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 Football vs Michigan State — Looking Back – 1986

The fourth installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us to 1986. Wall Street was roaring and Americans were feeling good. On the gridiron, Michigan was enjoying a very good season, though we don’t hear much about it. I suspect that’s due to a loss the Little Brown Jug game and a loss to Arizona State in the Rose Bowl. Other than those games, the Maize & Blue were hitting on all cylinders that year.

The Spartans came to Ann Arbor in 1986 much as they will this week, fresh off a loss to Iowa. They had a pair of good receivers in Andre Rison and Mark Ingram, Sr., and they had an All-Big Ten linebacker in Shane Bullough, whose family is required to send players to Michigan State every 10 years or so. Michigan had Jim Harbaugh at quarterback, with diminutive tailback Jamie Morris running behind massive offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott. Harbuagh also had a reliable tight end in 6-foot-8 Paul Jokisch, and a pair of underrated receivers in John Kolesar and Greg McMurtry. The Wolverines also had an excellent secondary, featuring All-America cornerback Garland Rivers, and Erik Campbell, who split time at safety and cornerback.

Once the game started, it was pretty clear that Harbaugh & Company would rule the day. Harbaugh connected with a wide open Kolesar early, while Morris and Thomas Wilcher each found easy running lanes outside the tackles., and placekicker Pat Moons kicked a field goal to give the Wolverines the early lead. The play that best illustrated Michigan’s dominance was the Wolverines’ first touchdown, which came when Jim Harbaugh dove into the end zone on a busted play. Even when the Wolverines didn’t perform perfectly, they were still able to ad lib their way to success.

That’s not to say that Michigan was flawless. Harbaugh threw an interception when he was hit while throwing, which ultimately led to a Michigan State field goal.

The Wolverines led by 10 in the third quarter when Harbaugh broke the game open with a 42-yard touchdown pass to John Kolesar in the north end zone to give Michigan a 20-3 lead. In the fourth quarter, Harbaugh found sophomore tight end Jeff Brown for a short touchdown pass to close out the scoring in a game in which the Wolverines dominated play much more than the score would indicate.

Thanks to CBS Sports and YouTube poster WolverineHistorian. As always, we own nothing, and this blog and video are provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

Posted on

Michigan Football vs Michigan State — Looking Back — 1979

The third installment of the series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us to 1979. The Wolverines finished 8-4 that year, which was odd, given the fact that their roster included linebackers Ron Simpkins, Andy Cannavino and Mel Owen, receivers Ralph Clayton and Anthony Carter, and running backs Butch Woolfolk and Stan Edwards, whose sons later played at Michigan. Some of our younger readers might remember Edwards’ son, Braylon, who could play some wide receiver.

In the late ‘70s, the spread offense had yet to arrive in Big Ten football, so both teams spent much of the day operating out of the I formation, literally banging heads. In the second quarter, Woolfork scored from two yards out on a sweep to give Michigan the lead. It stayed that way into the third quarter, when Derek Hughes scored from six yards out to tie the score, 7-7. At that point, the Wolverines seized control of the game, going 80 yards in five plays, 66 of them coming on a 66-yard scoring pass from B.J. Dickey to Clayton. After that, the Wolverines were in the driver’s seat, and they put the game away when Dickey connected with Carter for a 6-yard touchdown that made the final score 21-7.

Sadly, that was the high point of Michigan’s season. The Wolverines finished with the three consecutive losses, Simpkins and defensive end Curtis Greer were named the All-America team, and the Wolverines easily reloaded for the 1978 season.

Thanks to ABC Spots and YouTube poster Wolverine Historian. As always, we own nothing, and this blog and video are strictly for the enjoyment of viewers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_College_Football_All-America_Team

Posted on

Michigan Football vs Michigan State — Looking Back — 1999

The second installment of the series looking back at the rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us to 1999. The economy had been roaring for several years, and so had the Wolverines, who had a perfect season and a share of the national title just two years before, and were playing very strong football in ’99. Opponents had few answers for the Michigan offense. In fact, the biggest challenge the Wolverines faced on offense was which quarterback would get the most snaps.

While most teams hope to have just one competent quarterback, the Wolverines had two in, senior Tom Brady and sophomore Drew Henson, who had been one of the top recruits in the nation just a few years earlier. Head coach Lloyd Carr used a platoon system for the two quarterbacks, with each getting playing time each game. The strategy developed depth at quarterback, but it might not have been the best strategy to use for that season.

The game started off with a matchup problem for the Michigan defense. Simply put, the Wolverines didn’t have anyone who could cover 6-foot-5 Michigan State wideout Plaxico Burress. The Wolverines even attempted to use wide receiver David Terrell at cornerback to stop Burress, but that didn’t help. Compounding the Wolverines’ problems was the Michigan State pass rush, which harried and hurried Michigan quarterbacks for most of the day. When Michigan State running back Dawan Moss scored from 14 yards out with 12:19 remaining to give the Spartans a 34-17 lead, things looked bleak for the Wolverines.

On the ensuing possession, Brady began to work his magic, spreading the ball around the field, and throwing downfield to Marcus Knight for 26 yards. When Brady connected with Terrell for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 8:11, the Wolverines were back in the game, albeit with a steep mountain to climb. Brady then found senior Aaron Shea in the end zone with less than three minutes left, and Michigan was within striking distance, needing a stop on defense to get the ball back.

Unfortunately, the Wolverines didn’t get what they needed. When Burress caught a pass on the sideline, the party was over, and Michigan State held on for a 34-31 win.

