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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Little Brown Jug — Looking Back – 2003

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins

Ahh, the 2003 season. Things had gone off the rails a bit during the previous two seasons, but the Wolverines got back to basics in 2003. John Navarre was now firmly entrenched as Michigan’s starting quarterback, and a rededicated Chris Perry emerged as the Wolverines’ most dangerous running back. The Wolverines had reloaded, and they were ready to make some noise.

The fourth installment of the series looking back at the Little Brown Jug rivalry takes us to the latter part of the 2003 season. Michigan was obviously enjoying a good season, and the Wolverines were virtually unbeatable at home. Road games were a different story.

Michigan had dominated Minnesota since 1987, a fact that wasn’t lost on the Minnesota players. Michigan struggled for most of the game, with Steve Breaston’s touchdown pass to quarterback John Navarre serving as the only bright spot. After three quarters, Minnesota led, 28-7, and even the most optimistic Michigan fan had reason for concern.

The Wolverines mustered all their concentration and determination as the fourth quarter began. Slowly, Michigan started to make some plays. Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, Navarre connected with Perry on a perfectly designed screen pass that went 10 yards for a touchdown. The guys in the winged helmets were showing signs of life, while Minnesota coach Glen Mason was showing signs of agita.

On the very next play, Michigan cornerback Leon Hall blitzed off the edge, forcing an ill-advised pass from Minnesota quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq. The pass was intercepted by Michigan safety Jacob Stewart, who had an easy path to a touchdown. Michigan was within one touchdown, and momentum was wearing a Wolverines jersey.

The Abdul-Khaliq threw a counter punch, running 52 yards for a score to extend Minnesota’s lead to 14 points. This was a different group of Golden Gophers, for sure.

Undaunted, Navarre led the Wolverine offense back, finding Braylon Edwards, who stretched into the end zone for the score. Again, Michigan had cut the deficit to one touchdown. With just under five minutes remaining, Navarre handed the ball to Perry, who made one cut, and found the end zone for the tying touchdown.

Now, Michigan was in absolute control. The defense stuffed Minnesota. Navarre then led Michigan on a methodical drive that resulted in a 33-yard field goal from Garrett Rivas to give the Wolverines their first lead of the game with 47 seconds remaining. With nine seconds left, Markus Curry intercepted a long pass to put the final exclamation point on Michigan’s win. The Wolverines defeated the Golden Gophers, 38-35, after trailing almost the entire game.

Many thanks to ESPN, YouTube, and YouTube poster RXwolverine2 for the video of this game. As always, we own nothing, and this blog post is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

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Little Brown Jug — Looking Back – 1969

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins

The third installment in the series looking back at the rivalry for the Little Brown Jug takes us to 1969. Change was everywhere in the late 1960s, particularly in college towns such as Ann Arbor. That change did not extend to football. Michigan still expected to win the Little Brown Jug, no matter what.

Minnesota kicked three field goals in the first half to take a 9-7 lead at halftime, and things weren’t going as new Michigan coach Bo Schembechler had planned.

Enter Michigan running back Billy Taylor. Taylor scored on runs of three yards and one yard in the third quarter, capping drives of 14 plays and nine plays, respectively, as Michigan grabbed the lead. Don Moorhead and Lance Scheffler added rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to give Michigan a 35-9 win. Taylor led Michigan in rushing yardage with 151 yards on 31 carries, while Moorhead added 77 yards and Garvie Craw added 50 yards. Schembechler’s insistence on running the ball was the factor that turned the game in Michigan’s favor in the second half. The Wolverines’ offensive line wore down Minnesota, allowing the Wolverines to take charge.

Michigan entered the game with a record of three wins and two losses. The second half of the game against Minnesota was the turning point in Michigan’s season. It could also be argued that it was a turning point for the future of the Michigan football program, as the Wolverines went on to enjoy two decades of success with Schembechler at the helm. No wonder Bo loved to run the ball!

Many thanks to YouTube and YouTube poster College Football Historian for the highlight film of this game. As always, we own nothing and this blog post is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

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Little Brown Jug — Looking Back – 2006

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins

The second installment of the series looking back at the Little Brown Jug rivalry takes us to 2006. The Wolverines had suffered a rare loss to Minnesota the previous season, and that defeat was still fresh in their minds. This year, Michigan would make things right.

Mike Hart spearheaded the Michigan attack from the opening kickoff. His no-nonsense approach set the tone for the game, making it obvious immediately that Michigan was the superior team. Hart’s consistent runs on the first series forced the Minnesota defense to concentrate on the Wolverines’ running game, leaving Adrian Arrington all alone in the end zone to catch his first touchdown pass of the game from Chad Henne. The two connected minutes later for a second touchdown, and Michigan was up, 14-0.

The Gophers wouldn’t go quietly, though. Bryan Cupito found Logan Payne in the end zone to cut Michigan’s lead to 14-7, and Minnesota showed some life, but the Wolverines weren’t fazed. Using a balanced attack, Michigan marched down the field methodically, and on a first down at the Minnesota 41-yard line, Henne threw a strike to Mario Manningham to put Michigan up, 21-7. The quick response left little doubt that there would be no upset this time. Michigan added a cosmetic touchdown in the fourth quarter, and the Wolverines won, 28-14, to bring the Little Brown Jug back to Ann Arbor.

The win was one of 11 for the Wolverines in 2006, as the entire team sought to rebound from the lackluster 2005 campaign. The season had a sour ending, but for most of the year, Michigan played exceptional football, making the 2006 campaign a memorable one.

