Of The Decade: Best Plays Part II Comment Count

Brian

Previously in this series: ESPN Images, Michigan's offense, Michigan's defense, Worst Plays of The Decade 7-11, Worst Plays 1-6, Best Plays Part I.

6. Buffalo Stampede

2003 Minnesota: trailing 14-0, Michigan has driven to around midfield. John Navarre chucks a WR screen to Steve Breaston, who throws it back to Navarre. Forty yards later, we all have beards and Michigan is within seven points.

At some point in the 2003 Minnesota game I needed to get off the couch after something enraging had happened. I was on it with my girlfriend at the time and she sort of ended up on the ground as I executed my plan. The couch was low to the ground, she was unharmed, and in the aftermath the incident seemed funny. At the time all I could do was clench and unclench my fists.

Michigan would eventually deploy an all-shotgun offense in the fourth quarter that shredded Minnesota for 24 points and win the game on a Garrett Rivas 33-yarder, but at the time it was grim. It would have been more grim but for the trick play of the decade:

In the aftermath a friend immediately called me screaming "WHAT." It wasn't a question. It was just "WHAT." That. From seven year's distance it appears to be the slowest, most awkward touchdown convoy in school history.

Eventually it was key in Michigan's comeback win and Rose Bowl berth but really it's just here for its sheer improbability.  It was one thing to run the transcontinental with Drew Henson; doing it with John Navarre—and getting a touchdown out of it—is pure audacity. This, by the way, is why Minnesota bloggers will never do a Worst Plays of the Decade list.

5. In ur base killin ur d00dz

MGoRetro: Pit Bull.

branchmorelli_thumb1

Penn State, 2006: it's second or third and long or something again, can't remember, doesn't matter, and I'm back in the pocket and I know I'm going to die. My offensive line has proven itself entirely hypothetical at this point. So I'm going to die, and it's not going to have any purpose. But this time I actually get a faint semblance of protection and I manage to find an open receiver—I'd forgotten those even existed—and I hurl it out there. And if Alan Branch hadn't driven his facemask into my shoulder and run through my tiny hoo-man body and left me in a concussed heap on the ground I would have gotten to see a first down. Which would have been nice.

But then I might have had to play the rest of the game instead of getting an emergency cup of pudding repurposed from JoePa's stash. So, yeah. I could go either direction, as long as it's 180 degrees from wherever Branch is going.

When Michigan fans are (unwisely, these days) attempting to tweak their Penn State coworkers this play, and the iconic image from its aftermath, is their go-to option. That's a meaningful statement when you've got most of a decade's worth of gloating to choose from, including another play on this list.

As for the significance of the play, Penn State had bounced back from its early decade malaise in a big way in 2005, going 11-1 with the only loss featured a bit higher on this list. By the time the PSU game rolled around in '06 it was obviously the only thing standing between Michigan and a 1-vs-2 matchup against Ohio State at the end of the season. Michigan's last four opponents would all finish with losing records; the only road game was against Indiana. When Anthony Morelli got blasted out of the game the decks were clear.

More than that, though, Alan Branch being in ur base is emblematic of the first ten games of 2006, when the Michigan defense was 1997 all over again and things were, briefly, back on course.

4. "Oh, wide open"

MGoRetro: Quod Erat Demonstrandum

Notre Dame, 2006: Late in the first quarter, Michigan and Notre Dame are tied 7-7 after exchanging terrible interceptions when Chad Henne drops back to pass and launches one deep. Pat Haden breaks the suspense before the cameraman can catch up to a streaking Manningham by declaring "oh, wide open." When Manningham finally appears he is running under a perfectly thrown ball, all alone.

Michigan entered the 2006 game uncertain of its place in the college football universe after a frustrating 7-5 season this blog nicknamed the "Year of Infinite Pain," if only to highlight how sheltered the Michigan fanbase has been in the aftermath of the last couple years. And if Alan Branch sending Anthony Morelli to his happy place was emblematic of Michigan's run to Football Armageddon, Mario Manningham getting ten yards clear of the nearest Notre Dame cornerback was the moment the Year of Infinite Pain became part of the past:

Manningham would score twice more on deep balls as Michigan leapt out to a commanding lead. They didn't look back until the second quarter of the Ohio State game.

51596685TP006_MichSt_Mich 3. Braylonfest Part III

Michigan State, 2004: Braylon Edwards skies over yet another Michigan State defensive back, tying a game in which Michigan trailed by 17 with under nine minutes to go.

