-Train picks up five tough yards to make it 3rd and 6. The bands are really high in this sound mix, it's not just 'Bama. David Terrell gets his first pass, a WR screen, but short of the first. Epstein boots a high one and the Crimson Tide will start near their own 40 again on the fair catch.

McClintock, the FB, plows ahead for a couple. SEC SPEEEEED false start. Alabama is using a QB rotation here, with Zow starting and Watts in on this series. Shaun Alexander gets the pitch and goes for 7, but a holding call takes them back to 2nd and 19. Four wideouts at the bottom of the screen? Screen pass! Despite the overloaded coverage team, Ron Bellamy limits it to 3 yards. Another short pass and the Tide have to punt.

A-Train goes nowhere, but Brady's 2nd down out to Marquise Walker nets about 8. 3rd + 1 = A-Train. The Tide clearly jumped into the neutral zone, but nary a flag, and 'Bama's 8 in the box stop him short. Alabama is so unconvinced by the fake punt that they don't have anyone back to field it, but it doesn't matter because Ian Gold takes the direct snap and gets some solid blockers in front of him. This is the first 1st down gained by either team. A-Train takes the safety valve pass and loses a yard. Thomas then tries to turn the corner, but Saleem Rasheed tracks him down for minimal gain. Brady from the gun hits Marcus Knight in the hands, but it's dropped. No matter, offsides on 'Bama. Aaron Shea takes another pass, but this time for a decent gain over the middle. However, there's laundry on the field. The rare 15-yard facemask is called on the offense, and boy this was obvious. Ziemann gave a good hard yank on the Crimson Tide lineman's facemask. You have to call that. Third and 26 and you can see the future Super Bowl MVP in Brady as he fires behind Terrell at his knees. Epstein's punt takes a lucky bounce and is downed at the Crimson Tide 31.

In an interview, present-day David Terrell tells us that Michigan's gameplan was the same as it has always been and always shall be as long as zebras roam the Earth: Establish the run. He would like us to know that, starting in the second quarter, that's what the O-line did.

Shaun Alexander takes it up the gut for 3. Alabama's LT is HUGE. Zow rolls out and ridiculously overthrows his man on a long bomb, but the guy was covered anyway. Milons, the WR, gets the handoff, breaks a tackle, and gets a first down for the Tide at the 45. The ABC crew cracks a Y2K joke when the play clock malfunctions. Topical! Alexander only gets two, but even that's coming back for another holding penalty. Handoff out of the gun to Alexander goes nowhere. Zow from the gun dumps it off to Alexander coming over the middle for nine. Zow is not playing great, overthrowing another receiver who was moderately well covered. Low snap and the punter shanks it dead right. The flag worries me, but it was for illegal formation, so Michigan will start with excellent field position after 'Bama gets MINUS ONE on the punt.

An A-Train run gives that yard right back and we hit the quarter break, 0-0.

The Vault: Michigan vs. Seton Hall, 1989 (OT)

And now the exciting conclusion to last week's Vault. You know you were waiting for it. This was a joint effort between Craig and myself.

