Just One Thing

Submitted by Swayze Howell Sheen on

[A bit of mgofiction for a slow thursday before the game. Hope you all enjoy. Or not.

-- Coach S.]

[Fade into the locker room, just after the Wisconsin game. Coach Rod takes center stage, and starts speaking.]

COACH ROD: "I'm going to say one thing to you, men. One thing."

 

[Cut to the last drive of the Wisconsin game. Michigan down by 4, 35-31. 1st and 10 on the Michigan 24 yard line. 2 minutes, 13 seconds on the clock. Frank Beckmann announcing.]

BECKMANN: "Denard takes the snap, running right. Cuts back left, just tripped up! Gain of 5 on the play. 2nd and 5 coming up."

BRANDSTATTER: "He's been hard to stop today, huh Frank? Kept Michigan in this one almost by himself, over 300 yards of offense and three touchdowns. You think he has another touchdown left in him?"

 


 

[Cut back to Coach Rod, in the locker room]

COACH ROD: "It's been a long year. Remember spring practice? Remember those long weeks you put in during the summer? Well, it's been a long year for me too. Did I do everything right? Hell no. I've made mistakes. Who here hasn't? We made some honest mistakes, and get raked over the coals for it. Wasn't easy for me, wasn't easy for my family. But as Mufasa said, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Have we been killed, men? Are we dead?"

[Cut back to the game]

BECKMANN: "Denard back to pass, zings one over to Stonum, who drops it. Big third down coming up."

BRANDSTATTER: "Nice read by Denard, saw the corner playing a little off Stonum there. But gotta catch those easy ones. Don't want the drive to die here..."

[Back to the locker room]

TEAM: "NO!"

COACH ROD: "Hell no! Not dead yet. No, not dead. And therefore, stronger. We are stronger. WE ARE STRONG."

[Coach Rod takes a deep breath, looking around the room. All eyes are on him.]

COACH ROD: "I want you all to think about what this team means to you. To be part of it. To contribute to it, no matter how big a contribution, or how small. Just like that little play out there on third down, right Kelvin?"

 


 

[Back to the game]

BECKMANN: "3rd and 5. Big play, not much time left, lots of yards to go for the win. Denard back to pass, passes down the middle to Roundtree, caught it! Roundtree dragged down from behind -- oh no, fumble! Who got it?"

BRANDSTATTER: "I saw Kelvin Grady running behind the play, and I think he just might have dived on the ball and gotten it. We'll have to see who's under that pile of white and red."

[The refs slowly peel one Badger off the pile after the other...]

BECKMAN: "Michigan ball! What a hustle play by Kelvin Grady! The play of the game! First down Michigan, ball at the 44 yard line. One minute and thirty on the clock. The Wolverines aren't dead yet!"

[Back to the locker room]

K. GRADY: "That's right coach. Like you said, never give up on the play."

COACH ROD: "That's right Kelvin. Never give up. NEVER give up. NEVER GIVE UP! This team has been down, this team has been beaten, but never once did I see any of you hang your heads. You kept fighting. The Wolverine never stops fighting, even when it's down. Even when it looks like the fight is lost, the Wolverine never quits. We fight to the end, win or lose, live or die. Right Stephen?"

[Back to the game. Michigan has advanced the ball to the Wisconsin 31, but it is now 4th and 1. Time is running out.]

BECKMANN: "Game on the line here. 4th and 1. Hopkins in the backfield, two receivers split right. Denard takes the snap, hands to Hopkins, who's hit in the backfield! He keeps his legs moving, spins, and dives, and drives the defensive tackle back. It's gonna be close!"

BRANDSTATTER: "I thought he was stopped short but he kept pushing! Depends on the spot, but he just might have gotten it."

[Refs bring out the chains...]

BECKMANN: "First down!! By the nose of the ball. What a second and third effort by Stephen Hopkins! 48 seconds left. Clock momentarily stopped thanks to the first down."

 


 

[Back to locker room. Hopkins nods at Coach Rod]

COACH ROD: "That's why we've been working this year, men. All year, every day, every hour in that weight room. It's for that yard when you need it on fourth and one and the whole game is on your shoulders. It's at that time when you see who is the better man. That is why we work so hard. THAT IS WHY WE WORK!"

[Nods around the room, and grunts of agreement. Coach Rod takes one more deep breath, and speaks again, his diction now at its peak]

COACH ROD: "But like I said, I've really only got one thing to say to you. One thing! It's not hard to guess. It's what we've been waiting for. And when the game clock ticked down out there a few moments ago, it's all I could think of. Just one damn thing!"

