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  • ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎย ๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ: 2015

    The fifth installment of the series focusing on the Little Brown Jug takes us to 2015. The Jim Harbaugh era started slowly at Michigan, as the Wolverines lost their opener at Utah and struggled to find their mojo through the first few games. Eventually, defense would become their identity, and that was on full display on the final play of the 2015 game at Minnesota. 

    The game began innocently enough. The Michigan defense held Minnesota to a field goal, and Jake Rudock answered by leading the Wolverines on a long drive, connecting with Jake Butt and Deveon Smith for significant gains. Joey Kerridge went in from the 1-yard line to give Michigan the lead. The Rudock connected with Jehu Chesson for a 13-yard touchdown pass, and the Wolverines were up, 14-3. All was well, or so it seemed. 

    But the 2015 Golden Gophers were a pesky bunch. The two teams traded scores for much of the game, with Wilton Speight connecting with Chesson for a 12-yard touchdown pass to give Michigan a 29-26 lead in the fourth quarter. 

    Now, it was up to the defense. Michigan alumni and fans spent a fair portion of the final minutes biting their nails. Minnesota seemed to be gaining yardage at will, and for a brief moment, it appeared the Gophers had scored the go-ahead touchdown with 19 seconds left. Upon further review, the officials ruled that the receiver was short of the goal line when he knee went down, so Minnesota had a first down at the half-yard line. Once the clock started, the Gophers managed to burn 17 seconds on an incomplete pass attempt, leaving them just two seconds on the clock, time for only one more play. Recognizing the situation, Michigan prepared its goal line defense, ensuring that every player got very low to the ground, to give them leverage. 

    Once the ball was snapped, the maize and blue winged helmets surged forward, knocking the Minnesota offensive line backward. The officials took a while to make the final call, but it was really just a formality. Anyone who saw the play knew that Michigan had stopped Minnesota, and the Wolverines claimed a 29-26 victory, one of the most exciting games in the history of the series. 

  • ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎย ๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ: 2001

    The fourth installment of the series focusing on the Little Brown Jug takes us back to 2001. The Wolverines struggled through much of the 2001 season, and they fell to Michigan State one week before the Little Brown Jug. Michigan hadnโ€™t played Minnesota since 1998, but the Jug proved to be just the tonic the Wolverines needed. 

    Michigan started by leaning on its offensive line, and the line opened holes for B.J. Askew, who scored on two runs in the first half to give the Wolverines a 14-10 halftime lead. Askew scored the points, but the defense and the special teams provided the critical plays to give Michigan the advantage. After the defense stopped Minnesota deep in its own territory, Tyrece Butler blocked a punt to set the Wolverines inside the Minnesota 10-yard line. Two plays later, Askew scored from three yards out to put the Wolverines ahead to stay. 

    Todd Howard returned the opening kickoff of the second half to the Minnesota 40-yard line; Howardโ€™s second big return of the game. Howardโ€™s return gave the Wolverines excellent field position, and wide receiver Calvin Bell made it pay off when he scored on a reverse to put Michigan up, 21-10. 

    As the shadows grew longer over the Michigan Stadium playing field, the Wolverines completely dominated Minnesota in the second half to pull away for a 31-10 victory, their 13th consecutive win in the rivalry.

     The Wolverines concluded the 2001 season with a loss to Tennessee in the Florida Citrus Bowl, but receiver Marquise Walker and linebacker Larry Foote were named to both the All-America and All-Conference teams. With plenty of young talent on hand, the Wolverines were well stocked for the future. 

  • ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎ ๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ: 1986

    The third installment of the series focusing on the Little Brown Jug takes us back to 1986. Michigan was roaring, and just one more opponent was on the schedule before Ohio State. Unfortunately, the game before โ€œThe Gameโ€ just happened to be the Little Brown Jug, and as everyone knows, anything can happen in a rivalry game. 

    On the surface, Michigan appeared to be well prepared for Minnesota. The Wolverines entered the game with a perfect record, while the Golden Gophers already had four losses on their record. Michiganโ€™s roster was loaded with talent, and the game was scheduled for Michigan Stadium. It seemed ideal. 