1:19:00	Last OT was in '63, which is quite a drought considering that they had 4 OT games in a 20-year span preceding that. Musberger tips us to his age by talking about the 3OT Cincy game in '61. Higgins controls the tip for Michigan. Rice hits a quick jumper in the lane with a guy climbing his back. "Two seconds too late" Billy Packer quips, and dammit, we are forced to agree.
1:19:50	Billy Packer rambles about the first OT game in NCAA history. Utah won, but we all lose.
1:20:16	Michigan plays really good defense for 40 seconds, only to see the ball kicked out to a wide open Andrew Gaze, who hits a wide-open three, his first field goal of the game. We'd yell get a body on him, but it was his first field goal of the game! Higgins rolls all around the perimeter and hits a big shot to put Michigan back up one.
1:21:00	Greene gets a WIDE OPEN three that goes off the back of the iron. Walker, however, gets the miss and the refs unfortunately get it right with a goaltending call on what would have been an EPIC block by Mills. You have to go frame-by-frame, but the ball does pass the peak of its arc.
1:21:30	Greene steals the ball and drives for a layup, but Mills hustles back to make the block this time. Higgins takes it quickly to the basket on the other end and draws a foul from Walker. Hits the first, misses the second. We're tied at 76.
1:22:38	Morton is left alone at the top of the key and drains a three which looks like a backbreaker as a fan, but Matt Millen still thinks he's gay.
1:23:07	They rotate the ball around the perimeter to Higgins, but his 3 is way short. Seton Hall switches to their "double high". 2:03 left, you're up by 3 and PJ is already trying to kill clock? OK, Dr. Goofy... T/O, Buccos. And now we get our first crowd shot of some early adopters of the Jack Sparrow line of menswear. HAAAAA! One of them removes his hook so he can clap. STAY IN CHARACTER, GENTLEMEN.
1:24:18	Morton drives the lane, draws some contact, but no call from the ref and Glen Rice comes up with a huge rebound that we swear ended up being the Sports Illustrated cover that week. Michigan brings it up and Rice gets nicely open near the top of the arc, but fails to knock down the shot. Higgins grabs the rebound and lofts one as he falls away near the block, but it won't go either. Rumeal Robinson immediately fouls Greene. Are we sure Michigan wins this game?
1:24:58	Brent and Billy are convinced Michigan is being stupid for not getting the ball to Rumeal, listing the litany of where it's going wrong, only to have Billy posit that he might be getting tired. Way to cover your bases there Mr. Packer. 1:17 left to go, and things are looking grim, but he bricks the front half of the one and one. Oh and look, now Rumeal has the ball in his hand!
1:25:37	Seton Hall plays good defense, even far out on the perimeter. Rumeal can't get a look, Higgins can't get a look. Mills finally backs his was in, steps out for the turn-around, and goes right over Ramos for the basket, which forces Seton Hall to at least take one more shot. Good effort all around there. 79-78 Buccaneers of the Intercoastal Waterway, 0:55 left.
1:26:22	The Pirates are killing time, but they have to deal with that 8-second difference between the shot clock and game clock. Morton gets into the lane, but he has to go up with four Michigan defenders around him and they don't call the (slight) contact with Rice, who collects the rebound. 0:10 left.
