What was your personal Michigan play of the year?
There were obviously a ton of HUGE plays this year, but which one stuck out the most for you? For me, the one "it" play that stands head-and-shoulders above every other play this year is the long pass down the sideline in the ND game with about 10 seconds left to Jeremy Gallon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzYMTzHCQfc
It's like he just disappeared altogether and reemerged at the 50 yard line.
Oh, and if anyone could give me a crash course on embedding YouTube videos on this board, I'm all ears =)
December 24th, 2011 at 6:54 PM ^
There's some great plays talked about here and most are more than worthy, but I am going to draw from something a little more subtle. Jake Ryan knifing into the backfield vs. Notre Dame to complete the stop on a drive that could have salted the game away and possibly changed the whole outlook for the season. It's been a long time since I've seen our D make game saving plays on a regular basis. Without Hoke, Mattison, and this D....this whole year turns out much differently. Even with Denard and Co. on the other side of the ball.
Video starts at the 8:10 mark when Ryan flies into the backfield like a guided missile to drop the ND tailback cold.
December 25th, 2011 at 8:52 AM ^
yet another sign that things were going to be different on the defensive side of the ball this year. An earlier sign, in the Western Michigan game, was another great play by Ryan, his tip of the Carder pass around our 6 that Herron took back for the first of his two returns for TD'S. That game was already getting me anxious; Western drove for a TD on their first drive, missed a FG on their second, and were looking to score on their third. It was beginning to look like last year, when the offense was under pressure to score everytime they had the ball. Suddenly, Boom!
It was a big defensive stop, a game changer, something that simply didn't happen for squad 131 the year before. After that drive, the defense ratched down, caused a couple more turnovers and made Carder, a potential NFLer, look rather average.
December 24th, 2011 at 7:28 PM ^
Denard to Roundtree. Denard ownage of ND continues
December 24th, 2011 at 7:30 PM ^
Denard to Roundtree. Denard's ownage of ND continues.
December 24th, 2011 at 7:34 PM ^
December 24th, 2011 at 7:56 PM ^
Michigan's missed field goal in the 4th quarter against Nebraska. I remember watching it and thinking, "oh well, Michigan will throw them right back off the field." Then I did a double take and realized I had confidence in Michigan's defense and that the last three years were worth it. Then I realized we were going to beat OSU the next week.
Seriously, that sequence represented the change that took place over the last year for me.
December 24th, 2011 at 8:03 PM ^
Against Ohio, late in the game, just at the red zone, Denard stands in the pocket for a 5 count, checks a few targets, guns it late up the middle into triple coverage, and threads the needle with confidence. Beautiful pass. I cringed at first because of what usually happens when qbs make sketchy throws late over the middle but Drob threw an absolute dime, and I realized we had officially turned the corner in all phases of the game.
December 24th, 2011 at 9:27 PM ^
I agree it was the Gallon ND pass setting up the Roundtree TD. Denard stepped up and threw a laser after being "off' for most of the game. What a play!
December 24th, 2011 at 9:35 PM ^
December 24th, 2011 at 9:58 PM ^
By far seeing Gallon open down the sidelines and watching Denard throw it right as I pointed to him... Words dont describe.
December 24th, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^
Kovacs fourth down TFL against NW was awesome at a much needed time. He thoroughly impresses me every game.
December 24th, 2011 at 10:46 PM ^
I really thought that Mike Martin beheading Purdue's (?) QB for a safety was really the sign for me that our defense was legitimate. Combining that with the first half of the Illinois game (no first downs for the Zooker's crew) made me finally admit to myself that we finally have a Big Ten defense again (which gave us hope to beat Nebraska and/or Greater Columbus Community College.
The stop of Eastern on the 1-yard line in the first half was also huge for me. I saw the same old defense coming back early in that game when the EMUs (errr... whatever they are) were moving the ball well. In previous years we would have let them hang around the whole game and have a shot to win (see: Toledo). But the defense holding really turned the tide of the game, which we subsequently dominated.
December 24th, 2011 at 11:10 PM ^
To the field goal.
December 24th, 2011 at 11:16 PM ^
very underrated. good pick.
December 25th, 2011 at 9:07 AM ^
tackle/effort by the maligned CB that prevented the touchdown was emblematic of the complete change in the defense
December 24th, 2011 at 11:24 PM ^
Offense: The throwback screen to Smith against ND to take our first lead.
