2 years, 2 months, 17 days ago my friend T9 decided to launch The Spawn of MZone. She didn't have any idea about what she was doing, and somehow convinced me to join her. The primary purpose of the project was to create a place for the commenting community of the original MZone to gather and continue our fun after Yost decided to stop blogging. Now, 968 posts later, I feel comfortable that mission has been accomplished.
As most of you know, the original MZone came back alive a couple of weeks ago. I am very glad to see it back. The Michigan blogosphere has never been the same since Yost decided to unplug his computer. Now, after a lot of discussion, we agreed this morning it was time to shut it down. It just doesn't make any sense to continue now Yost is back up and running.
It has been a lot of fun. We are not disappearing, we are just returning to our original place at the MZone. Join us over there.
The 38th version of the Michigan / Notre Dame game will take place this Saturday in northwest Indiana. The Irish and their new coach Brian Kelly dispatched the Purdue Boilermakers last week setting up an intriguing game.
For both of us, this game offers another opportunity to take another step towards respectability. I am sure Notre Dame would like nothing better than to push us back down after the high of last week. Michigan holds an all-time 21-15-1 advantage in the series. We won last season 38-34 in exciting heart stopping fashion.
History: In 1830 a Catholic missionary priest named Stephen Badin purchased 524 acres of farmland with the intention of expanding the mission with the nearby Pottowattamie Indians. The land cost $1.25 an acre. The only problem, is the Indians weren’t really interested in converting to Catholicism and promptly moved away. With no use for the land, Badin resold the land with the condition it would be used to establish an orphan asylum.
Badin holds the distinction of being the first Catholic priest to be ordained in the United States. He was originally born in France, but came to America after the French Revolution interrupted his education.
After a series of transactions and failed attempts, the land was offered in 1842 to another French priest named Edward Sorin. Because he was mandated t had to build a university within two years. The 28 year old Sorin quickly traveled to the site, and started teaching two local boys in the log chapel left by Badin 10 years earlier.
According to a legend, when Sorin arrived at the location, everything was frozen and he thought there was only one lake, and named the place “L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac” (The University of Our Lady of the Lake). The word Lac is singular, the land actually contained two lakes.
The early years at the University of Notre Dame were pretty elementary. There was very little higher education going on here. The school was primarily a religious grade school with a manual labor department serving only men. The collegiate curriculum never attracted more than a dozen students a year in the early decades. Notre Dame did not start admitting women until 1972.
The Roman Catholic influence on this place is very strong. A vast majority (80%+) of the current students identify themselves as Catholics. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart sits in the center of campus, a statue of the Virgin Mary stands on the top of the famous Main Building Golden Dome, and of course there is the omnipresent Touchdown Jesus on the Hesburgh Library looking into the football stadium.
Location: The campus is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, an unincorporated community northeast of South Bend. There is no municipal government here, as the entire area is made up of three college campuses (Notre Dame, St. Mary’s, and Holy Cross) . Notre Dame provides its own water, power, and fire department.
Most people just call it South Bend - which derived its name because it lies at the southernmost bend of the St. Joseph River. It was originally a fur trading post in the 1820s and officially incorporated as a city in 1865. Like most Midwestern cities, heavy industry have always dominated the local economy. Companies like the Studebaker Corporation, the Singer Sewing Company, and Oliver Chilled Plow Company were the early driving forces in the growing city.
U.S. Grant’s Vice President Schuyler Colfax lived in South Bend and represented the state in Congress and served as Speaker of the House during most of the civil war. He died of heart attack brought on my extreme cold and exhaustion in a Minnesota train station in 1885. He is buried at the local cemetery.
Nickname: They call themselves the Fighting Irish. There is no official story as to how or why. One would think because of the French background of the name and original founders of this place, they would call themselves the Fighting French. Then again, considering the history of the French military in the past century, maybe not.
During the era of the Four Horsemen (1920's) they were called the Rovers. Other times they were called the Terriers, after a priest’s dog. They also were called the Ramblers, because the football team would travel anywhere to play anyone. None of those names stuck.
