A Game of Inches
Editor's note: Lo siento for a day short of content; I am going to New York for a sportsblogging conference, which yes what a strange life I lead. I may or may not have time to get something up in the late afternoon; tomorrow should be a regular day.
Instead of my content, here's a fun diary I've bumped. Actually, wait, this is extremely painful. Dammit.
Football is such a game of inches. If you could go back in time and gently nudge a single play in Michigan’s favor, which would you choose to change? I’m not talking about randomly adding 7 points to a game, but rather a minor change to an actual play that has a huge effect. This is my list:
10. Michigan v Nebraska, 2005 Alamo Bowl – Steve Breaston is RIGHT THERE and you don’t flip the ball to him? Oh Ecker. I would go back and have you make one little pitch. Although this game had no global impact or anything, it would’ve been nice to beat Nebraska.
9. Michigan v Northwestern, 2000 - Did we really deserve to win this game? Probably not. But we certainly would have but for one little fumble, almost an unforced error by Anthony Thomas (one of my favorite players.) If he just puts both arms on the ball in the waning minutes, Michigan wins an odd Big Ten shootout.
8. Michigan v Michigan State, 1990 – We got jobbed on the 2-pt conversion. If Desmond can hold on for just another .5 seconds, it’s good. This game marks my first sports bet. It, um, wasn’t my last.
7. Michigan v Ohio State, 2006 – How many plays in this game could’ve gotten us a victory? I’ll focus on 2, though both involve the same player, Shawn Crable. Crable had Beanie Wells for a loss in the backfield, and let him get by for 7. Then he gets the infamous penalty on Troy Smith, and if his head were just a few inches lower he’s probably in the clear and we have a shot at the win. This game isn’t on the list as a guaranteed win, but I’d just have liked to see us with the chance at the end. That’s why it isn’t higher.
6. Michigan v Texas, 2005 Rose Bowl – Vince Young loses if Dusty Mangum’s FG attempt is blocked. I forget which defender it was, but one Wolverine was literally an inch or two from blocking it. It certainly appeared to me that if he didn’t touch the football, he felt the breeze on his hand as it went by. Would’ve been nice to have won this one, and we were maybe an inch away.
5. Michigan v ND, 1990 – This game was on ESPN Classic the other day. Michigan was leading by 28-14 in the 4th quarter and driving deep in Irish territory. I’m thinking, how the hell did we lose this game? Then Elvis tossed a bad interception to Michael Stonebreaker, and the rest is history. If that ball is just tipped or dropped, or sails over his head, we kick a FG and win easily. Sigh.
4. Michigan v ND, 1988 – Mike Gillette’s field goal attempt sailed wide by inches. Lou Holtz goes on to win a MNC, and I generally hate life for awhile. This one was personal, though Michigan only lost 2 games (and tied Iowa) and had a great season.
3. Michigan v Appalachian State, 2007 – Shawn Crable, can’t you just block the guy? Seriously? Or Steve Brown, can’t you just tackle the guy in the first quarter? Really? Truth is you could probably pick 10 plays from this game an inch here or there and it goes the other way.
2. Michigan v Iowa, 1985 - If that damn field goal at the end misses, or one Wolverine hand gets on it, chances are Michigan wins a National Championship for Bo a year after going 6-6. Yes, Michigan tied Iowa, but I personally believe that if we’d topped Iowa we’d have beaten Illinois. Just the impact of that game alone warrants being very high on this list, but for me personally, well. We all have that first loss when you’re old enough to know what’s really going on and you’ve developed enough of a passion that it *matters*. This was that game for me personally. It hurt. A lot.
1. Michigan v Colorado, 1994 - I don’t even really have to say which play, do I? It would be nice to avoid sitting there in the stands for a half hour after the game just looking at the crumpled up freebie program and thinking about the meaninglessness of existence. Feel free to share your own, I'm sure I've forgotten a ton. And please let me know if you have a time machine I can borrow.
Instead of my content, here's a fun diary I've bumped. Actually, wait, this is extremely painful. Dammit.
Football is such a game of inches. If you could go back in time and gently nudge a single play in Michigan’s favor, which would you choose to change? I’m not talking about randomly adding 7 points to a game, but rather a minor change to an actual play that has a huge effect. This is my list:
10. Michigan v Nebraska, 2005 Alamo Bowl – Steve Breaston is RIGHT THERE and you don’t flip the ball to him? Oh Ecker. I would go back and have you make one little pitch. Although this game had no global impact or anything, it would’ve been nice to beat Nebraska.
