What's your best memory ever going to a Michigan game?

My wife surprised me with tickets pretty early on when we were dating for the ‘04 opener against Miami (NTM). Out of nowhere this Chad Henne kid started over Gutierrez. WTF?!

It was a big deal because she was still in school (not Michigan) and dirt freaking poor. I was sweating my balls off in the  direct sun of the north end zone but I was having the best day of my life with this tall blonde chick working on a doctorate that for some reason thought I was worth spending all her spare cash to try to impress. I was impressed and I still am. 

Close second was this year with that same tall blonde chick and our sons vs Illinois. My oldest had been to Yost a few times and we’ve walked around the big house but because of life and covid, their first football game took a while. Froze our balls off this time, but the looks on their faces walking through the tunnel were priceless, a tense win, splurging at the MDen and then Zingerman’s for reubens; what more could you want???

Rose Bowl ‘89; it was an absolute catharsis with one of Bo’s teams finally coming from behind and beating USC. 

The ‘98 Rose Bowl MNC was a close second. 

FWIW, I have been to every UM Rose Bowl since ‘78, so strange that we haven’t been there in what, 15 years?

2021 osu

UTL1

1992 Houston Tyrone Wheatley ran back the opening kickoff and it was my first game 

Henne to Manningham 

100th game of The Game 

2021 @ Wisconsin 

2018 @ Northwestern just a fun weekend in Chicago 

In no particular order

97 NC game

97 OSU

Braylonfest

Brabbs from 44

UTL 1

B1G championship 2021

Under the Lights, Part 1

1) ‘98 Rose Bowl - the only bowl game I have ever attended

2) ‘85 OSU game, Harbaugh to Kolesar for 77 and a TD

Pretty easy for me.  1997 OSU Game.  Big Ten Champs, Heisman, Rose Bowl and National Championship pretty much all at once.  Had great seats too, right near the Buckeye traveling family section, I was sitting next to Germaine's (Buckeye QB) family down by the field.    

But also, back in the day when the stadium was unlocked, just getting to go in there, drive up to a gate, walk in and sit on a nice day with the whole place to yourself.  Sometimes would grab an Itialian from Izzy's and sit in a top row overlooking the city and field.      

Great question. This one is easy for me. Going with my best friend, as a kid, to the Game where Harbaugh hit Kolesar to seal it. Easily the most exciting moment I saw in person.

I can remember the slight dread in the crowd when OSU scored to make it close. The way everyone rose to their feet when Harbaugh dropped back to pass. And, yes, the roar of the crowd when it landed perfectly in Kolesar's hands and he sprinted for the end zone. 

After the win, we went down and ran around the field, which was also a blast.

1997 Iowa 2nd half.  Tim Dwight owned Michigan in the first half and then Michigan returned the favor in the second.

My family had shitty seats for IU/UM in 1979. Right in the end zone. 

And then, the seats got a whole lot better right near the end of the game...

1) Attending the 98 Rose Bowl Wash St

2) Attending 97 @PSU

3) Attending 97 OSU

Rose Bowl ‘98. In the end zone where Woodson made his interception. Senior year. Great trip with great friends. 

In order, my top 5: 2021 vs. OSU.  The feeling in that stadium during the fourth quarter was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced at a sporting event before.  I’m a Braves fan, and I went to a Braves World Series game in Atlanta a couple of weeks earlier.  OSU was better.

Trey Burke vs. Kansas.  Nothing else needs to be said.

2011 UTL I.  Well, the fourth quarter, anyway.  The first three were… not what we’d hoped. :)

Jordan Poole vs Houston — I had put on my jacket, dejected, ready to go, but I stayed and was standing about 20 feet behind Poole when he took the shot.  I think I lost my mind after it went in. :)

2019 vs.Notre Dame in the pouring rain.  An epic beatdown, the horrible refshow meltdown that gave ND their only real life, and bragging rights over the Domers for who knows how many years…

Hockey game at Yost. Feb 19, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjuFu6Z0e4U

The 1969 Michigan OSU game was such a shock and a thrill, definitely the best one I was at the Big House for.

I was at Under the Lights 1 and I was in Indy last year.  By far the best days ever.  I'll throw an honorable mention to a game we lost but the overall mood in the stadium was surreal because it felt like we had won: 2013 OSU.  I'll never forget walking out of that stadium and seeing Michigan fans smiling and OSU fans frowning.  Weird day.

98 Rose Bowl

21 OSU

97 OSU

Henne to Manningham vs PSU

99 ND Brady win

Was there in 97’ for OSU with my dad and fast forward to last year with my kids. Both surreal!

Absolutely my first game.  1976 vs. Stanford, I was 12 and went with my big brother.  I remember being in awe of the sea of people in the Big House and it was warm and sunny.  Michigan won I think 51 - 0.  I'm from Flint and was a big fan of Rick Leach. It was cool seeing him live.

UTL 1. My first night game, which happened to be Michigan’s first night game. Beating Notre Dame in 2011 was amazing. A stunning ending and incredible night.  

vs Indiana — Anthony carter 

42 - 27

’97

Jordan Morgan taking a game winning charge to beat Tennessee in the Sweet 16 in 2014

Great idea!  So many great ones.  They are all tied for #1.

Favorite game to replay:  1. 1998  Rose Bowl, 1A. 2022 v OSU, 1B. Denard Robinson and M beat Notre Dame Under the Lights, 1C.  1997 M v OSU, 1D.  1969 M v OSU

Favorite performances:  OMG.  So many.  A few (in no order):  Braylon Edwards v MSU, Desmond Howard v OSU, Anthony Carter v Indiana, T. Biakabatuka v OSU, Ron Johnson v Wisconsin 1969, Denard Robinson v Notre Dame UTL, D. Edwards v. OSU, B. Timberlake v. OSU (1964), C. Woodson v. MSU, OSU and Wash State, A. Hutchinson various 2021, etc. 

Best opponent performance:  Woody Hayes tearing up the yard markers in 1973!

As a senior, rushing the field after the ‘97 Ohio State game. Grabbing and hugging Jon Jansen. I’m sure he remembers it as vividly as I do. 

This year's Ohio State game...1 for 1 in (football) trips to Columbus!!

This is going to date me!  My top 3 Michigan stadium memories: 1) Anthony Carter's last second TD against Indiana that sent Ufer into euphoria; 2) 1980 victory over Jim Herman and Purdue to secure the Big Ten championship.  I was one of the many hanging on a goal post (was wickedly slugged by a policeman's baton) and we carted it to the diag where a hacksaw was used; 3) 2011 win over OSU -- my first time at the Big House with my sons.

Honorable mention: victory over Art Schliester and the Buckeyes in the toilet bowl.  The OSU fans were savage afterwards, so we made a beeline for the Michigan border.

Another Honorable mention: with my sons at our last game vs. Notre Dame.  It was pouring rain under the lights and we beat them every way possible, especially by running all over them.  Just a savage beat down and maybe the wildest crowd I've seen at the Big House.

1997 tOSU.  Field storming.

1995  tOSU.  Fun, also.

1993 tOSU - 28-0.

See a trend?  :-)

Three separate ones come to mind:

1-The 2016 game vs Indiana.  It wasn't a particularly good game for either team, and the outcome was actually in doubt until De'Veon Smith went rumbling down the field.  I just remember that people were enjoying the snow in the stadium while trying to stay warm and the atmosphere was basically "winter wonderland."  The players and cheerleaders were making snow angels on the sideline and there were times in the game where you could barely even see the scoreboard at the south endzone from near midfield through all the snowfall.

2-Shutting out Notre Dame 38-0 (after suffering App State and Oregon the previous 2 weeks).  Pushing Charlie Weis' shit in was a nice bounce back emotionally in 2007.  I remember it being a rainy afternoon and watching their very sad fans leave in dejection while telling them "to hell with Notre Dame!" and "Jimmy Clausen sucks!" from the top of the student section looking out onto the street as they slithered away.

3-The infinite overtime game vs Illinois in 2010.  OK, it was only 3 OT, but it was just monster offensive play after monster offensive play all game long.  Stopping the Illini at the end when it seemed impossible for either defense to stop anything led to jubilation.  It was an incredibly entertaining game to watch live.  The Wolverines had nearly 700 yards of offense; Denard threw for 300 and 3 tuddies, and Forcier threw for over 100 and a couple tuddies of his own.  Roy Roundtree went absolutely berserk.

A couple of really good road game memories:

#1: Michigan at Ohio State 1986 - the "Harbaugh Guarantee Game":

My seat was at field level right near the Michigan band on temporary bleachers set up on the running track at the time.

Ohio State dominated the first half scoring 2 TDs to our 2 FGs.  But then in the second half Jamie Morris ran wild and we pulled ahead.  Harbaugh made the guarantee, but Jamie Morris was the one that backed it up.

