in the third quarter. With ten seconds left in the third, Penn State finally found the scoreboard on a Kevin Kelly 25-yard field goal.
But a well-coached team can never be counted out, and in seventeen seconds, everything changed.
Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson scored on a 4-yard run early in the fourth quarter. On the Wolverines’ next play, quarterback Chad Henne fumbled the ball, and Nittany Lion cornerback Alan Zemaitis scooped the ball up and returned it for a 35-yard Penn State touchdown. A surprise 2-point conversion by Kevin Kelly gave the Nittany Lions an 18–10 lead.
Michigan would respond to the adversity well. Henne tossed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, and Mike Hart’s 2-point conversion tied the game at 18. The fourth quarter was becoming a game of its own.
The Wolverines forced Penn State to punt on their next drive, and after a nine-play drive, Rivas gave the Wolverines the lead with a 47-yard field goal. Two plays later, Michigan cornerback Leon Hall intercepted Robinson, and the Wolverines looked to be in control of the game once again. Michigan drove into field goal range, but instead of taking a long 51-yard field goal, Michigan punted to the Penn State 19-yard line.
With just under four minutes to go in the game, Penn State had 81 yards standing between them and victory. Robinson looked like a pro as he led his offense down the field and converted a fourth-and-seven. With no time-outs left, he capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to give his team a 4-point lead. With fifty-three seconds left in the game, it looked as though Penn State would end their losing streak.
On the ensuing kickoff, Michigan’s Steve Breaston returned the ball to near midfield, giving his team a chance to win the game. Henne led his team to the Penn State 10-yard line, and with one second left on the clock, the Wolverines had one final play to determine the outcome of the game.
Henne found wide receiver Mario Manningham in the middle of the end zone, and with time expiring, the Wolverines took a 27–25 lead. The victory extended Michigan’s streak of wins over Penn State to seven in a row.
Though the contest was tough, the Wolverines never counted themselves out. In their minds, they knew they could defeat the Nittany Lions. It didn’t matter what the media predicted. And it didn’t matter what Vegas oddsmakers thought was going to happen. The resilient team persevered—they believed in themselves and in each other.
Do you believe in yourself that much? When others count you out, do you rise to the occasion? Or do you crash under the pressure?
MAKE THE FINAL PLAY
Have you ever experienced a moment in life where everything hangs on your next play? Maybe you are at one of those crossroads right now. Have faith and know that you can have success, even if you have the pressure of a crowd watching your every move. Just like Chad Henne, you can find your receiver in the back of the end zone, and you can have success.
COMPLETE THE CONVERSION
You don’t have to let previous setbacks and defeats define you. The 2005 Wolverines didn’t. In life, you have to make peace with your past failures. Cut yourself some slack. We all mess up and experience failure. Shake off your past failures and regain control of your life, one decision at a time. Your failures don’t define you. Successful people are always defined by how they overcome setbacks and push forward to triumph. Every great quarterback has a short memory of incompletions and interceptions, you too need to have a short memory of life’s hurdles and disappointments. Go Blue!
What do you need to do to make that game-winning throw in your life right now?
Del Duduit
October 27, 1979: Michigan 27, Indiana 21
THE GAME WAS TIED AT 21. Lee Corso’s Indiana University Hoosiers had knotted the game with one minute to play in the final quarter. In 1979, there was no overtime rule, and a stalemate would have a negative impact on the University of Michigan team, which was 6–1 overall and 4–0 in conference play. The Wolverines took the ball and drove to the Indiana 45-yard line. They needed a miracle to win.
The choice was clear. There was only one option.
Wide receiver Anthony Carter boldly told quarterback Johnny Wagner that he was going to be open and to hit him with a pass downfield. Carter zigzagged down the middle and reeled in the throw near the Indiana 20-yard line. But there was more to come. He made a cutback move to his left to avoid one tackle and slipped another one at the 5-yard line before romping into the end zone with no time left on the clock.
The play gave him a Big Ten Conference record with thirty-seven touchdown catches over his career, but he will forever be immortalized in Michigan history for his stunning score as time expired to beat Indiana. People in Michigan still talk about the play today, and it is regarded as one of the best efforts ever in Maize and Blue history.
In an interview with AnnArbor.com in 2009, Carter recalled the feat thirty years later as if it happened yesterday. He said the play has meant the world to him and the fans. No matter what happens in Michigan football, no one will ever be able to take away the memory of that exciting last-second touchdown in 1979.
Anthony Carter has long been remembered for this phenomenal play. But it wasn’t the only great thing he did during his time at Michigan, where Coach Bo Schembechler referred to Carter as a human torpedo. During his freshman year, he hauled in seventeen passes and converted seven of these into touchdowns, averaging an incredible 27.2 yards per catch.
The next season, as a sophomore, he was the squad’s MVP. He was a three-time All-American at Michigan and came in third in voting for the Heisman Trophy his senior year. In 2001, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
How will you be remembered? Does your legacy matter to you?
LOOK OVER THE DEFENSE
Is there one act you are best noted for in life? Will your legacy be positive, or will you leave gloomy memories? Perhaps you have done some things in your past you are not proud of. Maybe a bad relationship has left you with a negative image. You are not alone. No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. But you also must realize you have time to redeem yourself and start over if you have messed up in life. The clock is ticking, but there is still time to make a dazzling touchdown and leave a lasting impression.
GO FOR THE PYLON
No matter what you have done or what has happened to you, once you realize there is a better way and a path to redemption, you can have a brighter outlook on life. But in this process you must take responsibility, own up to your mistakes, and manage your missed opportunities. You can either let your regrets hold you down or use them to motivate you and learn from the experience.
Face reality and recognize that every decision has a consequence. Wrong choices may lead to a horrible situation, but you can rise above it when you acknowledge that it happened. Don’t sugarcoat it or pretend it was a dream. Wake up and address the
