We STILL OWN...Penn State

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​It wasn't easy for the Wolverines, and it wasn't supposed to be.  Under the bright lights of Beaver Stadium, the white shirt-laden crowd of 110,000+, and without leading receiver Mario Manningham, Michigan found itself in a game that was in doubt in the 4th quarter for the first time this season. A daunting Penn State defense held the Maize and Blue under 5 yards a carry, and forced Pennsylvania product Chad Henne to throw for a season high 30 attempts.

Stalled for most of the first half, Michigan went into halftime with a 10-3 lead, with a 24-yard Henne-to-Arrington marking the game's only touchdown. A 24-yard slant to Breaston comprised mostly of YAC, followed by a 20-yard Mike Hart run set up Mike Hart's 6th touchdown of the season to make it 17-3 at the end of the third. And that's all you need to know about the offense. Because the offense isn't important.

Michigan's defense was the star of Saturday Night Football in Happy Valley, holding Tony Hunt to 33 yards on 13 carries, 78 yards below his season average, and 102 yards below his total against Ohio State earlier this year. Michigan held Penn State to a total of -16 yards rushing, and knocked out both first string quarterback Anthony Morelli and second string quarterback Daryll Clark, forcing probable red-shirt candidate Paul Cianciolo into the first action of his college career. It has reached a point where Michigan's defense is now feeding off the offense when it fails to produce. Whenever Michigan failed to convert, the defense seemed to get stronger, more aggressive, and for the opposing team...downright scary. And while a screen pass to Tony Hunt lead to a late fourth quarter touchdown and cut the lead to seven, Michigan's defense would not falter again. An incomplete pass on 4th and 6 allowed Chad to take a couple of knees and walk out of the only collegiate game he will play in Pennsylvania with a victory. Michigan wins 17-10, their 8th straight over Penn State, and 4th straight in Happy Valley.

Michigan Football, in seven short weeks, has gone from a vulnerable, wounded, and dejected program, to a team that has an advantage in every game they play from this point forward...before they even set foot on the field. That advantage? Fear. People are scared of Michigan again, and damn it feels good.

Under the cover of darkness, the glorious echoes of traveling Michigan fans came down from the alien-spaceship-like upper concourse of Beaver stadium. As if choreographed, "It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine," "Go Blue," and "Hail to the Victors Valiant" was heard in perfect harmony from the different packs of the Michigan faithful. The switch has been flipped. There is one goal. There is one path. And everyone knows where it leads. The heavy work continues for one more week, as a pissed-off Iowa heads to Ann Arbor coming off an embarrassing loss. After that, it's a full month of cake (unless you choose to fear Indiana) before heading to Columbus for what may be the biggest hype-fest in sports history...and that much hype still might not be enough to prepare you for what will most likely be billed as the game of the century.

It was the longest tailgate in UMTailgate.com history, spanning nearly 10-hours. It was filled with copious amounts of food and drink, with no less than five full meals courtesy of the combining of our tailgate with that of Gar's World. Breakfast sandwiches, sausage and cheese chowder, JJ's famous salmon, Garwiches, Mediterranean Chicken and Shrimp pitas, and a plethora of snacks and desserts. Yes, it was completely ridiculous...but so was the scene surrounding the stadium, as nearly 1000 individual RV's set up shop, each with their own unique tailgates. Tailgaters of all levels and from all walks of life came together, from simple small grills featuring hot dogs and hamburgers, to full large screen HD TV's with surround sound with filet mignons and multiple kegerators. It was an amazing day, an amazing atmosphere, and another solid Michigan victory.

The first edition of the BCS has been released, and Michigan is #3 in the poll, their highest ranking since its inception. The Wolverines are #2 in the AP (which is no longer used in the BCS), #2 in the Harris Poll, #3 in the coach's poll, and #2 in the computer poll average (where Ohio State is #3 and USC is #1). While all of this is really nice...you should only be thinking about removing Drew Tate's torso from his legs in 6 days.

They Want Revenge : Staff Predictions for Penn State

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​The Hammer:

I will state this once. Penn State is no better than Michigan State. In fact if we played both teams 10 times MSU would have a better chance of beating us. I hate that people are concerned about this game. That concern makes me in turn concerned. But if I allow myself to use logic and reason I come to this conclusion...

Michigan 24
Penn State 6

Play calling could be detrimental but I don't see how they score. If Trent isn't right or something flukey happens like a damn fake field goal or special teams touchdown or Chad has a brain lapse or, or, or, or...enough! We dominate. Now go to bed.

HART and HALL, book it.

Johnny Cleveland:

We head to H.V. with negatives all around as we are wounded and playing at night. JoPa seems to have a couple miracles left in him and we are just hoping we are not one of them. With that being said get ready for some old fashioned Michigan Football. We run, run and run some more unitl time of posession and field position is all the excitement we once again have.

