In the 1989 Rose Bowl, the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines took on the No. 5 USC Trojans. The matchup between USC and Michigan became pretty common for the Rose Bowl. If you must know, I was not alive for this game. Actually, most of the games I watched between USC and Michigan growing up ended up in losses.
They say write what you know, but screw it. Here’s this week’s Flashback Friday.
Game Leaders
Michiganquarterback Demetrius Brown threw for 144 yards in this game, finding receiver John Kolesar (three catches, 49
yards), and tight end Derrick Walker (three catches, 54 yards), a few times apiece The Wolverines also relied on Leroy Hoard (19 carries, 144 yards) heavily in this game.
Michigan’s defense was dominant in this one, recovering three fumbles and recording two interceptions. The Wolverines held the Trojans to just 138 rush yards, as linebackers Erick Anderson and John Milligan — the latter of whom came up with a crucial interception late in the game — played big roles against USC.
Plays of the Game
This one had a lot of highlights from the defense, including five total turnovers forced by the Wolverines. This one came in the second quarter, as the Wolverines had allowed USC to get into its own territory before coming up big with a fumble recovery.
In the second quarter, the Wolverines were trailing, 7-3, when they went for it on 4th-and-2. After failing to get the first down, USC would get a score and take a 14-3 lead. With just 18 seconds left in the first half, Brown found Derrick Walker to get to the 20-yard line to set up a field goal attempt, which ultimately failed.
Trailing 14-3 at halftime, Michigan got another shot from inside the 10. On 2nd-and-goal, Brown hit Chris Calloway for the touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, so Michigan trailed 14-9 in the third quarter.
Michigan finally took the lead when Brown found his tight end once again in the fourth quarter. It got to the one before Hoard punched it in. The Wolverines took a 15-14 lead after another missed two-point conversion.
In one of the final highlights of the game, Hoard had a huge 61-yard run to put Michigan in a position to score with just a few minutes remaining. It took them a few plays, but Brown gave them a chance to score on 4th-and-1. That’s when Hoard finally got in the end zone.
Outcome
The Wolverines beat the Trojans, 22-14, and improved to 9-2-1 on the season. The Wolverines finished the season No. 4 in the AP Poll.
What were your favorite plays from this game? Where were you watching? Let us know in the comments below!