Braylon Edwards was the most frustrating great player in Michigan history, prone to terrible drops on easy throws and legendarily not "on the same page" as Lloyd Carr. But he was great, and never greater than the last eight minutes of regulation in the 2004 Michigan State game. If they gave out Heismans for a single game, they would have had to give Edwards two for this one.

It almost wasn't anything, though. In this game Michigan was driving in the third quarter, down 17-10, when Edwards fumbled around the 20. He was creeping towards the goat side of the ledger when DeAndra Cobb ran That Goddamned Counter Draw again and outran Ernest Shazor to the sideline and the endzone. But when you're down 17 with under eight minutes left, what is there to do other than chuck it up and tell the onside kick team that they should try really hard?

I remember many things about that game. I remember being cold as hell as the game dragged on and the heat fled from the stadium. I remember going over to a friend's house afterward and being told by his roommates that they had actually left immediately after the DeAndra Cobb TD. I remember another friend telling me that a State friend of his had turned the game off as soon as Michigan hit the field goal to get within 14—he didn't even wait for the onside kick. I remember turning around and jovially telling the State fans behind me that it was good that MSU missed their last-second 52-yard field goal attempt to win after a terrible PI call, because if it had gone in there was no way they were getting out of the stadium alive. But mostly I remember the shadows that gave the whole enterprise an otherworldly feel. It's without question the best game I've ever been to.

The pick here is the game-tying touchdown, as at that point victory seemed inevitable and the comeback was complete. Without it, the others are just coulda-been plays like the Mike Hart touchdown in the Horror.

2. Phil Brabbs is absolutely not going to make this field goal

Washington, 2002: Phil Brabbs hits a 44 yard field goal as time expires to beat Washington.

I've interacted with Phil Brabbs a little bit since he came down with cancer and I've read his blog and am wearing his bracelet, so I have a little insight here. The bracelet says DOMINATE and his blog has pictures of him DOMINATING various things from hospital ice cream to IVs to chemo drugs. Sometimes he makes his adorable children DOMINATE things. He's kind of like anthropomorphized Brawndo. So I'm betting that when Brabbs strolled onto the field after a preposterous sequence of events set him up with a potential game-winning field goal in the 2002 season opener, he was totally psyched to dominate himself some 44-yard field goal.

In this, he was utterly alone.

I'm sure his parents and wife tell him that they just knew he'd hit it, but after a career debut in which he missed 36 and 42 yard field goals badly enough for Michigan to send out Troy Neinberg on a 27-yarder that he shanked, no one in Michigan Stadium thought a 44-yard field goal with no time left on the clock was going in. This includes those nearest and dearest to him. I was just hoping it went forward.

Naturally, Brabbs did this:

Dominated.

Though Washington would end up one of the country's biggest disappointments at 7-6, they entered Michigan Stadium a top ten opponent. The moment the kick actually went through the actual uprights and everyone looked at the guy under the crossbar to make sure they hadn't hallucinated it, then looked at the other guy under the crossbar to make sure the first guy hadn't been hallucinating too, promised grand things. (That would fall apart in a ridiculous loss at Notre Dame in two weeks.)

1. The New Math

MGoRetro: The New Math.

Penn State, 2005: With one second on the clock, Mario Manningham catches a deep slant to beat Penn State 27-25. 86 = 1, as Michigan State would learn in 2007.

Why is this number one? It didn't end up mattering, and it was already clear it wouldn't since Michigan was already 3-3 and headed nowhere in 2005. It was the end of a classic game that swung dramatically from one side to the other, but other games were better and meant more.

I think it's that :01 on the clock, the knowledge that that second was precarious, fought for by Lloyd Carr after the clock ran after a Michigan timeout, preserved by Steve Breaston's best Tyrone Butterfield impression, and ironically Joe Paterno's fault for getting his team an extra two seconds on what they thought was their game-winning drive. Michigan was living on borrowed time. It seemed like they'd been given a chance to go back and right wrongs. Scott Bakula was at quarterback.

