Happy 25th BPONE-iversary
Because the Dong Punches don't stop around here - rather, they are an expected part of Michigan fandom - let's commemorate September 24th, 1994, the day of the "Miracle at Michigan". Somehow, that's not the name I think of when I remember that game.
Share your Colorado/Michigan "Miracle" Memories here, and help celebrate this special 25th BPONE-iversary.
As for me: I was actually in Vegas at the time, and was watching most of the game. I got pulled away when there was very little time left, thinking Michigan had the game wrapped up. I can remember the sick feeling in my gut a bit later, as I looked up on a screen and saw the final score. All I could think was "at least I wasn't at the Stadium."
September 24th, 2019 at 1:20 PM ^
Cool story bro.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:20 PM ^
That was the last day I ever cried. I was 13.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:23 PM ^
Ha! I was thirteen as well and definitely cried that afternoon. My dad took a buddy to the game, so I stayed home and watched it. Cried like the baby I am. At least the last two decades of Michigan football have toughened my skin a bit.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:24 PM ^
I was 8 and wanted to cry. I was visiting family in Harrisburg at the time and my cousin who was much older and an ND fan, went absolutely crazy when the ball was caught.
I sat on the couch like wtf just happened. Pretty much been doing the same thing for the 25 years.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:30 PM ^
And we had just beaten #3 ND in South Bend on Remy Hamilton's kick. Then controlled most of the game against a Top 10 Colorado. I had such high hopes for that season.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:38 PM ^
Also 13, at a wedding my parents made me go to. Listening on the radio in the parking lot (along with lots of guests and some bridal party) Never heard so much profanity and saw so many sour faces at a wedding...
September 24th, 2019 at 1:51 PM ^
Quickly becoming my favorite mgoblog account.
September 24th, 2019 at 4:05 PM ^
This should be Pennywise waving the dismembered arm
September 24th, 2019 at 1:22 PM ^
Man what is it about September.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:24 PM ^
*September, October (punt-6), November (OSU x infinite)
fixed it for you
September 24th, 2019 at 2:21 PM ^
uh, January (except 1998)
September 24th, 2019 at 3:40 PM ^
Yep, lots of anniversary dates for Michigan, especially recently.
This one, Appt St, MSU punt block, 42-39 #1 vs #2 against OSU, JT was short game, 62-39 - top 5 matchup against OSU. 3 of these occurring in the Harbaugh era. Makes me sick to my stomach. UM wins of those games against OSU and the narrative is completely different.
Also, pisses me off that all 3 of those OSU games were away. No program has had worse luck than Michigan in the last 15+ years.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
I was at a wedding reception listening to the game on my walkman radio. When I heard the play went for a touchdown, I threw my walkman on the floor and it shattered into pieces. I finished eating my meal in disgust and left and went home. I did not stay for the dancing and other festivities. Luckily I did not bring a date to that wedding.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:44 PM ^
You might say you pulled a boner.
September 24th, 2019 at 3:20 PM ^
He definitely did, since he didn't have a date.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:41 PM ^
You mean a 'bponer.' Fixed it for ya.
A bphoner is a little like ED, the opposite of a twig n' berries, suffered only by Michigan fans. At present there is no known cure.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
I think that was the day my stepfather punched me. Though I probably had it coming, as I had farted in his general direction.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:35 PM ^
Just to clear up how this went down. You farted in his direction before he punched you, or as a physical reaction to the punch? And all of this was happening because of the Michigan game, or was this just a bad day that happened to be on the same day as the game?
September 24th, 2019 at 2:00 PM ^
IIRC, this was at the dinner table afterwards. I ""may" have leaned to the left and lifted my right cheek. As he was sitting to my right, I presume he took this as a personal attack.
He stood up, grabbed my upper arm, and said something to the effect of, "what's the matter with you" and then reinforced his point with a closed fist. My mom, of course, missed that part.
That was the only time he physically confronted me, though he probably wanted to a dozen other times at least. He was a jerk. We found out later he was still married to another woman in North Carolina when married to my mom. He was a truck driver. There may have been more.
As for the game, there was no direct link, although I was certainly upset enough by the way it ended that I (sub)consciously had to release some steam, such as it were. Or it could've just been the spinach lasagna.
