DESIGN BY JACK SILBERMAN PHOTOS FROM CURRENT AND FORMER MICHIGAN DAILY PHOTOSTAFF
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
1901-1904: Yost’s “point-a-minute” teams
Michigan won four-straight national championships to start the 1900s LANEY BYLER
Managing Sports Editor
In Fielding Yost’s first year as head coach of the Michigan football team, he did a few things — went undefeated with a 11-0 record, outscored his opponents, 550-0, and turned a fifth-place team around to become Rose Bowl and national champions for the first time ever. Just to name a few. The 1901 season for the Wolverines demonstrated a massive shift in success. That year, Yost spurred an intensity in the offense that equipped the Wolverines with the ability to remain undefeated for four seasons, notching 40 straight wins for four national titles in a row. Those Michigan teams went down in history as famed “point-a-minute” programs, categorized for their lethal offenses that outscored opponents by a shattering 2,821 points to 42, with a combined 55-1-1 record from 1901 to 1904. That offense was exemplified on Oct. 26, 1901, when Buffalo traveled to Regents Field in Ann Arbor for a matchup with the Wolverines. Typically two 30-minute halves, Buffalo’s head coach requested at the halfway point that the second half be reduced to 20 minutes — and
the Wolverines still won, 128-0, tallying more points than it had the entire previous season. While 22-touchdown games are few and far between, that margin of victory was familiar for Yost’s teams throughout their four-year national championship span. On Oct. 8 of the 1902 season, the Wolverines trumped Michigan Agricultural College — now Michigan State — by a score of 119-0 at home. Five weeks later, they shut out Iowa with a triple-digit deficit as well, 107-0. It wasn’t until the 1903 season that Michigan finally met a team it couldn’t shut out, in front of the largest crowd of the year. On Halloween of 1903, 20,000 people crammed into Northrop Field in Minneapolis for the inaugural battle for the Little Brown Jug between the Wolverines and Minnesota. A late touchdown from right tackle Joe Maddock put Michigan on the board first, but a Golden Gopher fullback notched the equalizer with two minutes left in the game to keep it tied at 6-6. It was the first time during the Yost era that the Wolverines hadn’t won a football game outright. Michigan won its fourth straight national championship in 1904, when the Wolverines
(Yost) went undefeated with an 11-0 record.
The 1901 season demonstrated a massive shift in success.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
The Chicago football team ended Yost’s four-year, “point-a-minute” undefeated streak in 1905, after Michigan had dominated for four straight seasons.
finished the season with 10 wins and 7 shutouts. Though it didn’t shut out every opponent like it had the past three seasons — save the Little Brown Jug battle the year before — Michigan did finish the season with the most uneven score in program history.
With 4,000 spectators looking on at Regents Field, the Wolverines scored a recordbreaking 22 touchdowns, with 20 extra points earned, for a final score of 130-0 (with modern scoring rules, it would have been 152-0). Tackle Joe Curtis contributed
a team-high 49 points, scoring six touchdowns and 19 extra points. The performance led to a first team All-Western tackle selection, an honor he would also receive the next two years. West Virginia’s 130-point loss defined the 1904 season, a year where the Wolverines averaged
a point every 50.3 seconds. And it reflected the first four years of Yost’s coaching tenure, where the “point-a-minute” reputation held true — pushing Michigan’s program to its pinnacle fouryear stretch of national championships and offensive excellence.
1903-1909: The Little Brown Jug is born
The Wolverines won back their water jug by beating Minnesota in 1909 BENJAMIN KATZ Daily Sports Writer
It wasn’t originally little or brown. It was a five-gallon jug, 16 inches tall with a 37-inch circumference. It weighed more than 20 pounds and was putty-colored. The Michigan and Minnesota football teams have played each other on-and-off since 1892. But in October 1903, the stakes were higher for both squads — and the first college football trophy, the Little Brown Jug, was born. Just two seasons into his head coaching tenure, Fielding Yost led the Wolverines to 29 straight victories and had yet to give up a single point in the 1903 season. The Golden Gophers, also undefeated at 10-0, were looking to knock off Michigan and become the “Champions of the West.” The stage was set for a showdown in front of 20,000 fans at sold-out Northrup Field in Minneapolis. In a tower 45 feet above the stadium sat Michigan student Jack Mattice, whose play-by-play calls back to more than 3,000 people in Ann Arbor’s University Hall Auditorium by voice transmitter made him one of the first-ever sports broadcasters. Suspicious that Minnesota might taint the water supply, Yost ordered student manager Tommy Roberts to purchase a jug for water from a local store before the game. He bought the five-gallon Red Wing Pottery jug for 30 cents. After a scoreless first half, Michigan captured the lead with a touchdown halfway through the second. But with just two minutes remaining, the Golden Gophers stormed back and punched it in from the goal line to knot the game up. Minnesota fans stormed
the field to celebrate, with the referees unable to resume play before sundown. The game was called early, resulting in a 6-6 tie and the only blemish on Yost’s sterling record from 1901-04. Hurrying to catch the train home, Yost forgot the jug in the visitors’ locker room. The next morning, Golden Gopher equipment manager Oscar Munson found the jug and brought it to Minnesota’s athletic director, L.J. Cooke. The two decided to decorate the jug, painting the score — Minnesota’s “6” deliberately larger than Michigan’s — and the caption, “Michigan Jug Captured by Oscar, October 31, 1903.” With the two teams facing off again six years later, Cooke decided to put the jug on the line, giving Yost and the Wolverines the opportunity to win it back. And after a 15-6 Michigan victory, Yost returned home with the Little Brown Jug and a new tradition that continues to this day. In 103 matchups since, the Wolverines lead the series, 75-25 with three ties, including 41 wins in the last 45 contests. Big games against Ohio State, Michigan State and Notre Dame have overshadowed this oncefierce rivalry. Trophies like Paul Bunyan, a golden egg and a keg of nails — yes, Cincinnati and Louisville have quite a strange prize for the winner — have all been fought over throughout college football. But the fact remains: A 30-cent jug, neither little nor brown and bought of pure paranoia, became a symbol of excellence. And, residing with the “Champions of the West,” the Little Brown Jug continues to reign as the oldest trophy in FBS college football history.
A 30-cent jug ... became a symbol of excellence.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Michigan and Minnesota (top) play in 1909 for The Little Brown Jug (bottom), which is the oldest trophy in college football history.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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Friday, November 16, 2018 — 3
1918: Michigan exacts revenge on Chicago After rejoining Big Ten, Yost beats Chicago in first matchup in 13 years ANNA MARCUS Daily Sports Editor
Before there was the fierce rivalry with Ohio State, the Michigan football team had a different November showdown marked on its schedule. As the 19th century came to a close, the Wolverines’ main competitor was the University of Chicago, and the two football powerhouses battled in the most highly-anticipated game every season. This annual “Chicago” game commenced in 1892 — the year the Maroons fielded their first football team under leadership of coach Amos Alonzo Stagg — often taking place on Thanksgiving Day and often with the Western Conference Championship on the line. It was in fact Michigan’s 12-11 victory over Chicago in 1898 that inspired Louis Elbel, a School of Music student watching the game, to write “The Victors.” So if you’ve ever wondered where his lyric “Champions of the West” came from, it was from this tight win that crowned Michigan the Western Conference Champions for the first time in school history. Flash forward to 1901: It’s Michigan football’s first season with coach Fielding Yost at the helm. Over an 11-game season, the Wolverines steamrolled competition, outscoring their opponents, 550-0. Yes, you read that correctly. This unusually productive and efficient Michigan offense was a trademark of the early Yost era that became known as “point-a-
minute” teams. The Wolverines took down the Maroons in the annual game for four straight seasons, shutting them out in three of those meetings. With just the Chicago game remaining in the 1905 season, and Michigan riding a 56-game win streak, the Maroons were finally able to stymie the Wolverines’ momentum. They put an end to the “point-a-minute” era, defeating Michigan, 2-0. With the Michigan football program caught up in scandal around the same time, the team was forced to exit the Western Conference, putting the annual Chicago game on hold indefinitely. So in 1918, when the Wolverines were fully reintegrated into the conference, Michigan — still led by Yost — didn’t want to avenge just any rivalry loss. It had been waiting 13 years for this one. Notably that season, Michigan’s team captain Elton Wieman did not play due to military service, and left tackle Angus Goetz and half back Abe Cohn were the Wolverines’ only returning players. Even so, they handily defeated Case Scientific School in the season opener. The game against the Maroons was set for Nov. 9 at Stagg Field in Chicago, and as a result of the influenza pandemic, canceled games made it just the second slate of Michigan’s season that year. When the day arrived, the home team was the first to take the field. The Wolverines followed suit just minutes to game time, with sounds erupting from the visiting side. The game’s opening minutes were
Michigan’s 13-0 victory had largely been a punting contest.
characterized by fumbles from both sides, which largely could be attributed to the dampness of the field. But this would be the only part of the game that was not hard fought. Just three minutes into the first quarter, the Maroons attempted a kick from the 45-yard line. Goetz craftily broke through Chicago’s line, blocking the kick and recovering it for a 55-yard openfield run to score the game’s first touchdown. Fullback Frank Steketee’s kick was on target for the extra point, putting Michigan ahead, 7-0. The second quarter was marked by a slew of injuries, representing the roughness and desperation on both sides that is so often present in rivalry competition. The Wolverines’ left half back Edward Perrin was sent out due to injury, and the choppy play prevented both teams from making much progress before halftime. On Michigan’s first drive of the third quarter, the Wolverines didn’t make significant progress, ending with a fourth-down, long-range field goal attempt from Steketee that fell short of the posts. However, towards the end of the quarter, with Perrin back in action, he received a punt and returned it to the Maroons’ 22-yard line. As the whistle blew signaling the end of the quarter, Michigan had made its way to the six-yard line. The final quarter opened with Perrin stopped at the oneyard line following a run up the middle on the first play. The next play, Perrin ran for the Wolverines’ second touchdown
of the game. Steketee missed this extra point, but it wouldn’t matter as Chicago failed to get on the board for the remainder of the game. Spectators observed that Michigan’s 13-0 victory had largely been a punting contest between Steketee and the Maroons’ Frederick Elton. It was anything but pretty. But the history and tension underlying the game was what truly made that November afternoon in Chicago special. It may have taken 13 years, but the Michigan football team had finally gone on its own revenge tour. The Wolverines would go on to win out the rest of their season, sharing Big Ten Championship recognition with Illinois after sealing the deal with a victory over Ohio State. The Billingsley Report and the National Championship Foundation retrospectively selected the Wolverines as national champions of the 1918 season, though no formal mechanism of selection existed at the time. As for the significance of the reinvigorated Chicago game? The Michigan Daily noted on Nov. 9, 1918 that the Wolverine players “had grasped the spirit of former times.” It’s hard to find better words to describe what happened that day at Stagg Field. The Michigan-Chicago rivalry would never regain its former status as the game. Other rivalries emerged, and the Maroons’ football dynasty declined. But in that moment, the teams fought like the rivalry was back to stay.
The Wolverines would go on to win out the rest of its season.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Abe Cohn was a key part of Michigan’s win over Chicago in 1918.
1923: Wolverines beat Gophers for share of crown Harry Kipke, Yost lead team to 10-0 victory to win national championship MIKE PERSAK
Managing Sports Editor
The 1923 Michigan football season was one of the most dominant in the Wolverines’ history. Statistics from those days are hard to conceive, because the level of competition was down, and games were not nearly as high-scoring as they are now. But in every facet of the game, Michigan dominated — outscoring its opponents, 15012, en route to an 8-0 record and its sixth national championship. The team was led by legends in the lore of Wolverines football. Their names are still etched on buildings around the University’s campus.
Coach Fielding H. Yost was in his 23rd season, having already won five national championships in Ann Arbor. He had Ray Fisher — after whom Michigan’s baseball stadium is named — on his staff as an assistant coach. Harry Kipke was the captain at half back, entering the season as a consensus All-American in 1922. Though he would finish without this distinction for the 1923 season, falling behind Illinois’ Red Grange and Penn State’s Harry Wilson, his contributions were undeniable in helping the Wolverines to their sterling record. Michigan earned several key wins throughout the season, including a 23-0 win over Ohio State in front of the largest
crowd in Ferry Field history (50,000) and a 6-3 win over Wisconsin that was preserved by a game-saving, shoestring tackle by Edliff Slaughter, which Yost called “the greatest play in football (he) ever saw.” However, without a national or conference championship game in those days, the Wolverines’ season came down to a final bout with Minnesota, pitting two undefeated teams against one another for the Little Brown Jug. The Golden Gophers possessed a high-powered offense, coming off wins over Northwestern and Iowa, in which they scored 34 and 20 points, respectively. Despite this, the Wolverines
came out strong. They scored the game’s only touchdown in the second quarter, as fullback Richard Vick threw a 31-yard touchdown to quarterback Ferdinand Rockwell, who also kicked the extra point. In the third quarter, Slaughter blocked a Minnesota punt, and Dick Babcock recovered it on the Golden Gophers’ 27-yard line. From there, the Wolverines stalled out, but Kipke, playing in his last game, hit a 37-yard field goal to put Michigan up, 10-0. Kipke came up even bigger late in the game. On Minnesota’s final drive, as it desperately tried to climb back into the game, Kipke sealed the win with an interception to polish off the shutout and win
the Little Brown Jug for the Wolverines. Though Kipke had perhaps the biggest defensive play of the game, defensive tackle Stanley Muirhead was the defensive star. He was credited with 22 tackles in what was also his final Michigan game. Even with the Wolverines’ success throughout the season and in their final game, it was still unclear if they would be crowned national — or even Big Ten — champions. Illinois also finished the 1923 season undefeated, having never played Michigan. However, they had three common opponents in Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin. Against those teams, the Wolverines won by a combined
score of 38-6, while the Fighting Illini won, 28-6. While this wasn’t official criteria for deciding the national champion, it may have been enough to push Michigan over the top in certain polls. In the end, the Billingsley Report and the National Championship Foundation recognized the Wolverines as the 1923 national champions. With no more concrete deciding factors, and despite other publications and foundations naming Illinois the national champions, the honors the Wolverines did receive are enough for them to still claim this as one of their 11 national championships in program history.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
The Michigan football team beat Ohio State in front of the biggest crowd in Ferry Field history, Wisconsin thanks to a shoe-string, game-saving tackle and Minnesota to clinch a share of the national championship with Illinois.
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
1927: Wolverines win first game at Michigan Stadium
In first season without Fielding Yost, Michigan opened a new stadium RON CHEN For the Daily
The 1927 season of Michigan football brought a new coach in Elton Wieman, following the retirement of Fielding Yost. It saw Bennie Oosterbaan become a firstteam All-American for the third straight year. The Wolverines also graduated All-American quarterback and halfback Bennie Friedman. And the 1927 season came with a new stadium, Michigan Stadium.
The first game of the year saw Michigan play Ohio Wesleyan, a tribute to the place where Yost started his coaching career. The Battling Bishops were also the first opponent for the Wolverines on their old stomping ground, Ferry Field. The game between Michigan and Ohio Wesleyan was played after a heavy rain that carried into the first half. At that time, the Big House was a natural grass field, so a muddy game took place with little sunshine peeking. Over
40,000 people, a record at the time, attended the game through the downpour. When Friedman graduated in June, it seemed impossible to replace the star offensive player. But the first game the next September, Louis Gilbert filled the roles of passer, runner, punter and kicker. Gilbert accounted for each of the Wolverines’ five touchdowns and made four-of-five extra points, with the last one being disallowed because of holding. Gilbert opened the scoring at
Michigan Stadium with a 15-yard lob to right end Laverne “Kip” Taylor five minutes after kickoff. He would then snag a partiallyblocked punt and return it 24 yards for a touchdown. Later, Gilbert tossed a 20-yard touchdown to quarterback Leo Hoffman and found Oosterbaan for a 50-yard score to give the Wolverines a 27-0 halftime lead. Heading into the second half, Gilbert went right back to work, returning the opening kickoff 90 yards for his fifth and final
touchdown. The passing game for both sides brought big plays, despite being largely inefficient. Michigan went 5-for-19 with three touchdowns and two interceptions. On the other hand, Ohio Wesleyan completed 2-of-16 pass attempts, with three interceptions. The Wolverines’ defense continued to dominate throughout the rest of the season, allowing just 39 points all year. Michigan went on to defeat Ohio State, 21-0, but lost to eventual Big Ten
champions Illinois in Champaign. The Wolverines also lost the battle for the Little Brown Jug against Minnesota in Ann Arbor, the first loss at their new home. Michigan Stadium, modeled after the Yale Bowl, had a warm introduction in 1927 with a 33-0 drubbing of the Battling Bishops. It could fit 72,000 fans at the time, with no scoreboards or astroturf. Fast forward 91 years and the Wolverines continue to boast an impenetrable defense in the same stadium Gilbert took over.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
The Michigan football team defeated Ohio Wesleyan in the first game at Michigan Stadium, now called “The Big House,” led by the services of Louis Gilbert and Bennie Oosterbaan, who ran, passed and caught for touchdowns in the 33-0 win.
