Your First Game
Solely for my entertainment purposes on this drizzly Friday, and with just a shade over an hour left in the day, I thought I would throw this out there. Sure, maybe this has been covered before, but I've seen a few recent posts about dads taking sons to their first game at Michigan Stadium and it made me wonder, what was yours?
For me, it was my dad taking me as a 7-year-old to the Maryland game in 1985 (Michigan 20 - Maryland 0.) Not knowing much about football at the time, I had images of nice smelling pastries whenever my father mentioned a turnover. Over the next few months my obsession was born. Tears fell when Iowa beat us on a last-second field goal. And my hatred for the Buckeyes started to grow. That was the start for me: Harbaugh, Morris, Kolesar, Jokisch.
Anyways, just thought I would throw it out there.
Cheers.
August 28th, 2009 at 7:45 PM ^
Michigan upsetting/thumping Colorado in 1996. Convinced me to leave the great state of Texas to goto college at UM
August 28th, 2009 at 8:06 PM ^
.....Toledo
August 28th, 2009 at 8:22 PM ^
This was the last "Band Day" when Canham invited about 10,000 High School kids to fill the empty seats for a stinker game like this one. I don't remember much about the game, but I knew I wanted to go to Michigan. I guess it was good for recruiting future students. Michigan beat WFU 31-0.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:01 PM ^
Although I had been a Michigan fan as long as I could remember, I'd never been to a game. This was my first week of college, freshman year. Miami was ranked number one coming off a National Championship. Someone had spray painted "Bernie Kosar is a punk" on the diag.
We won 22-14. The next week we lost to Washington. Yada, yada, yada Harbaugh broken arm, 6-6. Thankfully, 1985 proved I wasn't a curse.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:08 PM ^
Little Brown Jug game vs. Minnesota (obviously). It. Rained. And. We. Froze. Our. Asses. Off. Sat in the end zone and got soaked. Watched Michigan kick four field goals until my family got too damn cold and left at the end of the 3rd. We got outside the stadium just in time to hear Michigan score their only touchdown of the day.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:27 PM ^
M 21- ND 14
This was my freshman year, and that year freshman had split tickets. I didn't get to see Baylor or Colorado, but the second I walked into the student section, I was hooked. The next year I was so excited for football I drove to the ND game with a friend. That game sucked!
August 28th, 2009 at 9:36 PM ^
1985 against Indiana. I was in kindergarten. Didn't know the rules of football. Blue won 42-15 but I don't remember anything about the game. I was more fascinated looking at the 100,000 people sitting around me.
After the game, we walked back to our car which was parked on the golf course. The car was keyed, my dad was ticked and cursed like a sailor.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:38 PM ^
As far as I can tell, the first game I went to was 1990 UCLA. Might have been a game in '89, but I'm pretty sure that's it. I was 4 years old. I probably went to basketball games earlier than that.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:02 PM ^
First game I actually have a vivid memory of: MSU - UofM 1997
I wasn't really into football that much, but it was my first year playing football, and so I watched it with my dad (he went here) and just remember being like, "Wow... I certainly can't do that..."
First game I went to was my freshman year, against Miami of Ohio. My first time in the Big House I was hooked. I walked in and was struck with a touch of vertigo it was so big (That's what she said...).
August 28th, 2009 at 10:07 PM ^
I don't remember when, but Antwan Randle El put on a show. Of course we still won, but he must have put up 30 points by himself.
August 28th, 2009 at 10:20 PM ^
Bump Elliot vs brother Pete Elliot coaching Illinois. UM scored first and for some reason went for two and made it. The game ended up 8-7. I was eight years old and thought it was a crappy game because there wasn't a lot of scoring. Little did I know.....
August 28th, 2009 at 10:30 PM ^
Unfortunately, never went to U-M & never been to the Big House but did go to the Rose Bowl game v USC in January 2007...the team that almost beat OSU at the Horsedump in the #1 v #2 matchup & deserved a rematch in the national title game IMO...and, despite losing 32-18, it was an amazing experience & I'll never forget it.
Wish, being my 1st ever Michigan game & with Henne, Hart & co., we had won but it was still AWESOME. Now, just hope to go to one game at the Big House...and, if it's v those DAMN buckeyes, that would be the ULTIMATE!!
