Favorite M vs. MSU Moment

Submitted by brewandbluesaturdays on

So, I was thinking, with the big "Clash at Crisler" (see what I did there), looming on Saturday, I thought it would be interesting to share the MgoCommunities favorite Michigan vs. MSU moments. Whether that moment is in football, basketball, hockey, etc..doesnt matter.

For me that moment had to have been, in 2003 watching Chris Perry rush 51 times for 221yds, in East Lansing. I remember sitting in the upper section behind the Michigan sideline surrounded by Sparty fans who looked just like the Sparty defense, getting beat-up and warn down all the way to the very end. It was the only time I've been to a game in East Lansing to see Michigan pull out the W. So, walking out of there being able to give the big F U to sparty fans was a wonderful moment for me, especially since I grew up in the greater Lansing area and all of my friends from the area are die-hard sparties.

Let the recollections begin...

Wolverine318

March 4th, 2011 at 10:36 AM ^

My favorite is the Big Chill. That was an all around perfect day. Tailgating was awesome. My boy Jon Merrill (I sat with him and his family at the Dekers preseason picnic) was a beast in the game. Having 100k do the goal cheer and Blues Brothers dance was fun as hell. To top it off the fireworks were really great at the end. I still get a smile when I hear Three Dogs' Night "Joy to the World" because it reminds me of the fireworks display.

sarahmgoblue

March 4th, 2011 at 10:38 AM ^

 Michigan finally beating MSU in basketball in 2003. I was about two feet away from jumping on Daniel Horton when I got hipchecked out of the way by a camera-man. Still well worth it.

 

 

KevbosLastingLessons

March 4th, 2011 at 10:56 AM ^

watching the 2007 game in an apartment in east lansing with a bunch of msu students who "didnt care about the game" until they were up by 10 in the 4th quarter. something clicked and they were all of a sudden huge msu fans until... (cue brad nessler).

Feat of Clay

March 4th, 2011 at 11:01 AM ^

Well, here's one that isn't on anyone else's list.

It happened during a House Higher Ed Appropriation Subcommittee meeting in Lansing, a year or two after the 2001 season.  Both MSU and UM's presidents were testifying.  

Rep. Chris Kolb (SNRE '82) asked the MSU president if the appropriation would be sufficient to get the scoreboard clock in Spartan Stadium fixed.   ZING

WolverineHistorian

March 4th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^

BASKETBALL:  After beating Sparty at Crisler 79-69 in January of 1998, (I remember racing home from a wedding to watch the game) that brought Izzo's record against us to 0-5.  And he was happy with the moral victory over losing by "just" 10 points.  He said, "Michigan was expected to blow us out again and they didn't."  I loved that comment.  And at the time, I didn't know that the basketball program's nose dive to hell was just one season away. 

FOOTBALL:  I know 2005 was a bad memory that was filled with probably the most injuries we have ever suffered in a single season.  But the game against Sparty had so many circumstances surrounding it that made the final outcome extra special.  Let's revisit them...

MSU started the season with blowout wins over Kent State and Hawaii and for some reason, the pollsters were impressed.  Then they had that thrilling overtime win against Notre Dame in South Bend where their players planted the flag at midfield (really a jackass thing to do on your opponent's home field but it ticked off Irish fans so I didn't mind.)  The following week, MSU beat a 9 loss Illinois team 61-14 and they got a big write up in Sports Illustrated a few days later because of it.  Everyone knows what happened in our games against ND and Wisconsin: key fumbles, heartbreak, Mike Hart out with injuries, etc.  Now we have to go to East Lansing to play against the "mighty" Spartans.  MSU is favored to beat us for the first time since Richard Nixon was president.  All the talk of the Spartans taking over as the #1 program in the state of Michigan was at an all time high.  You couldn't escape it no matter where you turned.

And the rest is history.  We took the early momentum with 2 quick touchdown passes to Avant and Manningham.  Hart is back and he runs wild.  Sparty is rewarded a bogus TD on a 60 yard fumble return that was never a fumble just when we are about to put the game away.  Then, with 30 seconds left in the game, Garrett Rivas misses a chip shot field goal to win it so we have to go to overtime.  MSU misses and Rivas finds redemption.  MSU fans pounding their chests all week was replaced by dead silence at Spartan stadium.  I told my dad to change the radio to the MSU station just so I could listen to the recap of George Blaha going from really excited to stating in a monotone voice, "Michigan wins." 

Heh.  Good times. 

MGoJen

March 4th, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^

"John Beilein when asked if playing MSU in this situation is a dream scenario he said NO, playing them in the final four is."

 

BOOM Beilein'd!

Beavis

March 4th, 2011 at 2:19 PM ^

While I appreciate the reminder of this game, this would be an appropriate answer for anyone who is an out-of-state freshman through junior that didn't care about M sports before coming to Ann Arbor.

Also, it becomes a moot point if we lose to them at home on Saturday.

mvp

March 4th, 2011 at 12:16 PM ^

Was the M-MSU Hockey brawl at the Joe in 1991?

All of the above are indeed great moments.  But given that the Woodson interception, Braylon-fest, and Perry running roughshod are all taken, I'll recall the most epic hockey brawl I've ever witnessed.

