The Greatest Play I've Ever Heard
September 25, 2009
Let’s be honest: the Michigan-Indiana rivalry is no rivalry at all. Of the 59 games they’ve played, Michigan has won fully 50 of them, including all but one since 1967.
But 30 years ago, this game produced one of the most memorable plays in Michigan history.
The Wolverines entered the Indiana game ranked tenth, with six victories and only one defeat -- to Notre Dame, on a last-second field goal. They knew if they kept winning, they’d get another chance at a national title.
But in the last minute of Michigan’s homecoming game – which had been as dreary as the weather -- the Hoosiers did the unthinkable, and tied the game at 21.
A few plays later, the Wolverines found themselves with only six seconds left, enough time to run just one more play – but they were still 45 yards away from the endzone, too far for a field goal. They had no choice but to try one last gasp at a touchdown.
Now, this was 1979, four years after the Wolverines had begun their string of consecutive 100,000-plus crowds. So if you were a 15-year old kid like I was, you couldn’t get a ticket. But this was also before every Michigan game was televised, so you couldn’t stay home and watch it on TV, either.
Whatya do? You kill some time downtown with your friends at the two-story McDonald’s on Maynard. So it was that when Michigan set up for its final play, I was in line at McDonald’s with maybe forty other folks, listening to the radio broadcast spilling out of the kitchen.
I will never forget it. Everyone stopped what they were doing – the cooks, the customers, even their kids. All you could hear was the french fries bubbling and the burgers sizzling – and Bob Ufer’s one-of-a-kind delivery.
What we didn’t know was that Ufer had been diagnosed with cancer two years earlier. His son Dave worried how much those games took out of his dad – who did the entire broadcast himself, the color commentary and the play-by-play -- but Dave knew he could never talk his dad out of it.
When you listen to his dad call this play, you’ll understand why:
“Under center is Wangler at the 45, he goes back. He’s looking for a receiver. He throws downfield to Carter. [Carter makes a great cut and outruns another defender to get into the endzone untouched.]
“Look at the crowd! You cannot believe it! Michigan throws a 45-yard touchdown pass. Johnny Wangler to Anthony Carter will be heard until another 100 years of Michigan football is played!
“You’re listening to it. I hope you can hear me -- because I’ve never been so happy in all my cotton-picking 59 years! I have broadcast 347 ball games.
I’ve never had one like this. Meeeshigan wins, 27-21. They aren’t even going to try the extra point. Who cares? Who gives a damn? (http://www.ufer.org/sounds/Wrangler_Carter.mp3)
Michigan Stadium erupted – but so did the McDonald’s. Everyone started yelling, screaming, jumping up and down, and hugging people they didn’t even know.
I’ve seen that play a hundred times on TV since then – but never more vividly than I did that day, standing in line at McDonald’s, and listening to Bob Ufer tell me the story.
Ufer died two years later, at age 61. He broadcast 362 consecutive games, and thousands of plays – but he called that one the greatest play he’d ever seen.
Me, too.
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnubacon
Hey, I was at that game! I was not quite 14, but I remember it well.
Bob Ufer was one of a kind, and a Meeechigan man to the core! My dad always had a little transistor radio with him at those games, with a tiny earphone broadcasting Uf's commentary into one ear as we sat in Michigan Stadium watching those games. Those were great days... I was lucky to grow up with that tradition.
Go Blue!!
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Speaking of vivid! I was 9 and at the game with my Dad. He hated traffic and assumed it was hopeless; that Michigan would tie or lose the game. Over my objection, we filed out Michigan Stadium with a few minutes to go. We marched toward Hoover and Greene, heading to State with a massive crowd. A radio with Ufer could be heard while walking. I looked to Dad and said, "I think we can win." He was a skeptic. I said "Dad, what will you give me if Michigan wins, a $1?" As time marched on, I edged him up to $10. With 6 seconds remaining on the digital scoreboard, he agreed to my demand of $20 if Michigan could win the football game. The next thing that happened was a student living on the house that dead ends on State Street literally came through the screen door, taking it off its hinges, yelling we won!! I am telling you the door was torn down - like the goal posts in Michigan Stadium. We could barely hear Ufer at that point. We stopped and my Dad looked down at me with disbelief and I smiled. To paraphrase, I’ve seen that play a hundred times on TV since then – but never more vividly than I did that day, walking with my Dad toward State Street with a thousand plus Michigan fans, and listening to Bob Ufer tell us the story.
Thanks for the memory.
Robert
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Robert,
Thanks for the story. But it begs the question: did your old man pay up?
