Nine Years Ago Today...

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josh087

josh087

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Thankfully my daughter was not alive yet to witness this tragic event, but on 10/10/2003, the Gopher Football team suffered its worst loss in my lifetime, against the hated Michigan Wolverines.

I still remember coming in on the next Monday to the WCCO-TV newsroom and, per my lowly duties as a college student working as a production assistant, archiving the Friday night newscast scripts. Perhaps the most frustrating and depressing thing I've ever read in my life so far was the original script of what was to be read on the 10PM news, written by Ralph Jon Fritz - now retired and living in Florida. The abridged summary of the exerpt described how the Gophers won the "biggest game in 36 years" and how they "had the inside track to the Rose Bowl," among other acolades.

Of course, this was all written at about 9:30 PM, about 30 minutes before the newscast started, and at about the same time as our beloved 13th ranked Gophers took an insurmountable 28-7 lead into the 4th Quarter against mighty Michigan in its quest to start the 2003 season 7-0. With two BT road wins already in the bank and just two road games left (one versus crappy Illinois), not playng Ohio State or Purdue, and having a high chance of being favored in the rest of its games along the way, nothing could stop the Gophers from reaching the apex of the program under Grinning Glen Mason, who suddenly had made running the football sexy and relevant again amongst the national scope of college football.

Alas, we all know how this Greek tragedy played out. All of a sudden, there were no running lanes for Barber, Maroney, or Tapeh. I stood helpless in the south endzone of the stadium, watching Lloyd Carr dial up screen pass after screen pass to BT POY Chris Perry - wondering why our beloved Coach Mason refused to replace the man guarding Perry - middle linebacker Ben West, who despite giving it every ounce of effort he had, couldn't be expected to guard Perry playing on basically one leg due to injury. I watched helplessly as a Perry fumble with less than a minute to go bounced the only direction possible for the one Michigan player within 10 yards of the fumble to be able to recover it, when all probability would suggest the ball should bounce any other direction, in which case it would be likely be scooped up by a Gopher who would at the very least have a lengthy return of the fumble to set up Rhys Lloyd with a game-winning FG. But of course, the ball bounced Michigan's way. The same spoiled Michigan team that would go on to the Rose Bowl literally stole one from the Gophers. If you have a copy of the game, take a look at the grid on Lloyd Carr's face right after the Rivas FG with :50 left. You can literally hear Carr say to himself "there's no way in H we deserve to win this game but somehow we did."

Anyway, thanks for reading my thoughts on this game. Even nine years later, this one still stings. I plan to sit back - as I do every year on 10/10 - pop in the DVD of the game, pour myself a stiff bourbon, and relive the horror of the night of 10/10/2003.

Some may call it sadistic - others might call it theraputic. Over time the pain has slowly started to go away, but even today, nine years later it is still tough to get over this one.
 

Dr. Gold strongly suggests that you place that video in a shoebox and perform a short burial service in your backyard.
 

I still remember standing next to you and not believing what I was seeing.

10/10/03 NEVER FORGET
 

It was my 23rd birthday...I was doing keg stands for every Gopher TD...pretty sure I cried that night
 

Zales04 said:
I still remember standing next to you and not believing what I was seeing.

10/10/03 NEVER FORGET
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This was my baptism by fire into being a Gopher fan. I went to the games my freshman year ('02) but hadn't caught the bug. The first 3 quarters were the most fun I've ever had at any sporting event, concert, anything. Despite the crushing end, I was hooked. I wonder if I would be hopelessly committed to this team if I had gone to school in 2006-2010, or the 90s or the 80s.
 



Nine years ago today:

I was in Omaha watching the Gopher hockey team play in the new arena to start the season. I went downtown to a bar after the game and Gopher fans were whooping it up after every first down...even doing the rouser. I left to go back to the hotel and finish watching the game. I expected to walk into the lounge and bask in victory. I was numb to see us down, and I didn't see any of the michi comeback. I still say to this day, I traveled through the Twilight Zone. I still haven't seen the end to that game, and I can't bring myself to watch it. Ever.
 

I always wonder what would have happened if Asad had not been sprung for a 52 yard TD on third and one with 11 minutes left in the game and the gophers up by 7 at the time. If he gets the first down there we keep driving, run more clock and maybe end up winning that game. That game is the Gophers version of the 1998 NFC championship game for the Vikes.
 