Meanwhile, Michigan was locked in an existential crisis unknown for decades. The 1984 season could be written off as a fluke since Jim Harbaugh's broken leg threw everything into disarray and Michigan bounced right back afterwards; 2005 was entirely different. Michigan had never been 3-3 in my recollection. My brother and I spent a large chunk of the game being bitterly cynical about everything. We felt justified about it after the killer Henne fumble/botched extra point for two combination. We'd collectively decided to dull the pain by withdrawing emotionally. This was working for a while, and then the team decided to give the middle finger to the cosmic middle finger, getting off the mat twice. The culmination:

In the end, the game served as a reminder that bitterness is no fun, faith is rewarded, the kids on the field are more resilient than we are, and sometimes they can let us borrow some of that. A lot of the plays on this list were diminished by subsequent events in which Michigan failed to live up to the promise they had in that one moment, but this one has been magnified by the awful last couple of years. It promises a light at the end of the tunnel.

Honorable Mention

Drew Henson bootlegs his way into the OSU endzone to seal the win (2000) … Chris Perry puts the OSU game beyond doubt with a slashing bounceout TD to make it 35-21 (2003) … Breaston returns a punt for a touchdown against Indiana … Northwestern … Illinois … etc … Manningham's worm after the ND game (2006) … Chris Perry punches it against Penn State in to seal a win in Michigan Stadium's first OT game (2002) … Ron Zook seals the Outback Bowl by calling a reverse pass that Victor Hobson intercepts (2002) … Alain Kashama beats the Sex Cannon to a fumbled ball in the endzone, finally fulfilling four years of Canadian Reggie White hype (2002 Outback) … Jacob Stewart picks off Asad Abdul-Kaliq in the Buffalo Stampede game and returns it for a touchdown (2002) … Garrett Rivas finishes the Buffalo Stampede game with a field goal (2002) … Chad Henne hits Tyler Ecker for a game-winning touchdown against Minnesota and executes nailcoeds.exe (2004) … Braylonfest Part I … Braylonfest Part II … Braylonfest Part IV … Brian Thompson recovers an onside kick, greatly aiding Braylonfest parts II through IV … Jason Avant's catch against Northwestern (2003) … Marquise Walker's catch against Iowa (2001) … Jerome Jackson pops through a nonexistent hole against Iowa to establish himself useful, then scores the game-winning TD (2005) … the snap sails over Jimmy Clausen's head on the first play of the game (2007) … Michigan cracks open the Battle of Who Could Care Less against Illinois with a reverse pass (2007) … Manningham outruns Justin King to tie Penn State (2005) … Mike Hart drags Penn State tacklers for five of the most impressive eight yards of his career (2005) … Lamarr Woodley kicks off Yakety Sax (2006) … Prescott Burgess returns a Brady Quinn interception for a TD(2006) … Mike Hart levels Sean Lee on a blitz pickup (2007) … Arrington's catch against Florida (2007) … A ludicrous Ryan Mallett decision—pitch it backwards to Carson Butler as he's being sacked—works out (2007) … Steven Threet takes off on a 60-yard jaunt against Wisconsin (2008) … Denard Robinson fumbles the first snap as Michigan's quarterback and WOOPs his way for a touchdown (2009) … Darryl Stonum returns a kickoff for a touchdown against Notre Dame (2009) … Forcier hits Greg Mathews on a circle route to win against Notre Dame (2009) … Tate Forcier hits Martavious Odoms on a perfect seam for the game-winning points against Indiana (2009) … Forcier's mansome final drive in the rain to tie Michigan State (2009) … Brandon Graham demolishes Glenn Winston (2009) … Brandon Graham demolishes Everybody (2009).

Acknowledgements

A major reason this series came together is the tireless effort of Wolverine Historian, who put together video for almost everything on the list. Also a hat tip to parkinggod, who had HD of last year's ND game, and akarpo, who helped out with some of the clipping last year.

Comments

MattisonMan

July 30th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^

Took my girlfriend at the time to that game.  It was her first michigan game despite being an Ann Arbor native.  I remember thinking it was a horrible first game to witness because it was 3-3 at halftime and defensive struggles don't exactly captivate newcomers.  Lloyd and Mario sure fixed that.

los barcos

July 30th, 2010 at 3:13 PM ^

im very glad i was lucky enough to be a student during one of the more memorable eras of michigan football.  2004 msu and 2005 psu are both one of those "i remember where i was" epic moments in someones life - and reminders as to why ill always love this team.

jamiemac

July 30th, 2010 at 3:16 PM ^

Let's all be honest here. The last two years have stunk and the 'worst' part of this series was soul crushing. However, its pretty clear just how lucky we are as Michigan fans just by reading this 2-part series and reliving it through the highlight clips.

It will be our time again. Soon.

