Tag: Billy Taylor

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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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Michigan Football vs Michigan State — Looking Back — 1970

The second installment of this year’s series looking back at the  football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us back to  1970. The Age of Aquarius had dawned, and we watched nightly clips of  the war in Vietnam. On the gridiron, Bo Schembechler and the Michigan Wolverines were the toast of the Big Ten, having earned a surprise trip to the Rose Bowl at the end of the previous season. Probably the only place where the Wolverines weren’t looked up to was their own state.

In his first season, it could be argued that Bo didn’t give enough credence to the rivalry with the Spartans, and he paid dearly for it as Michigan State gave the Wolverines a bruising welcome to the conference. But as Bo once said, “Don’t let one loss turn into two.” By 1970, Bo was ready, and his Wolverines were waiting for the Spartans. He turned running back Billy Taylor loose behind offensive linemen Dan Dierdorf and Reggie McKenzie, and the Wolverines romped over Michigan State 34-20. The victory was the first of eight for Michigan against their rivals, while the Spartans suffered their third consecutive loss of the season, coming on the heels of back-to-back losses to Notre Dame and Ohio State. Michigan State finished 4-6, while the Maize & Blue roared to a 9-1 record in 1970.

Our thanks to youtube poster WolverineHistorian for this coaches’ film
from the 1970 season below. As always, we own nothing and do not profit
in any way from this blog post.

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Michigan vs Ohio State Football – Looking Back – 1976

The second installment in the series looking back at the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry takes us to 1976. Jimmy Carter was elected president of the United States, and the nation was celebrating the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence, which gave Americans something to smile about, which was desperately needed in the 1970s.

On the gridiron, the Wolverines were desperately in need of a win against archrival Ohio State. The Wolverines had not beaten the Buckeyes since Billy Taylor ran around right end in 1971 and Bob Ufer famous screamed “Touchdown, Billy Taylor! Touchdown, Billy Taylor!” Growing up in the ‘70s, that stretch of non-victorious seasons seemed like an eternity, something that was accentuated by the sports media in an era before cable TV had taken over.

The Wolverines had entered 1976 with National Championship aspirations, but narrow loss at Purdue in Week Nine ended that dream. Two weeks later, the Wolverines charged onto the turf at Ohio Stadium, determined to capture at least a share of the Big Ten championship. While Michigan was favored against the Buckeyes, Ohio State had an undefeated conference record up to that point, and had clinched at least a share of the Big Ten championship. For Michigan, the surprising loss to Purdue meant that sharing the conference championship was all the Maize & Blue could hope for, at least in the regular season.

The first half proved frustrating for the Wolverines and their supporters, as the teams went to their respective locker rooms with the score tied at zero. Bad memories of recent disappointments plagued everyone who cheered for Michigan.

Things changed dramatically in the second half. While the Michigan defense continued to stifle the Ohio State offense, the Michigan offensive line began to pound away at the Buckeyes, who were determined to stop quarterback Rick Leach on the option, as well as halfback Rob Lytle. That obsession with stopping Leach and Lytle opened the way for fullback Russell Davis (“Lytle deep and Davis close”, famously intoned by Bob Ufer). David scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, and as the fourth quarter began, it was clear that the Wolverines were in command. The game ended with Michigan players giving Bo Schembechler a ride off the field on their shoulders, and Wolverine fans celebrated a long-awaited win over their fierce rivals.

We hope you enjoy the video clips below. Many thanks to ABC Sports, youtube, youtube poster Wolverine Historian and youtube poster “Dr. Sap.” As always, I own nothing, and what is posted is done so strictly for your enjoyment.