Favorite Games (Irrational)

great atmosphere, great 2nd half, JoPa's first visit to AA, Kerry Collins, KiJana Carter, Bobby Engram, Freddie Scott, Kyle Brady.

 

As good as any team to ever play in Michigan Stadium.  What a great day to be there.

It was my first trip to Purdue and just about everything went our way.  Plus, our seats were four rows up on the 48-yard line, directly behind the Michigan bench.  Michigan was a favorite going in, but ended up destroying the train gang 44-13.

Notables:

-Denard ran for 200+ yards ( I believe this was his last game eclipsing that mark)
-Ramon Taylor had a pick six 
-JMFR made a ferocious sack, capping it off with a "I just crushed you" stare, overtop the QB
-Funchess absorbed a huge sandwich hit, going way up to make a catch over the middle (3rd and long conversion, IIRC)
-Gardner caught a TD

It was an up and down year that started off with Michigan's biggest comeback in history (at the time). Hayes comes alive in the 4th quarter and hauls in a beautiful catch as time expires to complete the comeback. This game was extra special to me as it was one of the last games I got to watch with a close friend of mine who is also a big Michigan fan, which is very hard to find down here.

Michigan hat a TON of preseason hype after a Rose Bowl season the year before.  Ranked #4 to start the season, they went to ND and lost by 4 to the number one ranked team (stupid Michael Stonebreaker interception of Grbac in the North Endzone).  Michigan then managed to claw their way to the #1 ranking over the next few weeks.

Against MSU in the second half Michigan was in trouble, I believe down 14.  They scored, but got BACK in trouble by allowing MSU to return the ensuing kickoff for a TD.  Michigan answered with a KO TD return of their own by Derrick Alexander on the next play.  The stadium was NUTS.

Late in the game, Michigan was down seven and drove for a touchdown.  This was before the overtime rule and was Moeller's first season.  With the number one ranking on the line, they didn't want the tie and went for 2.  MSU's defender was so badly beaten by Desmond that th grabbed Desmond's ankle and pulled him to the ground. Desmond almost made the catch anyway, but couldn't reel it in.  The ref refused to call the obvious pass interference penalty, and Michigan lost by 1.

I was a sophomore and had never experienced something so exciting in my life.

From there a depressed Michgan team also managed to lose at Iowa.

Despite those losses, the team rallied for an excellent season including an OSU win and capped off with the offensive line being named the MVP of the Gator Bowl in which Ole Miss was blown off the field.

Best. 9-3 team.  Ever.

2009 Western.  This one is off the wall, but not only was it my first game as a student in the Big House, but it was also Denard's first game featuring his crazy first play TD.  Great day.

2006 - at Penn State

Night game, crazy atmosphere, and that M defense, oh boy, that defense was spectacular that night. Poor Anthony Morelli is probably still sore.

2006 - at Indiana

I remember watching this one and it was like Michigan and OSU (who was playing NW) were dueling the week before the game to see who could blow out their opponent the worst. Also, I have a really great HD copy of this on my hard drive.

2010 - at Notre Dame

Denard's coming out party. The talk all week was that no one could expect Shoelace to put up the same numbers he did the week before against UCONN. They were right, he blew them out of the water.

2010 - Illinois

I took my wife and a buddy (who is an OSU fan). He had an awesome time and was blown away by that shootout. On the catch in 1 of the OTs when Hemingway bobbled it and came up with it for a TD my wife actually collapsed into her seat. Her legs gave out as she was overcome with emotion. We laugh about it to this day.

2011 - at Northwestern

This was one of those games that starts out in daylight and by the start of the 3rd Q it's pitch dark out. I think they got up on is 24-14 and we roared back in the 2nd half to win 42-24. Denard was amazing.

2012 - Northwestern

I was in attendance for this one and with :18 left and it looked like all hope was lost until Roy caught that heave on the rebound. I let out the most guttural scream when he caught that ball. Then in OT Demens with the *MINK* hit to seal it. What a crushing hit that was to end the game.

