Author: 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.
Posted on

Michigan vs Alabama – Looking Back – 2024

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

The fifth installment of the series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Alabama takes us to the Rose Bowl. Michigan won the first Rose Bowl handily, beating Stanford 49-0 to claim the 1901 National Championship. The Wolverines repeated that feat on Jan. 1, 1998, beating Washington State, 21-16, to capture the 1997 Associated Press National Championship. The Wolverines have also suffered many frustrating outcomes at the Rose Bowl.

On Jan. 1, 2024, the Rose Bowl served as the site for one of the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Michigan had a loaded roster, but pundits predicted that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe would give the Wolverines fits. It was only natural that Michigan fans approached this game with some concern.

There was a depressing sense of deja vu when J.J. McCarthy appeared to throw an interception to Caleb Downs on the first play from scrimmage. Then, suddenly, Downs was ruled out of bounds when he seized possession of the ball. Everyone wearing maize and blue breathed a collective sigh of relief. When Alabama got the ball, Michigan’s defense put the heat on Milroe, sacking him twice in the first series. The Tide then got a second chance when Semaj Morgan fumbled the ensuing punt. Four plays later, Jase Mclellan ran 34 yards for an Alabama touchdown, and the Crimson Tide drew first blood.

But Alabama’s touchdown did not dampen Michigan’s resolve. The Wolverines mounted a 10-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in an 8-yard scoring pass from McCarthy to Blake Corum. If Michigan had any jitters, they were gone by this point.

Trailing late in the fourth quarter, Michigan still had time for heroics. McCarthy connected with Corum on fourth down to keep the drive going. Then Wilson caught a tipped pass from McCarthy and ran to the Alabama 6-yard line. On second down from the 4-yard line, McCarthy played pitch-and-catch with Wilson, who trotted in untouched for the tying score.

Jake Thaw then earned recognition as one of Michigan’s unsung heroes when he calmly recovered his own fumble on a late Alabama punt, narrowly averting disaster. In overtime, Michigan asserted its dominance in convincing fashion. The Wolverines scored on a pair of runs by Corum, the second one a 17-yard run involving three broken tackles. Michigan now held a 27-20 lead, but Alabama would get the football.

Alabama threatened, but the Wolverines were up to the task. Mason Graham had a tackle for loss and Josh Wallace had a huge tackle two yards short of the goal line, setting up a do-or-die fourth down. One missed assignment or missed tackle could be disastrous, but one excellent team effort could keep the dream season rolling one more week.

Michigan got that tremendous effort, most notably from 6-foot-1, 245-pound defensive end Josaiah Stewart, who knocked 6-foot-5, 350-pound Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor off his feet and into Milroe, allowing the Michigan defense to swarm around Milroe and tackle him well short of the goal line. Michigan completed a goal line stand to beat Alabama, 27-20, and advance in the College Football Playoff.

A week later, the Michigan was firing on all cylinders like a vintage Detroit engine. The Wolverines routed Washington, 34-13, to win the National Championship and complete a perfect 15-0 season, claiming their place among the greatest teams in college football history!

Thanks to YouTube for the ESPN broadcast of this game. As always, we own nothing and do not profit from this blog post, which is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

Posted on

Michigan vs Alabama – Looking Back – 2012

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

The fourth installment of the series looking back at football games between Michigan and Alabama takes to the Cowboys Classic on Sept. 1, 2012 at Cowboys Stadium (now AT&T Stadium) in Arlington, Texas. The national economy was stable in 2012, and overall, things were looking pretty good, particularly if you were dressed in maize and blue. Brady Hoke was now the Michigan coach, and in 2011 his Wolverines produced an 11-2 record that included wins over Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. It’s always great to be a Michigan Wolverine, but suddenly, it felt great, too.

So Michigan entered the 2012 campaign with a renewed vigor. The Wolverines chose to embrace greater challenges by playing the defending national champions at a neutral site in the south.

It was certainly an ambitious goal, but it also provided a sobering assessment of the Wolverines’ skill level. In the simplest of terms, Alabama was the better team.

As far as the competitive portion of the game, Alabama scored 31 points before Michigan scored at all.

Will Campbell sacked Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron 16 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Denard Robinson ran for a touchdown and threw a 44-yard scoring pass to Devin Gardner. The Michigan uniforms looked excellent. The Wolverines wore their old school black shoes and traditional maize pants.

Honestly, there were few positives about this game. Michigan played with courage, but needed better players and better coaches to compete with the best.

Thanks to YouTube and ESPN for the broadcast of this game. As always, we own nothing, and this blog post is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ebaGzSsQk8

Posted on

Michigan vs Alabama – Looking Back – 2000

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

The third installment of the series looking back at football games between Michigan and Alabama takes us to the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2000. It’s difficult to fathom, but there was a time when people didn’t recognize Tom Brady’s excellence.

Brady spent the first half of 2000 platooning with Drew Henson. Henson was the more recruited quarterback, having been rated as a five-star recruit in high school. Brady gradually seized full-time control of the quarterback position as the season went along, and Michigan’s play improved with Brady at the helm.

Twice, Michigan fell behind by 14 points, but each time Brady calmly rallied the Wolverines, honing his reputation as the master of comeback victories.