1:26:32	Rumeal sensing the urgency, pushes the ball coast-to-coast and Greene is just careless with his feet, thinking he's got this game in the bag. He knocks into Rumeal just enough to draw the whistle. PJ, to say the least, is displeased. Rumeal was in the process of getting rid of the ball to someone else for an open shot. Instead, we've got him on the foul line. On the replay, Rumeal's push of the ball down court is actually a thing of beauty, executing no less than two crossover dribbles to keep the ball away from slapping hands. The beauty of an explanatory replay. Oh yeah, in case we hadn't mentioned it, one of Rumeal's only weak spots? He's a 64% free throw shooter. Oh boy…Wait, even better, he's 57% for the tournament. BUT…he's 7 for 8 in the game. So that's something.
1:27:52	0:03 left. Rumeal on the line for the one and one. We're tied at 79 all. Rumeal's parents; very pleased. PJ Carlisemo and the small pelt on his chin; angry. Wait, check that, he's just calling out the play. Meanwhile, Steve Fisher looks so relaxed and mellow, it's like he's been road tripping with Bob Hope. Mike Griffin, who can be seen this summer in the upcoming Bourne Ultimatum, checks in and gives Rumeal a word of encouragement. Mrs. Coach is concerned in the stands. Rumeal's all alone on the line, everyone else is back by half court. It's the proper play, but it always looks strange. Rumeal nails the second one – his follow through arm-up looks triumphant and relieved all at the same time – PJ calls time out, and strike up the band. Mrs. Coach is dour until she sees herself on the Jumbotron, which we find kind of hilarious.
1:29:49	Michigan looks in the mood to celebrate, but they still need one more stop. During the time out, we get CBS staying with another round of the Victors. Someone in the stands has a "Say 'YES' to Fisher" sign, echoing the classic Michigan tourism slogan. Hey, Seton Hall has a band too. Who knew? They look kind of old, so I think it might be an alumni band. Oh it has to be alumni, because some tuba player's adorable 3-year-old is asleep on his shoulder.
1:31:27	We get the switch to the Seton Hall fight song, which I believe is the same song you hear at the start of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Wait, even better irony. We can see from the flip cards that among the songs in the Seton Hall arsenal is "Old Time Rock and Roll". Did Michigan have some Springsteen in the quiver just to balance the Michigan/New Jersey showdown on that one? And now you can actually hear the Michigan contingent signing "The Victors."
1:31:42	OK, so now Michigan will guard the inbound passer, Mills on Ramos. Obviously no one from Kentucky ever watched this game. Ramos makes a great pass all the way to the opposite arc where only Walker and Greene can get to it. Walker comes down with the ball, turns around and fires an NBA 3 over a player I can't identify, off the glass and into Glen Rice's hands. Steve Fisher casually walks down the sideline, cup of water in hand... (This is the part where my mom and I begin jumping up and down in celebration, even though it's way past my bedtime on a school night 2nd Grade! Woo! –GZ). The bars empty out onto South U, some of which won't have their windows in the morning. Final score: Michigan 80, Seton Hall 79. A full "Victors" plays in the background as shots of Michigan celebrating fill the screen.

