Most iconic plays
Somebody put together their list of the most iconic plays for all the D1 football programs. Not sure I agree that Desmond's punt return is #1 for Michigan. I'd be torn between Wangler to Carter and Desmond v ND,...and maybe Garvey Craw v OSU '69, but that's just my opinion.
We show up a lot at the opposing team's most iconic plays - App State, Colorado, Sparty, Northwestern... But the top team's show up a lot in that role. I didn't count, but I'd guess that Alabama, Miami and Oklahoma look like other leaders as the opponents.
Hey... give the defense some love.
Yeah, this is one of, if not the most ridiculously athletic, high degree of difficulty plays I have ever seen in college football - made by a generational talent in a big game. Not sure I've ever seen anything quite like it.
Desmond's return against OSU was just more iconic given the rival, the hello heisman pose and commentary and the timing. Woodson had essentially the same exact return in 97 against OSU as history repeated itself, but Desmond's pose has become symbolic of UM football since that day.
If only Woodson's teammates hadn't mobbed him before he could do the Heisman pose.
Not football...but still...
Hello Heisman has to be #1. But Woodson's int is more impressive in my opinion.
There's definitely an imbalance between the magnitude of "iconic" plays against us and for us. The Colorado Hail Mary and MSU Punt Debacle are on another level in my opinion. I don't think we have anything like that -- plays where win probability when from basically zilch to a win in one play. In basketball we have Poole and Burke.
Not quite there, but didn't we pull off some bullshit against northwestern twice? Not iconic, but absurd on the kick and the catch by... Hemingway.. No.. The other wr who I'm forgetting on the Gardner chuck
Roundtree maybe? We had some squeakers against IU too -- but I put those more in the "avoiding a bad loss" category. MSU pulled their miracle against their biggest rival, and Colorado against a top 5 squad. I can't even imagine a play against OSU like MSU had against us. One of those plays where you know it's 99%+ over but you don't turn the TV off bc of that 1 in 10,000 (or whatever) chance that it's not over for your team this time -- and it actually happens.
Still upset about that Colorado game. First time I ever felt like chucking my TV out of the window.
Mine was Charles White's fumble in the 1979 Rose Bowl. I might have been able to if we hadn't had one of those big Zenith console TVs. Indulging my anger wasn't worth the hernia.
I still blame my wife for that game. She walks into the room where I'm watching and ...
Who's Michigan playing?
Colorado
What's the score?
26-14 Michigan . 2 and a half minutes left. It's looking pretty good.
Michigan could still lose.
What?
As I said, it's all her fault.
Correct, Rob, it was Roundtree. As you note, it was more of the "avoid bad loss" stuff. We did have some good shit against very good Penn State teams, particularly the Manningham game.
When you're favored most of the time, big time plays tend to be forgotten. As a fan I feel like Ive seen relatively few dramatic Michigan wins compared to dramatic losses.
2003 Minnesota probably qualifies
Notre Dame disagrees
2015 minnesota.
They had the ball on the one inch line, a lot of time, and we stopped them (due to their incompetence).
But incompetence plays a role (1994 and flake o'neill debacle).
Still in shock about the end of that game. Minnesota likely should’ve walked outta there with a win, but Claeys just saw fit to drain nearly the final fifteen seconds off the clock for no good reason, and it almost certainly cost his team that game and a program-defining win.
Had they just lined up and run plays in a timely fashion, that would’ve afforded them at least one, maybe two more plays, and almost certainly one of them would’ve resulted in a touchdown and a win.
On my way home from camp, I stopped to visit my parents and catch the end of the game. I left the room in disgust when it looked like Minnesota scored..... two minutes later my mom yelled, "Michigan won" I was like WTF????
That game had disaster written all over it for Michigan before it even started.
1) Came right on the heels of that soul-crushing loss to MSU where anyone could legitimately question what the team's mindset was going to be.
2) Now you're going on the road, at night, into another rivalry game. On Halloween night, no less.
3) Then came the real kicker. Jerry Kill steps down for health reasons right before the game, and you just knew that was going to motivate his team to go out there with an added intensity, play well over its head, and a "Let's win one for Coach Kill" mentality.
How Minnesota snatched defeat from the jaws of victory that night still baffles me. But Claeys cost his players the game.
"flake" o'neill is some pro-level asshattery.
Don’t EVER rush three in a Hail Mary situation especially against a QB with an arm that can throw 60 yards. Just head smashing fucking stupid. Might as well rush zero.
Oh….and don’t kick to Rocket Ismael….fucking twice?
Anthony Carter's TD from Johnny Wangler in 1979 against Lee Corso's Indiana Hoosiers. Homecoming was almost a disaster...
Notre Dame Under the lights. Opener against Virginia in 94(?). Those are the first two that come to mind.
I don't think anyone has even mentioned Braylonfest. 17 down on the road in the second half. Probably not a single play that took us from close to 0% chance of winning to 100% but I'm pretty sure most Michigan fans felt that game was absolutely lost early in the second half.
That game was most definitely at home
Woodson's insane pick against MSU stands out to me, along with everything mentioned here. But let's not forget Touchdown Manningham...Michigan Wins!!
Denard to Roundtree UTL1 as well.
