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.
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Michigan Football vs Michigan State — Looking Back – 1976

The third installment of this year’s series looking back at the Michigan-Michigan State football rivalry takes us back to 1976. The Nation was celebrating its Bicentennial, and Michigan was celebrating the development of a new quarterback, then sophomore Rick Leach. Today, Leach would be called a run-pass option QB, but the option was part of Michigan’s package back then, and the triple option was fairly prominent across the nation. Leach could it all, run, pass, read the defense, you name it. And when he handed the ball off, his “lack of ball” fakes gave the defense an extra element to think about — as if they didn’t already have enough problems!

Sadly, it’s virtually impossible to find a box score, or a game story, or anything on this game except the final score (Michigan 42, Michigan State 10) and the film below, which doesn’t have any audio. The most important thing to know is this: Michigan dominated Michigan State. That win was the Wolverines’ seventh of eight consecutive victories against the Spartans, and it’s clear that Bo quickly learned never to underestimate Michigan State, a lesson that paid dividends throughout Bo’s tenure in Ann Arbor.

In addition to Leach, there were many outstanding players on the 1976 Michigan team, including four players who were named All-Americans, Rob Lyle, Calvin O’Neal, Jim Smith, and Mark Donahue. But one of the most interesting stories came from left tackle Mike Kenn, who was never a household name. Kenn went on to play 17 years with the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League, and gained acclaim as one of the few players who could hold his own against Lawrence Taylor. Long, rangy, and very light for an offensive tackle, Kenn relied on technique and smarts to overcome most pass rushers, skills he learned from Michigan offensive line coach Jerry Hanlon. Listening to Hanlon speak, it’s almost difficult to imagine that such a soft-spoken man could develop such dominant offensive linemen.

As always, I own nothing and I do profit from this blog post in any way. Many thanks to YouTube and YouTube poster Ed G. Berry for the video below.

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Michigan Football vs Michigan State — Looking Back – 1968

The second installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us to 1968. With the notable exception of 1964, the Wolverines hadn’t exactly prospered in the ‘60s. Michigan had two players who were named to several All-America squads in 1968. Running back Ron Johnson gained more than 2,500 yards that season, while defensive back Tom Curtis intercepted 10 passes. The Michigan roster was stocked with many talented players, but the more talented team doesn’t always win the Michigan-Michigan State contest.

In fact, Michigan opened the 1968 season with a loss to California, which made coach Bump Elliott’s seat even warmer than it had been. Going into the game against Michigan State, the Wolverines had a 1-2 record, and they had lost the previous three games against the Spartans. For Johnson, in particular, this game would be his last hope for victory against Michigan State. If the Wolverines didn’t win this one, Johnson, and the other seniors on the Michigan squad, would be haunted by the result for the rest of their lives.

Johnson didn’t take long to make his presence felt, scoring on a 38-yard run to give Michigan the early lead. But in the fourth quarter, Michigan State quarterback Charlie Wedemeyer found receiver Frank Foreman in the end zone, and after the two-point conversion, Michigan State led, 14-13. Facing yet another potential defeat by their rivals, the Wolverines leaned heavily on Johnson, and he delivered. Johnson carried the ball 19 times in the game, gaining 152 yards, and touchdowns by future All-America tight end Jim Mandich and Montclair, New Jersey native Garvie Craw led the Wolverines to a 28-14, giving the outgoing seniors their shining moment in the in-state rivalry.

After college, many members of the 1968 team went on to prominent careers. After prospering in a blue jersey in college, Johnson wore blue with the New York Football Giants, where he became the first player in franchise history to gain at least 1,000 yards in a season. Curtis, too, wore blue in the NFL, where he won Super Bowl V in the 1970 season with the Baltimore Colts. Mandich went on to win two Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins, and served as the de facto spokesperson for the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins for many years after his retirement. Sadly, both Johnson and Mandich passed away in recent years.

Thanks to YouTube, the University of Michigan, and YouTube poster WolverineHistorian for the following video clip. As always, I do not profit in any way from this blog post and video, which are presented strictly for the enjoyment of blog readers.

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Michigan Football vs Michigan State — Looking Back – 1954

The first installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us back to 1954. The nation was enjoying postwar prosperity, fueled largely by the automobile industry, which was headquartered in Michigan. The season before, a trophy was introduced into the rivalry. Michigan State won the Paul Bunyan Trophy in the first game involving the trophy, but Michigan had dominated the rivalry for the most part until 1953. In 1954, the Wolverines were ready to re-establish control of the rivalry.

