were you there in 07?

[PBR1893-BEER-HAT-GUY]

I was...and a brief look at that day. The weather was beautiful...clear skies and seasonably cool and to be honest, that and the tailgate prior was the only thing I thought we had going for us. I was not thinking of a win...I was realistic in hoping to keep it to 35 points considering this was the #5 team in the nation. The fans there were all having fun and accepting of a little ribbing from the U of M fans as to where we were from..."where is app-e lation?" Again, I didn't think we had a chance...sorry...but again, it was Michigan. So, at the school held tailgate on the golf course, I found a magic marker and a piece of cardboard and made a sign that would hopefully cheer up the fans in case things went south. Of course it read, "Furman sucks!" Many, many thanks to Marty Hampton for taking that photo.( Marty..I know i might drive you crazy when I come by your tailgates now and then but you taking that photo and giving it to me when you didn't even know me at the time is a highlight!) Inside was crazy...we were with the App crowd in the endzone. It was electric and again, the day was spot on perfect weather!
At kick off, I let some elderly App fan wear my beer hat just for fun. Of course Michigan scoring on first possession took the wind out of the tailgating liquid courage sails...but then we scored...which was crazy..."hey we're tied again!" Then they scored...and then we scored...what??? Then we scored again and again! At halftime people were coming up to us and asked...we're are y"all from? Where's App State?? It was surreal! It was an emotional roller coaster in the second half...it went from elation to frustration to downright nail biter. Im not too negative when it comes to play...I can get upset of course but I dont become pessimistic like others were getting late in the game...I just went to a seat and focused and got the thrill of my life! After Rouch put us ahead, we knew what was going to happen...U of M was going for broke...and it did in the worst way. It just seemed like it wasn't meant to be.
So, as superstitious as I am at times, I found that elderly grand ma type woman and gave her the beer hat for good luck...and of course, the rest is history. If you have the App"elation" print, you will see me wearing my reverse black "A" base ball hat to the right of my beer hat...yep, that's some mystery woman I'll never know I guess...but it was damn good!
Now, I must also say that my wife was very generous to let me go to the game being it was our sons second birthday(yes, we had a party for him earlier-so im not that callous) and when App won, I admit I broke down and cried. I called my wife still emotionally drained and left a message on her phone telling her that besides the birth of our son, this was the happiest day of my life! She called back and said, "was there another happy day?" Clearly I meant marrying her was the second happiest( I happily ate crow on that comment).
After the game, the U of M fans couldn't have been more gracious. The rest of the night of course became a little foggy and debauchery might have ensued so I'll keep it clean for the board. But, I will tell you that I made a lot of friends at this game and other games both before and after through this ground swale of support for App State and I wouldn't trade it for the world! Kick Apps!!!!!!! Feel free to post your day whether actually at the game or at home watching with friends.

[PBR1893-BEER-HAT-GUY]

Thanks Marty Hampton!
And by the way...THEY STILL SUCK!!!!!!

[Appsolutely]

I was there, and it was the most exciting sports event I have ever witnessed. The Michigan fans I met were first-class, totally gracious and congratulatory. I saw the "Furman Sucks" sign and laughed. I had made a similar sign in Chattanooga at the first national championship game and displayed it on the windshield of my car. As one group of people were walking into the stadium, one of them said, "What's Furman got to do with this? We're playing N. Iowa, not Furman." To which I replied, "That's right. That's because Furman sucks."

[WVAPPeer]

My wife and I were in the APP section and I clearly remember the "guy" walking down below up with the "Furman Sucks" sign - in fact, I commented on that very thing in another thread in the last week or so --- I remember pointing it out to the people who were sitting with us.

It was a GREAT day, as you mentioned, all the way around - Once the screaming quieted down (somewhat) after Corey was brought down I turned to my wife and our friends and said two things ---
1. borrowing the famous Jack Buck quote, "I don't believe what I just saw!" and 2. told our friends, "We have just witnessed the greatest upset in the history of college football" ---

As to prior to the game, for two days we were correcting everyone - "It's APP - a - LATCH -un" . I really did feel that team would play a good game (no victory predicted) but as I was telling a couple of Michigan fans who were riding over the on the bus with us - "IF, and a big "IF", we can move the ball on you guys, it will be a game" ---

[ASUMountaineer]

Yup, we were there. That's me and my crew in the first pic of the slideshow! Wish I could make it back for Round 2!

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.s ... _haun.html

We were even sporting Vintage/Victory Yosef in Ann Arbor--much to the chagrin of GoApps70!

[bcoach]

Greatest game I have ever been to.


"All I know is all of these Notre Dame fans are cheering for the black and gold on Saturday. They love us!!"

That message just came from my daughter who is in South Bend today. She looked me in the eye before the Michigan game and said " We are going to win this game" and she was dead serious. I told her she was VERY optimistic. When the game was over and the guy next to me could speak ( first guy in the Michigan section next to us ) he turned to me and said I needed to take her to Las Vegas.

[appfanz]

I was there and one of the great things about the day were the number of people who approached us in the Atlanta airport asking about the game ( had an App shirt on, of course). We even had a sportswriter on our flight to Charleston who had been to the Notre Dame/Georgia Tech game and seemed more interested in our game! Not going this time but will be keeping those memories.

[moonshine]

Well I typed out a lengthy post and it didn't go through.

So the shorthand version:

IT'S THE BEST CREDIT CARD DEBT I'VE EVER BEEN IN!!!

The ride home through OHIO was awesome. Every car that passed us or that we passed, the people (namely OSU and ND fans) were hanging out of the cars whooping it up and pumping their fists at us.

[appstate77]

I was at Road Atlanta working as chaplain for a professional motorcycle race. At halftime my son called to tell me the score I went straight to the SPEED TV trailer to watch the rest of the game. When Corey blocked the kick, I began to jump up and down like a mad man. I'm lucky they didn't throw me out of the truck. They were kind as they realized how big an upset this game was.

This weekend I'll be home in Columbia, watching the game at a wings place outside of town with my local black and gold brethren, waiting for lightening to strike twice!!

Just watched Under The Lights for the 200th time, feelings the emotions all over again. AE looked so young in that game. As I recall he was only 19.

Beat em again and they will have to come to Panther Stadium for a third game.

We are App State!! Make it two in a row over the Wolverines!!!!

[ASUMountaineer]

I was at Road Atlanta working as chaplain for a professional motorcycle race. At halftime my son called to tell me the score I went straight to the SPEED TV trailer to watch the rest of the game. When Corey blocked the kick, I began to jump up and down like a mad man. I'm lucky they didn't throw me out of the truck. They were kind as they realized how big an upset this game was.

This weekend I'll be home in Columbia, watching the game at a wings place outside of town with my local black and gold brethren, waiting for lightening to strike twice!!

Just watched Under The Lights for the 200th time, feelings the emotions all over again. AE looked so young in that game. As I recall he was only 19.

Beat em again and they will have to come to Panther Stadium for a third game.

We are App State!! Make it two in a row over the Wolverines!!!!

Forget that, we want them in BOONE!

[Dmanuhone]

Legends

[bigCasu]

I'v probably posted or told someone this before, but oh well, here goes:

For some reason that I cannot recall, we had an extra ticket to the game, so I was trying to sell it. Never before have I had a problem anywhere trying to sell a ticket for face value. I found a man with a group of teenage girls who were looking for tickets and they were happy to buy the ticket from me. A campus cop rode up on a bike and told me that scalping was illegal. I told him I wasnt scalping, just simply selling the ticket for its face value. The officer warned me not to sell the ticket. I remember one of the girls looking sad, afraid she wasnt going to be able to go the game. I was slightly annoyed that I couldnt sell the ticket. I thought about what to do for a couple seconds, and just gave it to her, gladly eating the $50. I told the father, something special is going to happen today, and you need to see it. I still wonder to this day if those folks remembered that conversation after the game.

[TheMoody1]

I was there. A little bummed we decided not to make the return trip. I will never forget the whole experience and the post game festivities at Buffalo Wild Wings.

[MAD Doctor]

I wish. The wife had made reservations at the beach months earlier, so I reluctantly complied. Couldn't even see the game, so my son, who was a freshman, kept me posted. I remember trying to temper his excitement at halftime by telling him that there was a lot of football left and we were getting ready to catch the best Michigan had to give. The last I had heard from him was when Armanti threw his last interception, seemingly ending our hopes.....until. I swear when he called, it sounded like he was being murdered by a pack of wolves. He was screaming, crying, shouting, and barely able to communicate what had happened. I ran up to the room just in time to see Sports Center coming on, and the call, "and the kick is blocked! Appalachian State has shocked the football world...One of the greatest upsets in sports history!" I told my wife that nothing would ever be the same.

