Colorado’s Prayers Unanswered This Time

This time there was no miracle.

Two years after a Hail Mary pass completion produced an agonizing defeat, Michigan got the chance to celebrate when Koy Detmer’s last-second pass was batted away, preserving the 11th-ranked Wolverines’ 20-13 victory over No. 5 Colorado on Saturday.

Michigan seemingly had Colorado beaten in 1994 at Ann Arbor, but Kordell Stewart’s 64-yard pass was pulled down in the end zone by Michael Westbrook as time expired and the Buffaloes had a 27-26 victory.

Incredibly, it came down to the final play in the rematch. Michigan turned the ball over on downs at its 38-yard line with 5 seconds left, and Detmer heaved an end-zone pass which was tipped away from intended receiver James Kidd.

“I was thinking, ‘Here we go again,”’ Michigan coach Lloyd Carr. “When the ball went up in the air, I held my breath. We were in a better position to hit the ball this time. Colorado got a good bounce two years ago. They didn’t this time.”

Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel said the ball “was in the right place, we just didn’t get the carom we got in ‘94. That’s just luck. You hope one of your guys comes up with it. It would have been unbelievable if it had happened again. I thought they could have run out the clock. Lo and behold, they gave us a chance to repeat history.”

Carr admitted the Wolverines should have managed the clock better at the finish. On fourth down, quarterback Scott Dreisbach dropped to one knee for a loss.

Dreisbach threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jerame Tuman late in the third quarter as Michigan (2-0) took control, scoring 10 points while Colorado’s offense could manage only 11 yards on 10 plays. Colorado then turned the ball over on downs twice in the final period.

Midway through the third period, Dreisbach completed three passes, including a 17-yarder to Tai Streets, to set up Remy Hamilton’s 42-yard field goal, producing a 13-13 tie.

A holding penalty and David Bowens’ sack of Detmer then forced Colorado (2-1) to punt from its 6-yard line, and Andy Mitchell got off only a 26-yarder. Michigan went the 32 yards in seven plays. Streets caught a 14-yard pass which he tipped twice before grabbing, and Dreisbach hit the wide-open Tuman in the right corner of the end zone for a 20-13 lead with 59 seconds left in the period.

In the final quarter, Colorado surrendered the ball on downs at the Michigan 41 and 9.