Changing Michigan football history one play at a time
Sometimes it’s fun to think about how one little play can change the outcome of a game, or perhaps an entire college football season. The 4th quarter against Northwestern this past Saturday provided several examples. I began to think about certain plays in Michigan football history that likely had a large impact on the respective team. Obviously there are plays that caused Michigan fans to rejoice (2005 Penn State for example) but there are certainly some that live in infamy. So I wanted to bring this to the MGoBlog community: If you could change the outcome of any ONE PLAY in Michigan football history, which play would it be and WHY? This is not meant to be a “woe is me” sort of post. I just had fun with it and thought some others might too. For me, it’s probably the Hail Mary from Kordell motherfuckin Stewart in 1994. I believe that single play cost them a special season… and I hate seeing it replayed.
I came up with a short list to jog your memories (though I doubt you need any help).
1973 Michigan versus Ohio State – Lantry misses last second field goal
1979 Rose Bowl versus USC – Phantom touchdown
1987 Rose Bowl versus Arizona State – holding called on successful fake punt
1990 versus MSU – Desmond tripped and pass incomplete on 2-pt conversion
2000 versus Northwestern – Anthony Thomas fumbles on “game clinching” possession
2001 versus MSU – 12 men on the field, Spartan Bob, you pick
2005 Rose Bowl versus Texas – Last second field goal is good
2006 versus OSU – Shawn Crable hits Troy Smith OOB
2007 versus App State – Last second field goal blocked
These are just the first few that came to mind. I’d love to read your contributions.
November 21st, 2013 at 12:25 PM ^
Same season - Mike Gillette misses the game-winning FG against Notre Dame one week before the Miami game.
November 22nd, 2013 at 4:38 AM ^
The '88 team was my favorite team. They were the missed field goal against ND and/or the on-side kick against Miami away from being National Champions. They beat USC in the Rose Bowl which tells you all you need to know.
November 21st, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 3:59 PM ^
After recovering an onside kick, I believe.
November 22nd, 2013 at 4:39 AM ^
Correct.
November 21st, 2013 at 12:12 PM ^
The call was actually a penalty for helmet to helmet contact.
November 21st, 2013 at 12:14 PM ^
If the refs had made the correct call that Lantry's FG was good, #3 Michigan plays #4 USC in the Rose Bowl for a chance at the MNC. #1 OK was ineligible due to probation, and #2 Alabama lost in the Sugar Bowl to #9 ND.
Given our struggles against USC it's far from given that we would have beaten them, but with a healthy Dennis Franklin at the helm we would have had a helluva shot.
November 21st, 2013 at 12:23 PM ^
1988 Notre Dame - Mike Gillette missed the game winning FG as time expired. The next week Michigan blew a lead against #1 Miami and lost 30-31. Team finished 9-2-1 (tied Iowa) and could have been a NC team if Gillette makes that FG.
November 21st, 2013 at 1:02 PM ^
1. 2006 vs. OSU
2. 2011 vs. Minnesota-Duluth national championship
3. 2007 vs. AppState
4. 2013 vs. Chicago Blackhawks game 7
5. 2013 vs. Louisville national championship
Some of the most heartbreaking games I have attended. Sorry, once I got thinking about this I couldn't just limit it to football.
November 21st, 2013 at 1:01 PM ^
WVU is 10-0 and ranked #2 in the BCS standings and the AP, and #1 in the coaches poll. Pitt is having a woeful season at 3-7, and a sure victory at home by WVU puts the Mountaineers and Rich Rodriguez into the BCS Championship game, probably against Ohio State.
Instead, Pat White injures his thumb in the second quarter, the WVU offense sputters, they miss two FGs, and end up losing 13-9 in one of the largest upsets in recent seasons.
If WVU wins that game, they go to the NC and there is no chance that RR leaves for Michigan. With WVU in the title game, LSU does not slide into the championship game, and Les Miles is free to take a job offer from UM after Carr announces his retirement.
Whether UM would actually have offered the job to Miles is open for debate, but our recent history would have been radically different if Pat White doesn't injure his thumb down in Morgantown.
November 21st, 2013 at 1:06 PM ^
Rich Rod's problem at WVU was never a lack of success, but a lack of support. He came to Michigan because he thought there would be fewer distractions and more of a chance to do things his way. I don't think even being in the national championship game would've brought the WVU administration around to his side of things.
November 21st, 2013 at 1:33 PM ^
but RR would have been in the driver's seat to get what he wanted out of the WVU administration and AD dept had he gotten to the NC game, and moreso if he had beaten OSU.
That's not so say that he wouldn't have left a year or two later, but IMHO it's highly unlikely he would have coached in the NC game in early January 2008 and then taken a job at Michigan a few days later.
November 21st, 2013 at 4:37 PM ^
By that time, Martin would have already selected somebody else.
I really can't see Rodriguez leaving before his team goes to a BCS championship game. Regardless of the support he gets from WVU, it may be too late in the year from him to get the class of job he wants, and if he does leave it's after the 2008 regular season.
