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Provo • Jamie Morris won't suit up on Saturday when his beloved Michigan Wolverines play host to the No. 22-ranked BYU Cougars at Michigan Stadium.

But the 50-year-old former Big Blue running back sure wishes he could, and he says he's not alone among his former teammates who lost 24-17 to BYU in the 1984 Holiday Bowl, the college football game that enabled the undefeated Cougars to claim the national championship.

"We've had a lot of reunions over the years, and we remember that game well, and we still talk about it," said Morris, a freshman who carried the ball just three times for 12 yards that night at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, but who would end his career as Michigan's all-time leading rusher with 4,392 yards. Now he's third on the school's career rushing yardage list.

Saturday's showdown at the Big House will mark the first time the Cougars and Wolverines have faced off since that game nearly 31 years ago that pitted legendary coaches LaVell Edwards of BYU and Bo Schembechler of Michigan. The game will never be forgotten by BYU fans, for obvious reasons, while Morris believes most Michigan fans are not aware it even took place, coming as it did during the most forgettable season in Schembechler's glorious career.

"There shouldn't be any residual effects from the Michigan side," Morris said. "I don't think anybody around here remembers it, except for the guys who played in it."

Making Saturday's long-awaited rematch even more interesting is the fact that first-year Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was on the sidelines during the first game. Harbaugh started the 1984 season as UM's starting quarterback, but broke his arm in the fifth game and could only watch as fill-in Chris Zurbrugg struggled and BYU QB Robbie Bosco overcame shoulder, knee and ankle injuries to lead the Cougars to the come-from-behind win.

"We lost," Harbaugh said earlier this week. "I remember that."

The following year, Harbaugh led Michigan to a 10-1-1 record and a No. 2 ranking in the final national polls, behind Oklahoma. Morris' most vivid memory was of BYU's offensive linemen picking up the hobbling Bosco and carrying him downfield for the next play, and the public address announcer who would scream "Robbie Bosco, Robbie Bosco" after every completion, "like he was some sort of hometown radio announcer."

Prior to the game, Morris says the focus was on the matchup of successful coaches, and their friendship that caused Schembechler to agree to play the No. 1-ranked Cougars despite the rash of season-ending injuries that had the Wolverines at 6-5 and coming off a loss to Ohio State in their regular-season finale.

"We were banged up a bit, but we saw it as an opportunity to play a highly ranked team," Morris said. "Bo stressed that a lot, that we had a chance to end the season on a high note."

That didn't happen, but there were some scary moments for BYU, which committed six turnovers and trailed 17-10 before fourth-quarter touchdown passes from Bosco to Glen Kozlowski and Kelly Smith.

It was the final game of a four-year starting career for current BYU offensive coordinator Robert Anae, one of the linemen who helped the Cougars roll up 483 yards to Michigan's 202.

"Boy, it was a tough game, and they did a lot of unique things that night, if I can recall," Anae said. "That is the one where Robbie got hurt and our [defense] played great. We had a bunch of turnovers and just kept hanging in there. That's kind of what I remember."

Several current BYU players, including safety Kai Nacua and receiver Terenn Houk, did not know the significance of that game played well before they were born, but Cougars receiver Jake Ziolkowski does. The redshirt junior from Wauconda, Ill., was referred to BYU by his high school coaches, Kozlowski (freshman year) and David Mills (grades 10-12). Kozlowski caught the 7-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 17-17, and his best friend Mills caught 11 passes for 103 yards.

"Coach Koz didn't really talk about [the national championship] that much to me, but my other coach, Dave Mills, he actually brought it up a lot," Ziolkowski said.

Bosco, now the Varsity Club Director at BYU, said that people still talk to him all the time about 1984, starting with the Cougars' season-opening win over No. 3 Pittsburgh to that game-winning pass to Smith with less than two minutes remaining.

"So, it brings back a lot of good memories," Bosco said. "I remember getting a lot of letters from people who were inspired. I didn't go out there meaning to do that, or anything like that, but it makes you feel good that you went out there and did something that people remember in a positive way."

Largely responsible for fundraising and relations with former players, Bosco goes on one or two road trips a year with the Cougars, and will be in Ann Arbor on Saturday for the historic rematch.

"I think it is going to be awesome," he said. "When I first saw this game on the schedule, I couldn't believe it has been 31 years since the '84 season, and that we haven't played them any time since. It is going to be really cool to play a game in the Big House and get back to playing a team like Michigan. Hopefully we can have a good showing out there."

drew@sltrib.com Key stats from bowl

BYU Mich.

483 Total Yards 202

112 Rushing Yards 120

371 Passing Yards 82

32 First Downs 13

6 Turnovers 1 —

Key players in 1984 Holiday Bowl

BYU • Robbie Bosco (343 passing yards), Lakei Heimuli (82 rushing yards), Kelly Smith (10 catches, two touchdowns), David Mills (11 catches, 103 yards), Kyle Morrell (11 tackles), Leon White (9 tackles, 2 sacks).

Michigan • Chris Zurbrugg (7-for-15 passing, 82 yards, 1 TD), Bob Perryman (110 rushing yards), Rick Rogers (60 rushing yards), Garland Rivers (17 solo tackles). —

No. 22 BYU at Michigan

P Saturday, 10 a.m.

TV • Ch. 4