Michigan Football: Remembering 3 August classics for Wolverines

August 26, 1995 vs. Virginia

Seven years earlier Mercury Hayes made the catch heard around the college football world. At the time, it went down as arguably Michigan football’s most monumental comeback win that inevitably lasted for another eight years (2003 @ Minnesota). The 1995 Pigskin Classic victory over 17th ranked Virginia turned out to be just that, an instant classic.

The Cavaliers jumped ahead to a 17-0 lead with a hair under thirteen minutes left in the game. Then all of a sudden the Michigan offense awoke by cracking their goose egg on the board in about one minute of actual game clock. Running back Eddie Davis broke the goal line and it was all Michigan after that.

Before that amazing catch, Hayes dashed to the endzone for the second score to get within five. Michigan’s defense did its job to give the ball back to the offense one more time.

A touchback helped the Wolverines keep away from the shadows of their own endzone to eventually travel 80 yards in roughly two and a half minutes.

Hayes then answered the bell on fourth and ten, the last play of the game, with only four seconds left. Redshirt freshman Scott Dreisbach threw a corner pattern to him and it landed right in his breadbasket for the game clincher. The celebration was on and the historic triumph was assured.