9. Michigan v Northwestern, 2000 - Did we really deserve to win this game? Probably not. But we certainly would have but for one little fumble, almost an unforced error by Anthony Thomas (one of my favorite players.) If he just puts both arms on the ball in the waning minutes, Michigan wins an odd Big Ten shootout.
8. Michigan v Michigan State, 1990 – We got jobbed on the 2-pt conversion. If Desmond can hold on for just another .5 seconds, it’s good. This game marks my first sports bet. It, um, wasn’t my last.
7. Michigan v Ohio State, 2006 – How many plays in this game could’ve gotten us a victory? I’ll focus on 2, though both involve the same player, Shawn Crable. Crable had Beanie Wells for a loss in the backfield, and let him get by for 7. Then he gets the infamous penalty on Troy Smith, and if his head were just a few inches lower he’s probably in the clear and we have a shot at the win. This game isn’t on the list as a guaranteed win, but I’d just have liked to see us with the chance at the end. That’s why it isn’t higher.
6. Michigan v Texas, 2005 Rose Bowl – Vince Young loses if Dusty Mangum’s FG attempt is blocked. I forget which defender it was, but one Wolverine was literally an inch or two from blocking it. It certainly appeared to me that if he didn’t touch the football, he felt the breeze on his hand as it went by. Would’ve been nice to have won this one, and we were maybe an inch away.
5. Michigan v ND, 1990 – This game was on ESPN Classic the other day. Michigan was leading by 28-14 in the 4th quarter and driving deep in Irish territory. I’m thinking, how the hell did we lose this game? Then Elvis tossed a bad interception to Michael Stonebreaker, and the rest is history. If that ball is just tipped or dropped, or sails over his head, we kick a FG and win easily. Sigh.
4. Michigan v ND, 1988 – Mike Gillette’s field goal attempt sailed wide by inches. Lou Holtz goes on to win a MNC, and I generally hate life for awhile. This one was personal, though Michigan only lost 2 games (and tied Iowa) and had a great season.
3. Michigan v Appalachian State, 2007 – Shawn Crable, can’t you just block the guy? Seriously? Or Steve Brown, can’t you just tackle the guy in the first quarter? Really? Truth is you could probably pick 10 plays from this game an inch here or there and it goes the other way.
2. Michigan v Iowa, 1985 - If that damn field goal at the end misses, or one Wolverine hand gets on it, chances are Michigan wins a National Championship for Bo a year after going 6-6. Yes, Michigan tied Iowa, but I personally believe that if we’d topped Iowa we’d have beaten Illinois. Just the impact of that game alone warrants being very high on this list, but for me personally, well. We all have that first loss when you’re old enough to know what’s really going on and you’ve developed enough of a passion that it *matters*. This was that game for me personally. It hurt. A lot.
1. Michigan v Colorado, 1994 - I don’t even really have to say which play, do I? It would be nice to avoid sitting there in the stands for a half hour after the game just looking at the crumpled up freebie program and thinking about the meaninglessness of existence. Feel free to share your own, I'm sure I've forgotten a ton. And please let me know if you have a time machine I can borrow.
Wow, these bring back some horrific memories.
In addition:
Illinois 1993: A Rickey Powers fumble late as we were trying to run out the clock (a little too early, I might add) led to an Illinois victory.
Penn State 1994: We were the only team all year that had a legit chance to beat this Penn St juggernaut, and we blew our chance when Amani Toomer somehow got behind the PSU defense late in the game and just plain misjudged a deep Todd Collins pass. It landed right next to him.
Illinois 1999: Blew a 27-7 lead to lose 35-29. This is not so much a game of inches as it was a dismaying blown lead, led by conservative late-game play-calling.
Purdue 2000: We lost on a last second FG 32-31, but this was a game where we had a 28-10 halftime lead, and went into a shell offensively, like the IU game above. A late 3rd down conversion is all we needed.
Speaking of 3rd down conversions, I still can't help but think of the infamous Colorado game, which I attended. If only Che Foster hadn't fumbled when we were en route to a 33-14 lead (or at least 29-14). If only we had put more men deep. If only we knew how to defend a tip drill -- they ran the same play at the end of the 1st half, for Pete's sake. But the biggest "what if" was the false start penalty that turned a 3rd and 3 to a 3rd and 8 on UM's last possession. Biakabutuka ran for 7 yards on that play. A first down there, and Michigan takes a knee and runs out the clock.
I had bad dreams about that game for the next 7 years or so.