-JUB
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Bacon,
Not only did I get my $20 from the old man, it set a precedent lasting the remainder of his life and now mine. I don't ever leave a Michigan Football game early (especially due to traffic). You never know what you are going to see. Mostly good, like Phil Brabb's kick to take a victory over Washington, or Scott Driesbach's toss in the end-zone to win the Pigskin Classic; but also Colorado's hail mary in the Big house. I have checked out early a few times to accommodate the needs of my kids; but the general rule holds to this day (including this past week's game): those who stay will be champions.
Schaffer
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I got chills and goose bumps reading. Your memories are mine! Thank you.
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Much thanks, Maria and Kathy.
Surprised to learn how widespread this shared memory is.
-John
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I was in graduate school, in Pittsburgh. Part of my Saturday ritual was to watch whatever game was televised in western Pennsylvania as a (poor) means to keep up with what was happening with Michigan. When they announced that Indiana had tied the game late, I thought, "Oh !" But then they announced the final score and showed the play. Wow!
IIRC, there is some controversy about the previous play. Wangler completed a short pass to Lawrence Reid, who was too far from the sideline to get out of bounds. So he literally threw the ball to Lee Corso, the Indiana coach. This stopped the play and the clock. Corso is still mad about this.
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No controversy at all -- it was a ridiculous no call!
Give Mr. Reid credit for presence of mind, and as good a job of acting as one might expect in that case. But also give Coach Corso credit for being completely right: Michigan never should have had a chance at that final play.
I believe the rules were tightened thereafter. Call it the Reid Rule.
-JUB
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If you look at the video clip of the play on Youtube, when it cuts to a shot of the scoreboard, it indicates that UM had 1 timeout left, so the pitch out of bounds didn't have any impact.
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Rumor has it, fans were shouting Lawrence Reid at Corso the last time ESPN College Day was in Ann Arbor. They haven't been back since! Ha!
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I was 17 and a high school senior. My whole family went to the game (and stayed till the glorious end). I stayed home because our high school football team was playing at the Silverdome that day. I was getting ready in the bathroom listening to the final death throes of that game when it came down to that last play. Ufer was so somber at the beginning of the play (as was I) and as he went ballistic and I heard the Patton horn going off, I knew we had scored. I began jumping up and down and screaming to myself like an idiot in the empty house. It still gives me chills when I hear that recording. I was fortunate enough to go off to Michigan the next year and watch Anthony Carter for the next three years.
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I was one of the forty in line at McDonald's that day! My wife-to-be and I went to the game on our first date (she asked me) and decided to leave the game early. I do miss the days of listening to Bob Ufer when every game was not on TV.
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Great article Coach Bacon. I love hearing stories about my grandpa this time of year. Go Blue!
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I spent that afternoon in the backyard raking leaves with my dad and listening to Ufer call the game. Saturdays at our house were family time. Bob Ufer was that cool uncle who told great stories.
The play itself was incredible, but the call was even better.
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Actually, there have been a couple of games that ended just as magically as this one.... the Virginia game in 1995; the Penn State game in 2005.... But what was so exciting about the Indiana game was that Michigan was not known as a passing team back then....But Anthony Carter was starting to change that in his rookie season of 1979! Johnny Wangler was a very good passer, too, but, at that time, not Bo's first choice at quarterback because Bo liked to run the option. So, most M fans felt Michigan, with it's option attack, was not likely to make the yardage needed to win this game in the last minute. But they did it, with a then-uncharacteristic passing attack. And after that, Carter was on his way to being one of Michigan's most exciting receivers ever, and John Wangler was, in 1979 and 1980, the first real passing quarterback Bo ever used as a starter.
I was listening to this game on the radio at home in Lansing (I am one of the true Blue fans from Lansing! They DO exist there, believe me!) and was on the phone with my brother. Jim, who was living in Maine at the time. So he heard it on the phone and may have been the first person on the East coast--or anywhere outside the Midwest--who knew Michigan pulled this game out.
It may be a great football rivalry with Indiana, but Indiana, under Coach Lee Corso, managed to have a few good teams, and they won the Holiday Bowl in 1979. If ANY Big Ten team starts getting winning seasons together, rivalries then grow. For example, Michigan/Iowa was not a big rivalriy before Hayden Fry came along in the 1980s. When Iowa became good, Iowa became a rival. So, ANY Big Ten team can turn into a strong rival. It all depends on how well the team is playing.
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What a thrill for AC to be an alum captain at today's game!! What a terrific tribute for the entire stadium to rise and applaud him when he was introduced. And how thoughtful it was for John Wangler to be a captain with him. I attended The Game as a student and won't forget the boisterous excitement and feelings when AC scored after The Catch. Thank you for the Bob Ufer replay!! Really brings back fond memories.
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