Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/151803
L THE VOICE BY MATT LEPAY // VOICE OF THE BADGERS Flashback offers reminder to enjoy the show ate last week, longtime Michigan football radio announcer Frank Beckmann announced he will step down at the end of this season, his 33rd with the Wolverines. I am not sure how many of you are familiar with his work, but if you get a chance this fall, check him out. Beckmann and color analyst Jim Brandstatter make a good pairing, and they have called their fair share of thrilling games. So maybe you are asking why I am mentioning anything about Michigan in a UW Athletics magazine? It is a legitimate question, perhaps especially so in this case because, to be honest, I really do not know Frank personally. However, we have something in common, and it serves as a reminder of what makes college football special. Let's turn back the clock to Oct. 15, 2005. It might be the wildest day of college football I can ever remember. For the Badgers and their fans, it was a great day. Remember the Miracle at the Metrodome? In the final minute, Wisconsin's Jonathan Casillas blocked a Gophers punt and Ben Strickland recovered in the end zone to give the Badgers an improbable 38-34 victory. Turns out that game was one of many with dramatic endings. Also that day, Alabama needed a last-second field goal to beat Ole Miss and remain unbeaten. That might have been at the bottom of the thrill chart. 18 // VARSITY August 15, 2013 In South Bend, USC and Notre Dame had a crazy finish. Down 3128 and facing a fourth-and-9 from their own 26, the Trojans converted on a long pass from quarterback Matt Leinart. With 3 seconds to play, Leinart was able to sneak in, courtesy of some assistance from running back Reggie Bush in a play that came to be known as the "Bush Push." In Columbus, Ohio State was hosting Michigan State, and a big turn of events at the end of the first half provided TV viewers with some comic relief ― for everyone but Spartans fans. Michigan State had rushed its kicking team on for a field goal try. The Buckeyes blocked the kick and ran it back for a touchdown. Heading off the field at halftime, Spartans coach John L. Smith was irate, and he let ABC sideline reporter Jack Arute know about it. Arute asked Smith about that final play, and the Spartans coach admitted it was a titanic blunder. "The kids are playing their tails off, and the coaches are screwing it up!" said Smith. But other than the Badgers-Gophers finish, the game I best remember is Penn State at Michigan. I was driving home from Minneapolis, and after listening to Gophers fans vent their frustrations on Twin Cities radio, I had heard enough and was able to find the Michigan network broadcast of the game with the Nittany Lions. Penn State was undefeated and leading Michigan in the final minute. Wolverines quarterback Chad Henne was leading a desperate drive to save the game, which came down to one play, win or lose. "Last play of the game from the 10," Beckmann described to his audience. "Henne dropping to throw. Looking right. Looking right. Fires toward the end zone … touchdown! Mario Manningham! And Michigan will win!" Hearing the call of that fantastic finish certainly helped break up a four-and-a-half hour drive from Minneapolis to Madison, and I would guess Beckmann's call is a keeper for any number of Michigan fans. That is part of the fun of being associated with athletics. You never know when you might see ― or hear ― something special. We know there are problems in college sports that need fixing sooner than later. Those issues are well documented. But when the games begin, perhaps we can put the troubles aside, if only for a few hours, and think about the possibility of that next magical moment. Oct. 15, 2005 had a ton of memorable games. Of course, there have been many great games since, but for one day in the middle of October, college football gave us some theatre that remains difficult to top. Difficult but not impossible. In a little more than two weeks, the theatre opens again, and fans can't wait to see the show.