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Taking advantage Last-minute gaffe opens door for Michigan victory
Updated: Saturday November 17, 2001 8:39 PM
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Brandon Williams found a novel way to celebrate his 21st birthday. He set up Hayden Epstein's 31-yard field goal that gave No. 11 Michigan a 20-17 victory over Wisconsin by recovering a muffed punt in the closing seconds Saturday. The Wolverines (8-2, 6-1) kept their Big Ten title hopes alive and ended the Badgers' six-year bowl run with the bizarre finish. The Badgers (5-6, 3-4) appeared on their way to their first victory over Michigan since 1994 when they lined up for a 36-yard field goal with 1:26 left and the game tied at 17. But Mark Neuser was wide right by a foot and the Wolverines, who turned two blocked punts into 10 points and forced two more shanks with pressure, got the ball back at their 20. The Badgers forced a punt from midfield into what was supposed to be an empty receiving backfield. But when Williams broke downfield, freshman Brett Bell covered him as though he were protecting against a fake punt. But it wasn't a fake and Bell stayed with his man all the way. The ball took at sideways bounce right into Bell's left leg and fluttered into Williams' arms at the Wisconsin 13 with 14 seconds left. "That was a big break," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "That game was definitely headed for overtime." Although Badgers returner Nick Davis said the play was "punt-safe all the way," Bell said he never cut off coverage because no one ever told him it was anything but a regular return. Williams didn't realize it right away, either. "I didn't know there wasn't anybody deep," Williams said. "I was happy when I saw it hit him. The ball took a good hop. I caught it and took off." Because the ball can't be advanced, it was returned to the 13 and the field goal unit ran onto the field. Nobody on either sideline and none of the 79,633 fans -- the fifth-biggest crowd ever at Camp Randall Stadium -- could believe it. "I figured that he'd run away or something," Badgers receiver Lee Evans said. "He didn't even really have to block the guy. Wasn't no returner back there. He was trying to do his job. He's a young guy. Got to learn from it." Carr didn't even realize what had happened. He was just glad Epstein had gotten of the punt against what he figured was an 11-man rush. "I was shocked because I didn't see any of it," Carr said. "It was a good snap. The ball got up in the air. All of a sudden in my headphone they were yelling, 'We have the ball! We have the ball!'" Badgers coach Barry Alvarez might have made matters worse when he called a timeout to try to ice Epstein, who also punts and was racing all the way into the end zone to congratulate Williams. Epstein, who said the timeout helped him catch his breath, split the uprights with 10 seconds to go. After two desperation passes by Brooks Bollinger were knocked down at midfield, the downcast Badgers scattered, some of them crying after their third straight close loss to the Wolverines, who have beaten Wisconsin by five, three and three points the last three years. The Badgers' senior class, which won two conference titles and three bowl games, including the Rose Bowl twice, never beat the Wolverines. "It feels like you got sucker-punched, especially the way it ended," senior safety Joey Boese said. "With 1:40 left, I was on the sideline going, 'We did it!' When things aren't meant to be, they aren't mean t to be. But this was tough to swallow. I'll definitely remember this the rest of my life." Michigan broke a 7-7 tie in the first half when freshman Marlin Jackson blocked a punt by R.J. Morse, scooped it up and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, wide receiver Marquise Walker, quiet much of the day on offense as cornerback Mike Echols blanketed Michigan's best weapon, stunted from the right side and blew past backup long snapper Matt Mialik to block Morse's punt at the Wisconsin 5. That led to Epstein's 25-yard field goal that made it 17-7. The Badgers responded Anthony Davis's 10-yard touchdown run and Neuser's career-long 46-yarder after Nick Greisen forced Michigan quarterback and Wisconsin native John Navarre to cough up the ball at his own 26. Wisconsin limited the Wolverines to just 163 yards of offense, including 58 yards passing and just 2.6 yards per carry. Walker led Michigan with four catches for just 14 yards. Evans (three catches for 31 yards) became Wisconsin's career receiving yards leader, Davis (27 carries for 103 yards) tied the NCAA freshman record with his ninth 100-yard game and Bollinger's 133 yards passing made Wisconsin the first Big Ten team ever with four 1,000-yard performers in one season. The special teams mistakes made all of that moot. "We were fortunate to win," Carr said. "If ever a football game was determined by the kicking game, this one was it." Evans, who some say could be the top receiver selected in the NFL draft next April, said he'll return for his senior season to get another shot at the Wolverines. "I'll be back," he said. "Definitely."
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