August 21st, 2014 at 9:40 PM ^
It was a great day not only because of the Michigan win, but Central Michigan upset MSU earlier that day!
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August 21st, 2014 at 10:43 PM ^
Chips ahoy!!
August 21st, 2014 at 11:02 PM ^
Yes. This was my first rivalry game attended. It was also the day I decided I wanted season tix as soon as I could.
That touchdown was right down in front of us and I looked over and for the first time in my life I realized my dad actually did care. He was nearly as pumped as I was. Was a great bonding moment.
August 21st, 2014 at 11:30 PM ^
Epic. The holder for CMU on the game winning field goal is a family friend of mine. His mother was my babysitter when I was 5.
August 21st, 2014 at 9:47 PM ^
Cissoko was a joke out there he acted like he was a great shut down corner even though Tate and Floyd abused him all day
August 22nd, 2014 at 12:49 AM ^
To be fair, those are two damn good receivers, both probably Top 5 among guys we've faced in the last 5 years. Kinda funny ND couldn't do more with two future solid NFL starters at WR.
August 21st, 2014 at 10:16 PM ^
All true, but I'm ashamed to say that every time I see Brandon Minor gash the ND defense for a solid run, I catch myself feeling a huge sense of relief before I remember this is old film. And not even major plays. Just your solid 7 yards for a first down.
We've been in a desert and I'm awfully thirsty. Looking forward to getting the run game back on track. But in every other aspect, I'm far happier with our current roster than with the 2009 team. Benefit of hindsight and wearing rose colored glasses for the 2014 squad perhaps, but I do have much better feelings about our team right now.
August 21st, 2014 at 10:15 PM ^
Question - our last game was against Kansas State. If you put the KSU game in isolation and the ND game in isolation, was there much different? Did we look good in most facets of the game? Of course we have moved forward from that time but there multiple games last year where you could say we looked nearly as crappy as that game - UConn, KSU, Northwestern, MSU, etc. We came in 8th place last year in a crap conference. We lost 26-20 to MSU in 2009 (OT) and 30-28 to Iowa. I bet those performances in 2009 looked better than the shitshow we put out in 2013 versus those same opponents.
Yes I think the young talent is good and 2015 looks like a breakout year on paper but saying how far we have come when our last game was a horror show seems pretty inconceivable. And we had multiple games where one of our side of the ball was a complete disaster (just as in 2009) Coming off a season we finished in the bottom half of a conference most others now mock.
p.s. no one really remembers how you win, just that you win. I'd rather look like "that" and win than look great and lose.
/awaiting downvotes
August 21st, 2014 at 10:41 PM ^
Team looked soooo bad in games versus: Akron, Uconn, Penn State, MSU, Nebraska, Northwestern, Iowa, and Kansas state. That's 8(!) out of 13 games, and I'm not even counting indiana, where our defense looked like it had never seen an offense move with any sort of speed before
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:21 AM ^
Had to love watching UM try to rotate D-linemen against a team snapping the ball with 28-30 seconds left on the playclock. Not one of Mattison's finer moments.
BTN has shown last year's Indiana a couple times recently. I'd be interested in them showing the '10 game at IU where Denard went for 200 and 200.
Though it does beg the question of which game was more maddening to us as fans.
August 21st, 2014 at 11:15 PM ^
We were a lot better in 2013 than 2009. Sure we were still pretty bad in 2013 but you're comparing the worst games in 2013 with one of the best games in 2009. Our defense was mediocre last year but 2009 was a hell of a lot worse. We played a lot better games against PSU, Ohio, Iowa, Nebraska in 2013 than the PSU, Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio games of 2009. As for the defense, I think our defense will improve from mediocre/decent to great/elite this year based on returning starters like Countess, Ryan, Clark, maturing young players who have been too young to play before but are becoming upperclassmen like Lewis, Peppers. We'll see in 9 days.
August 22nd, 2014 at 1:20 PM ^
Sure we were still pretty bad in 2013 but you're comparing the worst games in 2013 with one of the best games in 2009.
The problem is there were a of "worst games in 2013" against which to compare that 2009 game. And Tate was a true freshman in 2009. Last year we rolled out a senior QB and two soon-to-be NFL tackles, and we still couldn't do anything on offense for most of the season. Save for a wonderful 2011 season, this program has not moved forward significantly from 2009 until now. I hope you're right about this season though.
August 21st, 2014 at 10:10 PM ^
BTN has gotten AWFUL with it's programming of the old classic games. At least for Michigan.
They LOVE this game, UTL and UTLII...which is fine because we won all 3, but damn, switch it up. The '09 game isn't even relevant to the current team or era. At least UTL was a unique and historic game and UTLII had the same starting QB that we currently have.