1932-33: ‘M’ wins back-to-back national championships With a team that included a future president, Michigan was dominant LANEY BYLER
Managing Sports Editor
The era of football, the rulebook, the two teams playing — none of that matters. An average of 1.6 points per game is not a good stat. And yet, that’s all the teams that faced Michigan’s defense in 1932 averaged. Under coach Harry Kipke and assistant Clifford Keen, the Wolverines established a stalwart defense that steamrolled six different teams for shutouts and enabled their offense to outscore opponents, 123-12, through the season. The talent on Michigan’s roster kickstarted a two-year streak for the Wolverines in which they saw back-to-back national championship titles. Instead of polls, the Dickinson rating system was used to determine who the champions would be — and in 1932 and 1933, those champions were the Wolverines from the West. That talent included Harry Newman, a quarterback who tallied all 22 of Michigan’s points scored in its last three contests of the 1932 season. The trend started with a touchdown that solidified a 7-0 win over Indiana, all the way until Michigan’s 3-0 win over Minnesota for the Little Brown Jug and a national championship-
worthy 8-0 record. Newman was given every accolade in the book: the Chicago Tribune Trophy for Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten, a selection as quarterback for the All-America first team and the Douglas Fairbanks Trophy — an award given to the player of the year before the evolution of the Heisman Trophy. Chuck Bernard at center and Ted Petoskey at end also made waves for the Wolverines, with both receiving first team AllAmerican recognition. Future U.S. President Gerald Ford received the Meyer Morton Award, given to the most improved player, as he sat at backup for Bernard. The 1933 team saw an extension of its prowess both on offense and defense, capped by a 40-0 shutout of Cornell at Michigan Stadium on Oct. 14, which renewed a rivalry from 1889 to 1894. The 40-point difference was the highest point total for a margin of victory in favor of Michigan in seven years. A week later, in front of a record 82,606 fans at Michigan Stadium, the Wolverines looked to extend that domination against a Buckeye team that had been the last to beat Michigan before it took a 15-game unbeaten into the contest. With quarterback Bill Renner scoring the only six points
of the first half, the Wolverines entered the second within reach by a single touchdown. But for Ohio State, that touchdown never came. Instead, Bernard claimed an interception that placed the ball at the 23-yard line, where Michigan was able to drive it in and score off a two-yard run from Herman Everhardus and kick from Carl Savage, resulting in a 13-point shutout of the rival. With four more wins and a scoreless tie against the Golden Gophers in the battle for the Little Brown Jug, Michigan once again secured its spot as national champions, ending the 1933 season with a 7-0-1 record. Despite the loss of Newman that season, Bernard and Petoskey remained on call for the Wolverines and again were honored on the All-America first team. Additional picks included left halfback Herman Everhardus — voted Michigan’s most valuable player as the Big Ten leading scorer with 64 points — and tackle Francis Wistert. Though the national championship trend ended the following season, the two-year streak did more than just establish one of the best point-allowed averages and shut out percentages in its time — it built an expectation for a Michigan program centered around tradition and excellence.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Stan Fay led Michigan to back-to-back national championships as one of the leaders of the Wolverines’ team.
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, November 16, 2018 — 5
1947: Michigan blanks USC in Rose Bowl
The Wolverines blew out the Trojans, 49-0, becoming national champs PAIGE VOEFFRAY Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan football team had easily made its way to the red zone, but the touchdown was eluding them. All it took was fullback Jack Weisenburger to push his way through for the one-yard score to give the Wolverines the lead. It was the first of seven unanswered touchdowns en route to Michigan defeating Southern California, 49-0, in the 1948 Rose Bowl to claim the 1947 National Championship. It was the Wolverines’ game to win from the beginning. They had been perfect the entire season, going undefeated overall and in Big Nine play. And while the Trojans were an impressive team, the 1947 Michigan squad was special. College football looked very different back then, but the Wolverines took a big step that season toward how football is played today. Michigan was the first team to have players specialize in offense or defense, as opposed to playing both sides of the ball. At the time, this was such an unbelievable practice that the media dubbed the team ‘Mad Magicians.’ Time Magazine even went as far to write a feature article on this new era of
football and said, “Michigan’s sleight-of-hand repertory is a baffling assortment of double reverses, buck-reverse laterals, crisscrosses, quick-hits and spins from seven different formations. Sometimes, watching from the side lines, even Coach (Fritz) Crisler isn’t sure which Michigan man has the ball. Michigan plays one team on offense, one on defense … Whenever Michigan’s defensive team regains the ball, Crisler orders: ‘Offense unit, up and out,’ and nine men pour onto the field at once.” Clearly the tactic paid off for the Wolverines. Weisenburger went on to score two more touchdowns in the game — both one-yard runs. He wasn’t the only one who had scoring opportunities, though. The stars of the 1947 team, half backs Bob Chappuis and Bump Elliott, combined for a touchdown of their own with Chappuis throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Elliott. Chappuis received a handoff and, running out of time, quickly tossed the ball over the defensive line to Elliott as he cut across the field before
Michigan was the first team to have players specialize ...
tumbling into the end zone. The Wolverines would enter the half leading, 21-0. After adding only one more touchdown in the third quarter, Michigan didn’t let up in the final quarter. The most impressive play of the game was a 45-yard touchdown pass from half back Hank Fonde. After receiving the handoff, he broke a Southern California tackle to give him time to make the throw. Without hesitation, he looked up and sent a perfectly placed ball to quarterback Gene Derricotte running down the right sideline. The final Trojan safety dove to stop Derricotte, but he was already gone. The final touchdown of the game was meaningless in terms of the game’s winner, but tied the record for most points scored and largest margin of victory in a Rose Bowl — both records Michigan had set in the inaugural Rose Bowl. The Wolverines had dominated the entire game, even the entire season, but almost wasn’t awarded the national title. Notre Dame had finished atop the Associated Press Poll at the end of the regular season, and normally they would have been the National Champions. But after pressure from the public for another poll, the Associated Press created the first ever postbowl poll. Michigan edged out Notre Dame, 266 votes to 119. In the grand scheme of the season, the Rose Bowl victory was just another notch on the Wolverines’ belt.
... in offense or defense, as opposed to playing ...
... both sides of the ball. Media dubbed them ‘Mad Magicians.’
FILE PHOTO/Daily
End Dick Rifenburg reaches for a pass in Michigan’s 49-0 Rose Bowl win over USC to win a national championship.
1948: Oosterbaan wins national championship
In first year under new head coach, the Wolverines go undefeated ROHAN KUMAR Daily Sports Writer
In the spring of 1948, after leading the Michigan football team to a 10-0 record and its ninth National Championship, Fritz Crisler announced his retirement as head coach. Many wondered what the future of the program would look like without him. After all, he’d been the coach for a decade. But Crisler had no doubts about the Wolverines’ fate. Since he continued to serve as the school’s athletic director, he got to pick the new head coach. And without hesitation, on the night of his own retirement, Crisler selected then-assistant coach Benjamin “Bennie” Oosterbaan. “It is only logical that he should succeed me,” Crisler told The Michigan Daily. “I know of no one who is better qualified to continue from where we left off last year. With Oosterbaan at the head of a fine staff, Michigan’s football program will be in good hands.” Prior to the head-coaching job, Oosterbaan had already cemented himself as a Michigan man. He attended the school as a student during the late 1920s and excelled as a three-sport athlete. He played both wide receiver and defensive end for the football team, garnering All-American recognition three consecutive years. In his final year with the team, Oosterbaan was captain. He played basketball and baseball, too, winning AllAmerican honors as a forward and All-Conference honors playing pitcher and first base. Following graduation, Oosterbaan became an assistant coach for basketball and football. He later became the head basketball coach and held the position from
FILE PHOTO/Daily
The Michigan football team went undefeated in Bennie Oosterbaan’s first year at the helm, and though it missed out on the Rose Bowl in favor of Northwestern, it still earned a national championship.
1938 to 1946. Despite his familiarity with the school and its football program, some were skeptical about whether he would do well in the new role. This was in part due to his lack of success with the basketball team; as head coach, he compiled a mediocre 81–72 record. But Oosterbaan proved the critics wrong. In his first year
“It is only logical that he should succeed me.”
at the helm of the football team, he led the Wolverines to a 9-0 record and claimed both the national championship and Big Nine conference championship. Entering that 1948 season, Michigan was without some of its stars from the season before. Particularly, the offense lacked Heisman runner-up Bob Chappuis and the Big Nine’s Most Valuable Player, Bump Elliott. Without them, the Wolverines had a rocky season-opener at Michigan State. Four minutes into the game, center Bob Erben passed to offensive fullback Tom Peterson,
who then connected downfield with end Dick Rifenberg to get Michigan on the scoreboard. The Wolverines struggled offensively for the rest of the contest, though. They didn’t score again until the fourth quarter, but ultimately won the game, 13-7. And Oosterbaan’s squad never looked back, faring much better in the next three games. Michigan shut out Oregon, Purdue and Northwestern, scoring 82 total points. The defensive prowess continued, as the Wolverines allowed just 4.9 points per game
that season. Michigan cruised through the rest of the regular season and even won the rivalry game against Ohio State, 13-3, in Columbus. “Today’s victory made me very happy,” Oosterbaan said after defeating the Buckeyes. “Ohio played a fine game against us, and we had to push through a very strong defense to put over the touchdowns we needed to win.” Ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press poll of the regular season, Michigan was unanimously crowned the National Champions. Its resume was good enough for the Rose
Bowl. However, that didn’t pan out. The Wolverines played in the Rose Bowl the season before, and at the time, the rules didn’t allow teams to go to consecutive Rose Bowls. So, Michigan didn’t get to play in the big game. Instead, Northwestern faced California in Pasadena. Though a technicality kept the Wolverines from realizing all their dreams that season, it certainly was a successful year. In his first year, Oosterbaan went on to win National Coach of the Year and guided the team for 10 more seasons.
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1950: Michigan beats OSU in “Snow Bowl” In freezing, blizzard conditions, the Wolverines secured a 9-3 victory JACOB SHAMES Daily Sports Writer
The Associated Press called it the United States’, “worst weather-whipping in years.” The Michigan Daily called it, “another chapter in the ragsto-riches tale.” The Michigan football team called it a Big Ten Championship. Purely from a football standpoint, the 1950 edition of ‘The Game’ between Michigan and Ohio State had the potential to be memorable, with a conference title and, of course, bragging rights on the line. With a rash of injuries seemingly sentencing them to their worst season in 13 years, the Wolverines came in as underdogs, owing also to the brilliance of Buckeye half back Vic Janowicz, the eventual Heisman Trophy winner. But when it was all said and done, Michigan clinched a coveted Rose Bowl bid with a 9-3 win. More on that in a moment. For now, let’s talk about the weather. In late November 1950, a massive blizzard walloped the Eastern United States, bringing 110-mile-per-hour winds, killing hundreds and causing tens of millions of dollars in property damage. The temperature in Columbus on Nov. 25 was a whopping 10 degrees. The 50,035 fans at Ohio Stadium built bonfires in the stands to stay warm. The tarp covering the field had frozen to the ground with four feet of snow on top of it. Grounds crews needed over two hours to remove it just so the game could be played. Neither Wolverines coach Bennie Oosterbaan nor
FILE PHOTO/Daily
The Michigan football team defeated Ohio State in a game later dubbed “The Snow Bowl,” and thus moved on to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Buckeyes coach Wes Fesler wanted it to be played anyway. But when Dick Larkins, Ohio State’s athletic director, went to talk to Michigan athletic director Fritz Crisler, Crisler told him that the Wolverines would forfeit, but not reschedule, the game. Larkins rejected this offer, thus setting the stage for one of the most absurd contests in the history of college football. On the game’s first play from scrimmage, Michigan half back
Chuck Ortmann took the snap and … punted. This was the first of 24 times he would do so. With snow falling at a rate of two inches per hour, both the Wolverines and Buckeyes quickly came to believe that punting, in order to possibly force a fumble or swing field position, was the most effective offensive strategy. Both teams combined for 45 punts on the day — many of which took place before fourth down. As Daily sports editor
“It was the happiest game of my life. We beat a good ...
Bill Connolly wrote, “It was a game of football in the literal sense.” Midway through the first quarter, Ohio State guard Bob Momsen got his left hand on an Ortmann punt, and the Buckeyes recovered the ball deep in Michigan territory. Three plays later, they sent out Janowicz for a 38-yard field goal attempt. Somehow, he split the uprights, despite barely being able to see them. If you’re wondering how a 38-yard
field goal could be named one of the “Greatest Feats in American Sports” by a panel of sportswriters, that’s how. The lead wouldn’t last. In the second quarter, Wolverine tackle Al Wahl blocked a Janowicz punt out of the end zone for a safety. The game’s climactic play came with just 20 seconds left in that same quarter, when Michigan linebacker Tony Momsen one-upped his brother, Bob — storming through the line to block Janowicz’s punt
... team, and the Rose Bowl is a four-year dream.”
and falling on top of it in the end zone. Harry Allis’ ensuing extra point gave the Wolverines a 9-3 lead going into halftime. The punt-fest continued in the second half, but Momsen’s score would stand as the only touchdown. Once time expired, thanks to Northwestern’s win over Illinois earlier that day, Michigan punched its ticket to Pasadena, where slightly warmer conditions awaited. “It was the happiest game of my life,” Ortmann said after the game. “We beat a good team, and the Rose Bowl is a four-year dream come true.” Other Wolverines told reporters that the game was like a “fairy tale or something out of a dime novel.” Crisler remarked that the game “took a lot of courage and fight.” That seems like an understatement. As Connolly wrote, it was a game of football in the literal sense — but only in that sense. Certainly, it resembled nothing anyone nowadays would refer to as ‘football.’ Consider these statistics: As a team, Michigan gained 27 yards of offense, failed to complete a pass and failed to earn a single first down. Ohio State was slightly better; gaining three first downs and 34 yards — 18 of which came through the air, somehow. The game saw 1,408 combined net yards of punting, 10 fumbles and five blocked punts. One month later, the Wolverines beat California, 14-6, in the Rose Bowl, finishing their season on a high note. However, the same couldn’t be said for Fesler, who resigned 18 days after the game and was replaced by someone named Woody Hayes. Another chapter of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry would soon await.
1969: Bo beats Woody to start “10-year war” ‘M’ surprises Ohio State, 24-12, to thwart Buckeyes’ perfect season AVI SHOLKOFF
Daily Sports Writer
With triple-option expert Rex Kern, future NFL Hall of Fame defensive back Jack Tatum and a host of other weapons on both sides of the ball, Ohio State marched into Michigan Stadium on Nov. 22, 1969, expecting to coast to victory against No. 12 Michigan. Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes led a team that was not only unbeaten, but had yet to trail that season. The Buckeyes’ biggest “scare” — a 27-point victory over Minnesota — was hardly even a whimper. Ohio State arrived in Ann Arbor to face a Michigan team at a crossroads led by first-year head coach Glenn Edward “Bo” Schembechler Jr. Schembechler had one goal for his discouraged Wolverines — beat Ohio State. According to Schembechler’s autobiography, “Bo,” he displayed the number 50 everywhere in the team’s facilities to remind it of the embarrassing feeling of 1968, in which the Buckeyes humiliated Michigan in Columbus. 50-14. Even before 1968, though, Ohio State had won 11 of the last 16 editions of ‘The Game.’ The 1969 game was a bit different, though. Adding another intriguing element to the mystique of the rivalry, Schembechler played for Hayes at Miami (OH), and began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Hayes at Ohio State. He even intended to model his first Michigan team after Hayes’ high-scoring Buckeyes. After neglecting to comment on ‘The Game’ for much of the season, Schembechler preached confidence in his team just days prior.
JIM DIEHL/Daily
Michigan fans stormed the field after Michigan defeated Ohio State in Bo Schembechler’s first season as the Wolverines’ head coach, winning, 24-12.
“Ohio State is beatable,” Schembechler told The Michigan Daily on Nov. 18. “I think we have a better chance than most people give us credit. Anyone who has seen us play can’t say that we haven’t improved with each game.” After a 3-2 start to the season, the Wolverines had won three straight games leading up to ‘The Game.’ Yet despite this gradual improvement, they still came in as 17-point underdogs. Few gave them a chance against a seemingly otherworldly Ohio
State squad, led by Kern and star running back Jim Otis, that averaged nearly six touchdowns per game. The thenhigh of 103,588 fans at Michigan Stadium saw this offensive firepower from the first drive as Kern quickly began the game with a 25-yard run, driving down to the Wolverines’
11-yard line before Michigan stopped the Buckeyes. On Ohio State’s next possession, though, Otis scored a oneyard touchdown to put the Buckeyes up, 6-0. Michigan remained undeterred, and after a strong kickoff return to midfield to jumpstart the drive, the Wolverines
“That’s the wonderful thing about football.”
converted their extra point and took a 7-6 lead, forcing the Buckeyes to play from behind for the first time since the 1969 Rose Bowl. In the second quarter, Ohio State scored and chose to go for a two-point conversion that ultimately failed. After receiver Jan White’s touchdown reception, the Buckeyes wouldn’t score again. Michigan fullback Garvie Craw found the end zone on the next drive to give Michigan a 14-12 lead and the Wolverines never looked back, scoring on
another Craw touchdown and a field goal before the first half ended. Neither team would score in the second frame, with Michigan’s 24 first-half points proving to be all it needed en route to its eventual victory. On defense, the Wolverines successfully forced Kern to use his arm rather than his legs. Michigan earned six interceptions from a combination of passes from Kern and his backup Ron Maciejowski, who replaced Kern in the 4th quarter. “All good things must come to an end and that’s what happened today,” Hayes told the Ann Arbor News after the game. “They outplayed us, outhustled us and outcoached us. Our defense didn’t play well in the first half and our offense was miserable in the second half. We made every mistake we could possibly make.” In only his first season with the Wolverines, Schembechler had inaugurated a new era for Michigan football, the 10-Year War. For the next 10 seasons, Schembechler would face off against his mentor in the final week of the regular season, often with the Big Ten Championship or Rose Bowl at stake. Michigan eked out five victories in those next 10 years, finishing with a 5-4-1 record over Hayes’ Buckeyes. And that “war” all began on a Saturday morning in 1969 when the Wolverines truly shocked the world and defeated one of the greatest teams of Hayes’ Ohio State tenure. “Nobody in the world thought that they could do it except the Michigan players, and they went out and did it,” said Big Ten Commissioner Bill Reed in the November 23 edition of The Michigan Daily. “That’s the wonderful thing about football.”
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1989: Bo beats Buckeyes one last time In Schembechler’s final season, Michigan defeated Ohio State, 28-18 ARIA GERSON
Daily Sports Writer
Like many previous iterations of “The Game,” this one meant everything. The 1989 matchup between the No. 3 Michigan football team (9-1 overall, 7-0 Big Ten) and No. 20 Ohio State (8-2, 6-1) was for a Big Ten championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl. But for the Wolverines, it was more than that. Though it hadn’t yet been announced at the time, it was Michigan coach Bo Schembechler’s last game at Michigan Stadium, as he would retire after the season due to heart problems. The Wolverines’ 28-18 win — which clinched backto-back outright conference championships for the first time in Schembechler’s career — was a fitting send-off. Though Michigan’s passing game was inconsistent, the Wolverines found success through their running game. Fullback Leroy Hoard ran in a touchdown to give Michigan the early lead in the first quarter. Hoard and fullback Jarrod Bunch combined for 53 yards on a drive halfway through the second quarter, setting up a touchdown run by running back Allen Jefferson to make the score 14-0. The Buckeyes threatened at the end of the half, but the Wolverines held Ohio State to a field goal. But at the beginning of the second half, Michigan’s game-
long passing woes came back to bite it. The Wolverines received the kickoff, but on the second play of the drive, things went awry. Michigan quarterback Michael Taylor threw a pass intended for receiver Greg McMurtry, but Ohio State cornerback Vincent Clark read his route every step of the way. His diving interception gave the ball — and the momentum — to the Buckeyes. The Wolverines’ defense once again kept Ohio State to a field goal, but the lead was down to one score. On its next drive, Michigan went three-and-out, concluding with a punt that bounced out of bounds at the 40-yard line. The Buckeyes took advantage of the good field position. Running back Scottie Graham gained 29 yards on the drive before pushing his way into the end zone. But a fumble on the ensuing two-point try kept the Wolverines’ lead intact. “This game has always been a big game,” Schembechler said after the game. “Ohio State really came at us and gave us everything they had.” The beginning of the fourth quarter mirrored the beginning of the third. This time, it was the Buckeyes’
“This game has always been a big game. Ohio State really ...
KENNETH SMOLLER/Daily
Quarterback Michael Taylor helped Michigan earn a win over Ohio State in Bo Schembechler’s last time in “The Game.”
quarterback Greg Frey who was intercepted by a leaping Todd Plate — a walk-on defensive back who was only in the game as an injury replacement. And suddenly, Michigan was back in business. Two plays later, Hoard broke free for a 40-yard run that set up another touchdown to put the Wolverines up, 21-12. Though he suffered an ankle injury that took him out of the game, the momentum was back on Michigan’s side. Both teams added another touchdown in the quarter — with Bunch’s six-yard run with 1:28 left sealing the game for the Wolverines. The 28-18 win was Schembechler’s 194th — a school record. The Big Ten Title was his 13th in 21 years as head coach. His motto, “Those who stay will be champions,” rang true — every player who played four years under Schembechler won a Big Ten title and not one of them endured a losing season. Even though Michigan would lose the 1990 Rose Bowl to Southern California — Schembechler’s 10th Rose Bowl — his legacy was complete. Schembechler didn’t announce his retirement until three weeks after the Ohio State victory. Nobody knew at the time that the win would be his last. And Schembechler didn’t betray anything during the postgame celebration. As the players rushed the field, he was stoic, with just a small smile and a tip of the cap as the crowd roared behind him.
... came at us and gave us everything they had.”
1991: “Hello, Heisman” Howard’s big play and pose leave mark on Wolverines’ 31-3 win vs. OSU TIEN LE
Daily Sports Writer
Desmond Howard caught the ball at Michigan’s seven-yard line and immediately made his move. Only one man was near him at that time, and ABC announcer Keith Jackson noticed, too. “One man,” Jackson said. “Goodbye! Hello, Heisman!” Jackson helped popularize the moment with one of the most iconic calls in sports history. But Howard memorialized the 93-yard punt return touchdown when he struck the Heisman Trophy pose as he reached the end zone. “I told my friends back in Ohio that if I got in the end zone against Ohio State, I’d do something special for them,” Howard told The Michigan Daily after the game. “But the season’s not over. I won’t say that it’s mine until it’s in my hands.” When the season was indeed over, it was in his hands. He was the Heisman Trophy winner, Michigan’s second in program history and first in over 50 years. Howard led the Big Ten in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns with 985 and 19, respectively. He broke five NCAA records and 12 singleseason Michigan records. Even to start the season, Howard built himself up as a Heisman candidate by returning a 93-yard kick return for a touchdown against Boston College and catching a gamewinning touchdown on a 4th-and-1 against Notre Dame. And to end it, he made a statement with three catches for 96 yards and a 16-yard kickoff return in his last game at Michigan Stadium, in addition
to the iconic punt return. Heisman or not, Howard’s legacy was already cemented. What he did in the 31-3 win over then-No. 18 Ohio State was more than special — it immortalized him in Wolverine lore. Catching the ball, Howard ran past the only Buckeye in the vicinity. He sprinted, catching speed in his straight-line run. Michigan blockers all around him created space for a lane to the end zone, and he took it. Howard didn’t deviate from the lane until the 30-yard line when a Michigan blocker clogged the pathway while trying to block. So Howard took to the sideline. “We tried to kick the ball away from him,” said then-Ohio State coach John Cooper to cleveland.com. “We tried to kick it out of bounds, but he made a good play. Once he gets the ball in the open field, it’s over.” With three players chasing his coattail, Howard created separation halfway down the field, showcasing his speed and punt-returning prowess until all defenders became demoralized and slowed to a stop. By then, Howard had already reached the end zone. All season, Howard had celebrated a touchdown by holding both hands up and leaping into the arms of a teammate — usually offensive lineman. But at that time, he wanted to change it up. A backf lip was his ideal celebration, but he “chickened out.” As a backup option, he instead clutched the football close to his chest. He extended his arm into a stiff-arm motion and lifted a leg. Hello, Heisman.
“I won’t say that it’s mine until it’s in my hands.”
KENNETH SMOLLER/Daily
Wide receiver Desmond Howard struck the Heisman pose after returning a punt for a 93-yard touchdown in Michigan’s 31-3 win over rival Ohio State.
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1997: Woodson helps ‘M’ run away from OSU
Punt-return touchdown, interception, gives Michigan win, Woodson Heisman BAILEY JOHNSON Daily Sports Writer
From the beginning, the 1997 Michigan football team was different. The Wolverines won their first game, then their second, then their third and then they just kept winning until they rolled into the last game of the regular season against No. 4 Ohio State. A win would set No. 2 Michigan up for a trip to the Rose Bowl and a possible national title, but it had to get through its longtime rival first. The game was played on Nov. 22 in front of a then-record crowd of 106,982 at Michigan Stadium. Everyone wanted to see the Wolverines complete their first perfect regular season since 1971. It began as a classic Big Ten defensive game — the first nine possessions ended in punts. But when Michigan finally broke through, it didn’t look back. In the second quarter, the Wolverines drove down the field for the game’s first touchdown in just two minutes. Quarterback Brian Griese hit defensive back Charles Woodson running a slant for a 37-yard reception, which set up the score a few plays later. Despite Woodson being primarily a defensive player, his contributions on offense and special teams during this game helped him lock up the 1997 Heisman Trophy — the first and only time a predominately defensive player won the award. “I was slighted by not winning the (Jim Thorpe Award
for best defensive back) the year before,” Woodson told the Detroit Free Press in 2017. “So, I felt like I hadn’t been doing enough. Obviously, I didn’t win it, they thought somebody was better, so I had to do more.” Woodson’s big game continued just before halftime when he returned Brent Bartholomew’s punt 78 yards for Michigan’s second touchdown of the game. He caught the ball at his own 22-yard line, shed blockers until the 40-yard line, and by the time he reached midfield, it was clear he wouldn’t be caught. The Wolverines headed into halftime with a 13-0 lead after the Buckeyes blocked the extra point on the second touchdown. Then, Woodson added yet another play to his highlight tape from the game with a redzone interception. He picked off Ohio State quarterback Stanley Jackson’s pass from the seven-yard line in the end zone to preserve Michigan’s 13-0 lead. The Wolverines would stretch the lead to 20 before the Buckeyes finally answered late in the third quarter. Adding scores in the third and beginning of the fourth, Ohio State clawed into Michigan’s lead, but it proved not to be enough to unseat the undefeated Wolverines.
“I was slighted by not winning the (Jim Thorpe Award).”
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
Cornerback Charles Woodson returned a punt for a touchdown in Michigan’s win over Ohio State at Michigan Stadium.
