Category: Football

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

The second installment of the series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us to 2004. Michigan was fresh off a tough, defensive win over Iowa, which might just have taken some energy out of the Wolverines. They’d need every bit of energy they could find to top the Spartans in 2004.

In the fourth quarter, with just 8:43 left in regulation, Michigan State had taken a 27-10 lead, and reporters in the press box could be forgiven if they’d already started working on the lead paragraph to their game stories. It seemed that the script was written, but Braylon Edwards had other ideas.

First, Michigan cut the lead to two touchdowns with a field goal by Garrett Rivas. Then, Brian Thompson recovered the insides kick after it bounced off a Michigan State player, and Michigan was in business. Two plays later, Edwards went up and grabbed a jump ball away from the cornerback in the end zone to bring Michigan to within one touchdown. Suddenly, a palpable shift had occurred. With 3:05 left in regulation, Mike Hart bounced outside a would-be tackle and gained 26 yards to the Spartan’s 22 yard line, and Michigan Stadium was shaking. On the ensuing play, Edwards out-jumped a defender again, and the score was tied, 27-27. However, Michigan State didn’t panic, and with time for one play in regulation, the Spartans had a shot at a 52-yard field goal, but Dave Rayner’s kick was short, and the game went to overtime.

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The game went to a third overtime and Edwards gave Michigan the lead for good when he caught a slant pass and took it to the end zone. Finally, on fourth down and eight yards to go, Markus Curry knocked the ball away in the end zone, and Michigan came all the way back to claim a 45-37 win in triple overtime against Michigan State, in a game that State coach John L. Smith said the Spartans should have won.

Thanks to YouTube poster RXwolverine and ESPN Classic for the game broadcast. As always, I own nothing, and this blog post is written strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

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

The first installment of the series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us back to 2002. The previous year, Michigan had suffered a rather dubious defeat when Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker appeared not to have spiked the ball in time, but still received an additional second on the clock and completed a two-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Duckett as the clock ran out.

The Wolverines weren’t about to let the same thing happen in 2002, and they took it to Michigan State from the kickoff, winning 49-3. Well, almost from the kickoff. Michigan State got a 39-yard field goal from Dave Rayner before the Wolverines colored the game maize and blue. Running back B.J. Askew gave the Wolverines a 7-3 lead when he scored from two yards out, and when quarterback John Navarre connected with Russell Bellamy, the Wolverines took a 21-3 lead into the locker room at halftime, and most fans started planning their postgame tailgate menus.

In the third quarter, Navarre added a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Joppru and a 47-yard TD pass to Bellamy. This time, there was no matter of an additional second. The Wolverines just dominated the Spartans. The rivalry game would be the last for Michigan State coach Bobby Williams, who was relieved of his job duties at the end of the season. Michigan finished the season with a trip to Tampa, where the Wolverines topped Florida in the Outback Bow, 38-30.

Thanks for ESPN for the game broadcast of this contest. As always, I do not own anything and this blog is written strictly for the enjoyment of readers.