This Day in Michigan Football History: Wangler to Carter
I believe it passed without mention on the blog, but yesterday (Oct. 26) was the 40th anniversary of the passing of Bob Ufer. He was only 61 when he died on Oct. 26, 1981. I was a senior at U-M at the time and I had the great privilege of meeting him a couple times and listening to him hold court while he spoke to a group of people. He is my avatar on this blog, and he will always be my avatar on this blog.
Yesterday was a sad anniversary. Today is a happy anniversary.
It was 42 years ago today – Oct. 27, 1979 – that John Wangler passed to Anthony Carter on the final play of the game to beat Lee Corso and Indiana. I was a sophomore in the marching band, and damn, I have never experienced a more exciting moment in that stadium.
That play also resulted in what is probably Bob Ufer's most memorable call. You can listen to it HERE.
October 27th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
Here's a much longer (and very cool) video of Wangler, Carter and Ufer discussing the play - and Ufer's call of it. Goosebumps all over again.
October 27th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
Pandemonium.
October 27th, 2021 at 2:01 PM ^
AC really contorted his body to make the catch, avoid the hit from the right, then run away from the guy on the left.
October 27th, 2021 at 10:33 PM ^
To think that we threw it 20 yards short of the goal line to a guy with two defenders in the vicinity (and a third not far off). The vast majority of WRs in this situation would get tackled and the play forgotten. AC was incredible.
October 27th, 2021 at 1:19 PM ^
and of Corso losing his mind on the play before the final play (where the UM player throws the ball out of bounds to stop the clock)
October 27th, 2021 at 6:30 PM ^
Lawrence Ricks falling to the ground fakes a fumble and it goes right into Corso's hands. He fires it to the ground in disgust that the refs let it stand.
October 27th, 2021 at 7:46 PM ^
*Lawrence Reid #23
October 28th, 2021 at 7:38 AM ^
Carter is one of, if not THE, greatest players in the history of the program. But I hope Lawrence Reid never had/has to buy a beer in Ann Arbor for the rest of his life for that play (and he was a good player).
October 27th, 2021 at 2:08 PM ^
Man, I was in HS at the time and remember that game while listening on the radio, back then you could only be shown on TV twice in the regular season, stupid rule.
That team I think finished 8-4 and had not Lawrence Taylor jacked up Wangler's knee, we would have won the Gator Bowl, we lost 17-15 after having a nice lead in the first half, back then a 10 pt. lead or so was way more substantial than it is now.
We lost to osu that year, 18-15, they finished 11-0 but lost a close one to USC in the Rose Bowl. We came so close to having a much more epic season but it was the prelude to a great season in 1980, we lost 2 early, very close games to S. Car and ND but to me, that was probably the best team in the country by the end and top 5 Michigan teams in my 50 year fandom. AC and Wangler finally forced Bo to open it more and the defense was lights out.
October 27th, 2021 at 3:43 PM ^
We ended the season with a streak of 22 quarters without allowing a touchdown. Good stuff.
October 27th, 2021 at 4:56 PM ^
I start crying everytime I hear this.
October 27th, 2021 at 11:47 AM ^
My BF from high school went to CMU and that weekend the weather was predicted to be pretty crappy so I blew off Friday classes and made the trip up to Mount Pleasant for a party Friday night but then back to AA on Saturday. I didnt really worry too much about missing the game - Indiana was dog shit and we were going to win big - so I gave my tickets to a friend and took off.
Coming back Saturday afternoon I listened to the game on the radio on WJR so I could catch Ufer. I couldnt believe what was happening (now I'm real glad I didnt go to the game) and I'm on 23 heading south as the final play is run. And I'm in a bunch of traffic getting ready to enter AA.
When the catch/TD occurred Ufer got so wound up all I could hear was his George Patton horn, him screaming and a lot of crowd noise so I was pretty sure something good had happened. When he composed himself enough to actually say "Touchdown MICHIGAN" I started honking my horn in excitement. As did seemingly every car on 23 that afternoon as I've never heard that many cars honking all at the same time, all on the road, in unison and everybody was smiling, yelling and just generally as happy as we could be (l guess we were all listening). It was absolutely wild.