[Cut back to the Wisconsin Game. It's now 4th and goal, very little time left on the clock.]

BECKMANN: "4th and goal on the 2 yard line. 13 seconds left. Here it is, Michigan fans. 8-3, or 7-4? Win, or lose? What's the play call here Brandy?"

BRANDSTADTTER: "I think we all know who's getting the ball on this one, Frank. I just hope his shoes stay on."

BECKMAN: "OK, Here we go. Denard takes the snap. Takes a step forward. But then he steps back, jumps, and throws it to a wide open Koger. TOUCHDOWN MICHIGAN! TOUCHDOWN! He jump passed it on the last play of the game! Michigan is going to win, 38-35! The crowd is going crazy!"

 


 

[The stadium erupts, and then the band. The Victors will play on into the night... Cut back to the locker room]

ROD: "Just one thing on my mind after that game. Can you guess what it is? Denard?"

DENARD (softly): "Beat the Bucks."

ROD: "Tate?"

TATE (louder now): "Beat the Bucks!"

ROD: "The rest of you all?"

TEAM (screaming): "BEAT THE BUCKS!"

ROD: "THAT'S RIGHT, JUST ONE THING: BEAT THE DAMN BUCKS! Now get outta here and celebrate. I'll see you Monday, and I tell you what, men: They better be ready down there in Columbus."

 


 

[Fade to black]

Comments

jwschultz

November 18th, 2010 at 6:53 PM ^

haha - I was thinking, even if Coach S has been talking to the Knowledge and everything is playing out exactly as written here, I will still be on the verge of cardiac arrest if anybody has to fight through a tackle in the backfield on 4th and 1.

jhackney

November 18th, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^

You deserve this prize included below. Print it out, put it on the fridge, and be proud. Fine piece of work! That was one damn hard edge piece of work. Thank you.

BlueintheLou

November 18th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^

Awesome. Well done.

However, how did we win 38-31, when we were down 35-31 getting the ball on the last drive? Was there some sort of  NBA Jam Hotspot on the field?

Seriously though, awesome. It would make me happy if this happened Saturday.

skwasha

November 18th, 2010 at 6:46 PM ^

*sigh* my first post shouldn't be a nitpick - but it is. Sorry.

If it was the last play of the game, the score should be 37-35. No need to add the PAT.

Gah - really sorry. Cuz otherwise, I think this is the last scene in the penultimate episode of the season.

Red is Blue

November 18th, 2010 at 12:57 PM ^

Makes me want to lace 'em up and go hit something.  Not that I could actually do that or if I did get lucky enough to hit something I could actually hurt anything, but why let reality get in the way.

blueheron

November 18th, 2010 at 1:19 PM ^

[Cut to a drab cubicle at 615 West Lafayette, Detroit, MI, where three men are quietly weeping.  One is named Rosenberg and one is named Sharp.  The third man, who orchestrated the original hit job, is ... ?]

JClay

November 18th, 2010 at 1:20 PM ^

Sigh. If someone's going to take the time to write some MGoFanFiction, they should at least include some nudity. I mean, come on, whats the point of this PG crap, right? Who's with me? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

Hail-Storm

November 18th, 2010 at 1:34 PM ^

"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger" is probably not a good quote to use when the charater who said it died. 

I also disagree with you only having Denard with only around 300 yards on the last drive. That's a low day for him, so would suggest giving it the Denard bump to 430.(sorry everyone's a critic)

Otherwise great post  

profitgoblue

November 18th, 2010 at 9:34 PM ^

I just found this on YouTube about a certain "Musafar" . . . Words cannot explain it. 

[EDIT:  Now that I think about it, I don't even know why I posted it. It made me laugh and quickly realize that I am not a good person, which was also funny for some reason.]

UAUM

November 18th, 2010 at 2:52 PM ^

That was straight from a movie script.  I couldn't stop reading that.  Fully conveyed the emotion, the timing of the cuts.  Just great.  Thanks for making my afternoon.

GO BLUE!!!

profitgoblue

November 18th, 2010 at 4:23 PM ^

If the game goes down to the wire like depicted in the thread, I'm going to OD on anxiety medicine.  I had to pop a few just reading this damn thread.

Also, if they have to win the game using the Tebow jump pass I'm going to punch a hole in my television.  I'm too old for this.  Serenity now!

antoo

November 18th, 2010 at 3:04 PM ^

BRANDSTATTER: "I saw Kelvin Grady running behind the play, and I think he just might have dived on the ball and gotten it. We'll have to see who's under that pile of red shirts."