November 21st, 2013 at 8:54 PM ^
I'm surprised no one mentioned this earlier. Someone at SI (Andy Staples, maybe) did an "alternate universe" column based on that game a few years ago.
November 21st, 2013 at 1:04 PM ^
All that was good in the world... until that last week, when all hell broke loose. Never been quite the same since.
I have no real specifics to offer, I'm just musing.
November 21st, 2013 at 1:23 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 1:55 PM ^
1999 vs Illinois - Henson goes in for Brady the 2nd quarter and loses all of the momentum and Illinois comes back to win.
November 21st, 2013 at 2:07 PM ^
....Why didn't Ecker pitch the ball? (2005 Alamo Bowl)
November 21st, 2013 at 2:23 PM ^
I was 11 years old for the 2000 Northwestern fumble. I don't know why but that still drives me crazy.
November 21st, 2013 at 2:27 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 3:42 PM ^
I think the penalty was on Jeremy Laseur(sp?).
November 21st, 2013 at 2:44 PM ^
Ahead 9-0, John Wangler was injured by North Carolina's Lawrence Taylor and he wasn't quite the same afterwards. Not only do we end up losing that game, but Wangler doesn't start the following year until the third game. This includes a heart-breaking 29-27 loss to Notre Dame, in which Wangler didn't come in until Michigan was down 14-0. The next week they lost to South Carolina at home in a game in another close game.
With a healthy Wangler playing all year and getting in full practice time, I think Michigan wins all of its games in 1980 (in addition to the Gator Bowl in 1979).
November 21st, 2013 at 2:51 PM ^
1989 versus Notre Dame. The coaches decide "hey, maybe we shouldn't kick the ball anywhere near Rocket Ismail."
Then maybe that 5-point loss turns into a win. Michigan goes into the Rose Bowl undefeated and ranked #1 where they have been all season. And maybe, just maybe, knowing that they could send their coach off to retirement with a national championship, the players play out of their minds and take down Southern Cal.
November 21st, 2013 at 2:52 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 3:19 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 3:47 PM ^
I think we win that game 99 times out of 100. That game happened to be the one. We were outplayed, out coached, and just very cocky going into that game. As a top 5 team with MNC hopes, many people assumed we'd just role over App State.
Without Long/Henne/Lloyd, I think we're a less talented team, but we probably are less cocky going in and win that game, even with less talent.
November 21st, 2013 at 3:35 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 9:19 PM ^
I thought I was the only one who remembers that play in the UCLA-USC game. What made it worse was that it was the same announce crew (Musburger and Herstriet) for both games. They thought it was a good no call in that game, but not the Michigan game.
November 21st, 2013 at 3:05 PM ^
but worth mentioning, I think. The 4th and 1 call from the 9 yard line against Michigan State 2011. If Borges doesn't call that bizarre play action pass and the team converts the first down and scores a touchdown, tying the game at 21, we would've at the very least gone to the Big Ten Championship Game.
November 21st, 2013 at 3:31 PM ^
-Kordell Stewart Hail Mary
-Rocket Ismail kick returns.
November 21st, 2013 at 10:55 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 3:34 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 4:01 PM ^
For me, it's not a play, but rather a result of a game: 2007 Ohio State @ Michigan. What a crappy day and what a crappy game. 17-3 loss right? For as bad as the 2007 season had started, Michigan was right there again to go to the Rose Bowl and beat Ohio State. Lloyd's legacy was on the line for this game, and I can only wonder if he would have stayed around and there would have been less public pressure for him to retire if they won that game and went to Pasadena again.
November 22nd, 2013 at 10:17 AM ^
There wasn't any pressure. Lloyd wanted to retire after 2006 but Martin talked him into staying for another year. Which is what makes the job search in 2007 that much worse. Matin knew Lloyd wanted to retire and still wasn't ready when it happened.
November 21st, 2013 at 4:47 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 5:17 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 6:21 PM ^
November 21st, 2013 at 11:08 PM ^
2000 OSU v. Michigan
Michigan, despite playing an abysmal game, is within a score and approaching the endzone IIRC.
Navarre throws it into a WR's bread basket and he drops it (can't remember who it was)
Result:
Tressel is mocked for his guarantee. I doubt they go undefeated the next year as well.
November 22nd, 2013 at 4:51 AM ^
Two plays that cost us two National Championships:
1985: Last second field goal by Iowa. We held Chuck Long and company out of the end zone all game but still lost on field goals. We had a dominant D that year, ala 1997. The Iowa game was the only loss. (This may have been a split NC - Oklahoma Wish-boned their way to an undefeated season over Penn State.)
1990: Desmond getting tripped up (tackled) on the 2-pt conversion against MSU. We were ranked #1 at the time and would have kept that ranking for the rest of the season. We dominated Ole Miss so badly in the bowl game that the entire O-Line was given the MVP.
Imagine that.
November 22nd, 2013 at 5:01 AM ^
2002 Michigan - Ohio State: Michigan drives inside the red zone with time for one last play to win the game. Had we made it, like 2005 PSU, it would have knocked OSU out of the NC game.
Yet another victory for Michigan against Ohio State, and no National Championship for them in 2002.