Excellent work as always, Brian!

buckley

July 30th, 2010 at 3:24 PM ^

Best photo ever.  As for Brabbs kick, I shamefully admit my friend and I left before the end of the game.  We were in the Chrysler parking lot by the time Brabbs lined up for the kick. We stopped at a tailgate that had a big TV and watched it from there.  After hearing the roar from the stadium, I've never been more disappointed in myself.  Lesson learned.

buckley

July 30th, 2010 at 3:23 PM ^

Although this play meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, one of my favorite plays from the decade was Minor absolutely running over and through a hapless ND safety (I think it was his sophomore year).

jmscher

July 30th, 2010 at 3:24 PM ^

I remember drunkenly meeting friends at a bar after the new math game and talking about how pumped I was about the game.  They said something like yea great game, exciting they went for the win and on 4th downand  with a QB sneak.  I was very confused as of course we went for the win, it wasn't 4th down nor was it a QB sneak.  Obvs they were talking about USC/ND which I had not a single clue had happened.  I love that what for most signature college football play/game of the decade will always be completely overshadowed for us by the Manningham catch.  (So much so that I still have no idea what happened in that game other than the last play)  Such a great game.

wishitwas97

July 30th, 2010 at 3:39 PM ^

the double move that Mario pulled off was straight up ridiculous.  He is the best at doing double moves and accelarate out of the cut that I've seen.  ND CB didn't know what's coming at all, but to be fair, neither did the rest of the CB who tried to cover Mario.

imafreak1

July 30th, 2010 at 3:47 PM ^

The fact that there was not a single play against OSU in that top 13 tells you all you need to know about the aughts. Personally, I would have remedied that, even after the fact, with a play from 2003. I thought the Breaston option would be in there but have a soft spot for the 4th quarter touch pass that Navarre dropped in to Ecker that went for 30 yards on 3rd and long. That play was exactly what was missing for the rest of the decade. The dagger, instead of the punt and play defense, late in the 4th that stopped OSU in their tracks.

Think of what the top 10 plays from the 90s would look like. Mostly plays against OSU. The top 2 would surely be the punt returns by Woodson and Desmond. There'd also be a Biakabutuka run from '95. Shawn Springs slipped from '96. Maybe even a bomb from '93. My favorite has always been the Stanley Jackson pick 6 from '97 but that's just because I'm a terrible human.

It is both heartbreaking and a source of hope.

Filthy Dilithium

July 30th, 2010 at 4:07 PM ^

the snap sails over Jimmy Clausen's head on the first play of the game (2007)

 

Someone may have already mentioned this but I think it was actually Armando Allen that was quarterback on that play.

(Edit:  It was Armando Allen on the first snap, but there was a snap over Clausen's head about half way through the first quarter.

M-Wolverine

July 30th, 2010 at 4:12 PM ^

How do you get the YouTube clips to start right where you want them? That's so nifty....

6. Commented about it being the only time the play finished.  But that game I will remember for the situation, as well as the game.  Friday night oddness.  And people forget in all the glory of the season that the torch and pitchfork crew was out for Lloyd at that point.  I felt the team had heart, and they were getting crapped on, and had lost is such a flukey way, I spent all week telling everybody that this team would win the rest of their games and go to the Rose Bowl.  And I'm not big on predictions, and as people can probably tell, not a huge optimist. But I felt I had to counter all the talk radio blather. I bought a Bill Knapps cake to celebrate the victory before the game. Well, the first half was so ugly, I decided to have some cake...why wait till after midnight to eat?  I needed something to cheer me up now. (I'm told even the Michigan crew at the Metrodome was even wondering if they should just pack up their stuff for the truck). And then....it happened.

3. Did anybody else click all four video at the same time and let them all play at once? Like having 4 tvs...and multiple Brandy's...

That was the last time I was close to leaving a game early.  The MSU contingent were SO obnoxious.  I thought I might kill someone.  And as it got late, I kept saying to myself..."if we don't score a TD here, I'm gone.....ok, if we don't get the onside kick...I'm gone....ok, if we score the touchdown here...wait a minute...we're IN this game!". I've never seen MSU fans more crushed.  I will go to my grave with that happy memory. (They left too early when we crushed them in 2002).

 2. seems too highly ranked, due to our love for Phil, because the game wasn't that memorable.  But it's about the best PLAYS...and of all the recent FGs to win, it tops Minnesota because of the difficultly of the kick (even with the inferiority of the game). That was no easy kick, even if we had been nailing them all game.  And after losing to them the year before, it was some sweet revenge (thanks for the too many men on the field, Neuheisel!). It was a great play, a great finish. (But will always be behind, all time, the Remy ND shot). 

