What is your favorite Michigan sporting moment?

Submitted by Craze for Maize on

On a painfully slow day on the blog, I thought I'd try to generate some discussion.

 

For me, I'd have to say the Under the Lights Game, but the Ohio basketball game from last year is close.

SC Wolverine

February 16th, 2013 at 9:46 PM ^

In person: Wangler to AC.  The student section went wild!    (Runner up: Paul Girgash and Bob Thompson sacking Art Schlichter on the final play to win the 1980 gave vs. tOSU.  My only game in Columbus -- I will never go back!)

Basketball: Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson in the 89 NCAA tourney

Football on TV: UTL vs. Notre Dame, introducing my sons to Michigan football.

Wow, it's great to be a Michigan fan!

LB

February 16th, 2013 at 9:58 PM ^

so it can hardly be irrelevant.

As a young junior high football player, I sat shivering in the stands during my first live Michigan Game on November 16, 1968. I watched RoJo run for 347 yards. That was before the great teams of that Glenn fellow, before all the great backs that we have seen since then. The record stands to this day.

 

rob f

February 16th, 2013 at 11:41 PM ^

in my top 10 has been mentioned by someone, except for these two (and they both happened in 1997):

The win over Notre Dame.  I got my first real glimpse that day of how truly special our team's defense was going to be, as late in that game we repeatedly turned the ball over on our side of midfield, but our defense repeatedly turned back  Ron "He'll- win- multiple-Heismans" Powlus and ND's vaunted offense.  Michigan won 21-14 that day, but it was the day our "D" came of age that season.

The come-from-behind win vs. Iowa in mid-season '97 was even better.  We looked flat in the first half and trailed at halftime 21-7 as Tim Dwight was a terror to us all day, especially on kick returns.  Griese and the offense came alive in the 2nd half and we took a lead late on a Griese TD pass to Jeremy Tuman.  Even then it was a nail-biter until Sam Sword intercepted Iowa deep in Michigan territory with just a half minute left.  

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7ksFRiBRylUAO4dXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1NW…

Those two games, both snatching victories from the jaws of defeat, were the real keys to us being undefeated and making the Penn State, Ohio, and Rose Bowl games so memorable and important.

 

trueblueintexas

February 16th, 2013 at 10:28 PM ^

Top of the list for me is the whole '89 final four. The combo of beating that Illini team after they had beat Michigan twice during the season and then the Championship game. Awesome and wonderful.
I'm a basketball nut so there are plenty of others, but that clearly is #1.
In footall it would be a montage of Desmond's catch against ND, "Hello Heisman", and all Woodson all of '97.
Throw in Wheatly in the Rose Bowl also.

South TX MFan

February 16th, 2013 at 10:30 PM ^

#1 would have to be the win over OSU in '11. That was my first game at the Big House and something I'll never forget. After that I'd have to say the entire '97 season, from the first win to the last and Woodson winning the Heisman.

MGoShoe

February 16th, 2013 at 10:35 PM ^

...three.

1. 1985, The Game, Harbaugh to Kolesar

2. 1989, Rumeal Robinson sinks both FTs and Michigan wins the NCAA championship game and we rush South U.

3. 1992, on the fantail of USS First Ship underway in the Gulf of Mexico, listening to Michigan defeat Cincinnati in the Final Four on a weak AM signal

ChalmersE

February 16th, 2013 at 10:40 PM ^

24-12

Mandich with tears streaming down his face as he's carried off the field by the crowd.

(Btw, a couple of notes on the RJ 347 game: most don't realize that he was taken out of the game after the first play of the 4th quarter -- one of his TD runs; and contrary to an earlier post, I believe the game was televised regionally.)

Section 1

February 17th, 2013 at 12:13 AM ^

I stand corrected!  The Ron Johnson's 347-yard game WAS a regional telecast.  And I didn't need to look it up.  The way I remembered that it was televised once you mentioned it, was that when we got back to Yost Fieldhouse to dry off and warm up, there had been a little tv set inside, where maybe 100 people had been watching since the day was so horrendous.

Imagine it.  A single 21-inch black and white tv.  Inside Yost, which was just a big open cinder block floor.  And a whole crowd of people watching one little monitor.

Thanks for the correction.