I both love and loathe this thread.
One game that sticks in my mind was the 2000 Michigan/UCLA game. This started a long string of young Navarre/Hayden Epstein debacles that haunted my dreams during my early years of Michigan fandom.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores100/100260/100260379.htm#RECAPS
We had the ball down three on UCLA's 26 yard line, but Navarre threw an interception to seal the game. Epstein also missed an extra point and two field goals (I think). As a relatively recent Michigan grad, that was my first gut-punch game as a Michigan fan.
i just caught up with this thread. I'd say if we could have ND, Toledo and Purdue back from last year, it makes all the difference in the world. Now we'd be looking to improve on a .500 season instead of worrying that our program is a mess.
lager86
Marquise Walker drops a sure TD that would have tied the game I think. We win that game, Tressel doesn't make good on his promise upon taking the job and I would say that he doesn't end up dominating the rivalry as he has for the past several years.
It wouldn't have tied the game. It was the third quarter and we were down 23-7. But as we ended up losing by six, that dropped TD (which was followed by a missed FG) turned out to be huge.
I'd say the Rose Bowl game against Texas is a huge one - just the bragging rights of having beaten Vince Young the hear before he beat USC for the NC.
But I think 2006 OSU would have been just as significant - had a great road team (from what i remember), and they were doing a great job of rallying. If they had less to overcome, M may have won that one.
The "Home Clock" game. What a friggin sham that was.
There was some non-M-football discussion here, and my single biggest sporting reversal in my lifetime would be the C-Webb timeout. Yes, I realize in hindsight that we'd have to have formally vacated that National Championship had we scored on that possession rather than the utter disaster that ensued, but still.
I was 18 years old, an M fan for life, and I *loved* the Fab Five (my favorite non-M college team at the time was UNLV - that was the type of ball and style that I appreciated at that age; the Fab Five was a perfect storm of sorts for me).
The C-Webb timeout remains my single biggest sports nightmare.
"...there's no excuse for the slander, but what's good for the goose is *still* good for the gander." -Dead Prez
Further agonizing details.
One camera angle on the video replay (not that I watched it obsessively) shows the Michigan sideline starting to celebrate because they've seen (and possibly heard) the slight deflection, and it's clear the ball is wobbling like a wounded duck, and of course those partial deflections NEVER go through. Ugh.
More: There's an amazing photo that appears to show the deflection was caused by the INSIDE of Shazor's right elbow, meaning OMFG he actually was so deep into the backfield that the ball traveled BETWEEN his outstretched arms. If he hadn't been so quick, the ball would've smacked his right arm and we wouldn't be having this discussion.
I'd insert the photo here but don't know how.
Cazzie33
I was thinking 2005 OSU and Gonzales catch....but... since that has been mentioned...how about:
2001 Msu game... Spartan Bob the time keeper and the longest 1 second in the history of football.
Strictly business...Not personal.
What if Desmond Howard's finger tips were one inch shorter in the 1991 Notre Dame game?
iTunes pays Mike Barwis 99 cents every time he downloads a song.
Then Elvis would have thrown the pass one inch shorter, obviously.
But seriously, continuing on that note, what if the field goal posts were a foot wider in the 2000 Orange Bowl versus Alabama?
I know it's easier to remember the devastation of losing by inches, but let's try to also count our blessings. Any other memories of Michigan winning by inches?
One game I'm not sure was mentioned yet is the 1986 game for the Little Brown Jug -- the last time Minnesota won it before '05.
Michigan, behind Jim Harbaugh, was ranked #2 going into that game, the last home game of the year, poised for a shot at the nat'l title. Favored by 4 TDs, all UM had to do was beat a mediocre Minnesota team before facing OSU (a game they won 26-24 after Harbaugh "guaranteed" a win). UM tied the game 17-17 late in the 4th, and it looked like a tie was inevitable when, on 3rd and long near midfield, Foggie ad-libbed a 35-yard run to put Minnesota within chip-shot FG range, which they got on the game's final play to win 20-17.
I'd take back any of a half-dozen plays from that game: Harbaugh's fumbles and INT; the game-ending FG; but esp'ly Foggie's run... If UM doesn't lose that game, they go to the Rose Bowl ranked #1 or #2, and maybe it ends up differently vs. ASU. (But then, we wouldn't have gotten Cooper at OSU for that glorious decade of dominance.)
If only Prescott Burgess' fingers were a tad bigger.
