The Wind At Our Backs

/

It was windy. Really windy. And it was cold. Too cold for mid-October in the middle of Illinois. There were a lot of places we'd have rather been. The tarp walls of the pop-up tent made it tolerable, and the small fire pit of a neighboring tailgate was enough to get the feeling back in your fingers. After some food and drinks, we found our rhythm and finished strong, even after the pop-up was blown 20-yards across the parking lot.

The Wolverines weren't much different. It was obvious that they didn't want to be in Champaign. Nothing to get fired up about. Just another Big Ten lackey in the way of destiny. So we came out flat. A couple of miscues, and suddenly the Fighting Illini had fought their way into a 17-10 halftime lead.

Any other day, any other team, and you would have had a raucous crowd to deal with, but most of the Illini faithful had already given up on this season, and many decided to skip what they thought would be a slaughter. A non-sellout crowd tried to yell and scream but their efforts were quelled by the whipping wind, and the second half Illini efforts were quelled by the swarming Wolverine defense.

But let us not forget Mike Hart. 40 carries, 234 yards. That's the most yards in a single game by a running back since Tim Biakabutuka's 313 yards against Ohio State in 1995.

After a 20-2 drubbing in the second-half, Michigan came out of Champaign with a 30-19 victory, staying undefeated in the Big Ten with 4 games to go.

The Final Four: Just Four Games Remain In Quest For Championship

/

Goodbye Illini

What happened to the fight in the Fighting Illini? Illinois looked as if they may have been the worst team we've faced all season. Michigan got its ground game and defense back in order, punishing the Illini 56-14 in front of 110K+ at Michigan Stadium. It was good to be home and in our regular tailgate spot, as Italian cuisine filled the tables and Yucca killed our brain cells.

Destiny

Michigan faces a tough test next week, as the 6-1 Purdue Boilermakers come to town. But this is just the first of three remaining tough tests for the Wolverines, who after Purdue's victory over Wisconsin, now control their own destiny with regards to the Rose Bowl. That's right, if Michigan wins out, they will get at least a share of the Big Ten title, and without getting into the tiebreaker specifics, they will be the Big Ten's representative in the Rose Bowl. The Wolverines control there own destiny...but so does John Navarre.

Up Next...Halloween

The Italian Theme went over very well. Thanks to all that participated. Next week, we will celebrate Halloween with a turkey fry. So, wear your best Michigan costume, and we'll see you all there.

Champaign Wishes

/

On the Road Again

In our second road trip of the year, we met up again with Gar's World (we just live in it) and tailgated in style just blocks away from the stadium. Garwitches, marinated king salmon, and hamballs were on the pregame menu, and hamburgers, brats, and chicken wings came out in the postgame. In between meals, the Wolverines dominated the Illini 45-28. The domination did not come in total yardage, but in turnovers and special teams play, a previous area of weakness.

The win gave the Wolverines their 21st consecutive win in Big Ten openers, and their 3rd consecutive win over the 2001 Big Ten Champion Fighting Illini, and continued a streak of domination by the Wolverines in Champaign, having not lost there since 1983.

GO BLUE!!!

​

Michigan Football...Balls Out Victory

/

Spurrier Sighting on Sidelines

With about three minutes to go in the first quarter, the Michigan offense had amassed negative total yards for the game, John Navarre had been sacked several times and looked like a deer in headlights. It looked so bad that when Gonzales came in at quarterback for the Wolverines, most thought that it was replace Navarre for good. He threw a pass about three yards behind the line of scrimmage to Marquis Walker, who then threw the ball back to Gonzales downfield for a 51 yard gain. That play set up a 21 yard touchdown pass...not from Navarre, not from Gonzales....but from Walter Cross. Later, after stuffing the Illini in their own territory on fourth and inches, the game was all Wolverines.

The Hall of Fame

Prior to the Michigan victory, a ceremony took place at the tailgate. One of the founding fathers of The Tailgate, Larry "Captain Michigan" Goodell, had his leg wrestling belt retired. In addition, his name was stitched into UMTailgate history on a banner that will be flown at all future tailgates. UMTailgate.com honors Captain Michigan as the first tailgater inducted into the UMTailgate.com Hall of Fame.

JoPa Awaits Huge Road Trip

One of the largest road trips outside of the state will occur next week, as UMTailgate.com takes a travelling squad of 15+ out to State College, PA. In a scene that will may rival the Real World, 15 people will attempt to co-exist in a house 1.4 miles from Beaver stadium.

Bin Lotto Rolls Over

In more patriotic news, all of the participants in the Bin Lotto added to the pot, which now totals $140.