One win to make a season (1)

At this point, Michigan State’s football team just needs to win tomorrow to salvage this pathetic excuse for a season. It’s not that it’s been bad per se, especially for a new coach year, but MSU should easily have at least 2-3 more wins under it’s belt. The MSU offense needs to be spot on, because their defense sure isn’t going to be stopping anything. But I still will be rooting for them, highs and lows. On the eve of the 100th meeting between Michigan State and the University of Michigan, I give you the following:

First, the original M.A.C. lyrics, courtesy of Wikipedia:

On the banks of the Red Cedar,
There’s a school that’s known to all;
Its specialty is farming,
And those farmers play football;
Aggie teams are never beaten,
All through the game they’ll fight;
Fight for the only colors:
Green and White.

Smash right through that line of blue,
Watch the points keep growing.
Aggie teams are bound to win,
They’re fighting with a vim!
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Michigan is weakening,
We’re going to win this game.
Fight! Fight! Rah! Team, Fight!
Victory for M.A.C.!

Man, I love that.

Next, let us remember perhaps the greatest meeting between these two teams, six years to the day, November 3, 2001. My personal greatest MSU football memory, and #2 on my top sporting moments ever.

The post is long, so continue here to see the rest…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoFZIBY-IVU[/youtube]

The LSJ has an article recounting the game, and an interesting comment in the thread for the story:

As the timekeeper for this game, I can assure you that at that time I was the offical time and no time was kept on the field by the referees. The only time kept on the field at that time was the snap clock - 25 second clock. The official time was at that time kept in the Press Box of all Big Ten Stadiums. It was that way for the twenty-three years that I ran the clock in SPARTAN STADIUM. The clock is now kep[t on the field by the Time Out Cooridnator and he is the individual with the Red Hat on the 20 yrd line - Spartan Side Line that you will see on the field during a time out for television. The clock operator continues to operate the clock from the Press Box for pre-game, and half time.

Also, at that time according to the rules in place, their were three occassions when I didn’t have to wait for the official signal to stop the clock - a pass through the end zone, a player being knocked out of bounds and the spiking of the football by the quarterback. Once the ball hit the ground, I was authorized to immediatley stop the clock without waiting for the stopping of clock signal from the referees. That is what exactly happened on the play when Jeff Smoker spiked the football. Once the football hit the ground, I stop the clock immediately and than looked up to see the clock read .01. All clock run in hunderth though unlike basketball not shown in football, the actual time on the clock was .002, which was proven through eight different media outlets, lead by Wood-TV - Channel 8, Grand Rapids MI which at the time was a hugh UM media favored outlet. They did in fact do a video ehance frame by frame and proved that I in fact was correct in stopping the clock when I did. I can still say to this day, I did my job in a professional manner and have never had a doubt in my mind that I didn’t cheat though I know that their are people in the State of Michigan who would dispute that ascertation. You have the right to your opinion MUSTANG00JL. That is what is so great about this country.

Bob Stehlin aka “SPARTAN” BOB

Now, I don’t know if that’s really the guy or what, since it is an Internet forum after all. But it sounds plausible. All I know is that we were all there (well, most of us?), and it was incredible. Words cannot describe the experience of being in the stands when Duckett came down with the ball. Holy crap. Sooooo, let’s do it again tomorrow!