And that's where the DVD ends, sadly, no "One Shining Moment", no interview with Bo or Glen Rice, just the end of the game.

The Vault: Michigan vs. Seton Hall, 1989 (Part 2)

Here we are again with The Vault, taking a look at the second half of the 1989 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game between Michigan and Seton Hall. You might be interested to know that you can order it from at NCAA On Demand or from Amazon.

Halftime	Michigan has held Seton Hall to 13 fewer points than their average and has forced them to shoot a whole lot from outside, where they haven't connected.
0:36:13	Terry Mills comes over the top with an emphatic block. The Seton Hall player never had a prayer. On the other end, Mills finishes to give us a 39-32 lead.
0:37:20	Ramos looks frustrated, as he commits another foul, this time on the offensive end.
0:38:48	Never trust a man in a sweater-vest. (As true in 1989 as it is today. –CDB)
0:39:00	High-wire act on a Mills-Vaught 2-on-1 that just barely hangs together. Michigan's playing a big up-and-down game fueled by the fast break. That's a motion offense. I didn't know that was allowed in this state, especially during the Bad Boys era. (Given how Vaught was a little surprised by the pass, I don't think it was, they were just hoping no one would notice. –CDB)
0:40:32	BILL WALTON LOOKS LIKE CARROT TOP.
0:41:00	Seton Hall is opening up the offense a little bit, as Morton takes it the length of the court.
0:41:40	Glen Rice is dropping bombs, widening the Michigan lead to 49-37. A Seton Hall player flops on the other end (Upon review, it's Gaze), but it's a good no-call away form the ball.
0:42:20	The crowd roars as Michigan cleans up another offense rebound, this one by Mike Griffin. Brent thinks Michigan's size advantage is showing.
0:43:30	The amount of hustle Michigan is showing, getting to every loose ball, is one of those little things you love to see and I hope will be seen again at Crisler soon.
0:44:45	Big hip-check from Glen Rice puts him and Morton on the floor. Rice just flew sideways through the air, pretending to be going for the ball.
0:45:50	Billy Packer notes that Morton is wearing white "girdle pants" under his shorts. He then says "girdle pants" way more times than I ever want to hear. (It is disturbing to say the least. –CDB)
0:46:00	Mills lays out Greene and Rumeal takes it down low, pauses, drives the basket and finishes with a SICK reverse jam. Awesome basketball to watch.
0:46:50	Crowd shot of Rumeal's adoptive parents in their "MEAL TIME #21" shirts. This is the first time they've seen him play as a Wolverine. Someone donated their trip to Seattle for the Finals.
0:47:14	Shut up Brent, you'll jinx it! He's calling that the breaks are all going Michigan's way.
0:48:30	Ugh. Missed jumper, the rebound goes off Higgins's hands, right back into Walker's, and he hits the layup…but thankfully he traveled before he got hacked on the shot.
0:49:26	Seton Hall's climbing back into this thing. It's 51-43 with 11:59 to go as Rumeal's been sitting on the bench. Yikes, the Pirates have been tough as time winds down. They've averaged under 3 FG's allowed in the last 10:00 of the game or so throughout the tournament.
0:50:40	Gaze is playing soft. He hasn't hit anything from the floor, and he declines posting up after giving the ball off to his teammate.
0:51:43	Rumeal checks back in, so does Ramos. There are bodies everywhere after a partially-blocked lay-up. Griffin is assigned the foul, Michigan's sixth as a team, and Higgins picks up his own shortly thereafter. Morton makes both. 53-47.
0:53:45	Higgins makes up for it on the other end as he drops a wide-open 3 to push it back to 56-47.
0:54:50	CBS is having fun with their graphics package here, employing all sorts of tricks that have since gone out of style. The text telling you we're at the Kingdome flips its way out of sight, I've seen the box wipe before. It's the little things that let you know the director likes these "com-poo-tors." (It's the fun stuff that you can now learn to do in your high school radio and television class. –CDB)
0:57:30	Seton Hall has amped up their defense and Michigan's 3 for their last 14. Hi, Bo. Glen Rice downs a 3. Hi, Mrs. Fisher. Seton Hall gets two back on the other end, and it's 59-51 with about 8 to go.
0:59:20	Glen Rice's 72 field goals are a new NCAA tournament record. Sen. Bill Bradley sent the Pirates a telegram of encouragement, which sounds quaint in this age. Bradley and Lautenberg have a bet going with Riegle and Levin, as politicians are prone to have, and they're betting M&M's against Vernor's. This sounds like the type of bet I'd make with my brother or some neighborhood kid. (You can hear the contempt for the stakes of the bet in Billy Packer's voice. –CDB)
