ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Night games are a college football tradition for schools across the country, but for Michigan, it's more of a novelty.
Michigan is one of the oldest football programs in the nation, and it took more than 100 years for the first night game inside Michigan Stadium.
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"Under the Lights" started in 2011, when Michigan announced a home night game against rival Notre Dame. There were two sequels in 2013 and 2014, both resulting in Michigan wins. But despite its success, Michigan hasn't played under the lights since Jim Harbaugh arrived in December 2014.
That's about to change.
On Saturday, Michigan will host in-state rival Michigan State for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff in Ann Arbor. Night games have always been reserved for big opponents, so this is a fitting time for a late kickoff.
This is the first time Michigan will play at night as a true Big Ten contender, and Michigan State has rebounded from what looks like an outlier down season under Mark Dantonio. It should be an electric atmosphere, but can the game live up to the previous ones played under the lights?
After this weekend, where will this night game rank? Here's a look at the previous three:
3. 2014: Michigan vs. Penn State
Result: Michigan 18, Penn State 13
In terms of both excitement and national meaning, the most recent night game is a distant third behind its two predecessors.
Unlike the first two "Under the Lights" games, Michigan's hopes to compete on a national level were already dashed, as it came into the matchup on a three-game losing streak after a loss to Rutgers.
But the game was extremely competitive, and it turned out to be by far Michigan's biggest win of the season.
The Wolverines got into the end zone with a Devin Gardner 43-yard touchdown pass to Devin Funchess, but that would be the last time the offense scored. Penn State scored its only touchdown in the second quarter, and Michigan trained 13-10 at the half.
Fans of offense were sorely disappointed in the second half, as Michigan's field goal marked the lone points of the third quarter. With 11:24 left in the game, Matt Wile kicked what would ultimately be the game-winning 37-yard field goal.
The crowd exploded on Penn State's final drive, when Christian Hackenberg was sacked on back-to-back plays before the Nittany Lions tossed the punt snap through the back of the end zone and failed to recover an onside kick.
It was the best win of the 2014 season for Michigan, but the team failed to make a bowl game, which marked the end of the Hoke era.
2. 2013: Michigan vs. Notre Dame
Result: Michigan 41, Notre Dame 30
There were much higher expectations during the 2013 night game, when Michigan and Notre Dame faced off in a top 20 matchup.
Notre Dame added some extra fuel to the rivalry when it backed out of the contract and announced that the series would end after the 2014 season. Hoke famously said Notre Dame was "chickening out" of the series, which only raised the stakes.
The crowd was already fired up before kickoff, but then Gardner came out wearing No. 98 to honor Michigan's first Heisman Trophy winner, Tom Harmon. It was strange to see a quarterback wearing No. 98, but the gesture proved Michigan considered the night games its biggest stage.
A college football record crowd of 115,109 saw Michigan jump out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, but Notre Dame answered with 10 points in under three minutes of game time to tie it up.
The Wolverines dominated the final nine minutes of the half, outscoring Notre Dame 17-3. The largest crowd in history was deafening as the teams entered the tunnel.
But the 14th-ranked Irish weren't done. After the teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, Notre Dame scored 10 quick points in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter to pull within four points. Stephon Tuitt stunned the Big House crowd with a diving interception in the end zone to bring the Fighting Irish back to life, and they added a field goal on their next drive.
A nervous crowd watched Michigan start at the 25-yard line, but Gardner led a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that woke up the relieved fans.
In the end, it was a Black Countess interception in the end zone that sealed the game after Notre Dame drove all the way to Michigan's 6-yard line.
It was a great night for Michigan fans, as it looked like the team could compete with the top teams in the country. In fact, the Wolverines vaulted to No. 11 in the AP Poll.
1. 2011: Michigan vs. Notre Dame
Result: Michigan 35, Notre Dame 31
The original "Under the Lights" wasn't just the best night game in Michigan football history, it's one of the most memorable finishes the program has ever seen.
Few Michigan home games have had as much pregame hype as the first night game, as Michigan started a new era under Brady Hoke and looked to return to national prominence. Even though Notre Dame lost its season opener to South Florida, it was one of the week's top matchups.
Michigan got off to a dreadful start, spotting Notre Dame 14 points in the first quarter. The Wolverines finally got on the board with a touchdown five minutes into the second quarter, but Notre Dame added a field goal before halftime and a touchdown late in the third quarter to carry a seemingly insurmountable 24-7 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Wolverines had only mustered seven points through 45 minutes, so there was no way they would beat Notre Dame by 17 in the final 15 minutes.
That's when things got crazy.
Six seconds into the fourth quarter, a Michigan fumble at the 1-yard line was scooped up by Denard Robinson for an extremely fortunate touchdown that kept the slim hopes alive.
Michigan's defense forced a quick three-and-out, and in the blink of an eye, Robinson had connected with Jeremy Gallon for a touchdown that cut the deficit to three points with 10 minutes remaining.
Fans went through a roller coaster ride of emotions over the next eight minutes, as the defense forced a fumble to take away what surely would have been a Notre Dame score inside the 10-yard line. But after a 45-yard completion to Junior Hemingway put Michigan on Notre Dame's 30-yard line, Robinson threw an interception in the end zone to sap the energy out of the building.
The defense came through again with a three-and-out, and Robinson bounced back to lead a 58-yard touchdown drive. Michigan, after trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter, took its first lead with 1:12 to go.
If the game had ended right after that score, it would still be one of the best games in recent Michigan memory, but it wasn't even close to over.
Notre Dame returned the kickoff to the 39-yard line, and Tommy Rees needed just four plays to find Theo Riddick for a 29-yard touchdown catch. With only 30 seconds left, it looked like Michigan's miraculous comeback would be for naught.
Robinson had other ideas. After an incomplete pass left Michigan 80 yards from the end zone with 23 seconds to play, he scrambled and found Gallon for a wacky 64-yard scamper that put the Wolverines in field goal range.
But on the final play, Robinson connected with Roy Roundtree at the right edge of the end zone for a game-winning touchdown. It's one of Michigan's most iconic moments since the turn of the century.
Fans stuck around to celebrate as the band took the field for the playing of the Alma Mater. They didn't leave the stadium until well after the final seconds ticked off.
In the end, this also became Michigan's most meaningful night game victory, as the Wolverines finished 11-2 with a Sugar Bowl victory.
2017: ???
Michigan has much more on the line this season than any previous night game, because coach Jim Harbaugh has put together a team that's capable of competing for a conference title.
Playing against Michigan State will automatically add to the intensity, but the game itself has to deliver to crack the top two spots of this list.