August 28th, 2009 at 11:35 PM ^
2008 Illinois
It was awful.
August 29th, 2009 at 1:11 AM ^
I was too little for me to remember what game it was, though I'm pretty sure it was during Bo's last season (don't give me too hard of a time for not remembering, I was only four).
August 29th, 2009 at 1:14 AM ^
1999 vs. Ohio State. We won, which is pretty much all I remember.
August 29th, 2009 at 1:23 AM ^
I was in the student section as a freshman to witness "The Catch" for my first game.
For my second game, Terrell Buckley beat us by himself.
Reality check.
August 29th, 2009 at 4:05 AM ^
Went to Michigan for undergrad, but didn't go to a single game the entire time because I had band practice every Saturday afternoon.
Right after I graduated, I had a free weekend at the end of August '07 and ended up at the App St game. That sucked. So, I decided not to go to a game again, thinking I was cursed, until my friend convinced me to go with him last year to see M play Toledo. Oops. Well, I don't go to games anymore.
August 29th, 2009 at 7:28 AM ^
For anyone who remembers this game, I need say nothing. For the rest of you ...
Jimmy Johnson's Miami Hurricanes were the defending national champs. Although they came into A2 with a major attitude, Michigan dominated and were leading 30-14 with less than 11 minutes to play in the forth quarter. Then, everything went black. Long pass play after long pass play ... touchdown Miami. Michigan followed this up by going three downs and out and punting. Miami responded again by moving the ball down the field nearly at will, pass after pass (and a really bad pass interference call, if I remember). For the second time in two possessions, touchdown Miami. And the final kick in the stomach was an onside kick by Carlos Huerta, recovered by Miami. For the third time in three possessions, Miami moved the ball down the field as if God himself had a wager on the game. With seconds remaining, Huerta kicked a field goal, winning the game for Miami 31-30.
I am still in shock. Can you get PTSS from watching football?
August 29th, 2009 at 8:31 AM ^
The 100th game. Decided to try and get tickets, airfare and hotel last minute and it all worked out. The entire trip felt like we were destined to win.
August 29th, 2009 at 11:23 AM ^
My dad took me to see U of M vs. Duke. Michigan won 52-0. It rained the whole game and my dad kept trying to convince me that we should probably get out of there and find someplace dry. I kept asking why we would leave, Michigan kept scoring. I got hooked that day and never looked back. Thanks Pop!
August 29th, 2009 at 11:40 AM ^
My dad had two tickets then so he'd alternate between me, my brother and my mother. He bought four tickets sometime in the Leach years, which is when I actually start remembering games.
August 29th, 2009 at 12:29 PM ^
1999 vs northwestern. michigan wins 37-3
August 29th, 2009 at 1:47 PM ^
Indiana @ M - W 21-10
A-Train with a rush TD and Brady to Streets for the other 2.
August 29th, 2009 at 2:23 PM ^
Ron Kramer played, Oosterbaan coached, and Michigan won.
August 29th, 2009 at 5:12 PM ^
Weird day. We came in 8-0-1, having not lost a Big Ten game in two years, and were still in the national title hunt. Illinois was mediocre. But it was bitterly cold and snowed like crazy. We fumbled 10 (!) times and lost four of them. Illinois somehow managed to hang onto the ball, never losing a fumble. Aided by the turnovers, they hung in there all the way and led 22-19 when Moeller sent in the notoriously inconsistent Pete Elezovic to kick a long FG for the tie. The crowd booed. But he made it and we clinched the Big Ten title outright - though we also effectively eliminated ourselves from national title contention.
Weather aside, it was fun. I'd been following the team for a few years so I knew what was going on. I drank hot chocolate to stay warm and got an early introduction to the now-removed stadium troughs.
http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/gametot.php?gkey=458
Looking at the boxscore, I see that Jessie "House Cat" Johnson had a big day carrying the ball. We had phenomenal depth that year just about everywhere. It's too bad OT didn't exist then. That team (9-0-3) could play with anybody in the country. I think we had the lead in the fourth quarter of all three of the tie games.