Mike Persak, Managing Sports Editor

DESIGN BY KATE GLAD

but it was a good play design, and I made the
read. … Even the announcers think that Minor
gets smacked in the background by, they had
a really good defensive end at the time, and
you know, he took off like a bat out of hell and
went right for the running back, so really wish
I had scored the touchdown, but I’ll take the
58 yards. You know, what I wasn’t gonna do is
fumble. After those turnovers in the first half,
there was no chance I was gonna give the ball
up on that play. I’ll get caught, which, between
friends and family, I still get a little grief for.
Five plays later, Michigan running back Sam
McGuffie plunged into the endzone for a three-
yard touchdown. The Wolverines led, 27-19. Two
possessions later, Wisconsin took over with 1:19
left and started driving…
Nessler: Two receivers to the right, he’s
looking that way, throwing that way and it is
caught! Touchdown!
The Badgers scored with 13 seconds left and
had to go for a two-point conversion.
Threet: I was down there towards the end of
the coaches box with my towel, trying to get
the crowd as loud as I could. Michael Phelps
was on the sideline with us — he was like an
honorary captain that game.
Nessler: Wisconsin’s gotta have two. Evridge
looks and throws and it’s caught! Travis
Beckum! There’s a flag!
Thompson: I saw the flag when it happened.
I was on the field. But I didn’t know, I was just
playing. And then I was like, ‘Okay we’ve got
to line up and go do it again.’
The penalty was an ineligible man downfield

call against tight end Travis Beckum, who
caught the pass. Wisconsin moved five yards
back and tried again.
Nessler: Wisconsin to try to tie it up. Evridge
steps up, throws high! Incomplete!
Threet: At that point in time, in my mind, it
didn’t matter if it was regulation or overtime,
we had too much energy and positive motion,
that whether the defense came up like they
did on that second two-point conversion
try or whether we had to go out there for
overtime, there was no doubt in my mind at
that point.
Thompson: We felt like we were gonna play
until there was no time on the clock. But if we
had to go to overtime, we were ready to go.
Pleasant: Don’t let them fool you, every
person in fucking Michigan Stadium was
sitting on the edge of their seat. They had
come back, and we drove it down the field.
We literally drove the ball down the field. …
It’s not like they came back and then they just
punished us. That’s what made us feel so bad,
because we were doing well, then they came
back and we finally get it to the limit and then
we just couldn’t.
Deandre Levy, Wisconsin linebacker, 2005-
2008, in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: It
was embarrassing. I didn’t know how to react.
I couldn’t believe this was happening, how we
basically gave the game away in the second
half.
Snyder: I think everyone felt that that could
be the kickstarter for something, because no
one in the Michigan fanbase or the Michigan

community or whatever had ever gone
through the other side of it. They had never
experienced a team that just totally fell apart.
… They didn’t think that it would be the only
highlight for the whole season.
Pleasant: That was a hurtful game, man,
because we lost that game, and we ended up
coming to Michigan State that same year, and
ended up losing in a very similar fashion. That
was a tough year. We came into that year with
high hopes.
... I mean, it was very obvious that it wasn’t
the same Michigan. You have to take into
consideration, that when I was leaving high
school, if you weren’t a top recruit in the
nation, you weren’t even getting a look from
Michigan. I mean, let’s just be real. … I don’t
know what those fuckin’ Michigan guys were
telling you, but don’t let this shit fool you.
There was a huge difference. I mean, it wasn’t
even the same program.
Thompson: (The interception) is up top.
It’s definitely up top. I had things that I had
done in my career that I felt like was a good
thing, but it didn’t go to show for what that
did. I had a fun career at Michigan, but it’s
definitely up top as one of the top highlights of
my career.
Koger: It was probably more of just a bright
spot, of just that season and my career. It’s
one of those games, when people ask about,
you bring up because it was such a huge
comeback at such a pivotal time of the season.
Just reflecting on that season, we weren’t very
good. We didn’t win a lot of games. But there’s

always positives to every situation.
Threet: I lived in New York for six years,
so any time I’m at anywhere watching a
Michigan game and something comes up,
that’s the first memory, is the 58-yard run
against top-10 Wisconsin.
Pleasant was hired as a graduate assistant for
the Wolverines in 2012, Koger’s senior season.
Pleasant: When I was coaching there, they
would ask, like, ‘Were you in that game?’
And I was like, ‘Yeah, I was in that game.’
And they’re like, ‘Aw man, that was crazy.
You remember when they were booing us?
Remember trying to get this thing going here
or there?’ Yeah, no doubt, it was (brought up).
It was.
But at that time, Michigan was still trying
to find itself. They were trying to find their
brand. They were trying to figure out who
they were, offensively and defensively. And
that’s the thing that we were joking about at
that time. Because you have to imagine, for
me being at Michigan, and for me being able
to be reflective to them, they really didn’t talk
much smack, because Rich Rod wasn’t very
successful.
Threet: I don’t think any of the things I
remember I want to forget. I think of it as
wins and learns, not wins and losses. You
know, regardless of what situation. Biggest
thing I remember from the Wisconsin game
are the boos at halftime and the cheers at the
end.