ANN ARBOR, MI — This was a different sort of audience in another famous stadium for a familiar group of performers.

The University of Michigan Marching Band made its Super Bowl debut Jan. 14, 1973, when the Miami Dolphins played the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The stadium was full and morale was high for Miami fans as the score was 14-0 by the halftime show. Then, the band appeared on the field and formed a big smiley face.

The theme for the show was “Happiness Is.” Musician Woody Herman and singer Andy Williams joined the Michigan Marching Band on the field.

The band marched into various words and figures, including forming the initials “NFL” and an outline of the continental United States.

The setlist included “Put on a Happy Face,” “Woodchopper’s Ball,” “La Virgen de la Macarena,” “This Land Is Your Land,” “Marmalade, Molasses & Honey” and “People.”

Near the end, white doves and red balloons were released into the sky with the Michigan Marching Band forming the word “LOVE.”

To learn more about that day, Joseph Dobos, historian for the Michigan Marching Band, shared the memoir of former band member Richard Alder, who died in 2023.

Alder wrote about his experiences in Los Angeles leading up and during the Super Bowl.

“We headed off to the Coliseum for a morning rehearsal to finalize details, and meet up with participants that we still hadn’t seen,” Alder wrote. “The routine with Woody Herman was rehearsed, though we had nothing like our Andy Williams interaction with him. He came out, did his thing and was back in the afternoon.”

He remembered sitting at field level during the game and thinking about the halftime performance.

“I don’t recall really paying much attention to the first half of the game during which the Dolphins apparently dominated,” Alder wrote. “The audience was promised a big finale, one that couldn’t be practiced, and it seemed to work.”

The undefeated Dolphins won 14-7.

He also wrote about the halftime show finale, specifically the release of the red balloons, which “worked successfully,” he wrote. Alder recalled not attending classes the following Monday “as we were in no condition to stay awake.”

Leading up to the show in Los Angeles, Alder remembered flying to California on Jan. 11, 1973, and living in a dormitory hall at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“So, with kickoff for Super Bowl VII approaching in about 72 hours, we took the field to start figuring out our formation charts, marching through those and adding music (except for the finale) for the rest of the afternoon and after dinner,” Alder wrote.

He remembered rumors that the Michigan Marching Band would perform at Super Bowl VII when the band went home for winter break in 1972.

“On December 22, it became official — the offer had been made and the necessary permission to participate was received from the university,” Alder wrote. He added that the National Football League would pay for the band’s trip but only for 140 out of 214 members.

“The letter instructed band members to respond immediately via air mail of interest in being selected so it could be determined who would go,” Alder wrote. “Rehearsals would start a few days before the beginning of winter semester, on Jan. 4, just ten days before the Super Bowl.”

A video on Facebook from the Michigan Marching Band shows the 1973 halftime show performance.

The Michigan Marching Band also performed in the pregame performance for the 1982 Super Bowl.

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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State needed it, and it got it.

The 10th-ranked Spartans took down No. 5 Illinois, 85-82 in overtime, on Saturday night in an absolute thriller. This snaps a mild, two-game skid for MSU, gives it a huge resume victory, and keeps itself alive in the Big Ten title race.

Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. led the way for Michigan State, dropping 26 points and 15 assists. He seemed to have the ball the whole time later on in the second half and overtime and never showed any fatigue, despite playing 42 minutes.

This moves MSU to 20-4 overall and 10-3 during Big Ten play. The Spartans’ next game is at Wisconsin on Friday.

First Half

The first 20 minutes were tightly contested. Neither team got to enjoy a lead larger than six points, as both teams seemed to go bucket for bucket for most of the first half.

What made the difference early on is that Illinois’ spacing was better. The Fighting Illini didn’t shoot it very well in the first half, but their ability to stretch out the Spartans’ defense opened up some opportunities on second chances and inside the arc.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The first Bojangles in Michigan opened recently, bringing first-time features alongside esteemed chicken, biscuits and sweet tea.

The “biscuit theater” is a staple at recent additions to the North Carolina-based chicken chain, but the newest location at 1730 28th St. SW in Wyoming, Mich. is one-of-a-kind.

While other theaters sit adjacent to the kitchen, the new location’s window gives indulging customers direct view of biscuit making, showcasing the brand’s commitment to fresh and made-from-scratch biscuits.

The entire process, from rolling the dough to buttering the golden crust, plays out for a captive audience.

“We had corporate come through, and they thought it was an awesome innovation for our customers,” said Mike Thorp, director of operations at Meritage Hospitality Group, which operates the Wyoming franchise.

“Hot biscuits!” is heard every 20 minutes. The regular refrain comes from the restaurant’s biscuit specialists as they make their way to the assembly line.

The biscuits are featured throughout the menu. There’s the breakfast sandwiches and southern gravy. The family meals, starting at $38.99, come with biscuits to pair with hand-breaded chicken tenders.

Bojangles’ Bo-Berry Biscuit, which costs $2.99 for two, has become a Southern staple. It’s the classic buttermilk base with blueberries inside topped with a sweet icing for an extra $0.50.

Thorp promises a freshness and quality that’s not always guaranteed at fast casual spots.

While Bojangles has seven sauces for its chicken tenders, Thorp said customers might find them unnecessary.

“You’re going to take that first bite and you’re not even going to need a sauce,” Thorp said. “When they talk about bringing in that Southern flavor, Bojangles is no joke.”

Christine Novakowski, 51, who lives a mile from the new location, arrived at 4:15 a.m. on opening day to be first in line. She discovered Bojangles during a solo trip to the Carolinas and had been waiting for the Wyoming opening.

After foregoing an annual trip East this past year, Novakowski was able to wait for the sought-after restaurant to come to her.

“The excitement is not because it’s new to me, it’s because I’ve missed it,” the early riser said. “It’s been about a year and a half that I’ve had it and I’m just — there’s no sweet tea and biscuits around like it.”