Touchdown Manningham doesn't get enough credit because it was a down year for the team. What a game to be at. That 4th quarter was insane.
In terms of what's most iconic in the college football zeitgeist, it's Hello Heisman and not really close. Everyone loves Keith Jackson, iconic rivalry, the quintessential "Heisman Moment", The Pose and Dez is still a fixture in college football.
I agree, going to be a really sad day when Keith Jackson finally passes away...
I heard him calling the OSU/ND game last week on BTN. I tell you, he's still got it.
I was a little surprised that they scheduled that as a weekday game during the summer, but, hey, to each his own, right?
Top ones that come to mind
- Tom Harmon TD against a drunk Cal fan
- Demetrius Brown to Kolesar to beat Alabama ('88 HoF game) and OSU ('88 OSU win) were great but I'd not label them iconic. The missed XP by Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl doesn't quite qualify either.
- Tyrone Wheatley '93 Rose Bowl and Tim Biakabatuka '95 OSU both had amazing performances but can't boil down to a single play (similar to Ron Johnson against Wisconsin in '68)
- Desmond Howard punt return against OSU
- Charles Woodson MSU interception
- Charles Woodson punt return against OSU (I will ALWAYS love #46 for falling down at the 10 yd line because he cannot hide from the inadequacy of both his futile chase and the school he plays for)
- lots of great games from Drew Henson, and Chris Perry, and Chad Henne but nothing I would lable as iconic (and the hit against PSU in '97 also comes to mind but I can't in good conscience include it given the serious consequences for both men)
- Denard to Roy Roundtree under the lights (the Don Criqui version gives me such joy on so many levels from his commenting on Denard's throwing {before he beats ND with 2 throws} and Allen Pinkett's sober dose of reality urinating on Criqui's hopeful grasping for perhaps an incompletion or offensive pass interference).
- the 2021 OSU game was epic, but again I can't really boil it down to a play that will encapsulate it for me 20 years from now.
there are several other ICONIC plays that didn't go how they should but they have conveniently been left of my list
Haskins leaping over OSU defender. Ojabo sacking Stroud and Gus’s call of it will be iconic.
Also led to the best caption "Let me show you the dance of my people."
well - Hassan Haskins hurdle was a great play...but he didn't score and it was one of MANY great plays that were part of a dominant performance. So it doesn't rise to my definition of the word "iconic" but I understand why it would be on other people's list.
It's not the most iconic moment, but I think this belongs on the list -- Braylon Edwards snagging a Chad Henne pass out of the air in the end zone over a helpless MSU defender during UM's epic 4th quarter comeback vs Sparty in 2004.
Also, could include the Mario Manningham walk-off TD vs Penn State.
yeah - that whole game was epic - if memory serves Braylon did that twice
I would say Wrangler to Carter for the last second TD to avoid a big upset at home against IU. This game was not televised but listening to Ufer at the time was much better!
Ive had it explained a million times but I will never understand a win over Indiana as one of the most iconic moments. Fun yes sure but in 2022 people would be like “glad thats over” about 10 seconds later. Its like Duke basketballs best moment being vs Clemson.
^^^This^^^
That was a great individual play and representative of Carter's work, but it shouldn't be anywhere near the top of the Michigan list. I've discussed this with old-timers here before. I think the "Schembechler sea change" idea is overrated. Bob Ufer's commentary, too, even though he was a brilliant guy and a Michigan Man. Sorry.
Fellas, you needed to be in the stands for that one. It was a tense game, back and forth, and while we had no real name for it, BPONE was settling into the stadium when Indiana scored late in the game. The subsequent drive, with less than a minute on the clock was not unlike UTL I, although not against ND, but the same state at least. The out-of-bounds ‘fumble’ by Lawrence Ricks (?) to Lee Corso on the second to last play to save the last five seconds on the clock had us all in a frenzy. Then AC did his thing and the crowd reaction was on a par with, albeit not equal to, Gallon’s catch in UTL I. The catch and run by AC was better, though.
I kind of am giving some credit here as well. The fans back then can celebrate a win over Indiana and keep it as an all time favorite. Think about our most recent close wins to Indiana. Conversations after those games usually lead to "do we need a coaching change?" different times for sure. Probably a much more fun way of thinking to be honest.
What he said ^^^
Unfortunately, the first play that comes to mind is Stewart to Westbrook. Via Ty Law.
Boo.
Next one for you is Mike Lantry missed field goals in 1973?
Or Appalachian State blocked Michigan field goal to end the game in 2007?
What am I forgetting about NW? Why are we their top play?
A-Train's fumble after picking up enough yardage to run out the clock and their game winning drive I'd guess.
It's their game-winning TD after the Anthony Thomas fumble (2000).
I'm not a Northwestern fan --- but from afar it's always seemed like their 2000 U-M win was slightly overrated.
They still didn't go to the Rose Bowl that year (they would have but they lost to a 3-9 Iowa team the very next week!) and of course the Thomas fumble wasn't because of a good defense.
I'd argue for Northwestern it should be Noah Herron's walk-off OT TD to beat Ohio State in 2004. Their first win over the Buckeyes in forever. Northwestern WON that game as opposed to the opposition losing it. They also had the 1995 win over Notre Dame but that one didn't have an overly iconic PLAY - it was just an overall outplaying of the Irish.