Winning Is Everything

 Bless me father for I have sinned. It has been two full years since my last confession...on the state of Purdue football. I feel I must do this because the Big Ten scheduling gods have removed Purdue from Michigan's schedule in the coming years, so it may be three years or more before I travel again to West Lafayette.

Two years ago, I expressed my malcontent with Ross-Ade stadium's classless scoreboard jargon, the Braveheart, Jaws, and Godzilla movie clips, the odd "Boiler Up!" chant, and the train whistle. I told you of the separate seating arrangement for the away fans, and the poor concessions and other facilities accompanying it. I maligned the all-khaki uniforms, and the late arriving crowd. I thought maybe, just maybe, something would be done about it. I cannot be the only person that has seen these problems.

I arrived at West Lafayette on Saturday with the best of expectations. The rain stopped just short of our trek to the stadium for kickoff, and the long walk, though the exact same as two-years ago, seemed shorter and less uphill than I remembered. I was only verbally accosted by one Purdue fan, but he and his group of "Ann Arbor Is A Whore" t-shirt wearing followers were weak, attempting only to get me close enough to him so he could fart on me. Fortunately for both of us, he did not succeed in his efforts.

Arriving at our gate, we found a long line to get in. All Michigan fans. All being corralled into a single gate, on our way to our high school bleacher end zone seat...and again...not allowed into Ross-Ade stadium. Then the whistle blew signifying the kickoff. On Michigan's first drive, 3rd down came and prompted a scene from Jaws on the video screen...an obvious throwback to Purdue's rich tradition as a marine biology school. Then on Purdue's first possession, a scene from Braveheart...obviously honoring the great respect for the Scottish revolution in the state of Indiana.

Nothing was fixed. Well, almost nothing. They scrapped the khaki uniforms, and the whistle didn't blow as much...but that was more a tribute to the Wolverine defense.

But another problem was quite evident on Saturday. It was quiet. The quietest it's been in West Lafayette. I actually heard Chad Henne's snap count. A quiet crowd can sometimes be the product of success. You've seen it often in Michigan stadium. But this just in...Purdue hasn't been successful. If seasons were five games long, they'd have an arguement. But talking National Championship and Heisman trophy after playing five games can only result in one thing...disappointment. And perhaps that is why Illinois made more third down noise in our game last week than I heard this week at Purdue. This is despite the fact that Illinois hasn't won in the Big Ten in two years, and they don't have a short fruity film featuring one of their players that appears on the screen prior to third downs saying MAKE SOME NOISE...like Purdue.

The Wolverines tried very hard to give Purdue this game. Our offense, who moved with reckless abandon from the 20 to the 20, just refused to put it in the end zone. We missed a field goal, had a field goal blocked, threw an interception in the middle of a good drive, and put linebacker Scott McClintock on a running back that was split wide left. We amassed 394 total yards...but only put up 16 total points. I think somewhere deep down we wanted Purdue to win this game. But Mike Hart is so young, he didn't get the message, so he decided to single-handedly manage the clock. In the process he gained 206 yards on 33 carries and had 3 receptions for 22 yards and a touchdown. Michigan's Teen Beat cover boys, Henne and Hart, outperformed the senior tandem of Orton and Stubblefield.

The defense that kept Purdue in check for the entire game finished it off, forcing a fumble on Purdue's final possession, giving Michigan the 16-14 win. Michigan remains undefeated in the league and has won 6 straight, including two wins over then-ranked teams. But they remain stagnant in the polls, a product of having young talent and a horrible early season loss to Notre Dame.

Well Purdue, see you in 2007...when Henne and Hart are seniors.

I will now say 2 Hail to the Victors and 3 Yellow and Blues. And I promise to be at church every Saturday.

Up Next: Backyard Brawl

Michigan Agricultural College is warming up the land grant tractor and heading our way. Game preview will be available on Wednesday. The theme for the October 30th game will be Texas Barbeque, and we will also be frying turkeys. Sister Kristen is unavailable for the week, so contact me for questions, suggestions, comments regarding the theme...webmaster@umtailgate.com.
In The Hall

It will be a event-filled and historic tailgate, as we will be inducting our 5th member into the UMTailgate.com Hall of Fame. Our inductee's identity is under wraps, only the founding fathers and some key members of the UMTailgate.com group are in the know...so it should be an exciting surprise.

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.

Hurts So Good

Winning a Roadie

Despite the fact that the Hoosiers were grossly outmatched for Saturday's game, Michigan's victory was still sweet. Winning on the road for the first time this season, Michigan manhandled Indiana, 35-14. And trust me, the score was not indicative of the difference between these two programs.

