Best Michigan Games of All Time
Hey MGoBlog,
I am putting together a list of the greatest Michigan Games of all time so that I can create a video libray of them so I can watch them and keep from going insane during the offseason. What are the greatest in the history of Michigan football and should be added to the list?
So far the list includes:
1969 vs osu (obviously)
1997 vs osu
2007 vs msu
1997 vs psu
1997 vs msu
2005 vs psu
2008 vs wisconsin
2008 vs florida
1950 vs osu (snow bowl)
2000 vs alabama (orange bowl)
2003 vs minnesota
1995 vs osu
1991 vs nd
2004 vs msu
2011 vs nd
2012 vs vt (sugar bowl)
2009 ND - "If you look real close, there's a jockstrap on the field and it belongs to Darius Fleming" and "Notre Dame brings the blitz, Forcier throws... CAUGHT TOUCHDOWN GREG MATHEWS"
I'm a little biased because I witnessed this game in person. Also, it means a lot more to me since it was in their house and we shut those bastards up after the game looked like a loss.
I'll never forget watching that game with my dad. It was the game that got me hooked on Michigan football.
EVERYTHING WORKED! Despite starting 0-2 in 2007. This was the biggest pounding I can ever remember giving a rival. (Words carefully chosen there).
Another great game but I don't remember the year was that late comeback win against msu in the cold and rain. What I remember the most was actually a michigan season ticket holder behind me who left at halftime. He tried to get his buddies to go with him back to the truck to start drinking. They wouldn't and I wouldn't let him forget leaving that game for the rest of the year!
Another great game but I don't remember the year was that late comeback win against msu in the cold and rain. What I remember the most was actually a michigan season ticket holder behind me who left at halftime. He tried to get his buddies to go with him back to the truck to start drinking. They wouldn't and I wouldn't let him forget leaving that game for the rest of the year! It might have been 2004.
PSU in '97 is the most satisfying game I've ever seen Michigan play
It's a special kind of "great" when a game is expected to be close and your team surprises by annihilating the other team.
In a huge stakes game (#1 vs #2).
ON THE ROAD.
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#2 (them) vs #4 (us)
However I do remember Michigan being #1 by the end of that weekend...
Despite the loss, the Northwestern game where ATrain fumbled at the end.
Braylon fest against MSU.
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An "amazing" game due to the high number of points, but that was driven by the comedy of errors by both defenses. Even the ending was brutal - Michigan in position for a long FG try from Epstein and the ball goes through Navarre's hands on the hold. Plus, in addition to Thoms' fumble, Damien Anderson dropped an easy TD pass right before. Just a mess all around.
Was an embarrassment. That team should've played for a national title. That was the third time they would blow a double digit second half lead.
That was about as close as you get to playing for a national title with three losses, along with the 1990 team.
And seeing Hoke "coaching" from the sidelines won't bring with it any warm fuzzies.
Yep. The best post-modern Bo team. Run well using a stable of backs ranging from speed (Tony Boles) to power (Bunch, Hoard). Mix in the occasional bomb to McMurtry/Calloway. Suffocate you on defense. The '88/'89 team was the best one I remember at Michigan in my lifetime.
During the spontaneous mass celebration of UM's hoops title the following spring, I ran into a friend of mine that had been on the '88 football squad. Observing the thousands of students, the delirium, etc, he got a faraway look on his face, shook his head, and sighed "This could have been us."
Should have won both the games you mention.
Plus a tie with Iowa in which we fumbled on their 1 yd line.
favorites. Gary Moeller's offense, especialy the running game, was just unstoppable.
Game Statistics
Wolverines - Rebels
35 First Downs 20
391 Net Yards Rushing 93
324 Net Yards Passing 215
85 Total Plays 67
715 Total Yards 306
Rushing-- (M): Vaughn, 15-128; Powers, 14-112; Bunch, 11-54; Legette, 5-54; Howard, 1-19; Washington, 3-15; Watson, 1-5; Jefferson, 3-4; (MS): Baldwin, 8-53; Thigpen, 6-32; Billing, 2-6; Courtney, 1-6; Luke, 14-5; Shows, 5-(-9) Passing-- (M): Grbac, 16-25-296; Sollom, 4-7-28; (MS): Shows, 12-20-150; Luke, 5-11-65 Receiving-- (M): ): Howard, 6-167; Alexander, 2-50; VanDyne, 3-32; Bunch, 2-22; Burch, 1-12; Vaughn, 1-10; Owen. 1-9; Powers, 1-8; Johnson, 2-7; Diebolt, 17; (MS) Roberts, 4-67; Brownlee, 4-58; Owens, 3-42; Small, 1-25; Baldwin, 2-15; Holder, 1-11; Thigpen, 1-6; Courtney, 1-3
I said it in a previous post, but that team lost heartbreakers to ND, MSU and Iowa.
