Wolverines notebook: Michigan's No. 1 haunts Hoosiers again
10/3/2004BLOOMINGTON, Ind - At halftime of yesterday's game against Michigan, Indiana honored the 1979 Hoosier squad that won the first bowl game in IU history. The Hoosiers defeated Brigham Young in the Holiday Bowl 38-37.
That Indiana team also is well remembered in Wolverine lore. It was in 1979 that Michigan avoided a tie with Indiana at Ann Arbor when Anthony Carter caught a long touchdown pass from John Wangler with no time left on the clock to stun the Hoosiers, 27-21 - still considered one of the greatest finishes in the history of Michigan Stadium.
Yesterday, it was another Wolverine wearing Carter's No. 1 jersey who left the Hoosiers reeling, Braylon Edwards. With 165 yards in receptions, Edwards tied Lowell Perry for the most receiving yards against Indiana, a mark set in 1951. The two TD catches was one short of the three Desmond Howard caught in 1991. David Terrell (2000), Tai Streets (1998), and Perry (1952) caught two TD passes against the Hoosiers.
The eight receptions by Edwards were two shy of the 10 caught by John Gabler in 1967. Howard caught nine passes against Indiana in 1990 and Streets caught eight in 1998.
As much as Carr appreciated the big plays Edwards made on offense, he liked even more the block he sprung to unleash Leon Hall on the latter's punt return for a touchdown.
"I saw an unbelievable block by Edwards," Carr said. "I told him as he came off the field, 'That's the way an All-American plays.' He made an All-American play there, a magnificent block."
In two plays, Hall became Public Enemy No. 1 in Bloomington. In the eyes of Hoosier fans, Hall committed pass interference on a third down play and, with the fans still booing, caught the ensuing punt and dashed for a touchdown. It was the first punt return allowed by Indiana since Michigan's Steve Breaston went the distance from 69 yards out at Ann Arbor last year.
Breaston was held out of yesterday's game after having surgery on his hand earlier in the week.
BIG HIT: Indiana fans had reason to cheer later in the game when Hall caught a punt on the fly and was met head-on by Indiana defender John Pannozzo, dropping Hall in his tracks. Hall bounced right back up, though.
STRIKING EARLY: The 40-yard touchdown catch by Michigan back-up receiver Jermaine Gonzales opening the scoring was only the second touchdown of his career and 10th reception overall. He caught a 51-yard touchdown pass in 2001.
"Jermaine Gonzales has worked hard to transition from one position to another," Carr said. "He just showed patience and has been getting better and better."
Gonzales helped Michigan become the first team to score first on Indiana this year.
HENNE ON TARGET: With 17 completions against Indiana, Chad Henne finished one shy of Tom Brady's 18 against Indiana in 1998. With three touchdown passes, Henne fell one short of the four thrown by Elvis Grbac against the Hoosiers in 1990.
Grbac also threw for three TDs against Indiana in 1991.
ORGANIZED CONFUSION: Indiana's no-huddle offense was in the cards all week. It did cause some confusion on the Michigan side, but the Hoosiers also had to burn several timeouts to sort things out.
"It was our strategy going into the game," Hoosier coach Gerry DiNardo said.
"It has some growing pains. That is why it looked like the first time we had done it. It I had to do it over again I would. I think the strategy was right."