On This Date in Sports September 1, 2007: App State Shocks Big Blue
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
In one of the biggest upsets in the history of NCAA Football, Appalachian State beats Michigan 34-32 at the Big House in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines were the fifth-ranked school in the nation, with championship aspirations starting the season against an FCS school. The Mountaineers were the top team in Division 1, Football Championship Subdivision, having won two straight National Championships. It was the second time an FCS team beat a ranked FBS team.
Few teams have the history of Michigan, one of the oldest and most successful teams in college football. A stalwart in the Big Ten, Michigan was the team picked for the first game on the Big Ten Network, a new cable channel launched to show games of teams from the conference all year round. Expected to be an FBS National Championship contender, Michigan began the season ranked fifth in the preseason polls.
Appalachian State was a solid Football Championship contender; the team had won the back-to-back FCS National Championships and was a favorite to win again as they kicked off the season in Ann Arbor. Despite their success, teams from FCS were not expected to compete with Division 1, Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Most meetings, even with the best teams from FCS, resulted in a one-sided win by the team from the power schools as even the worst teams from FBS typically attracted better talent than the best teams from FCS.
The game began as expected, with Michigan scoring on the first possession on a four-yard run by Mike Hart. Appalachian State quickly answered as Dexter Jackson connected on a 68-yard pass from Armanti Edwards to tie the game. Following a pair of three-and-outs, the Wolverines went back in front as Chad Henne capped a 52-yard drive with a ten-yard pass to Greg Matthews. The second quarter is when the game turned in App State’s favor, as they scored 21 unanswered points as Armanti Edwards had a pair of touchdown passes and a touchdown run. The Wolverines finally were able to move the ball at the end of the first half, setting up a 22-yard Field Goal by Jason Gingell. Michigan looked to be on the way to regaining control of the game when Morgan Trent intercepted Edwards on the second play in the third quarter, but their offense stalled and settled for another field goal to cut the deficit to 28-20. The Mountaineers kept the pressure on Michigan as Julian Rauch hit a 31-yard Field Goal to show they would fight the Wolverines to the bitter end. After another three-and-out, the Michigan Defense gave them a break they needed by recovering a fumble by Armanti Edwards. Michigan would cash in the turnover with another four-yard run by Mike Hart but failed to get the two-point conversion and trailed 31-26 as the fourth quarter began.
Defenses stiffened in the fourth quarter as the Mountaineers tried to hold on to their dwindling lead. However, it appeared midnight had come for Appalachian State when Hart had a 54-yard touchdown run with 4:36 left to give Michigan a 32-31 lead. The Wolverines again failed to convert the two-point attempt and left the door open. The door appeared to close when Edwards was picked off on the first play from scrimmage. However, Michigan could not take advantage and had a field goal blocked, giving the Mountaineers the ball with 1:37 left. With no timeouts, App State quickly worked the ball down the field, setting up Julian Rauch for a 24-yard field goal to retake the lead with 26 seconds left. Down 34-32, Michigan got into field goal range on a 46-yard pass from Chad Henne to Mario Manningham. With six seconds left, Jason Gingell stepped up for a 31-yard field goal to win the game for Michigan. However, for the second time in the fourth quarter, Gingell was blocked as Corey Lynch swatted the ball to preserve the upset.
Following the game, Appalachian State received national attention getting the cover of Sports Illustrated as Michigan fell completely out of the rankings. Michigan would rebound and had a solid season, posting a 9-4 record in what would be Lloyd Carr’s final season as head coach. Michigan would beat Florida 41-35 in the Capital One Bowl to close the season.
Appalachian State won a third straight FCS National Championship, beating Delaware in the title game 49-21. The game was the first for Appalachian State as a Football Bowl Subdivision team; they would lose the game 52-14. Michigan would meet Appalachian State again in the 2014 season opener at Ann Arbor.