Many thanks to ESPN, YouTube and YouTube poster CFB Archive for the video of this game. As always, we own nothing and this blog post is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

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Little Brown Jug — Looking Back – 2005

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins

Well, there’s no rest for the weary. Just a few days after defeating USC, the Wolverines face the reality of battling for the Little Brown Jug. Minnesota will be hungry after losing to Iowa, so our guys will really have to get after those “Fleckers!”

The first installment of this series looking at the Little Brown Jug rivalry illustrates the fact that you can’t underestimate any opponent. The 2005 Wolverines felt confident entering their game against Minnesota. On paper, the Wolverines could match up with anyone, but their performance seldom lived up to their potential.

It started off like so many other games. Garrett Rivas made a 23-yard field goal in the first quarter, and the Wolverines were ready to take charge. The only problem was, they never completely took control of the game. Still, after a Minnesota field goal tied the game at 13 apiece in the third quarter, the Wolverines grabbed the lead right back when Steve Breaston zigged and zagged his way to a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to give Michigan a 20-13 advantage. Unfortunately, the score occurred so quickly that the defense got virtually no rest, and it showed as Minnesota tied the game on the ensuing drive.

Michigan still had some chances, but a pall settled over Michigan Stadium when Rivas pulled a pair of field goal attempts wide left. Late in the game, Minnesota faced a 3rd down and 10 yards to go when Laurence Maroney swept around the right end and ran 60 yards to give the Golden Gophers a first down at the Michigan 15-yard line. With one second to go, Jason Giannini kicked a 30-yard field goal to give Minnesota a 23-20 win. The game exemplified Michigan’s season in a microcosm. The Wolverines finished the season with a record of 7 wins and 5 losses, falling to Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl.

Many thanks to YouTube and YouTube poster RXwolverine for the video of this episode of “Michigan Replay.” As always, we own nothing, and this blog post is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

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Big Ten Openers – – Michigan State — Looking Back – 1998

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins

The fifth and final installment of this week’s series looking back at Big Ten openers takes us to 1998. The year started out perfectly. The national economy was roaring and our beloved Michigan Wolverines were national champions, having just completed a perfect season. If that wasn’t enough, Michigan added 5,000 seats to Michigan Stadium in the offseason to reclaim the title of largest on-campus football stadium in the United States, and the team had just signed the top-ranked quarterback recruit (Drew Henson) and top-ranked running back recruit (Justin Fargas) in the nation. It sure was great to be a Michigan Wolverine!

It was so great, in fact, that the party never seemed to end for the Wolverines. Many a back was patted, and many a drink enjoyed. Unfortunately, the new season arrived with all the charm of a hangover. Charles Woodson was gone, off to the NFL. Marcus Ray was suspended for a few games for communicating with an agent. Quarterback Brian Griese had graduated, and he was replaced by some new guy. Hey, what happened to the party? Where did everybody go?

Yes, things started off so poorly that Michigan violated one of Bo Schembechler’s cardinal rules, allowing one loss to become two losses. Michigan woke up against Eastern Michigan, but the Big Ten opener would bring a much more challenging foe.

Yes, by late September, Michigan knew it had to start playing serious football again, and just in the nick of time, because Nick Saban was leading a bunch of angry behemoths in green helmets down the Michigan Stadium tunnel. All the accolades that Michigan had received the previous season seemed a distant memory now; reality was setting in.

Fortunately for Michigan, facing Michigan State proved to be just the tonic for the Wolverines. Michigan State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but the Wolverines wasted no time answering. Anthony Thomas received the ensuing kickoff, and kept running, all the way into Spartan territory. Quarterback Tom Brady taught everyone his name, as he started throwing pinpoint passes that penetrated the Michigan State defense.

Still, it wouldn’t be easy. Plaxico Burress hauled in a touchdown pass to give Michigan State the lead, and he gave the Spartans possession of the ball on the ensuing kickoff when he hit Grady Brooks and caused a fumble. Unfazed by the Michigan State theatrics, the Michigan defense stopped the Spartans, and then Brady responded by handing the ball to Anthony Thomas, who rumbled 70 yards for the tying score. Suddenly, Michigan State had to respect Thomas and the counter trey run, which left the Spartans’ secondary vulnerable. Brady responded by throwing a fade in the corner of the north end zone to Tai Streets, who outjumped a cornerback to pull down the ball, giving Michigan a 17-10 lead. Jay Feely extended Michigan’s lead to 10 points, but this was still a Michigan vs. Michigan State game. There was still some drama left, and it occurred when James Whitley fumbled a punt, which was recovered by State’s Aric Morris. A few minutes later, Michigan State QB Bill Burke snuck over from the 1-yard line, and Michigan went to the locker room at halftime nursing a 20-17 lead.

The drama ended in the second half. Michigan went back to basics in all three phases of the game, gradually establishing unmistakable control. A long drive by the Wolverines resulted in another Feely field goal. Michigan led by six points in the fourth quarter when Brady threw a 48-yard dagger to Marcus Knight that was ruled short of the goal line. Undaunted, Brady snuck over the goal line on the next play to give Michigan firm control of the game.

The Michigan defense then shut door on the Spartans, stifling the last of their opportunities, as Michigan held on to win, 29-17.

The 1998 season started out in rocky fashion, but the Wolverines made the best of things, finishing with a 45-31 win over Arkansas in the Florida Citrus Bowl.

Many thanks to ABC Sports, YouTube, and YouTube poster Pizza Pizzichetti for the video of this game. As always, we own nothing and this blog post is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.