We were ( wife) walking back to the Marriott Depot with some Michigan fans in front of us. They actually felt sorry for us knowing the magnitude of the game for Gopher fans.
As we entered the hotel my said: " Honey, if there was ever a two martini night, this is it"
In the long history of association with Gopher football. This was my "Pearl Harbor"
It took me weeks to recover.
 


I was a 12 year old kid and that was my first Gopher game. I had no idea the magnitude of what had happened. All I know is that 9 years later, all I can do is be thankful that I wasn't a student at that time. I might not have made it through the night.

I didn't cry that night, but I tear up today just thinking about how our program might be different had we won that game.
 

josh087 said:
Your whole story
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I would like to personally apologize to you and all Gopher fans, for it was my fault the game was lost.

I was sitting with my toddler son on the couch enjoying the game. I put him down at halftime and resumed sitting in the exact same spot, in the exact same position. I had not moved at all during any game play. Early in the 4th quarter I declared the game "over" and moved into my home office to watch the rest of the game and begin reading the accolades on the innerwebs.

The rest is history. Horrible, horrible history. I am 100% convinced that I am indeed the culprit that caused that loss.

I will accept being banned from this site. It was fun, and I'll still lurk.
 



I was on my way to a pheasant hunting trip, driving the car. Switching the channels to the game, then away from the game, thinking at times that NOT listening would make things go better for the Rodents. Thought at times NOT listening they would find a way to stop Michigan from scoring. I just remember every time I turned the radio back to the game, Michigan had closed the gap even more.

That one hurt. A lot.
 

I was at the game. I thought the dome was going to deflate from all the air being taken out of our fan base that game.
 

Unregistered User said:
I would like to personally apologize to you and all Gopher fans, for it was my fault the game was lost.

I was sitting with my toddler son on the couch enjoying the game. I put him down at halftime and resumed sitting in the exact same spot, in the exact same position. I had not moved at all during any game play. Early in the 4th quarter I declared the game "over" and moved into my home office to watch the rest of the game and begin reading the accolades on the innerwebs.

The rest is history. Horrible, horrible history. I am 100% convinced that I am indeed the culprit that caused that loss.

I will accept being banned from this site. It was fun, and I'll still lurk.
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Please give us your address so we can throw eggs at it! ;)

I was living in Virginia at the time and remember being at a bar watching the game with some friends. None of my buddies were Gophers fans, but one was an Illini fan so he understood the magnitude of the game and he felt bad for me afterwards so he bought my drinks the rest of the night. I went from chugging beer because I was so excited to chugging beer to try and forget what had just happened. Let's just say I had a massive headache the next morning.
 

GophersInIowa said:
I was living in Virginia at the time and remember being at a bar watching the game with some friends. None of my buddies were Gophers fans, but one was an Illini fan so he understood the magnitude of the game and he felt bad for me afterwards so he bought my drinks the rest of the night. I went from chugging beer because I was so excited to chugging beer to try and forget what had just happened. Let's just say I had a massive headache the next morning.
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At least you had the constitution to still be chugging beer. I was at the game, and after my friends and I staggered back to Argyle House, we just sat in the living room and stared at each other, not quite sure if what we saw had just happened. Either that or it we were staring at each other because that was the first time we'd REALLY gone heavy-duty tailgating., and we had a hard time handling the hangover.
 

For me personally, as bad as the 2003 Michigan game was it doesn't even compare to the Wisconsin blocked punt in 2005. Easily the saddest I've ever been after a Gopher football game and its not even close.
 

Ugh. THE MOST DEPRESSING SPORTS EVENING OF MY LIFE. I will never forget 10/10/2003. Absolutely heart-breaking. I would do the same thing josh087 if I had a copy to watch. Relive it through quite a few glasses of bourbon.

Like someone said earlier:

10/10/2003 --- NEVER FORGET!
 

The sad thing is the Gophs still had an excellent chance to make their first Jan 1 bowl in 42 years. They outplayed MSU and got beat, took the ax from Bucky, then got pounded in Iowa City with the infamous Bob Sanders punching the ball out of Maroney's arms inside the 5 yard line (40-22 final but were down 40-6 going in to Q4). Gophs go on to make and win the Sun Bowl and finish in the Top 25. At the end of the day Mase's defenses (save 1999) couldn't make stops against quality opponents when it mattered.
 

The greatest high I've had as a Gopher fan was sitting in the student section that night as we entered the fourth quarter, with a packed house chanting "We Want The Jug!" and knowing that we were 15 minutes away from having Pasadena (and possibly more?) within our grasp. 2005 Wisconsin stung, but it's hard to find a single loss in any program in America that had such a ripple effect. "What could've been" is what puts 10/10/03 in an entirely different category of heartache.

ruppertflywheel said:
It took me weeks to recover.
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You and the team, both, as evidenced by the no-show the following week against a mediocre Michigan State.
 

