The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539777
OCTOBER 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 15 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIVE YEARS AGO, 2020: Michigan football's first game back from COVID — and first game of the season — turned into a 49-24 rout of Minnesota in Min- neapolis on Oct. 24, 2020. The Wolverines ran for 256 yards and 5 touchdowns to pummel the Gophers and get out of the gate at 1-0. Hassan Haskins led the ground assault with 82 yards and 2 touchdowns on a mere 6 carries. Zach Charbonnet went for 70 yards and a touchdown on just 4 tries, while new quarterback Joe Milton scrambled 8 times for 52 yards and a TD. Milton connected on 15 of 22 throws for 225 yards and a touchdown. His first-half efforts allowed the Wolverines to build a 35-17 halftime lead, and the visitors were never seriously challenged after intermission. Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan went 18-for-31 passing with 197 yards and a touchdown. But it wasn't nearly enough, and the Wolverines got to celebrate after a long wait. "We knew Minnesota was good, and the momentum was going to change, prob- ably 9-12 times, in the game," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. "We were really, I think, prepared for that. Know how to recognize and then try to get it back as fast as you can, and for as long as you can. "I believe in them. I respect them. And I trust them. That's why I just wanted them to go out there tonight and let it rip. And they did that." 10 YEARS AGO, 2015: Michigan ran its record to 4-1 in Harbaugh's first sea- son with a 28-0 shutout of Maryland in College Park, on Oct. 3, 2015. Michigan's defense limited the Terrapins to a mere 7 first downs on 105 yards in pitching the shutout. Offensively, quarterback Jake Ruddock connected on half of his throws, going 16-for-32 for 180 yards and a touchdown. Drake Johnson paced Michigan's ground game with 68 yards and a touchdown on 13 tries. Meanwhile, wideout Jehu Chesson broke it wide open on a 66-yard touchdown run to make it 21-0 at the 5:07 mark of the third quarter. The victory boosted the Wolverines to 4-1 overall, 1-0 in the Big Ten. "Both offenses were making mistakes," Harbaugh said. "Penalties, errors, turn- overs. From a coaching perspective, offensively, we're really just trying to get our team playing better fundamentally. Technique. Assignment football. We were just trying to figure out what we could execute well and avoid big mistakes. "We found it in the screen game ... and the fly sweep cracked." 25 YEARS AGO, 2000: Michigan hosted Michigan State on Oct. 21, 2000, sending the Spartans home pointless in a 14-0 shutout. MSU rushed for only 63 yards and managed to pass for 292, but couldn't crack the scoreboard. Meanwhile, Anthony Thomas and the offensive line steamrolled the Spartans. Thomas rushed for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns on 25 carries. Quarterback Drew Henson threw for 138 yards on 17 passes. Michigan led 7-0 at the half, and the defense blunted repeated MSU attempts to get on the board. When the Spartans drove to the Michigan 2, Victor Hobson met MSU's T.J. Duckett with a hit that separated him from the ball, senior co-captain Eric Wilson diving on it at the 8. The Wolverines pivoted on that turnover to march 92 yards in five plays, Thomas bolting home on a 30-yard touchdown run to make it 14-0 with 6:27 left in the third quarter. Michigan's defense then kept the Spartans from moving the chains three times on fourth down in the fourth quarter. "That epitomizes what we're all about," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said of the game-changing turnover. "At least three guys made unbelievable efforts on that play, and I think it was the turning point of the game." — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY *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 log 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