September 24th, 2019 at 2:04 PM ^
Your stepdad sounds like a great guy. Shades of my dad's stepfather who would beat my dad on the regular, and do other things like steal all the fish he caught/cooked and ate them while my dad cleaned himself up (so as to avoid another beating). The good ol' days, amirite?
September 24th, 2019 at 2:06 PM ^
Wow.
So kind of like Into the Wild. Got it.
September 24th, 2019 at 2:20 PM ^
I hope it smelled rancid so you at least got your moneys worth.
September 24th, 2019 at 3:47 PM ^
You probably don't need me to tell you this, but...damn, that dude was an asshole. Hope your fart reeked of cranberry sauce.
September 24th, 2019 at 3:55 PM ^
I feel like this is a whole different level of BPONE
September 24th, 2019 at 8:09 PM ^
Ah, your old man was an OSU fan.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:42 PM ^
Did he smell of elderberries??
September 24th, 2019 at 1:30 PM ^
Took me years to figure out that this was the first sports memory that stuck with me. I was 4 at the time. For like a decade I thought Kordell Stewart and the Steelers won a Super Bowl on a hail mary play.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:31 PM ^
I was working that day and listening on the radio. The last play was just a formality to end a good Michigan win. But then it seemed to take an eternity and then the announcer came with the awful news that Colorado had scored an impossible TD to win. It was devastating and surreal at the same time. This was in the era when Michigan chokes were rare. They rarely came back from a deficit but if they had a lead in the 4th quarter, they would always seal it.
September 24th, 2019 at 2:21 PM ^
As bad as that was, you can take it and multiply it by App State and it still does not add up to the blocked punt against Sparty. I hope like hell that is the worst sports moment I will ever experience because if there is something worse for me ahead I might die when it happens.
September 24th, 2019 at 3:37 PM ^
Having grown up with season tickets for basketball during the Ellerbe years, I initially thought MSU fans filling Crisler while cussing at me and my dad was going to be as bad as it gets.
OH have I learned. I have been "blessed" with witnessing in person App State, Toledo, MULTIPLE OSU losses, and Shane Morris' concussion debacle among others.
None of these will come close to comparing to that freaking punt. I really don't remember anything else from that game other than punching the seat in front of me and my Dad telling me we just needed to get out of there.
I've never watched highlights from that game and probably never will.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:32 PM ^
I was there. Freshman year. Walking up the steps towards the exit, turned around for the last play. Thanks for the memories.
September 26th, 2019 at 1:01 AM ^
Hey, is your avatar Jarvis Cocker?
I was at that game too. Student section. Still have the ticket stub.
I went home and curled up in my bunk and didn't come out of my room until Sunday night. That was the second, worst gut punch I can remember Michigan delivering. The first was when Ricky Powers fumbled against Illinois the year before and we lost the game. We had the ball at midfield, first down, only 4 mins to bleed off the clock and he fumbled. And then we lost. We were #13 and headed for our 5th Rose Bowl in 6 years.
I was there for that one too. BPONE is 26 years old. However, that's also about the time Jarvis and Pulp emerged on the scene. They're a good cure for the BPONE.
September 26th, 2019 at 1:12 AM ^
I was at that Illinois game sitting in the end zone where Illinois eventually scored. What a kick in the Dick. Went to Homecoming every year in the 90’s. Couldn’t watch the Colorado game at home because we didn’t live in the viewing area for ABC on that game. I think they showed some bullshit Syracuse game or something.
Either way, had to watch Chris Fowler call the last play on ESPN live. Very depressing. Didn’t believe it was true until they showed the video highlight. Still can’t believe Ty Law gave that up. Killed me at the time, but the MSU punt return was worse.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:32 PM ^
I remember two things vividly.
I remember Bob Griese saying that Michigan should have a few more defenders over the receivers, and I remember Stewart buying about 2 extra seconds before he threw the ball to allow his receivers forever it to get downfield.
It already did not look good.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:55 PM ^
I don't think our D realized he could throw the ball a mile.
September 24th, 2019 at 2:23 PM ^
Obligatory.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:32 PM ^
Cordell Stewart trained for that game by throwing footballs over the Rockies
September 24th, 2019 at 1:34 PM ^
I was there god-dammit, took my younger brother to that game for his first game
we had no business losing that one
edit: that was 25 years ago, holy crap I'm getting old
September 24th, 2019 at 1:37 PM ^
I was at a wedding, watching parts of the game at the reception bar area. Lost my mind, predictably, given my obsessive fandom at the time.
