The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1506222
SEPTEMBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 15 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIVE YEARS AGO, 2018: Michi- gan football opened Big Ten play with a 56-10 demolition of Nebraska at The Big House on Sept. 22, 2018. The high noon Maize Out featured a 39-0 half- time lead and a 56-3 margin before the hapless Cornhuskers finally managed a touchdown. The Wolverines literally ran over Nebraska, piling up 285 yards on the ground. Karan Higdon led the way with 139 rushing yards, while Christian Turner and Tru Wilson combined for an- other 100. Fullback Ben Mason battered home 3 short touchdown blasts to lead the Michigan overland scoring. Meanwhile, given the rout, quarter- back Shea Patterson didn't have to do much other than hand the ball off and not throw it to the other team. He proved successful in that effort, going 15-for-22 passing for 120 yards and 1 touchdown, with no interceptions. Michigan's defense, led by linebacker Devin Bush's 2.5 tackles for loss among 9 overall stops, didn't allow the Cornhusk- ers any hope. They managed a mere 39 yards rushing on 30 tries, while quarter- backs Andrew Bunch and Adrian Mar- tinez combined to go 13-for-24 for 93 yards through the air, with no touch- downs and an interception. The Wolverines thus opened confer- ence play with a runaway, much to the delight of a crowd featuring 111,037 fans. Bush later recalled former Nebraska quarterback and then-coach Scott Frost claiming his 2016 Central Florida team "out-hit" the Wolverines in what was a 51-14 blowout for Michigan. "We really took that to heart," Bush said after the blowout of the 'Huskers. "And we wanted to make a statement." 10 YEARS AGO, 2013: Brady Hoke's Wolverines took down No. 14 Notre Dame in a 41-30 Michigan Stadium shootout on Sept. 7, 2013. Quarterback Devin Gardner did it all for Michigan, masterfully connecting on 21 of 33 throws for 294 yards and 4 touchdowns, while rushing 13 times for 82 yards and another TD. Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees tried to rally the Irish from a 27-13 half- time deficit, going 29-for-51 throwing for 314 yards and 2 touchdowns. But the Wolverines' defense picked him off twice and limited Notre Dame to only 96 yards rushing, compared to Michi- gan's 166. In addition to Gardner's deft- ness rushing the football, running back Fitzgerald Toussaint managed 71 yards on 22 carries, helping U-M hold off the visitors. The Wolverines took a 10-0 first- quarter lead, featuring a 61-yard touch- down pass to wideout Jeremy Gallon. Notre Dame rallied to tie it up early in the second quarter, but Gardner's 2-yard TD run and a 12-yard touch- down pass to Gallon staked U-M to a 2-TD halftime advantage. Gallon's third TD grab of the game, a 13-yarder, kept Michigan in charge, 34-20, late in the third. But the Irish rallied to pull within four points, 34-30, on a 40-yard Kyle Brindza field goal with 9:15 remaining. Gardner hit Drew Dileo with a 4-yard touchdown pass with 4:18 remaining to seal the deal. Hoke told a group of U-M supporters months earlier that Notre Dame was "chickening out" of the series. So, af- ter the Irish left the field, the "Chicken Dance" boomed from loudspeakers in the stadium, while Michigan fans danced to the tune. 25 YEARS AGO, 1998: Michigan took down Michigan State, 29-17, in the Big Ten opener on Sept. 26, 1998. Tom Brady threw for 208 yards in the game, while running in the clinching touchdown from a yard out in the fourth quarter. Brady went 15-for-26 in the contest, while the Wolverines proved highly ef- fective in the run game, even without a 100-yard rusher. Backs Anthony Thomas and Clarence Williams went for 97 and 88 yards, respectively, to more than offset MSU's Sedrick Irvin, who logged 107 on the ground. MSU quarter- back Bill Burke completed 17 of 33 passes for 158 yards, on a day when the Spartans trailed by just three at the half, 20-17. Nick Saban's crew hit a stone wall against Michigan's defense in the sec- ond half, failing to score and seeing Lloyd Carr's Wolverines eventually pull away. — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY SUSIE SURMA Realtor susie@motusre.com 248.767.5633 How much E Q U I T Y have you GAINED? Discover the true worth of your home with our free, hassle-free home evaluation. Thinking of selling? Curious about your equity? Scan the QR code now and gain valuable insights into the potential gains awaiting you. Don't miss out on this exclusive opportunity to unlock your home's hidden value!