To me, the best and most logical explanation for the “Fight Irish” name comes from the Irish Brigade in the American Civil War. This decorated infantry unit, originally made up of the 63rd New York, the 69th New York, and the 88th New York was filled with Irish immigrant soldiers fighting for their adopted country.
Many joined the army to gain military experience with an eye to returning to Ireland and freeing their country from the British. This unit first gained notoriety when, before the war, their Colonel refused an order to parade the troops for the English Prince of Wales. He was arrested and faced a court-martial. Once the war started, charges were dropped and the Colonel was sent into the fight.
I could write a doctorate thesis on the Irish influence and involvement and influence of the Civil War, but I won’t do that here. If you have ever walked the Union line at Gettysburg you will see a statue of Father William Corby (a Detroit Native) giving the Irish Brigade general absolution before the 2nd day of the historic battle. Corby later became Notre Dame’s 3rd (and 6th) President.
I say this every year, but I don’t understand is why the NCAA considers Native American nicknames like the Indians or Redskins offensive, but turns a blind eye to the equally as racist and offensive moniker Fighting Irish? Imagine if UTEP called themselves The Marauding Mexicans ? I can only assume the NCAA does not know that Ireland is a sovereign nation. Characterizing the good citizens of this nation as leprechaun fighters, is patently offensive.
Mascot/ Colors / Logo / Helmet: In 1965 Notre Dame named the Leprechaun as their official mascot. Each year a current student is selected to dress in a Lucky Charms outfit and hop around the sidelines. As far as costumed mascots go, this one is pretty goofy.
Many people associate green with the Notre Dame, but the official colors are “Madonna blue and Papal gold”. Throughout the history of Notre Dame football, they have sometimes worn green. During the Dan Devine era (1975-80) Notre Dame wore green uniforms almost every game. Today they reserve the green jerseys for special occasions, like when they are getting ready to lose to USC.
They use a classic interlocking ND as the primary logo. I noticed they incorporated it onto the sleeves of their 2010 football jerseys. This has been the Notre Dame logo since at least the 1960s. At times, a shamrock as appeared behind it. It is one of the most recognizable and iconic logos in American sports.
They wear a plain gold helmet. No logos. No stripes. No “good job” stickers. This helmet has become a symbol of the university as much as the golden dome itself. The Irish are one of the few schools to never change from the traditional grey color of their face masks. As with so many things about this school, they have made a big tradition for the student managers to spray shiny new gold paint onto the helmets before each game.
Fight Song: In 1908 brothers John and Michael Shea wrote The Notre Dame Victory March. It was copyrighted by the university in 1928. It has become is one of the most recognizable college fight songs in history. Sports Illustrated ranked it in 2006 as the #5 fight song. In the same poll, Michigan's The Victors was ranked #1.
Rally sons of Notre Dame Sing her glory and sound her fame, Raise her Gold and Blue And cheer with voices true: Rah, rah, for Notre Dame We will fight in ev-ry game, Strong of heart and true to her name We will ne'er forget her And will cheer her ever Loyal to Notre Dame
Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame, Wake up the echoes cheering her name, Send a volley cheer on high, Shake down the thunder from the sky. What though the odds be great or small Old Notre Dame will win over all While her loyal sons are marching Onward to victory.
Academics: Once a popular choice for good catholic boys to attend college, Notre Dame has become one of the top academic institutions in the country. According to the latest US News and World Report it is ranked #19 amongst National Universities.
With no Northwestern on our schedule this year, Notre Dame is once again the only school ranked higher than us in the USNWR ratings. With a strong national alumni base and popularity amongst subway alumni (people that associate with but never attended the school), a Notre Dame degree is very valuable. I find it interesting the contrast between view of their subway alumni and our non-alum fans. We get ridiculed for being “Wal*Mart Wolverines” while they are considered a foundation for the fan base.
Football program: In 1887, the Michigan Wolverines introduced football for the first time to Notre Dame and shut them out 8-0. In 1888, we beat them three times in the same season. Not to be dissuaded, Notre Dame’s program got better and better, capturing the national attention and building an impressive tradition.
Today not too many schools can compete with their impressive history. In 121 seasons, they have only had 13 losing seasons. They have the third most wins (behind Michigan and Texas) and second highest winning percentage in history (behind Michigan). They claim 11 national titles, 12 undefeated seasons, and 7 Heisman Trophies. In total, the Irish have fielded 99 All Americans and 48 College Football Hall of Famers. They have produced the largest number of players to go on and play in the NFL, have had 463 players drafted, highlighted by 5 overall #1 picks. All very impressive.
Other Sports: Notre Dame fields a Title IX friendly 13 men’s and 13 women’s varsity sports teams. Most of these teams play in the Big East Conference, the obvious exceptions being football (independent) and hockey (CCHA). Over the years they have won National Championships in six different sports (seven in fencing, two in women’s soccer, two in men’s tennis, and one each in men’s golf, men’s cross country and women’s basketball).
Famous alums: Notre Dame has an substantial list of notable alumni including many corporate execs, elected officials, and educational leaders. Recognizable names include Charlie Weis (KC Chiefs offensive coordinator) George Wendt (Norm from Cheers), and Steve Bartman (brainless Cubs fan). They also have Condoleezza Rice (former US Secretary of State), Eddie DeBartolo Jr (former owner of the San Francisco 49ers), Alan Page (NFL Hall of Famer and Minnesota Supreme Court Judge), Phil Donahue (former TV talk show host), Regis Philbin (Annoying TV personality), Hanna Storm (TV Host), and Don Criqui (sportscaster). The Notre Dame football team can claim NFL hall of famers Paul Hornung, Joe Montana, Nick Buoniconti, and Dave Casper and many others. Other famous football names include Joe Theisman, Tim Brown, Jerome Bettis, Rocket Ismael, Brady Quinn, and Jimmy Claussen.
There are no former US presidents with a ND degree, Josiah Bartlet does not count. Former President Ronald Regan is closely associated with the school because he acted in a famous movie about a Notre Dame football player. They can claim former presidents of Panama and El Salvador.
I found 3 former astronauts.
The Game: This is always one of those games I never feel comfortable with. I have seen too many good Michigan teams go to Notre Dame and lose. Strange things always seem to happen in that stadium.
Notre Dame had some great recruiting classes under Charlie Weis. The potential for Brian Kelly to take those prospects and turn them into a decent football team is there. Our defense caught some breaks last week. I don't anticipate Dayne Crist, Armando Allen and Michael Floyd to come anywhere close to the inept UConn offense we all saw on Saturday.
As it will be with most of our games this season, it will come down to the defense. We can win if we make some stops and cause a couple of turnovers. I am sure our offense led by Denard Robinson will score points. I just have no confidence in our defense. I also never expect to get a win at Notre Dame. I hope I am wrong.
This whole negative connotation of a WAL*MART WOLVERINE is ridiculous. There is nothing wrong with having a strong portion of your fan base comprised of local people that did not attend the University. In fact it is a great thing. It is a testament to the strength of the brand and success of the program.
I find this video both mean spirited and judgmental. I also don't get the racist "Japanese or Jewish" reference. I am sure in East Lansing they have a special screening gate for all Sparty fans to verify they are anglo, christian, straight, attending classes, and/or have a degree from MSU.
Believe it or not, I had this Denard wallpaper prepared before he ripped off 383 yards against UConn. As a result, he was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week Sunday and picked up Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
I finished editing these pictures this morning and created a FLICKR account to easily share them. I only brought one lens with me on the trip, so my pics are limited to wide angle shots.
The Spawn Fantasy Football season starts this weekend with a full slate of games. If you are an owner and have not already set your lineup.... don't worry -- I am sure it will be OK. It took me a little longer to get this posted, but I have good excuse. I was blinded by the super sonic speed of our QB on saturday.
BAHammm's Disclaimer:: This is just my opinion based on flimsy NFL knowledge and history. Teams 1-5 and 12-14 are pretty solid but the teams between 5 and 12 could be shuffled at random most likely. I will try no do this as often as possible throughout the season. We can vote to either have power rankings or weekly wrap-ups like I tried to do every week last season. You decide.
Just an early look at the upcoming Fantasy Football season here at the Spawn. With college football imminently approaching (Tomorrow!! ) football is on a lot of hearts and minds these days. I've taken the liberty as commish to briefly take a look at the teams and rank them as I see it right now. This is taken into account some of you have already attacked the free agent market liberally. Without further ado.
14:) TrueBlueMen. Idk what happened with their draft or where they've been but this deserves a MNF "C'mon Man!" Star players of Desean Jackson (will Kolb be able to get him the ball?) and the NYJ defense bracket 10 RBS ON THE ROSTER!
13:) Fightin' Tigers. Your QBs consist of Ben Roethlisberger (suspended 4-6 games) and Sam Bradford. Good WRs in Colston and Welker but not enough big point guys to be a threat at this stage.
12:) C-Town Playas. Mcnabb (will he stay healthy) and Josh Johnson at QB brings up a ?. The Steve Smith twins at WR anchor a pretty solid WR corps. Somewhat skeptical RB issues and 2 kickers on the preseason roster.
11:) Smooth Operators. Your son may say your team is stacked but I believe his to be the superior team at this moment. Qb is a big issue but they do have solid Rbs and decent WRs. 2 defenses on the roster bring them down as well.
10:) Surfing Kook. 3 QBs on the roster with Favre leading the way with Vince Young. Tim Tebow as a 3rd QB? Ray Rice can be a stuf FF RB though. Also has 2 kickers.
9:) DR. B. Kevin Kolb will either turn out to be a stud or a bust. Time will tell. Andre Johnson is money all day. But, 2 kickers and 2 defensive teams?
8:) Slim Shady's. Romo and Henne could be solid QBs. Combined with workmen-like WRs and RBs that should put up consistent points. May not be at the top but definitely not at the bottom. 2 Ds on roster.
7:) He Hate Me. Holding down the 7th spot mostly because of Adrian Peterson. With Favre's options dropping like Michigan's secondary All Day is going to have to come up BIG this season. Solid players at the other positions should round out the team though.
6:) Defenestrators. Aaron Rodgers should be huge again this season. Combined with good WRs and RBs this should be a threat throughout the season.
5:) 9 Finger Freaks. Little did many know but Schaub led the league in passing yards last season and will probably have another huge year. A solid WR corps compliments Schaub but somewhat sketchy backups and 2 kickers may be worrisome. Still put them at the number 5 position though.
4:) Homo 4 Romo. Drew Brees, big time RBs, big time WRs. This team should be trouble. Backups though may let them down at times.
3:) Bigassham. Your Commish's team comes in at 3rd. At first I thought I had a terrible team, then I thought "hey pretty good", now again I'm not so sure but I'm going with my initial instinct. Manning will put up solid numbers again along with Randy Moss. The rest of the WRs could be suspect but Cribbs may have a breakout season at the position. Time will tell for this team.
2:) Huge Fake TDs. One name, Tom Brady. Big threat receivers. Power backs usually used at goal line situations. Should be a high scoring team.
1:) I guess it should come as no surprise to anyone as last year's returning champs Zoltan's Heroes comes in and grabs the number 1 pick Chris Johnson and also the number 1 spot on our initial power rankings. Complimenting Johnson should be a great year from Flacco with his new added weapon. Combine that with solid players at every position and we could have a repeat.
Words can not describe how much fun I had on Saturday. Here was my view as the game was getting ready to start. It was as if I had been holding my breath for two years, and I was finally able to take a deep breath of fresh air.
I know we are a long way from "back" - but I won't let worrying about the future diminish the joy I felt on Saturday.
One of the very nice things about spending time with my buddy Andy, is that we tend to think of some silly shit that makes us laugh out loud. You can imagine that we had plenty to talk about this weekend, including Tate who may just take his ball and cry "wee wee wee" all the way home.
We started thinking about all the others who thought that the grass might be greener, nicer, easier, and/or more conducive to playing somewhere else. And so, we were wondering....how's that working out for you, boys????? SO, this first weekend of the 2010 Football Season, I'm beginning a new feature here on the Spawn of Mzone. I'm calling it Title IX's Transfer Tracker. Let's see how the ex-Wolverines did....
Steve Threet (Arizona State) The SunDevils opened the season against Portland State and crushed them 54 to 9. Steve did pretty well, completing 14 of 21 tosses for 239 yards (66.7%), with two TDs. And he threw one pick. Oh, and he scampered for 24 yards. Steve should do ok next week against Northern Arizona. The big test will be on the 18th, when ASU travels to Madison to take on the Badgers. You remember what Steve did to the Badgers in 2008 right?????? Right???? Put that one on your viewing calendar.
Justin Boren (tUOS)So he's playing left guard for them. And they blew out Marshall. Yawn.Next up for them...THE U: Miami of Florida.
Ryan Mallett (Arkansas) The Razorbacks dismantled Tennesse Tech this weekend 44-3. The Batesville, Akansas native posted some pretty impressive numbers, actually. 301 yards on 21 of 24 attempts. 3 TDs and an I-N-T. And he rushed for a mind-blowing two, yes 2 yards. Lightning. Next up for them on the 18th is the Dawgs of Georgia. Ouch.
Sam McGuffie (Rice) SO, poor guy woulda done a lot better if his team wasn't playing the Longhorns. That crazy D only let Sam scamper for 46 yards on 14 carries. The Owls lost 34-17. It also didn't really help that he ran laterally and backwards a bunch trying desperately to find some room. North/South son. North/South. I really am pulling for this 5'11" sophomore. Heck, even Mack Brown had nice things to say: "First I'd like to give credit to Rice, I thought they played better than they had at anytime last year," Texas head coach Mack Brown said. "They started a quarterback that we didn't anticipate, they ran an offense that we didn't anticipate and Sam McGuffie is going to help them ... he is a good back and he made some yards against us. I think Rice is a better football team than what we saw last year."
J T Turner (West Virginia): He has reportedly transferred to WVU. Cue Alanis Morrisette.....No stats for him, unless you count the number of pine splinters as he sits for the NCAA required time out.
Oh oh oh. That's right. He's probably with JT Turner on the pine this year.....
It should be interesting to see how the season plays out for these guys. We'll keep track here on Title IX's Transfer Tracker. Let me know if there are others out there we need to follow too !!
In case you have not already checked them out, Spawn reader Mikoyan took some nice pics at the game yesterday and has already posted them on his photo blog. I am glad it was a sunny day for him, because I don't think a slower shutter speed could have captured Denard. Check them out.
Note: I prepared this KYF before Yost came back to the blogging world. We talked off-line and he gave the thumbs up for posting this here. I look forward to reading KYF on the original MZone very soon.
History: In 1881, brothers Augustus and Charles Storrs donated 170 acres and $5000 after they were convinced by the Farmer's Convention of the Connecticut Board of Agriculture that the state needed a school to train boys in farming.
This new school was called The Storrs Agricultural School. They launched with 12 students in a building that previously had been used as a home for orphans of the Civil War. Some years later, when the institution became Connecticut's land grant college, the name was changed to Storrs Agricultural College. In 1899, the name changed again to Connecticut Agricultural College; in 1933, to Connecticut State College; and finally in 1939, to the University of Connecticut. So basically, UConn is the Sparty of New England.
Location: The main university campus is in...wait....wait... you guessed it, Storrs. Which simply is a division of the Connecticut town of Mansfield. It is located approximately 28 miles east of the state capital in Hartford.
Unofficially Connecticut is known as "The Nutmeg State". The exact origins of the nutmeg connection is unknown. It may have come from its sailors returning from voyages with nutmeg (which in the 18th and 19th centuries was a very valuable spice). It may have originated in the early machined sheet tin nutmeg grinders sold by early Connecticut peddlers. It is also facetiously said to come from Yankee peddlers from Connecticut who would sell small carved nobs of wood shaped to look like nutmeg to unsuspecting customers.
The first silk mill in the United States was constructed in Mansfield and financed by pilgrim descendent, William Fisk. The original mill is now in display at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan.
Peter Tork of the 1960’s made for TV band The Monkees was born in Storrs and still lives there. Also, in 2005, Storrs was named by Slate Magazine as "America's Best Place to Avoid Death Due to Natural Disaster." I am sure Randy Edsall uses this fact as a recruiting tool when he recruits in Florida or Lousiana.
