Name That Game Pic (not UTL)
December 13th, 2011 at 11:05 PM ^
Edit: Made comment before looking at Pic 2
December 13th, 2011 at 11:05 PM ^
Looks like MSU 2008
December 13th, 2011 at 11:05 PM ^
I'll say MSU 2008, the stadium construction gave it away.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:08 PM ^
Was it 2008 the second stand wasn't complete? If so I'd say MSU, as that was our only 3:30 start far enough along into the season where the TV crews would need lights against a team that wears a lot of white. Plus you can kind of make out some green.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:07 PM ^
It has to be 2008 because that's the only year we were constructing the suites, as they were finished in 09 and nonexistant in 07. It also has to be a 3:30 game as it's too dark for a noon game.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:11 PM ^
at those pictures it sure does look like a night game. Talk about overcast.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:27 PM ^
responded to wrong post
December 13th, 2011 at 11:11 PM ^
I think those are two different games, with the 2nd one likely being MSU 2008.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:13 PM ^
but it may be the 1st pic is a shot NW and the 2nd is a shot SE of the same game.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:18 PM ^
The structures were going up at the same time on both sides of the field, so they should be visible from both sides if it was 2008.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:28 PM ^
Both of those pictures are taken from the NW corner (student section). You can see the visitors are on the left/far sideline in both plus you can see the American flag behind the far goal post in both shots.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
If you look at the narrow banner thing on the bottom of the scoreboard, you can see that one is the old-style, rotating "GO BLUE" thing, and the other is the updated video board style banner.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:12 PM ^
After zooming in, I can see sprinkles of green in the stands. Makes sense for the MSU 2008 game.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:15 PM ^
web sites that was hosting the first pic was using it for an article on how lame UTL was.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:17 PM ^
I think the second picture might be from the penn state game in 2008, not sure about the first picture.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:29 PM ^
PSU was a road game in '08.
December 14th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
we played psu away in 2008.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:24 PM ^
The top one is likely MSU 2004, aka Braylonfest. The absence of the structures gives it away as being pre-2007. Then, look at the band placement. The MMB moved to their current location for the 2006 season, but in the top photo they're in their old spot. It's an MSU game, so it's likely 2004.
The bottom one is likely the '08 MSU game, which is the only game that year that I remember ending after dark. Plus you can see their band in the back right corner.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:28 PM ^
but look at the score. Clearly we are leading, even though I can't make out the exact score, and I don't think we ever led MSU in that game until late (when MSU had double digit points).
December 13th, 2011 at 11:33 PM ^
I just checked a video clip of the 2005 Michigan-Penn State game, and PSU brought their band. That could be the photo on the top. Michigan also led that game 10-0 and 10-3, which could explain the scoreboard.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:25 PM ^
You can see a little bit of Crisler in both shots, so it is from the same angle, but one of them clearly has started construction while the other hasn't. My wild guesses... MSU '06 and MSU '08, from top to bottom.
December 13th, 2011 at 11:32 PM ^
If you zoom in, you can see that the other team has gold helmets, the band is white and gold, and the score is Michigan 28-3. We ended up winning that game 31-3. The game was a 3:30 kick off as well, hence the darkness, and portable lights.
December 14th, 2011 at 8:59 AM ^
Also, if you look closely, you can see their giant drum in the SE corner of the stadium
December 13th, 2011 at 11:45 PM ^
First one is 2003 Purdue. And Purdue brought their band for that game.
Some other dark games (with portable lights)...
2005 PENN STATE -
2004 MICHIGAN STATE -
2002 PENN STATE -
And going back some years, 1985 OHIO STATE -
December 13th, 2011 at 11:54 PM ^
that they put a little bit of the student section in the south endzone in 2005.
December 14th, 2011 at 2:38 PM ^
I didn't. It wasn't fun!
December 14th, 2011 at 2:57 PM ^
Protip:
portable lights = near heart attack, followed by euphoria
December 14th, 2011 at 7:40 AM ^
The second game is obviously from the 2008 season based on the unfinished outside of the East stands. It's definitely Michigan State. The only other option was Illinois, but the game was much earlier in the season, thus it wouldn't have been as dark.
I thought the first might be MSU 2006 but they wore green pants, and that team isn't wearing green pants.
December 14th, 2011 at 9:07 AM ^
I'm pretty sure Pic 1 is the 2003 Purdue game. Game's played on Field Turf, but without new construction, therefore it's between 2003-2007. The scoreboard shows the visitor has less than 10 points (single digit) amd the darkness shows it's later in the game. Visitor is wearing white jerseys and pants. Also, the visitor band is there.
So here are your options:
2007 Minnesota - Everything qualifies except that game was a whitewashing, thus unlikely for the stands to be so full late. Also, no visitor band.
2006 Iowa - Uniform not a match.
2005 Penn State - Score doesn't match.
2004 Michigan State - Second greatest game in Michigan Stadium history,State had too many points.
Which leaves us with one option: 2003 Purdue. October 25, 2003, 3:30 start. White jerseys. Sunny for game until sun goes down. Final score 31-3 (single digit match). Also, visitor band was there.
Video
embed fail. One of the ninjas here, help me out. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fbzrK5b_sc
December 14th, 2011 at 9:07 AM ^
Saw the Historian beat me to it, so consider this corroborating evidence.
December 14th, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^
I can say with absolute certainty that pic #2 is from the 2008 MSU game, since I am the person who took that picture. The dead giveaway for me is the winged-helmet hat worn by a young man immediately in front of me. I can remember having to do a little bit of work in Photoshop to remove a ray of glare caused by the light from the back of his hat.
Original is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/larrysphatpage/3014624073/ .
December 16th, 2011 at 8:03 AM ^
#2 - 2008 against MSU
#1 - 2003 Purdue (M Band was on the East sidelines back then, Purdue Band was there, score is possible, name on scoreboard is possible)
I'll have to pull out some of my field-level pictures from the mid 70's when I was in the MMB.
December 16th, 2011 at 9:00 AM ^
Michigan has just taken over on their own 29 after a Purdue punt; there's 10:03 to play in the fourth and it's 28-3.
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/playbyplay?gameId=232980130&period=4