Big Blue Heartbreak

So by now we have all been inundated with the talk about Penn State's infamous nine-game losing streak to Michigan. Every year we're reminded of the streak, and every year it gets worse as the Lions we somehow find a way to blow it against the Wolverines.

This year, that should change. But before this weekend's clash, to get you fired up we thought we'd take a look at the three toughest losses to Michigan over the streak. Hopefully these sour memories will make this weekend sweet.

1999: Michigan 31, Penn State 27
Recap

10 years ago, and wouldn't you know it, Tom Brady was pissing us off.

This was a helluva matchup, with the 9-1 Lions coming off of a heartbreaker of a loss to Minnesota the week before, and 7-2 Michigan just having gone through a rough three-game run where they gave up 100 points and went 1-2.

Penn State had a pretty horrible day on offense, as they rushed for only 7 yards (!) on 20 carries, and only put up one offensive touchdown. A punt return TD and interception return for a TD contributed the bulk of the points. But they still managed to lead 27-17 with just over nine minutes left in the 4th. This is where Brady took control (shades of things to come, we suppose).

Damn you, Brady.

Brady put the team on his back for the most part, first leading a 81-yard drive and scrambling for a 5-yard touchdown to make it 27-24. After Michigan's D forced a three-and-out (we have no way of knowing this, but we'll bet those three plays were all runs), Brady led another drive, this time capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass that went down as the game winner. What a dick.

Of course, Brady has since paid for the sorrow of Penn State fans everywhere.

Karma.

2002: Michigan 27, Penn State 24 (OT)
Recap

Another ill-fated match-up where Penn State squandered a 4th quarter lead, this one featured such quarterbacking legends as Zach Mills and John Navarre. Sometimes, as a sports fan, you look back on the past and think it's superior, and then you remember that Zach Mills and John Navarre were leading big-time programs.

Not exactly legendary.

The Lions led this game 13-7 at the end of the 3rd, and then a shootout ensued. Michigan struck first to make it 14-13, then Mills hit Bryant Johnson on a 19-yard touchdown strike and added a two-point conversion, going ahead 21-14. Not surprisingly, Navarre led the Wolverines on a 64-yard drive to tie it up.

Then came the controversy. Penn State was driving with the clock winding down, and a long pass to Tony Johnson was called incomplete because Johnson was ruled out of bounds. Replays showed Johnson was clearly in bounds, but alas, instant replay was not a part of college football in the old days of 2002. The Lions were forced to punt, and Michigan ran out the clock to send it into OT tied at 21.

In overtime, Penn State managed only a field goal by the great Robbie Gould, and Michigan's Chris Perry managed to plunge into the end zone from three yards out. Shit.


2005: Michigan 27, Penn State 25
Recap

Well, this one really sucked. It is certainly fresh in our minds, as this was our senior year and we were screwed once again by the Big Blue. This one was easily the most painful of these three losses, as it was one of those games that you thought you had no shot of winning, then there was no way you could lose, and then...welllll...

After an insanely boring first half which saw a lone field goal from Michigan, the Wolverines struck again in the 3rd quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run from Mike Hart to make it 10-0. Penn State finally got on the board in the 3rd with a field goal from freshman Kevin Kelly, and the score was 10-3 going into the 4th. An old-fashioned Big11Ten shootout.

The 4th actually was a shootout, and the scoreboard really started to light up. The Lions tied the game at 10 after a 61-yard run by Tony Hunt and a 2-yard touchdown run by Michael Robinson. On Michigan's next drive, Alan Zemaitis stripped world class a-hole Chad Henne of the ball and ran it back for a touchdown. Kelly ran one in for two after a botched snap. 18-10, Lions.

Henne led Michigan right back down the field and fired a 33-yard TD to Mario Manningham. The Wolverines added 2 to tie the game. Penn State failed on its next drive and Michigan added a field goal on the following possession to make it 21-18. M-Rob tossed an interception, but Penn State stopped Michigan while using some timeouts and got the ball back. M-Rob then got redemption for the pick, leading the team on a 13-play, 81-yard drive and took another one in himself to put Penn State up 25-21.

Then, continuing the theme from the 2002 game, Michigan was given a gift on the final drive when the refs added 2 seconds to the clock after Lloyd Carr called timeout and then argued the clock continued to run.

We tried to get a comment from Carr, but we found this loser in his office:


Anyway, 2 seconds doesn't seem like a lot, but Michigan kept moving the ball, and they ran their last play with 1 second on the clock and... well, you know the rest.


Misery.

So let these games sit and fester in your mind for a couple days. Then, whether you're at your apartment, a bar, or inside the Beav, take that aggression out on Saturday.