Tag: Jim Harbaugh

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

The fifth installment of the series focusing on the Little Brown Jug takes us to 2015. The Jim Harbaugh era started slowly at Michigan, as the Wolverines lost their opener at Utah and struggled to find their mojo through the first few games. Eventually, defense would become their identity, and that was on full display on the final play of the 2015 game at Minnesota.

The game began innocently enough. The Michigan defense held Minnesota to a field goal, and Jake Rudock answered by leading the Wolverines on a long drive, connecting with Jake Butt and Deveon Smith for significant gains. Joey Kerridge went in from the 1-yard line to give Michigan the lead. The Rudock connected with Jehu Chesson for a 13-yard touchdown pass, and the Wolverines were up, 14-3. All was well, or so it seemed.

But the 2015 Golden Gophers were a pesky bunch. The two teams traded scores for much of the game, with Wilton Speight connecting with Chesson for a 12-yard touchdown pass to give Michigan a 29-26 lead in the fourth quarter.

Now, it was up to the defense. Michigan alumni and fans spent a fair portion of the final minutes biting their nails. Minnesota seemed to be gaining yardage at will, and for a brief moment, it appeared the Gophers had scored the go-ahead touchdown with 19 seconds left. Upon further review, the officials ruled that the receiver was short of the goal line when he knee went down, so Minnesota had a first down at the half-yard line. Once the clock started, the Gophers managed to burn 17 seconds on an incomplete pass attempt, leaving them just two seconds on the clock, time for only one more play. Recognizing the situation, Michigan prepared its goal line defense, ensuring that every player got very low to the ground, to give them leverage.

Once the ball was snapped, the maize and blue winged helmets surged forward, knocking the Minnesota offensive line backward. The officials took a while to make the final call, but it was really just a formality. Anyone who saw the play knew that Michigan had stopped Minnesota, and the Wolverines claimed a 29-26 victory, one of the most exciting games in the history of the series.

Thanks to YouTube, ESPN and YouTube poster CFB Fans for the attached broadcast of the game. As always, we own nothing and this blog post is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.

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

The fifth installment in this year’s series looking back at the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry takes us to 1998. this year’s series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us back to 2021. The first six years of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure as head football coach at Michigan had been less than satisfying, and some Michigan supporters wanted him replaced after the Covid-shortened 2020 season.

After careful consideration, Harbaugh was retained as Michigan’s head coach, and he displayed a renewed vigor as the 2021 season began. Michigan rumbled through the regular season schedule, with only a controversial loss to Michigan State preventing the Wolverines from entering the game against Ohio State with a perfect record.

Still, Ohio State had dominated Michigan for much of the previous two decades. Michigan fans and alumni could be forgiven for harboring some doubts about the Wolverines’ ability to beat the Buckeyes.

Once the game began, a common thread emerged: Michigan appeared to be more aggressive and confident than Ohio State, something that had been missing for many years. The Wolverines had the Buckeyes back on their heels, and it appeared that momentum had put on a blue jersey. Critics pointed out that Michigan didn’t score points in droves; the Wolverines responded by going back to basics, controlling the ball with a power running game. Michigan’s coaching staff had suspected all year that Ohio State was not physically tough, and this strategy reinforced that point. Michigan’s offensive line opened gaping holes in the Ohio State defense all game long; enabling Wolverine running backs to gash the Buckeye defense for significant gains. Treveyon Henderson scored for Ohio State to close the margin to 28-20 with more than 14 minutes remaining, but then Michigan slowy clamped down on the Buckeyes. A sack late in the game by David Ojabo put an exclamation point on a 42-27 Michigan victory that turned the tide in the rivalry. Michigan went on defeat Iowa to capture the Big Ten Conference championship. The Wolverines eventually lost to Georgia in the College Football Playoff, but that took nothing away from Michigan’s victory over Ohio State. Michigan reestablished itself as a national power–and just as important, a serious threat to Ohio State.

Thanks to YouTube and the Big Ten Network for the highlight video of this game. As always, we own nothing and we not profit from this content, which is provided strictly for the enjoyment of readers.