1. No problem with this one.  One of the most exciting moments I can ever remember at the Stadium.  Being such dogs to them actually made it more impressive, if not rewarding for the season (but to compare it to Harbaugh being hurt, and not acknowledge '05 had the worst array of O-Line injuries I've ever seen in one season...I think Long was the only one not to miss games, and he was banged up). Chanting "We OWN, Penn STATTEEEE" was never more delicious.

Honorable mentions- to me, the play that defined a game, and should have been the OSU game to make the list, was '03, not the run for a TD, but the one where Perry got the stuffings knocked out of him, was on the ground, and the whole crowd started chanting "Perry.....PERRY....PER-RY!!!!", and he got back up and finished the game.  Maybe it was a bit of showmanship, but that moment, U-M Football united, gave me chills then.  And it does now.

I think the list skews a little towards the Blog's lifetime, and that's understandable.  But what I really take from it....how many honorable mentions there were.  There were complaints about all the bad times listed, how many there were, were we cursed, and were they more memorable.  But if you look...there are a lot more honorable mentions on the good side than the bad side.  Michigan Football will give you a lot more reward than kicks in the teeth.  It may not have seemed like that lately...and if you're a student who just became a fan when you chose the school, and have only been around for 2-3 years...I feel for you.  But know, no matter what happens over the next couple of years, it will get better.  And maybe the future glorious moments will seem bigger to you, as the low moments lately seem even worse to those who aren't used to it. Michigan Football will be back.  And we'll have another great long list over the next ten years.

WolverBean

July 30th, 2010 at 6:34 PM ^

Honorable mentions- to me, the play that defined a game, and should have been the OSU game to make the list, was '03, not the run for a TD, but the one where Perry got the stuffings knocked out of him, was on the ground, and the whole crowd started chanting "Perry.....PERRY....PER-RY!!!!", and he got back up and finished the game.

I had forgotten about this.  Wow, was that an amazing moment.  I tend to forget this now, thanks to the four years of Mike Hart that followed, but at the time, I had never loved another man as much as I loved Chris Perry.  I think that moment gave everyone in the stadium chills.

kvnryn

July 30th, 2010 at 4:18 PM ^

I was in an Atlanta bar for the first half of the game. Shortly after halftime, I started drinking enough so that we could leave and I wouldn't care too much about what I was missing. We went home, I passed out, and then I woke up to the greatest series of voicemails I will ever receive.

I saved them.

Never been so glad to not answer my dad's phone calls.

M-Wolverine

July 30th, 2010 at 4:28 PM ^

It probably makes up for missing the game.

Hopefully not for a long time, in the distant future...but there will come a time you treasure that recording.  Never lose it.  Back it up, and make copies.

kvnryn

July 30th, 2010 at 4:33 PM ^

Trust me, man. I saved them the second I finished listening to them and have copies stored on every kind of digital media format possible. OK maybe not a JAZ disk.

931 S State

July 30th, 2010 at 5:10 PM ^

I reluctantly went to a Clemson Alumni bar in Atlanta for the 04 MSU game.  I had already dragged a friend to Sidelines, the old M alumni bar in ATL, for the Oregon game that year and owed him one.  At halftime I bolted the clemson bar and went to sidelines by myself.  I've never been so frustrated that M could not stop one play.  I remember thinking with about 9 min left that the stars had to align and every single play had to go our way to make the comeback. Commence Braylonfest.  Bam.

chitownblue2

July 30th, 2010 at 4:24 PM ^

That 2002 Brabbs game is the single largest swing from "we're fucked" to "holy shit!" I've ever seen 100,000+ people make in a split second. It was louder than it was during Woodson's punt return in 1997, and louder than any point during the 2003 OSU game. Just craziness.

Also, while these plays are awesome, I'm sort of ill that "Best plays of the decade" doesn't have a single OSU highlight. Sheeeeeiiiiit.

Evil Empire

July 30th, 2010 at 4:25 PM ^

Back when Brian was a wee tad.

Must have been a tough year for the top 10 as we were #1 going into the MSU game despite being 3-1.

The losses were by 4 to then #1 ND, 1, and 1, thus we were still ranked afterwards.  Rightly - we won the rest of our games by an average score of 31-13 to finish (in a four-way tie for the Big Ten and) ranked #7.

