Bowl Day Florida

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Bowl Day Florida - 2003

By Richard Curry

The state of Florida puts more players into Division 1 College
football than any state in the union, and a litany of that talent goes
directly into the state's three biggest schools: FSU, Miami, and Florida.
So the Big 10 did itself proud when Ohio State beat the nation's #1 school
in a double overtime to end Miami's 34-game unbeaten streak and National
title hopes. Michigan went into Tampa and bested Florida 38-30.

This Outback Bowl was the first football game of the New Year. The weather was amazingly good, considering it rained the night before with a record six inches in only two hours. At game time the temperature read 75 sunny degrees. It was a spectacle to behold. The Michigan and Florida bands strutted onto the field in Tampa to the cheers of 65,101 fans. F-16's thundered overhead. Four Red Baron WWI-class planes flew in unison over Raymond James Stadium (home of the Bucs) and four parachuted with flags flying to the 50-yard line.

There was also a game and a great one at that. After a few beers my son,
Patrick, evolved into our section's number one Michigan cheerleader. One
more 'Go Blue' and I think a few Gator fans might have wanted to smack him
upside the head. Speaking of cheerleaders, the Florida Gator girls had a
slight edge over Michigan's. The blue garters that accented their long
tanned legs tilted my vote.

The lead in the game changed hands six times. The Wolverine's John Navarre
was 21 of 36 for 319 yards, one TD, and no interceptions. The Gator's Rex
Grossman went 21 of 41 for 323 yards and later announced that he was
forgoing his senior year for the big bucks of the NFL.

Michigan junior running back, Chris Perry, was voted the game's MVP. He was
running around like he had a free pass for couch dances at the 'Mos Venues'
Men's Club on Dale Mabry. Chris rumbled in for four TD's - a record, ran 85
yards on 28 carries, and caught six passes for another 108 yards. With the
game on the line and time running down, Florida's Vernell Brown's errant
pass on a trick play was intercepted by the Wolverine's Victor Hobson on
the 27-yard line to seal the victory.

It was Vernell's only pass of the year - one pass too many. Just two plays
before Hobson was given a 15-yard personal foul for blasting Grossman when
he was way out of bounds. The interception made up for his stupid play. "I
was kind of upset with myself after the late hit. I just wanted to come
back and do whatever I could to help the team win," said Victor. Victor was
the game's leading tackler with a 12 in his final game at Michigan.

My highlight reel moment of the day was watching Florida's tight end,
Ratliff, at 6'5" and 235 pounds make a circus catch and then catapult
Michigan's Jermi Lesseur like a moment out of 'Spiderman'. I couldn't
believe my eyes. It was the best athletic play I had ever seen. This man
will make it in pro football.

Outback Bowl records fell like midgets at a Florida dwarf-tossing contest:
68 total points, nine TD's, 159 offensive plays, and 929 total yards.

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