‘You Just Made An Enemy Out of Me’ — Michigan Fans Ticked Off By Steve Sarkisian Claiming He Was ‘Shocked’ To See Wolverines Storm The Field
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Controversy erupted this past weekend after Michigan appeared to get away with a questionable call against Western Michigan. Fans thought the game clock had expired, only for an official review to add one more second, paving the way for Michigan to win on a Hail Mary touchdown on the final play.
Once it was ruled a touchdown, Wolverines fans at Michigan Stadium stormed the field, drawing some sour reactions around the college football community. Now, another program’s head coach has drawn attention for his reaction to the finish.
Steve Sarkisian ‘Surprised’ By Michigan’s Field-Storming
Naturally, many spectators were shocked that Michigan was able to pull off a last-second Hail Mary, even if it came against an inferior, unranked opponent.
Others, like Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, were more surprised that the fanbase of a 16th-ranked Michigan squad stormed the field after narrowly escaping with a victory.
During a press conference to preview the top-five matchup at DKR-Memorial Stadium, Sarkisian, commenting on Michigan’s 13-12 win over Western Michigan, admitted he had not watched the play live.
He acknowledged that he did not fully understand the replay ruling and called the loss unfortunate for Western Michigan. Then came the shot.
“I think the thing that shocked me most was that they stormed the field. That was a surprise,” Sarkisian said.
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Sports Illustrated’s NFL insider Albert Breer, a known Ohio State supporter, chimed in with his two cents too, stating that storming the field is “Gonna be a tough one to live down.”
However, as one might expect, the Longhorns head coach ruffled some feathers with his comments.
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One fan on X said, “You just made an enemy outta me. And that’s your biggest mistake, clown.”
Yet, another Michigan supporter provided a bit more insight into why the fans stormed the field. It’s not just because they took the lead as time expired; it was the manner in which they did so, with “the most exciting play in all of sports.”
“Michigan didn’t storm the field because they won. A game-winning field goal isn’t getting a field storm. They stormed because of a walk-off Hail Mary. The most exciting play in all of sports.”
Then came another criticism for Sarkisian, with one commenter asking bluntly, “What has Sark ever won?”
Another said, “This tweet confirms that Michigan lives rent-free in Texas’ and OSU’s minds, even in the week those teams play each other!!”
Meanwhile, one person reasoned that such an “emotional reaction” was essentially because the “game was lost.”
“Storming the field is an emotional reaction to winning when defeat was 99.9% expected. Fans are humans, not the Borg. That game was lost. It was a double miracle. A miracle of an added second and a miracle of actually completing the Hail Mary.”
Another fan couldn’t figure out why the Texas head coach would be discussing Michigan, when he should be focused on his next opponent, the Ohio State Buckeyes. “Why is he even opining on it? OSU is on the clock, bro.”
Maybe Sarkisian just wanted to stir the pot a bit, but he clearly hasn’t earned himself any fans in Michigan after those comments.
Yet, since Texas doesn’t have Michigan on the schedule this year, Sarkisian really didn’t have anything to lose, except for maybe a bit of respect from an opponent’s fan base.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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