Post some favorite memories from an opener

Posted on August 31, 2026 at 03:06:26 PM by Paul (edited August 31, 2026 at 03:07:53 PM)

I'll go with two from my student years and one from the recent (LOL) past:

(1) Anthony Carter bringing back a punt 79 yards for a TD the first time he ever touched the ball in a college game against Northwestern in 1979. I think I remember telling whoever I was sitting with right before the punt watch out for this kid I've read that he's special. May be a confabulation though. But I remember the play very vividly.

(2) This is a weird one. Don Bracken punting the ball into the end zone from midfield on his first punt as a freshman from Thermopolis WY in 1980, also against Northwestern. The student section went wild because Bracken was IIRC the first punter Bo had actually recruited, after various kicking fiascos in the previous season. Michigan really struggled to pull that game out against an epically bad Northwestern team, then lost heartbreakers to ND at SB when God stopped the wind blowing so that kid could kick a 51 yard FG on the last play of the game after a super bogus PI call, and the George Rogers South Carolina team the next week after that. This of course was just a prelude to a glorious nine-game win streak and a Rose Bowl win, with Michigan not giving up a TD for the last 22 quarters of the season. But Bracken's punt is one of the dozen plays actually can recall from that season.

(3) Denard taking it to the house on his first collegiate touch against WMU. Snap was low, he hesitated for a second, and then whoosh he was gone.

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Thread:

Post some favorite memories from an opener - By Paul August 31, 2026 at 03:06:26 PM
- 1997 Colorado - By MichiUte August 31, 2026 at 04:14:15 PM
- September 8th, 2001.* - By Alpo August 31, 2026 at 03:57:29 PM
  - Roc?!? * - By Rabbit August 31, 2026 at 04:12:25 PM
    - Omare Lowe blocked two kicks and had a pick-6. All Roc had to do was run.* - By Alpo August 31, 2026 at 04:20:37 PM
      - Yeah, what a fluky series that was. They should have won in Seattle and we should have won in Ann Arbor. * - By Rabbit August 31, 2026 at 04:37:47 PM
  - UNCW, Hank amd my birthday. EvilEmpire as well, maybe * - By Spirit August 31, 2026 at 04:09:38 PM
- 1995 Michigan - UVA - By Tait August 31, 2026 at 03:47:15 PM
  - remind me of the 1986 Michigan, Iowa game that wasn’t being shown in Jackson Mississippi so I went and watched it in a satellite owner shop and there was nobody in the store and he close the store and let me stay and continue to watch the game, even though we lost it was fantastic that he let me do - By sim August 31, 2026 at 05:52:43 PM
  - I was at that 1995 UVa game with my parents ... - By Cutter August 31, 2026 at 04:12:57 PM
  - Man those local affiliates had some nerve back in the day* - By Daytripper August 31, 2026 at 03:48:46 PM
- 2002, the Brabbs kick UM game. I hooked up with some UM cutie the night before on a road trip from Kzoo - By Daytripper August 31, 2026 at 03:43:25 PM
- 1999 against Notre Dame - By GritsGoBlue August 31, 2026 at 03:40:48 PM
  - I remember watching this game. I was 19… - By ameriKa August 31, 2026 at 03:56:19 PM
- Denard in 2009 against WMU...(17 seconds in-can't figure out how to post partway in like before)... - By ajs August 31, 2026 at 03:39:57 PM
- Denard's first snap against Western Michigan - By Jebello August 31, 2026 at 03:37:05 PM
  - minor nit...first snap at QB* - By ajs August 31, 2026 at 03:52:46 PM
- My dad wasn't/isn't a sports fan. One year he got offered two tickets to a game and accepted them because he knew I was an emerging fan... - By Poster P August 31, 2026 at 03:30:45 PM
- About that AC opener (m) - By Spirit August 31, 2026 at 03:24:31 PM
  - Great story . . . not sure about this but I don't think any WRs anywhere wore #1 before AC, and he made it into a huge thing, not just at Michigan but everywhere* - By Paul August 31, 2026 at 03:27:14 PM
    - Correct. The player who wore 1 the season before was kicker Greg Willner. I don't know if we had a 1 before that* - By Rich August 31, 2026 at 03:30:51 PM
      - Apparently Harry Kipke wore #1 as well as 2 OL, Angus Goetz and Robert Dunne * - By Spirit August 31, 2026 at 03:58:02 PM
- the 2006 opener was interesting (27-7 over Vanderbilt). there was some bald meathead from ND who thought Michigan totally disgraced itself - By Nikos August 31, 2026 at 03:22:43 PM
- Dreisbach to Hayes with only seconds left in the victory over Virginia (‘95) capping a 17-pt comeback* - By AuntLilly August 31, 2026 at 03:19:08 PM
  - That's my pick, as well. Made possible by a heady play from Tyrone Butterfield* - By Ypsi August 31, 2026 at 03:37:21 PM
    - Tyrone Butterfingers' finest moment* - By ajs August 31, 2026 at 04:03:04 PM
  - How could I forget that. Was incredible finish* - By Rich August 31, 2026 at 03:19:35 PM
- 1985 ND. Felt like we were back after an off year. And we were. Similar feeling in 2021 vs WMU to a lesser extent. Also 2016 - By Rich August 31, 2026 at 03:17:38 PM
  - Yeah Miami was ranked #1 going into that game; it turned out to be the worst Miami team in about a 15 year stretch but nobody knew that then - By Paul August 31, 2026 at 03:20:42 PM
    - mostly correct - By Rich August 31, 2026 at 03:30:13 PM
- newly minted starter Denard vs UConn 2010, "that's six" * - By Nikos August 31, 2026 at 03:15:00 PM
- 2002 vs Washington. Brabbs from 44 at the buzzer after he and Nienberg were 0-3 to that point (27, 36, 42)* - By Eric August 31, 2026 at 03:13:36 PM
  - I was petrified along w everyone else Im sure when he went out there. Obviously we all went ape shit.* - By ameriKa August 31, 2026 at 03:58:57 PM
  - This is the choice for me as well. My first real Michigan football memory and one that got me hooked* - By KeiTh August 31, 2026 at 03:43:29 PM
- I posted about my favorite a couple weeks ago. Colorado in ‘97… - By Craig August 31, 2026 at 03:09:54 PM

The Victors

Post some favorite memories from an opener