In terms of the game, sadly, few details remain, other than Michigan’s victorious 33-7 score. Arguably the most noteworthy event of the whole game was how Michigan treated the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Unlike recent victories, the 1954 team showed a disdain for the trophy, and that’s been the pervasive attitude for decades. Unlike the Little Brown Jug, which is treasured by everyone with maize & blue in their DNA, the Paul Bunyan Trophy has long been regarded as more of locker room trophy, the logic being that Michigan should always beat the Spartans.

If anything, the most important thing to come out of the 1954 game was that the Paul Bunyan Trophy breathed new life into a rivalry that had been one-sided for decades. Michigan State’s win in 1953 marked only the 10th time that the Spartans had defeated Michigan in a series that dated back to 1898. Suddenly, some of Michigan’s hubris was replaced by animosity, and football fans in Michigan benefited, whether they wore maize & blue or green & white.

But make no mistake, in 1954, Michigan proved that the best team in the state resided in Ann Arbor, trophy or no trophy.

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Michigan Football vs Michigan State — Looking Back — 2007

The fifth installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us back to 2007. Michigan entered the season with too much confidence that year, and it showed when the Wolverines lost to an up-and-coming Appalachian State squad that has proven to be the East Coast’s answer to Boise State. Still, Michigan rallied, and by the time the Michigan State game rolled around, the Wolverines felt like their old selves again.

However, Michigan State had a new coach, with an old philosophy. Mark Dantonio believed in the I-formation, and focused on using blocking to run the ball. With less than eight minutes to go, Michigan was trailing by 10, and senior quarterback Chad Henne was forced out with a knee injury, putting true freshman Ryan Mallett right in the middle of the storm. When Mallett was hit, he fumbled the ball, and senior tailback Mike Hart alertly picked it up and fought his way for a first down. Henne then re-entered the game and connected with Greg Matthews on a beautiful touchdown pass. With less than three minutes remaining, Henne threw a jump ball into the end zone that was caught by Mario Manningham for an amazing touchdown, and Michigan’s defense held, giving the Wolverines a 28-24 win.

Still, there was something ominous about the victory. Michigan State had gotten back to basics, with running back Jehuu Caulcrick repeatedly pounding the middle of the Michigan defense. Then Mike Hart made the infamous postgame comment in which he referred to Michigan State as “Little Brother.” That was all the ammunition that Dantonio needed, and he’s used it quite effectively to motivate the Spartans over the years.

This brings us to the current contest. How will this year’s game turn out? What direction will the two rivals take after the game? We’ll just have to watch and see.

Thanks to YouTube, ESPN, and YouTube poster WolverineHistorian for the videos below. As always, I own nothing, and I do not profit from this blog post in any way.

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Michigan vs Ohio State Football – Looking Back – 1995

The fifth and final installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us back to 1995. The larger word had yet to discover the Internet, and Ohio State was on the verge of becoming a national football powerhouse. The Buckeyes were almost certainly headed to the Rose Bowl; the only thing that remained was their coronation in Ann Arbor. 

But a funny thing happened on the way to that coronation. Ohio State had defeated Michigan the previous year, and was feeling very confident leading up to “The Game” in 1995. There’s a fine line between confidence and overconfidence. More to the point, you don’t want to give your opponents ammunition. and the Buckeyes did just that. 

Naturally, Michigan players heard about this. It was an interesting season for Michigan. Lloyd Carr had replaced Gary Moeller as head coach, but Carr was only initially hired on an interim basis. The season started with a wild comeback win over Virginia on the game’s final play, but Carr’s team had been inconsistent. During the week of the game, Michigan tailback Tshimanga “Tim” Biakabutuka assured Carr that he had nothing to worry about; that the team would be ready for Ohio State when the game rolled around. 

Sometimes — most times — those assurances should be taken a fair amount of skepticism, but Biakabutuka was a man of his word. Biakabutuka shredded the Ohio State defense for 313 yards, and freshman defensive back Charles Woodson left his imprint on the Buckeyes with a pair of interceptions, with the final pick salting away a 31-23 win for Michigan. The victory didn’t help Michigan very much in the Alamo Bowl, where the Wolverines lost to Texas A&M. But history has largely forgotten about the low-level bowl game, while the win over Ohio State has become part of the lore of that series. 

Thanks to ABC Sports and youtube poster j bakkar. As always, we own nothing and do not profit from this blog post in any way. The content is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.