Of course, it was not all sugar plums and fairies for this Wolverine team, which is struggling to find its identity. Be a team that establishes the run, be a team that establishes a medium range passing game,  or launch it up to the gamebreaking, and now Heisman trophy candidate, wide-receiver. Interesting questions for an interesting team. We continue to have some trouble running the ball, even against the porous Hoosier defense, and we have had more than our share of miscues in the form of turnovers. But time heals all wounds.

Thank goodness there are teams like Indiana on the Wolverines schedule. Each lopsided matchup helps us to find that identity, and gives experience to our young quarterback, young running back, and a tough-to-gel offensive line. Were coming together, and if we can get just a little veteran leadership from our juniors and seniors, special things CAN happen.

Little Brown Payback

Now there's no more time for testing. The real season starts in less than a week. The #10 and #11 rushers in the country are coming in to Ann Arbor...at the same time. Leading them onto the field will be a group of pissed off Gophers, looking for revenge from the greatest comeback in Michigan history. The Wolverines already failed a gimmie-game in South Bend, and now they face their first real test, against a real team, a team that is ranked above them.

Homecoming Theme

Unofficially (still waiting for confirmation on the message board from Sister Kristen) the theme for the weekend will be Southern Soul Food. Think fried chicken, collard greens, and the like...Sister Kristen will have more ideas for you on the board soon.

The Corner of Bourbon and Stadium

And Now, The Big Ten

So Act II of the 2004 season begins, and in "just fine" fashion. A still-stagnant offense was made to look better by a turnover-forcing defense, and with spectacular play by Braylon Edwards, the Wolverines were able to post 30-points, with 16 coming in the second quarter. Chad Henne completed 16 of 26 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown...and more importantly, no interceptions.

The defense struggled to stop the circus-like passing attack of the Hawkeyes, but managed to come through when it counted with a big stop or a big turnover. Iowa's rushing attack was non-existent, netting negative yards.

But it was Stanford-transfer Grant Mason's 4th quarter 25-yard interception return for a touchdown that sealed the Wolverine's first victory against the Hawkeyes since 2001. This also marks the 23rd consecutive win for the Wolverines in Big Ten openers, as well as 36 of their last 37.

New Orleans Comes to Ann Arbor

The Tailgate was filled with Jambalaya, Gumbo (somewhat scorched), shrimp, and other spicy cajan treats. But there was room for the old standards, like cheesy potatoes and Captain Morgan, to keep our heads in (or out of) the game. Everyone came in costume, with beads, boas, hats, and even fake red facial hair, to make the day festive. Thanks to all who participated, the next theme will be posted on the message board soon.

On the Road Again

Michigan travels to Bloomington next Saturday to take on the Indiana Hoosiers. Michigan will be looking for their first road victory of the season against an inferior team. Sound familiar?

UMTailgate.com will take a 5-man crew down to the game...theme to be determined.

Got Hart?

How about those 2004 Michigan Wolverines? After losing to Notre Dame in what could be classified as the worst game ever, they would not be denied, coming out and crapping the bed again, leaving an overmatched San Diego State team in the game until the very end before squeaking out a 24-21 victory. Sitting in the stands this year has been like pulling teeth. Frustration, disdain, even hatred fills your thoughts as you watch the Wolverines throw away every opportunity, and crawl into their running-game shell.

Luckily there was a bright spot. True freshman Mike Hart had 25 carries for 121 yards, effectively doubling the singe-game output of any Michigan running back this season. In addition, Hart effectively saved the game for the Wolverines with an 11-yard first down run late in the 4th quarter that kept the ball out of the hands of the Aztecs preserving the 3-point victory.

Braylon Edwards had 8 receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns, but also fumbled the ball away at a crucial point in the game (trust me, the game was full of crucial points) resulting in his being benched for several stretches of the game. Jermaine Gonzales came in for Edwards, sometimes lining up as the sole wideout, at which point I think I heard the echoes of Aztec defenders shouting "RUUUUNNNNN!" as they moved eight men into the box.

So here we stand, with a true freshman running back and a true freshman quarterback. I don't know how it happened, but it's the hand we've been dealt. A rebuilding year. If the prognosticators could reshuffle the pre-season Big Ten standings, Michigan would be a middle of the pack team. All they have to do now is prove us all wrong, as underdogs, and come together and win.

Big Ten Season Starts Creole-Style

The Iowa Hawkeyes come to town on Saturday to start the Big Ten season. It's a 3:30pm kickoff so have your tailgating shoes on, it will be a long, fun, yucca-filled day. The tailgate theme for the week is Mardi-Gras, so bring beads, boobs, crawfish, and hurricanes.