To kick off season 10 of #TWIMFbH, it’s time for relive The Brabbs..and I love it:
You can hear this during the WTKA 1050AM Keybank Countdown to Kickoff, starting four hours before every game. And Saturday, make sure you catch Sam Webb, Ira Weintraub and Steve Clarke live inside the Go Labatt Blue mVictors Lounge. Go Blue!
/script
Good evening! To kickoff the 10th year of This Week in Michigan football History we take a short, but glorious trip back to August 31, 2002 as Rick Neuheisel’s 11th ranked Washington Huskies marched into Ann Arbor to take on the #13 Wolverines.
A capacity crowd filled the Big House on a sweltering hot day to witness this season opener, which for a while, looked like it would be a big Meechigan blowout.
On his first carry of the day, Chris Perry broke through an enormous hole and dashed 67 yards to paydirt. Then, early in the 2nd quarter, John Navarre connected with Braylon Edwards for a 45 yard TD to put the Blue up 14-0.But the Huskies wouldn’t go quietly as U-Dubb quarterback Cody Pickett battled back…and before they knew it the 111,000 fans had a game on their sweaty hands.
Things remained tight as Chris Perry’s 3rd touchdown of the day put Michigan up early in fourth. But the Huskies quickly answered and LED 29-28 with just eight minutes left. With under 90 seconds to go Michigan missed a short field goal but Coach Carr saved his timeouts and the defense gave the Wolverines one last chance.
It looked like that chance was squandered when Braylon appeared to drop a 4th down pass — but the play was ruled a catch and a fumble…and receiver Tyrece Butler alertly pounced on the ball to preserve the drive.
On third down with just 6 seconds to go, Navarre missed everyone on a pass over the middle, leaving U of M way out of field goal range. But fate steeped in as the Huskies were penalized for having 12 men on the field. Coach Neuheisel, who strangely chose to wear a tan sweater-vest on the brutally HOT day, would later say the blunder (the penalty, not the sweatervest) would haunt the Husky program for 1,000 years.
With the penalty yards the Wolveriners were in field goal range..but who would Coach Carr send out to attempt the 44 yard kick?
Walkon Phil Brabbs, who started the game but hadn’t made a connected on a field goal since his high school days in 1998, had already missed 2 shorter kicks. Brabbs was benched and replaced by Troy Nienberg, who missed that FG late in the fourth.
Carr summoned Brabbs — and offered the toe-headed junior an opportunity to punch a first class ticket to Meechingan football’s Val Halla.
For those listening from Coast to Coast..from the coast of Lake Michigan to the coast of Lake Erie, it sounded like this..
As that ball sailed thoough, the stadium roar shook the windows on Hoover Avenue, and the name Phil Brabbs was forever etched in University of Meeechigan lore alongside names like Bob Bergeron and Remy Hamilton!
Go Blue! Beat the Blue Raiders
