Tag: Elvis Grbac

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𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲: 𝑴𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑵 𝑽𝑺. 𝑴𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑵 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑻𝑬, 1990

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

The second installment of this week’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us to 1990. Virtually every rivalry has its share of controversy, and this one is no exception. The Michigan Wolverines entered the ’90 game against Michigan State with a stellar roster. Defensive back Tripp Welborne and offensive linemen Greg Skrepenak and Dean Dingman were named to the All-America team. Additionally, eight Wolverines were named to the first team on the All-Big Ten squad. Player for player, the Wolverines could hang with any team in the country.

The team with the better players doesn’t always win, though. This series, in particular, has a long history of odd bounces. And trips.

Michigan receiver Desmond Howard has become a household name of the past 35-plus seasons. Howard won the Heisman Trophy, the Super Bowl MVP award, and has become a fixture on a ESPN’s “College Football Gameday.”

Eddie Brown is a stark contrast to Howard. Brown played defensive back at Michigan State. He was a pretty good player, but his legacy is that he’s a footnote to college football history.

Michigan State had played Michigan tough all day. The Spartans were led by running backs Tico Duckett and Hyland Hickson, who combined for 184 yards on the ground. Still, Michigan played gritty, tough football as well, and with the clock running down, the Wolverines had a chance to win. With 10 seconds left, Elvis Grbac threw a fade pass to Derrick Anderson. Derrick faked out the cornerback and caught an easy touchdown pass. This left Michigan trailing by one point. The Spartans had a decision to make. They could try to kick the extra point or go for a two-point conversion to win the game.

Michigan coach Gary Moeller chose to go for two points and the win. That’s when Eddie Brown became of the great villains in the history of Michigan football.

Brown took a calculated risk. Seeing Grbac standing in the pocket with Howard headed for the end zone, Brown knew he had a challenging situation on his hands. If Howard got the ball in his hands, Michigan would almost certainly win the game. So Brown made the only logical decision: He tripped Howard.

The play unfolded in a surreal manner. For a millisecond, it appeared that Howard had the ball, and a comeback victory, in his grasp. But just as Michigan fans started to jump in exultation, the ball fell away, and the Spartans wound up celebrating.

Michigan players looked around for a penalty flag that never appeared. Despite the obvious penalty, nothing was called, and Michigan State won, 28-27. Brown was grateful his teammates rushed him off the field quickly, well aware that he’d gotten away with the trip. Michigan players, fans, and alumni were dazed by the result.

Michigan bounced back, ending the season with a 35-3 win over Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl. But that game against Michigan State continues to gnaw at Michigan fans.

This and other great content can be found at newyorkwolverine.com

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Big Ten Openers – – Wisconsin — Looking Back – 1990

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins

As Michigan prepares to welcome USC to The Big House on Saturday for the opening game of the Big Ten portion of the season, we present the first installment of this season’s series looking back at classic Michigan games, with the first week focusing on Big Ten openers.

For the first installment, we travel back to 1990. Gary Moeller was in his first season as Michigan’s head coach. Moeller faced a challenging schedule in his first season, just as Sherrone Moore faces this season. For his first Big Ten opener, Moeller took Michigan to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Historically, Camp Randall has given Wisconsin a fierce home field advantage, enabling the Badgers to use the size of their massive players to dictate the pace of play. Fortunately for Moeller, former coach Bo Schembechler left the Michigan roster stocked with a slew of talented players who would challenge the Badgers in ways they were unable to defend.

Two of those players were quarterback Elvis Grbac and wide receiver Desmond Howard, who had also played on the same football team in high school. Grbac and Howard formed a passing combination that many teams would have difficulty defending. They threatened the Wisconsin defense early and often in this game, taking the Wisconcon crowd out of the game early, eliminating even the slightest hint of a home field edge. Grbac threw three touchdown passes, two to Howard and one to Derrick Alexander, and the Wolverines’ ground attack gashed the Wisconsin defense for 358 yards as Michigan routed the Badgers, 41-3, to give Moeller a win in his first Big Ten conference opener as Michigan’s head coach.

With the win, Michigan improved to 3-1 on the season, but the sweet taste of victory didn’t last long. The next week, Michigan faced a familiar foe in Michigan State, but that’s a story for another day, or at least for a feature later in the season.

Many thanks to CBS Sports and YouTube poster College Football Historian for the video of this game. As always, we own nothing and we do not profit from this blog post, which is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

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Michigan vs Michigan State Football — Looking Back – 1989

Looking Back is a Special Feature by Jeff Cummins Highlighting Key Rivalry Games

Lance Dottin might just have been the most unlikely player to make the clinching play in any Michigan rivalry game coached by Bo Schembechler, but when Dottin cradled a desperation pass from Dan Enos, the Wolverines secured a hard-fought win over their in-state rivals, the Michigan State Spartans.

The first installment of this year’s series looking back at rivalry games between the Wolverines and the Spartans takes us back to 1989, Schembechler’s last season as Michigan head coach. Fittingly, the two rivals engaged in a classic, low-scoring slugfest. Michigan controlled most of the game, jumping out to a 10-0 lead. But few leads are safe in this series.

In the late 1980s, the coaches of both teams had very similar philosophies, both centered around toughness and precision. In Ann Arbor, Michigan had the luxury of having two very capable quarterbacks: Michael Taylor, who could run the option, and Elvis Grbac, a traditional pocket passer. In ’89, Grbac established himself as the starter. Grbac started this game for the maize and blue, and once he led Michigan to the lead, Schembecher wasn’t about to make any changes.