LB

February 17th, 2013 at 12:04 PM ^

I'd love to see a replay of that game. With an announced attendance of 51k, I'd like to get a look at the stands, too. There might have been that many at the beginning, but I'll bet you could have counted the ones still there in the 4th.

I didn't remember that Johnson was pulled that early in the 4th, either. I knew it was after his TD, but I'd have bet it was at least 5 minutes into the 4th. Of course, it was a couple of years ago.

Edit: I was also a recent transplant from Big 12/SEC country. That game was my first real exposure to Michigan. I also think it began a journey that includes watching my daughter  graduate a few years ago as a Michigan Engineer. By sheer coincidence, she was born on a snowy, sleety November 16.

Hello_Heisman

February 16th, 2013 at 10:43 PM ^

So that entire run will always be high on my list, with the OSU game that year being at the top. I was also at The Big House for The Catch in 91 so that's another personal favorite. But for sheer joy of winning a single game and an incredible feeling in the stadium, I have to say the 11 OSU game was the best, even better than 97 which I didn't think was possible.

On TV, I'd have to go with the 96 OSU game (Streets with the big TD catch), the 88 OSU game (Kolesar covers nearly 100 yards in 2 plays to win the game) and the 94 Notre Dame game (Remy Hamilton kicks the winner in South Bend as time expires). 3 of the best road wins in school history.

Hello_Heisman

February 16th, 2013 at 10:47 PM ^

The Kentucky win in the 93 Final Four, the Seton Hall/Illinois games in 89 and winning the Maui Invitational by beating Kansas and UNC in 92 were the best moments I could think of. Besides the entire Ellerbe era, of course.

othernel

February 16th, 2013 at 10:51 PM ^

Surprised no one has mentioned the 2003 Minnesota game with that monster 4th Quarter comeback and Navarre running the worlds slowest long-yardage touchdown. 

 

Other than that, I'm in lockstep with almost everyone else here: 

Under the Lights

2003 OSU

the Braylon game

Henne to Manningham PSU

 

Cromulent

February 16th, 2013 at 11:02 PM ^

Watching Becker, Paris and Muransky blow holes in the Husky line you could drive a tank through.

Ty Wheatley rumbling for 235 yards on just 15 carries against those same Huskies. Man that guy must have ingested a whole drum full of steroids. His freshman season he looked like a stiff wind would blow him over. The next season he was built like a freight train with legs.

Hello_Heisman

February 16th, 2013 at 11:08 PM ^

I was just about to say, nobody had mentioned 4 of our best bowl wins

93 Rose Bowl vs Washington after getting spanked the year before

89 Rose Bowl vs USC with Demetrius Brown and Leroy Hoard

86 Fiesta Bowl win over Nebraska that helped us finish #2 in the country

00 Orange Bowl win over Alabama - Brady to Terrell, great OT thriller

 

ca_prophet

February 17th, 2013 at 3:41 AM ^

... having seen him in person several times.  As I recall, he went from a big guy to a slab of lean muscle - he was a track star as well as RB.  You see that same transformation every year as guys go from being able to get away with less than tip-top condition to the college weight room.  No need to throw around the PED accusations, unless you're aspiring to be the next Murray Chass.

 

Cali Wolverine

February 16th, 2013 at 11:07 PM ^

...pick your memory that year:
- smothering D;
- comeback win against Iowa/Tim Dwight team;
- The Interception against Little Brother;
- storming South U to Union after clobbering Penn State;
- hundreds of students being invited into President Bollinger's house and celebrating in the President's house after clobbering Penn State;
- Woodson winning Heisman;
- Woodson punt return for TD against Ohio;
- entire student section storming field (trying to avoid riot police) after beating Ohio and clinching Rose Bowl birth;
- having thousands of Michigan fans invade my hometown;
- winning Rose Bowl and National Championship; and
- having almost the entire team, including Woodson (accompanied by Desmond Howard) randomly show up at friend's victory party.

Dam that was an amazing senior year!

Best non-championship season - South Beach, the Millineum, first BCS orange Bowl, Brady/Terrell over Shaun Alexander in double OT!

ajchien

February 17th, 2013 at 12:33 AM ^

Fourth down. Watching Elvis hand the ball off ... Big pile of dust at the line of scrimmage.. But what is this? Elvis still has the ball? Only man out there is #21 double covered. Elvis throw the ball out of bounds through the end zone ... But what is this streak of maize and blue lightning? That bolt of lightning meets the overthrown the ball in the ends zone. The crowd is deathly silent, until a zebra raises two arms overhead and ...