Girlfriend was mad at me for a while about that one.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:39 PM ^
A guy who worked for me was getting married that night so i sold my tickets to the game to go to his wedding. The reception didnt start until around 7ish so I blew off the wedding and watched the game.....right up to the point where Michigan scored to make it 26-14 with 3 minutes to go so this game was now in the bag (remember, this was before smart phones kids) and hit "record" on the trusty VCR.
So I go to the reception and there for an hour or so and several drinks later I run into another coworker and the conversation goes like this:
Him: "Man I'm sorry for the M game. That really sucks"
Me: "WTF are you talking about - we won."
Him: "No, you didnt. You lost on an insane hail mary"
Me: "Fuck you. We won"
So the rest of the night I'm convinced this guy is just fucking with me. When I get home I load up the VCR to watch the last three minutes and I'm stunned to watch the end of the game.
The true irony here is what happened next. After the Michigan game shut off on the VCR the tape showed me what had been recorded previously that I recorded over. As God is my witness the football game tape ended with the stupid pass from Stewart and cut directly to the last minute of the 1993 NCAA championship game in basketball so I got to watch the Colorado game and the NC game back to back. Anyone who doesnt think God has a sense of humor and likes screwing with Michigan fans can debate me anytime.
I literally set fire to that damn VCR tape.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:41 PM ^
It is crazy that you brought that up because looking at the date, that is a good 1.5 years after the Webber timeout. That is the opposite of how those are stocked in my memory. The hail mary seems well before the timeout in my memory.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:39 PM ^
From a selfish POV, that play arguably cost Penn State a National Title in 1994. I was rooting for U-M regardless in that game. I was a freshman at PSU and I could see the longer-term implications resulting from that pass (most of my classmates were rooting for Colorado).
The PSU @ Michigan game on October 15, 1994 was a great football game. A match-up of #3 at #5. If Michigan won, it probably would have been #4 at #3.
Now, PSU still went to #1 anyway after the win. #1 Florida lost earlier in the day, and the Michigan win was enough for PSU to vault to #1. The problem was that still-undefeated Colorado was #2 and still-undefeated Nebraska was #3.
So when they played 2 weeks later, Nebraska got the vault to #1 and they stayed there to the end.
That arguably (hard to say) might not have happened if CU/Nebraska was #7 at #2 instead of #2 at #3.
September 24th, 2019 at 2:12 PM ^
Thank you for sharing that. That is the first shred of anything remotely positive I've ever been able to take away from that fiasco.
September 24th, 2019 at 2:25 PM ^
So you are saying that play potentially cost Joe Pa a national championship. Good. I can look at this play more positively now. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:05 PM ^
That game bothered me as a M fan.
On the last drive, there was a sideline play where the Michigan defender stole the ball from a PSU player in bounds. The refs missed it, and this was pre replay.
If replay existed, Michigan likely wins that game.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:39 PM ^
I was incredibly hungover from a party the night before where I made an ass out of myself. I drank a couple beers before the game at a tailgate in the Pioneer parking lot to try to rally. About midway through the 1st quarter I had to pee really bad. After taking care of business the line to get back into the student section still was hundreds of people deep. After waiting about 10 minutes I decided to heck with it and ran home.
I watched the second half with my roommate on tv. It was the most unbelievable ending. We said Mo should be fired. Bo would never allow this. This program is a joke. UNACCEPTABLE!! We'll never compete with the big boys! Bring back Bump Elliot!
September 24th, 2019 at 1:42 PM ^
Damn you. I was at the game sitting in section 6 row 21, which was the end zone of the play. I recall my dad and people around us not saying a word the entire walk back to car. Dead silent.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:48 PM ^
My wife was there as a HS junior on her brother's band ticket. She distinctly remembers the crowd chanting "Over-rated" before the end of the game (Colorado was #7 at the time.) She always says that she hates that chant because you're sort of undercutting your accomplishment.
She also yells at the TV frequently "NOT UNTIL TRIPLE ZEROES."
So it's kind of more amazing to see how someone else was scarred by the same event when you didn't know them then.