Through the years, there have been numerous controversial endings in games between Michigan and Michigan State, but this loss hurt the Wolverines as much as any loss in the series. Yes, Burress had a tremendous game, but if Brady had played the entire game, the odds are he would have gotten into his rhythm earlier in the game, and there’s a good chance Michigan would have won. For that matter, had Brady been the primary QB all season, with no platoon system, there’s a good chance that Michigan would have run the table and won its second national championship in three seasons. Instead, the Wolverines finished the season with 10 wins and 2 losses, including comeback victories over Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State, and Alabama. Talk to any Michigan fan or alum who watched Brady play his last half dozen games in a Michigan uniform, and you won’t find one of them who would be surprised by his success in the NFL.

Thanks to ABC Sports. As always, we own nothing, and this blog and video are posted strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

Posted on

Michigan Football vs Michigan State — Looking Back — 2016

The first installment of this year’s series looking back at the rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us back just one year, to 2016. Michigan entered the game undefeated, while Michigan State was literally just playing out the string. The only source of pride left for the Spartans would be their performance against Michigan, and sure enough, they played with more gusto than anyone in East Lansing had seen all season.

Michigan linebacker/safety/running back/quarterback/kick returner/punt returner Jabrill Peppers had been ferocious all season, but the Spartans tried a new strategy – they ran right at Peppers, and with the size of their massive offensive line, they took an initial toll on Peppers, and briefly took the Wolverines out of their game, as they took a 7-0 lead on a seven-minute drive to start the game. It was an ugly start for the Maize & Blue, to say the least.

However, Michigan responded with a vengeance, with quarterback Wilton Speight deftly mixing the run and the pass. Peppers concluded the drive by diving for the pylon with the ball, and the Wolverines tied the game. By this point, it was clear that neither team was about to back down.

On Michigan State’s next possession, the Spartans recaptured the momentum, seizing the line of scrimmage, until a fateful 4th down & 1 play. Suddenly, Peppers the athlete appeared, slicing through the defensive line to twist the running back down, half a yard short of the first down. Those in Maize& Blue, who clearly possessed the more talented roster, breathed a sigh of relief. Now, Michigan had the ball, with a chance to seize the momentum and the tempo of the game. With Peppers playing quarterback, the Wolverines ran a reverse that sprung freshman wide receiver Eddie McDoom deep into the Michigan State secondary. On the next play, Michigan lined up in a 2016 version of the I formation, known as “The Train.” Once the ball was snapped, Speight connected with tight end Jake Butt, who came down just shy of the goal line at the Michigan State 2-yard line. One play later, running back DeVeon Smith scored on a sweep to give the Wolverines the lead. Suddenly, the Wolverines were playing on their balls of their feet, taking the game to the Spartans. By halftime, Michigan had taken a 27-10 lead, giving Michigan all the momentum heading into the second half.
Still, with a chance to put the game away, Speight threw an interception on a wheel route, and Michigan State was threatening once again.

Fortunately for the Wolverines, their defense was now coached by Don Brown, who is being recognized more often as one of the great defensive coaches in history. With Brown’s defense relentlessly attacking, the Wolverines held on for a 32-23 victory, extending their record to 8-0, while the Spartans fell to 2-6.

For Peppers, it was his last game in the rivalry, as he left after the season to turn pro. The Wolverines finished the season 10-3, ending the year with a controversial loss to Ohio State in Columbus, and a bowl game loss to Florida State, which Michigan played without Peppers. Fortunately for the Wolverines, middle linebacker Devin Bush and Viper Khaleke Hudson have more than made up for his departure.

Thanks to ESPN and YouTube poster OneHourFootball. As always, we own nothing and the blog and video are purely for the enjoyment of readers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZYAaZgUu2g

Posted on

Michigan vs Ohio State Football – Looking Back – 1922

The fifth and final installment of this year’s series looking back at the Michigan-Ohio State football rivalry takes us to 1922, during the “Roaring 20s.” Wall Street was flying high, and excess was in style. Prohibition was in place, so it was illegal to consume alcoholic beverages, but many Americans went to “speakeasies,” clubs that served alcohol “on the down low,” so to speak. In sports, Ohio State opened its new football stadium, and Michigan was the opponent for the dedication game.

Michigan’s football team was outstanding in 1922, winning six games and tying one, a scoreless game at Vanderbilt. The following week, Michigan shut out Ohio State 19-0, the first of five consecutive victories for Michigan. The Wolverines scored in each quarter, with future coach Harry Kipke and team captain Paul Goebel.

So after all that, Michigan won the Big Ten Championship, right? Well, that’s where things get a bit murky. Michigan finished 4-0 in the conference, but Iowa was 5-0 in the conference (and 7-0 overall). After the season, Michigan coach Fielding Yost announced that Michigan would not make any claim of sole possession of the conference championship. He also announced that he would return the following season to coach the Wolverines, just several months after rumors circulated that he would step down at the conclusion of the 1922 season.

At the end of the day, Michigan had won the dedication game at Ohio Stadium in front of a crowd that included many Michigan supporters. On a more somber note, Michigan’s All-American left end, Bernard Kirk, was injured in an automobile accident several weeks after the end of the season, and died a week later.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any video clips of this game, so I’ve attached this summary of the 1922 Michigan football season from the Bentley Library, to whom I extend many thanks. Again, I own nothing and I do not profit from this article in any way. It is strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1922fbt.htm