The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 27 going. We ran the wishbone for the first time since the '70s. Harbaugh was run- ning it, going down the line, pitching it or keeping it." "We just knocked them in the teeth," Messner pointed out. "That really set the stage." And Maryland? The Terrapins never stood a chance in Michigan Stadium. Harbaugh connected on 16 of 20 passes for 196 yards and 2 TD tosses to tight end Eric Kattus, and the Terps suffered their first shutout since 1979. "Maryland wasn't in the Big Ten yet," Messner observed. "We handed it to those guys, too. We looked at each other and said, 'Hey guys, we really have some- thing special here. Nobody has figured us out yet.' "It was starting to get really fun. There was more enthusiasm building and cel- ebration on plays, sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions, fumble caused, fumble re- covered. All of that was team-building." Gaining Steam In The Big Ten The good times just kept on rolling in the first fortnight of Big Ten play. Schembechler's crew — up to No. 7 na- tionally — steamrolled Wisconsin in Michigan Stadium, 33-6. Harbaugh's 3 touchdown passes — two to running back Gerald White and another to Kattus — put the Badgers in a bind. Michigan's marauding defense did the rest, picking off 5 Wisconsin passes, Garland Rivers returning one for a 28-yard touchdown. Then came a showdown in East Lan- sing against the program that triggered Michigan's disastrous 1984 campaign. Michigan-Michigan State never fails to be a big deal. Long-time assistant coach Jerry Hanlon, charged with delivering the address to the Wolverines just before they took the field versus the Spartans, made certain every man knew this one meant even a little extra. "Greatest speech in the history of man by an assistant coach," Morris insisted. "Hanlon had everybody crying. And if he didn't have them crying, he had them pissed off. He made the speech to go out onto the field, and he made it about Bo. 'The disrespect that this organization across the way, what they said about our coach. … They disrespected this man. I want you to go out there and show them what a Michigan Man can do — every play, every time. You reach down inside your- self. You owe it to every man, woman and child in the state of Michigan, including yourselves, to go beat that team. To de- stroy that team. 'What they did last year to our quarter- back, and what they did to our coach, they will never do it again.' "It's things you don't forget. He's cry- ing, and guys are looking at one another. The first series, we exploded. We got after Michigan State. We wouldn't let them up. We had them down, and we wouldn't let them up." Michigan wouldn't let them crack the scoreboard, much less break an arm. The Wolverines rolled, 31-0, Morris rushing for 84 yards and Harbaugh firing a pair of TDs to Kattus. MSU faced a nightmare, quarterback Bobby McAllister fumbling the second snap of the game, leading to a Michigan touchdown. Two minutes later, Dieter Heren blocked a punt that Ed Hood recovered in the end zone for a touchdown, and the rout was on. "Half my high school buddies went to Michigan State," Messner pointed out. "It was, we've got to win this. It's 365 days of hell if I lose to them. I'll never hear the end of it. "That rivalry was immense to me. It meant a ton, playing against Michigan State." Crusher In Kinnick, And A Lapse Michigan's rampage in the initial handful — five games, 21 points surren- dered — rocketed the Wolverines to No. 2 in the nation. Now they traveled to Iowa, to square off against the No. 1-ranked Hawkeyes. The buildup was immense. The outcome — devastating. Schembechler's crew didn't give up a touchdown in this one, either. This time, it didn't matter. Iowa placekicker Rob Houghtlin secured the fifth and fi- nal lead change of the game, booting a 29-yard field goal as time expired to give the Hawkeyes a 12-10 victory. Hawkeyes quarterback Chuck Long threw for 268 yards on the Michigan defense but still couldn't get Iowa into the end zone. The Wolverines managed just 182 yards to Iowa's 422, with Harbaugh throw- ing for only 55 with a 6-yard TD toss to White. Despite U-M running only 41 Running back Jamie Morris gained 1,030 yards rushing in 1985 while adding 216 receiving and 253 on kickoff returns. Collectively, the Michigan offensive attack averaged 211.3 yards rushing and 387.7 yards of total offense per game that season. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN