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Posted on by Jeff Cummins

๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎ ๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ: ๐‘ด๐‘ฐ๐‘ช๐‘ฏ๐‘ฐ๐‘ฎ๐‘จ๐‘ต ๐‘ฝ๐‘บ. ๐‘ด๐‘ฐ๐‘ช๐‘ฏ๐‘ฐ๐‘ฎ๐‘จ๐‘ต ๐‘บ๐‘ป๐‘จ๐‘ป๐‘ฌ, 1995

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

The fourth installment of this weekโ€™s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us to 1995. This series has a long history of giving first-year head coaches rude introductions to the rivalry. In keeping with that tradition, the Michigan State Spartans gave Michigan coach Lloyd Carr a greeting that was as cold as the chilly, snowy day in East Lansing.

It started out well enough for Michigan. Remy Hamilton kicked a 35-yard field goal to put the Wolverines up, 3-0. But special teams play turned out to be a give and take proposition on that day, as Derrick Mason returned a punt for a 70-yard touchdown in the second quarter. That play turned the momentum in the Spartansโ€™ favor. Itโ€™s always a challenge to trail Michigan State on the road in a rivalry game.

Still, the Wolverines fought gamely as the struggle went back and forth. Quarterback Brian Griese connected with Mercury Hayes for a 22-yard touchdown pass that gave the Wolverines a 4-point lead, but Michigan State still had 3:38 to work with, and that was more than enough time. Then the ghosts of Paul Bunyan games past went to work. On a 4th down and 11 yards to do, Tony Banks connected with Mason along the Michigan sideline, and got the first down on a controversial spot. That play breathed new life into Michigan State. Michigan started missing tackles and Michigan State enjoyed some very fortunate bounces. Finally, Banks connected with Nigea Carter, who twisted and turned his way into the end zone for the winning score, as Michigan State beat Michigan, 28-25.

Michigan went on to finish the season with some excellent victories, but on this day, the Spartans reminded Lloyd Carr that itโ€™s not easy for a newcomer to win in this rivalry.

This and other great content can be found at newyorkwolverine.com

About Jeff Cummins

Jeff Cummins has written about football since 1998, including nine years with The Record of Hackensack, N.J. He frequently contributes feature stories to Touchdown Illustrated, an insert in the national college football game program, published by University Sports Publications, and he has also written the official pregame stories for the game programs of the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Gator Bowl, and the BCS National Championship game. He has written the preview story for the official program for the NHL Winter Classic at MIchigan Stadium, and numerous college basketball feature stories for College Hoops Illustrated, another game program insert published by University Sports Publications. In addition, he has written stories about theater, music, physical therapy, and newsletter marketing. Heโ€™s an avid Michigan football fan and long-time New York Jets season ticket holder, and he can be reached at jeffcummins@optonline.net.