Oh, Michigan State had chances alright. The Spartans attempted a field goal in the first quarter, but Vada Murray blocked it, preventing Michigan State from taking the first lead of the game. The Wolverines then settled into a classic Bo Schembechler drive. On 4th down & goal to go from the 1-yard line, Michigan lined up in the wishbone formation, and Grbac handed off to Leroy Hoard, playing left halfback. Hoard barreled in for the go-ahead score, setting the tone for most of the game. J.D. Carlson tacked on a 35-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Wolverines a 10-0 lead at halftime.

That lead stood for most of the game, until Enos (later a Michigan assistant coach for about 15 minutes) found Courtney Hawkins in the end zone to cut Michigan’s lead to 10-7. But the UM defense made sure the Spartans got no closer, and Dottin sealed the win with his interception.

Thanks to ABC Sports, YouTube, and to YouTube poster Pizza Pizzichetti for the full broadcast of this game. Settle in, grab a hot dog, and listen to a couple of old friends, Bob Griese and the late Keith Jackson, as they call this classic game. As always, neither I nor anyone involved with umgoblue.com profit in any way from this blog post, which is strictly intended for the enjoyment of readers.

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Michigan vs Ohio State Football – Looking Back – 1990

Looking Back is a Special Feature Highlighting
Key Rivalry Games by Jeff Cummins

The fourth installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us to 1990. Now, Michigan had a new coach, and the last remnants of The Ten Year War were gone. Three losses in the first six games left Michigan with no hope for a national championship, and the Wolverines played The Game strictly for pride.

Fortunately, pride is one of the greatest motivators for the Wolverines when they play Ohio State. In the third quarter, things weren’t going all that well for the Wolverines. Greg Frey (yes, that Greg Frey) completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Graham and Ohio State took a seven-point lead. Momentum changed quickly when Derrick Alexander took the ensuing kickoff back inside the Ohio State 40-yard line. Then the Cleveland connection struck for Michigan, as Elvis Grbac found Desmond Howard on a 12-yard post pattern to tie the score, and it remained tied well into the fourth quarter. Late in the fourth quarter, Ohio State went for it on fourth and less than a yard to go from the Ohio State 30. On fourth down, the Wolverines stuffed Frey at the 29, and took possession there. Michigan moved the ball carefully, methodically, and with time for one final play, a field goal attempt.

Memories of the 1974 game were still fresh in the minds of many Michigan fans. In 1974, Mike Lantry kicked into the north end zone, and the referees ruled the kick was no good, while many said they thought it was good. This time, the kick would be toward the south end zone, and that’s when UM’s Floridian connection took over. Steve Everett snapped the ball, and J.D. Carlson kicked it straight down the middle for a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give Michigan a 16-13 win.

Michigan went on to beat Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl, 35-3, and Carlson went on to become the chief financial office of Penske Automotive Group. Everitt, one of the most ardent Wolverines of all time, made it to the NFL and is frequently seen at Michigan games. Grbac played in the NFL and served as the quarterbacks coach at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. Derrick Alexander enjoyed a successful career in the NFL, as did Desmond Howard, who won the Heisman Trophy, the Super Bowl MVP, and is currently seen on ESPN’s College Gameday broadcasts.

Thanks to ABC Sports, YouTube, and YouTube poster WolverineHistorian. As always, I own nothing and I do not profit from this blog post in any way.

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Michigan Football vs Michigan State — Looking Back — 1990

The third installment of this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State takes us to 1990. The United States sent troops to Kuwait as part of Operation Desert Shield, and on TV, “The Simpsons” aired for the first time. On the gridiron, Michigan’s game with Michigan State was billed as “No. One vs. No one” despite the fact that the Wolverines had started the season with a loss to Notre Dame. But since that loss, the Wolverines had won three in a row, and they were rolling. Unfortunately, this series has a long history of odd bounces.

And trips.

Michigan State had played Michigan tough all game, but the Wolverines had found a way to “gut” their way back into the game, on a day when things just weren’t going their way. When Elvis Grbac connected with Derrick Alexander, it left Michigan trailing by just one point, 28-27, and first-year coach Gary Moeller courageously decided to go for two points and the win. That’s when Eddie Brown became one of the great villains in the history of Michigan football.

To be fair, Brown had the smarts to take a calculated risk. Seeing Grbac standing in the pocket with Michigan playmaker Desmond Howard headed for the end zone, Brown knew he had a challenging situation on his hands. If Howard got the ball in his hands, Michigan would almost certainly win the game. So Brown made the only logical decision: He tripped Howard.

The play unfolded in a sort of surreal manner. For a millisecond, it appeared that Howard had the ball, and a comeback victory, in his grasp. But just as Michigan fans started to jump in exultation, the ball fell away, and the Spartans wound up celebrating.

For his part, Brown was grateful his teammates mobbed him, and asked them to get him off the field as quickly as possible, well aware that he’d gotten away with the trip. Michigan fans and alumni around the globe were dazed by the result.

In the end, Michigan bounced back, and routed Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl, 35-3. But that game against the greenies from East Lansing still won’t fade into the recesses of football memories.

Thanks to youtube poster Steve “Dr. Sap” Sapardanis for the video clip below. As always, we own nothing and do not profit from this blog post in any way, it is strictly for the enjoyment of the readers of umgoblue.com.