Tha Quiet Storm

July 30th, 2010 at 4:45 PM ^

I saw #1, 2, and 3 live and in person, and watching those videos made all the memories and emotions come flooding back.  Reading the Worst of the Decade earlier this week made me go UGH, but there is no way that these highs would be so significant if it weren't for those lows.  All of the "UGH" from 2008 and 2009 will make the next decade even sweeter, especially once RichRod gets to field a team that isn't three quarters freshmen, sophomores and walk-ons.

931 S State

July 30th, 2010 at 5:51 PM ^

Awesome list.  I was only at 2 of these games (Wash 02 & ND 06) but I have vivid memories for each one.  Brian, I was in the same boat as you for PSU 2005.  I was in disbelief that we were going to be 3-4, and probably should have been 2-5.  I'm the perpetual optimist, and even I had decided it was easier to throw in the towel.  I remember thinking that my cousin, a complete pessimist and absolute antithesis of me in his Michigan fandom, had it all figured out and I was just naive to continually get my hopes up year-after-year, game-after-game, for perfection.  Fortunately,   New Math trumps pessimism.

Agree w/ chitownblue2 that Washington 2002 was the loudest I've ever heard Michigan Stadium.  This game was the opener for my "bonus Fall" where I took my last load of classes before graduating.  It was hotter than balls and I thought it was over when Braylon (?) dropped...err...I mean fumbled/recovered that little slant on 4th down right in front of the student section.  Thanks refs.  Brabbs dominates.  Team celebrates with the students.  It has happened a few times since then, but this is the first instance of the team gathering in the student section to sing the Victors.  100% Pure Colombian Awesomeness. 

mgolund

July 30th, 2010 at 5:18 PM ^

The '06 ND game was one of the greatest moments of my Michigan fandom.  Even my wife (who did not go to U of M) loved that game and to this day laughs about a screen shot of Brady Quinn pouting like a bitch on the sideline.

It didn't hurt that my two younger brothers went to ND and the youngest, who was a sophomore at the time, called me before the game to ask me why I would even bother watching.  Awesome.

MGoShoe

July 30th, 2010 at 5:42 PM ^

...and Brian's presentation of them make me very happy. Honestly, the joy of watching these again makes me realize afresh how awful the past few seasons have been and gives me new hope for Michigan to return to its winning ways.

My (fellow alumnus) brother and I went to the 2006 PSU game with 40 yrd line face value tickets bought from the just retired PSU CIO (PSU was/is? a client of his company).  In the middle of enemy territory we kept our cheering to the respectful minimum, until... Alan Branch happened.  No, we did not hold it in.  We whooped it up until we realized Morelli wasn't getting up and we returned to our respectful and self-preservational tone. 

Except for WMU last year, every other game I've been to since has been an exercise in soul crushing frustration.

Bring on the Huskies and the Fighting Irish and the rest.  Bring them on.

pasadenablue

July 30th, 2010 at 6:27 PM ^

just watched WH's youtubey goodness of all of these games (thank god work is slow).  god bless you WH.

 

ah the memories.  time to make a few new ones this year.

DanRareEgg

July 30th, 2010 at 6:30 PM ^

I love these plays and this was a great way to start the weekend, but I have to say my favorite Michigan memories come (probably not coincidentally) from when I was a kid in the early-mid 90s.  When all I knew about college football was the Big Ten, Notre Dame, and the Rose Bowl.  Before I knew about Phil Fulmer and Tom Osborne, before scheduling directional schools became a regularity, before I realized that high profile athletics in general is all about money.  All these plays were great moments in my life and I remember my experiences with great fondness, but re-watching The Catch, Remy Hamilton putting the first nail in Lou Holtz's coffin, Dreisbach and Hayes connecting against Virginia, etc. are really what bring the emotions flooding back. 

It's weird, but this compilation made me think of those days and wish that college football was still regional, that the Rose Bowl was still the ultimate goal, that I didn't have to care about what Florida or Texas or USC were doing.  Oh, well.  C'est la vie, or some such phrase.  None of this means that I'm not looking forward to a great 2010 season.  I can still hate Notre Dame with every fiber of my being, so there's something.  Go Blue and thanks, Brian.