The first 1:10 of this video are a thing of beauty, then just stop watching the video after that. But it sure is amazing watching our running game - wow we had some HUGE holes and amazing RBs:


Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
The first 1:10 of this video are a thing of beauty, then just stop watching the video after that. But it sure is amazing watching our running game - wow we had some HUGE holes and amazing RBs:


Go Gophers!!
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That long pass in the 4th quarter where the ball popped lose as the receiver hit the ground in the end zone happened right in front me. 9 years later, and I remember it like it was yesterday.
 

That was the second CFB season of my marriage. My wife was getting used to me (living in WI) always complaining when the Gophs weren't on TV and how hard it was to follow them closely from afar (no idea there was such a thing as Gopher hole). That game was incredible because that win would have been huge in the season but also assured TV coverage for the remainder of the season (so I was hoping). After the game my wife hugged me and asked, "Why is your heart punding?" After explaining she followed with, "Well, at least you got to watch it." I love her dearly, but it was then I realized she doesn't get it!
 

This is STILL the game that rips my heart out every time.

I think, looking back, that this game is the one that really made too painful for me to watch Gopher football. I find it rare now that I'm able to sit and watch a game of any team I'm a fan of, play, because I just keep thinking, "some how, some way, they are going to blow this game".
 

I still rant about this game once in a while. That stupid bootleg pass that was a pick-6 left me speechless. Why the hell would they throw a pass in that situation??!! Mason's playcalling, especially with a lead, amazed me. It eventually cost him and his staff their jobs after being just a stupid with their playcalling vs. Texas Tech a few years later.
 

This game has come up many times in discussion. I honestly believe we would have turned the state into Gopher mania. The MSU game the following week there were no more than 30,000 or so
fans. The Michigan game was when my son coined the phrase: " Dad, anybody can be a Viking fan; it takes someone special to be a Gopher fan" My hatred of the Vikings intensified after that. In the grand scheme of things does it make sense? NO ! Still, I hate the Purple Puke. I was in my early teens when the Vikings moved here. My dad was a huge Gopher fan. He said: " The Gopher's will always remain number 1 in this house. Period, end of story"
 

ruppertflywheel said:
This game has come up many times in discussion. I honestly believe we would have turned the state into Gopher mania. The MSU game the following week there were no more than 30,000 or so
fans. The Michigan game was when my son coined the phrase: " Dad, anybody can be a Viking fan; it takes someone special to be a Gopher fan" My hatred of the Vikings intensified after that. In the grand scheme of things does it make sense? NO ! Still, I hate the Purple Puke. I was in my early teens when the Vikings moved here. My dad was a huge Gopher fan. He said: " The Gopher's will always remain number 1 in this house. Period, end of story"
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Which is exactly why I am a Gopher fan first. When the history of a fan like me includes watching in person the likes of Stephens, Munsey, Dickson, Hook, Bell, Eller, Brown, et.al., all the way up the list to Warmath, the love never goes away.

I like the Vikings, but I don't get all hyped up about them. If there is nothing else to do when the Vikings are on the tube, I might watch them.
 

I don't know what hurt more about that night.

1.) Michigan's comeback itself.

2.) Returning to campus and seeing the UMPD cars on street corners ready to stop the riot they expected with a Gopher win.
 

Jike Spingleton said:
The greatest high I've had as a Gopher fan was sitting in the student section that night as we entered the fourth quarter, with a packed house chanting "We Want The Jug!" and knowing that we were 15 minutes away from having Pasadena (and possibly more?) within our grasp. 2005 Wisconsin stung, but it's hard to find a single loss in any program in America that had such a ripple effect. "What could've been" is what puts 10/10/03 in an entirely different category of heartache.



You and the team, both, as evidenced by the no-show the following week against a mediocre Michigan State.
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I wasn't in the student section, but otherwise I agree completely. Of course it didn't hurt I started tailgating at 11:30 AM and knew I had a ride home so was going full steam ahead for 7 hours before the game. To say I was three sheets to the wind would be several sheets short of reality. Honestly details from the game are a little fuzzy, but I remember literally jumping up and down in the stands at the end of the third quarter hugging my former roommate screaming "We're finally going to win the Jug!!!!". I almost cried at the end of the game and honestly my eyes got a little misty reading all the different reactions on this post...
 

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