How Bo and Ufer laid Woody Hayes away.
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Wangler, Carter discuss Ufer’s Indiana game call
On this day in 1979…still gives me the chills. Via the great WolverineHistorian: While it was somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy I suppose, I love that in all the madness Ufer recognized that play in the context of Michigan football history when he offers that it will be remembered for another 100 years (’79 of course was the 100th anniversary of the program). We can safely say that’s true of course, looking back 35 years later and it’s probably more to do with Ufer’s call than the play itself. Follow MVictors on Twitter More on Bob Ufer
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Stoned Wisconsin Badgers say, “I was there” (1981)
Here’s a look at an interesting pin commemorating Wisconsin’s 1981 victory over Michigan. Certainly, no one in Madison would produce a trinket today for a regular-season victory, but keep in mind that Barry Alvarez wouldn’t arrive for another decade and Badger football consistently had a place at or near the bottom of the Big Ten. The lowly Badgers and hadn’t defeated the Blue since 1962 and in the previous four meetings, Bo’s Wolverines outscored Wisconsin 176 to zero. Michigan was riding a nine-game win streak (including Schembechler’s first Rose Bowl victory) and that was enough for the pollsters to slot the Wolverines #1 in the preseason poll. This seemed to be an ideal opponent for the opener, held September 12, 1981, and Michigan came in as a 19 point favorite. Over 68,000 pickled fans witnessed the historic 21-14 upset. Longtime sportswriter Jack McCallum was on hand for Sports Illustrated: Last year Wisconsin didn’t score a touchdown until its fourth game. On Saturday in Madison, against a Michigan team that hadn’t yielded a touchdown in 5 games, Wisconsin scored two touchdowns in the second quarter and the gamer—on a 71-yard pass play. Quarterback Jess Cole throwing to Tailback John Williams—in the third. “This win is the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Coach Dave McClain. The issue? Michigan’s new…
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WPAG Wall Clock (1940s)
This week on eBay this beauty popped up on eBay--it's a 1940s-era WPAG wall clock (above).
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R.I.P Michigan Replay: Fine by me
Michigan Replay is dead. Rich Rodriguez killed it. And I'm actually ok with this.
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Happy Birthday Bo and Ufer!
Wow – thanks to Coach Mac’s better half Lyndi, for letting us know that today (April 1st) is the day that both Bo Schembechler and Bob Ufer were born! Ann Arborites – stop working immediately and go home on this day that must be declared a city if not a state holiday. Unfortunately, no one has come forward to offer to return Coach Bill McCartney’s Rose Bowl ring quite yet. Bob Ufer, the great Wolverine track letterman and radio announcer for 37 years, would be 88 today. The legendary Bo Schembechler would be 79. The best tribute I can offer up, a link courtesy of UFER.ORG (check it out, buy your Ufer stuff there). In this clip Ufer offers up the story about his General Bo Patton Schembechler horn.
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Ultimate Michigan Football Highlight? You Decide
You like me have likely been suffering through ESPN’s tournament for the greatest sports highlight of all time (which inexplicably contains an entry with no actual footage and may have never actually happened: Babe Ruth’s called shot). I typically hate these things unless there’s some Michigan-related element to it (see Legg’s goal winning the ESPY). To make a bit interesting I rolled my head through the greatest highlights in Michigan football in the past 40 years or so. Several came to mind and I’m certainly missing some of your favorites. My favorite? See the pic that leads this story. I was in the upper deck in Spartan Stadium on the same side of the field and saw the whole thing. My head almost exploded when I realized what I had just watched. Here’s a poll and get your takes and feel free to add your own entry: {democracy} Here’s what I could find on the YouTube. Thankfully I witnessed each of these in person except for the great Wangler to Carter game winner and of course the Harmon ditty:
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Must See: Expanded Wangler to Carter
Check out Brian Cook’s AOL Fanhouse post on the new montage put together by the talented “expressfan”. It’s not just your same old Wangler to Carter. He’s got clips from the Bo and Brandstatter on Michigan Replay talking about the play and about broadcasting legend Bob Ufer. Plus, he thankfully includes a great clip of two plays prior to the famous pass when Michigan threw the ball right into Indiana coach Lee Corso’s hands to kill the clock. In one of the Ufer recordings (not provided here) you hear him talk about this but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it. It’s hilarious. Here’s the YouTube and don’t miss Cook’s take on the Fanhouse:
