Michigan Mt. Rushmore of Offensive Plays
Yesterday was the defense, today the offense. So many to choose from; Desmond (The Catch), Roundtree to end the initial UTL game, Touchdown Billy Taylor, Mercury Hayes to beat Virginia are just a few to name but are not necessarily on my list. Let’s hear what your top 4 offensive plays from Michigan are. Go Blue!
Woodson to Griese double-pass was one of the more creative plays I can remember. Having your corner catch and throw to your unathletic QB -- and it working.
Des vs ND in 1991
Manningham vs PSU, 2005
Tai Streets vs OSU, 1996 to open the 2nd half
AC vs IU 1979 to break Corso's heart
These may not be the very best candidates, and they weren't all high-impact, but:
- Donovan Edwards one-play drive last year in Columbus to make the score 38-23.
- Hassan Haskins "hurdle" run that set up the TD to make it 42-27 over OSU the year before.
- "They left him alone!" (Jeremy Gallon, 2011 UTL)
- "Manningham!" (Penn State, 2005)
- Phil Brabbs FG to beat Washington on the last play.
Manningham over PSU in 2005 was the most thrilling sports event I've ever seen in person, nothing else comes close. Earlier in the half, Carr had argued with the refs to add a second back to the clock, and won the argument. If he hadn't done that, UM would just have run out of time. Incredible play.
I was 21 years old. My dad's funeral was in Kalamazoo that day. I was rushing home to South Bend to catch the ending, while listening to the game on AM radio. I turned the TV on as the Manningham play was happening. It was the same day as the Bush Push. My HS buddies all came to South Bend with me after the funeral, and we spent the night out at the bars celebrating Michigan and watching ND fans borderline riot. Wild day and night for me. Weirdly enough, I think back on it as a great day.
Loudest Michigan stadium for a short period ever.
My favorite part of the "they left him alone!" play is Michigan ran the exact same play the play before and Denard just overthrew him. Somehow, Notre Dame still didn't cover him the next play!
Henne to Manningham vs Penn State.
last play wins: 1994 v. UVA; manningham v. PSU 2005.
Anthony Carter to beat IU, causing Ufer to go absolutely apeshit in the booth. This one must be included.
Definitely. One of the most thrilling and IMPROBABLE moments in Michigan history
Anthony Carter to beat IU, causing Ufer to go absolutely apeshit in the booth. This one must be included.
this is the correct answer for the #1 offensive play in UofM history.
So many good ones but off the top of my head I'd go with
- AC against Indiana in 1979
- Denard to Roy Roundtree to win UTL in 2011
- Desmond Howard and The Catch 1991
- Harbaugh to Kolesar to beat OSU in 1985
I’ll throw in another Kolesar “moment”. In the the closing moments of the ‘88 game against OSU he returns the kickoff 60 yards and then makes the touchdown catch to beat them a couple of plays later
I think he had the catch for the win against Alabama in 1988 in the Hall of Fame Bowl. He had some big catches for sure.
Nice list. I was there for '85
and '91. And those were great days.
I was pretty offended by the Philly Special in last year's TCU game.
Oh, wait. That wasn't what you meant by "offensive"?
In that case, I'd give a shout out to the "Train" formation (just for the novelty of it). Note the perfectly executed pick by Wheatley to get Butt open:
The "intent to deceive" play was also ingenious.
I love a wide open Butt
Shoelaces flopping in the wind.
I feel like that video should be set to a Bob Dylan tune.
His shoelace my friend
were flopping in the wind.
Now watch as he runs this football in.
I have always loved the Denard sweep at Notre Dame, where Roundtree flipped his man and Denard was gone early.
Would have to include the famed "Denard Oh No", where Denard tucked the ball, ran 5 yards, then stopped and hit an open receiver on a long slant pass. Yummy! And we saw variations many times.
Leroy Hoard breaking tackles in the backfield, before dashing to the 2 yard line in the Rose Bowl.
And from my student days, Leach takes the snap, fakes to Lytle up the middle, cuts right, turns upfield and pitches out to Huckleby, on a dead run, streaking up the sideline. Sweet music!
How about Biakabatuka 313 yards against OSU? We were overmatched and they had the Heisman trophy winner, yet we took it to them on the legs of Tim that day. Spectacular performance
It's tough; that's almost certainly on the Mt. Rushmore of M offensive performances, but there's no single play that stands out. In fact, it's pretty crazy, but despite putting up 313 yards rushing, he only had one touchdown (an interesting contrast to HH's 169 yard, 5 TD performance in 2021).
Similarly, I'm surprised no one has mentioned Braylon against MSU in 2004, but like Biakabatuka's performance, Braylon is hurt by having not one but three signature touchdowns. You can't put all three up there, but it's hard to pick one over the others...
This isn't what you're asking...but some of my favorite playcalls (not the magnitude of the actual play).
- The throwback to Navarre @ Minnesota.
- The Statue of Liberty to Henning vs. OSU.