Trailing 14-0, Brady connected with David Terrell for a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter, one for 27 yards and one for 57 yards. By halftime, the game was tied at 14 apiece, and fans realized they were watching a classic.

Alabama reclaimed the lead and the momentum in the third quarter when Shaun Alexander scored on a 50-yard run and Freddie Milons added a 62-yard punt return to extend Alabama’s lead to 28-14.

Undeterred, the Wolverines came roaring back again. Brady found Terrell again for a 20-yard scoring strike and Anthony Thomas added a 3-yard touchdown run to tie the score and send the game to overtime. Brady wasted no time in overtime, throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Shawn Thompson. Hayden Epstein added the extra point, and the Wolverines had the lead for the first time. Alabama responded promptly as Andrew Zow threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Carter. A mere extra point by Ryan Pflugner would now tie the score.

Except, Pflugner’s kick sailed wide, and the Wolverines claimed the Orange Bowl championship with a 35-34 overtime victory. It’s always tempting to wonder how Michigan’s season might have turned out had Brady been the sole quarterback since the first game, but that was useless to consider now. Michigan had won the Orange Bowl and concluded the decade of the ’90s with a bang.

We thank YouTube and ABC Sports for the attached broadcast.

Posted on

Michigan vs Alabama – Looking Back – 1997

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

The second installment of the series looking back at football games between Michigan and Alabama takes us back to the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1, 1997. Michigan completed the 1996 regular season on a high note, knocking off an undefeated Ohio State team for the second consecutive year, this time in Ohio Stadium. The Wolverines roared into Tampa feeling pretty good about themselves, but each game is different.

Michigan appeared to start the game with a bang, but a holding penalty negated a tremendous kickoff return. A brief offensive series went nowhere, and the ensuing punt rolled backward, giving Alabama excellent field position. Fortunately, the defense stiffened, and Alabama settled for a field goal and a 3-0 lead.

Michigan advanced deep into Alabama territory in the fourth quarter, but Brian Griese’s arm was hit as he attempted to throw, resulting in an interception that Dwayne Rudd returned for an Alabama touchdown.

Trailing by 11, Griese connected with Russell Shaw for a 9-yard touchdown pass, and fullback Chris Floyd bulled his way into the end zone for a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three points. That was as close as Michigan got, as Alabama recovered the onside kick and ran out the click to beat Michigan, 17-14.

In spite of the loss, Michigan’s performance contained many silver linings. This game showcased many players and strategies that would lead Michigan to success in 1997. Cornerback Charles Woodson showed off multiple abilities, playing on defense, offense, and special teams. Griese connected with Woodson on a post pattern, which the Wolverines would use to jumpstart the offense against Ohio State the next season. Floyd displayed an impressive ability to lower his shoulder and bulldoze his way through would-be tacklers.

Then, of course, there was the defense, which held Alabama to 17 points, foreshadowing an excellent performance in 1997.

Thanks to YouTube for the ESPN broadcast of the 1997 Outback Bowl, which is attached.

Posted on

Michigan vs Alabama – Looking Back – 1988

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

The first installment of the series looking back at football games between Michigan and Alabama takes us back to the Hall of Fame Bowl on January 2, 1988. The 1987 season was a disappointment for Michigan, featuring losses to Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan State and Indiana. Bo Schembechler was in the twillight of his coaching career at Michigan, and he underwent cardiac bypass surgery after the regular season ended. Gary Moeller took over the reins as Michigan’s head coach for the game, providing a a preview of what was in store for the next few years.

The game began like so many Michigan games had started under Schembechler. Jamie Morris scored three touchdowns to vault Michigan to a 21-3 lead, but Alabama wasn’t done. First, quarterback Jeff Dunn connected with tight end Howard Cross for Alabama’s first touchdown. Bobby Humphrery then tacked on a couple of touchdown runs to give the Crimson Tide a 3-point lead in the fourth quarter.

With 3:42 remaining in the game, Michigan started its final drive of the game with three timeouts in hand. Demetrius Brown led the offense to the line of scrimmage, and for one final offensive series, the Wolverines showcased all their talents. Morris probed the Alabama defensive line for a short gain, then Brown connected with receiver Greg McMurtry, who weaved his way between defenders for a 31-yard gain to the Alabama 27-yard line. Brown was stopped short of the first down marker on an option play, leaving the Wolverines with a critical fourth down.

Moeller gave the Wolverine faithful a glimps of what was to come under his leadership when he instructed Brown to throw the ball on fourth down. Facing a heavy pass rush, Brown threw a desperate pass into the corner of the end zone, where John Kolesar outmaneuvered a cornerback to come down with the ball for the decisive touchdown. David Arnold then capped a marvelous performance by the Michigan defense when he intercepted a pass on the final play to seal a 28-24 victory for the Wolverines.

The 1987 season will be remembered for many fits and starts by the Wolverines, but for one glorious afternoon, Morris, Brown, Kolesar, McMurtry, Arnold, Jumbo Elliott and the rest of the Michigan team put it all together and showed the college football world their true capabilities.

Many thanks to NBC Sports, YouTube, and YouTube poster College Football Historian for the broadcast of this game. As always, we own nothing and this blog post is intended strictly for the enjoyment of readers.