20 years ago this week

Submitted by WolverineHistorian on

Somehow I missed this (we may have to remove the 'historian' from my name) but this past Wednesday was the 20 year anniversary of Dreisbach to Hayes against Virginia...

Yes, I'm sure you have the same reaction as me.  How the hell has it been 20 years? 

Michigan Arrogance

August 29th, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^

that was my freshman year. since the game was 10 days before the semester started, I watched on TV. arrived for orientation in A2 3-4 days later and saw them play Miami(OH) the next week.

Orgo I + Lab fridays 1-5 (bruuuutal)

Calc I

Accel French

Got hockey tix with my future wife for $87 a month later. 

 

Baba Booey

August 29th, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^

I remember thinking of keaving leaving early when it was 17-0 because it was so damn hot that day. Thankfuly, we stuck it out and Hayes caught the TD in our end zone to win it. Incredible finish. GO BLUE!

charblue.

August 29th, 2015 at 1:34 PM ^

of that catch hangs in my Michigan memorabilia room. The first game of Lloyd's tenure as head coach was a brutally hot early afternoon game carried nationally on ABC. Michigan struggled offensively most of the day before Scott Driesbach started to connect late. Mercury Hayes was the perfect name for the best target and catch of the day. 

I was living in Ann Arbor then, and remember the heat for that late August game seemed worse than any day that summer. 

This was the first of many fantastic finishes under Carr and two years removed from the NC season. 

For many, the game's ending eclipses the Hail Mary loss sustained against Colorado the year  before and signaled the start of memorable opening day wins and losses during the Carr reign, including the Phil Brabb field goal win over Washington and the Horror loss to App State in Lloyd's last season that ended with a most unexpected victory over Florida 

GoBlueKC

August 29th, 2015 at 12:36 PM ^

This was my first game at 10 years old as well. My dad's boss had a connection to the school and was able to get Mercury Hayes to sign a print of the catch. The ball is about 18" from his hands and you can perfectly see the scoreboard showing zeros. 

Somehow my 10 year old self managed to save the ticket stub from the "Pigskin Classic"

jordraph

August 29th, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^

Wow, crazy how this feels like yesterday. I'm with the above couple of gents in this being one of my first vivid Michigan memories. I remember how excited I was to have Michigan kick off this early in the season! Very cool Wolverine Historian.

schreibee

August 29th, 2015 at 12:59 PM ^

Anyone on Mgoblog is the answer to that question - you could get negged for writing HARBAUGH! on this blog.

Wait & watch...

By the way, I was 34 MF'n years old when Dreisbach hit Mercury in the corner of the end zone, and it was and remains one of my greatest Michigan FB moments...and for all you "I was 10"..."I was 9"..."I was a freshman"..."I was one month..." young bastards let me lay one on you:

I was there when Bo beat Woody in '69... and I was 9, so there!

Don

August 29th, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^

I came to school in '71, and one of the very few downsides of the Schembechler era was a consistent inability to come from behind late in the game if we were down more than a TD.

At the time, this was the largest deficit ever overcome in Michigan history, and while there were some disappointing come-from-ahead defeats in the Carr era, there were also more than a few dramatic come-from-behind wins, too. This was one of the best.

WolverineHistorian

August 29th, 2015 at 11:13 AM ^

The timing of this one had some drama, being just a few months removed from the Moeller thing.  The team was still sort of in mourning.  Carr couldn't even bring himself to use Moeller's parking spot. 

Remy Hamilton, who kicked 26 field goals the year before (and reached GOD level status in my eyes for kicking the game winner in South Bend) had a horrible outing in scrimmage and a horrible week of practice.  He missed his only FG attempt that day.  

The running game resulted in this:

Tim Biakabutuka 7 for 36 yards, Chris Howard 6 for 13 yards and Ed Davis 4 for 11 yards. 

Dreisbach was 27 of 52 for 372 yards, 2 TD's and 2 interceptions.

 

snarling wolverine

August 29th, 2015 at 12:31 PM ^

We also missed a PAT, which then prompted us to go for 2 after the second score, which failed.  If we'd just converted our PATs, we'd have only trailed 17-14 at the end, which makes you wonder . . . would Lloyd have gone for the tie on that 4th down?  

It would have been an interesting decision, as this was before overtime existed.

 

 

 

 

alum96

August 29th, 2015 at 12:35 PM ^

Historian and WD can confirm but was the Minnesota road game with Navarre and Thomas the biggest comeback ever for UM?

The Braylon Edwards Henne vs MSU game also has to be up there.

Don - I was shocked you were not 10 years old when this catch happened like almost every other member of the board. ;)