In the autumn of 1978, I was ten years-old. My dad had just taken a job working in the Thumb region of Michigan and was commuting every day from our house in Detroit. He'd do that for about 4 1/2 months until my parents finally moved us into our new house in Caro.
I wasn't happy about the prospect of moving from our home in Detroit to the boonies of Caro, and took little interest in much of anything that fall, including school. Compounding my disappointment about moving, my parents had enrolled me in a magnet middle school that I didn't like. Every day, I had to take the bus to and from Ludington Middle School. Some of the kids on the bus were annoying jerks, and school wasn't much better. Though I'd made some friends at school, they had as little interest in school work as I did, so we spent a lot of time screwing around, doing stuff like folding paper airplanes and ignoring the teachers.
Though I had become a Michigan State sports fan in earnest the previous year, after attending my first college football game ever (a 44-3 MSU win over Northwestern in November '77) and falling hard for Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the '77-'78 Spartan hoopsters, I wasn't paying much attention to the 1978 football team. Because of NCAA probation, they weren't on television and had gotten off to a slow start prior to the Michigan game.
My dad was--and still is--a history buff. I assume he learned of the Sanilac petroglyphs, near Cass City, when he started working in the Thumb. He decided that we would all drive up there from Detroit to see the petroglyphs the day of the MSU/UM game, possibly because he didn't think MSU had a prayer of beating the #4 and undefeated Wolverines.
We tuned in the football game on our 1975 Plymouth Valiant's radio on the way up to the petroglyphs. The Spartans got off to a good start and had a lead when we arrived, but since I literally could not remember the last time MSU had defeated UM in football (1969, when I was a toddler), I knew not to get overly excited.
I recall the afternoon of October 14, 1978 at the petroglyphs as sunny and pleasant. The ancient stone carvings were--and I assume still are--quite fascinating. However, I was itching to know what was happening in the game. By the time we hiked back to our car for the long drive home, the game was in the 4th quarter. MSU was leading 24-7. I remember Michigan scoring a late touchdown and 2-point conversion to make it 24-15. I have a distinct memory of staring intensely at the Valiant's radio, willing the Spartans to victory. When the game ended and the Spartans had won, that was one of my happiest car rides ever, and one of my few highlights of autumn '78.
The Spartans went on to win six consecutive games and their first Big Ten football title since 1966. I don't remember anything about those games, but do recall the disappointment that the Draconian NCAA probation prevented them from representing the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Michigan, who tied MSU for the conference title, went instead. I doubt few were happier than I when USC beat UM in Pasadena.
I continued to largely ignore school in 1978 (and part of 1979). That school year was my absolute worst. It took me at least a year to get used to living in Caro.
Whenever I think of that '78 MSU/UM game, I immediately remember our daytrip to the petroglyphs and that joyful ride home to Detroit--a place I've always considered my spiritual home.
