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Posted on by Jeff Cummins

THE GAME – Michigan vs Ohio State Football – Looking Back – 1991

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

The third installmenf of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us back to 1991. By this time, Bo Schembechler had retired, turning the reins over to trusted lieutenant Gary Moeller. In one of his final seasons, Schembechler was asked who would replace some of the tremendous receivers he had, and he mentioned the name Desmond Howard.

In the late 1980s, high school football recruiting had yet to become an obsession, and Howard wasn’t a household name. His performance against Ohio State crushed the spirit of the Buckeyes, and made him an icon in college football lore.

Any drama in this game ended after the opening kickoff. Michigan won, 31-3, punctuated by Desmond Howard’s 93-yard punt return for a touchdown, ending with Howard’s famous “Heisman Pose.” Keith Jackson bellowed “Hello Heisman!” and Howard became a legend for the ages.

In hindsight, the 1991 team never received the proper amount of adulation from Michigan fans. The Wolverines absolutely dominated the Buckeyes. They beat Notre Dame in dramatic fashion, courtesy of an amazing touchdown by Howard. They beat Michigan State comfortably. Howard was joined by linebacker Erick Anderson and linemen Greg Skrepenak and Matt Elliott on the All-America team. Maybe the most important point of all, the Wolverines went undefeated in the Big Ten, winning all eight conference games and capturing the Big Ten championship. It’s fair to say a season of that magnitude would satisfy many Michigan supporters.

Thanks to ABC Sports, YouTube, and YouTube poster RXwolverine for the broadcast of this game. I own nothing and we do not profit off this blog post, which is published strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

About Jeff Cummins

Jeff Cummins has written about football since 1998, including nine years with The Record of Hackensack, N.J. He frequently contributes feature stories to Touchdown Illustrated, an insert in the national college football game program, published by University Sports Publications, and he has also written the official pregame stories for the game programs of the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Gator Bowl, and the BCS National Championship game. He has written the preview story for the official program for the NHL Winter Classic at MIchigan Stadium, and numerous college basketball feature stories for College Hoops Illustrated, another game program insert published by University Sports Publications. In addition, he has written stories about theater, music, physical therapy, and newsletter marketing. He’s an avid Michigan football fan and long-time New York Jets season ticket holder, and he can be reached at jeffcummins@optonline.net.

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