Michigan held on to win, 20-14, and earned its first undefeated regular season in 26 years. The Wolverines and Nebraska finished as the only two undefeated teams in the nation, with Michigan slotted in the top spot of the Associated Press poll after the regular season. After the game, Woodson stood on the field at Michigan Stadium wearing a white hat that read “1997 Big Ten Champions.” But the defining memory of the image is the red rose he clenched between his teeth for photos. He knew his team — his conquering, undefeated team — was heading to Pasadena as a reward for their efforts. “It just doesn’t get any better than this,” Woodson said after the game. Michigan would go on to defeat Washington State in the 1998 Rose Bowl and earn its first national championship since 1948, splitting with the Cornhuskers, who finished No. 1 in the Coaches’ poll. After feeling slighted by not winning the Thorpe Award the previous year, Woodson would get a second chance at it after the 1997 season and finished his career as one of the Wolverines’ most decorated players. He won the Thorpe, the Walter Camp Award for best college football player, the Bednarik Award for the best defensive player and, of course, the Heisman Trophy. And it was his performance against Ohio State that set him on the course for all those awards.
“They thought somebody was better, so I had to do more.”
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1998: Michigan finishes perfect season with Rose Bowl
Wolverines earn share of national championship with 21-16 victory AVI RAJENDRA-NICOLUCCI For the Daily
When No. 1 Michigan entered the 1998 Rose Bowl, it had an undefeated 11-0 record and a Big Ten title. The Wolverines were looking to capture their first national championship since 1948 and were led by eventual Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson at cornerback, quarterback Brian Griese and tackle Jeff Backus. No. 7 Washington State had a record of unprecedented success, going 10-1 in the regular season and winning the Pac-10. The Cougars were led by quarterback Ryan Leaf, the eventual second overall pick in the NFL Draft. From the opening snap, Woodson dominated. He immediately forced two hurried throws from Leaf, causing the Cougars to punt. In the second quarter, the
Cougars seemed poised to score inside Michigan’s 20-yard line. However, Woodson snatched Leaf’s pass out of the air in the end zone to shift momentum back to the Wolverines. The stout defense sent the Wolverine fans into a frenzy over their first chance at a national title in 50 years. But Washington State ended up drawing first blood with a sixplay, 47-yard drive that ended in a 15-yard strike from Leaf to wide receiver Kevin McKenzie. Michigan responded with a 53-yard bomb from Griese to wide receiver Tai Streets to level the score in the second quarter. The touchdown was set up by Woodson’s interception and pushed the first half score to 7-7. After the Wolverines’ opening drive of the half was halted, they punted and pinned the Cougars on their own one-yard line. However, Leaf was not deterred.
The first team All-American led Washington State the length of the field, ending in a 14-yard rushing score by wide receiver Michael Tinis. However, the extra point was blocked, leaving the score 13-7 in favor of the Cougars. The back-and-forth nature of the game continued with Griese once again finding Streets for a long touchdown, this time from 58 yards, to put Michigan up, 14-13. Griese continued his stellar day with a 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jerame Tuman in the fourth quarter. Washington State managed to narrow the deficit to 21-16 with a 48-yard field goal from kicker Rian Lindell with just over seven minutes to play. The Wolverines ended up punting on their next possession, once again pinning the Cougars deep in their own territory. Michigan appeared poised
WARREN ZINN/Daily
The Michigan football team earned a share of the national championship with its win over Washington State.
to win the game after two incompletions, but a desperate heave on third down by Leaf was caught by wide receiver Nian Taylor for a 46-yard gain with nine seconds remaining. Washington State was back in business. The Cougars edged closer to the end zone with a 36-yard gain off a hook-andladder that placed the ball at the
Wolverines’ 16-yard line with two seconds left. Leaf ran up to the line to spike the ball and appeared to clock it with one second left. However, the clock kept rolling and the officials refused to add time, dashing the Cougars’ hopes of a comeback. As Washington State coach Mike Price looked on in disbelief, Michigan rushed the field in
celebration. “There are no losers over here,” Leaf said after the game, proceeding to put a cigar in his mouth and take pictures with family and friends. And in his third season, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr delivered the Wolverines’ first national title in 50 years on an undefeated 12-0 record.
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Wide receiver Tai Streets caught two touchdowns in the Wolverines’ win over the Cougars in the Rose Bowl.
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2004: Wolverines beat MSU in 3OT thriller Braylon Edwards caught three touchdowns to help his team’s comeback
FILE PHOTO/Daily
The Michigan football team came back from down 17 points in the fourth quarter to overcome its in-state rival, Michigan State, and claim the Paul Bunyan Trophy once again.
ABBY SNYDER For the Daily
It’s Oct. 30, 2004. Usher’s “ Yeah!” is blasting from the speakers in Michigan Stadium. Though it’s unseasonably warm for late October in Michigan – the day’s high is 73 deg rees – the student section is uncharacteristically quiet. Dejected fans f lood out of Michigan Stadium as their Wolverines trail Michigan
State, 27-10, with 8:43 lef t in the game. That was a decision that many of them ended up reg retting, as Michigan would score 18 points to come back and win, 45-37, in triple overtime during one of the most iconic games of the in-state rivalr y. Trailing by two possessions with the clock ticking, the Wolverines needed to make plays, and fast. When quarterback Chad Henne
connected with wide receiver Braylon Edwards on a 46-yard bomb with 7:11 left in reg ulation, that’s exactly what they got. That play set up a Michigan field goal, and an onside kick that the Wolverines recovered. Michigan capitalized on
that opportunity, as Henne connected with Edwards again for a 37-yard score. Exactly three minutes later, Henne found Edwards yet again for a 22-yard touchdown to tie the game and send it into overtime. In the first overtime period,
“I think he’s the best player in the country. I believe that.”
both teams put up field goals, extending the game into a second overtime. Touchdowns from Jason Teag ue for Michigan State and Jason Avant for Michigan tied the game at 37, forcing a third overtime. And it was in that third
overtime period that the game f inally tipped in Michigan’s favor. Henne and Edwards connected a f inal time from 24 yards for what would be the game-winning touchdown. Henne found Tim Massaquoi in the end zone for the t wo-point conversion, and Michigan’s defense stopped the Spartans’ last-ditch effort on fourth down to put the game away. The game cemented Edwards’ status as a Michigan football legend. His stat sheet for that day – 11 catches for 189 yards and three touchdowns – read like those of the NFL player he would become. The Browns selected him third overall in the 2005 NFL Draf t; he went on to play for the Jets, 49ers and Seahawks. “I said several weeks ago, I think he’s the best football player in the countr y, and I believe that,” then-Michigan coach Lloyd Carr told The Daily in 2004. “Braylon Edwards made plays today that I don’t think anybody else can make.” The Wolverines went on to win the Big Ten that year – the most recent season in which they have done so. They finished the season with losses to Ohio State in Columbus and Texas in the Rose Bowl, making the comeback victory to save the Paul Bunyan trophy one of the high points of Michigan football’s 2004 season. “It was one of the greatest games I’ve ever been in,” Carr said.
“It was one of the greatest games I’ve ever been in.”
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Wide receiver Braylon Edwards caught three touchdowns in Michigan’s triple-overtime win over Michigan State.
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2005: ‘M’ shocks No. 3 Penn State
Manningham catches walk-off touchdown to upset the Nittany Lions JAKE KARALEXIS Daily Sports Writer
This was supposed to be the year for Penn State. For years, the Nittany Lions had been “next-level” contenders in the Big Ten conference, behind annual torch-bearers Ohio State and Michigan. They were always interesting, and sometimes dangerous, but in the end, they could never match up to their fellow Midwestern blue bloods. The 2005 season was supposed to alter that history. Penn State ran out to a scorching 6-0 record to start the season, and the week before heading to Ann Arbor, had finally unseated the Buckeyes to gain the national attention of the college football world. “The Nittany Lions arrive at the Big House touting one of the top defenses in the country,” wrote The Michigan Daily in the lead-up to the game. “They are allowing just 15.3 points per game and yielding 203 yards through the air.” On the other hand, Michigan entered the game in the midst of a relatively disappointing season (3-3 overall, 1-2 Big Ten), despite having a talented roster — particularly on the offensive side. Part of the reason that the season had been so disappointing up until that point was because the Wolverines were ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation before losing a brutal game against Notre Dame. The Wolverines touted a high-powered offense, led by sophomore quarterback Chad Henne, sophomore running back Mike Hart and freshman wide receiver Mario Manningham. The game was far from exciting over the first threeplus quarters of action. The halftime score was 3-0 in favor of the home team, as Michigan fans were nothing less than disappointed, as they had been for much of the season. A pivotal moment came in the fourth quarter with the score tied, 10-10. The Wolverines were driving down the field with a shot to take the lead, when Henne was stripped, and the Nittany Lions returned the fumble for a touchdown to take the lead. From that point on, utter chaos ensued. After Penn State converted a two-point conversion to take an eight-point lead following the defensive touchdown, Michigan answered with a statement. A five-play, 55-yard Wolverine drive ended with a touchdown from Henne to Manningham, followed by a successful twopoint conversion attempt from Hart, to tie the game once again. Nine minutes later, junior
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Wide receiver Mario Manningham caught a game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Chad Henne with no time remaining to upset the third-ranked Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium.
kicker Garrett Rivas converted on a 47-yard field goal to hand Michigan a three-point lead with just over three minutes to play. But with just under a minute left, heartbreak seemed eminent for the Wolverines. Senior quarterback — and team leader — Mitchell Robinson rushed for a fouryard touchdown with 53 seconds left to hand Penn State a four-point lead, meaning Michigan would need the drive of its season to score a game-winning touchdown, and alter the trajectory of the two programs. The Wolverines started with great field position, as senior wide receiver Steve Breaston returned the kickoff to the 50-yard line to give the offense a boost. Four plays later, the Wolverines found themselves on the 10-yard line of the Nittany Lions, when a thirddown pass by Breaston was
“That was the best game I’ve ever played in.”
dropped, appearing to end the game. However, the officials added enough time back on the clock for one last play. On fourth down from the 10-yard line, Henne found Manningham in the end zone for a miraculous touchdown to walk-off Penn State in one of the best games in the history of the rivalry. The Nittany Lions would go on to finish strong in one of their best seasons ever. They won out for the rest of the regular season, earned an Orange Bowl berth and finished the season with a win over Florida State. It was one of the finest teams of Paterno’s career, but it’s impossible not to wonder what would have happened had Penn State had stopped Manningham on that final play and finished with an undefeated regular season. As for Michigan, the Wolverines finished the season with an underwhelming 7-5 record, but the memory of defeating the Nittany Lions still endures. “That’s the best game I’ve ever played in,” said defensive end Alan Branch after the game. “It was an unreal feeling.”
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Wide receiver Jason Avant (left) and defensive tackle Gabe Watson (right) celebrate with Michigan fans.
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2008: Michigan upsets Tebow, Florida In Lloyd Carr’s final game as coach, his team won a thrilling fight, 41-35 CONNOR BRENNAN Daily Sports Writer
Chad Henne knew he had to make the last five minutes of the game count if he and his Wolverine teammates were going to come out on top one final time. From his own 39-yard line, the senior quarterback stepped back up in the pocket and delivered a perfectly weighted pass to senior wideout Adrian Arrington. Arrington, with Florida corner Markihe Anderson draped all over him, hauled in a one-handed catch along the sideline for a 36-yard gain. The spectacular snag wouldn’t be Arrington’s only contribution on that drive. Two plays later, Henne found Arrington on a post route in the back of the end zone to put Michigan up, 38-35, with 4:12 remaining. When the Gators and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow failed to convert on fourth down, the Wolverines added another field goal to seal the 41-35 upset victory in the 2008 Capital One Bowl. Coming into the game, No. 12 Florida was significantly favored. The Urban Meyer-coached Gators had lost three games during the regular season, all to ranked SEC opponents — No. 15 Auburn, No. 3 Georgia and LSU, the eventual 2008 BCS National Champion. Michigan, on the other hand, had suffered four losses entering the bowl game. Its losses, though, were of a different variety than Florida’s. In quite possibly the largest upset in college football history, the fifth-ranked Wolverines lost their opener to FCS’ Appalachian State at the Big House, 34-32. Only one week later, unranked Oregon came into Ann Arbor and shellacked Michigan, 39-7. Two consecutive, late-season defeats to Wisconsin and Ohio State rounded out an 8-4 record. The Capital One Bowl was also set to be head coach Lloyd Carr’s final game after he had announced his retirement earlier in the season. During his 13-year tenure at the helm of the Wolverines, Carr amassed 122 victories, five Big Ten titles and a
national championship in 1997. All this helped set the scene when the two teams trotted out on the field at Orlando’s Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day. Michigan struck first when Henne connected with junior Mario Manningham for a 21-yard touchdown on the opening drive. But Florida would respond with a touchdown of its own later in the first quarter, when Tebow found sophomore wideout Percy Harvin on a quick slant over the middle. The versatile and speedy Harvin caused all types of problems for the Wolverine defense from both a rushing and receiving perspective. His 20-yard reception set up the Gators deep in Michigan territory at the beginning of the second quarter. Receiver Andre Caldwell would go on to score two plays later off a screen pass. Michigan wouldn’t be deterred, though. Bruising running back Mike Hart, a Doak Walker Award finalist for college football’s best halfback, found his way into the end zone from three yards out to tie the game at 14. The two teams would go on to trade touchdowns prior to the fourth quarter. Following a Michigan field goal by senior kicker K.C. Lopata, the Gators resorted to a steady dose of the run game. Meyer, wellknown for his innovative spread concepts on offense, employed that thinking once again in the red zone. On an end-around, Harvin caught a toss from Tebow and bolted into the end zone from 10 yards out. But from there, it was all Michigan. The loss was not the end of the world for the Gators, however. Led once again by galvanizing quarterback Tebow and a stacked roster, they went on to win the national championship the following year. As for the Wolverines, their victory in the 2008 Capital One Bowl validated the phrase, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” After some disappointing defeats, they had rebounded and given Carr a reason to hold his head high coming off the field for the final time.
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Wide receiver Adrian Arrington caught the game-winning touchdown on a post route to the back of the end zone, putting Michigan up, 38-35, in the fourth quarter.
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Left tackle Jake Long lifts the Capital One Bowl trophy after Michigan defeated Florida, 41-35, in the 2008 edition of the New Year’s Day bowl game.
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Michigan coach Lloyd Carr won his final game in his tenure as the Wolverines’ head man, as he and his team defeated a Tim Tebow-led Florida squad, 41-35 in the 2008 Capital One Bowl, capping off a 9-4 season.
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Friday, November 16, 2018 — 13
2011: Wolverines win Under the Lights Robinson, Roundtree connect for last-second touchdown to beat Irish
MARISSA MCCLAIN/Daily
Michigan Stadium hosted its first night game in its history in 2011, when Michigan defeated Notre Dame on a last-second touchdown pass from quarterback Denard Robinson to wide receiver Roy Roundtree, spurring a 35-31 victory.
MIKE PERSAK
Managing Sports Editor
Denard Robinson and the Michigan offense lined up on their own 20-yard line with just thirty seconds remaining. Like they had been several times throughout the back-and-forth game, the Wolverines were down against Notre Dame — this time by three points, 31-28. On the first play, it looked like Robinson missed his chance to lead the gamewinning drive. He dropped back, escaped the pocket and launched a pass over the head of receiver Jeremy Gallon, who was open enough and close enough to the sideline that he would have been able to catch it and get out of bounds for a 20-yard gain. The very next play, though, Robinson and Gallon made up for the mistake. Again, Robinson took the snap and scrambled to the right, launching to the same area of the field. But this time, Gallon was running wide open down the sideline on a wheel route, completely uncovered by the Fighting Irish. Gallon caught it, cut to the inside and scampered all the way down to the 16-yard line with just eight seconds left. All Michigan needed was a field goal, and it had two timeouts left. Instead of getting it to the middle of the
field and stopping the clock for the game-tying kick, though, coach Brady Hoke opted to go for the win. Robinson sent running back Vincent Smith in motion out of the backfield, took the snap, dropped back and lofted a ball to the front-right corner of the endzone. The junior wide receiver hadn’t caught a ball all night. But this time, staring into the bright lights in the first ever night game in Michigan Stadium history, Roundtree leapt over the Fighting Irish defender, snagged the ball and landed in bounds with two seconds left and the gamewinning touchdown. “He told me in the huddle,” Robinson said to reporters after the game. “ ‘Denard, I got to get it. I got to get it.’ ” Added Roundtree: “Once I saw the ball come off, it was high. Denard put it up high so I can adjust to it. Once I came back towards it, he was still up on me, so I just jumped up in the air and focused on it and when I came down, I made sure my one foot was in.” About 90 seconds before Roundtree’s game-winner, it didn’t look like the Wolverines would need a last-second touchdown. With 1:22 left, Robinson completed a screen pass to Smith on the left side of the field. Smith bobbed and
“When I came down, I made sure my one foot was in.”
MARISSA MCCLAIN/Daily
Quarterback Denard Robinson led Michigan down the field for a game-winning drive with just 30 seconds left, throwing to Roy Roundtree to complete the win.
weaved his way through the defense, finishing with a cut to the outside and a 21-yard, go-ahead touchdown to take a 28-24 lead. But it took Notre Dame just 42 seconds to answer back. Quarterback Tommy Rees hit wide receiver Theo Riddick for a 29-yard score to set up the dramatic final drive from Robinson and Michigan. Things looked dire for the Wolverines throughout much of the game, though. Michigan struggled to get its offense going through much
MARISSA MCCLAIN/Daily
Running back Vincent Smith scored a late touchdown to put Michigan up with just under 1:30 remaining.
of the first half. At halftime, the Wolverines trailed, 17-7, and when the Fighting Irish scored the lone third-quarter touchdown, Michigan’s deficit increased to 17 points. The Wolverines finally punched in a score on the first play of the second half, and punched in is used quite literally. Robinson handed the ball off to sophomore fullback Stephen Hopkins from the one-yard line, but Hopkins fumbled it trying to break through the line. The ball bounced back
to the feet of Robinson, who scooped it and took it around the left end to pull his team within 10. “Once I handed it off, I looked, I was like, ‘What?’ ” Robinson said. “And I just grabbed the ball and ran.” Robinson led Michigan into the endzone once again just over four minutes later, lobbing a 14-yard fade route to Gallon in the front-right corner of the endzone. As it turns out, Robinson throwing to that part of the endzone would become the
stuff of legends about 10 minutes later. That 2011 season ended with the Wolverines defeating Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, polishing off Hoke’s first season with a marquee victory on the national stage. But none of that could have happened without Robinson’s performance against the Fighting Irish, where, under the lights for the first time at home, Michigan pulled off one of the most unlikely wins in its history on the back of Robinson.
