The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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14 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2019 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIVE YEARS AGO, 2014: Place- kicker Matt Wile's three field goals and a shutout second half by the Michigan defense lifted the Wolverines to an 18- 13 victory over Penn State at Michigan Stadium Oct. 11. Both teams found it tough to gener- ate much offense, the Nittany Lions taking a 13-10 halftime lead on a 10- yard touchdown pass from quarter- back Christian Hackenberg and a pair of field goals. Michigan's only touch- down of the game came via Devin Gardner's 43-yard touchdown strike to Devin Funchess at the 6:37 mark of the first quarter. Wile's 45-yard field goal with 5:08 left in the half drew the Wolverines within three at intermission. The second half then belonged to Wile and the Michi- gan defense, which put a capper on Penn State's scoreless final 30 minutes with a safety. Michigan rushed for only 64 yards on the day, while Gardner's 192 yards through the air helped set up Wile's big afternoon. Penn State managed only 214 yards overall, 54 on the ground. "The environment, the crowd; there's no place better in this country when you have a game like this than Michi- gan Stadium," Michigan coach Brady Hoke said afterwards. "I can tell you our kids, they feel it. They feel it when those people are there cheering for them, and the students that were there, former players, them coming back and supporting those kids; you don't get that in a lot of institutions or maybe any institutions like you do at Michigan. I'm so very excited for our kids." 10 YEARS AGO, 2009: Michigan ran up a 49-0 lead on the way to a 63-6 win over Delaware State, in a rare mid- season non-conference contest at The Big House Oct. 17. Tailback Vincent Smith rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown on the afternoon, while tailback Michael Cox added 82 yards and a pair of TDs. The Wolverines used four quarterbacks in the game, paced by starter Nick Sheri- dan, who connected on 7 of 9 throws for 88 yards. Brandon Graham recorded a pair of sacks for the Michigan defense, which surrendered only a pair of field goals, one in the second frame and another in the fourth quarter. Amid a streak that would eventually involve seven losses in eight games, Rich Rodriguez's squad found a brief respite. "Everybody but the freshmen we are planning to redshirt got a chance to go in there," Rodriguez noted. "There were fourth- and fifth-year guys who got to play for the first time. You should see the smiles on their faces and how excited they were in the locker room. These guys work so hard. They have a chance to get on the field for just one play. It's something they will think about and remember forever." 25 YEARS AGO, 1994: Michigan doubled over Michigan State, 40-20, in the annual in-state showdown at Michigan Stadium before 106,272 on Oct. 8. Former Wolverine and President Ger- ald R. Ford attended, watching U-M pile up 349 rushing yards in rolling over the Spartans. Tailback Tyrone Wheatley carried 23 times for 153 yards and two touchdowns, while tailback Tshimanga Biakabutuka rushed 15 times for 141 yards, with a 26-yard TD run. Former Wolverine Jim Brandstatter later interviewed head coach Gary Moeller on "Michigan Replay," suggest- ing the team had been waiting for this game for a full year, after losing to the Spartans 17-7 in East Lansing the previ- ous season. "You're right, Jim, and I think any- body that's ever played or coached at Michigan would feel the same way," Moeller said. "Three hundred and sixty five days sometimes is a long time … it's one of the things we felt like we had to accomplish if we were going to be a good team this year." — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY Running back Tyrone Wheatley rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns to lead Michigan to a 40-20 win over Michigan State on Oct. 8, 1994, with former Wolverine and President Gerald R. Ford in attendance. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN