Error processing SSI fileBob Wojnowski
Footloose!
U-M, MSU's fortunes change at the drop of a kick
Garrett Rivas, No. 38, missed a 27-yard field goal in the final minute of regulation, but the Wolverines didn't waver. A redemptive field goal by Rivas in overtime gave U-M the win.
Why U-M won
Why did U-M beat MSU?
Kyle Squiers, 11, of Okemos cries on the field after the game. His dad, Kirk, works for the MSU Athletic Department. The crowd of 79,401 went from noisy to numb as U-M pulled out the win.
Comment on this story
EAST LANSING -- On a field of green, in a stadium of Spartan green, the maize-and-blue mass bobbed and danced, players and band members shouting and jumping together. For a moment, it was hard to tell if it was a celebration, or simple relief.
The Michigan Wolverines had been down, but in yet another in-state classic, they proved they weren't done. This was one U-M had to have. It turned out to be one Michigan State couldn't quite grasp.
The Wolverines delivered another Hart-breaker to the Spartans Saturday, using an inspirational return by tailback Mike Hart and a redemptive field goal by Garrett Rivas in overtime to stun MSU, 34-31.
The Spartan Stadium crowd of 79,401 went from noisy to numb at the drop of a kick, and just like that, U-M's momentary misery ended and MSU's continued. This was MSU's fourth straight loss in the rivalry, the second straight in overtime.
The 11th-ranked Spartans' rare turn as the state favorite -- favored for the first time since the late 1960s -- was swatted by a U-M team that took all the criticism and pressure and left it on the field. The Wolverines (3-2) salvaged another possible Big Ten title run, although the Spartans (4-1) remain very much in contention.
This was a spectacular show, with bizarre twists and missed kicks, including two miscues by MSU's John Goss. But in the end, the Wolverines had too much power and too much Hart. The 5-foot-9 sophomore revealed exactly how much he means to U-M, in legs and in spirit. After missing two-plus games with a hamstring injury, he rushed for 218 yards on 36 carries.
As it turned out, the best way for U-M to stop MSU's unstoppable offense was to keep handing the ball to Hart.
"I wasn't going to miss this game for anything, I didn't care how hurt I was," Hart said. "We're Michigan, and when Michigan State is ranked ahead of you, that's not good. ... We just knew what we had to do. We knew we'd come out here and win this game."
There was no shame in how the Spartans played. Drew Stanton was excellent, twice rallying MSU from 14-point deficits. The Spartans just ran into a team slightly more desperate, and considerably tougher, than anyone realized.
Even after U-M lost temporary control of the game when Chad Henne fumbled, resulting in a 74-yard touchdown return by Domata Peko that tied the game 31-31, the Wolverines didn't buckle. Even when Rivas missed a 27-yard field goal in the final minute of regulation, they didn't waver.
When Rivas nailed his 35-yarder in the first overtime to win it, the Wolverines sprinted from their bench, mobbed him, then danced.
"Every week I want the game on my shoulders," Rivas said. "It's like a dream. Just to get a chance on a stage like this was amazing."
On a brilliantly sunny day, the stage kept shifting and the tension grew with every momentum swing. But the Spartans' kicking game cost them, and Coach John L. Smith wore the weary look afterward.
"It hurts, it hurts real bad, and it should hurt," Smith said. "I hope the players feel it and I hope they don't forget the feeling. It's tough, but we'll bounce back."
Those words echoed the Wolverines' sentiments just a week earlier, after they dropped a close game at Wisconsin. But Coach Lloyd Carr did what he does pretty darn well, grabbing adversity and squeezing it into opportunity.
Oh, and it helped that Hart was able to play.
"He's such a fighter," Carr said. "I asked him after warm-ups, 'Are you sure you want to play in this game? Because this is a big, physical game.' And he said, 'Yeah, I'm ready, coach.'"
Hart had plenty of help from his punishing offensive line, from senior receiver Jason Avant and from Henne, who rebounded superbly, completing 26 of 35 passes, with three touchdowns. U-M's defense also hung in well against MSU's whirring offense.
You see all the physical talent and it's easy to overlook the emotional factors, which churned all week in U-M's favor. Carr was blasted by fans. His players were maligned. Meanwhile, Smith and MSU were praised, nearly anointed, and it was reasonable to wonder if there was a pending shift in the rivalry.
All we know for sure is that almost every year now, these games are ridiculously taut, and U-M finds a way. And now it hopes to find its way back for good.
"What I tried to convince them was to come in here and fight their hearts out and play together and believe in each other," Carr said. "Any coach would say the same thing. So what I did was nothing. What they did was unforgettable."
Yes, this one will be discussed for years, just like last year's 45-37 triple-overtime victory by U-M. The Spartans will lament their lost chances, and they did drop too many passes. They seemed to play tight, which was not a surprise, considering their unaccustomed role.
"I think everybody took the game too seriously," MSU receiver Terry Love said. "We should've gone out there and had fun and played a little more relaxed."
There's almost never a breather in this matchup, not anymore. But for a few minutes at the end of tremendous competition, on a field of green, the Wolverines earned the right to breathe freely, released from a tightening grip of pressure. It took plenty of Hart, one big kick and much, much more.
You can reach Bob Wojnowski at bob.wojnowski@detnews.com.
Copyright © 2005
The Detroit News.
Use of this site indicates your agreement to the Terms of Service (updated 12/19/2002).