Ernest Shazor almost blocked it in the backfield, and then Burgess barely missed it. Right in the end zone I was sitting in, too. Ugh.
Michigan Sports Center
2 plays in that game. The first half Michigan punt where our punter puts his knee down fielding a low snap, and the last 2nd Rick Leach drive that ends when the ball rolls over our running back's back (Huckleby?, Davis?) and into the hands of Michael Jackson for the Huskies. If we win, we're National Champs, no?
whidbeywolverine
We would have barely won against an underdog Washington team, while eventual #1 Notre Dame crushed undefeated and then-ranked-#1 Texas. I think ND would have leap-frogged us in the polls even with a win.
The next year, though, a Rose Bowl win against USC without the Phantom Touchdown might get us #1. I think USC was #1 in one of the polls, Alabama in the other after a goal-line stand defeats then-#1 Penn State 14-7.
Where's Charlie Bauman when you need him?
"We all have that first loss when you’re old enough to know what’s really going on and you’ve developed enough of a passion that it *matters*."
Indeed, and this happened to be Colorado.
Blogging the once-resurgent Virginia Cavaliers at http://fromoldvirginia.blogspot.com.
1. Clockgate ... not sure if this counts because after all we did win, just grandpa state running the clock had a quick trigger finger
2. OSU '05 ... either change our cleats for the new turf brfoe the game or the crable hit
3. State '09 .... We were only down by 7 in what would of been the funniest win over lil bro if we could have won last yr, but were down 7 late in the fourth when we throw a idiotic pick and then then went on a fourth and short when a field goal would of fiished us ... this game was actually on espnu a little bit ago and was much closer than i remember
Just Win Baby
Maybe we're biased, but has Michigan been screwed by an extraordinarily high amount of bad calls and unfair policies (Big 10 Rose Bowl rules, 1973, that thief Tom Osborne) for the past 40 years? Granted, we've had calls go our way as well. For all we know, fans of other teams may also have that list of missed calls that bugs them to this day.
No joke, I had nightmares of the blocked FG of the App St catastrophe. I was hooking up with a girl that Labor Day weekend, and she told me that she heard me groaning "App State" in my sleep. I just kept seeing that goddamn blocked FG played over and over again. Yes, I'm pathetic.
Ann Arbor is a classy broad.
"Get off my plane!" - Ricky Stanzi, Air Force One 2
Remember, it works both ways. Let's not forget the set-up for what some consider the most exciting play in the history of Michigan Stadium, Anthony Carter's Uferific catch-and-run on the final play vs. Indiana.
The set-up was a blatantly intentional fumble out of bounds to stop the clock. Just ask the Indiana coach, one Lee Corso.
Cazzie33
Ask some Penn State fans how they feel about Michigan series, also several undefeated seasons that did not get them MNCs. (soft schedule gets some blame on those)
Great list and very entertaining. However, quite painful.
FTR, I was at that Washington game in 2001 and it sucked ass.
But nothing, nothing compares to the Appy State game and the humiliation that followed. Damn you Shawn Crable. There were inches everywhere in that game for us.
Michigan Ohio State 2001- Tressel's first game. Marquise Walker has a sure touchdown bounce off of his shoulder pads. If he catches that, Tressel probably wouldn't have made good on his promise upon taking the head coaching job and we might be looking at a different outcome in several future Michigan-Ohio State games.
If I remember correctly, it was either late 3rd or erly 4th quarter, UM was down 23-7 and uncle mo appeared to be favoring UM. Quick slant over the middle. It was bullet but hit Walker in the hands, incomplete. To add insult to injury, UM missed a chip shot field goal on the next play.
A few inches this way or that would have changed the outcome in each one of these games.
1972 Ohio State 14, Michigan 11--No. 3 Michigan outgained the Buckeyes 344-192 in yardage, but was rebuffed twice on goal-line stands and saw its Rose Bowl hopes dashed. Michigan back Harry Banks apparently scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, but officials ruled he never crossed the plane. OSU earned the trip to Pasadena, and because of the criminally stupid Big Ten it's-the-Rose-Bowl-or-nothing bowl game policy, 10-1 Michigan stayed home for the holidays.
1973 Michigan 10, OSU 10 Poor Mike Lantry had two chances in the fourth quarter to kick FGs to put us in the lead, but alas no go. Because of the still criminally stupid Big Ten it's-the-Rose-Bowl-or-nothing bowl game policy, 10-0-1 Michigan stayed home for the holidays.