Academics: The University of Connecticut is currently ranked #69 in the latest US News and World Report rankings of National Universities, tied with Virginia Tech and Northeastern. That places them right above Iowa, but not as good as Minnesota in the rankings. There are around 17,000 undergrads enrolled at the Storrs campus. On the positive spin side, for the last 11 years, UConn has been rated as the number one public university in New England. However, they will be hopelessly ranked as the second best school in their own state, behind #3 nationally ranked Yale. Again.... Sparty.
Famous Alumni: The list of famous former UConn students includes movie actress Meg Ryan and Ted Kennedy’s son, Edward Jr.
Former Cleveland Browns coach Sam Rutigliano, former Cleveland Indian pitcher Charles Nagy and a boatload of NBA players including Celtics star Ray Allen all hail from UConn. Kirk Ferentz, the current Iowa football coach (and one time rumored candidate to replace Lloyd Carr) is a former Husky linebacker.
They don't have any US Presidents as alumni. But they can claim the first female Prime Minister of Turkey, Her Excellency Dr.Tansu Çiller. Also, Sam Webb, the current leader of Communist Party USA has a Master's in (gulp) Economics from UConn.
UConn has two astronauts on their books. Franklin Chang-Diaz flew in seven shuttle missions and is the first naturalized US citizen to go into space. Richard Mastracchio is a veteran of three different spaceflights, including one as recent as April 2010.
Mascot, Helmets, and Fight Song: UConn athletic teams are called the Huskies.
Until 1933, like many land grant/agriculture schools their mascot was the Aggies. When the school changed its name, their athletic teams were renamed The Statesmen. This new name did not last long.
A year later, the Husky was chosen as the mascot. All live mascot husky dogs throughout the years have been named Jonathan in honor of Revolutionary leader Jonathan Trumbull. Trumbull was one of the few Americans who served as governor in both a pre-Revolutionary colony and a post-Revolutionary state. During the American Revolution he was the only colonial governor who supported the American side. Additionally, all but the first "Jonathan" have been white with one brown eye and one blue eye,
The UConn football helmet currently features a stylized block “C” on a blue helmet shell. In the past they have experimented (like Sparty) with side numbers and various “C” and “UConn” combinations. My favorite historical helmet design is the late 60's & early 70's version featuring the Chicago Bears “C” with football laces. There is really nothing like that in college football, and it would be very cool looking.
The UConn fight song, officially titled UConn Husky but commonly called The Husky Fight Song. It was written by by Herbert A. France, who joined the staff of Connecticut Agricultural College in 1931 to start up the music department and lead campus choral groups. He was department head until 1949, and retired in 1960. He died in 1971, and in 1981, at the University's centennial, his family gave UConn the rights to the song.
If you have watched the NCAA basketball tournament over the last 20 years, you have likely heard this song before.
UConn Husky, symbol of might to the foe
Fight, fight Connecticut
It's victory, let's go (let's go!)
Connecticut UConn Husky,
Do it again for the white and blue
So go (fight!) - go (fight!) - go (fight!) - go!
Connecticut, Connecticut U (Spell it!)
C - O - N - N - E - C - T - I - C - U - T, Connecticut
Connecticut Husky, Connecticut Husky
C - O - N - N - U (Fight!)
Football program: They have been playing football at Connecticut since 1896. Their first year, they played one college, five high schools and two YMCA teams. They finished 5-3. Three years later, the team went 0-3 and did not score a single point the whole season. The next hundred years of the program were pretty non-descript save the 1998 team that won 10 games and made the I-AA playoffs. That team was coached by Skip Holtz. The next season he left, they hired Randy Edsall, and made the jump Division I football.
From 1999 to 2003 UConn played as an Independent Division I program. In 2004, the Huskies were admitted as full football members of the Big East. That same year, the school made its first-ever appearance in a bowl game, winning the Motor City Bowl over Toledo... imagine that, beating Toledo. In 2007 they achieved a national ranking for the first time, finished the season 9–3, and climbed as high as 13th in the BCS standings.
