Your First Game at Michigan Stadium
As football season is upon us, I thought it may be interesting to hear about MGoUsers' first games in the Big House. Was it memorable, or was it a body-bag snoozer? For me, my first game was against Bernie Kosar and YTM as a 14-year old kid, with M picking him off several times for the win (a nod to Wolverine Historian and the 10 years ago thread, some comments about the Phil Brabbs game being people's first brought this to mind).
August 31st, 2012 at 11:55 AM ^
The Horror.
So yes, I am now scarred for life.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:02 PM ^
Come here BlastBeat88
August 31st, 2012 at 2:25 PM ^
That was the scariest MGoBoard comment I've ever read.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:04 PM ^
Same for me
August 31st, 2012 at 1:19 PM ^
Same here.
August 31st, 2012 at 11:56 AM ^
Iowa, 2002. Eff me.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:44 PM ^
Same here! Luckily, I was ten, and it was still the coolest thing ever walking into the stadium for the first time!
August 31st, 2012 at 11:58 AM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^
I had to leave at halftime to go to a wedding. Hearing Frank say (paraphrasing) "the kick is up . . . MICHIGAN WINS!" on the radio gave me goosebumps.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 11:58 AM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 12:01 PM ^
Colorado 1994 with my Dad. We were about to leave and I watched the last play from the exit above the endzone where the hail mary was caught. I remember not thinking it was a big deal until we got back on the bus, but then the crushing defeat sank in. I was just in shock.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^
Same.
As a 5 year old I remember telling my dad that I was a Colorado fan now. He told me to take it back immediately or he would never take me to another game again.
This game is probably why I have been releshing in Colorado's slide to bottom of the BigXII and now Pac12.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 1:18 PM ^
You were standing at the exit right above us. I was 14 and don't think I spoke for about 3 hours after the game.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:01 PM ^
Washington in 2002. Awesome! I live in the seattle area. My best friend who was also the best man at my wedding started on Washingtons O-line that year. needles to say he didnt talk to me for almost a month.
On a side note after the game he said Lloyd Carr came into the Washington locker room and told them they played a great game and deserved to win.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:02 PM ^
Biakabutuka baby!!!
August 31st, 2012 at 12:35 PM ^
Biakabutaka vs Autry. Didn't end so well for good guys, but I was sold that ole "Touchdown Tim" was just about my favorite player ever. I was also stunned because I had been informed that Northwestern wasn't good.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:13 PM ^
first time; I just remember the Domino's Pizza.
My favorite games that I've attended;
Beating ND 38-0 the first time.
100th UM-Ohio game.
Appalachian State; the first game I took my wife to. Memorable.
Also, outside of the UM stadium; I went to college in Florida & I was able to go to the Jan 03 bowl game vs. Florida. The Florida fans were talking their trash the whole game. Until the end... I didn't hear "Gator Bait" anymore... or see the gator chomp....
August 31st, 2012 at 12:04 PM ^
Sitting in the endzone where the last minute FG was blocked and then watching the ASU player running the other way with the ball. Got black out drunk after that but too bad it didn't erase my memory of the game...
August 31st, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^
1995, M v. Virginia - ended, of course, with Dreisbach to Hayes in the last second for the win! I was 10 and had no idea football games were that exciting!
August 31st, 2012 at 12:21 PM ^
Well, I was 14 years old. I was in Michigan Stadium. Michigan beat Virgina 18-17 on Mercury Hayes' last second catch. I thought, I like this. I didn't know what way or what level, but I knew: I wanted to be around Michigan football.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:22 PM ^
My first game as a student. It was glorious.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^
Attended with my father and three younger brothers. We didn't go to another game all together until OSU 2007. Now we make it an annual tradition to get to one game all together each year.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^
Michigan's first home game my freshman year. It was the year after Drew Bledsoe graduated. Michigan's stars at the time were Tyrone Wheatley, Todd Collins, Derrick Alexander, Ty Law, Amani Toomer, and John Runyan. There was also a freshman on that team by the name of Biakabatuka. Michigan won, 41-14.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:15 PM ^
Michigan's first home game my freshman year. It was the year after Drew Bledsoe graduated. Michigan's stars at the time were Tyrone Wheatley, Todd Collins, Derrick Alexander, Ty Law, Amani Toomer, and John Runyan. There was also a freshman on that team by the name of Biakabatuka. Michigan won, 41-14.
I remember is so well, it was like we beat them twice!
August 31st, 2012 at 12:09 PM ^
Mine was the "ten years ago today" a few threads down. I remember looking at the student section and wishing I was in college already.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:10 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 12:16 PM ^
Chad Henne's third game as a starting freshman with two TD's and three interceptions.
Braylon Edwards had 8 catches for 130 yards, which makes for an impressive number of yards per attempt.
