Saturday’s edition of This Week in Michigan Football History is a special one. We hit a few worthy topics starting with the recognition of the new Lloyd Carr Michigan Stadium Tunnel, before noting the 90th anniversary of the Michigan Marching Band visiting Columbus and teaching Ohio State their beloved “Script Ohio.” There it is!
We also get into this day in 2005 that gave us what is evermore known simply as, ‘TOUCHDOWN MANNINGHAM!’
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Go Blue! BEAT PENN STATE! You’ll hear this live inside the shiny new Bud Light Victors Lounge and on the WTKA 1050AM KeyBank Countdown to Kickoff Saturday morning!
Hello to the maize and blue faithful out there! In a season that falls on the 25th anniversary of our 1997 national title, today we honor the man who led that team. So let it be written that on THIS DAY in Michigan Football History the hallowed Big House tunnel will forever be dedicated to Coach Lloyd Carr.
Fielding H. Yost was inspired by the drawings of the Roman Coliseum, and he intentionally designed the tunnel to take the teams directly to the center of the stadium – like gladiators – for all the spectators to see.
This special honor will ensure that each national championship-winning coach has a permanent place on the athletic campus: Yost of course with the Ice Arena, Fritz with the Crisler Center, Oosterbaan with the Field House, Kipke with a street outside the stadium, and now Carr with the iconic tunnel.
But that’s not the end of the history lesson. It was on this day exactly 90 years ago in Columbus that the Michigan Marching Band unveiled a new formation to the fans at the Horseshoe when they spelled out O-H-I-O in cursive letters across the gridiron. Today, Buckeye fans call it their beloved Script Ohio and try desperately to deny that it was invented by the band belonging to That Team Up North. Hey Buck Nuts – you’re welcome.
With our friends from Happy Valley in town, we have another glorious memory to share – this one from this day in 2005 that is affectionately known in these parts as simply, “TOUCHDOWN MANNINGHAM.”
After Penn State went up 25-21 on what looked to be the game-sealing TD, with under a minute to go they unwisely kicked the ball off to the dangerous Steve Breaston who took it 40 years to the Michigan 46. Chad Henne connected on a series of quick strikes to move the ball deep into enemy territory.
Lloyd Carr successfully negotiated with the refs to add a couple of critical seconds back on the clock, but the Penn State defense stiffened. It came down to a final play with just a single tick left on left on the clock from the 10. From the coast of Lake Michigan to the coast of Lake Erie – it sounded like this:
Manningham’s iconic touchdown sealed Michigan’s seventh straight win in the series – so say it along with me, “WE OWN, PENN STATE”
Go Blue – Beat the Nittany Lions – Congrats to LC and for more check out MVictors.com and WTKA.com – for the KeyBank Countdown to Kickoff this is Professor Greg Dooley.