Ohio State was driving to go ahead at the end of the game, but we stopped them on a third and medium out pass, just short of the 1st down.  They sent out Matt Frantz to try the game winning field goal.

Since my seat was right at ground level, I just walked right out on to the field to watch the kick from behind the play.   All eyes were on the kick attempt, nobody was paying any attention to me.

When he missed, I absolutely exploded and started to run up the field.  Then I caught myself and quickly ran back to my seat.  I was afraid that there might be some kind of "fan interference" penalty for being on the field that I didn't know about that would nullify the miss.  I wasn't taking any chances.

When the game was fully over, I ran out on to the middle of the field and danced on the weird block O that also made a "10" as in Big 10.

After the game we walked around the campus.  Before the game, I was careful to keep my coat zipped over my Michigan sweatshirt.  But after the game, I didn't give a damn.

We were walking near some student housing when I heard a loud "Fuck Michigan!" and looked up just in time to see an entire beer keg come flying at me from a second floor window.

One of my best Michigan memories ever.

2021 OSU

Easily last year against OSU. It was electric all game, and that was the last game I attended in the student section. Very special moment, especially when I only remember beating OSU once in my lifetime before that. 

I was at the first night game at Michigan Stadium, which was against ND. So the game winning touchdown and most of the student section staying to watch Shoelace's on-field interview. Runner-up: Michigan beating the post-Tressel / pre-Meyer OSU team.

Last year, My 36 year old son told me that he wanted to see a Michigan win over OSU with his dad. We went to the 2017 game, not expecting much, and still had a chance in the 4th quarter, but alas BPONE.

Last year, we agreed to go if we were undefeated after MSU. That didn’t happen.
 

But 10 days before the game, a cousin had 4 free tickets, courtesy of the OSU athletic department, with flights and hotel in AA. He was a MSU fan and gave us the tickets.

 
We enjoyed a magical game, in the snow, singing Mr Brightside. And then rushed the field after the game. 

To top it off, we left just as the OSU buses were departing. We stopped to wave goodbye to them. After the last bus, a black SUV drove by with a dude waving at us giving us a thumbs up for trolling OSU. It was Desmond Howard!!!

truly magic 

“Smuggling” in a pony keg.  Bunch of students rushing the gate with a keg in the middle.  Circa 1975.

We enjoyed fellow freshman Rick Leach as well.

As a kid I was a big Michigan fan since  I was 6 to 7 years old. My parents never knew how to get tickets to the games plus my Dad was a ND fan. So my best memory was my first time to the Big House when I was a freshman at UM in 1981. I was bummed when we lost to Wisconsin, after be ranked pre-season number 1. But was ecstatic watching Michigan take down number 1 ND at my very first game at the Big House!

So many amazing games. I was 8 years old when Anthony Carter scored the touchdown to beat Indiana, right in front of me. I think that was when I really got the bug and fell in love with Michigan football. I went to a lot of pure ass kickings as a kid - scoring 70 on Mike White and the Illini was pretty great. Obviously, the last second wins are always amazing:

1979 IU

1995 Virginia

2005 Penn State

2009 ND/2011 ND

All wins vs. OSU, but I really enjoyed 1985, 1991 and 1997. (I wasn't at the 95 game, but it was also an all-time favorite)

1984 vs #1 Miami

Trouncing ND in 2019.

Best memory is the 78-0 Rutgers game in NJ. True, I attended dozens of games with great moments in the mid 70s during the Bo years. But the Rutgers game is/was the only one, to date, that I have attended with my wife and M legacy son. During his time in AA, he always sat with his ''dudes" in the student section for home games.

Good memory!

Under the Lights 2011.  I graduated earlier that year and that was my first game back as an alum.  Absolutely insane atmosphere during the comeback

My first time in the stadium was October 18, 1975, just a few days after my 7th birthday. They beat Northwestern 69-0. Toward the end of the game we walked down the seemingly endless steps to the old brick wall at the south end zone. My dad picked me up and stood me on it and I got on TV. I still have the ticket stub.

1988 beat down of Sparty.  

I had season tickets for 3 years and experienced my share of heartbreak.  I was also either drunk or high (or both) for most games, so I don't recall all of the details.  I have fond memories of smuggling flasks of vodka into the stadium (it was easy to do in those days).  We were right behind the band.  So, as mature grad students, we tried to throw food into the tuba bells when they stood up and turned toward us.  I don't think we ever hit the target, but who knows? 

42-27 was magical