1974 OSU 12, Michigan 10 Lantry tries for the winning field goal as time expires and kicks it so high above the goal posts that the refs can't see that the kick was good. Because of the yet still criminally stupid Big Ten it's-the-Rose-Bowl-or-nothing bowl game policy, 10-1 Michigan stayed home for the holidays.
(Starting with the 20-9 defeat to OSU in 1970, Michigan went 50-3-1 from 1970 through 1974, which is one of the best 5-year runs for any program in college football history, and yet they went to exactly one bowl game. Those who started following the team in 1975 or later can't really comprehend the punch in the nuts it was to see those great teams stay at home while other teams in the country with 2, 3, or 4 losses got to play in bowl games. There's no question that had those teams been able to play in the Cotton, Orange, or Sugar Bowls, Bo would not have had to wait until the Jan 1, 1981 Rose Bowl for his first bowl victory.)
1972 Stanford 13, Michigan 12- Rod Garcia kicks a short field goal at the end of the game to give #4 Michigan its first defeat of the season at the hands of the #16-ranked Stanford in the Rose Bowl.
1976 Undefeated and #1 ranked Michigan stinks up the joint down at Purdue, but Bobby Wood has a chance to kick the game-winning field goal as time expires. As Bob Ufer memorably groans, "It's good!...no good, no good..."
1973-76 were the falls that I was a student, so I feel your pain. Don't forget the 1975 game when Corny Greene was trapped about 30 yards behind the line of scrimmage and somehow escaped and led OSU to a tying touchdown and then another later and Michigan lost its first of the season (two ties earlier in non-conference).
But I will go back further, to when I was 8-years old, and undefeated Michigan trailed Purdue 20-14 late. Bob Timberlake led the Wolverines to a touchdown with about 6 minutes left, but was stopped short of the goal on the 2-point conversion attempt. Michigan ran the table the rest of the way and got the Rose Bowl bid over Ohio State because OSU had one fewer conference game. Oregon State fell to the Wolverines in the Rose Bowl, 34-7. Michigan would have likely won the National Championship with the win over Purdue and its sophomore quarterback, Bob Griese.
More recently the 1988 game against Miami (that Miami). Michigan led late and a sideline pass completion gave Michigan the first down which would allow it to run out the clock. Jimmy Johnson convince the ref that the receiver (don't remember who) did not have possession until he was OOB, refs changed call, Steve Walsh leads Miami to game-winning score, Michigan loses 31-30. This was a week after a loss to ND that is mentioned in diary.
Re the 1976 game, before Wood's missed FG, Jim Smith was 10 yards behind the nearest defender when he dropped a long pass from RIck Leach. Ufer, in his most inappropriate comment ever, said it was the biggest bomb dropped since Hiroshima.
As much as the hail mary hurts, Foster's fumble deep in Colorado territory gave the Buffs the chance to win it I think.
IIRC, we were up 26-14 and seemingly in complete control when Foster fumbled. If we'd simply kicked a field goal on that possession, we would have been guaranteed at least a tie.
Haven't read all the responses so not sure if others have mentioned these.
1. Alamo Bowl vs Nebraska. I'd almost rather have Avants fumble back. UM still winning and looking to run out the clock. Everyone expecting run and UM throws it to Avant who was in the flat with the defender. Avant gets tackled it's a nice gain. Instead Avant fumbles.
2. OSU 2006. I'd love to have the pass back that Henne and MM missed each other on the second series. If MM catches the ball in stride, it's a TD. Not sure if UM would have gone on to win, but they would have been up 14-7.
3. OSU 1979 - the blocked punt.
I readily grant you #8. That was cold-blooded assault.
Peace
Ty
http://www.thelionsinwinter.com
I hate Chuck Long. I cried.
This is painful.
On that Northwestern game, not many people recall that Michigan had a chance at a long, game-tying fieldgoal, but a high snap slipped through freshman John Navarre's hands and into Hayden Epstein's. He then completed a pass to a random tight end who was soon tackled. Game over.
It was a long kick - probably 50 yards or so. But Epstein had a strong wind at his back and was really booming his kicks in the halftime warmup. I always wish he would have just thrown the ball away (possibly stopping the clock with one second), or of course if the snap-place-hold thing had worked out. If ever a game deserved to go to overtime, it was that one. Of course, the way that the two defenses were playing that day, the game would probably still be going on right now...
Road Games is another blog
Was at that game and it was just ridiculous. I also remember being soooo disappointed that Epstein didn't get a chance to kick that ball.
