Winningest QB in Michigan History?
I was reading a piece on colt mccoy being the all-time leader in the NCAA in QB wins. It made me wonder who is Michigan's most winningest starting QB?
I went to Bentley and looked at each year. It shows the number of starts each one has but does not specify which games they started. Could have been a win, loss or tie. So my question is to anyone on here, do you know who the winningest starting QB is in Michigan history?
EDIT: Stupid title fixed.
It has to be Henne, right?
Not sure. He didn't start all of 2007. He missed the games against ND, PSU and did not start the northwestern game but finished it.
and people still seemed unsure, the answer is Leach with 38, take it to the bank.
In fact, before Peyton manning broke his record, Leach was the winningest College Football QB of all time. Kellen Moore is the current holder now, not Colt McCoy.
Leach also held the record for most TD's in College for quite a few years before that was broken
Didn't he play 4 years as well? Probably had a better record but played fewer games per season, though Henne did miss time in 2007 due to injury.
UPDATE: The team was 38-8-2 during Leach's 4 years, but I'm not sure if he missed a start here or there. Team went 36-14 in Henne's time, and I know he missed a few starts.
I thought about Leach too, but Henne only missed 4 starts over four years, and I bet the number of games makes up for that. So who won more games? Henne had two Rose Bowl seasons, and a third season where we won 9 games (his last). It was only that 2005 season where we were that great and won 7 games (right?).
Your update wasn't there when I posted this. Sounds like Leach for sure then, unless he missed a bunch of starts. I think all of the starts Henne missed were wins, so his number is probably 32.
During Leach's tenure, the team only lost 4 regular season games. The other 4 losses all came in the Rose Bowl (3 times) or the Orange Bowl.
Damn. That needs to happen again - minus the four straight bowl losses, of course.
August 7th, 2012 at 10:34 PM ^
That was pretty good. But not as good as the QB he replaced. From 1972-1974 Dennis Franklin went 30-2-1 losing only to OSU. In both losses Michigan outplayed the Buckeyes but a combination of goal line stands by the Bucks and missed Field Goals (allegedly) by Michigan robbed us of victory.
That dude gets my vote as the greatest Michigan QB I've ever seen play. And he never went to a bowl game! Back then the B1G only sent the conference winner to the Rose Bowl.
Leach never missed a start or a game. Considering how much Bo ran him with the option, he was really one tough son of a gun.
as far as I can count...Henne had more Losses than any QB going back to Harbaugh.
Most Winningest? Heh. Is that different from just Winningest?
It's elementary:
More Winningest
Most Winningest
Mostest Winningest
Same goes for losingest...
I would agree, if we don't say "Most Best" is it okay to say "Most Winningest"?
Agreed, "most best" is certainly incorrect. It should be "most bestest."
I bet it's Navarre.
a few years ago that it was him, with people musing that he was not the most gifted QB but the (most) winningest. Will be interesting to see.
I bet in five years it will be Shane Morris.
To win the national championships in 2014-2016, we will need to win the four-team playoff, which adds an extra game for each of those seasons. So here's to hoping he goes 59-0.
I'd guess Rick Leach or Henne. Probably Leach.
Navarre: 42 career starts, 31-11
2000: 3-1 (Henson came back starting with the fifth game)
2001: 8-4
2002: 10-3
2003: 10-3
Henne: 45 career starts, 33-12
2004: 9-3
2005: 7-5
2006: 11-2
2007: 6-2 (missed starts against ND, PSU, Minn, ???-I think Wisc. I'm less confident about this year)
Leach: 49 career starts, 38-8-3
1975: 8-2-1 (sat against Baylor)
1976: 10-2
1977: 10-2
1978: 10-2
Honorable mention: Dennis Franklin had a 30-2-1 record over 1971-1974
Sources (not exactly official):
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1218554-where-does-denard-robinson-r…
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/mich-m-footbl-archive.ht…
http://gutsnglue.tripod.com/leachbio.htm
Wikipedia
Fantastic research. Are you a liberrian?
No politics on the site.
Huh, I never knew liberia was known for there research
August 7th, 2012 at 10:42 PM ^
Their known for they're mastery of English linguistics.
I think, if my whiskey soaked memory is correct, that 1975 should read 8-1-2 ?
August 7th, 2012 at 10:20 PM ^
I believe you're right. 1975 was the first year I held my sister's season tickets, and I went to all the games. I believe they started 0-0-2 with ties to -- if my whiskey and pot-addled brain of 16 years old at that time, shame on me, recalls correctly -- Stanford and Baylor.
August 7th, 2012 at 10:39 PM ^
My only sources arewikipedia and a random blog, as I wasn't born yet in 1975
But according to those, UM opened with a win at Wisc, then tied Stanford, then Leach sat for a tie against Baylor. They started off 8-0-2 before losing to Ohio, then to Oklahoma in the Orange bowl. Maybe I'll check my copy of War As They Knew It tomorrow...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Michigan_Wolverines_football_team
August 7th, 2012 at 11:51 PM ^
Yes, Leach was 8-2-1 in 1975. He started both losses (OSU and Oklahoma) and one of the two ties. I don't think he sat against Baylor, but he certainly did not start that game.
So with Navarre, Henne, and Leach, along with Denard, can we mandate Michigan quarterbacks can only choose from #7 or #16?
Shane, sorry in advance.
but i just had to neg for repeated use of "most winningest"
He was basically a 3.5-year starter between 1989-92. UM went 38-7-3 over that span.
Edit: after looking into this further, it appears that Grbac's career record as a starter at UM was 32-5-3 (.838). He started every game from 1990-1992. In 1989, he entered the Notre Dame game to replace an injured Michael Taylor, and started four games (UCLA, Maryland, Wisconsin, and MSU) thereafter until Taylor returned.
August 7th, 2012 at 10:18 PM ^
He was hurt in the final minute against Notre Dame and missed the next two games against Oklahoma State and Houston. Todd Collins started in his place. Grbac's first game back was against Iowa.
I thought for sure John Navarre himself would convice us that he had the most wins...I would have believed anything from you, John.
That is you, right? John?
Chad Henne.
32 Wins.
EDIT: I am wrong (See below)
Uh Rick Leach, 1975-1978.
These are all the record's in the history of Michigan football. Kind of fun to look at!
That play was the only thing giving me hope in the vast wasteland of 2008 between Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Denard owns that "Most Yards Gained in a Game" list.
Rick Leach - 38 wins
Chad Henne - 33 wins (missed 4 games to injury)
John Navarre - 31 wins
Elvis Grbac - 30 wins (missed 2 games to injury)
Dennis Franklin - 28 wins (missed 2 games to injury)
Steve Smith - 25 wins (missed 1 game to injury)
What about Friedman???
August 8th, 2012 at 11:19 AM ^
Friedman became the starter mid-way through his Sophomore season. Michigan was 7-1 each of his Junior and Senior seasons.
This site has Leach's game stats, sound clips, SI stories and covers, bios and galleries for each year and awards and honors: