“From heartbroken to united: How Michigan fans inspired the team following Zak Zinter’s injury”
Joel Klatt explains how Michigan Stadium spectators helped the team get “up off the mat.”
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A college football analyst broke down a magical moment during the Michigan-Ohio State game when fans at the Big House galvanized the Wolverines after a devastating injury to Zak Zinter.
The two teams were tied at 17 with 5:35 remaining in the third quarter when J.J. McCarthy completed a pass to tight end A.J. Barner for an 18-yard gain.
Michigan was threatening to regain the lead in a game between two undefeated rivals. It was the biggest game of the college football season, and one of the most impactful chapters in the history of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry.
But in that moment, the stadium went silent as Zinter, a team captain and star player, remained down on the turf.
“This was a moment that’s not a play in the game, but it’s a moment in the game that kind of changed the whole outlook of the game,” Fox analyst Joel Klatt said.
Klatt posted an extensive breakdown of the game on his YouTube channel, including a 10-minute anecdote specifically about the Zinter injury. It’s excellent, and you can listen to it by clicking here (the Zinter story begins at the 31:37 mark).
“This is, in a lot of ways, the heart and soul of the offensive line, of the offense, of the program, in some ways,” Klatt said. “This guy is a senior. He comes back to play this year. Could have gone to the NFL last year. He’s started 41 games. He’s started since he was a true freshman. … He has the respect of the defensive players. He has the respect of the offensive players.”
Zinter is one of the players whose decision to return for one more season snowballed into many others doing the same. He’s a key reason each of the past two offensive lines won the Joe Moore award as the best in the nation.
But on Saturday, his final game at Michigan Stadium, Zinter broke his tibia and fibula and had to be taken to the hospital for surgery. It was a devastating moment for a player who came back for another shot at the national championship and has a promising NFL future.