    Unfortunately for Michigan, the Jug meant a lot to the Minnesota players, too. With just a few games left in the regular season, the Gophers brought a desperate hunger to the game. Michigan surrendered three turnovers in its own territory throughout the game, but with 2:26 left, Gerald White scored on a 1-yard run to the game, 17-17. Michiganโ€™s defense was now charged with stopping the Minnesota attack to give the Wolverinesโ€™ offense one final shot at victory. The Wolverines needed one stop from their defense. Kicker Mike Gillette was pacing the sidelines; poised for a chance at a field goal that would give Michigan the victory. 

    Sadly for the Wolverines, Gillette never got that chance. Sparked by a 27-yard scramble by quarterback Rickey Foggie, the Golden Gophers gave Chip Lohmiller a shot at a 30-yard field goal, and he made it to win the game. Just like that, Michiganโ€™s hope for a national title was all but finished. The Wolverines finished the season with victories over Ohio State and Hawaii, before falling to Arizona State in the Rose Bowl. Would the Wolverines have beaten Arizona if they entered that game with a perfect record and a shot at the national championship? Weโ€™ll never know. 

  • ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎย ๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ: 1975

    ๐‘บ๐’–๐’‘๐’†๐’“๐’Š๐’๐’“ ๐‘ฎ๐’“๐’๐’–๐’๐’… ๐‘ญ๐’๐’“๐’„๐’†๐’”

    The second installment of the series focusing on the Little Brown Jug takes us back to 1975. After four consecutive double-digit victory seasons, Michigan had to break in a new quarterback in the 1975 season. Fortunately for the Wolverines, Ricky Leach possessed multiple skills, particularly carrying the ball. Leach was joined in the running attack by a trio of running backs including Rob Lytle, Gordon Bell and Russell Davis, and the backfield made it almost impossible for the Minnesota defense to concentrate on just one ballcarrier. 

    The Minnesota offense responded by handing the reins to quarterback Tony Dungy, ironically a native of Jackson, Michigan. Dungy riddled the Michigan defense for 17 completions, accumulating 198 yards in passing. The Golden Gophers scored 21 points on Michigan, the most points surrendered by Michigan in six seasons. Still, the Michigan offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, allowing the Wolverines to amass 345 yards on the ground. The Wolverines had almost as much trouble with the officials as they did with the Minnesota defense. Bell appeared to have scored on a 27-yard sweep, only to have the touchdown called back by a penalty on the Minnesota offense that Michigan wasnโ€™t permitted to refuse. Undaunted, the Wolverines scored on a 3-yard run by Leach that rendered the issue moot. 

    Minnesota provided feisty opposition, but the Wolverines held on for a 28-21 win, their ninth consecutive victory in the series. Michigan finished with a record of 8 wins, 2 losses and 2 ties, including a 14-6 loss to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, the first postseason appearance by a Big Ten team that had not won the conference title. The Wolverinesโ€™ postseason bowl appearance was one of several factors that led to bowl expansions in the 1970s and 1980s. Leach also served notice that he would be a factor for several seasons to come.

  • ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎ ๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ: 1998 ๐‘ณ๐’Š๐’•๐’•๐’๐’† ๐‘ฉ๐’“๐’๐’˜๐’ ๐‘ฑ๐’–๐’ˆ

    The first installment of the series focusing on the Little Brown Jug rivalry takes us back to 1998. Michigan spent much of the offseason basking in the glow of a national championship. The Wolverines had just secured two of the highest rated recruits in quarterback Drew Henson and running back Justin Fargas. As if those werenโ€™t enough reasons to celebrate, the university had just added 5,000 seats to make Michigan Stadium the largest on-campus college football stadium in the nation. These were heady times for the Wolverines. 

    The Wolverines rode a 5-game winning streak into the game, but the battle for the Jug has humbled many successful teams. The game took on a traditional Big Ten style, featuring heavy doses of defense and special teams. Tom Brady gave Michigan the lead when he connected with Tai Streets for a 76-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to put Michigan ahead, 7-3. Trevis Graham responded before the end of the quarter by recovering a Michigan punt in the end zone for touchdown. Michigan kicker Jay Feely then answered with an 18-yard field goal to send the teams in the locker room tied at 10-10. 

