Countdown to Kickoff - 28 days

First our new intro

September 24, 1994
Michigan 26 - Colorado 27

Not every game on this list is a happy ending. I don't seem to have any memorabilia from this game - no ticket stub, no program, maybe I wanted to forget?

The game was really a series of changing momentum. The 7th ranked Buffaloes lead early. Kordell Stewart hit Michael Westbrook midway through the 2nd quarter to take a 14-3 lead. Then the 4th ranked Wolverines started to mount a comeback. Tim Biakabutuka scored late in the half, but a 2-point conversion attempt failed (d'oh - did Moeller's teams ever have a failed 2-point attempt not prove extremely costly?) leaving M down 14-9.

IIRC, Stewart even had a Hail Mary attempt to close out the first half - Michigan got immediate pressure and I think Chuck Winters intercepted (or maybe Stewart was sacked - anyone out there know for sure?)

Michigan dominated the 3rd quarter, building the lead to 26-14. In the 4th, Colorado had a potential scoring drive end in a touchback fumble through the endzone giving Michigan the ball back, with a 12 point lead and only about 5 minutes remaining. A quick - timeout eating - three-and-out gave the ball back to CU with under 4 minutes left. The Wolverine defense didn't put up much resistance, and CU cut the lead to 5 with about 2:30 left.

When Mercury Hayes recovered the on-side kick attempt, again it seemed Michigan would take this game. Another three-and-out gave the Buffaloes the ball back 85 yards from victory with only 15 seconds left. Stewart hit Westbrook, moving the ball out to the 36 as he got out of bounds. Six seconds left, sixty-four yards away, what could go wrong?




In my mined this was the beginning of the end for Gary Moeller as M's coach. They would lose three more games in 1994, giving Penn State their toughest game of the season, a horrible effort against Wisconsin, and a fiasco in Columbus. Of course whatever happened at the restaurant in Southfield was the final nail in the coffin for Moeller, this game probably completed most of the woodwork.