They also love to play the Biakabutka game and Michigan @ Northwestern (blood spatter jerseys) from last year. Hoke's first OSU win is played from time to time and sometimes they'll throw on the IU game from last year or the Michigan @ Illinois 3 OT game.
That's really it. On occasion you may get a '97 OSU game, '97/'98 Rose Bowl, Braylonfest, or '00 Brady vs. Alabama Orange Bowl...but they don't even play those anymore.
Michigan has had SO many other classic and close games, or just great games that Michigan fans would actually love to watch. The fact that BTN routinely shows the same ones, and 3-4 of them we don't even really want to see (oh I forgot the ugly comeback at home vs. Wisconsin)...it drives me nuts.
Wolverine Historian should handle the programming for Michigan BTN!
Can I see some of those 2000s Michigan/MSU games? Touchdown MANNINGHAM or some of those other close PSU wins that they always cry about and say we cheated? Brabbs? Those close games vs. Minnesota? Some of our bowl wins from the past? Some of the other 90s wins over OSU? I mean we did own Cooper fergodsakes.
August 21st, 2014 at 10:29 PM ^
Amen. Have thought the same thing for some time.
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August 21st, 2014 at 11:00 PM ^
They did play the 2011 U-M vs Nebraska game about a week ago. That was at least a small change up. I've never seen them play the 2012 Sugar Bowl, hardly do they ever play the 2012 game vs MSU, or the 2003 OSU game which would all be more enticing to watch than 2009 vs ND.
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:52 AM ^
While I was at the 2012 sugar bowl, I never want to watch that game again. It was just an ugly (but great) win
August 22nd, 2014 at 11:42 AM ^
I've watched it once, cringing the whole time.
And yet it was still a better game than Bama-LSU in the same joint a week later.
August 21st, 2014 at 11:47 PM ^
BTN replay is still better than the days of ESPN Classic. 30 playings a week of the Kordell Stewart Hail Mary was no treat.
August 22nd, 2014 at 12:17 AM ^
Did ESPN Classic ever play a game Michigan won that wasn't OSU '69, '88, or '97? Honestly.
August 22nd, 2014 at 12:38 AM ^
Actually they did. The only time ESPN Classic was generous to Michigan fans was during OSU week. They showed the wins over them from 1969, 1977, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1996, and of course 1997.
But the other 358 days a year, they showed 1 Michigan win for every 5 gut wrenching losses. Literally, I added them up. The crazy thing about that channel was how UM heavy it was when it came to showing college football classics. It was roughly 75% Michigan and 25% the rest of college football.
Around 2001, I emailed Classic at their official site a three page list of Notre Dame and OSU losses that I thought would be perfect for viewers to relive but I never got a response. But it wasn't long before that station fizzled out anyway.
August 22nd, 2014 at 12:07 AM ^
this x million percent
The programming people at BTN are morons.
August 22nd, 2014 at 2:25 AM ^
The 02 MSU-Michigan game was a classic in my opinion.
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:26 AM ^
After all the BS about Lloyd not shaking Bobby Williams' hand after the Spartan Bob game, this is one of my favorites:
August 22nd, 2014 at 7:40 AM ^
Who doesn't love the Biakabutka game? Seriously. I could watch that one a lot.
Ok, I get your point, there are lots of games to choose from but I hear just as many people complain when they show some game from the 70's or 80's that isn't relevant today.
Tough to please fans of 14 schools every day.
August 23rd, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^
...that's not the point, the point is we shouldn't be able to name all of the ones we see on BTN.
There are plenty of classic games to choose from. I guarantee WolverineHistorian can name 10 classic games off the top of his head from the past 20 years that I didn't mention (above) that gets overplayed
August 21st, 2014 at 10:22 PM ^
I just got my UTL3 tickets! Flying up from Florida to go with my brother! Can't wait to see a game at the mecca.
August 21st, 2014 at 10:25 PM ^
5-7 to 7-6 in a confrence that's worse now than it was in 09....... Bravo
August 21st, 2014 at 10:55 PM ^
Technically he inherited a 7-6 program, so in reality he has taken a 7-6 program and continued that excellency - until 2014-15 when we go 15-0.
August 21st, 2014 at 11:49 PM ^
Rich Rod's teams were never 11 points from being 11-1. They never had a chance. Last year could have gone much differently with a few minor tweaks.
August 22nd, 2014 at 5:56 AM ^
And a few points from losing a few more. We got so lucky in many games. I have a feeling our D will be lights out.