    Brady and his cohorts werenโ€™t able to mount a scoring effort in the third quarter, so Michigan used defense to break the tie in the fourth quarter when James Hall dropped Minnesota quarterback Billy Cockerham for a safety to put the Wolverines ahead to stay. Feely then extended the lead with a 42-yard field goal, and the defense held off the Golden Gophers to secure a 15-10 victory.

    Michigan completed the 1998 campaign with a 45-31 win over Arkansas in the Florida Citrus Bowl, giving the Wolverines their second consecutive 10-win season. What started out as a hangover season proved that the Wolverines still had the grit to grind out a tough win when things werenโ€™t completely going in their favor.

  • ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎย ๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ:ย ๐‘ฏ๐’‚๐’“๐’ƒ๐’‚๐’–๐’ˆ๐’‰ย ๐‘น๐’†๐’•๐’–๐’“๐’๐’”

    The fifth installment of the series examining the first games of Michigan coaches takes us to 2015. By the end of the 2014 football season, Michigan was in desperate need of change. Once again, optimism had faded into disappointment, with even a tinge of embarrassment. The fan base clamored for a coach who could restore confidence, belief, and success. 

    That December, a Michigan graduate close to the athletic department sent out a text to a blogger. Heโ€™d just seen a potential coach with the initials โ€œJHโ€ enter Schembechler Hall. On Dec. 30, 2014, Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh as the next head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. It would be an understatement to say that Harbaugh rejuvenated the fan base immediately. 

    Harbaugh returned to Michigan as a veritable โ€œprodigal son.โ€ A Michigan graduate who played for Bo Schembechler in the 1980s, Harbaugh had been critical of his alma mater on occasion. More important, he was a winner who had succeeded at the highest levels, and he brought instant credibility to the Michigan football program. 

    On Sept. 3, 2015, Michigan entered Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City to begin the Jim Harbaugh era with a visit to Utah. Michigan alumni traveled to Utah in droves, and there were numerous spots of maize and blue throughout the stadium. Local news reports indicated Michigan fans had been spending a lot of money at nearby restaurants, and tipping well. The excitement around Harbaughโ€™s return was palpable, and even Utah residents appreciated the enthusiasm. Once the game began, Utah wasnโ€™t so hospitable. 

    The Utes had an established roster, and they were able to open holes for Devontae Booker and Travis Wilson, enabling Utah to take a 17-3 lead in the third quarter. Gradually, Michigan woke up. Quarterback Jake Rudock connected with Jake Butt and Amara Darboh for a pair of touchdowns, but the Wolverines were never able to close the gap, and Utah won, 24-17. 

    Still, the tenacity that Michigan showed in the second half made it clear that Harbaugh was the right person to lead the Wolverines, and he eventually led them back to college football Valhalla. 

    Harbaughโ€™s counterpart, Kyle Whittingham, defeated Michigan for the third team in three attempts as Utah coach. Each time, I remember thinking โ€œI wish that guy was on our side.โ€ Now, he is. Tomorrow, weโ€™ll see his first game as Michigan coach, and get a better idea where heโ€™ll take the football program.

  • ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎย ๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ:ย ๐‘ณ๐’๐’๐’š๐’…ย ๐‘ช๐’‚๐’“๐’“

    The fourth installment of this series examining the first games of Michigan coaches takes us to 1995. Before the season even began, 1995 had been a tumultuous year for Michigan. Gary Moeller resigned due to an off-field incident, and athletic director Joe Roberson hired defensive coordinator Lloyd Carr, but only on an interim basis. 

    Carr was thoroughly qualified to be a head coach, having served as Michiganโ€™s defensive coordinator since 1987. In addition, Carr had been assistant head coach for the past five seasons. Nothing about the job would surprise him. 

    Still, the offseason left Michigan followers with an uneasy feeling, which only got worse when the Virginia Cavaliers jumped out to a 17-0 lead on a brutally hot day in the Pigskin Classic at Michigan Stadium. 

    Michigan followers, both fans and alumni, couldnโ€™t be blamed for fearing the worst. Michigan was facing a large deficit in a season opener at Michigan Stadium. Thatโ€™s not the sort of start that develops a lot of confidence. 

    Gradually, Carrโ€™s Wolverines began to make plays, notably Mercury Hayes, who wrestled a ball away from a defensive back when the game seemed all but lost. Hayesโ€™ tenacity ignited a spark in his teammates, who fought back with what felt like a sense of anger. Was there enough time left for them to pull off a miracle?