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The Michigan football team used its win against Notre Dame to help spur it to a Sugar Bowl victory at the end of the year.
950-Win Edition
14 — Friday, November 16, 2018
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2016: ‘M’ finishes Harbaugh’s first season with bowl win The Wolverines blow out Florida, 41-7, in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando COLIN MCGRATH For the Daily
In a season that included a heartbreaking defeat to Michigan State on that last-second punt botch and a blowout loss to Ohio State, the Michigan football team finished Jim Harbaugh’s first year — the 2015-16 season — as head coach on a high note with a dominant 41-7 victory over Florida in the 2016 Citrus Bowl. The Wolverines entered the game with nine wins — three of which were shutout victories. But one could argue none were as impressive as this blowout over a 10-3 Gator team that had won the SEC East. Early on, Florida was able to move the ball against Michigan’s stout defense, but came up short on a fake field goal. The Wolverines responded by marching down the field with an efficient ground game headed by junior running back De’Veon Smith, who finished the day with 109 yards on 25 carries. Nine plays and 73 yards later, senior running back Drake Johnson weaved his way into the end zone for the first score. The Gators came back with chunk passing plays that quickly took them deep into Michigan territory. After stops on first and second down, Florida coach Jim McElwain opted for a trick play. On a doublehandoff reverse pass that left the Wolverine defense exposed, Gator quarterback Treon Harris caught an underhanded toss for a touchdown to tie the game, 7-7. At this point, the two teams seemed destined to be locked in a close battle all day. This would not be the case. Michigan gradually wore Florida down on both sides of the ball and in all phases of the game. The Wolverines’ passing attack, led by fifth-year senior quarterback Jake Rudock, hit full stride on the ensuing drives. Junior receiver Jehu Chesson, who lined up across from Florida’s All-American corner Vernon Hargreaves, was on the receiving end of many of Rudock’s
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
The Michigan football team dominated Florida in every facet of the 2016 Citrus Bowl, outgaining them by more than 200 yards, earning twice as many first downs and out-possessing them by 17 minutes.
throws. With nine minutes left in the half, the two cashed in. Chesson found himself wide open in the end zone following a double-move that left Hargreaves taking the bait, and Rudock tossed the ball 31 yards, right into Chesson’s hands for an easy touchdown. The Gators continued to rack up yards on their fourth drive, but to no avail. Pressured by Michigan’s defensive front, Harris threw into the end zone with reckless abandon, and senior safety Jarrod Wilson highpointed the ball for an interception.
The Wolverines were able to turn Florida’s mistake into points, driving 77 yards down the field before opting for a field goal just before halftime and marched off the field with all of the momentum, leading, 17-7. In the second half, Michigan’s offense showed no signs of slowing down. On its first drive, following some good gains in the air and tough runs by Smith, the Wolverines made it into the red zone once more. This time, Rudock threaded the needle between two Gator defenders to find freshman wide receiver Grant Perry on the slant, putting Michigan up,
24-7. Not to be outdone by the offense, the Wolverine defense came out of the locker room with even more intensity, stifling Florida’s offense time and time again. Intense pressure from the front seven and smothering downfield coverage by the secondary left the Gators with no space to do anything on offense. Together, both units worked in tandem to protect the lead and add to it. As a result, Florida was
forced into a turnover on downs on three straight possessions, which were answered with three straight scoring drives by Michigan. When the clock hit zero, the statistics illustrated the Wolverines’ complete and utter dominance. Michigan’s offense held huge advantages in yards gained (503 to 273), first downs (28 to 14) and time of possession (38:38 to 21:22). “It was a case of getting your rump kicked in,” McElwain said to
reporters after the game. “That’s what it was.” As expected, Harbaugh’s sentiment was more positive. “I’d say this is the best game we played all year,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen our offense play better. And our defense was magnificent.” With the victory, the Wolverines reached double-digit wins for only the third time in the last decade. The Harbaugh era was off to a promising start.
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
De’Veon Smith (top) ran for 109 yards on 25 carries and Sione Houma (middle) and Grant Perry (bottom) each scored a touchdown in Michigan’s blowout victory over Florida in the 2016 Citrus Bowl, moving the Wolverines to 10-3 on the year.
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950-Win Edition
Friday, November 16, 2018 — 15
2018: Michigan beats Michigan State, 21-7 Wolverines earn program’s 950th win and get Paul Bunyan Trophy back MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Editor
Linebacker Devin Bush started the day by angrily scraping the Spartans’ logo at midfield with his cleats and ended it with a game-sealing sack. In between, Michigan asserted itself as a bona fide national contender, beating its first ranked opponent on the road since 2006 — and doing it with the searing aggression and fire that has defined this team. Michigan’s defense allowed just 94 total yards on the day, suffocating a helpless Michigan State offense. The Spartans scored just seven points, coming on a trick-play touchdown after Wolverines running back Chris Evans fumbled on his team’s own 7-yard-line. But that lone touchdown tied the game in the third quarter. Suddenly, the Wolverines were staring down yet another demoralizing loss to a rival. Rain started pouring down. A rabid home crowd suddenly sprung to life. It was the defining test of this team’s mental toughness. The response: resounding. With their backs up against the wall, Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson turned to ascendant wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones for a 79-yard catch and run to put the Wolverines up for good. To add a little insult to injury, Peoples-Jones celebrating by posing like the Paul Bunyan Trophy. From there, Michigan glided to a 21-7 win, exorcising its demons against a rival and securing win No. 950 in the process. It was just the Wolverines’ third win over Michigan State in 11 years — and the second win over Michigan State or Ohio State in coach Jim Harbaugh’s tenure. The game was defined by the play on the field during the game — just one in the string of several dominant performances. Patterson finished the game 14-for25 with 212 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Karan Higdon added to that with 33 carries for 144 yards, his sixthstraight 100-yard rushing
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The Paul Bunyan Trophy wore a maize and blue, winged helmet after Michigan exacted revenge on Michigan State, beating the in-state rival in a heated matchup that included plenty of theatrics.
performance in a streak that would eventually reach seven games. But all of that on-field play was illuminated by what happened before and after, as well. Before the game, Michigan State did its traditional “Spartan Walk,” in which it locks arms as a team and walks the length of the field. Michigan players, claiming to have been told it was their time to warm up, did not move as the Spartans walked down. Chaos ensued. That’s when Bush took his feelings out on the logo. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh believed Michigan State and its staff set the altercation up. He called the move “bush league” after the game. Two days later, he doubled-down, claiming it was an “orchestrated stormtrooper march.” After the 21-7 win, Wolverines players danced
on the Spartans’ grave, both literally and figuratively. Players hoisted the Paul Bunyan Trophy, hopping up and down at midfield. Then, in a postgame interview, defensive end Chase Winovich reiterated Mike Hart’s “little brother” comment from 2007.
“We came in here. I openly, in the public, called it a ‘Revenge Tour.’ Called them out, said they’re next. We came in here, slashed their field before the game, and we still came out here and just got after them every single play,” Winovich said. “We knew
that they couldn’t hang with us. We did what we had to do. Sometimes your little brother starts acting up, and you just gotta put them in place.” Perhaps teams of previous years would have laid down at the sight of adversity or confrontation. This is a team,
instead, that lives and breathes its “Revenge Tour” mantra. It was a suffocating on-field performance met with an equally vicious team mentality. And for the winningest program in college football history, a 950th win for the books.
“I openly, in the public, called it a ‘Revenge Tour.’ ”
“We still came out here and just got after them.”
BY THE NUMBERS Michigan beats Michigan State
212
Sophomore quarterback Shea Patterson threw for a 212 yards in the rain to help Michigan defeat Michigan State.
144
Senior running back Karan Higdon added 144 yards to help the Wolverines milk away the clock late in the game.
0-for-12
Michigan’s defense didn’t allow the Spartans a single third-down conversion, forcing them to go 0-for12 on their opportunities.
950
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Fifth-year senior defensive end Chase Winovich (top) revived Mike Hart’s “Little Brother” comments after Michigan’s win over in-state rival Michigan State and Sophomore wide receiver Donovan PeoplesJones (bottom) scored the game-winning touchdown for Michigan late in the third quarter with a 79-yard catch and run, then added insult to injury by posing like the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
The Wolverines’ win over Michgian State gave them their 950th win as a program, the most in the history of Division I football.