March 3, 2011 - 5:08pm
Dave Brandon reflects on rededication of the Big House, win over UConn
BY TIM ROHAN
Moments after Michigan wrapped up a 30-10 win over Connecticut to begin the 2010 season on Saturday, Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon praised the pre-game festivities as well as the play on the field.
In front of the largest crowd ever to watch a football game — 113,090 people — Michigan rededicated the Big House and put on quite the show before the game.
“We wanted this to be special,” Brandon said after the game. “It was 1927 the last time we had a dedication ceremony here. So my challenge to the marketing team was, and we’ve been planning this for months, if one flyover is good, let’s have two. And let’s not just cut the ribbon, let’s blow off some fireworks. We really wanted to showcase the history of the stadium with that video and obviously Brock. Brock is an inspiration to this team. He’s got to share this victory today too.”
Brock Mealer, the brother of Michigan offensive lineman Elliott Mealer, was told he had a one-percent chance of walking again after a car crash left him paralyzed and his father and brother’s girlfriend dead. Mealer led the team out of the tunnel and was the first to touch the banner.
“I held it together pretty well until that moment (when he touched the banner) and I’ll tell you why,” Brandon said. “I sat with him, we planned this whole thing. I told him how we need to make this whole thing happen. He was great about it. And I’m getting ready to leave and he kinda called me over and said, ‘Mr. Brandon, would it be okay if I touched the banner?’ And that’s what he wanted to do — that’s what he did.”
The festivities also included a video montage in tribute to the new Michigan Stadium, with the voice-over recorded by Keith Jackson.
When the game began, it was the Denard Robinson show. Brandon was among those impressed by the sophomore quarterback’s performance. Robinson threw for 186 yards and ran for 197 more — setting a school record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game.
“He’s got that speed,” Brandon said. “You notice several times, guys, you think you’ve got the angle on him and he just leaves them behind. He just has that afterburner kind of speed that just gives him that breakaway threat every time he has the ball in his hands. It was a big game for Denard. And don’t forget, go look at his passing stats, his completion percentage. If you think too much about the run, he’s going to burn you.”
The win over the Huskies could set the tone for the rest of the season. Brandon always said that the team was working hard to get back to Michigan’s winning tradition.
“I’ve been to enough football practices, been in a few of them, to know when a team is practicing for a purpose,” Brandon said. “This is a team that has been practicing for a purpose. You can just tell with the hustle. You can tell with the attitude. And the way they push one another and the way the coaches were pushing them. We’re off to a good start — long season ahead.”
