What was your first Michigan Football game?
9-18-2004 vs San Diego State, a 24-21 win. Tight game and a week after our offense shat the bed against an ND team that turned out to be bad. Started off so promising with a TD bomb to Braylon the first play. Nothing much the rest of the way, SDSU even led at one point. This was the coming out game for 3 star freshman Mike Hart who had his first 100-yard game.
Season ended in a B1G Championship and Rose Bowl appearance.
I was 9 years old (bottom right) What about you?
September 28, 1996 UCLA, in the student section. 38-9 Michigan win. Caught Colorado, Notre Dame, and Iowa wins the following year, the 1997 Championship season. At least one game every year since then. Finally got ahold of season tickets in 2015.
April 27th, 2020 at 10:21 PM ^
Had to be 1973 vs Stanford ... we hammered them but I think at end of year we lost to OSU ?
April 27th, 2020 at 10:45 PM ^
October 4, 1978 Vs. MSU @ the Big House
Eddie Smith and Kirk Gibson both had career days. My Dad took me to the game and he's a huge Sparty fan. I was 10 years old and the result really solidified my disdain for that agricultural school in East Lansing. I don't have a photo from the game but I still have my ticket stub. I always thought toe met leather at 12:00 but I see the stub shows a 1:30 kickoff. It was a great day for football and I was amazed at the whole environment. The final score wasn't the result I wanted but it was an experience i carry with me to this day.
Final Score MSU 24 - 15 UM
April 28th, 2020 at 12:13 AM ^
I was listening to that game when I was 14. I was in shock that MSU was kicking our ass at home. Every year since I started following Michigan in '72, we would beat state fairly handily at home or away.
April 27th, 2020 at 10:50 PM ^
First game at Michigan stadium was in 2002 vs. Utah Utes
First game i watched on tv was the 2000 Orange bowl vs. Alabama
And i fell in love ever since...
GO BLUE!!
April 27th, 2020 at 11:10 PM ^
It was Homecoming 1960, we lost to Minnesota in a 0-10 shutout. I was six. Months old.
The first game I can remember was Navy, 1968. We won. I was 8 years old.
October 6, 1973 against Oregon
I was 2 weeks old. My first vivid memory was the Indiana game, AC’s catch
The U - Miami 1988 - Great game,,,tough loss....first time I saw a team (The U) put up 4 fingers at the start of the fourth quarter....and then they came back from down 14 and won the game....
Oct. 3, 1970
Texas A&M 10
Michigan 14
I remember toilet paper roll streamers being thrown, numerous people being passed up and students with kegs of beer in the stands.
1973, Stanford. Don’t remember what the score was but we hammered them. The thing I remember most about that year was the OSU game - a tie. Uuuuuggggghhhhh.
Michigan vs Michigan State - 1994. I was a 7th grader and as I remember it Michigan didn't have any issues handling them that day. We sat in the South End Zone and for some reason I still remember a Sparty fan walking out and saying "How about those Lions!" ... Go Blue!
I was born in Detroit. Spent most of my life living in other parts of the U.S. Life-long, fanatical UM fan.
First attended UM football game: 2003. In Ann Arbor. Michigan 38, Notre 0. Michigan's largest win margin ever versus Notre Dame.
Also bought my favorite Michigan baseball cap at the stadium M-Den, which I still own, still wear and is still in very good condition.
To me, that first attended game was visiting Mecca. It felt holy. Spiritual. An awakening.
I've attended several games since then. Until I attend a UM/OSU game in AA (on my bucket list) no game will surpass that 2003 ND game.
Homecoming October,1967 vs. Indiana. Their last Rose Bowl team featured John Isenbarger and Harry Gonzo and was dubbed the Cardiac Kids for the way they managed to pull out last minute victories. Michigan had a guy named Ron Johnson... Indiana jumped to a 20 point lead and Michigan came back and tied, then surrendered a late touchdown. First time I saw the Michigan Band which I later joined and was a four year member.
impatient
Oops, slow ‘net.
My first two Michigan games were both at Michigan Stadium in back to back years against Indiana (1988-1989) when I was 13 and 14. My uncle had not long before graduated from IU Law School, so he invited my dad and I to go on a bus with IU alums from Grand Rapids to Ann Arbor for the games. Oddity of the Big Ten schedule that featured two straight home games.
In 1987, Michigan lost in Bloomington 14-10 and the IU alums were really encouraged and ready for a big win at the Big House on the way to that 1988 game.
1988 - Michigan hammered IU 31-6
1989 - Michigan crushed the Hoosiers 38-10
Those two wins started what is now a 24-game winning streak over Indiana.
My unhealthy love for Tony Boles began during those games, especially in 1989:
September 11, 1982, at the Big House, versus Wisconsin. Good guys were victorious, 20 - 9.
April 28th, 2020 at 10:30 AM ^
Nov. 1, 1986 Michigan v. Illinois. Harbaugh and company destroyed Illinois 69-13 in what was easily their most dominant performance of the season. Bo hated Mike White and Illinois, and it showed.
My second game was the 1988 Michigan v. Miami (YTM) game. That was one of the most enjoyable sporting events I've ever attended. Left a bit early with Michigan up 16. Never did catch the final score . . .
Together, those two games were the perfect introduction to Michigan football. Total dominance against many teams, paired with heartbreaking disappointment against top 5 teams.
April 28th, 2020 at 10:59 AM ^
1983 season. I had just arrived to my Bursley Hall dorm the previous weekend from my home state of Pennsylvania and was looking forward to my first game at The Big House. SI had just pronounced Michigan #1 that same weekend with Rick Leach gracing the cover.
My first game was a fantastic opening weekend win over Washington State. As a freshman, of course I sat deep in the endzone with the other freshman and was amazed by the revelry and sheer joy of the event. I'll also never forget hearing the score of the Slippery Rock State College game that day. I don't actually remember the score or their opponent, but as a kid who grew up 15 minutes from Slippery Rock (now Slippery Rock University) and had friends attending there, I was just like what???
As for the game, the Cougars weren't ranked, yet we were trailing 17-14 late in the 4th quarter. Fortunately, we drove the length of the field to regain the lead and hold on for a 20-17 victory. I couldn't have asked for a better start to my college days. Unfortunately, the SI jinx would haunt us the following weekend in a 25-24 loss at the University of Washington.
I'd also like to announce that my youngest daughter decided last weekend to attend the University of Michigan this fall. Unfortunately, we'll be paying out of state tuition, but her Wolverine parents are so proud to have her join the Wolverine faithful!
Go Blue!
April 28th, 2020 at 11:13 AM ^
1977, 63-20 win over Northwestern. We trailed 0-7 after Q1, then led at the half 14-7. I had to look up the stats and was surprised at how much we won by because I remember being annoyed at how close the game was. Different era, different expectations.
1990 vs UCLA is the first game I remember. I may have been to one or two before that but I don’t recollect. From 1990-2001 I was at pretty much every meaningful game. From 2006-2014 I was only at about half the home games or less each season. From 2014 on I’ve barely missed, maybe one home game per year.