(dramatic music)
- You probably remember what's about to happen.
We're in Ann Arbor Michigan for week one
of the 2007 season.
The Wolverines are looking for their second comeback
of the game with a 37 yard field goal to win it
against Appalachian State.
The Mountaineers are on the verge of a historic upset,
but with just six seconds left
it all comes down to one play.
This moment is about to wipe out
everything that got us to this point and made it matter.
So let's rewind.
With 109,000 plus watching in the Big House
Michigan didn't expect to be in this situation.
Coming into the season they were ranked number five
in the AP and Coach's Poll and were expected
to be in the national championship
conversation come December.
Jake Long, Chad Henne and Mike Heart
all returned for their senior seasons,
motivated by the fact that they had yet to win a bowl game
and hadn't beat rival Ohio State since their freshman year.
They came close in a game of the century matchup
the year before, but the three point loss
derailed their national title hopes.
They finished 2006 11 and two,
but Michigan lost nine starters on a defense
lead by Leon Hall and Lamarr Woodley
that gave up less than 45 yards rushing per game.
Four of those starters were drafted
in the top two rounds of the NFL draft
including another All American Alan Branch.
So if they were going to live up to their potential
then the offense would need to do some heavy lifting.
And on the opening drive against Appalachian State
they looked up to the challenge.
Mike Heart had four carries for 46 yards
and capped off the six play drive with this touchdown.
As advertised it looked to be a blowout.
Vegas expected the game to be so one sided
that it wasn't given a line.
And as Charissa Thompson noted.
- When Michigan found out they were playing
Appalachian State, everyone's like who's Appalachian State?
- Michigan didn't seem to know much about the team
they were supposed to easily beat.
At the start of the game most FBS fans
didn't have reason to be aware of App State,
but now that they've put up 34 points at Michigan
they have our attention.
Hailing from Boone North Carolina
the Appalachian State Mountaineers
hadn't been afraid of taking on D-1 FBS teams.
As an FCS school though that usually meant
they took a beating, collected a check and moved on.
They had a six 34 and one all time record
against major FBS schools
and all of the victories came
against in state rival Wake Forest.
In 2004 App State changed things up
when Jerry Moore, then coaching his 16th season
for the Mountaineers installed a spread offense.
The move would pay off a year later
when they won the school's first ever national championship.
They followed that up with another title in 2006
and in February when Coach Moore
and his buddy Lloyd Carr realized both schools
had openings in their schedules they made the date.
Michigan would play host and App State would get 400 grand.
And once Appalachian State was here
they weren't just going to collect the check.
On their first drive of the game
Armanti Edwards connected with Dexter Jackson
on this short slant route for a 68 yard touchdown.
- [Announcer] And going all the way to the end zone
the speedster Dexter Jackson!
- [Will] They continued to spread it out
and turn slants into scores,
one for nine yard, another for 20.
- [Announcer] Slant, it's Jackson,
he'll run away from everybody!
Touchdown Appalachian State!
- Before Edwards ran it in from six yards out
to build an 11 point halftime lead.
And while watching your team fall behind
to a small school is never much fun,
thanks to these two words on the screen
a lot of Michigan fans had to make an effort
just to see the game.
That's because this was the first game
broadcasted on the brand new Big Ten Network,
which was far from perfect.
Despite being announced in June of 2006,
when it finally launched over a year later
the network wasn't carried by all cable providers,
specifically Comcast and Charter,
two of the main options in the state of Michigan.
So while some of Comcast's five million Michigan subscribers
cursed the provider leading up to the game
and DirecTV used it as a marketing opportunity,
it may have been a blessing for Wolverine fans
to miss this performance.
But we're here and Michigan has a chance to win it
so clearly they got it together.
The comeback and partially why they were down
in the first place, was thanks to the senior Mike Hart.
After finishing fifth a year ago in Heisman voting
he was expected to carry a large load for Michigan,
but he couldn't exactly do that
from an exercise bike on the sideline.
A few minutes into the second quarter
Hart suffered a thigh injury that forced him out
for nearly two quarters.
And the Michigan offense could only manage
a pair of field goals without him.
Hart reentered the game with under five
to play in the third and carried the ball
13 times for 131 yards and two scores.
That included this 54 yarder which put Michigan on top
and gave him three on the day.
- [Announcer] Cuts it back the other way!
(audience cheering)
Cut to the ten,
to the five, touchdown!
- The trouble was chasing points
can lead to tough decisions.
Hart's second touchdown of the day
got Michigan within five
so in hopes of being able to kick a field goal to tie
they went for two, which Henne failed to convert.
On Hart's next score Michigan again passed
on the extra point so an App State field goal
would only tie the game.
This time Minor was stuffed on the rushing attempt.
Michigan was up by just one and Sunday morning quarterbacks
had something to scream about.
The plus side for Michigan was their defense
had stepped up in the second half.
I guess until they let App State get back on top.
Michigan's inexperienced defense
had made some adjustments that paid off greatly.
They began playing more cover to
to keep their linebackers from getting
pulled away from the line of scrimmage
and with their size advantage
used mainly a four man front
to stop the Mountaineer's running attack.
After giving up 28 points in the first half
they picked off Edwards to start the third quarter
and only gave up 73 yards on App State's
first eight drives of the half.
On their ninth possession though,
with under two to play, the Mountaineers covered 69 yards
in seven plays to make it first and goal
with 30 seconds left.
But with no time outs
App State decided to play it safe and kick the field goal,
trusting their defense to not let Michigan
drive the length of the field in 26 seconds
with only one time out.
Coach Moore's gamble didn't pay off though.
After being held to just two catches for 20 yards,
Mario Manningham hauled in this 46 yard pass from Henne,
setting Michigan up for a 37 yard field goal attempt
and that's where we are now.
But tonight's been a bit of a mixed bag
for kicker Jason Gingell.
Back in the second quarter, just 23 seconds until halftime,
Michigan's senior kicker took the field.
On top of the defensive replacements,
the Wolverines were also missing four year starter
and Michigan's all time leading scorer Garrett Rivas.
Gingell joined the team in 2004
as an undersized linebacker before moving to kicker
where he was only needed for a single extra point
coming in to 2007.
After being pegged for field goal duties
one week before the game,
Michigan's offense helped him with the first kick
by stalling out at the five,
giving him a 22 yard attempt.
He would attack on a 42 yarder at the start of the third
and with 1:47 left in the game
had the chance to put the Wolverines up four
on this three yard attempt.
- [Announcer] Mesko to hold it,
Gingell to kick it and that is blocked
to the line of scrimmage.
- But Michigan's offense would give Gingell
one more chance to put the game away.
And here we are, a small school
looking to shock the big house.
Michigan's leaders having to come back
with the hopes of a national championship.
A senior kicker trying to move past his attempt
from just moments ago and one play to decide it all.
Welcome to a moment in history.
- [Announcer] Snap, good hold
and the kick is blocked!
Appalachian State has stunned the college football world!
One of the greatest upsets in sports history!