WolverBean

July 30th, 2010 at 7:06 PM ^

That Manningham catch in 2005 may very well have kept me out of jail.  I'd been out the night before, and the Penn State fans had completely taken over every bar we went to.  They were loud, proud, and motherf**king Skeepers played "Here we go Steelers" to rile them up more (They might as well have played the PSU fight song.  I will never go back to that bar as long as I live).  I had the very clear impression, sitting through the game and watching the Penn State fans, that if they'd have won, they would have rushed the field at the Big House -- and I'd have gotten in a fight or two trying to prevent it.

The other thing that made that moment so sweet was exactly what Brian described:

In the end, the game served as a reminder that bitterness is no fun, faith is rewarded, the kids on the field are more resilient than we are, and sometimes they can let us borrow some of that.

Sometime about halfway through the fourth quarter, I decided, you know what?  Stop being bitter about 3-3, and angry about an impending 3-4.  Have some faith.  These kids will get it done.  And I decided to believe.  Even when Penn State drove down and scored again, leaving 30 seconds on the clock, I knew we would win that game.  And in that moment of pure joy, when we pulled it off with one second left and the stadium erupted, when the team lept into the student section, and I ended up with BJ Opong Owusu in my lap and probably got body paint all over his uniform, I knew my faith had been deserved.  That was by far the most rewarding moment of sports fandom I have ever known, and one of the happiest moments of my life.

M-Wolverine

July 31st, 2010 at 12:59 AM ^

And it seems it hasn't changed.  I was there over Thanksgiving weekend, in '95, when OSU was in town and heavily favored, and with the students out of town, they completely catered to them.  Played Hang on Sloopy and stuff. Can ever forgiven them for that.  But much like the PSU game, Saturday was a different story.

funkywolve

July 30th, 2010 at 7:26 PM ^

I thought Harbaugh suffered a shoulder injury in 1984.

I remember watching the Minnesota game in '03 and my wife comes in to see what's going on.  This was Minny was up big.  She looks at the score and asks me why I'm still watching the game.  Needless to say, I kept watching and almost didn't believe what I had seen.

Seth

July 30th, 2010 at 7:41 PM ^

 No. 1 is special for one other reason: The New Math was the apogee of the blogspot era, and still the post I refer post-Sharpian people to when I argue that sportswriting is as meaningful today as it ever was.

"Where's Number 1" is so: post-post-modern, saccharin, sincere, an epitome of the Albom-/DFW-channeling 30-somethings now defining the first generation of writing on the Internet.

Seth

July 30th, 2010 at 9:40 PM ^

Lloyd Carr is an avid reader. Apparently, whichever page he was on, it was important that everyone else was on that page too. Manningham occasionally was on another page than Lloyd's page, being on Lloyd's page being a prerequisite for any honors bestowed by Lloyd.

Shea_in_LA

July 30th, 2010 at 8:04 PM ^

I've been viewing site for a few years now but finally had to register and post.  Great Top 10 list. Few quick thoughts and memories:

 

1. I'm surprised Tate's game winner last year was not on list. I can say that has a die hard M fan in LA - I hang out with a ton of ND fans out here and I will say that they are the most arrogant obnoxious fans - worse than OSU at times - and they HATE Michigan. Losing to ND at home last year would have been miserable for me.    The happiness I had when Tate threw the game winner with seconds left on 4th down when RR could have kicked a  FG and gone to OT was absolutely awesome.  I will never forget that.

 

2.  Kudos to the guy who brought up touch pass to Ecker to seal 03 OSU game - that is the play that stands out in my mind that won that game. We don't make that play, OSU has all momentum and gets ball back down 7 in great field position. That win in 03 is still  my favorite M win since sitting in the stands for OSU 97. Perry was an absolute beast ...a warrior. 

 

3.  I watched PSU 05 win in a bar full of ND and USC fans in Hermosa beach. Me and my buddy were in the corner - only ones watching M game and when we won (which was minutes before end of USC game) we were so loud that the whole bar stared at us. Epic.

 

4.  As great as 04 MSU game was...I think honestly MM's catch in 07 was the more soul crushing for MSU fans.  When I talked to my MSU friend after I honestly thought he was going to drive his car off of a cliff (and that same friend was at the 04 game too).

5.  Greatest play that didn't happen that if it did it'd be on this list.  Hypothetical 2 point conversion to win the game in regulation against MSU last year - Tate to Roundtree to win the game and rip out Sparty's heart again. I honestly believe had RR called that we would have won and the whole season would have turned out differently.  We had sparty on their heels and their confidence was shot.

Yostal

July 30th, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^

You can quibble about placement, or maybe one of your favorite plays not making the list, but each of these 11 plays represents something about Michigan football.  Manningham! represents the fact that not every time you see Michigan on ESPN Classic, it will not be a painful experience.  Brabbs is about beating the odds and writing your own ending (Happy Birthday to me, thank you for that Phil!)  Braylon-fest is about how sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, no matter how great the parts.  Wide Open is about how there are few things better than knowing that a rivalry game is going to go your way.  Pit Bull is about how when the defense is amazing, even the smallest thing seems to get magnified (remember, if you will, that Branch destroying Morelli was the same night as Magglio's homer to win the ALCS and Michigan nearly blowing a SIX GOAL LEAD to Connecticut at Yost.)  Buffalo Stampede is about the fact that trick plays are fun, only when they work.

What makes this so perfectly MGoBlog is that Brian framed them, contextualized them, discussed them, and placed them in the reality in which they existed, not in a vaccuum.  That said, would it be possible for someone with way more video editing skills to put together Brian's list and honorable mentions as sort of a "Happy Place" reel?

buckeyejonross

July 31st, 2010 at 1:01 AM ^

was that it allowed us to win/share the big ten title lol

kidding aside, i remember that game like it was yesterday, i was born in ohio, but moved to michigan around 3rd grade, and i was over my friend's house, who was a diehard michigan fan (now a current student at UofM) to watch this game with him. he was on pins and needles that whole final drive, and just as Henne was fielding the snap, he turned off the tv because he couldn't watch, i freaked with a "what the hell are you doing" and turned it back on just in time to hear "touchdown maningham". i attend ohio state now, and hate michigan with every fiber of my bieng, but for those 20 seconds after that catch i was excited/happy for Michigan. /vomit.

MichFan1997

July 31st, 2010 at 10:30 AM ^

all these comments and this article. First of all, my game stories. For the '04 Braylonfest game, I had all my HS cross country teammates over for the game after we won our school's first regional championship ever. It was a dead split of M/MSU fans. Of course, the power went out because the weather was bad that day, and we fired up a battery powered radio. I made sure the Michigan broadcast was found. Great memory. For the New Math, I was a freshman at Central, and I remember my roommate and I, both huge Michigan fans, running up and down the dorm halls yelling, people wondering what the hell our problem was. If only they knew. Finally, I have to give a special shout to the Capital One Bowl. I drove through a blizzard to get to a TV to watch that game. That's the game that, just thinking about it, makes me happier than any other. That game brings tears to my eyes. It just felt like the storybook ending to the Bo Era that the 2006 OSU game didn't give me. I will never forget the emotion of seeing Lloyd lifted up by the team and the Florida fans sulking.

Next thought---How lucky are we as Michigan fans? To not only have a program like we have (we will be back), but to have a community like MGoBlog to discuss our thoughts. There is so much Pure Columbian Awesome to this site. The diaries produce gem after gem. All the recruiting info a guy (or gal) could want. And how many other fan bases have such easy access to their teams all-time highlights (thanks WolverineHistorian, for all you do)

It truly is, Great...To Be...A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!

L'Carpetron Do…

July 31st, 2010 at 10:49 AM ^

2003, Chris Perry barrels over Dustin Fox in the end zone after a long run against Ohio State.

Braylon's huge touchdown against OSU in aught 3.  (also on the kneel-down play at the end, Braylon was the back man/Herm Edwards safety net and he did a standing backflip when the whistle blew - unbelievable).

Manningham's crazy sideline to sideline play against Florida in Chad Henne Fest (Cap. One Bowl 08).  The play only went for like 15-20 yards but it was frightening to see what he was capable of.

Jamar Adams comes up and smashes Tim Tebow in the mouth during Chad Henne Fest 08.

The Man Down T…

July 31st, 2010 at 5:34 PM ^

My fondest memory of that Penn State game was the video of the drunk Penn State fan at his house watching the final play and literally crying on the floor "F**K MICHIGAN!  I HATE THEM!  I HATE THEM!"  Ah the tears unfathomable sorrow.  Yummy.  If anyone has a like to that video, it would be great to see it again.  I looked for it on YouTube but didn't find it.

931 S State

July 31st, 2010 at 5:48 PM ^

Haven't seen anyone mention the play against Wisconsin in 2000 where Henson scrambled outside the pocket then chucked it up across his body to find Terrell in the back of the endzone.