The worst thing about that game was walking to the purple line afterwards some NW student got right in my face and said, "we're smarter than you AND better at football". For once in my life I had absolutely nothing to say.
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” - Benjamin Franklin
I guess you did encounter a (somewhat) smarter one, but the random NU fan who decided to stick to me said, "Hahaha. Go back to Lansing." I don't need to list the assortment of things wrong with that statement. In sum: Northwestern fans are generally imbeciles when it comes to college football.
Road Games is another blog
Seriously. When they played Iowa the next week, they played like they were completely demoralized and they only lost because of that weird two-point conversion attempt.
I don't think we would have beaten Washington in the Rose Bowl, though.
Where's Charlie Bauman when you need him?
I was at that Rose Bowl game vs Washington. They dominated us.
The 1992 Rose Bowl (34-14 thumping) is why I don't think we'd have won the 1991 Rose Bowl. If we'd gone.
We lost to Michigan State on that no-call on the 2-pt conversion no-call. The next week, the team was demoralized and lost to Iowa after another 2-pt conversion mishap (or maybe they just missed the PAT, I don't remember anymore). Iowa went on to the Rose Bowl where they were thumped 46-34 or thereabouts.
My argument is that, had Desmond Howard hung onto the 2-pt attempt against MSU, Michigan would have played a better game against Iowa and won a trip to the Rose Bowl. Washington wasn't quite as good that year as they were the next, though, but I think they still would have won.
Where's Charlie Bauman when you need him?
It wasn't until 2001 when i was ten and could dtart watching the games and caring about them. SO games I remember are:
2001 Michigan State
2001 Ohio State
2002 Ohio State
2005 Rose Bowl Texas
2005 Notre Dame
2005 Minnesota
2005 Ohio State
2005 Alamo Bowl Nebraska
2006 Ohio State
2007 Appalachian State
2008 Utah
2008 Toledo
2008 Purdue
navarre fumbling off his knee on about the osu 30 at the end of the 2002 game is up there
i punched a big hole in my wall when he did that
Blocked field goal, which would have put us up 15-6 in the Fourth Quarter. Instead 7 in UW's favor on the blocked kick return. Then on I think our first offensive play after the block, a pass skips off of our WR's hands and ends up a pick six for UW. BRUTAL. (And I totally don't remember it being the weekend before the NYC/DC terrorist attacks. Wierd.)
From the AP wire that day:
"Omare Lowe needed less than a minute to ruin
Michigan's day.
Lowe blocked a field goal attempt that was returned 77 yards for
a touchdown and took back an interception 27 yards for a score
51 seconds later to lift 15th-ranked Washington past No. 10
Michigan, 23-18.
. . .
Michigan controlled the tempo for the first three quarters and
had a 12-6 lead when Hayden Epstein lined up for a 33-yard field
goal."
Proud member of the 2008-06-30 circle of trust.
I can remember leaving the stadium depressed thinking UM had just lost the opener and what do ya know. Walking in front of Pioneer High School with everyone that also gave up on the game in the waning minutes was pleasantly surprised with people honking their horns and going crazy as the game-winning field goal fell through the uprights. Can't wait for another season-opening victory...need one against Western
GO BLUUUEE!
www.MGOFOOTBALL.com
was on a little swing pass to Perry. Bounced off his hands right into the hands of an oncoming defender who easily made the endzone.
I had almost managed to forget about this game.
That one was particularly painful for me. The kicking game was just an absolute mess that year.
I NEED QUESO! QUESOOOOO!!
it came off chris perry's hands as i remember
How bout the "Phantom Touchdown" by USC in the 1979 Rose Bowl? I'd love to reverse that play.
with Betty Jean McDougle back in 87. Sigh....
all the dude wanted was his rug back...
when you take the game of inches to the bedroom it is never good to come up short
When life gives you lemons...just say fuck the lemons and bail
Great post. I think he got a finger on the kick in #6 though. A second finger is a Michigan victory.
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” - Benjamin Franklin
I'd vote for the 1980 game against South Carolina (and that year's Heisman winner George Rogers). Michigan was losing by three late in the game, and opted to go for it on fourth and long deep in SC territory. (Remember: no OT back then). The pass (From Wangler, or maybe Hewitt) was head toward a seemingly open Anthony Carter in the back of the endzone. A Gamecock managed to tip the ball ever so slightly, and the ball fluttered just over AC's reach (he may have gotten a finger on it as well). Final Score SC 17, Michigan 14.
Michigan fell to 1-2, but won out and finished the year #4 in the polls.