Defense: Kovacs goal line tackle against EMU ( that's when I realized the defense could better than mediocre this year)
Special Teams: See the Nebraska game
December 24th, 2011 at 11:54 PM ^
Louie Caporusso flipping off that North Dakota fan after Scooter Vaughn scores in the Frozen Four
December 25th, 2011 at 11:51 PM ^
Glad I'm not the only one who remembered this. Biggest underdog victory in football or hockey since I've been a student in 2009. What a performance.
December 25th, 2011 at 12:05 AM ^
One that stands out is Van Bergen chasing down Ronnie Hillman from 15 plus yards back in the second half against SDSU. I thought it was a tone setting play as far as effort, and it turned that game. The defense seemed to grab confidence that carried them the rest of the season.
December 25th, 2011 at 12:34 AM ^
Has to be the final TD to Roundtree vs. ND...to pick a single play
December 25th, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^
had to be Roundtree's catch against ND, what an electric environment! Personal favorite moment though was Denard in "victory formation" versus Ohio.
December 26th, 2011 at 6:15 PM ^
Because it led to the Michigan photo of the year.
But in all honesty:
#1) Denard to Vincent Smith, ND 1:12 4th Qtr
#2) Denard to Jeremy Gallon, ND 0:08 4th Qtr
#3) Denard to Roy Roundtree, ND 0:02 4th Qtr
#4) Braxton to Courtney Avery, OSU 0:39 4th Qtr
December 25th, 2011 at 5:08 AM ^
December 25th, 2011 at 7:04 AM ^
Especially since it was right in front of us standing in Section 4.
December 25th, 2011 at 10:14 AM ^
December 25th, 2011 at 7:05 PM ^
moran
December 25th, 2011 at 11:36 AM ^
It was JT Floyd's pick-6 against Illinois.
December 25th, 2011 at 7:07 PM ^
he got tackled at the Illinois 20. But yeah, it was a great play.
December 25th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
Most definitely the last touchdown pass of the ND game...no question.
December 25th, 2011 at 12:56 PM ^
December 25th, 2011 at 1:44 PM ^
Jake Ryan is so awesome. The kid just makes plays.
December 25th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
I immediately thought of the same catch by Gallon as soon as I read the title of this thread. Obviously the next play to Roundtree was great, too, but the Gallon catch was bigger to me because of the emotional lift. We were backed up with very little time left and everyone in the staium was nervous, then the place EXPLODED. On the next play, everyone was already up and then it just got better.
December 25th, 2011 at 9:22 PM ^
The Gallon play was awesome just because of the seeming impossibility of getting back in the game (let alone winning it). I remember watching Denard throw the ball and thinking "WHO IS HE THROWING TO" only to see Gallon emerge from the bottom of the screen and hearing Musberger yell, "...and wide open is Gallon! They left him alone!" Chills!
December 25th, 2011 at 2:25 PM ^
December 25th, 2011 at 2:44 PM ^
#1 Our last points scored in the Ohio game. With our failure to score that final TD to go ahead by 10, we ended up with a fourth and 25+ and attempting a MUST HAVE field goal. The past three years we would have had to try to score on that play. Those three points forced Ohio to score a TD to beat us.
#2 The entire final possession of UTL. It reminded me so much of the 1988 Ohio game when John Kolesar covered 100 yards in our final possession; he ran back the kickoff 59 yards and then covered the remaining 41 yards with the memorable TD reception from Demetrius Brown with under two minutes left, winning 34-31. The UTL possession was a microcosm of the rest of the year: Perform at the highest level at the most important time in the game, culminating in a very memorable night!
Agree with many here, a lot of huge plays in 2011.
December 25th, 2011 at 4:45 PM ^
I also would vote the Gallon 64-yarder as my #1. But another huge play I haven't seen mentioned was when Terrance Robinson forced a fumble against Nebraska on the second-half opening kick-off. The score was only 17-10 to that point, and Nebraska had to feel like they had dodged a bullet in the first half being only down 7 despite having been dominated. But that fumble gave Michigan a chance to get up big on them and also let them know it wasn't going to be their day. And while the ND win was incredible, I personally feel like the Nebraska win was more significant.