[fjblair]

I was there PBR and it was magical. It was just surreal and hard to really explain if you weren't there. Two days ago I went outside in the morning and thought "this is just the kind of day it was in Michigan"....cool crisp morning, bright blue sky, low humidity, just a perfect day. I remember every detail about that day and that game to this day.

I have been a lot of places and seen a lot of things but what I experienced that day I will never forget.

[asutrnr81]

..... But, I will tell you that I made a lot of friends at this game and other games both before and after through this ground swale of support for App State and I wouldn't trade it for the world! Kick Apps!!!!!!! Feel free to post your day whether actually at the game or at home watching with friends.

To Friends like John Harris.....BHG! Honest to God would not know this guy if it were not for App State Football.....and it would be my loss!

APP

[asutrnr81]

Posted this on Mc...APPFAN's in another Thread but thought it better placed here.....

Thanks Mc...APPFAN, for starting this thread. I have to relay the Michigan Story from 2007.

I may not have been a good App guy from about 1991 through 2009 because I did not make every home App game. I made several App games a year and nearly all the playoff games, including the playoff and NC games for 2005-2007.

But the day we played Michigan will live in my memory and my families forever because of what we were doing. Our families lives from 1991 until Nick went to ASU in the fall of 2009 was spent following our kids around the ballfields and golf courses and XC trails of North Carolina while our boys were growing up....no apologies coming! It is what we did.

I so wanted to go to Michigan but Nick had qualified for the fall championship for the National Junior Golf Championship Tour at Sea Pines that weekend. The Practice Round was on Saturday and I was caddying for Nick. We started the round and the course was backed up like crazy and we were talking with all the other dads and players and caddies. I knew I was missing the game and Nick knew what it meant to me. Camilla and Tyler found a restaurant that was showing the game....and promised to text me the scores.

That's when it happened....I started getting texts on my phone from my teachers and family. (Lots of the teachers that worked for me came from Ohio and Pennsylvania and we NOT Michigan fans). We were on hole 7 when the excitement started with Dexter's first touchdown. Initially there were whispers around the course. The texts kept coming....by halftime we had made the turn but it was still slow. **(I saved those texts for years until my phone died)....The whispers became people jumping around and running across the course to get updates. We were on 17 when Corey blocked the last fieldgoal. I can remember standing on the tee box after Nick and his partners for the day teed off and started down the course....I knew we had won from the reaction around the course and there was a small roar by the time I got my text about "The Block"....I ran down the course club bouncing, towel waving sreaming my head off, looking like the fool I am....Nick being 16 at the time just shook his head. Dad's hugged, Mom's were crying, Clempson fans were shaking their heads and every Big 10 Transplant that was not affiliated with Michigan was screaming with us.

At the banquet that night the score was announced and there was again a roar and all of us App Grad dads and moms were asked to stand! Again a Roar! That night we looked on line at all the "celebrations" from around the country.

Not only did I get to spend a great weekend with my boys the texts I got for the next 48 hours from all kinds of people was incredible. I will never forget that weekend. I had never gotten to scream on a golf course before....but for that day....it was OK....and everyone understood.

That December I got to go to the National Championship game with both my boys!....Good Memories..

[GreatAppSt]

Mrs. GAS and I decided to fly up from Texas just to dance one waltz.

[DaphneUrquhart]

Section 10, Row 90, Big House in 2007(two rows from where I'll be sitting Saturday).

Many of you have heard my story of exchanging pleasantries with an usher who asked what the score was going to be. My response? "We'll be up by two touchdowns at halftime. Y'all will come back in the third quarter, but we'll still win by three." As the game wore on, I kept wondering if I should have played the lottery that day!

The Michigan fans were stellar before and after the game. I've tried to remember that when we've had a tough home loss.

Go App!

[AppAttack]

I was there with my Dad. Great seats. Clear skies. Polite but embarrassed UM fans after the game. We hung around celebrating and taking pictures until they practically kicked us out. Walked to Damon's after the game and watched all the highlights. Never forget that day.