Jon Vaughn was hurt in the UCLA or Maryland game and was not healthy again until the bowl game. I truly believe he was the difference in the MSU and Iowa games.
In the NINETIES?!
Holy shit!
Yeah - it was crazy. The offensive line was named MVP. They absolutely owned Ole Miss that day.
I know, not much of a game until the end of the third quarter. But, first night game at the Big House rocked, and .... to Hell with Notre Dame.
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Bonus points for SWEET REVENGE
not a bowl game or rivalry game, but it was so much fun to watch - 67-65. will try to embed a link here:
due to the complete lack of defense. (see Mad Hatter above)
How is winning by 2 (67-65) so much worse than winning by 1 (10-9) ?
but I still thought it was entertaining, if also bewildering.
At least the offense was working!
Amazing game. The 1994 Penn State game was also amazing, but unfortunately we lost. 1994 was a crazy year. Others:
1996 OSU - not a "great" game, but the good guys won.
1997 ND - Just to appreciate how that defense saved the season almost before it began.
I remember that game.
With time running out, Todd Collins just barely got a pass off before being sacked, and the receiver (can't remember who) just barely made it to the sideline after just barely picking up enough yards to get us in FG range (42 yds) for the winner.
In a rivalry game ON THE ROAD.
Awesome.
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I will always have an appreciation for the 2003 game vs Ohio St, the 100th edition of the the rivalry, when M knocked them out of contention for the national title game while clinching a Rose Bowl berth for themselves.
That was my senior year. The 2000 victory over Ohio St my freshman year was also pretty great. Henson and A-Train had great games and it was fun to watch. too bad it was the last hurrah for Henson and Terrell.
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vs Virginia?
I don't think anyone has mentioned the 2005 Rose Bowl against Texas. A loss, but a damn good game.
(and haven't seen it mentioned yet in this thread) is the 1990 Michigan 16-13 win at OSU. It was the game in which the score was tied 13-13 late in the 4th quarter until John Cooper elected to have Greg Frey run the QB option on a 4th-an-1 from inside his own 30. Michigan's defense stuffed him, then Elvis Grbac moved us to the buckeye 15, and JD Carlson split the uprights in the final seconds for the VICTORy! We had to come from behind to even benefit from Cooper's mistakes, I think we were down 13-6 midway thru that game before tying it up on a Grbac-to-Desmond Howard TD pass in the 3rd quarter
This game, IMO, set the tone for that decade of dominance and upsets for Michigan over Ohio State. I think Michigan was a slight underdog in this particular game, so it would have to be considered only a mild upset, but it totally blew up OSU's Rose Bowl plans. Michigan ended up instead in a 4-way tie for first in the Big Ten and Iowa went to Pasedena on tie-breaker rules. Michigan went to the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day and whipped Ole Miss 35-3. John Cooper again said "Oh, shucks!" (this game made him 0-3 vs. Michigan while coaching OSU) and had to settle for the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.
I think OSU only made it to one Rose Bowl in the 90's; this was the first of several times that decade that Michigan foiled their plans!
I was young, handsome, and in great shape. Michigan beat the piss out of OSU almost every year, getting laid was easy, commercial airline travel was nice, the music was good, no smart phones or digital camera's around to ruin everything.
/I JUST fertilized that lawn, get off of it.
The defense knew what they were going to run. Outside the locker room after the game, one of the guys in on the stop mentioned they knew it would be a triple option.
And Cooper screwed up because all they needed was a tie to go to the Rose Bowl. Maybe he underestimated how important going to the Rose Bowl was, but I appreciate his gamble.
Can't wait until we finally win there again
I'd never seen those highlights before, but going for it on 4th & 1 inside your own 30 in a tie game? I'd do it everytime in NCAA 14 but in real life? I'm surprised they didn't publically execute him in Columbus following the game
Best I remember watching. We were down by 14 twice in the game, Brady led us back to tie twice and then won in over time with the Alabama missed extra point.
Honorable mention is the 1979 Indiana game. I was in the MMB, my parents drove up for the game from Pittsburgh and we won on AC's catch.