1:00:38	Morton goes coast-to-coast to bring Seton Hall back within four with about 7:15 left in the game. Rice can't get a jumper to fall and Morton comes back with a jumper of his own that drops. Two-point game with 6:37 to play.
1:01:30	Rumeal gets hacked on the whole body as he goes up under the basket. He rattles home the first free throw. He's only a 64% free throw shooter (!), but he gets the second half as well.
1:03:10	Morton's on the line again. Billy Packer notes "this Seton Hall team can bury you on the foul line." Back to within two, but Glen Rice is going crazy and drops a huge three that breaks Bill Bradley's tournament scoring record.
1:05:43	Good, tough play on defense from both sides as they trade possessions. Nothing comes easy. You hear the frustration in a very audible "Come on ref!" by one of the players. Billy Packer thinks we're putting up our shots too quickly, but there's 4:30 left on the clock and all we have is a 5-point lead in an up-and-down game.
1:06:22	What was a good sequence on D turns ugly at the end. Rumeal thinks he's going to get a charge and flops down on the court, opening up a clear path to the basket. However, from the prone position he strips the ball, but it goes right to Walker, who's hammered by Hughes to put him on the line. He hits both freebies. 64-61, with 4:07 left.
1:08:27	Seton Hall is playing defense like a pack of crazed ferrets, but Terry Mills hits a tough bank off the high glass to push it to 66-61. Oh, give me a break. Billy Packer attempts a huge stretch of a metaphor: Bo has said that interim coach Steve Fisher "will get the first interview" for the permanent spot. Packer asks if Bo would get the first interview to retain his job if he won the national championship in football. Do not speak lightly of a legend like Bo, Mr. Packer. Walker's name is apt, as he turns the ball over on a traveling call. And if not, he'd have been emphatically blocked by Mills.
1:09:19	Ramos gets a block inside and Morton beats his man to the ball and the ball to the sideline. He taps it to his teammate and executes a give-and-go that covers half the length of the floor for a dunk that's only contested after it's over.
1:09:50	Turnovers and Morton are killing us. One at half court leads to an abbreviated version of the Seton Hall offense, with Morton burying a jumper before we can get our feet set. It's a 1-point game, 66-65 with 2:30 to go, and we take a hurried three. Morton runs the floor and puts in a tough lay-up. We're trailing for the first time in a long while.
1:11:19	Rumeal's out on the three-point line, looking for an open teammate when they call him for five seconds without a dribble. Unbelievable, but it was a good call.
1:12:10	Vaught gets called for a tap reach-in on Walker way out beyond the arc. We're well into the penalty, and he hits the first, but not the second. 66-68, Seafaring Pillagers.
1:13:22	Musburger notes that the Wolverines have turned it over three of the last four trips down the court. Rumeal brings the ball up and passes to Glen Rice as he turns around knocks down a glorious, game-saving three with Gaze in his face with 1:03 to go. 69-68.
1:13:32	Morton starts driving, pulls up and takes a jumper from near the high post that's way short and Higgins gets it back for the Maize and Blue. 0:46 left on the clock, and we're looking to siphon some time off that. Morton makes a play for the ball, but ends up with the foul. Someone's dad is made entirely of eye-bags. 0:34 left and Higgins on the line, PJ decides to ice him. This cue is tailor-made for Parking Lot.
1:14:53	That sweet, sweet 3 from Rice made him the all-time scoring leader in Big Ten history. Higgins hits both shots, 71-68. Still 0:34 left on the clock and the Pirates push it up court quickly. Morton steps back alone and puts down a 3 with 0:25 left.
1:16:15	0:17 left, Steve Fisher has called a timeout. Failure to get Rumeal open on the in-bounds play immediately results in our LAST TIMEOUT being called, Future Chris Webber. CBS lets the band play a Parking Lot "Victors." as they just do a montage of faces of the evening, including Magic Johnson? (The pep band is in sweaters, and several have that old foam-front school baseball cap with the winged helmet design on it. It's all very 1989. –CDB)
1:18:58	Robinson in the backcourt brings it up, gives to Higgins, who has Rice at the arc, but the shot won't go. Overtime.