Yes. Ball State2006 was a very fun year (I was a sophomore) and I had to look up the opponent and I'm still not sure who it was. Keep in mind we had another game before playing OSU EDIT: Wikipedia remembers the events with Patrick Stewart better than I do:

 

The Ball State game was notable for two other reasons: First, it was the 200th consecutive game with at least 100,000 people in attendance at Michigan Stadium. In addition, actor Patrick Stewart directed the Michigan Marching Band during their halftime performance in a salute to old-time television shows. Stewart was part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's fall 2006 residency at the University of Michigan, and directed the band to the theme from Star Trek. Upon being asked if he had any advice for the Wolverines for their upcoming Ohio State game, Stewart replied, "Boldly go and beat the Buckeyes. Make it so, number one!"[5]

Not for what happened during the game, but because it was PSUs first year in the B1G and their first time playing Michigan.  PSU fans were all lamenting the fact they'd no longer be competing for a chance at the MNC because...well, the B1G just didn't offer enough good competition.  

Michigan rolled into Happy Valley fresh off losses to ND and MSU and PSU riding a five game winning streak including wins over Minnesota and Iowa and the absolute beat down of Maryland 70-7.  It wasn't a particularly eventful game but Michigan did smack them down a notch 21-13 with a 4th Q goal line stand.  Four straight runs from the 1 yd line and Michigan held.  As the buses rolled out of Happy Valley you could hear a shout, "Welcome to the rest of the Big Ten, Mother Fuckers."

Two games, one of which I was at in person. 

The 1980 Northwestern game. I was a freshman, still battling my growing up a Buckeye, and I found myself screaming for Wangler with the rest of the crowd. My roommate, from Chicago, called the Northwestern fumble play, recovered by Cannavino, and Michigan scored to win.  

The 1988 Miami game. Bo let it out all hang out, against a great Miami team, and that is still one of the greatest college football games I have ever seen. I remember Miami coming in as a favorite, and thinking that Michigan had no chance,but they fought like hell. 

 

 

 

 

1998 - Nat Championship cause I sat on the 50 yard line at the Rose Bowl

2000 - Orange Bowl vs Alabama and Shaun Alexander we won 35-34. Love that game cause Alexander was down to Michigan and Alabama in his recruiting and he chose them. That game was awesome

1997 - OSU game! Nuff said

Referencing non-classic Michigan victories, I relish memories of 1999 Purdue. Purdue was a substantial team, well-ranked and loaded. Michigan was terrific that year, and when Purdue came to town there was a real buzz about it. Turns out the Big Ten used to have some good players, because this was a matchup between Drew Brees and Tom Brady. Michigan's defense stole the show, though; they pounded Purdue's receivers so severely that by the second quarter they were flinching and dropping passes before the defenders even got there. The weather was cool with some rain; not cold enough to be miserable, but perfect football weather. It was a great time at the Stadium. There are too many fun non-M games to mention, so I'll just throw a few out: the LSU-Iowa Cap One bowl that preceded our Rose Bowl against Texas, won on a freak bomb that bailed out Kirk Ferentz's horrible clock management; the 99 (I think) independence Bowl between Mississippi State and Texas A&M that was a shoutout in a driving snowstorm; the 2005 USC-Fresno State game I attended where Fresno nearly beat USC and Reggie Bush gained over 500 all-purpose yards; Michael Crabtree stunning Texas to beat them at Lubbock; etc etc college football is awesome.

Absolutely shredded them for 500 plus yards. Of course the highlights were the long 87 yard td run and game winning td run. 504 yards of total offense and a real deal coming out party.

2006 vs. Michigan State sticks out as special for me. It wasn't a particularly close game, by any means. The end result was a 31-13 blowout for the #6 team in the country at the time.

It was one of the best tailgate mornings/early afternoons I can recall in all my years at Michigan football games. The weather was absolutely glorious. Our company was lovely. The food was delicious, and the beer was flowing plentifully and ice cold. It was just one of those "perfect days," for want of a better description.

To top it off, the Detroit Tigers were in the playoffs, and the crowd (on both sides!) was very interested in that score the entire way through. And that made things even more fun. I think MSU fans probably more so, as the game wore on. (Exactly 7 days later, Mags hit the walkoff vs. Oakland to send the Tigers to the World Series).

It was a great day from beginning to end. I was drunk, tired, and very happy.

