When was the last time ?

Texan Gopher

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The Gophers defeated the #1 ranked team in college football?

Watching the Bama versus Vanderbilt game and it made me think of this question.
 




Thought that Penn State was #1 when we beat them in Happy Valley 1999, but AP says #2. (Maybe the coaches poll?)

Going way back, we defeated #1 Iowa at home in 1960 (we were #3 at the time) - our last national championship year
 



How many times has the Gophers played the #1 ranked team since 1977? I don't think Michigan was #1 last year when we played them. Maybe a Ohio State or random Michigan team over the years?

Penn State in 99 was awesome, but like pointed out they were #2... but they were loaded!
 

How many times has the Gophers played the #1 ranked team since 1977? I don't think Michigan was #1 last year when we played them. Maybe a Ohio State or random Michigan team over the years?

Penn State in 99 was awesome, but like pointed out they were #2... but they were loaded!

The bolded is the key question, I suppose. It seems as if there would be very few opportunities.
 

1977 vs Michigan
I was at that game as well. We had tickets up high near middle of field. It was my wife's first and only gopher football game so she is 1 for 1. Every gopher football game she has ever attended has had them defeat a #1 ranked team. She was bored but maybe distracted since we had 5 and 2 year olds at home with new baby sitter. And we led the whole way and shut them out so it seemed kind of ordinary to her. We were up 10-0 right away and they kept turning the ball over rather than sustaining any drives. Mark Carlson was starting quarterback - hadn't played a down all year but threw like 50 passes that game. My son who was 5 year old is turning 52 this week.
 



1977 vs Michigan
I wasn't born yet but I have heard stories about my dad listening to this game on the radio.

The 1977 game I recall listening to the radio intently as well, first half we rigged the radio to listen outside will playing touch football in the yard. 2nd half with my dad listening while at the kitchen table.

By 1986 while still a year away from attending the U, I already had season tix but that Little Brown Jug game in Ann Arbor was also radio only and Michigan was undefeated and ranked #2. I slept in, woke up with the alarm clock radio tuned in just before kick off.

Golden moments thanks to Ray Christensen.
 

We were hunting ruffed grouse in northeastern Minnesota (St. Louis County) that fall 1977 game. I had a three mile circuit I liked to walk, would ususally get about three birds. I came back to the nunting camp and asked my Dad what the gopher score had been. 16-0. "Oh, they played them pretty good" My Dad laughed and laughed. He said "the Gophers won!". Took me awhile to believe him.
 


If I recall, Murray Warmath was doing the radio call with Ray.

Murray, in his southern drawl, said something like:

"We're havin' us some favorite pie, and it sure does taste good!"
 



The bolded is the key question, I suppose. It seems as if there would be very few opportunities.
I took the time:
1979 Lost at USC 14-48
1983 Lost Nebraska 13-84
1984 Lost at Nebraska 7-38
1986 Lost at Oklahoma 0-63
1997 Lost at Penn State 15-16
1998 Lost at Ohio State 15-45
2006 Lost at Ohio State 0-44
2015 Lost at Ohio State 14-28

They played the #1 team more than I expected. 8 times in the last 47 years.
 

If I recall, Murray Warmath was doing the radio call with Ray.

Murray, in his southern drawl, said something like:

"We're havin' us some favorite pie, and it sure does taste good!"
3 man booth with Billy Bye, perhaps?
 


I took the time:
1979 Lost at USC 14-48
1983 Lost Nebraska 13-84
1984 Lost at Nebraska 7-38
1986 Lost at Oklahoma 0-63
1997 Lost at Penn State 15-16
1998 Lost at Ohio State 15-45
2006 Lost at Ohio State 0-44
2015 Lost at Ohio State 14-28

They played the #1 team more than I expected. 8 times in the last 47 years.

That 2015 OSU team was even more loaded than their 2014 title team. Pretty impressive that we fought them that closely. Also even more pathetic that they couldn't win again in 2015 with all that talent
 

If I recall, Murray Warmath was doing the radio call with Ray.

Murray, in his southern drawl, said something like:

"We're havin' us some favorite pie, and it sure does taste good!"
I think the quote was "My, my, my, we're eatin' Wolverine pie, and it sure tastes good!"
 

Interesting note from 1977. Trent Tucker was on a visit to MN from Flint Michigan that day.
 

Interesting note from 1977. Trent Tucker was on a visit to MN from Flint Michigan that day.
Big wins that day for both Cal Stoll and Jim Dutcher.
 




Watching the Bama versus Vanderbilt game and it made me think of this question.
Interesting the QB that engineered the Vanderbilt victory over Alabama was Diego Pavia, a Grad Transfer from New Mexico St.

Against the Gophers I believe he was the QB that got the Aggies across midfield for the first (and only) time back in 2022.


Obviously he and Kill had better days after that night.
 
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