Game Week Countdown - Penn State #1

 For my top Michigan - Penn State game, I choose the 2005 game. 

The Nittany Lions came in undefeated while M was coming of a homecoming loss to Minnesota and sitting at 3-3.

Michigan's defense met the challenge early, holding PSU scoreless in the first half. A Garrett Rivas field goal made it 3-0 at the break.

Mike Hart scored early in the 3rd making it 10-0 Wolverines. 

Penn State finally got on the scoreboard just before the the end of the quarter with a field goal to make it 10-3. This started 18 straight points for PSU over the next 5 minutes of game time.

Michael Robinson bullied in to tie the score at 10. Then the Penn State defense got on the board. Chad Henne scrambled for a short gain, Alan Zemaitis wrapped up Henne, took the ball away and ran it in for a touchdown. Confusion on the hold on the PAT turned into 2 points as the holder was able to run it in giving Penn State the 18-10 lead, with just over 11 minutes remaining.

Michigan answered quickly - Henne hit Mario Manningham on a perfect throw along the sideline and Mike Hart ran in the conversion to tie the score at 18.

Michigan's defense held and Rivas hit another field goal with ~3:30 left to give Michigan the 21-18 lead.

This time the defense couldn't make the stops. Robinson again scrambled into the end zone with under a minute left to make it 25-21 Penn State.

Henne was often at his best when his back was to the wall and he lead a perfect drive capped with a TD pass toe Manningham as time expired.

via GIFER

 

For the 27-25 win - Penn State's only loss on the season. 

Game Week Countdown - MSU #1

16 years ago today, October 30, 2004, the M-MSU game started with beautiful, warm weather and ended several hours later in the cold and dark.

Michigan had trouble stopping MSU's zone-read option game for most of the day.

DeAndra Cobb started the scoring for MSU with a 72 yard touchdown run and appeared to ice the game when his 64 yard scamper put MSU up 27-10 with less than 9 minutes to play.

Garrett Rivas answered with what would now be thought of as a sad field goal to cut the lead to 14. His next kick was much more important - a successful onside kick. 

Then the Henne to Edwards magic started. They finished off a 15 second drive from 36 yards out to cut the lead to 7 with 6:12 left.

MSU was able to get one first down o ntehir next possession but punted the ball back to Michigan with 3:24 left.

Mike Hart burst throught the Spartan line on the first play of the drive, then Edwards scored on the second - another ~15 second drive tied the score.

Back-to-back possessions lead to a poor Michigan punt and a pass interference call meant MSU had a field goal chance to win, but Dave Raynor was short form 51 yards.

Overtime went field goal-field goal, touchdown-touchdown, touchdown, 2-point conversion and finnally M got the stop in the 3rd overtime - Meechigan wins 45-37!

Game Week Countdown - MSU #2

 I guess most of the close games against the Spartans have happened up in East Lansing, because we're back at Spartan Stadium again for the #2 game I've attended vs. MSU, November 3, 2007.

Michigan had suffered two humiliating defeats to start the season, but had won 7 straight, MSU was sitting at 5-4.

Michigan had the better of the action in the first half, leading 14-3 at the break. MSU dominated the 3rd and early 4th quarter, imposing their will on the Wolverines to take a 24-14 lead.

About half way through the 4th Chad Henne banged up his knee and had to come out. Freshman Ryan Mallet came in and was strip sacked - somehow, Mike Hart came up with the ball and scrambled for a first down and maybe some here-we-go-again doubts entered the Spartans heads..

Henne came back in and finished the drive, dropping a perfect pass into the waiting arms of Greg Mathews to cut the lead to 24-21, with just under 7 minutes to go.

The M defense held and gave the ball back to Henne with about 4:30 remaining. On 3rd and 12 from the Spartan 31 yard line, Henne found Mario Manningham in the back of the end zone to put M in front 28-24.

The infamous "Little Brother" quote from Mike Hart came up in the post game press conference.

Game Week Countdown - Minnesota #1

 My top game vs. Minnesota was homecoming 2004. 

It was back and forth game with, Michigan made a 4th quarter stop and started the determining drive  down 24-20 from their own 13 yard line.

Chad Henne hit 5 out of 6 passes, culminating in a 31 yard TD to Tyler Eckert. Michigan's defense closed out the 27-24 win.

Perhaps even better than the outcome was the amazing group of family and friends that spent time with us after the game - this was our first homecoming game in our new house. 

I think the headcount was over 60 people snacked with us after the game!

Go Blue - Beat Minnesota!

Countdown to Kickoff - day 2

October 30, 2004

Michigan 45 - MSU 37; 3 OT

The second version of the "Legends Game" as my dad calls it was the 2004 M-MSU game. They again invited all the former players back to form a tunnel for the players as they reached for the M Club banner.