August 22nd, 2014 at 2:08 PM ^
I'm starting to feel pretty bullish about this year, but that talking point is annoying. We were 15 points away from 4-8. Come on now. In terms of the close games, last year was fairly even. We won a few of them, we lost a few them.
August 21st, 2014 at 10:56 PM ^
Terrifically entertaining game vs. ND at the Big House (who'd have thunk at the time that BOTH of the next two installments at home would top that?), followed by an OSU home loss to USC in the prime time night game. Just as we won dramatically vs. ND earlier in the day, OSU lost in dramatic fashion, as well.
I went to bed very drunk and very happy.
August 21st, 2014 at 11:31 PM ^
Booboo cissoko was not cut out to play corner.
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:14 AM ^
we realized he wasn't cut out to be a part of society either.
Hope the kid turns/turned his life around.
August 21st, 2014 at 11:34 PM ^
What happened in 2009?
August 22nd, 2014 at 12:06 AM ^
There wasn't much that much difference between 2009 and 2013.
August 22nd, 2014 at 1:42 AM ^
Watch the Illinois game in 2009 vs. our games now. We look a lot worse then.
August 22nd, 2014 at 1:51 AM ^
2009 featured three losses by three touchdowns or worse. If you can't see the difference between then and now you just aren't being honest with yourself.
August 22nd, 2014 at 5:43 AM ^
anyone that thinks the 09 team was anywhere near last years team can't be reasoned with.
August 22nd, 2014 at 3:37 AM ^
Obligatory post-game viewing
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:33 AM ^
The 2009 and 2010 ones remain sooooo delicious. It's sad that we don't have 2011 and 2013 to enjoy as well. Wait, I just got a whiff of Axe. Or was it Drakkar Noir?
August 22nd, 2014 at 5:32 AM ^
While I didn't see this on BTN, isn't this the game where Tate ran an option right, broke the ankles of the ND defender trying to keep up with him, and took it in from around the 25? I swear you could hear the bones snapping. I remember thinking that this Forcier kid would be great.
I also remember the triple-OT game over Illinois the following season, when Tate had lost the job to Denard, and also lost the shine off his reputation. After the last play (which happened right in front of me) and the post-game celebration, I noticed that Tate was one of the last players to leave. He paused at mid-field and was looking around, almost as if he knew it would be one of his last big moments in The Big House (which I think it was) and he wanted to soak up the memory.
Or I may be giving Tate more credit for recognizing a poignant moment than he deserves.
Ah, Tater - our own version of the kid who didn't come here to play school.
August 22nd, 2014 at 5:46 AM ^
of the 09 game was the 4th down where tate made the sick juke move for a long td run and millen called him a 'stud bolt'. wasted talent is a sad sad thing.
August 22nd, 2014 at 7:52 AM ^
The only bright side in the Tater-implosion was that we fully got to experience / enjoy Denard for three years. I wouldn't give that up for a hundred Tate Forcier games.
August 22nd, 2014 at 8:40 AM ^
That was an amazing zig at almost full speed to keep the return going. Nobody touched him. I hope we have a receiver on our current team with that kind of ability. I've never figured out how to embed videos...it's at 1:40 of parkinggod's highlight video.
August 22nd, 2014 at 9:11 AM ^
Not sure why there is so much negativity in this thread, that was a great game. Just because the team played poorly down the stretch doesn't make it any less so.
August 22nd, 2014 at 3:00 PM ^
That game was awesome. It was a 5-7 year. There weren't many highlights on the season but that game easily stands out(aside from Denard's first carry in the WMU game).
August 22nd, 2014 at 10:25 AM ^
the talent gap between ND and UM in 2009 was ENORMOUS. On offense they had future NFL'ers in Michael Floyd, Golden Tate, Kyle Rudolph and even Jimmy Clausen. The only decent skill players we had were either freshmen or sophmores.. Thank goodness for:
1. Jonas Gray's fumble
2. Charlie Weis's "decided schematic advantage" that saw fit to air the ball out twice as UM was running out of time
3. Tate Forcier's run where he practically broke Darius Fleming off at the ankles
Every year since 2009 the talent gap between these two programs has narrowed. For the first time since 2007, we are on at least equal footing and arguably UM is in the lead. For whatever reason, UM has had the Irish's number. This year will be no different. Go Blue!
August 23rd, 2014 at 9:57 AM ^
Number two there...just an absolutely mind-boggling decision(s). If Charlie keeps it on the ground there, they win. As it was, we had the ball back with over 2 minutes to go and (I believe) all timeouts remaining...and we still had to use almost every second to put it in the endzone for the game-winner.
I'd also add for number four, though, the taunting call after the go-ahead ND touchdown. That was huge, because it resulted in excellent field position for us (I believe at the 40).