As boring as it will be until #86 returns, it proves to be effective when you have the best defense in the country. Look for the emergence of the tight end, quite possibly young Carson Butler, to lead us to a low scoring win. Michigan 13, PSU 7

OMVP : Running Backs
DMVP : D-Line

The XBox:

Michigan blows a 14-0 first quarter lead, giving up 17 unanswered in the 2nd quarter.

Penn State 24
Michigan 17

The Webmaster:

Scared? Not really. Nervous? Nope. Wish we had Mario and that we were playing a half of a mile from where I'm typing? Yes. But this is part of the deal. Night games in fired up stadiums in the freezing cold wth a key injury...that's college football, or at least that's college football today. So let's just play Michigan football and I'll see you next week when we're 7-0. It's that simple.

Michigan 21
Penn State 10

Arrington and Woodley

Get Grandpa Joe Some Pepto: The Penn State Preview

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​Yes, it's been a light posting week. It seems that Captain Funnypants and his Navarre-esque posting consistency took the week off. It's tough to be mad at him...cocaine's a hell of a drug.

We pack up the family truckster and head to Beaver Stadium this week. Beaver Stadium is in Happy Valley, which completes the most blatant piece of sexual innuendo since construction workers selected I-75's Exit 69 to be Big Beaver Road. Well, maybe not themost blatant. It's been a tough week, coming off of the long Saturday tailgate and game, and trying to convince yourself that Mario Manningham is a product of offensive scheme and not a shitload of speed, a devastating first move, and perfect route running. Maybe you, like Sports Illustrated, think that Mario is the team, and without him the sky is falling. Then you woke up Thursday morning, and the sky was actually falling.

"The expectation is for the position, not the player," Lloyd will most certainly say. But I can't imagine you expected that position to net 527 yards and nine touchdowns. Nine touchdowns on 24 receptions. That's the type of stuff that will get you stalked by a 23 year old. Speaking of which, how do I get Lloyd's email address?

Anyway, back to Penn State...

The School: 

  • Founded 1855

  • Enrollment 41,289

  • Motto: "Making Life Better"
The Records:
  • Michigan is 8-3 all-time against Penn State, including the last seven straight.

  • Michigan is 4-1 all-time in Beaver Stadium
The Numbers:
  • Michigan leads the nation is rushing defense and time of possession

  • Mike Hart is the nation's 6th leading rusher

  • Penn State's kicker, Kevin Kelly, is 2nd in the nation in field goals per game
Watch Out For:
  • Tony Hunt, the nation's 11th leading rusher

  • Paul Posluszny: linebacker who will be looking to add to his 50 tackles on the season
Fun Facts: 
  • Brent Musburger is doing this game

  • This will be the first and only time Chad Henne will play in Beaver Stadium

  • The Detroit Tigers are two wins away from the World Series

  • Wisconsin's band is on the hot seat following their trip to Ann Arbor

  • Stop eating spray cheese

The Best...Around

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Coming off one of the most disappointing losses in Michigan history, the Wolverines started the game against Penn State looking as if there were lingering effects from surrendering the little brown jug. Solid on defense, the Michigan offense could muster only a field goal in the first half, and the story was beginning to write itself once again. Wisconsin...Minnesota...I had seen this game before. Let a team hang around enough until something odd happens and the game slips away.

The third quarter began with a touchdown scoring drive by the Wolverines that included a 15 yard run by Kevin Grady. It was the first offensive touchdown of the season by Michigan in the 3rd quarter. Now up 10-0, it seemed as if things were going to finally be different. The defense then let up their first big play of the game, a sideline pass that ended up going for 56 yards. But the Wolverines held Penn State to a field goal, and went into the fourth quarter up 10-3.

Michigan went 6 and out, gaining only 11 yards in just over 2 minutes and put the defense back on the field much too quickly. A 61-yard run followed by the same QB draw for a touchdown we saw against Wisconsin, and suddenly we were back to where we had been so many times before, tied late. 11 seconds later the "odd" play occurred. A Henne 35 yard scramble ended in a handoff to Alan Zemaitis of Penn State and was taken the other way for a touchdown. Better yet, a bad snap results in the midget kicker running it in for a two point conversion, and Penn State scores 15 straight points in 17 seconds, and the same shell shock we've felt so many times this season set in again.