Last year UConn had nine former players on NFL rosters, which is not that bad, considering they have only been playing Division One football for 14 years. The most recognizable former UConn player is Mike Hart’s NFL Colts backfield teammate Donald Brown. Brown was taken in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft.
Also of note, former Lions QB Dan Orlovsky is also a UConn Husky. Not that it would have made any difference, but I kinda wish they had taught him what an out of bounds stripe looks like.
Jasper Howard: Last season the UConn football program dealt with the tragic loss of one of it's players in the middle of the season.
Twenty-year-old starting cornerback Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed outside a university-sanctioned dance following their October win against Louisville. Jasper Howard was the first member of his family to attend college, and decided to leave his home in South Florida to attend Connecticut in part to escape the violence in the streets.
The day he was killed, Howard recorded a career-high 11 tackles and made perhaps the game's biggest play, forcing a fumble just as Louisville was about to score with UConn up 21-13 in the third quarter. UConn won 38-25.
Jasper will serve as an honorary captain for the 2010 Huskies.
Other sports: They play a lot of other sports at UConn, but nothing compares to their basketball programs. The Men’s team is a perennial NCAA contender and won the tournament in both 1999 and 2004.
However, the success of the Men's program is dwarfed by the acomplishments of their Women’s basketball team. Quite simply, the UConn women have turned the rest of the country's basketball programs into the Washington Generals. In all, they have won seven national titles and have not lost a game since the 2008 Final Four. They currently own a 78 game winning streak, which is the longest winning streak in the history of women's college basketball. I am pretty sure, if given a game, these chicks could beat the Michigan team John Beilein has touring around Europe right now.
The game: Like it or not, this is a HUGE game for the Michigan football program. The entire country will be watching to see what happens as we introduce the newly enhanced Big House. Win this game and the third year of the Rich Rodriguez era has a chance. Lose this game, and the lynch mob gets louder and the hot seat gets warmer. Getting to seven wins starts with this game. This is the first step to return the program to respectability.
This is not a layup. UConn has won its last seven openers. These guys went to South Bend and beat Jimmy Claussen and Notre Dame last year in double overtime. They have been to and won bowl games in each of the last two seasons. I expect Michigan to come out of the tunnel and be very emotional and very aggressive. I am confident our offense will be dynamic and score some points, regardless of who is at QB. I am praying our defense will be able to tackle and apply pressure. The defense that makes the most stops and forces the most turnovers will win.
Above is the original "One Day Left" post I had prepared..... Then GoBlueBob set the expectations bar a little higher. While I was getting ready to watch the Thursday night games, I came up with this.
So Andy and I are sitting on my couch watching tUOS bitch slap Marshall. Which is made a bit more palatable due to the libations in our glasses...
And, we got to thinking.
How can you tell that you are in The 'Shoe vs. The Big House????
1. In The 'Shoe the tailgate beverage of choice is Schlitz. At The Big House, it's Chateau St. John. 2. In The 'Shoe, the people around you are all wearing red football jerseys. At The Big House, the only jerseys you see are on the sidelines. 3. In The 'Shoe, the only one wearing a collared shirt is the gnome in the sweatervest. 4. In The 'Shoe people are standing and hollering in support of the team. At The Big House, people are hollering at you to sit down. 5. In The 'Shoe the band plays tunes the crowd loves and wants to hear. At The Big House, the band plays tunes the crowd has never heard of. 6. In The 'Shoe they haven't lost an opener since 1978. At The Big House... forget it. 7. In The 'Shoe the freshmen are on the sidelines, chilling with their red shirts. At The Big House, the freshmen start. 8. In The 'Shoe the home team can tackle. 9. In The 'Shoe the opposing fans wear flack jackets. At The Big House, opposing fans celebrate. 10. In The 'Shoe the scoreboard keeps score. At the Big House, it is a photo op.
Dedicated to the fun loving online community of The MZone -- with a special nod to it's founder Yost. We welcome all contributions and opinions here, not just those viewed from the Michigan perspective. It is perfectly acceptable to disagree with someone or something here, but personal attacks will not be allowed.
If you have something you want to share, feel free to send us stuff at spawnofmzone at gmail dot com.
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