I might've missed the game but still had a moment I'll never forget.
October 27th, 2021 at 11:50 AM ^
I remember where I was at the time listening to the game on the radio. Good memory.
October 27th, 2021 at 11:51 AM ^
Great story.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^
Stuff like that is why sports is awesome.
October 27th, 2021 at 1:21 PM ^
I missed the call on the radio (but later bought a record with his famous calls) since I was at the game. That's the only time I got on the field at Michigan stadium - storming on after that TD. Michigan Replay the next day was awesome.
October 27th, 2021 at 1:22 PM ^
great story
this past weekend I was driving a long distance with my 16 yo and listened to the current radio crew of Jim B/Dan D on XM radio call the NW game and was lamenting that we don't have Bob Ufer (or even Frank Beckmann who I thought was a sold play-by-play) anymore. Hopefully the next crew will be an upgrade.
October 27th, 2021 at 2:33 PM ^
Jim and Dan are a national treasure. Two hall-of-famers for sure. It will take a miracle for the next crew to be an upgrade. We have truly been spoiled by the broadcasters that we have had behind that microphone.
October 27th, 2021 at 2:57 PM ^
you forgot the "/s" marking
October 27th, 2021 at 3:07 PM ^
I was at the game with my young bride of two months. We'd started dating in the fall of 1976, and I learned right away when we started dating that she didn't give a shit about football or sports in general; she would literally ask questions like how many touchdowns the Tigers scored. That indifference didn't keep me from taking her to some UM football games in the time before we got hitched.
What drove home how little she cared about football was the 1977 game against OSU. We were packed in like sardines in our seats, and needless to say the intensity of the situation and what was at stake made everybody in the crowd particularly amped up. Except my wife.
She was so bored by the game that she pulled out a paperback book and started reading right there in the stands. That made her reaction to the Wangler to Carter play especially memorable—for the first and only time since I've known her, she was on her feet yelling and cheering at something sports-related. I'm not sure she realized exactly what had transpired and why it was so miraculous; I think she was on her feet because everybody else was and she could tell we'd won the game in last-second fashion.
Aside from the fact that we won the game, what I enjoy the most about the play is how crusty old Bo Schembechler is jumping up and down on the sidelines like a kid who just opened the best present in the world on Christmas.
October 27th, 2021 at 6:26 PM ^
Is she still your bride?
October 28th, 2021 at 12:51 AM ^
Celebrated our 42nd anniversary in August.
October 27th, 2021 at 4:48 PM ^
Great memory. I was at the game in the student section - my junior year. The game was really crappy with Michigan playing down to IU's level - which wasn't very good. It was also a cloudy, chilly, damp sort of day which added to everyone being bummed out most of the game. I was sitting with my future wife and late in the game she decided to bail out and head back to the sorority house to catch up on some studying. I declined to go, as I was a real die-hard fan. When The Catch occurred, the entire crowd went absolutely berserk, releasing an entire game of subdued emotions all at once. I don't think to this day I've ever heard the stadium that loud. My future wife heard this roar on the way back and went into some business on State St. to find out what happened. I've never let her live that one down.
October 27th, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
Thanks for that trip!
October 27th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
there was a point in my life where I went to 65 out of 66 games before I went off to college. UM/IU 1979 was the one I missed!
sorry for 2x post
October 27th, 2021 at 1:46 PM ^
But were you able to listen to it on the radio?
October 27th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
there was a point in my life where I went to 65 out of 66 games before I went off to college. UM/IU 1979 was the one I missed!
October 27th, 2021 at 12:00 PM ^
You missed it twice!
October 27th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
Strangely enough my favorite part of this has always been what I can only assume to be a tuba or trumpet player just losing it and just tooting his/her horn over and over
October 27th, 2021 at 12:03 PM ^
Umm, you serious? That is the Bo 'George Patton' Schembechler Scoring Horn. It was 'officially' honked three times for a TD, twice for a FG, and once for an XP. But more often than not, especially for a big play or against a really good team (ie: OSU), a TD got more than 3 honks.
