bluepdx

December 30th, 2016 at 12:35 AM ^

I was at that game as an 8 year old in S. Florida. My uncle from Detroit flew down and took me and my father. Had a Michigan OB pennant on my wall for years but, sadly, it's long gone.

Wal-Mart Wolverine

December 30th, 2016 at 1:01 AM ^

He was the original first "Dual Threat" quarterback. Later on the Detroit Tiger, with him throwing to Kirk Gibson in Tiger spring training, they were the envy of alot of NFL teams. 

BoFan

December 30th, 2016 at 3:03 AM ^

I don't want to be disrespectful but the facts are:

1. Leach was known as a great runner but terrible passer. You'll notice all these videos are running plays.

2. He had a high winning percentage during a period when there was only Ohio and Michigan. The disappointment was he always lost the last game of the year, including this 1976 Orange Bowl.

3). The Wolverines ended up in the top 5 for almost all of Leach's years. Imagine where they would have ended up if he won one of the last games. Perhaps Bo's missing NC?

I lived through these years. Too many missed passes. It took a very consistent Wangler to Carter a few years later to eliminate Bo's aversion toward a passing offense.

Sam1863

December 30th, 2016 at 6:13 AM ^

Leach was a fantastic athlete at Flint Southwestern, and the Flint Journal was always filled with stories of his exploits - which got a little tiresome. To a Flint Northern family like mine, it sometimes seemed like the Journal writers were Leach's PR department. But while the writers went a little overboard at times, there was no denying Leach's great skills on the field.

But even the most sycophantic writer had to admit that sometimes, Leach threw an ugly ball. One wrote that, when Leach went back to pass, 12 duck hunters reached for their shotguns.

Navy Wolverine

December 30th, 2016 at 7:26 AM ^

Great video. That Orange Bowl game is one of my first memories as a Michigan fan. Unfortunately the only thing I remember about it is Leach holding his head in pain on the sideline.

Good thing Leach was a great runner because it looks like pass protection certainly wasn't the strength of that offensive line. 2-3 red shirts in his face by the time he finished his drop. It also looked like Leach's progression consisted of look at the primary receiver and if he isn't immediately open.....take off!

It's amazing that despite the fact that the OK defense hit Leach as he was running out of bounds and they blantantly went for his head that no flag was thrown on that play. It's also pretty comical that despite the fact that Leach is laying on the ground being tended to by the medical staff about 1/2 yard off the field that they just kept playing the game.

Time have changed for the better with regard to player safety. Hopefully tonight's game goes better than this one did. Go Blue!

1VaBlue1

December 30th, 2016 at 8:24 AM ^

1976, and a different era, or not, that call should have been made.  Which is why Bo was yelling at the ref.  But those announcers!  Nothing sounds better than Bob Ufer and Keith Jackson.  Nobody in todays game can match them.  Nobody.

M-Dog

December 30th, 2016 at 9:02 AM ^

The unheralded star of that game was the Michigan defense.  Bo said that he had coaches from across the country coming through his office all summer long to talk about how Michigan was able to stop the Sooner's offense. 

 

M-Dog

December 30th, 2016 at 11:01 AM ^

Equal time for a Michigan Orange Bowl win:

 

 

Watch this video.  It will get your blood pumping.           Be careful not to break anything around you.