Where does the 2024 Rose Bowl Goal Line Stand rank in Michigan Football History?

Submitted by ThadMattasagoblin on January 2nd, 2024 at 8:41 PM

That has to be up there especially if Michigan wins on January 8th. The only similar moments from the Bo to present era that I can think of are plays from the 1969 OSU game or the Woodson punt return against OSU in 97.

Clarence Beeks

January 2nd, 2024 at 8:45 PM ^

It’s right up there at the top, for me. And so is Blake’s TD run. Winning that game took TWO iconic Michigan football moments. Experiencing that live is something I hope to never forget!

Ballislife

January 2nd, 2024 at 8:46 PM ^

Corum’s TD the play after Zinter got his leg snapped should be up there, too. That moment could’ve been detrimental and swung the advantage OSU’s way, but it instead galvanized the team. 

DesertDog

January 2nd, 2024 at 9:31 PM ^

We need to start curating an early Of The Decade list, because it's so full.

Rank these:

(a) Corum TD after Zinter gets hurt
(b) Goal-line stand against Bama

(c) Hassan Haskins hurdles fool against Ohio State 2021
(d) the Sainristil PBU, 2022

(e) We Stole your "Don't Tackle Edwards" sign, OSU 2022
(f) JJ double pass, Alabama 2023
(g) Roman Wilson climbs the ladder, Alabama 2023
(h) Roman Wilson catches ball on dude's head, Nebraska 2023
(i) Kenneth Grant runs down Kaytron Allen, PSU 2023

(j) Rod Moore game-sealing interception, OSU 2023

shags

January 2nd, 2024 at 8:46 PM ^

This defense, thus far, has had two of the most iconic plays, especially on defense, in Michigan history.  The aforementioned stop and the Rod Moore interception to win the game against Ohio State.  

DesertDog

January 2nd, 2024 at 9:47 PM ^

I think that's my favorite Michigan play ever. The aesthetics of it are just perfect. Cade Stover is 6 foot 4, 251 pounds; Sainristil is 5 foot 10, 183 pounds. But Sainristil just has that dawg in him.

One interesting fact that I didn't know is that Cade Stover was recruited as a linebacker and then played defensive end his Freshman year; he even played linebacker in the 2022 Rose Bowl a bit. So they are actually both converted players.

goblu330

January 2nd, 2024 at 8:55 PM ^

Yeah, to me the Corum run is unquestionably the “iconic” moment from that game.  The stop was great and I will always remember it, but it is more that Mason Graham TFL on second down that jumps to the forefront of my mind in that series.  “The stand” was essentially a broken play into a stacked box.

ST3

January 2nd, 2024 at 8:51 PM ^

Woodson’s interception in the Rose Bowl is iconic. It won Michigan a rose bowl and a national championship, but it wasn’t the last play of the game.

(His INT against MSU was cool as hell, maybe the greatest INT ever, but the stakes weren’t as high.)

superstringer

January 3rd, 2024 at 9:07 AM ^

Well then you need to add Desmond’s 4th down TD in back of end zone to beat ND.  It was his 6th TD in 2 games (the week before he had 4 vs BC—punt, KO, and IIRC a run and a pass rec). But the 4th down TD was the exclamation point that effectively kicked off his campaign. 

(Cool story—I was at both the BC game (in Boston) and the home game vs ND.)

Mr Grainger

January 2nd, 2024 at 8:52 PM ^

Hard to think of a bigger one. For pure excitement, maybe Roundtree's game winner against Notre Dame? Or Braylon's fourth quarter against MSU? Pehaps Henne to Manningham against Penn State?

But based on what was at stake, I'd say the game-tying drive and then the goal line stand may be the greatest Michigan football moments of my lifetime.

Until Monday.

goblu330

January 2nd, 2024 at 8:59 PM ^

Not having lived through that era of college football, I don’t understand that play from a football logistics perspective.  It’s one down for the game from midfield and the best receiver on the field takes a crossing route and hits the seam to paydirt?  When has that ever happened?  What was the defense doing, and why?

1VaBlue1

January 3rd, 2024 at 8:19 AM ^

They were in the 'Prevent-a-Win' defense - everybody deep.  So they gave up the middle depth and allowed the catch because they didn't want anything going deep.  And once he caught it, he made a move and the guy nearest him fell flat on his face causing the second guy to fall flat on his own face.  From there, AC just out-ran the safety coming from the other side.  

They had him doubled and let him catch it underneath.  The thought, undoubtedly, was don't try to stop the catch because that's where you get beat.  What they didn't think about was that it was Anthony fucking Carter that forced Bo fucking Schembechler to finally start using the forward pass as a weapon.

They had the right coverage.  He just beat them.

Yeoman

January 2nd, 2024 at 10:22 PM ^

Too often forgotten when that story is told is the great play by Lawrence Reid just before, lateraling the ball across the sideline from between the numbers and the hash when he realized there was no other way to get the clock stopped.

And of course none of it could have happened without Lee Corso's weaselly settling-for-the-tie with less than a minute to play.

DesertDog

January 2nd, 2024 at 10:30 PM ^

I was at UTL1 and while it was amazing that game is deeply stupid and Michigan mostly won it by rolling 6 after 6 in the fourth quarter (and by Jerome Gallon's cloaking device).

As far as Denard highlight games, 2010 Illinois, 2010 Notre Dame (of course) and 2011 Ohio State for me are probably the best. 

bassclefstef

January 2nd, 2024 at 8:53 PM ^

I have trouble ranking things, because I have trouble picking favorite things in general, but it's gotta be high up on the list, for all kinds of reasons- the stakes of the game, the iconic beauty of it being at the Rose Bowl, etc. I'm tempted to say that it might have been the most cathartic moment in a game that I've watched, even with all of the cathartic plays we've had over the last few seasons- I'm thinking, Haskins' last touchdown against Ohio State, the Dovan Edwards' two touchdown runs against... Ohio State. This one felt different, though- it was a single moment that cashed in so much frustration for us, in spectacular fashion. All those times that we've been -just-that-close and hadn't been able to get it done, they all got brushed aside in an instant. 

ST3

January 2nd, 2024 at 8:59 PM ^

That probably set a record for the most air released during one collective sigh of relief. It felt like all the air in my body left me at that moment. Just an overwhelming sense of calm came over me. I know most people were ecstatic and screaming shouts of joy. I was just happy and calm. After going 0 for the last 6 bowl games, we finally won one.