The weather was sunny and hot when the game began, but after the sun went down the temperature plunged. I actually went out and bought a long sleeve shirt later in the game.

Michigan had no answer for the MSU spread, especially draws to DeAndra Cobb. He started the scoring off with a 72 yard TD run, pretty much untouched. Mike Hart answered later in the quarter to tie it at 7. A Drew Stanton - totally unsurprising - QB draw put the Spartans back up by 7 before the end of the 1st.

The M defense finally had a bit of a stop, holding MSU to a field goal, making the score 17-7 at about the 9 minute mark of the 2nd. Late in the half, LaMarr Woodley sacked Stanton - separating his shoulder. Stanton's revisionist history has M fans cheering the injury - I remember the standard light applause for an injured player coming off. Stanton had been very good, M didn't have much more success against Damon Dowdell.

Garrett Rivas answered with a Michigan field goal just before the end of the half making it 17-10 Spartans.

Amazingly enough, the 3rd quarter was scoreless, and the teams entered the 4th at 17-10.

A Spartan field goal made it 20-10 early in the 4th. On their next possession, Cobb had his second long TD run - a 64 yard effort - making it 27-10 with under 9 minutes left. When Steve Breaston misplayed the squib kick forcing M to start the drive inside the 10, it looked like it wasn't going to be Michigan's day.

M made it almost 90 yards down inside the MSU 10, when the drive stalled. Carr sent out the field goal team, I couldn't believe they were settling for a field goal, down 17 with ~6:30 left. In retrospect Lloyd knew what he was doing... Rivas made it 27-13. Michigan sent out two kickers for ht kickoff - Rivas squibbed it toward the Michigan sideline a Spartan misplayed it and Brian Thompson recovered it for what might be the biggest play in the comeback.

From here Braylon Edwards took over. Michigan dodged a long field goal attempt at the end of regulation.

The overtimes were at the far end of the field. Michigan settled for a field goal on their first possession - giving M their first lead of the game - the D was able to hold MSU to the same.

MSU scored quickly on their second possession to go back up by 7. Henne hit Jason Avant in the back corner of the endzone, the PAT tied it back at 37.

M went first in the third overtime on the second play Henne hit Edwards on a crossing pattern he went in the rest of the way for the 24 yard score. Starting with the 3rd overtimes, the teams have to go for two. Henne hit Tim Massaquoi in the back of the endzone for the 2 points giving M the 45-37 lead.

Four incomplete passes from Dowdell and Michigan had completed comeback from a 17 point deficit late in the 4th quarter.

Countdown to kickoff - day 4

October 15, 2005

Michigan 27 - Penn State 25

Undefeated Penn State came in to Michigan Stadium to take on the 3-3 Wolverines. Michigan had just found a way to lose to Minnesota, while to Gophers were playing for overtime. The Nittany Lions were ready to end 8 years of frustration against Michigan.

My cousin Mary Ann and her husband Kent had come to the game. Kent was on crutches from what we would later find out was a broken hip. But he hobbled the 9 blocks to the game.

The defenses were the story early. Michigan broke through for 10 2nd quarter points to lead at the half. PSU finally added a field goal just before the end of the 3rd to cut the lead to 10-3. The 4th quarter was very unlike the rest of the game.

Early in the 4th Penn State tied it up on a 3rd down Michael Robinson QB draw (I remember screaming to watch for just that!). On the next snap - Michigan gave up the lead. Chad Henne scrambled for good yardage and as he was being wrapped up - the ball ended up in Alan Zemaitis's hands - he ran it in 35 yards for the score. Henne sure seemed down to me, but the call stood. The PAT only made it worse. The Lions kicker, Kevin Kelly ended up with the ball and ran it in for 2 points. In 20 seconds M went from up 7 to down 8. The fans around us were booing lustily. Although I had been negative - especially with the obvious QB draw TD - I chose to reverse cheer. Whatever the idiots in front of us complained about - I cheered for. Michigan had played pretty well, and although this would become "the year of infinite pain" it wasn't going to be today.

Henne lead a beautiful drive back down the field culminating in a perfectly thrown ball to Mario Manningham for the TD. Mike Hart ran in the 2-point conversion to re-tie the game at 18 with 9:32 left.

Michigan's defense held and the offense produced a long Garrett Rivas field goal putting M back on top 21-18 with under 4 minutes left. Marcus Ray picked off a Robinson pass, but M couldn't do anything with it and Penn State was left with 2:46 on the clock and 81 yards to go.

This time the defense just couldn't stop Penn State and Robinson. His totally unsurprising QB draw put PSU back in front with under a minute left. Things looked bleak. Here's a tip to JoPa - don't kick it to Steve Breaston...

Michigan drove down to the 10. They faced a 4th and 4 with only one of Lloyd Carr's two seconds remaining. Henne found Manningham wide open and insanity reigned!


