I was at both the 1989 loss to Ohio State and Michigan in 2003
Not sure if mentioned above, but I still have nightmares about the 31-0 lead we had on Ohio St in 1989 and blowing it. One of the worst games I remember watching. Here's the description from the Ohio St. side...
Flashback-ohio-state-vs-minnesota-1989
That OSU 1989 games was about as lousy a feeling as the 2003 Michigan game for the bad taste it left in everyone's mouths.
Michigan 2003 what can I say, our group was in season 7 of having seats in the same spot on the visitors sideline.
You could see problems starting to arise when Michigan started hitting that screen pass to Perry. My buddy T turned to me at the end of the third quarter break and said this is a lot of fun "But this game is not over, this is Michigan after all" , "Still the Best Gopher crowd I have ever been apart of". The stadium was as loud and pumped for Gopher football as I had ever seen it, Twins were in the playoffs and Carr was whining all week about having to play Friday night. Sansavere and Tom Bernard were even pumping the game up on KQRS morning show all week, and Reusse was even talking highly of the Gophers on the radio that week and what a running game they had.
There must have been 10,000 to 12,000 walk up sales for game tickets because the line winded around from the lower level to the upper deck entries by the main gate and there were a lot of people dressed in Gold Minnesota gear, and the game was as close to a sell out that I have ever seen the Dome for a Gophers game and it was Finally a MINNESOTA crowd, not all packed with Visitors.
I still remember when Asad was about to throw that pass, that the Michigan linebacker picked off because you could see that Asad didn't see him in that Zone drop, and the Michigans linebackers Eyes got "All big" you could his facial expression turn to a smile and his eyes light up before Asad threw the football. I wish I could have pulled some MATRIX type crap, pulled Asads arm down and made him run and juke the linebacker instead of throwing.
I still remember yelling as loud as I could, and I have a fairly loud voice, "RUN" RUN" "RUN", "GO" "Go" "Go" "GO" before he came to the line of scrimmage, the croud roar was so loud I doubt he could even hear any of what I was yelling as he escaped the pressure. He must have been coached to throw up the field instead of taking off and running in that instance.
I still remember that "NO, NO, No" feeling(Like PA calling the Vikings loss to the Cardinals that knocked them out of playoffs)
I had as he AAK brought his arm up to throw, (he doesn't see the linebacker in front of him) Without that turnover and pick 6, there is no way Michigan comes back in that game and takes that victory away.
That game would have been a program changer, a signature win, and instead it sent us in to a malaise the next week where we turned over the ball alot against Michigan state, they pulled off that dang onside kick that hit the lineman, and the crowd went from 63,000 people against Michigan to 36,000 people in one weeks time against Michigan State, they played hard and scored a lot but could just not overcome the Michigan game hangover. As bad a game and loss as Wisconsin 2005 was the dropped punt, this Michigan loss will forever be for me one that turned the Gophers programs destiny backwards five years. Without that 2003 Michigan game loss, Tim Brewster never becomes Gophers coach so who knows what the ramifications would have been. That 2003 Michigan game was a program changer absolutely the wrong way. There were a lot of what if's in that game, but that pick six to the Michigan linebacker is one I wish they could have gone back in time and changed. In one week we went from the Penthouse to the outhouse, and there was nothing that was going to change that "Same old Gophers" crap you could hear everyone griping about after the game. Under this staff, I don't think they will ever get that high where there is such a letdown and crash, at least I hope not, hopefully this staff can avoid the hangover effect and get the team focused each week. Need to beat Northwestern next week first and foremost, the jug hangover euphoria must end this week, and the team get back to business. I don't mind if it helps there confidence but they need to get back to playing that hard and bringing the "wood" each week. There have been some sucky losses over the years, Texas Techa and NC State in the bowl games and some of the Wisconsin losses, but Michigan 2003 will forever be the haunted house of horrors. Glad that Metrodome stinking demon is demolished.