That particular play against IU was a continuous stream of honks.
God, I miss Ufer...
October 27th, 2021 at 12:11 PM ^
Wow how did I miss that. I just assumed it was the band. I will admit Bo was before my time and I grew up with Lloyd but I considered myself fairly well versed in Schembechler lore.
October 27th, 2021 at 6:02 PM ^
Everybody gets an upvote from me for this. So I will even you out.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:01 PM ^
I was helping out the Marching Band that year on Saturdays (the cheapest way to get into the games before I broke down and got season tickets). I was on the field sitting in a folding chair with the MMB staff. As the last play unfolded we all stood directly on the sideline. When the pass was in the air, the football team started onto the field to get a better view, and as the players and band participants stretched out to the north, it required us to venture further onto the field. I was halfway to the numbers when Carter crossed the goal line. It was the loudest I had heard the stadium to that point. It was truly stunning.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:05 PM ^
I was there in sec 42 row 66ish. Over half of the people had left just minutes before including my dad. My aunt(his sister) and I stayed for the last seconds. Michigan w/no time outs ran the ball. While getting tackled at the hash marks, the runner “fumbled” the ball into Lee Corso’ s hand with a perfect spiral. Then that play happened…
October 27th, 2021 at 1:06 PM ^
Exactly TRUE. The RB literally threw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock as Michigan had no TO's left. Corso caught it and actually had every reason to argue about a penalty to be called. Maybe "the Play" would have still happened ... but in the current game - Michigan probably would have been charged for an illegal play and the clock would not have stopped and Wrangler to Carter would have never happened !
I pretty certain that was the only "lucky" play in that decade !
Go Blue!
October 27th, 2021 at 12:05 PM ^
Walkoff's don't get better than that play. And no walkoff was ever called any better than that radio call.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:07 PM ^
First game I ever attended. I was 9, lived in VA, and we drove up for homecoming. Sat about 10th row in the end zone in which Carter scored. Highlight of my youth.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:10 PM ^
Born 4 months after this game took place. Never get tired of hearing the stories about it.
October 27th, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^
I was two and some change at the time. I know my parents were there - I have the stubs in a book in the basement. I was back in Northville at our neighbor's house, probably listening on the radio as our neighbors were some of the largest Michigan fans I ever knew. His tailgating van was famous, in fact, and I had the opportunity to take many rides in it, even a few around Ann Arbor (before we actually moved to Ann Arbor later on) when I was a kid.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:12 PM ^
King Carter
October 27th, 2021 at 2:07 PM ^
FOOTBALL VALHALLA will be my next screen name.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:13 PM ^
Friends of ours that lived in AA had season tickets that year. They gave us the option to go to either the Indiana game or the OSU game. Of course we picked the OSU game. We always kind of regretted that decision. It would have been cool to be able to say we were at the Indy game when AC scored. Good times back then.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:19 PM ^
Never tired of seeing that one
October 27th, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
Great memories...
Lawrence Ricks - "lateralling" the ball out of bounds to save time.
Anthony Carter putting his hand down to keep his balance.
The two Indiana safeties taking themselves out of the play.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:32 PM ^
Lawrence Reid lateralling the ball out of bounds directly into the hands of an irate Lee Corso no less.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNK-thjGS5A
October 27th, 2021 at 12:59 PM ^
Because this play, NCAA changed the rules so it would be an illegal play.
October 27th, 2021 at 2:13 PM ^
It was an illegal play then. Corso went ballistic.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
Great memories...
Lawrence Ricks - "lateralling" the ball out of bounds to save time.
Anthony Carter putting his hand down to keep his balance.
The two Indiana safeties taking themselves out of the play.
October 27th, 2021 at 12:22 PM ^
First UofM fan memory and the one that keeps me coming back.
Also remember having to wait to see the replay on the news since it was before regional coverage, also remember it was one of the games that made regional coverage happen.
Didn't know how good we had it, nobody could help you visualize a radio call as well as Ufer.