Mary Ann and Kent enjoyed the outcome very much as well. Someone was nice enough to switch seats so that Kent had a spot right behind a tunnel to be able to spread out a little. Although, IIRC this is the game where Mary Ann had to call someone a "fat ass" to keep enough room on the benches for both she and Kent. When they finally made it back to our place in the darkness, we got to enjoy another great Michigan win (and Penn State's only loss)!

Countdown to Kickoff - Catch-up days 9 - 7

Day 9

November 3, 2007

Michigan 28 - MSU 24

This was the 100th M-MSU match-up. We had great seats from my cousin Barry (who was up in the President's box). Michigan looked good early, then the defense began to fail. The Spartan ground game dominated from late in the 3rd to most of the 4th quarter. The Spartans lead 24-14 midway through the 4th. When Chad Henne hobbled off - it looked like it would be MSUs day. Ryan Mallet couldn't avoid the pressure and couldn't hold on to the ball, but somehow Mike Hart picked up the loose ball and ran for a first down.
Henne immediately came back in and a few plays later cut the lead to 24-21 hitting Greg Mathews with a perfect throw. The defense held again and M took over with about 4 minutes and 65 yards to go. With M on the edge of tying field goal range facing a long 3rd down, Henne went deep to Mario Manningham to retake the lead. The change in Spartan Stadium was dramatic. Hoot and I were almost embarrassed for the Spartan fans around us. They went from taunting to tearing... MSU got into Michigan territory before turning it over on downs - another great comeback for Henne and the Wolverines.
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Day 8

January 1, 2000

Michigan 35 - Alabama 34

Twice Alabama had 14 point leads, twice Tom Brady led Michigan back to tie the score. David Terrell had perhaps his beast game at Michigan. An Anthony Thomas goal line fumble prevented M taking the lead and left the score tied at 28 early in the 4th. Hayden Epstein's attempt to win the game in regulation ended in a blocked field goal. Michigan had dominated the 4th quarter, but scored no points. Michigan's first overtime game would be on the first day of the 2000s (but not the first day of the new millennium (people always get that wrong). Their first OT possession lasted exactly on play as Brady hit Shawn Thompson on a crossing pattern, Thompson broke free and carried it into the endzone. Epstein's PAT made it 35-28. M's defense was twice as good it took two plays for Alabama to get their six points, but...
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Day 7

November 23, 1985

Michigan 27 - OSU 17

Jim Harbaugh was so good in this game - three TD passes and over 200 yards in the air (remember Bo was the coach!) First he found Gerald White after bobbling the snap to tie the game at 10 (love the post TD tissue paper in the clip). Then he scrambled to find Eric Kattus in the back of the endzone putting M up 20-10. After Chris Carter cut the lead back to 20-17, Harbaugh never saw the result of his 77-yard scoring strike to John Kolesar (and the live shot didn't show the TV audience much either). Mark Messner and Mike Hammerstein finished off the Buckeyes from there on out. We "rushed" the field after the game. jiMpossible managed to get near the downed goalpost when the security started hitting it with their night sticks - I think his head still rings today. I think there may have been some of the best waves in Michigan Stadium after that last TD pass.

Countdown to Kickoff - 25 days

October 9, 2004
Michigan 27 - Minnesota 24

There aren't too many times in my lifetime that Minnesota and Michigan faced off with the Gophers being the higher ranked team. In this 2004 match-up the Gophers were 5-0 and ranked 13th, Michigan was 4-1 and ranked 14th.
It was the first homecoming game after we moved into our house near the stadium. I think we had 15 people sleep here Friday night. And there must have been 50+ people here after the game since my Dad had gotten tickets for his sisters and some of their families for the first time.
Luckily all those people had something good to cheer about.
Michigan dominated all but the last 40 seconds of the first quarter. Trailing 10-0 Minnesota's Lawrence Maroney went 80 yards up the middle to put the Gophers within 3.
Michigan answered right back with a TD pass from Henne to Braylon.
After that the Gophers scored 17 straight points, taking over the middle third of the game and a 24-17 lead early in the 4th.
Henne, Edwards and Hart brought M back down the field, but a 6 minute drive stalled for a short Rivas field goal, Minnesota 24, Michigan 20 with about 8 minutes left.
Michigan's last hope started 87 yards away with just over 3 minutes on the clock. It didn't take long, with just under 2 minutes left, Henne hit Tyler Ecker on a short crossing pattern he broke free on the corner and turned it up for a 30 yard TD catch and run. The PAT gave M a 27-24 lead. The defense held and Michigan sneaked away with a tight victory on their way to a conference championship. Henne was so calm and cool on those last scoring drives, remember he was a freshman in 2004. Michigan had several close games during his run at QB. I believe Michigan won the majority of those because he was the better quarterback, not necessarily because M was the better team.