And hey, the Historian has the game covered, here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja2FUySdYxU

 

 

This was my fifth Michigan game, fourth in the Big House, first Ohio game. We flew up from Tampa to go to the game. There was just this excitement and electricity in the air like nothing I've ever experienced at a Michigan game. I was quite disappointed with the large amount of red in the stadium that day. The team put up a great effort that day.

Crap I did not follow the rules but I am leaving this post anyways.

UTL 1- If you were there you know why.  If you were some old guy in the student section with his buddy from ND it still maKes you smile.  Then you shake Charles Woodsons hand in the downstairs of some bar afterwards-EPIC.

Penn State Judgement Day. 46  FUTURE NFL PLAYERS AND THE BIG HIT-ADRIAN TAYLOR.

 

 

OK this time by the rules.

Growing up in Chicago we made every game where Michigan came into Northwestern.  Before Ryan Field the Cats played in a monstrosity called Dyche Stadium and it was always empty.  So many Michigan fans filled the stadium outnumbering cats fans almost 3-1 when Northwestern was at the worst of it's record setting D1 football losing streak.

Besides Michigan posting 30 point leads by halftime and playing thrid stringers mid way 3rd quarter I remember Northwesterns band playing show tunes like Hello Dolly and Trouble In River City not at half time but during the freaking game.

Whatever they are paying Fitzgerald they should double it.

Reaching back several years, the basketball regional final of '89, when UMich hammered Virginia 102-65, was one of the most enjoyable blowouts I've ever watched.

Aside: For some reason UVa, which I consider a peer institution, always seems to get a little more "Public Ivy" love from the national press than UMich does.

might have been my first game. went back to school on Monday, and was the first kids in my class to have learned my 7's (this was first grade). why? something to do with a 70-14 final score.

2003 Purdue - Kyle Orton leads a top-10 ranked Purdue into Ann Arbor (Purdue's only loss was to a legit Bowling Green team - MAC was solid that year).  We blitzed the hell of Orton and lit him up several times (twice by Shazor if I recall), Leon Hall had his coming out party as a freshmen, and Braylon/Breaston/Avant did their typical thing.  Purdue ended up having a good year, but this game is overshadowed by the 100th game against OSU and, of course, the Rose Bowl loss to USC.  (let's ignore the early special teams abortions at Oregon and Iowa that cose us a BCS championship appearance).  If there is a quintisential MANBAWL > basketball on grass game, it's this one.  We completely dominated this game physically.

 

2008 Wisconsin - Yeah, this year ended up really sucking, but we didn't know how bad it would be yet and Wisconsin was ranked 9 or 10 I think.  Threet had his 50+ yard run, John Thompson had a pick-6 and it was one of the loudest moments I've experienced in Michigan Stadium when Wisconsin was lining up to go for 2 to tie it at the end.  A nice memory in an otherwise horrible season.

08 Capital One Bowl. Michigan finally plays up to its abilities and beats a very good Florida team. Probably the last legitimately good team we've beaten, sadly. Watching Tebow get ransacked and having to pick chunks of turf out of his helmet all day was amazing.

I have a soft spot for FSU '91. One of the first games I went to, and there were approximately a thousand points on the board. '96 Boston College for the rain, '97 Colorado for the unexpected onslaught, '03 ND for obvious reasons... Can't pick.

Michigan vs VCU in the NCAA tourney was so much fun to watch.

The ridiculousness of the 2010 Illinois game was memorable, I had free tickets for the game to boot.  

 

 Sitting amongst mostly rabid degenerates. Griese hits Streets for a long touchdown in the second half. Then we ran the ball down their freakin throats to close it out. We didn't have a great year but that game set the stage for the 97 team.

My last time being in the Big House for The Game (left for college in 1985). And we won :)

All badgers in the first half, but they only lead 19-0 despite five wolverine turnovers.

Second half features three offensive TDs with John Thompson's pick-six in the mix.

Wiscy TD with a missed 2 pt conversion which would have tied the game at 27 with 0:13 left.

Highlighted by Steven Threet's 58 yard scamper, perhaps the most surprising single play result in my 45 years watching Michigan football.