Category: Football

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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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Michigan Wolverine Football Podcast — Commentary — Game 4 Michigan 27 USC 24

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Tune into the latest podcast as @pcallihan and @Clint_Derringer break down Michigan’s thrilling 27-24 victory over USC, spotlighting Kalel Mullings’ explosive 63-yard run to setup the game winning touchdown and Will Johnson’s electric pick-six. While USC coach Lincoln Riley blamed big plays for their loss, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore credited the team’s unity and run-first strategy. Clint called out the offensive coaching staff to better utilize their best players. With an electric game-day atmosphere and standout performances on defense, this episode dives into the team’s resilience and looks ahead to continued success.

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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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Michigan 27 USC 24 – Game 4 Recap

GAME 4 PROJECTION vs. RESULTS

Final Score: 27-24, Michigan by 3 over USC
SP+ Projection: Michigan by 3.9 (-0.9)
CD Projection: USC by 4 (+7)

FIVE FACTORS

GAME 4 RECAP vs. USC

To make a classic football game, both sides have to have a legit chance to win. USC played a whale of a game on the road to put themselves in position to win. Lincoln Riley vs. Wink Martindale was like Ali vs. Frazier. Unfortunately, the offense played the role of Achilles’ heel. The Wolverines only mustered 32 yards passing on 12 attempts. But, the offense was able to put 21 points on the board (defense scored 6) because they committed to their smash identity. One critical result here is buying more time for Kirk Campbell to figure out how to create more balance with scripted plays & high percentage throws. Kalel Mullings should get at least one week of Campbell’s salary. Mullings rushed 17 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns, including a 4th down, game-on-the-line smash that should go into Wolverines’ lore forever.

Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale had a proverbial gauntlet laid down after Texas romped over Michigan in the Big House. He had to simplify enough to let these college kids play fast, without too much thinking. At the same time, he had to keep enough variability to match wits with offensive wizard Lincoln Riley coming off a bye. This afternoon was a resoundingly successful proof of concept for the ol’ NFL coordinator. The Trojans started the third quarter with an impressive 75-yard touchdown drive. Outside of that drive, the wins for USC were more flashes in the pan. By the end, Miller Moss was seeing ghosts, and hearing footsteps when it mattered the most in he fourth quarter. Will Johnson cemented his big play legacy when he set a Michigan record with his third career pick-six, but left the game early for an unknown reason.

We now know that the Michigan kicker, Dominic Zvada, is human. He clunked a PAT low enough to get blocked. That missing pointt gave USC an opportunity to tie the game with a field goal at the end. However, his boy Tommy Doman stepped in and carried the kicking game. Doman averaged 47.9 yards per punt on seven punts. The first half field position advantage led directly to the Wolverines’ 14-3 half time lead.

Live during the game, I noted that Michigan was approximately 70/30 run plays and USC was 70/30 pass plays. This sparked my memory of Jim Harbaugh’s quip about George Patton getting it done on the ground, and Neil Armstrong getting it done through the air. While both sides left it all out there, the astronaut’s offense from California couldn’t outlast Patton’s barrage on the ground. Smash!