    With time left for just one play, Michigan had the ball at Virginiaโ€™s 15-yard line. Scott Dreisbach faded back and threw a fade pass into the far corner of the north end zone. Hayes caught the ball, and managed to get one foot in bounds. Just like that, Michigan won. The only time Michigan had the lead was when time had run out. In one play, Hayes made himself a name for the ages among the Michigan faithful, and the Wolverines had won arguably the most exciting season opener in their illustrious history. 

    The victory also proved to be an outstanding first step for Carrโ€™s Wolverines, and by November, the interim tag been removed from his title. Lloyd Carr was head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, and he was here to stay. 

    By now itโ€™s common knowledge that Carr led the Wolverines to heights they had not achieved in decades. At the time, it required a leap of faith. After a win like that, Michigan supporters were more than happy to put a little faith in Lloyd Carr. 

  • ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎย ๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ:ย ๐‘ฉ๐’ย ๐‘พ๐’‰๐’?

    The third installment takes us back to 1969.  The previous season would have been considered quite successful by many teams, but a season-ending loss left a bitter feeling for the Michigan football community. Bump Elliott resigned following the 1968 season, and athletic director Don Canham needed to replace him. Numerous coaches and university officials throughout college football sang the praises of Bo Schembechler, prompting Canham to hire him. Few at Michigan knew who Schembechler was, and a local newspaper ran the headline, โ€œBo Who?โ€

    The Michigan players learned about Bo very quickly. He ran grueling practices that prompted players to question their life decisions. Many simply gave up, but others stayed, and formed the nucleus of a team that would make 1969 one of the most memorable seasons in Michigan history. 

    Bo also benefited from a talented core of returning players. Elliott might have had difficulty winning certain games, but he built a solid roster, and Bo made the most of it. Michigan benefited from standout performers including tight end Jim Mandich and running back Billy Taylor, as well as scrappy players like nose tackle Henry Hill. 

    The modern era of Michigan football began on Sept. 20, 1969. Vanderbilt emerged from the tunnel first, but Michigan scored first when Garvie Craw scored on a 1-yard run. In the second quarter, Glenn Doughty took a handoff, broke several tackles and ran 80 yards for a Michigan touchdown to increase the Wolverinesโ€™ lead to 14-0. Michigan won, 42-14, and left no doubt that the Wolverines were in good hands with Schembechler at the helm. There were several bumps on the road as the season unfolded, but Boโ€™s vision for his team was clear: The Wolverines would run when they had the ball, and stop the run on defense. 

    The 1969 Wolverines would go on to earn one of the biggest victories in the history of Michigan football. For now, it was enough that the Schembechler era got off to a good start. Other goals would be accomplished in due time. 

  • ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ถ๐‘ฒ๐‘ฐ๐‘ต๐‘ฎย ๐‘ฉ๐‘จ๐‘ช๐‘ฒ:ย ๐‘ป๐’‰๐’†ย ๐‘น๐’Š๐’„๐’‰ย ๐‘น๐’๐’…๐’“๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’–๐’†๐’›ย ๐‘ฌ๐’™๐’‘๐’†๐’“๐’Š๐’Ž๐’†๐’๐’•

    The second installment of this weekโ€™s series looking at the first games of Michigan head coaches takes us to 2008. The college football landscape was starting to change, and veteran Michigan coach Lloyd Carr had just retired. Michigan had recently hired Bill Martin as athletic director, and he was charged with fixing the financial woes of the department, among other things. 

    Martin also inherited the task of hiring a new coach, an exercise that turned out to be one of the most curious coaching searches in the universityโ€™s history. The name of Les Miles popped up several times, usually with dubious sources. For a few hours, it seemed Michigan found its head coach in Greg Schiano, but the Rutgers coach reconsidered and removed his name from consideration. 

    Finally, Michigan settled on West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, who had led several successful teams in recent years. His offensive approach favored the spread option, a strategy that Michigan defenses had found challenging to stop, at times. Defense was a different matter entirely. Rodriguez placed little focus on defense, leaving that matter to his defensive coordinator, Jeff Casteel, who chose not to join Rodriguez on the new Michigan coaching staff. Instead, Rodriguez hired Scott Shafer. Sadly, the union of Rodriguez and Shafer seemed doomed from the start.

