Tag: Vada Murray

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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 – 1989

The third installment of the series looking back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State takes us back to 1989. The Wolverines had a fair number of talented players in the secondary that season, including safeties Vada Murray, Tripp Welborne, and Corwin Brown. But on this day, the defensive star was cornerback Todd Plate.

Don’t go scouring old game programs for information on Plate; you won’t find much. The ’89 iteration of The Game was his signature performance. Plate intercepted two passes that day as the Wolverine defense welcomed Ohio State coach John Cooper to Ann Arbor for the first time.

Of course, Michigan’s 28-18 win wasn’t strictly defense. Michigan used an old-fashioned ball control running game to take control of the game for good, highlighted by a 13-play, 81-yard drive that consisted entirely of running plays, which was only appropriate, since this was the last time that Bo Schembechler would coach in The Game. Allen Jefferson capped the drive with a short touchdown run into the south end zone, giving the Wolverines a 14-0 lead, and Schembechler was an expert when it came to preserving a lead.

With the victory, the team gave Bo the sendoff present that mattered most to him: The Big Ten championship of 1989.

Thanks to ABC Sports and YouTube poster expressfan. As always, I own nothing, and this blog and video are posted strictly for the enjoyment of readers.