leroy hoard

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

If you missed it, Part One—covering the leadup and the first half—was posted earlier this week.

Michigan enters halftime at the Rose Bowl losing 14-6 to an underdog UCLA team. Redshirt freshman quarterback Elvis Grbac is 4-for-9 for 32 yards and a pick in his first start. He hasn't looked confident. Naturally, this gives Bo Schembechler the opportunity to tell the youngster some war stories (via the Michigan Daily archive):

Before we get to see if this particular tack is effective, the defense needs to stop a Bruins offense that outgained Michigan's 147-106 in the first half. (Yes, that's ugly by 1989 standards, too.)

The second half opens with an overhead shot of Los Angeles at dusk—sadly, sunset evidently occurred during halftime—and Bob Griese play-coughs at the sight of the smog. "Stop it," says a bemused Keith Jackson, who doesn't miss a beat as he calls the subsequent UCLA kickoff return. I dream of the day we have Futurama-style floating heads of these two calling every Michigan game.

UCLA works their way to midfield with their rushing attack and a timely third-down scramble from QB Bret Johnson, who Griese is really trying to play up as an athletic version of Troy Aikman. On the next third down, Johnson rifles a throw to redshirt sophomore Erick Anderson:

Anderson is a standout linebacker for Michigan.

[Hit THE JUMP for Keithstradamus, a comeback, and unexpected special teams excellence.]

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

I truly don't know where to begin with this one.

It's September 23rd, 1989. Michigan is 0-1 after losing a #1 vs. #2 battle to Rocket Ismail's Notre Dame. The team is far from full strength; senior starting quarterback Michael Taylor went down with a back injury in the ND game and both starting guards didn't make the trip to Los Angeles due of illness.

While the Wolverines had entered the spring with great quarterback depth, senior Demetrius Brown was ruled academically ineligible weeks prior to the season, and the presumed next man in line, sophomore Wilbur Odom, missed the beginning of fall practice with his own academic issues. Your starting quarterback, fresh off an admirable comeback effort in relief against the Irish, is redshirt freshman Elvis Grbac.

People's Sexiest Man Alive, 1998.

Meanwhile, the offensive line—which already lost tackle Warde Manuel to a season-ending injury in the offseason—is starting a junior, two sophomores, and two freshmen. ABC only bats .500 on the center's name in their in-game graphics.

you have angered the viking

Michigan's opponent is 1-1 UCLA, which entered the season at #6 before getting spanked at home by unranked Tennessee and narrowly slipping past San Diego State. The Bruins are working with their own redshirt freshman quarterback, Bret Johnson, after the graduation of #1 overall draft pick Troy Aikman. While expectations have slipped, head coach Terry Donahue has led the team to an unprecedented seven bowl wins in the last seven years.

Donahue has shaken up his coaching staff from the previous season. Offensive coordinator Steve Axman was one of the only coaches to be let go in what was otherwise a Mark Dantonio-style reshuffling of the deck chairs. Axman's replacement is the deck chair that had been in charge of UCLA's defensive line for the previous seven seasons. Reader, I damn near fell off my couch when Bob Griese said this during the second half:

“And now Greg Robinson, who was a defensive line coach, moves over to offense, so that’s a little bit of an adjustment.”

Yes, that Greg "GERG" Robinson has been tabbed to revitalize an offense many felt was too conservative and ground-focused when Axman had Aikman at his disposal. I'll give that a moment to sink in.

The broadcast, which refuses to acknowledge the context and limited sample size, believes GERG has instigated a turnaround:

UCLA finished 1989 at 190 yards per game :(

While Donahue's mind-boggling experiment goes surprisingly well in this particular game, you'll be shocked to learn it doesn't hold up, and perhaps even curses the rest of his coaching career. But that's for Part Two.

[Hit THE JUMP for Keith Jackson's preamble and an unexpectedly fraught first half.]