- Edwards HB Pass to Wilson in the B1G Championship Game.
- Breaston QB sneak TD at home vs. OSU in 2003
- All 200 times in 1997 when Michigan ran a play-action roll out to the right and threw it Jerame Tuman crossing over the middle.
- Fake the screen to the right, fake the screen to the left, hit Jake Butt up the seam.
- All of the FB Trap plays that Harbaugh used early in his career.
- The play where Denard would fake the QB draw and flip it over the line to a wide open slot receiver.
- Similarly...the fake bubble screen to Cornelius Johnson (I believe) against MSU. He acted like he was going to block, slipped it, and was wide open for a TD from Shea Patterson.
- That train package Jay Harbaugh designed where it was 11 guys in a single file line.
- Similarly...the fake bubble screen to Cornelius Johnson (I believe) against MSU. He acted like he was going to block, slipped it, and was wide open for a TD from Shea Patterson.
Think about this. CJ caught a TD pass from Shea in 2019...and is still on the team in 2023...
lol that's only 4 years (going on 5)...but I get your point.
Everything pre-COVID gets lumped in with killing Osama bin Laden, the #MeToo movement, and Donald Trump going down that escalator. The 2010s are a blur.
It's probably because there were two QBs between Patterson and McCarthy.
(as a sidenote, CNN is running its "2010s" series for anyone who is interested)
(another sidenote...Sainristil caught a couple of passes in that MSU game as well)
(last sidenote...Michael Barrett actually played in 2018!)
I was thinking something more like...
Or this?
Maybe this?
Or any one of these?...
Northwestern's best play that day was the onside kick they recovered. The guy who recovered it was only five yards offside!!!
Firstly, fuck off. But if we’re going in the opposite direction, for me, it has to be Stewart to Westbrook.
That was not a Michigan offensive play.
Typical Buckeye asshole. Obsess more.
Hey man, I kept quiet through the whole HH thread. Doesn't that earn me a bit of silliness on this thread? :-)
Chuck, which do you think was the “better” performance… Haskins against OSU in Ann Arbor in 2021, or the Don against the Bucks in Columbus in 2022?
Michigan's run game in the 2021 game was the better performance because it was consistent. In the second half OSU's defense perpetually could not get a stop.
Edwards' numbers in the 2022 game was mostly the result of two big plays. He was otherwise 20 for 56.
Which is why JJ threw for over 300 yards. You got out coached.
My amount Rushmore offensive play calls as a fan (2007-Present) is….
The Don’s touchdown pass against Iowa in BTCG
The “Intent to Deceive” Butt catch against Rutgers
Flea Flickers vs OSU in the Big House in the snow 2021
Double fake screen, TE seam route we tan a lot in 2015.
There are tons more memorable plays that happened on offense (any Denard run, JJ play, or Corum run) but those PLAYCALLS and designs and executions have stuck with me. Those are my fav.
Harbaugh to Kolesar.
Wangler to Carter
Henne to Manningham
Wheatley in the Rose Bowl vs UW.
D. Brown to Kolear to beat Bama
Henson bootleg to beat OSU in Columbus
Under the lights.
Take your pick from THE Don.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FpTi7peCJI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhX1cmsLU44
or Braylon
or Charles
I'll be honest but, this Woodson video is semi-offensive.
Desmond
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkQw5Fjoa0Q
P.S. Griese had 2 pretty td passes in the National Championship game vs Wash State.
Couldn't find the links yet.
TOO MANY TO MENTION!!!!
Tom Harmon against the UCLA fan. The Hurdle to seal The Game (altho I feel icky about mentioning it right now). Under the Lights - "AND THEY LEFT HIM ALONE!" 2022, "Got a man, WIDE open!" 2010, "Shoelaces flapping in the wind!" Braylonfest, take your pick. Super Manningham. Griese to Streets in the Rose Bowls, twice, for the national title.
Tom Harmon sidestepped a Cal fan at Berkeley, but good choice!
I’m partial to game winning catches:
- Carter vs. IU
- Desmond vs. ND
- Hayes vs. UVA
- Manningham vs. PSU
Honorable mention to Gallon “they left him alone!” and literally every touchdown vs. OSU in the past two seasons.
I'd buy a T-shirt that has all six TD's from last year's Ohio State game diagrammed on it.
What a fantastic idea that is. I'm in.
I would love one of CJ’s 2nd TD where he turnstiles Martinez on the double move with an arrow saying (this guy is supposed to be covering this guy over here).
Another shirt of Jim Knowles with the Joel Klatt “this needs to be the best defensive series of his life” and a SpongeBob “10 seconds later” and The Don running into the end zone
Griese to Streets x2 in ‘98 Rose Bowl
Surprised not mentioned more
Didn’t see it listed amongst the many worthy choices above, so I’m adding Peoples-Jones’ catch/run/Bunyan in East Lansing.
Oh, also Henne to Manningham in East Lansing 2007. You can hear screaming Spartan fans die inside on the audio. I about jumped through the ceiling in delight.