OT (sort of): Answers to Hump Day Quiz

Yesterday's quiz asked for the names of the players who were named Rose Bowl MVP in Michigan's 8 Rose Bowl victories.  Before giving the answers, here are a couple of observations:

  -  No one got all 8 correct.  The closest was 6 out of 8 by Yo_Blue.

  -  NOBODY got the correct answer to the 1951 or 1965 Rose Bowls. 

  -  A surprisingly large number got the correct answers to the 4 most recent Rose Bowls:  1981, '89', '93, and '98. 

  -  In guessing, it would have done well to remember the mantra of Michigan football over the past century plus:  RUN THE DAMN BALL.

1902:  M 49  Stanford 0 -- The most popular, and logical, answer was the great Willie Heston.  However, Heston did not play for Michigan until the following season, winning All-American honors in 1902, '03, and '04.  The correct answer was the equally great, but not as well remembered NEIL SNOW, who captained the 1901 Point-a-Minute team, which outscored its opponents 550-0.   Snow was the consummate multi-sport athlete, playing football and baseball and running track for Michigan.  He was often lauded as one of the greatest all-around athletes in the country.  Grantland Rice compared Snow to Jim Thorpe opining that Thorpe was "nothing like Snow's equal on the ballfield."  Snow played FB and DE.  He scored 5 touchdowns in the '02 Rose Bowl -- still a Rose Bowl record.  Neil Snow died prematurely of a heart attack at the age of 34.  Neil Snow -- a great Wolverine and true Michigan man.

1948:  M 49  USC 0 -- Most of you guessed Tom Harmon, for lack of a better guess.  But Ole 98 played for Michigan prior to WWII, winning the Heisman in 1940.  The correct answer was BOB CHAPPUIS.  Chappy was a QB/HB (more H than Q) and captain of the great "Mad Magicians" team of 1947.  They featured four backs who would shift into a variety of weird positions just prior to the snap and then run all forms of counter plays where it was almost impossible to to figure out who had the ball.  Chappuis broke the Big 9 record for total offense in 1946 and then broke it again in 1947.  (Any guess which Big Ten team was not yet a member?)  He finished second in the Heisman voting for the 1947 season.  Bob Chappuis -- a great Wolverine and true Michigan man.

1951:  M 14  Cal 6 -- While some guessed Bob Chappuis (right guy, wrong year), most of you didn't even bother to guess.  The correct answer was running back DON DUFEK, SR.  Although better known as the father of Michigan All-Americans Don Dufek, Jr. and Billy Dufek, both of whom played for Michigan in the '70s,  Don Sr. was a great player in his own right. He played in the Snow Bowl down in Columbus in 1950 and was named Michigan's MVP and All Big Ten in 1950.  In the Rose Bowl, Michigan trailed 6-0 in the fourth quarter.  Dufek scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes of the game, running for 113 yards overall, to give Michigan the victory.  (When I talked with Don Jr. a few years ago and suggested that the Dufek clan could be considered the Michigan version of the MSU Bulloughs, Donnie Jr. gave me a look that suggested he would have liked to kill me had we not been in a public coffee shop.)  Don Dufek, Sr. -- a great Wolverine and a true Michigan man.

1965:  M 34  Oregon State 7 -- Again, most of you millenial types didn't even bother to guess.  A couple guessed Bob Timberlake, the Michigan QB, who had a fine game; but the correct and what I thought was the obvious answer was fullback MEL ANTHONY.  Although never an All-American, Anthony was Michigan's leading rusher in 1963 and 1964.  In the 1965 Rose Bowl, with Michigan trailing 7-0, Anthony took a wide right pitch and ran 84  yards for a touchdown --  a Rose Bowl record , completing changing the momentum of the game.  (If you watch the run on YouTube you will see unbelieveable downfield blocking that left Anthony untouched.)  Anthony rushed for 123 yards and scored 3 touchdowns in the 1965 Rose Bowl, his last game for Michigan.  Mel Anthony -- a great Wolverine and true Michigan Man.

1981:  M 23  Washington 6 -- While a number of you guessed Anthony Carter, well, just because, the correct answer was BUTCH WOOLFOLK (remember, "Run the damn ball.)  Woolfolk led michigan in rushing 3 straight seasons; was a 3-time first team All-Big Ten selection and in 1981 won the Big Ten rushing title falling just 10 yards short of Rob Lytle's single season rushing record.  In the 1981 Rose Bowl, Butch ran for 182 yards and a touchdown.  Woolfolk was drafted by the NY Giants in the first round and had a seven-year career in the NFL, the last two with the Lions, accumulating over 5,000 all-purpose yards.  BUTCH WOOLFOLK --  a great Wolverine and  true Michigan man.

1989:  M 22  USC 14 -- There were a bunch of random wrong guesses for this game, but a surprisingly large number correctly picked LEROY HOARD.  Although never an All-American, Hoard was a quintessential Bo Schembechler power running back.  He once reported told his coach:  "If you need 1 yard, I'll get you 3 yards; if you need 3 yards, I'll get you 3 yards."  Hoard was starter at both tailback and fullback.  He rushed for 165 yards in Michigan's win over OSU in 1988, and then followed up with 146 yards and 2 TDs in the Rose Bowl against USC to win the MVP award.  Hoard was a second-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns and played 11 seasons in the NFL.  Leroy Hoard --  a great Wolverine and  true Michigan man.

1993:  M 38  Washington 31 -- A surprisingly large number of you guessed Elvis Grbac.  But, remember, "Run the damn ball."  This one should have been obvious, as it was the greatest game of TY WHEATLEY's illustrious career.   There's no need to go into details of Wheatley's remarkable career at Michigan, save to say he was All-American in both football and track and he ranks fifth in career yardage at Michigan.  In the 1993 Rose Bowl, Wheatley rushed for 235 yards, including TD runs of 88, 56, and 24 yards.  Tyrone Wheatley, Sr. -- a great Wolverine and true Michigan man.

1998:  M 21  Washington State 16 --  While a few of you guessed Charles Woodson -- a logical choice given his TD-saving end zone interception, the correct answer was BRIAN GRIESE.  Again, given its recency, there's no need to go in depth into Griese's career or stats.  In the Rose Bowl, Griese passed for 251 yards and 3 TDS.   Notably, Michigan won all 3 games against OSU that Griese started.  He was drafted in the third round of the NFL draft by Denver and had a successful pro career.  Brian Griese -- a great Wolverine and true Michigan man.

I hoped you enjoyed the quiz and this summary.  Sorry I don't know how to embed or I would have included some video footage of these great players.