Yeah. That's the best in my memory.

MGomaha

February 17th, 2013 at 12:42 AM ^

The 07 State game was great. I had to go somewhere so I was listening to it in the car and was estatic when Manningham caught it. 

The 08 Duke game was great because it was my first memory of a big win for the basketball program. I also developed a man crush on Novak that game.

And the 11 OSU, ND, and Sugar Bowl games were awesome. As was the 45-17 win over Nebraska. Living in Omaha last year, I got a ton of flak about Michigan, so to blow them out was awesome.

Don

February 17th, 2013 at 1:03 AM ^

1. 1971 Michigan-Ohio State—Billy Taylor's last minute touchdown clinches the victory over the Buckeyes, our first undefeated season since 1948, and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

2. Wangler to Carter 1979

3. UM-UConn 2010—Brock Mealer touches M Club banner

ca_prophet

February 17th, 2013 at 3:47 AM ^

1.  Wangler to Carter.  I was in the stadium with my dad; I'm not sure when I came down off that high, but it wasn't anytime soon.  (My other favorite AC moment was hearing the buzz when he went back to return a punt - everyone knew Bo didn't play freshmen, but the rumor mill about this guy made it seem like he'd have to see the field sooner rather than later - and there he was.  Took it to the house on his first play and it kept getting better from there!)

2.  Give it to Wheatley! in the Rose Bowl.  I was starting to feel like we just weren't going to win and then he ripped off those two huge fourth quarter runs to pull it out.

3.  The 1989 NCAA tournament.  Once Rice got hot, I figured we had a chance, but I thought for sure Illinois would win after the thrashing they gave us before.  Then Sean Higgins picked up the hop off the rim and flipped it home, and then Rice just kept burying jumpers.

Dr. Steve

February 17th, 2013 at 10:12 AM ^

I attended U of M from 1956-1963 (under grad and Medical School). We had one disappointing 1956 season (2 losses when picked early for undefeated season) and then 6 years of terrible teams and terrible losses including 3 horrendous end of season losses to that team up north. Fast forward to 1969 I was living in San Antonio, Texas fulfilling my duty to the USAF. My father-in-law was visiting from Chicago and on that fateful Saturday he asked me if I wanted to play golf or watch the Michigan-Ohio State fb game. I told him of my past experiences and said golf. I can still remember as if it happened yesterday, walking off the last green at Kelly AFB, a radio blaring that Michigan had beaten OSU 24-14. I was in heaven and have been ever since watching and living Michigan football from afar.

 

Dr. Steve

umrules

February 17th, 2013 at 10:36 AM ^

Because it was also the day I got married ( the first time ). Caught so much crap for having my brothers set up a tv in the kitchen at the reception so we could watch the game..... Spent more time in there than on the dance floor. Yeah, that didn't go over so well, but hey, I should have known better than getting married on April fools day anyway!

ChalmersE

February 17th, 2013 at 10:50 AM ^

that, unless I missed it, no one mentioned Dreisbach to Hayes finishing the 18-17 comeback over Virginia.  If Hayes doesn't make that catch, there's probably never a Lloyd Carr era.

Bando Calrissian

February 17th, 2013 at 5:15 PM ^

I remember clearly to this day the crotchety old guy with a gigantic radio headset ten rows behind me spending the entire first half of that game going ballistic on Lloyd.  "Don't count on an extended contract!"  Guy was about to have an aneurysm.

But boy did he enjoy that second half. 

ianscott1982

February 17th, 2013 at 1:02 PM ^

Where we physically kicked tebows ass and Meyer was sent home crying. This was the year after Meyer was trashing Michigan and calling coaches to keep us out of the national championship game. I will always hate Meyer for being a douche, it's perfect that he is now the head coach at osu.

JSK23

February 17th, 2013 at 3:28 PM ^

The Ohio game in '97.  Beating them on the way to a national title, Woodson lighting it up, and rushing down to the field after the game. 

 

Pretty awesome way to cap off my first year as student ticket holder.  Really set the bar high.