A 33-yard touchdown pass from Henne to Mario Manningham followed by a Mike Hart two-point conversion tied it at 18. Penn State stalled and punted to Steve Breaston who returned the ball to the Michigan 43. But the Michigan drive stalled at the Penn State 30, and forced Garrett Rivas to bang home a 47-yard field goal, giving Michigan the lead 21-18. It couldn't have been scripted any better for Penn State. 3:27 to go with all of their timeouts, and a touchdown needed to win the game and remain in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten at 7-0. But on the second play of their drive, Leon Hall intercepted a pass. After a holding penalty on the interception return, Michigan took over on the Penn State 41, and with a touchdown or a time consuming drive, the Wolverines could put the game away. They got neither. A 2-yard run, a 3-yard pass, a 2-yard run, and a 15 yard punt...all sandwiched between Penn State timeouts, gave the Nittany Lions the ball back with 2:37 remaining. And once again, Michigan fell apart. Penn State went on an 12-play, 81 yard drive that ended in a touchdown, a 25-21 Nittany Lion lead, and less than a minute remaining on the clock. Several fans began to file out of the Big House in disgust of the impending 3-4 start. I personally felt sick to my stomach. Everyone remaining began to look around for answers, and the only hope we could cling to was in the hands and legs of Steve Breaston.

Breaston returned the kickoff to the Michigan 46, leaving 54 yards in 37 seconds for victory. An 18 yard pass complete to Jason Avant was followed by a 4 yard pass to Carl Tabb, who had no chance of getting out of bounds. An immediate timeout, and the clock read :28 to go. In his most masterful coaching move of the season, Lloyd Carr lobbied the referees to get the clock reset to :32. They met him halfway, adding two seconds on the clock, one of which would be one of the most important in Michigan history. 6 plays later, with time expired, Henne hit Mario Manningham once again for a touchdown, this time on a slant in the endzone, and the House erupted.

A melee ensued in section 30, and as my eyes (and the eyes of a 47 year old man with a cowbell) welled up with tears of joy, a message was sent to the students that sat around our rogue group of elders. Some youngsters were in maize, some in blue, some in red, and some in green...despite the call to arms for the maize out. They wished that they had put their hearts and souls into this team the way we had, so they could somehow get a taste of the feeling we were feeling now. As the team traversed the playing field to give love to the students for the first time this season, they realized that this was all for them. That they were a part of it. What takes place on the field is in many ways a derivative of what is going on in the seats, in the University, and in the community. It may have been exactly what everyone on the field and off the field needed. It's tough to find a bright side in 3-3, but perhaps you don't know what you've got until it's gone...and it feels so good to get a little bit of that magic, and a little bit of that feeling back.

Now at 4-3, nobody knows what the coming weeks will bring, but Saturday's game is the kind of thing that can change a team. That level of joy makes you hungry for more whether you're a player or a fan. At this the halfway point of the Big Ten slate, Michigan, with a little help, a little heart, and a little luck, can find itself right back in the race.

But first things first. Hawkeyes. 11am. Saturday. Be there.

Deep Fried Tailgate with Chili on the Side

Attempting to manage without the Godfather, the Captain led us in the 7-hour affair that included about 60-pounds of turkey and 6 full pots of chili. A slightly smaller but just as spirited crowd seemed to get a little drunker than usual and packed in the food like never before.

The Captain presented me with my 75th Game awards, which included an engraved business card holder from the Godfather, and a hand-painted penny sculpture created by the Captain himself. After the game under the light of a full moon, the Captain was became the first Michigan man to be carried off of the field since Bo Schembechler. It was a great game, a great day, and a great tailgate...and we'll see you all back at the corner in a month for the home stretch. Go Blue!!!

See You In 2005

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Goodbye To Joe?
Perhaps in the shadows of the celebration following the game Saturday, a bit of history may have walked off the field. Joe Paterno, one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, may have graced the Big House with his final presence. The Wolverines and Nittany Lions never met before 1993, and they won't meet again now until 2005. The Wolverines hold a 7-3 series lead on Penn State following their 27-24 overtime victory on Saturday, having won the last 6 in a row. Before Michigan's current six-game winning streak, Penn State had not lost six straight in a series since Pittsburgh beat them 10 straight between 1922-31. So we welcomed JoePa into the Big Ten late in his career, and perhaps we send him out, having handed him his worst loss at home (1997), his only shut out at home (2001), and most recently his longest losing streak against one team.

Make Room in the Hall
On Saturday, for the second time in UMTailgate.com history, new members were inducted into the UMTailgate.com Hall of Fame. The Madhatter and John Dogan joined the Godfather and Captain Michigan on the flag. In an emotional ceremony, The Madhatter was inducted by the Godfather, and John Dogan was inducted by Capatain Michigan. These gentleman have demonstrated the unique ability to celebrate the passion that is the Michigan Tailgate experience, to celebrate the team on the field in a win or a loss, and to drink beyond the normal capacity for someone in their age group. It is for these reasons that I am proud to welcome these two great men into the UMTailgate.com Hall of Fame.

On Deck: The Boilermakers

GO BLUE!!!

The Webmaster