Thursday, January 5, 2012
MICHIGAN 23, VIRGINIA TECH 20
TEAM 13



Is this how Michigan
football is supposed to look?

Hoke rewarded for his
confidence in Gibbons

NEW ORLEANS - Nobody understands that. But to
ost amongst a sea of come out here and win this bowl
teammates and a flurry of game, today,
maize and blue confetti, with these
Michigan's Sugar Bowl hero people I
flescribed how he felt. worked hard
"It shows our fight. It shows with from
our determination. It shows day one, it
everything we've been through," feels so good.
said Junior Hemingway, as tears There's noth-
streamed down his face. ing like it. TIM
His voice, rising in despera- "It's too ROHAN
tion, tried to convince the world. hard, man.
"We've been through a lot. Just shows
We've been through soooo much. all our hard work. All the long

days, long nights, it feels too
good, man, too good."
When asked how he felt, Vir-
ginia Tech coach Frank Beamer
buried his face in his hands.
"I'm about half-sick right
now," he said.
What more could Beamer
have asked? His quarterback
out-ran Denard Robinson and
carved up Michigan's second-
ary. Logan Thomas said there
was nothing Michigan did that
surprised him, and it showed, as
See MICHIGAN, Page 3C

By STEPHEN J. NESBITT
Daily Sports Editor
NEW ORLEANS - Brendan
Gibbons stooped, placed the ball
on the kicking tee. He stepped
back and took a deep breath.
Brunettes.
The redshirt sophomore kick-
er had just witnessed his coun-
terpart, Virginia Tech kicker
Justin Myer, push a field-goal
attempt wide to the right in the
opening series of overtime in the
Sugar Bowl. Gibbons realized he

was four plays away from lining
up for the game-winning field
goal.
So he eyed the ball, made his
approach and buried his kick
into the practice net behind the.
Michigan bench. Straight and
true. Gibbons picked up his hel-
met and trotted to the sideline
for third down - he only needed
one practice kick.
"Felt good," he said. "I knew I
was going to make it."
This from a kicker who went
1-for-5 last season and was

yanked from starting duties. Of
course, that's just the beginning
of the story. Gibbons rebounded
in the 2011 season to connect on
10 of 14 attempts.
But none was bigger than
when he lined up a 37-yarder
between the hash marks at the
Mercedes-Benz Superdoie in
the bottom half of overtime.
Michigan coach Brady Hoke
didn't doubt his kicker. After
Myer's miss, he ran three
straight running plays and then
See GIBBONS, Page 3C