The Vault: Michigan vs. Seton Hall, 1989 (Part 1)

We've been away for a bit, getting caught up in doing summer-type things. Sorry. Here we are again with our next edition of The Vault, taking a look at the 1989 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game between Michigan and Seton Hall. You might be interested to know that you can order it from at NCAA On Demand or from Amazon.

Start of the First Half (as written by CDB):
0:07	I forgot that Michigan's road to the Final Four that year was fraught with peril, whereas Seton Hall not only looks like world beaters, but they get their own cutesy graphics package to explain it to us. (The cannon they chose seems anachronistic. I don't think pirates with buckle shoes had breech-loaders –GZ)
0:55	I also forgot that I hated Andrew Gaze for many years after this game, and I could not explain why.
1:30	Mike Griffin is the name of the fifth starter on the 1989 team you can never remember. OK, I can never remember. (No, it's clearly "we" –GZ)
2:16	The simplicity of the court design strikes me as charming. It's actually not distracting as you try and watch the game.
2:49	Brent points out that Michigan resembles Syracuse, Seton Hall's Achilles' Heel in the Big East. I'm going to have to trust him on this, but clearly, the resemblance does not extend to a comparison between the hairstyles of Steve Fisher and Jim Boeheim. (PJ Carlesimo looks like a shaved bear, or maybe just like Zack Galifianakis. As if there's any difference. –GZ)
4:21	Bill Simmons keeps complaining about the use of non-traditional camera angles when covering the NBA, and yet, here's a long establishing shot for an entire possession. He's right though, the mid-court shot works best.
5:56	Seton Hall is playing some exceptionally tough defense. Not punishing as much as it is tough man-to-man. I'd say they're choking off the passing lanes for Michigan, but that's just a cheap joke at P.J.'s expense.
7:52	Sean Higgins just made a huge mental mistake by tossing to Rumeal Robinson back across the time line. Oy...
8:23	Sweet shooting stroke by Rumeal, but it's only a two...and then, turnover leads to a quick fast break and more Michigan points. 12-8, Maize and Blue, 14:16 left.
9:11	Glen Rice draws an offensive foul, and I guess I just forgot how amazing Rice was throughout this whole tournament, even if Brent makes a horrible "wild Rice" joke coming back from "commercial".
11:00	I forgot that Rumeal was a freshman non-qualifier, back when such things existed.
13:50	Just sort of a sloppy sequence here. Nothing to add, I just hadn't written anything in a while. Seriously, the sloppiness continues for about two and a half more minutes. Rumeal had a 2-on-1 and decided not to make the pass which would have been an easy layup and couldn't make his own shot drop.
15:41	Mike Griffin looks like Opie Taylor's older cousin, while Ramon Ramos looks like he's 50.
16:51	First gratuitous iso shot of Mrs. Fisher in the stands. Michigan's cleaning up on the offensive glass.
17:26	Nice pass by Griffin inside to Rumeal. Brent notes that it feels like Robinson is headed for a huge night. I am loathe to disagree.
18:43	For all of the Fab Five's many flaws, we can thank them for saving us from the tyranny of short shorts and t-shirts under the jersey in basketball.
19:11	Seeing a Seattle with the Kingdome in the skyline just feels strange to me.
20:57	Seton Hall's on a 9-0 run, and in comes Demetrius Calip for...Higgins. 12-0 run now for the Pirates. Yar.
21:52	Apparently Andrew Gaze's father is the John Wooden of Australian basketball, and now Billy Packer is on a rant about the use of rent-a-international players. I don't think he's wrong, but if you look at what ended up happening, Andrew Gaze was the exception rather than the rule. I am left to wonder whether or not Andrew Gaze's father is bigger than Wayne Bennett in Brisbane (Not twenty times bigger! –GZ).
23:47	In watching these older games, I miss the constant score bug. In writing these notes, I've lost the score and it's tricky to pick back up where it is.
24:14	The smallest man in Division I basketball is named Mookie. I find this amusing. (I'm just amazed that the Charlotte Hornets existed in '89, and that Muggsy Bogues was playing for them –GZ)
25:16	Glen Rice just is a sharpshooter, even if it was just a 2.
25:51	I'm now convinced that Andrew Gaze and Christian Laettner share a hairstylist.
26:26	Have you ever, in your life, met or heard of another man named Loy?
26:57	It stuns me how much they actually called traveling back in the day. Another Michigan turnover, but we're tied at 28, with 3:46 remaining.
27:36	Ramon Ramos looks like a Puerto Rican Frankenstein. Seriously, he's scaring the small children. And Glen Rice, Deadeye again. Oh and they just pointed out that Glen Rice is closing in on Senator Bill Bradley's NCAA Tournament scoring record.
29:06	That was a great forced turnover by Michigan, followed by an awful bit of transition work and an even worse no-call.
29:37	Billy Packer was nowhere near as annoying in 1989 as he is today, but this could be a relative thing when paired with Brent. I'm just saying. (Having Brent on this broadcast has actually kept me from putting on this DVD at times. It's a national championship and Brent has dissuaded me from watching, he's that bad. –GZ).
31:16	Gratuitous Bo sighting #1. You get the feeling that Bo will become a leitmotif as this game moves forward.
32:00	That is NOT a "marvelous" story about Rumeal Robinson being abandoned by his mother in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is a nice story about the people who adopted him. Let's please be clear about the difference here.
33:49	Rumeal hits the front half of a one and one near the end of the half. Important for later?
Halftime	Michigan's up 37-32 at the half. We'll see what happens. (You can really hear the old snare rhythms as we fade out, with the reminder that Michigan has a long history of unflattering cheerleader uniforms –GZ)