Do I know these statistics or even the score from the game itself? Of course not. What I remember is realizing that Chad Henne was the same age as I was (and looked about fifteen years older). I got caught up in the excitement of winning, and in how awesome it was the be a part of The Wave in the third quarter.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:15 PM ^
Michigan's first home game my freshman year. It was the year after Drew Bledsoe graduated. Michigan's stars at the time were Tyrone Wheatley, Todd Collins, Derrick Alexander, Ty Law, Amani Toomer, and John Runyan. There was also a freshman on that team by the name of Biakabatuka. Michigan won, 41-14.
Three times!
August 31st, 2012 at 12:14 PM ^
The Rocket.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:22 PM ^
Brutal. "KICK IT OUT OF BOUNDS!!!" came out of my mouth several times that game. The one and only game I've ever said that.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:51 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 12:15 PM ^
2007 Purdue. Got to see Henne, Hart, Manningham and the whole gang play.
Been to 2-3 games a year every season since. Highlight of them all was last year's Ohio game.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:16 PM ^
August 31st, 2012 at 12:18 PM ^
1997 Iowa
I still have nightmares about Timothy Dwight.
August 31st, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
Me too. I was 12 and wanted to go to the bathroom at halftime, my dad said for us to watch the punt and then we'd go. Damn him.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:21 PM ^
Some Wisconsin game when I was like 6 years old. My dad was good friends with an alumni bass drummer who used to spin the living hell out of his sticks. I don't remember the game , but I remember looking through the bioculars to see that guy spin those damn sticks. And I remember peeing in the trough on my tip toes with my shirt under my chin and being eye level to a countless amount of seemingly giant old man dongs.
August 31st, 2012 at 3:08 PM ^
...but I just won't.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:21 PM ^
2002 Penn State at the Big House.
Chris Perry scored the winning TD in overtime. Loved it.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:21 PM ^
Wangler to Carter on the last play of the game for the win! I was 11 years old and one of my older brothers was at UM. It turned out to be the only college game I attended with my dad as he died in the spring of 1980 at age 48.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:23 PM ^
Fourth and short and Mo goes for the big enchilada. Elvis sails the ball toward the end zone, where Desmond is heading with two Irish DBs in his wake. But the ball appears to be just out of his reach.
The hell it's out of his reach. He's Desmond f**king Howard. UM goes up by two scores and that's all she wrote.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:32 PM ^
That was your first game!? Holy sh-t. What a great way to start!
August 31st, 2012 at 12:49 PM ^
My Dad got seasons that year (what a year to do it) from a guy at church. I went to ND, FSU, and OSU in 1991. It was then I decided I was going to UM for college.
August 31st, 2012 at 1:29 PM ^
game at Michigan Stadium as well. Great first experience -- the next game, against Florida State 2 weeks later didn't go quite so well.
August 31st, 2012 at 2:19 PM ^
First home game freshman year. I love the fact that this was my first game because all UM fans know what I'm talking about, and all of my ND friends want to punch me every time I bring it up.
I met Elvis Grbac and Yale Van Dyne in the bleachers at Wrigley a few summers ago and I had to thank Elvis for making my first game unforgettable.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:23 PM ^
1990 Illinois. My uncle a HS football coach and personal friend with all UM coaches (offered jobs by Bo, Mo and LC) took me. I was in the locker room for the pre-game pep talk. I was studying sports med at CMU at the time and I was able to talk to all the trainers and watch them get the players ready. I then proceeded to run out on the field behind the team............my knees buckled. I was shocked. I had never seen that many people in my life and the noise was incredible. I was on the field for the warm ups and then proceeded to my seats which were awesome. Watched the game from the 50 yd line 15 rows up.
We beat Illinois and I was able to be in the locker room after the game. I took a leak in the players locker room next to Lloyd in the trough.
August 31st, 2012 at 12:25 PM ^
...Sep 14, 1985 when unranked Michigan hosted the 13th ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame led by the hapless Gerry Faust. I and 105,522 others withnessed the Wolverines defeat Notre Dame 20-12 on an extremely hot day. I got a mild sunburn.
Michigan would go on to lose 12-10 to Iowa in a classic 1 vs 2 matchup, inexplicably tie Illinois 3-3, gloriously defeat Ohio State (we called them that then) 27-17, and finish the season with a Fiesta Bowl championship and a #2 national ranking after grinding down Nebraska 27-23. Notre Dame would fire Gerry Faust, hire Lou Holtz and the stage was set for the classic Michigan - Notre Dame battles of the late 80s, early 90s.
August 31st, 2012 at 2:41 PM ^
My freshman year. I had quite a buzz as I remember. Quite a buzz indeed. Only beat ND by 8 so the discount on pizza at Pizza House was only 8%...but when we beat Minnesota by 41 later on down the road, I'm pretty sure our entire Rumsey Hall had Pizza House that night with a 41% discount. Pizza (Smegma) House was awful!