    In fact, the entire Michigan community seemed split on Rodriguez. Some welcomed a daring excursion toward what they deemed a new frontier. Others regretted the departure from many Michigan traditions. The split in the football community was punctuated by the departure of offensive lineman Justin Boren, who transferred to archrival Ohio State, a move that stunned and angered many among the Michigan faithful. 

    Nonetheless, on Sept. 3, 2008, with Michigan Stadium undergoing a visible expansion, the Rich Rodriguez era dawned under sunny skies, and optimism was prevalent. It didnโ€™t last long. 

    Michiganโ€™s opponent, Utah, was coached by Kyle Whittingham, now a familiar name for Michigan fans and alumni. Whittingham was Utahโ€™s  defensive coordinator when the Utes visited Michigan Stadium in 2002. On that day, Michigan won a defensive struggle against Utah. This time, the Wolverines would not be so fortunate. 

    Rodriguez initially chose Nick Sheridan to run the offense, but Sheridan threw an interception into coverage, and Rodriguez insert Steven Threet into the game. Slowly, Michigan fought back. Trailing 25-10, the Wolverines got a hand on a Utah punt in the fourth quarter, giving them good field position. Then Threet found Hemingway in the corner of the south end zone, and Michigan was back in the game. Freshman running back Sam McGuffie scored on a 3-yard run, leaving Michigan behind by just two points. Needing a 2-point conversion, Threet threw to Toney Clemons in the back of the end zone, but the pass was just a little too high. Finally, on a desperate fourth down, Threet threw to Daryl Stonum on the sideline, but again, the pass was too high, and Utah outlasted Michigan, 25-23. 

    Michiganโ€™s comeback showcased the potential of the Rodriguez offense, but things never truly jelled during the Rodriguez era, which lasted just three years. Kyle Whittingham went on to lead Utah to a perfect season that year. Wouldnโ€™t it be nice if he accomplished the same feat this year?

  • ๐‘ณ๐’๐’๐’Œ๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ ๐‘ฉ๐’‚๐’„๐’Œ: ๐‘ฉ๐’“๐’‚๐’…๐’š ๐‘ฏ๐’๐’Œ๐’†โ€™๐’” ๐’‡๐’Š๐’“๐’”๐’• ๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’Ž๐’† ๐’‚๐’” ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’… ๐’„๐’๐’‚๐’„๐’‰

    The first installment in this weekโ€™s series on the first games of new Michigan coaches takes us back to 2011. Michigan was ready for a fresh start, and the Wolverines got a fresh hero in Brandon Herron. 

    Priot to that game, few among the Michigan faithful had even heard of Herron. The senior linebacker from Dallas, Texas had mostly toiled in anonymity during his time in Ann Arbor, but the hiring of Brady Hoke as head coach signaled a return to Michiganโ€™s core football approach, which included a heavy focus on defense. 

    Still, midway through the second quarter, the Wolverines looked surprisingly sluggish, possibly due to a 30-minute weather-related stoppage. Western Michigan was threatening to take the lead for the second time, and the Wolverines were obviously in need of a spark. Freshman linebacker Jake Ryan blitzed and got just a piece of the ball, which landed in the waiting hands of Herron. Escorted by a squad of blockers, Herron made his way 94 yards into the south end zone of Michigan Stadium, and the Wolverines produced their first signature play of the 2011 season. 

    From that point, Michigan methodically increased its lead to 34-10, punctuated by Herronโ€™s second score of the game, when safety Jordan Kovacs forced a fumble that Herron gleefully returned 29 yards for a touchdown. With 1:27 left in the third quarter, ominous weather prompted officials from both schools to call the game, and for the first time in school history, weather forced an early end to a Michigan football game. 

    After a slow start, Hokeโ€™s first game as head coach produced a thoroughly Schembechler-esque domination. Kovacs led the defense with 10 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Fitzgerald Toussaint was showcased as the teamโ€™s featured running back in a return to a traditional smashmouth Michigan running game, and quarterback Denard Robinson completed all five of his passes, foreshadowing a legendary performance just a week later. 

    Most important of all, Hoke earned a victory in his first game as head coach, returning the team to its hardnosed roots, which would pay dividends later in the season.