The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 15 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIVE YEARS AGO, 2020: The Big House sat empty and silent throughout Sep- tember 2020. COVID claimed nearly two months of the football season, turning a half-century full of 100,000-plus crowds and decades filled with Saturday rituals into a void experienced across the nation. Here's how Daniel Dash of The Michigan Daily put it, in a feature by the student news- paper centered on a September of Saturdays wiped clean by an international pandemic. "A certain smell of waffles, French toast, eggs and biscuits wafts toward The Big House press box elevator on the morning of each noon game- day, but it's what comes before the first bite that always stands above the rest," he said. "The walk through central campus, down State Street and into the sea of maize and blue flowing toward Michigan Stadium never fails to ener- gize the soul. When I sit down for my first plate of Big House breakfast, I'm never able to shake the sense of apprecia- tion. And without football this fall, the classic college town camaraderie that's become synonymous with Ann Arbor for over a century is what I'll miss most. "Next Saturday, I'll be sitting in my apartment instead of filing through fans, tailgaters and marching band drum- mers on my way to what would've been Michigan's home opener against Ball State. As ironic as it may be, the football game itself is the most replaceable component of a game day in Ann Arbor. I'll miss the two hours leading up to kick- off and the two hours after the final whistle infinitely more than the three in between, and most of all, I won't be the same without the lasting memories and relationships that only a football season can create." 10 YEARS AGO, 2015: New head coach Jim Harbaugh ran out in front of the sellout home crowd for the first time, and the locals didn't go home disappointed on Sept. 12, 2015. The Wolverines steamrolled Oregon State 35-7, driven by 3 touchdown runs from big tailback De'Veon Smith. Michigan actually trailed in this one, Oregon State scoring in the opening two minutes on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Seth Collins to Hunter Jarmon. The Wolverines responded with 35 consecutive points, making it a relaxing afternoon for fans inside The Big House. Kicker Kenny Allen got the scoring rampage going with a 40-yard field goal, then Smith punched in a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in the sec- ond quarter to send the home team to the halftime locker room with a 17-7 advantage. Allen booted a 29-yard field goal early in the third quarter, and U-M's big bruisers fin- ished it off, Smith adding an 8-yard touch- down run and Derrick Green a 2-yarder in the closing moments. Overall, the Wolverines out-rushed Oregon State 225-59 and posted 405 yards of to- tal offense to OSU's 138. Smith rushed for 126 yards and the 3 touchdowns, while U-M quarterback Jake Ruddock connected on 18 of 26 throws for 180 yards. "You want to dominate opponents," U-M co- captain Joe Bolden said afterward. "The most dominating thing you can do is run the ball directly at them and play defense. If you're running the football, you're eating up the clock, making their defense tired. Then their offense gets on the field, and you either get a turnover or the ball back [on downs]. It definitely ties the other team down to what they can do." 2 5 Y E A R S AG O, 2000: Michigan football opened Big Ten play with a stirring 35-31 win over Illi- nois in Champaign, Ill., on Sept. 23, 2000. The game marked the return of start- ing quarterback Drew Hen- son, after he'd sat out the first three contests following a preseason injury. Henson completed 8 of 17 passes for 141 yards with a touchdown, coming on for John Navarre (4 of 11 for 31 yards), who guided U-M through a 2-1 mark in nonconference play. In this one, Illinois' Kurt Kittner outshined everyone, connecting on 27 of 38 throws for 352 yards with 2 touchdowns. But Michigan's Anthony Thomas piled up 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground, sparking the Wolverines' comeback victory. U-M trailed by 10, 31-21, after Kittner hit Eric McGoey with a 17-yard TD toss at 10:54 of the fourth quarter. Michigan's Chris Perry answered with a 15-yard touchdown run just over a min- ute later, and Thomas crashed into the end zone with 2:30 remaining to complete the rally. "Drew was a tremendous lift for every- body," head coach Lloyd Carr said. "I've never been prouder of a group of kids. These kids fought and fought." — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY Prodigal son Jim Harbaugh returned to Michigan as head coach 10 years ago, and the Wolverines steamrolled Oregon State 35-7 in the season opener on Sept. 12, 2015. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY *For your convenience, we'll send you a direct link to each newsletter via email as soon as it is published. Send your EMAIL ADDRESS to staff@TheWolverine.com or login into your account at TheWolverineOnDemand.com to update your contact information. FOOTBALL SEASON NEWSLETTERS Exclusively For Wolverine Magazine Subscribers BE SURE TO GET YOUR EMAIL ON OUR LIST!* The Wolverine Now digital newsletter is emailed every Thursday and Sunday of game weeks during football season. Each newsletter links to articles on our premium website:TheWolverine.com with exclusive content for magazine subscribers. Other content on the site may require a separate subscription and is not included with your magazine subscription. ✦ Game Report Packages on Sundays ✦ Updated Scouting Reports on Thursdays ✦ Football Notes ✦ Cumulative & Post-Game Statistics ✦ Depth Charts & Rosters for both teams