Football Forever Comment Count

Ace



Upchurch

A referee makes an arbitrary approximation of the spot of the football as Kain Colter is brought to the turf. A couple of guys dressed like crossing guards then take out an extremely precise ten-yard chain. The referee, staring at the football like it's the bottom line of an eye chart, determines that the play has resulted in a first down by the smallest of possible margins. For all intents and purposes, the game is over, decided by an educated guess made at breakneck speed.

Football is the worst.

The contest continues, however, and Michigan sells out against the run for a stop. For a moment, it looks like Jeremy Gallon could provide a miracle as he briefly breaks free after fielding a line-drive punt, but he's tackled at the 38.

18 seconds remain. No timeouts remain. Little hope remains.

But then the backup quarterback hucks the football to the impossibly-skinny senior receiver, improbably left in single coverage, and this wisp of a man somehow bats the oblong projectile out of the air and controls the ricochet, an absurd feat of concentration and athleticism that brings 110,000 despondent humans screaming to their feet in elation.

Football is the best.

From that point, victory feels strangely academic given the prior proceedings. Brendan Gibbons, Keith Stone cool, splits the uprights from 26 yards out for the tying field goal. Three plays after Devin Gardner finds Roundtree again to give Michigan first-and-goal on the opening overtime possession, he fakes a give to Fitz Toussaint, breaks contain, and lopes into the end zone unimpeded. Northwestern can only get within two yards of that blasted first-down marker on their subsequent series before Kenny Demens stonewalls Tyris Jones in the hole on fourth down.

The stadium erupts, again hopelessly in love with the greatest game known to man. Michigan 38, Northwestern 31, football forever.

Comments

Blue in Yarmouth

November 11th, 2012 at 6:06 AM ^

he was celebrating a win (or what he thought wad a win). Watching on tv you got a closeup of his face and it was no joke. he thought he just one a huge game at the big house that might somehow make up for his ridiculous comments at halftime during last year and ending up losing as well.

He clearly thought his team just won the game and was celebrating.

Blue in Yarmouth

November 14th, 2012 at 10:26 AM ^

So your stance is he can't be celebrating because he hasn't won yet and people obviously never celebrate a win until a game is over. His team was driving for what would be the go ahead TD and he gets a call that gets them out of a 3rd and long. I would bet he was pretty confident at that point he was driving for the win and was thus celebrating. 

schreibee

November 10th, 2012 at 5:02 PM ^

Yup PatFitz did himself no honor with that jut-jawed moronic leaping about after his QB is nailed late.
Not even an assistant coach should react like that.
That's what fans are for!
Like to think that reaction was "Instant Karma'd" by Tree's catch in a most delightful way...

qbwaggle

November 10th, 2012 at 4:33 PM ^

Fitzgerald's reaction was odd... I can't recall a head coach acting like that unless it's a game-winning play. Assistant coaches, sure. But head coaches are usually more stoic than that.

Add in the fact that he was celebrating a late hit call on his QB... seems like his first reaction should be concern for his QB or anger at a "cheap shot" but instead he's jumping around like he just got an N64 for Christmas.

samsoccer7

November 10th, 2012 at 4:21 PM ^

Nicely put.  On the long throw to Roundtree though the defensive back is the one who bats the ball and Roundtree has to somehow corral that thing and catch it.  IMO that's harder than even tipping it to yourself.  What a play and what a game.  I still can't believe we won.