“Excited.”
Joe isn’t sure how many folks reading this here corner of the interwebs watched the Western Michigan-Michigan game on NBC on Saturday night. One important member of the Bucs got a pretty good view.
That’s because Todd Bowles was on the field. Bowles mentioned that yesterday during his presser after a “bonus” practice to start game week for Week 1.
Bowles’ son Troy is a linebacker for Michigan and made some damn critical tackles down the stretch that, if he doesn’t make, you could make an argument Michigan doesn’t win.
Bowles didn’t know it at the time, but he saw perhaps one of the most controversial endings in college football history. It appeared Central Michigan upset Michigan as a Hail Mary from Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood sailed out of the end zone as time expired.
But the Big Ten zebras said no, there was one second left. Underwood’s second attempt at a Hail Mary was a touchdown and Michigan fans stormed the field.
Who was standing on the field at the time? Todd Bowles.
> “Football can give you a heart attack,” Bowles laughed. “I don’t think I have ever been part of that where you’re standing \[on the field\] and they storm the field and I kind of got caught up in that.”
And it can get pretty hairy in a field-storming, especially when out of the clear blue sky the refs gave Michigan one more chance to save themselves — and they did.
And just like the Michigan fans were jacked over how the Wolverines pulled a rabbit out of a hat to win, Bowles said, like those fans, he’s stoked for the beginning of a new NFL season.
> “It’s always exciting to start the season,” Bowles said. “Everybody prepares the right way.
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> “You’re excited to see what you can do. You’re excited to see your team out there. You’re excited to see them execute.
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> “And you know, it’s different than the middle of the season or the end of the season. So, there’s a lot of excitement for everybody around.”
Now if only Bowles and the Bucs can ramp up the excitement for fans even more by finding a way to punk Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in five days.