In particular, Chris Tamer would find a Sparty, knock him down, and then repeat.  And repeat. And repeat...

the legend of …

March 4th, 2011 at 12:19 PM ^

My favorite moment was a summer party being held at one of my friends in Metro Detroit.  This was an amazing annual event held at his dad's lawfirm, which was a converted mansion/estate complete with pool and pool house, tennis courts, etc.

Not only was the setting amazing, but also the fact that there were a near equal number of Spartans and Wolverines--both male and female.  This particular instance was the Summer of 2003 and the normal shit talking quickly ensued.  Now, for the most part this was friendly and fraternal, but as the alcohol was increasingly consumed, tensions rose. 

In particular was the bravado of a certain Sparty who claimed (and was backed up by others there) to be the "best chugger evah" and since the Wolverines didn't know how to party there was no one who could beat him.  They also claimed he was undefeated in East Lansing.  So.....of course a challenge was offered by a friend who was our resident champion.  Now, not only did they play for pride, but in our stupor, we thought they should also compete for "drinking names."  I can't recall how these came about, but Mr. Sparty was affectionately referred to as "Boozebag" and our Wolverine Champion was known as "Donnie."  Whomever won the chug-off would retain the others nickname, which was never to be used by them again. 

Alas, the build-up to the event was better than the actual race, as "Donnie" detroyed "Boozebag" even in a best out of 3, then 5, then 7.  it was a simple fact that Donnie was the better chugger.  And after seeing the Spartans with their heads hanging and the SFKaB (spartan formerly known as boozebag) incredulous, Donnie informed them that he only drinks "occasionally" and isn't even the best chugger out of his friends, let alone campus.  Further, he went on to let "SFKaB" that he thought the name was retarded and would be retiring it forever.

That was my greatest M v. MSU moment...

ijohnb

March 4th, 2011 at 12:44 PM ^

Football - Braylonfest 2004/Mario saves our ass in 2007

Basketball - Respert destroys Crisler in 1995 - Devastating but memorable

InterM

March 4th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^

has gotta be #1.  But, to go a bit old-school on y'all, the best game I ever attended at Crisler was 1979, beating Magic Johnson's national-champs-to-be 49-48 (I think?) with free throws with no time left on the clock.  You'd think I could remember who shot the free throws, but that was too many brain cells ago, I'm afraid.

Blueroller

March 4th, 2011 at 3:59 PM ^

I was waiting to see if anyone would go back far enough to 79. I remember it really well. Michigan had a true freshman point guard, Keith Smith (he subsequently flunked out of school or something). Michigan had the ball, trailing 48-47. Smith dribbled around trying to run the play Johnny Orr had drawn up. With time running out, Smith drove to the hole. There was a big collision and the ball, Smith, and Magic went flying off in different directions. The horn sounded and there was the ref with his hand in the air signaling foul and the other pointed at Magic like the accusing finger of a just and wrathful God.

Amid the bedlam, Smith calmly sank the first free throw. Nobody was at the foul line since there was no time, just this little kid with a big afro. When he sank the second free throw he jumped up and threw a fist into the air. The Michigan Record (a sort of campus newsletter back then) had a picture of Smith leaping with Magic in the background, hands on hips, with the most delightfully disgusted look on his face seen before or since. I had that picture on my dorm room door in Mosher Jordan for the rest of my sophomore year.

BlueDragon

March 4th, 2011 at 1:49 PM ^

I was a music major--classical performance, clarinet.  Our studio is traditionally one of the best in the country, and they were especially ridiculous during the four years I was there.  In late 2010, there was an audition for Principal and Second Clarinet of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra.  A number of Michigan students auditioned for the jobs, as well as MSU faculty and students.  The victors?  One of our master's students won the principal job, and a master's student and an undergrad won the second position.  MSU faculty and students were blown out of the water for a paid music gig by Michigan STUDENTS.  My beloved Michigan Clarinet Department gave MSU a big ol' noogie that day.

(To be fair, MSU's music department is mediocre-to-terrible in general, but their clarinet faculty are horrible.  Seriously, to all you bright-eyed prospective clarinet majors out there, don't even LOOK at MSU.  They suck.  Period.)

VictorsValiant09

March 4th, 2011 at 2:27 PM ^

Going into Munn last season and sweeping them in the CCHA Tournament.  Sweetest feeling ever.  There were virtually no MSU fans there, as they were on Spring Break, and every single Michigan cheer rang throughout Munn.

Honorable mention was the display of Karma, as Tropp trips on the puck in pregame warmups and misses the series.  Of course, Kampfer caught on video after Saturday's game: "THAT IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, WOO!"

100% Pure. 

Hail-Storm

March 4th, 2011 at 3:36 PM ^

Gassof  punching the facemask off of some poor Sparty who happened to get in the way of his flying fists. Think it was 2001 or 2002. Man the series was intense back then.

I Bleed Maize N Blue

March 4th, 2011 at 4:03 PM ^

With the thrilling comeback already mentioned, I will point out that from 2003 to 2006 MSU would go into football freefall after losing to us:  they would also lose the next game or two, and win only one game the rest of the season.

In 2003 they were 7-1 before the game and finished 8-5.

In 2005 they were 4-0 before, and finished 5-6.