The part about the Michigan game of 2003 that bugs me the most.
It was truly a Gopher home game and the buzz could not have been higher before the game.
Even Tom Bernard and Bob Sansavere were hyping up this game on the KQ morning show on the road to classes that morning.
The last time I remember the Dome rocking the way it had in the 2003 Michigan game on 10/10/2003 was the Vikings NFC championship game in 1998, another huge blow to the gutt and the like the air had been sucked out of the Dome, being at the game and game 6 of the 1991 for the Twins versus Atlanta, I scored walk-up tickets as the media released a few seats to the ticket window about 10 minutes for the start of the game(My freshman year at the U and the first go around in GC before being admitted to a real college)
I remember the play before AAK, had ripped off that huge scramble for a touchdown to answer a Michigan score on how you could feel the concrete moving a little it was that loud during the rouser. Now that was about as loud as I ever remember the Minnesota chant after Asad scored that touchdown.
I still do not understand why Minnesota on defense could not stop what Michigan was doing in the 4th quarter. Michigan kept running that clear out crossing route, play action then throw the backside sceen pass or the same dang toss sweep to the right, they were running the same 2-3 plays to the right hash mark, even the blocking was set up and telegraphed. The running back was tipping his right hand moving before they would run that throwback screen. It was the same play over and over again and the defense could do nothing to adjust or stop it. We did not have a linebacker who could get off the block and was fast enough to close on that.
The one play that really made me gasp for the Gophers was the interceiption Asad threw to the linebacker, I kept YELLING NO, NO, NO, GO GO GO, don't throw it "RUN" when he rolled to his right, he was staring at that receiver in the flat and you could see he did not see the Michigan linebacker in front of him sitting there waiting to jump that throw. My seats were like row 4 on the 15 yards line, and you could actually see the Michigan linebackers eye's get REAL BIG when Asad reached back to make that throw. That was kind of the moment during that game where I said "Oh Sh!T" here we go again, this will be the Same old Gophers. Gophers never did really recover from that game and loss that season. The next week the Metrodome had like 36,000 people announced against Michigan State and there might have been 30,000 people there. Worse part was at Kick off it was like 25,000 people in the building and the listlessness and how quiet it was, you could tell there was no enthusiasm for this game. Michigan State opened the game with a modified on-side kick, it was one of those pooch High Kicks in the air, one of the blockers a tight end I believe (it was that tall Texas KID) not sure if it was him, he caught the football and you could tell he was a little off guard having caught the ball and advancing it forward. The Michigan State gunners absolutely drilled him must have been about 2-3 guys that hit him and one put a helmet on the ball. Michigan State recovered that football and two subsequent fumbles in the first half to go up 17-0 in the first quarter. By the time the Gophers put there mind to it and started there comeback, they were just a little to far back. Minnesota, really pushed it to score and get back in that game, but the defense had no appetitie to even stop Michigan state after the fumbles. The whole team even the coaches seemed in a fog that game until the 3rd quarter.
The last game we were better than that Iowa team even if it did not show, that was a year we should have had the pig. I know if's and mifs or but's, and this is subjegation, but if Maroney doesn't fumble that ball at the goal line and we score there, we would have had the momentumn and won that football game because we would have continued to score. We score that first touchdown and the O-line would have continued to put the Iowa D line on the ground the rest of the day. That first drive we were absolutely dominating the line of scrimmage. The cut blocks were as crisp as they had been all year(almost like they were in the bowl game in Nashville)
They Iowa kept driving the football and the defense kept holding to field goals early on, even for most of the first half but you could see the Gophers hang there heads after the Maroney fumble, it was a here we go again crap your phants look on the sidelines that day. That game was lost as much mentally as it was physical.
Minnesota had a small section of the marching band at the Iowa game, I remember seeing them in Kinnick it was like 90-100 members rode down to the game in rented vans(they might have even had to buy game tickets unless Iowa let them sit in the stands for free) and they had there uniforms and instruments but it just wasn't the same if your going to go in uniform you should have the whole group. That Iowa game might have actually been the last time the Minnesota marching band or a related group has made any kind of Big10 road trip. We should send a pep band at least if were never going to send the entire band. Not a uniformed band but a pep band group in Jackets at least.
